Francesca Bossert's Blog, page 22

KINDREDS IN KINDNESS

Artwork by Olivia Bossert

Tonight,

I wish to be a pilgrim of kindness,

Depositing a jewel-coloured wreath of gratitude

Decorated with twinkling,

Multicoloured fairy-lights,

In the hearts of all the people

Who have been so generous towards me

Throughout this particularly challenging year.

 

May we twinkle for each other,

Kindreds in Kindness,

Going Big in the Department

Of Generosity and Support.

If we do this,

Wherever we are,

We will always be Home.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

With love,

 

Francesca

 

Buy me a Coffee (it's like giving me a little tip!)

 

 

CHOCOLATE COVERED ME!

Good morning!

 

I've been overindulging in the sweet stuff recently. My husband is adorable and tells me I have three years to make up for. And jahwohl mein Schnitzel, I suppose I could look at it that way, because it's true. Although it's more like two years, really, since I was diagnosed with colitis and went on a walk along the straight and narrow and turned myself into a carrot stick within weeks in an attempt to ward off the issue.

 

It worked for a few months. And ooh, was I elderly woman catwalk material! But the caved in cheekbones and sad complexion began to make people wonder if I was really ill. Which I was, but not in the way they imagined, thankfully.

 

Anyway, no sweet yummies for me for a while. No sugar, no dairy, no gluten (and no anything, really. Yes, it was brutal!) Which for someone who has always loved breakfast (toasts, butter, jam, croissants,) made my mornings quite boring. Of course, I did avocado on gluten free crackers with olive oil, and yes I like that too. But I missed the other stuff.

 

In the past year I gradually almost stopped eating altogether because I was sick all the time. Food became the enemy. I ate tiny amounts, just enough to keep myself going, but I was tired all the time and would sleep for hours most afternoons. My Swiss gastroenterologist had nothing to offer me apart from immuno-supporessants (Enterocort, the cortisone she'd initially prescribed hadn't worked) and I was reticent. Then my husband ran into an old friend of mine at a restaurant close to our house. She asked how I was, and he told her I wasn't well at all. She immediately said I should call a doctor who had helped her youngest son, who had had terrible IBD issues (and more) throughout his childhood and adolescence.

 

I waited over three months for an appointment, and couldn't even go to it because I was too sick to fly. I'd already sent him my file, so we did it by Skype. We had a long talk, and he was so nice, and explained so much without talking down to me (don't you hate doctors who talk to you like you're a half-wit?), and prescribed a different cortisone for me to try, along with something else (not an opioid!) for my chronic pain. But when I went to pick it up at the pharmacy the next day, they didn't have it in Switzerland. I drove to France, across the border (we live close) but they didn't have it there either. My husband was in Spain with my daughter, her husband and her in-laws, so they went to pick it up for me. I took a lot of anti-D stuff and flew to Barcelona the following day. I took the meds on Thursday morning and I've gradually turned into Tigger! No D. No pain. Nada.

 

I've seen the doctor again, shortly and he referred me to an immunologist because he suspects other autoimmune issues, and I'm seeing that doctor on December 9th. We shall see.

 

Meanwhile, although I'm still watching my diet, I've allowed myself more uplifting breakfasts again. I've had sourdough toast, with dairy free butter and jam. And after dinner (and sometimes in the afternoon) I've eaten black, salted chocolate. I love black salted chocolate! And oranges coated in black chocolate! Have you ever had those?! OMG!

 

I no longer look gaunt (haven't in a while, to be honest. Anti-depressants...). I've even ridden my horse!!! Twice! I hadn't been able to ride in four years. And ouille-ouille-ouille, I'm so unfit, five minutes of rising trot and I was out of breath. And when I came home I slept all afternoon. But it made me so happy to be back with Dominic (that’s my horse). And I need to be gentle on myself because I've not been able to regular exercise for close to five years. In the past few months there were many days when I didn't even dare go for a walk.

 

So, I'm enjoying it all, now, because nobody knows what can happen. For now the medicine is working super well, so I'll take as much fun as I can because I won’t be able to stay on the drugs long-term. And yes, I know sugar is inflammatory. But not so much as nasty comments!

 

I wish you all the very best.

 

Here is a poem about chocolate. I wrote some of it last night and posted it on notes, then added to it this morning. Maybe I should have left the short version (first two stanzas). What do you think?

 

 

CHOCOLATE COVERED ME

 

Don’t guilt-trip the craving

Or skate around the desire.

Give into the melt

Of that yummy quagmire.

 

If your body says yes,

Tell your mind to get lost.

