Hamish A Highland Cow 10 x 8 inches, (26x20 cms) Faber-Castell Polychromos coloured pencils. I couldn't resist the inquisitive look and shaggy coat. Polychromos are wonderful medium for building up the texture. Original artwork by Keith Boldy

My first thought was Brrrrr

Wow, this is terrific

Not my Daily Diary Sunday 25th October 2026 #DementiaAwareness An update on Chris It was a long, worrying night, and I’m writing this so tired but very grateful Chris is alright. This isn’t my usual daily diary entry today. Yesterday evening, Chris had a fall at home. She fell backwards and hit her head hard on the tiled hall floor. A lump, the size of a large egg, came up straight away. With no ambulances available for hours, I drove her to the hospital myself. We spent the night there and finally got home at 7.30 this morning after about eight hours. Thankfully, Chris is okay. Her head is still sore, and it was awful to see her in pain. We were so relieved, the CT scan showed no fracture and no bleeding. I just need to keep a close watch on her for the next 48 hours. I would like to thank the front line Doctors and nurses at Russell Hall Hospital Emergency Department for their attentiveness toward Chris. They were so polite and professional working under a lot of pressure. Chris slept most of the day, and I managed to sleep until 2 p.m., but right now I’m so exhausted I’m finding it hard to string two clear sentences together. I'm hoping we can get back to normal tomorrow. We wish you all a lovely evening or day, wherever you are in the world. Keith and Chris xx @NHS

Not my Daily Diary Sunday 25th October DementiaAwareness Sorry for not replying to messages. Just got back from hospital where we spent overnight in A&E after Chris has had a head injury seen to after collapsing. She has big lump on her head, thankfully no bleeds or fracture. We are off to bed now, dead beat...

Not my Daily Diary Saturday 24th October 2026 #DementiaAwareness It doesn't get any easier sorting out TV viewing for us. The easy thing would be to put on Location, Location, Location or Escape To The Country, programmes about house hunting, and Chris would watch them all night, but I have to balance it with me being with her and that's where the difficulty lies. I've tried watching my programmes on my PC with earphones, but it doesnt work. So finding something compatible for us both is always a challenge. Last night was one of those challenges. It started with "Would I Lie To You"? Both Chris and I think it's very funny. I've tried similar programmes like Have I Got News For You but it didn't resonate with Chris in the same way. I was hoping that a new crime drama, The Northumbrian Mysteries, starring Robson Green who plays an ex-con who forms an unusual detective partnership with a female DI, solving crimes against the rugged backdrop of coastal and rural North East England, would work, especially if there's a murder. I enjoyed it, Chris said she did, but kept asking how long is this on for, so I'm not so sure. We watched Coronation Street, Chris's all-time favourite. I once tried getting her to watch much older episodes on ITV3, but that just confused her when watching current episodes. Kevin McCloud's Classic Car road trip didn't work either as he toured northern Italy in a classic Maserati 3500GT. We watched it last week when he was in the South of France, going to places we had visited many times and I was able to relate our own stories, reminding Chris of our times there. I couldn't do that, last night in Italy. I surrendered, and we ended the night with another episode of Escape To The Country visiting Northumberland. I must say, a beautiful county to live in, and more of Daniel O'Donnell, who Chris loves. Finally it's bedtime and our nightly lounge shuffle in each other's arms to The Platters, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. We didn't have the best of nights, Chris didn't settle. She is so lucid in the mornings, but as the day passes, by night she is exactly the opposite. We did get about 5 hours' sleep and I didn't wake until ten. We were not going anywhere, it was raining and only 9°C, a day that doesn't lighten your mood. But we had a funny moment. I took Chris her morning meds up with her breakfast, she saw herself in the bedroom mirror and said, you can tell I didn't get much sleep, look at my face. I replied, I can see that, it would make a good reference for a pumpkin carving. She glared at me and I didn't expect to get away with my life. Suddenly she burst out into the loudest laugh, she thought it was so funny. I started calling her Pumpkin in an endearing way and she laughs each time. Phew... The only outing I had was to fetch the papers from the petrol station about noon. I needed fuel too, the prices are now at their highest at 202p per litre. At times like this I wish we had a Tuk-Tuk. Today's Storm Boelo has hit the south of England badly, with winds up to 80 mph, but here in our part of the Midlands we are only getting lots of rain and a bit windy. I didn't have to wake Chris, even after a bad night she hasn't slept during the day, a good thing really. The clocks go back tonight, we could do with that extra hour's sleep. Chris admitted that she had enough of Location x3 and was watching Escape To The Country instead. Ironically she got up and settled down with Escape To The Country in the lounge. I must admit to having a secret liking of this programme. Dinner was home-produced oven chips. I always keep the skins on, it's so much better for you, and because Chris likes them spicy I toss them in olive oil with various spices, and served them with a BBQ chicken pizza and a salad. Tonight's going to be another challenge to find something to watch. We are OK up to 8.30 when Strictly Come Dancing is on. After that? Have a lovely evening or day wherever you are in the world. . Keith and Chris xx

