It’s almost Christmas. What a year, for all of us!
I’m ending it with thanks. Thank you for following my online mutterings, now over 160 blog entries since April. Thank you for your supportive Comments, more than 300 here since mid-June. Thank you for the many emails and other messages of goodwill. Thank you for the cards and gifts. They’ve made my life so much more rewarding.
Thank you for helping to fund research into MND/ALS. It’s exactly three weeks since the MNDA’s David Peace Fund was launched, and as of today it’s raised over £6,500 just in single donations. At least £700 p.a. more has been given in regular direct debits, and that figure is probably higher. Please, if you have contributed regular sums or if you decide to do so in future, and if it’s because of your friendship with me and you want your regular donations to be recognised in that way, do say so in the ‘Other Comments’ box on the MNDA site, otherwise we won’t know. If you do mention me and the DP Fund, the Association will then tell Professor Tony Watts who set up the Fund, and we can add them to the Fund total and report back to you. The links are now at the bottom of each page in this blog. Thank you.
Now an apology, but I know everyone will understand. I’ve not been able to send Christmas cards or a Christmas letter this year. The cards were just a bit too much, all things considered. And I asked myself, who needs a DP letter after you’ve trekked through 160 bits of DP ramblings in the last 9 months?
I’m staying with Tim over Christmas and New Year. It looked like my neighbours were going to be away so I’d be in the house alone with eight empty flats at a time when I might need help. He wasn’t joining his family, and his place has two bedrooms and bathrooms and is about 15 minutes walk from mine, and he’s up to speed on my medical needs, so it made sense. It’s had another advantage: despite my doubts we’ve done a short video. I say “we”. In fact it took about 30 minutes of fun from me and about four hours of stitching and darning from him. It’s below.
I’m signing off now until the New Year. Wherever and however you’re spending this season, with loved ones or without, you know we’ll get through it. Have a jolly time. Merry Christmas. And thank you.
So good to see and hear you Dave. Thank you for this video – and to the wonderful Tim too! It’s been an annus horribilis for you far more than most, of course; and yet you’ve somehow managed to bring so much beauty and wisdom, memory and presence, warmth and humour through this bloggus mirabilis. Thank you for your huge contribution to making this year much better. Merry Christmas to you both too x
I agree, wholeheartedly, with Chris. Your courage, resilience and humour must be the biggest inspiration to us all this Christmas. It’s tremendous to read that the fund in your name continues to grow. It’s such a needy cause and a very small way in which we can pay tribute to you and show you our love. Many thanks to you and Tim for finishing the year with this special video
Amazing to see you Dave, and wonderful to see / hear your message. So uplifting and positive at this time, thank you so much, and to Tim. You continue to inspire us all. Merry Christmas to you both xxxx
Let’s hope next year is better for everyone and more importantly it’s it’s not too difficult for you. Our thoughts are with you and I’m missing you in the pub not that anybody is able to go at the moment kind regards
Great to see you DP, shall miss the blog over Christmas but look forward to its return in 2021.
Keep up the great work and have a Merry Christmas.
Tom
(Top work Tim on the editing 👏🏼)
Great to see you David, still looking dapper! The tree doesn’t look bad either. Merry Christmas and much love, Caroline
Dear David, it’s wonderful to see you on the blog our thought are with you and hope the new year will be better for everyone will miss your newsletter this year My regard to Tim
Barbara xx
Hi David, that was so wonderful to see you and you look wonderful as always. You are an inspiration to us all. Great video and thank you Tim for the edit and for being there. Lots of love as always. Shonagh xx
It really was so so lovely to see and hear you and in spite of what you might think you shine through it all, challenged but unchanged. I would just like to add my thanks for all the humour and courage you have shown throughout this year. It seems a long time ago now that we were having that lovely long lunch in London and so much as happened since then but your resilience and ability to see the fun and beauty around you has certainly made me re-assess a few things I might not otherwise have done and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. x