Where Charity Ends
You all know how much I witter on about the damage that the conmen can do when they’re after your money. Clever dodges to make you believe something they’re not. But what about those who really are who they purport to be and yest can still cause untold damage? Author S.J.Sprague contacted me this morning regarding a case that has genuinely horrified me. If you want to skip my take on this go directly to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11608393/Britains-oldest-poppy-seller-exhaused-by-charity-requests-before-her-death.html you can get the full story .
Basically, last week an amazing lady of 92 years of age named Olive Cooke ended her life by throwing herself into the Avon Gorge. She was Britain’s Oldest Poppy Seller. Her family have said that charity please were a contributing factor into her death. She was bombarded by letters asking for charitable contributions and her phone rang far more frequently than it should with similar requests. It might be easy to dismiss requests in the mail, though she didn’t like to, but far more difficult to refuse when someone on the phone is outlining the desperate straits of someone. At the time of her death she had almost 30 direct debits from her bank to various charities.
Let me be even more direct here and say that up to 10 telephone calls a day and up to 200 written requests a month led to this death. She had a lot of bank charges levied against her because he account was unable to keep pace with the demands on it. She was in debt which is something that doesn’t usually sit well with the elderly. Obviously the bank would have been asking for their money which won’t have helped. These Charities seem to have been passing her name, address and telephone number round like a box of chocolates to be shared. Her grandson compared these charities as a group of sharks circling her.
The law says Under the Data Protection Act any charity planning to pass on people’s personal details to a third party must make clear what they intend to do and gain their consent. I wonder whether this was complied with properly or just a little tick box somewhere that says they’ll pass on details to their ‘partners’ unless the box is ticked. Another issue that is worrying annoying is that Fundraising is self regulated which to my mind means it’s covered by rules but not legislation. That really needs to change. It should be enough for Charities to be restricted to making 2 telephone calls a year to anyone to request a donation and that should cease if they actually set up a direct debit. They should be allowed to continue with mail drops but again, that should cease once a direct debit is in play. They must have databases capable of doing this. It could be different where a person has made a one off donation and not set up a direct debit. But then perhaps calls and mail drops should be restricted to fresh disasters.
It’s obvious that the charities employ PR firms to create adverts to tug at our heartstrings and probably pay big sums to have TV adverts aired. Maybe these are enough and the phone calls should stop altogether. Only you can decide how you feel about that. But, we have a new Government who are not propped up by any other party now and they can make decisions. So, why not ask your MP to look into this situation based on your feelings about it and prevent a similar tragedy from happening to someone else.
My heartfelt commiserations go out to Mrs. Cooke’s family. Perhaps if her case brings about a change in the methods of asking for donations by these charities it will bring them a measure of peace.
Basically, last week an amazing lady of 92 years of age named Olive Cooke ended her life by throwing herself into the Avon Gorge. She was Britain’s Oldest Poppy Seller. Her family have said that charity please were a contributing factor into her death. She was bombarded by letters asking for charitable contributions and her phone rang far more frequently than it should with similar requests. It might be easy to dismiss requests in the mail, though she didn’t like to, but far more difficult to refuse when someone on the phone is outlining the desperate straits of someone. At the time of her death she had almost 30 direct debits from her bank to various charities.
Let me be even more direct here and say that up to 10 telephone calls a day and up to 200 written requests a month led to this death. She had a lot of bank charges levied against her because he account was unable to keep pace with the demands on it. She was in debt which is something that doesn’t usually sit well with the elderly. Obviously the bank would have been asking for their money which won’t have helped. These Charities seem to have been passing her name, address and telephone number round like a box of chocolates to be shared. Her grandson compared these charities as a group of sharks circling her.
