Norq From Ork

January seems to have gone on forever but we’ve made it through.  As one of my 49 things for 49 years challenges I’m capturing a moment each day and mashing it together in a video using an app.  So here’s my January in 30 seconds. It starts with celebrations and finishes with me consoling myself with ice cream but there’s more of that later.

This week has mainly been dictated by the weather.  Monday morning had the slightest smattering of snow and within half an hour the place was covered.  I nearly didn’t post a picture because I know you know what snow looks like and you can basically see it by looking out of the window, but for the readers in hotter climates here is the same view taken half an hour apart on Monday.

Driving has been tricky, and tiresome.  Journeys have to be carefully planned and patience is slowly dwindling.  But I still managed a couple of sea swims and had great fun. I wish I could explain it to you, the joy of wild swimming, but I can’t.  I’m journaling it though and hopefully, I will express myself somehow in the future.  An added bonus to the joy of cold water swimming is making so many new friends.  All bonding together to chase the endorphin release. One of our swims this week was at sunset hence the slightly dark picture. The other is from a great knock about in the sea at the Bay of Skaill today.  The wind picked up, the waves grew bigger and we body surfed and laughed our heads off.  Later I found salt dried on my lashes.  Wonderful.

Another new friend who hasn’t joined me in the sea (yet) met me for lunch and took flowers, making me cry.  She didn’t know they arrived just at the perfect time. Gorgeous, thank you!

A couple of summers ago I was in a seafood restaurant when I saw a mermaid which I fell in love with.  She was gazing wistfully out to sea and really liked it.  An internet search ensued and I struggled to find one.  Realising I was becoming like the mermaid, longing to be in the sea whenever I could, I searched again.  This time I found it!  It arrived in the post in a couple of days and was placed lovingly on my windowsill so she could look at the sea from my lounge.  I absolutely love it.

What the heck’s that thing? said Orkney Beef with distain.  Because he has no soul.

This fabulous photo is of my parents on their wedding day some 54+ years ago. Weirdly it looks like me marrying my brother, the family likeness is so strong!

The Mothership is one of the strongest women I know.  She’s survived so much in her life and it now has thrown her another challenge.  Her struggle with her memory in recent months has required readjustment and courage. This week as I sat in the doctor’s room with her, and knowing what my parents are going to have to face together, I felt so proud of them.  Cancer did not break them.  Open heart surgery did not break them. Another cancer and the loss of a son did not break them.  Now they have to be strong again.  And with the love and support of their family and friends, the love they have for each other and faith in God, I feel sure they will demonstrate just how powerful love can be.  Because if you have love, all that matters is the hear and now. Because it is love, it is love, it is love.