Hello folks, Jim here from Scotland.
Where do I start… You’d think at my age I’d have lots to say wouldn’t you?
Well, I guess that is as good a start as any - I’m 59, or as my 26 year old daughter interjects when it comes up in a conversation “60 in November!”
She loves me really.
Children, that’s another good point I suppose.
I did have 3 children, my aforementioned daughter and two sons, however my sons died in 1988 and 1995. The first from a cerebral aneurysm and second from a Stroke. Both were under 20. Losing a child is the worst thing you can do to a man, second to losing a wife, which I have in 1968, 6 weeks after getting married. Talk about bad luck eh?
Luckily I had some good luck and met another great woman and married her in 1969, she is 59 years old and still my wife, I did something right at least.
We had our 43rd anniversary on June 28th. The good thing about written speech is you can’t tell I hesitated for a moment! 
OK, grandchildren. I’ve got me one of those by my daughter, a 2 year old boy and got me another on the way which should be here by November 17th, gender unknown. Can’t wait 
Nor can the mother, don’t understand why really, as I said to my wife all those years ago when she was pregnant, “what’s all the fuss about? Quit moanin’ and get on with it”.
I still have a limp.
Family, got me some of those too, luckily they all live nearby, well most of them anyway, and friends, well, I’m in a small close nit village so I can’t walk down the road to get a pack of cigs without stopping every 5 minutes to have a chat with whoever is walking by. I like it though, nice and cosy.
Health, not so good!
I’ve had 3 heart attacks in my life, one a week after my second son’s death in '95 which resulted in cardiac arrest in the pain killers isle of Tesco, thank God an off duty paramedic was in the store and saved my life, I can never repay that debt to her, she’s a hero.
I had the second one in 2010 when I was watering my roses (one moment I was wondering if I needed to prune the bush a bit more and the next I’m wondering if I’m going to die).
The third was in June and again for no reason, I was just pouring myself a whiskey when it happened. That was a bad one, on par with the first. I had to be resuscitated before I could be put in the ambulance and when I got to hospital they did some tests and found two of my arteries were blocked pretty much 100% so I had to have both of them bypassed, then 2 weeks later at a check up they realised that another one was partially blocked but instead of bypassing it they decided a stent was good enough there.
I’m all better now but it is scary thinking that I could have another one any moment.
Heart problems run in my late father’s male family. He died in 1986 of a sudden heart attack just two days before my daughter was born, he was 62 which I will be in just over 2 years. I’m not looking forward to that birthday that’s for sure.
His father died at 44, his father died at 39 and I THINK my great-great grandfather died at 30, so the age got higher as time went by, probably with better qualities of life.
Lets hope I continue that and live longer than 62!
Anyway, I’ve MORE than rattled on enough, so goodbye.
welcome, I look forward to chatting with you.