The law says Under the Data Protection Act any charity planning to pass on people’s personal details to a third party must make clear what they intend to do and gain their consent. I wonder whether this was complied with properly or just a little tick box somewhere that says they’ll pass on details to their ‘partners’ unless the box is ticked. Another issue that is worrying annoying is that Fundraising is self regulated which to my mind means it’s covered by rules but not legislation. That really needs to change. It should be enough for Charities to be restricted to making 2 telephone calls a year to anyone to request a donation and that should cease if they actually set up a direct debit. They should be allowed to continue with mail drops but again, that should cease once a direct debit is in play. They must have databases capable of doing this. It could be different where a person has made a one off donation and not set up a direct debit. But then perhaps calls and mail drops should be restricted to fresh disasters.
It’s obvious that the charities employ PR firms to create adverts to tug at our heartstrings and probably pay big sums to have TV adverts aired. Maybe these are enough and the phone calls should stop altogether. Only you can decide how you feel about that. But, we have a new Government who are not propped up by any other party now and they can make decisions. So, why not ask your MP to look into this situation based on your feelings about it and prevent a similar tragedy from happening to someone else.
My heartfelt commiserations go out to Mrs. Cooke’s family. Perhaps if her case brings about a change in the methods of asking for donations by these charities it will bring them a measure of peace.
Compassion is the New Extremism
Each new day, no matter what it brings, I try to face with grace. I’m not always successful. Hopefully I’ll get another chance.Things creep into your life or leap in, snarling and tearing, either way, they can beat you down so hard you wonder how you will ever get back up…then eventually, you’ll notice you’re standing again.Those you love will hurt and you can’t always help, but you can always love them. People, even good people get lost, if you can, help them find their way. Hopefully, someone will do the same for you.There will be prejudice and you will think it unfair. It is. Have the courage to denounce it.You will lose those you love, for many reasons, but you’ll never lose that you loved them.Kindness can have costs, but you’ll be paid back over and over again.Love can hurt, but you’ll keep loving and will want to love again, despite the pain.If you see someone fall, literally or figuratively, extending a hand feels better than pointing a finger.There will be dark times, but find people and things that help you through the darkness, not descend into the darkness.
When another day ends, remember the good, try to understand the bad, be grateful and know that, maybe, just maybe you can try again tomorrow.On February 20, 2015, the internet is going to be filled with a different form of extremism, compassion. I hope you can join, with a post, a quote, a Tweet, status update, video, photo that means compassion to you…or visit. I’m not a fan of Slacktivism, but I think we need to remember that compassion, kindness, and hope are better than intolerance, hate, and fear. #1000SpeakShare, if you please...
@copyright stuff 2013-2014D. Parker (Donna Parker, yadadarcyyada) 2013, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to D. Parker (Donna Parker or yayadarcyyada) and only with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank you.
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/19/compassion-is-the-new-extremism/
Following Blogs and Bloggers.In an effort to make it clear that I try never to be rude I need to explain something. For some reason over the last couple of days I’ve had 3 new people follow my blog ( http://barsetshirediaries.wordpress.com ) and I’ve found myself unable to follow them back. This is not because I doubt they’re nice people, it’s because in looking at their blog with a view to following I find that their content is mainly (or all) religion. If I follow a religious blog I stand the chance of others assuming I share or support the views held there and I don’t want that to happen as it would not be true.
I know I could follow any blog I disagree with and question everything there which I think would be discourteous. Everyone one is entitled to their opinion even if I think it is wrong. The problem is that if a blog is centered on one subject alone and allows for no balance of view, for me it becomes very one dimensional. If a subject is not open for some debate then the subject matter isn’t open to change as I think all thing must change in order to grow. If a blog has taken on all the aspects of fanaticism and pushes religion at you then I find it dangerous no matter what the religion is. I can’t claim that religion is never mentioned in my own blog but I try to keep my topics flexible and they are open to criticism by anyone who hasn’t enjoyed them- unless they are abusive which I have no tolerance of as I’m sure people would not like me to be abusive or disrespectful towards them. If you’re happy to follow my blog without me reciprocating then you will be made welcome. I will try my best not to offend you with content and bad language something which I hope you will extend towards me and my other followers. Please remember that I have friends of many Nationalities and religious creed who may not appreciate a lecture on how misguided their beliefs are in the eyes of your particular deity. This is a social site and I strive to maintain a level of welcome for everyone. Thanks for your understanding. David Knit a Square, Save a LifeWhat a wonderful way to help even in a minimal way.Like Meeks I have none of the skills required to knit or crochet but I can add my voice to her clarion call. C’mon peeps, this could be a great virtual hug for the innocent, and they’ll feel it.