Not My Daily Diary Friday 23rd October 2026 #DementiaAwareness Most of the last evening was spent watching the Pride of Britain Awards. The recipients were praised for their heroic actions, compassion or humanitarian work, young and old. All with very tearful stories from thoroughly deserving people receiving a trophy for their perseverance This was followed by one of my favourite programmes, "All Creatures Great and Small". I got my wish when Siegfried finally dumped Dorothy after realising he was in love with Audrey. You get so drawn into the story that I forget it isn’t real. I did feel sorry for poor Dorothy, though We finished the night with "Escape to the Country", house hunting in the beautiful county of Northumberland with its lush fields and stunning views We danced our usual dance, holding each other close to Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night”. Listening to the words, it struck a chord that the reality might just come to this one day, but I hope that is still a long way off Everything is going well so far. I put Chris to bed with Kirstie and Phil watching "Location, Location, Location", while I came downstairs for a tipple We did have a good night’s sleep, but this morning Chris was woken by a nightmare in which I had died, again. We lay in bed chatting, assuring her I was very much alive. She wanted to know about how we joined the choirs. I love this part of the day, when she is at her most lucid. It’s almost like talking to the old Chrissy again. What made me smile most was that we joined Dementia Singing with Friends on the suggestion of our friend Faye. Chris remembered Faye’s young son Harry, and she remembered that as a four-year-old he had taught me to dance Gangnam Style. We both laughed about that I left Chris, with the television on in the bedroom and only had time to tidy up and put a wash on in the laundry room. Looking around, I can see it needs a proper wipe over. Being in the basement it doesn’t get the attention it deserves from me, a job for tomorrow I had wanted to wash Chris’s hair, but I left her too late in bed. We were going to Morrisons with our friend Lin (Harry’s grandmother, whom I mentioned earlier). With no time for hairdressing I had to get Chris up in a hurry. She wasn’t a happy bunny, but at least she had a lie-in It wasn’t the best time to leave the house. Storm Austen hit, just as we were setting off, wind and heavy rain made it unpleasant to drive, and Lin made hard work of getting from her front door to our car We were fortunate enough to find the only available parking space right by the supermarket entrance, and a wheelchair trolley, which meant we didn’t get too wet. We were lucky, it was never as bad as it was in the south of the country Morrisons wasn’t busy, I presume people were staying home, expecting the worst. We finished the shopping, keeping an eye on the rain through the store windows and taking a slow stroll around the aisles until it seemed to ease. When we left it was still raining, but only drizzling Once home I began unloading the car, leaving everything in the hall as I went back for more. Chris, bless her, was dragging the bags into the kitchen With the groceries put away, Chris changed into her onesie and settled in front of the fire watching another episode of, "Escape to the Country" while I cooked dinner. Today it was egg, sausage, chips, beans and mushrooms, it’s Friday, I wouldn’t be expected to cook anything else The BBC are airing 90 minutes of "The Celebrity Traitors" tonight. I’m sure the television companies talk to each other, because finding decent viewing after 8 pm was nigh on impossible. A new programme started this afternoon, "The Northumbria Mysteries" starring Robson Green. It’s a crime drama, but as it’s daytime television it might be fairly light-hearted. I’ll try it on iplayer this evening. Of course, there’s always "Coronation Street" Have a lovely weekend, wherever you are in the world. Keith and Chris xx

