Monday 19th February 2024

This week began with the supervision of our Volunteer Coordinator. I always enjoy reflecting and listening to the way in which people work. I enjoy it because it also gives me a chance to reflect on what I bring to my role at Forget Me Notes. The privilege of working with others comes with a responsibility for doing your best.

Monday also saw our Zoom Choir, which is held every week. Zoom Choir was originally a product of the Pandemic, and it would be easy to think that now we can all meet together face to face, there would be no need for choirs on Zoom. However, as far as we are concerned our Zoom Choir is still attended by around twenty people from all over the UK and so it has become a time that we all look forward to.

We had a good Trustee meeting on Tuesday with an agenda that helped us to consider the issues that will mean the continued development of The Forget Me Notes Project. We are lucky to have Trustees who are committed to the project and provide good support for Paul, myself, and the project overall. This means we are more able to achieve outcomes we have set ourselves.

On Tuesday afternoon we delivered a session at Camilla House. It was a good session seeing partners dancing together as well as singing with enthusiasm. I was able to take a bit of time to visit one of the residents there who along with her husband have been a part of The Forget Me Notes Project for a few years. She is not well so it was good to go and see her, to assure her of our support. While I was in the room with her and her husband, I began to sing the song Morning has Broken, a song they had at their wedding. It was lovely to see her response as she opened her eyes and smiled.

When we met at Saughton Park on Thursday it was wet. I know we are in the glasshouse, but it is definitely not watertight so before the session went ahead we needed to mop up some of the water with a towel! There were more than forty people present, it was half term so having some children in the room meant adapting the songs to enable them to take part. We were able to sing Baby Shark, Yellow Submarine and You are my Sunshine. You wouldn’t think of You are my Sunshine as being a modern song but the youngsters who were there on Thursday loved it.

My week closed with a music memory session at Ashbrook which went well. Not as many people came on Friday but those who were there really enjoyed the session. We did have one new person who came to see what happened at Forget Me Notes in order that she could encourage her father to come and join us.

I can’t remember the program where the phrase originated but “try before you buy” comes to mind. It feels to me that when you get a chance to sample something it’s a good thing. It’s like a visit to Costco when you get so many samples that by the time you have finished your visit you don’t need any lunch. I am sure I am not the only one!

Have a good week.