HUGS, David |
|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f02qje0HwCw
Originally posted on Meeka's Mind.
http://acflory.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/knit-a-square-spread-the-word/
I can’t knit to save my life, but I can spread the word of this glorious, grassroots inspired charity. And so can you.
Just for the record, I met Sandy McDonald – the ‘niece in Australia’ – last Wednesday at a Volunteers Day orientation at the Diamond Valley Living and Learning Centre. [DVLC is one of the places at which I do volunteer work].
Sandy was recently asked to deliver a TEDs presentation on her work, and talked to us about Knit-A-Square as well. Her presentation left me feeling almost uplifted; we can work together, we can make a difference, we can beloving as well as hateful.
But what could I do? I can’t knit, or crochet. I’m too far away to help sew or distribute. I don’t have the money to donate anything worthwhile. :(
And then it hit me – I might not be able to do all those other things, but I canwrite, and I have friends who write, and they have friends who write…
The video you’ve just watched has only had about 11,000 views. That’s a drop in the ocean on YouTube. However, if we all talked about it on our blogs or Facebook or Twitter, we might just be able to make it go viral. And if it did, it might be seen by those who could provide some of that ‘extra’ help Knit-A-Square needs.
So how about it? If you can’t knit, can’t crochet, can’t sew, and can’t donate, can you write?
Please. These kids need all the help they can get.
-hugs-
Meeks
http://acflory.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/knit-a-square-spread-the-word/
I can’t knit to save my life, but I can spread the word of this glorious, grassroots inspired charity. And so can you.
Just for the record, I met Sandy McDonald – the ‘niece in Australia’ – last Wednesday at a Volunteers Day orientation at the Diamond Valley Living and Learning Centre. [DVLC is one of the places at which I do volunteer work].
Sandy was recently asked to deliver a TEDs presentation on her work, and talked to us about Knit-A-Square as well. Her presentation left me feeling almost uplifted; we can work together, we can make a difference, we can beloving as well as hateful.
But what could I do? I can’t knit, or crochet. I’m too far away to help sew or distribute. I don’t have the money to donate anything worthwhile. :(
And then it hit me – I might not be able to do all those other things, but I canwrite, and I have friends who write, and they have friends who write…
The video you’ve just watched has only had about 11,000 views. That’s a drop in the ocean on YouTube. However, if we all talked about it on our blogs or Facebook or Twitter, we might just be able to make it go viral. And if it did, it might be seen by those who could provide some of that ‘extra’ help Knit-A-Square needs.
So how about it? If you can’t knit, can’t crochet, can’t sew, and can’t donate, can you write?
Please. These kids need all the help they can get.
-hugs-
Meeks
The Power of Hugs.
If they can do it, can't we?
The World on the Right, Not the Right World.
http://lorddavidprosser1.wordpress.com/Today I was reading how a right wing group of neo-Nazis in the Netherlands wants the war in Iraq to be kickstarted again.
Yesterday I read how a group of Fundamentalists wanted the same thing, only fighting for the opposing side. The (not so) unusual thing was, these fundamentalists are Christian. I’m pretty sure you can take the Fun out of the word and just concentrate on the Mental.
The Christian Church has been promoting wars for centuries, way back to the crusades when they decided to invade someone else’s land in the name of Christianity. Another odd thing is, that the Christian church probably created the Fundamentalism in the Arab world too because it’s unlikely to have come about if some Arab countries hadn’t relaxed their ways in favour of Western freedoms.
I cannot change things in the Arab/ Muslim world, only they can do that for themselves. If they feel that Western Freedoms are the way forward without it breaking their faith then they must press hard for it as they must in Afghanistan.