There’s a stairway to heaven

In chocolaty stuff.

 

Add a spoonful of sweet stuff

Per page of bleak news,

Though we’ll be shovelling sugar

If things don’t improve.

 

Take a walk on the sweet side,

Embrace those false teeth,

Celebrities love them

As seen on TV.

 

Don’t fret about blubber,

It’s all good I hear.

Spray paint yourself orange

And the masses will cheer.

 

Just kidding, of course.

But there’s something to say

About a nice bit of chocolate

On a miserable day.

 

Click on the image to buy me a coffee!!!!

 

 

FLOUNCING

 

My flounce has returned

With a spring.

With a bounce.

I find myself flouncing all over my house.

I flounce through the shops,

And keep testing to see

If this flounce is for real

Or a wonderful dream.

 

After five years of hobbling,

Of grunts and weird groans,

This flouncing is magic

It never gets old.

If I could share flouncing

With those that I love

I’d gladly send barrels of this super cool stuff.

Enjoy my writing? Support me with a tiny gesture such as

Buying me a coffee! Or buy my book!

 

NO CHANCE SALOON

DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

The resident butterflies swirled a warning skirmish as someone new slinkied into the saloon, all shoulders and smoulder and attitude.

Bad attitude.

In a kerfuffle of scraping chairs, the women in the saloon stood up, cleared their throats, raised their chins, and in one perfect, graceful but firm gesture, pointed towards the swinging doors.

Mr. Slinky had never ridden out of any town faster.

BUY ME A COFFEE?

WHEN BRAD PITT BOUGHT ME FLOWERS

Brad’s roses looked just like these.

You’re going to think I made this up,But Brad Pitt bought me flowers.He had them sent one Valentine’s Day At a very tardy hour.My husband had forgotten, see,So Brad stepped in; how sweet!A great big bunch of roses came,And landed at my feet!That such a massive superstar Had been so very kind,Came as a big surprise to me,It really blew my mind!My man seemed rather miffed that night,When he saw Brad’s bouquetHis flower gifting improved lotFrom that memorable day!

THE PRISONER

Image @Alexander Sinn, UNSPLASH

Plump-green behind bars,

Cumbersome on his sad perch,

He sits, turns, again.

YOU DECKED WHAT?

My use of tinsel

Can be rather subversive.

Hands off my suitcase !

#PreChristmasHaiku

WEATHER FORECAST

The frosted white carpet early this morning. So pretty!

  

Hello my lovelies,

 

It was snowing here in Switzerland when we went to bed last night, and everyone got all excited because, well, who doesn't get excited when it snows? It was coming down hard when we turned out the lights, so I hoped it would all be hushed and a lovely bright white by morning.

 

I knew immediately that it wasn't when I woke up. I couldn't see that it wasn't because the blinds were down, but I knew, because the sound outside was wrong. When there is a good covering of snow everything is muted and hushed. It was pretty though, when I opened the blinds, because it had been cold, and where the grass is short the snow had frozen and made an ice-carpet right down the centre of our garden.

 

That ice-carpet inspired this poem.

 

It snowed quite hard for a while later in the morning, and for a while I got my hopes up, but then I got a high-wind warning on my phone but so far the only change is that it's raining...

 

Maybe we'll have snow tonight? The weather forecasters keep on changing their minds.

 

I'll keep you posted.

 

I got a bit preachy in my poem... but it's all true...

 

Love

Cesca xx

 

WEATHER FORECAST: THE SNOW QUEEN

 

Roll out the white carpet,

Erase all that green!

Queen Winter’s arriving

Wearing ice crinolines.

 

This frosting? This sprinkling?

You call this joke snow?

Who needs stupid snow tires,

Our winters now blow!

 

Then turn down your heating,

And switch off some lights!

The climate is struggling

To keep seasons alive.

 

Elect decent people

Not greedy mad pervs!

Be kind and considerate,

We get what we deserve.

 

I knew those white winters,

When the snow came to stay.

Not for the whole winter

But for at least a few days.

 

Now the Snow Queen’s exhausted

Just trying to stay cold.

She needs to be cherished,

And treated like gold.

Earlier this afternoon it looked a little more hopeful…

A bluetit (?) in a coconut

 

LARMES SANS FRONTIERES

Se regrouper et agir en colère,

Ou laisser parler la tendresse ?

Mais si la tendresse s’épuise,

Ou déverserons-nous nos larmes ?

WATCH ME

 

Let us shed soft pink,

Dismiss tangerine,

And opt for a powerful, molten gold.

 

Our sunrise is ready.

 

Now, watch us glow.