Not My Daily Diary Thursday 22nd October 2026 #DementiaAwareness Scrolling through the viewing schedule last night, I managed to find enough for us to watch without turning to Midsomer Murders or Daniel O’Donnell. Ben Fogle in Norway was a good start, even if he was given a doll’s house to sleep in. I couldn’t help wondering where the whole film crew stayed, the ones we never see but know are there from the credits. A tent in the forest, perhaps? Coronation Street is always a winner for Chris. The storyline with Debbie and her dementia is interesting; a lot of good research has clearly gone into it. There are so many parallels with our own life. The Repair Shop offered a fascinating insight into other people’s broken and worn-out memorabilia. Then Grand Designs, it still amazes me how someone will put their life savings into an ecological experiment when they don’t really know what they’re doing. If I was going to spend £300,000 on a building project it would be a belt-and-braces job. In the past the television was always on in the background while I got on with something arty, only half-watching, if that. These days I’m taking more of an interest and actually enjoying it. I still miss the dramas, though, and I’m told there are some exceptionally good ones on at the moment. We had our little bedtime shuffle to Harry Connick Jr singing “It Had to Be You”, but my mind wasn’t really on the music. I was already worried about going to bed. At 8 pm I give Chris her medication. Last night I was due to give her the most important one, the one that calms and relaxes her, from a new batch. Only to discover the chemist had given me the wrong tablets, a similar-sounding name, but not something she had been prescribed. I didn’t tell her. I didn’t want it to be on her mind. I didn’t need to, it quickly showed me how important that particular drug is. Chris didn’t settle. She was in and out of bed all night. I put the television on at 4 am; it made no difference. She had a couple of non-epileptic episodes and finally went to sleep at 6.45. I was drained. I fell asleep too, but woke just after nine feeling exhausted. I got up to sort the problem. I spoke to the pharmacist, who blamed the doctors’ surgery; the surgery blamed the chemist. I didn’t care who was at fault, I just wanted the correct medication for Chris tonight. Eventually I was told I could collect it after 4 pm. With that sorted, I decided to try for an hour or so on the couch while Chris slept upstairs. I had planned to go to the Old Gate pub with my Christmas cards, Sammy had said they would be happy to sell them in aid of the Ernest Thomas II canal-boat charity, but after Chris’s bad night it didn’t feel right to disturb her. Two hours later I woke to a message from the surgery saying the prescription was ready at the chemist, much sooner than expected. Everything had been happening while I slept. I checked on Chris, she was out like a light, then toddled off to the village tout de suite and was back home with the correct tablets in less than fifteen minutes. Chris still had no idea; she was fast asleep. The sun came out and the temperature climbed to a whopping 15°C. I couldn’t resist spending a little time in my happy place, the garden. I had just started weeding around the Pandora statue when the call came from upstairs, “Can you put something on the telly?” That done, I was straight back outside enjoying the sunshine. Dinner was a simple affair, home-prepared oven chips, cod and peas. Not a lot to think about and not a lot to do. I’m even getting some relief with the television tonight. The Pride of Britain Awards are on for two hours, honouring the nation’s unsung heroes. Chris enjoys this programme; she always likes a good heroic story to cry to. Have a lovely evening or day, wherever you are in the world. Keith and Chris xx

Beautiful seal illustration

What a beautiful smile