I cannot change things in the Western world unless I speak out against those things I think are wrong and in favour of those I think are right. I’m lucky to live where it’s possible to vote through the ballot box to try and win the changes I need. It does worry me though that there are more instances of Right Wing groups coming to prominence in places like Germany, France, Greece and now the Ukraine though the latter I put down to the interference of my Government and that of the U.S. who decided to oust the legitimate Government because they were not pro-EU. That was their choice to make. Since then nothing good has happened over there with a civil war broken out and an airliner full of innocent passengers shot down. I wonder how well some politicians sleep at night and the worrying answer is probably quite well.
When Albert Einstein first went to America he was ashamed of the way white people treated black people. He was right. We’ve hopefully come a long way since then.
Now it’s time to think of this bigotry on a worldwide scale and bringing it to an end. If a group of Arabs can publicly hug a group of Jews as happened last week, there’s hope for the world. It can be a frightening place with all the differences we see between us. But, it’s really just a larger picture of the differences between us in our families. We have different hobbies, enjoy different films and books and sometimes like different people. It doesn’t stop us loving them. Nor should it stop us loving those who live elsewhere but practice those differences. We should just learn to celebrate them. It would be wrong to expect us all to be the same, probably boring too.
There are better ways to treat with people than by dropping bombs on them and creating more enemies than you started with.We must learn to treat them as fellow human beings, deserving of our love and respect. We can’t go through life promoting hatred and fighting wars and expect the planet to survive the misery we put her through. We can still keep our armies and navies as a defence against the ‘nasties’ out there,we can use them to help in National disasters but otherwise we should keep them at home. We must make sure we keep the right-wing forces out of Government so that Naziism doesn’t reappear and we find ourselves at the head of it as did Germany in 1936. We don’t need more Hitlers.
David.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Arab, Bigotry, Christian, Einstein, France,fundamentalist, Germany, Greece, Hugs., Jew, Love, Moslem, Netherlands, Peace, Right wing, U.S., Ukraineon August 13, 2014. EditSadness.2 Replies
Yesterday I read how a group of Fundamentalists wanted the same thing, only fighting for the opposing side. The (not so) unusual thing was, these fundamentalists are Christian. I’m pretty sure you can take the Fun out of the word and just concentrate on the Mental.
The Christian Church has been promoting wars for centuries, way back to the crusades when they decided to invade someone else’s land in the name of Christianity. Another odd thing is, that the Christian church probably created the Fundamentalism in the Arab world too because it’s unlikely to have come about if some Arab countries hadn’t relaxed their ways in favour of Western freedoms.
I cannot change things in the Arab/ Muslim world, only they can do that for themselves. If they feel that Western Freedoms are the way forward without it breaking their faith then they must press hard for it as they must in Afghanistan.
I cannot change things in the Western world unless I speak out against those things I think are wrong and in favour of those I think are right. I’m lucky to live where it’s possible to vote through the ballot box to try and win the changes I need. It does worry me though that there are more instances of Right Wing groups coming to prominence in places like Germany, France, Greece and now the Ukraine though the latter I put down to the interference of my Government and that of the U.S. who decided to oust the legitimate Government because they were not pro-EU. That was their choice to make. Since then nothing good has happened over there with a civil war broken out and an airliner full of innocent passengers shot down. I wonder how well some politicians sleep at night and the worrying answer is probably quite well.
When Albert Einstein first went to America he was ashamed of the way white people treated black people. He was right. We’ve hopefully come a long way since then.
Now it’s time to think of this bigotry on a worldwide scale and bringing it to an end. If a group of Arabs can publicly hug a group of Jews as happened last week, there’s hope for the world. It can be a frightening place with all the differences we see between us. But, it’s really just a larger picture of the differences between us in our families. We have different hobbies, enjoy different films and books and sometimes like different people. It doesn’t stop us loving them. Nor should it stop us loving those who live elsewhere but practice those differences. We should just learn to celebrate them. It would be wrong to expect us all to be the same, probably boring too.
There are better ways to treat with people than by dropping bombs on them and creating more enemies than you started with.We must learn to treat them as fellow human beings, deserving of our love and respect. We can’t go through life promoting hatred and fighting wars and expect the planet to survive the misery we put her through. We can still keep our armies and navies as a defence against the ‘nasties’ out there,we can use them to help in National disasters but otherwise we should keep them at home. We must make sure we keep the right-wing forces out of Government so that Naziism doesn’t reappear and we find ourselves at the head of it as did Germany in 1936. We don’t need more Hitlers.
David.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Arab, Bigotry, Christian, Einstein, France,fundamentalist, Germany, Greece, Hugs., Jew, Love, Moslem, Netherlands, Peace, Right wing, U.S., Ukraineon August 13, 2014. EditSadness.2 Replies
Most Influential Blogger, We'll See.
The very sweet and kind Salva Venia of http://salvaveniaxxl.wordpress.com/ nominnated me for the award Most Influential Blogger today.
It gave me pause to think about how influential I might be. I know there are bloggers followed by many thousands who hang on their every word ( can you feel the jealousy?) and who get many comments. But I think I’m followed by quite a few and that many of those read most of what I write. Some may even be of the same opinion as me on some subjects.
Yesterday I read a blog post which affected me deeply. It was from a woman who was born a man but always knew she was a woman. She’d moved a fair way because of the bile that some people feel they have to spout and was part of an internet group who accepted her for the woman she is, until someone from her past, from school decided to ‘Out’ her to the group. What made me sad was that from out of the group who had accepted her, there were people prepared to call her an abomination in the eyes of the church, because the bible is quite specific on issues like this and of course for some people the bible is never wrong. If the bible says the Earth is 6000 years old then by heaven the dinosaurs must have been and gone in that time along with the great flood of Noah’s fame. For some people there is no flexibility, no room for error and certainly no room for science. I know not all Christians are like this and I even quite like some of the lessons attributed to Jesus for living one’s life. Certainly the one I like most is that of tolerance.
Instead of venting my anger towards these people who will only hate even more than they do now, I thought I’d share with you something another friend recently sent me. I have no idea who to attribute this to but allow me to say , whoever it is has a fantastic straight face for humour and I love it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And, if you should come across a transgender child or adult or a gay person you’ll extend tolerance and love towards them. Their struggle is hard enough as it is.
Dear Dr. Laura,
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.
a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?
g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?
i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.
Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp#fe2D54ofwKxz1Uze.99
It gave me pause to think about how influential I might be. I know there are bloggers followed by many thousands who hang on their every word ( can you feel the jealousy?) and who get many comments. But I think I’m followed by quite a few and that many of those read most of what I write. Some may even be of the same opinion as me on some subjects.
Yesterday I read a blog post which affected me deeply. It was from a woman who was born a man but always knew she was a woman. She’d moved a fair way because of the bile that some people feel they have to spout and was part of an internet group who accepted her for the woman she is, until someone from her past, from school decided to ‘Out’ her to the group. What made me sad was that from out of the group who had accepted her, there were people prepared to call her an abomination in the eyes of the church, because the bible is quite specific on issues like this and of course for some people the bible is never wrong. If the bible says the Earth is 6000 years old then by heaven the dinosaurs must have been and gone in that time along with the great flood of Noah’s fame. For some people there is no flexibility, no room for error and certainly no room for science. I know not all Christians are like this and I even quite like some of the lessons attributed to Jesus for living one’s life. Certainly the one I like most is that of tolerance.
Instead of venting my anger towards these people who will only hate even more than they do now, I thought I’d share with you something another friend recently sent me. I have no idea who to attribute this to but allow me to say , whoever it is has a fantastic straight face for humour and I love it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And, if you should come across a transgender child or adult or a gay person you’ll extend tolerance and love towards them. Their struggle is hard enough as it is.
Dear Dr. Laura,
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.
a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?
g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?
i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.
Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp#fe2D54ofwKxz1Uze.99
Sunday Outing, antibiotics and steroid boobs.
Sunday. It’s ridiculous, bed at 1.00 am after finishing the blog and having a short read. Up again at 3.10 am. There was no doubting I was awake since I stubbed my toe nipping to the loo. I was able to take a gentle look at my post and see who’d read the blog and commented. Always a great part of my Sundays. I’m often surprised but always delighted at how kind people are. No screams of ” Go back to bed you boring old fart. Give up writing till you have something of interest to say.” By 5.45 I’d come over all of a do-da and needed to lie down. I slept until 07.25 am. Much refreshed I went through to the kitchen and turned the tank light on. I decided not to feed the little beggars as they hadn’t stopped me yesterday when they were fed by accident. After the shake, rattle and roll of meds I took my coffee through to continue with the mail. By 9.30 am I was able to get washed and dressed and I decided to make my bed. I was going to do Mike’s bed too but he’s away for long enough that I can take my time.
You’ve never seen such a poor performance in your life. I managed to strip the bed without too much hassle. A little heavy breathing maybe but that’s normal for a bedroom they tell me. Getting clean pillowslips on was also easy but getting the sheet on tired me. Getting the duvet cover on was an utter disaster though. I almost ended up inside it and after having succeeded it took over half an hour for my breathing to come back under control. I wonder if I burnt off any calories. I sat down in front of the computer to relax and keep the post up to date and that’s where my nieces found me at 10.45 am when they arrived. I gave them some little gifts and also their Easter Eggs as I won’t see them next weekend. Karen borrowed the computer to check her emails as her laptop has gone to the great byte ground in the sky. By the time she’ done I had my shoes on and was ready to go.
What a journey.Karen was driving and asked me if I knew the way as she’d forgotten. I said yrs, I could direct her. She wanted to go the part of the route she knew but I don’t know how to get there from that direction. All the time we’re deciding how we’re going to get there we’re actually driving and getting near to missing the way I knew. In the end I was made chief guide and directed Karen to an exit off the expressway. We were approaching Chester when Karen mentioned perhaps parking in town so we didn’t have to walk from Yvonne’s with my bed chest. We settled on that and proceeded to go round a big roundabout to go back on ourselves. We found with my disabled badge we could park for free in the law courts and so parked there. Then we realised Yvonne was expecting us and we tried to ring her to tell her to meet us in town.Neither Jo nor myself could get through. We also realised that the walk from the Law Courts was just as long as the walk from Yvonne’s and we’ gained nothing. I kept stopping to breathe which made it a long journey and as Jo still couldn’t get her I rang and left a message on Yvonne’s phone. She rang back a few minutes later and we arranged to meet. We were well on the way by now but Yvonne and pram still arrived when we did.
Dinner was in a pub chain and rather than try to get the lift activated to get upstairs we carried the trolley down 8 steps to the basement level. The meal was OK though nothing to write home about. Standard pub fare. We’d finished and were jut leaving when Ugo arrived but he wouldn’t stay for a meal and drink on his own so he had a soft drink while pushing Reuben round a clothes shop. What joy for him.Luckily the torture didn’t last too long. We all went to Cafe Nero for a drink ( Frappe for me) but Yvonne ordered cakes as well and I ended up with a wedge of chocolate Fudge cake. I really tried hard to fight against having it but I couldn’t see it go to waste. The girls had to share an extra cake as Karen is sworn off cake for Lent. We gathered outside on the pavement when we’d finished and looked like a protest group. It was time to say goodbye to Yvonne, Ugo and Reuben as we were heading off to a Supermarket before they closed. We mad it but not by much and all three managed to get what we needed.
The girls dropped me off at home and Karen put my shopping away for me. Then they had to leave. It was 4.30 pm and I felt quite alone. I came through to answer the mail I’d missed being out and was done by 6.00 when I went to have my tea and watch a Jennifer Aniston film Marley and Me before Endeavour came on. I watched that till 10.00 pm. I ‘ve been here ever since catching up and doing the post. Sorry I’ve kept you all up so late. I’ll try and do better tomorrow. It’s 12.10 and I’m off to bed sulking because I forgot to look at ebay earlier on.
Monday. I’m not going to mention what time I got up this morning but it was at least ten minutes before I went to bed. There was plenty of time to take it easy doing the post and because of that I did it wearing my headphones and had a music-fest all my own. I moved back and forth between the years and actually had a little Michael Jackson session running through some of the great songs he did. No matter what you think of the person it would be hard to deny he earned his title as Prince of Pop and amazed us with his many changes of song type. He was a humanitarian and an environmentalist …. I’m currently listening to Earth song and it was one that moved me greatly. Anyhoo I decided that I’d give you a few records this week as I’m going along and will try to be chronologically faithful, but don’t hold your collective breaths as I don’t want to be the world’s biggest mass murderer.
I did my tablets about 8.00 am, saw to the fish ‘pause’( sorry, it’s Buggles with Video killed the Radio Star) OK, then got washed and dressed. I returned to the mail but with one eye on the clock ( I was praying it wouldn’t roll off as I haven’t swept the carpet) as I wanted to go to the chemist with a repeat prescription. When this one is returned it will have the extra tablets to control this peak in my glucose levels. Heck it’s almost Easter I need them under control before eating all my eggs. (The Knack – My Sherona). The journey was swift. I wore a new hoodie so I could travel incognito. People said it would have worked better if I hadn’t worn one of my waistcoats on top- DRAT. It had rained overnight but the sun was shining brightly. Still a bit cool but if that’s as far as it goes with the threatened wintery blast before the heat wave I’ll be happy.
I returned to the mail and typically my short sojourn outside meant another 3 sacks had been delivered. It kept me going until almost 11.30am when with a sigh of relief I broke for lunch. Today I had a cottage pie and two buttered baps. ( Sorry, It’s Mister Mister with Broken Wings now). It’s possibly the warmth of the meal that brought on the tiredness but I had almost 2 hours in my chair before I had to gird myself up ( it’s not rude honest) for battle with the mail bag again. In truth can you imagine how boring my days would be without the personal messages from friends, the comments on my blog to answer or being able to share the blogs of others and try to make rude comments as Anonymous. Actually the blogs I read have my emotions up and down so often I’m newly engaged to a venetian blind. The world is full of idiots and evil where women and children can be traded as commodities, where life is so cheap and profit matters more than what we do to he planet and to animals. For instance I was reading about palm oil. Doesn’t sound important does it and yet great swathes of forest are being destroyed to plant palm trees for oil. Many of your Easter eggs will contain some but it’s a profit thing for the makers and does nothing for flavour. We don’t need palm oil as there are plenty of substitutes which can be used and which don’t need to have the Earth denuded of forests to get them. If you can buy Easter Eggs that don’t contain palm oil please do before another tree is knocked down to provide it thus losing all the species like orang-utans which are killed in the process. Many thanks to Chris at the Story Reading Ape for this……………… http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2014/04/14/spare-an-orang-utan-guv/
At tea time 5.30 pm I wasn’t on my best behaviour and had 2 small chocolate puds with custard then settled to watch my Law and Order. I must have blinked towards the end because suddenly it was NCIS and about half way though. I stayed to see if I could make sense of it and gave up when the end came.Whoever the black hat was they didn’t get him for a change. I decided to call it a night and have an early night myself so back to work on the posts. I hope you enjoy the music interludes and forgive the fact I have no real news to share.
Tuesday. The coughing got to me last night. If I could have I’d have stamped out of the room and gone to sleep on the couch, but this is one of those coughs that follows you. Anyway, I was probably in the best room not to disturb any neighbours. I tried lying down, I tried sitting upright- which isn’t too difficult when you have 5 pillows and I even tried a drink of milk. That’s my concession towards health foods for this month. At some point I obviously dropped off and this time I wasn’t sitting on the edge of the bed. I woke at 4.35 am and started on my mail before I even remembered I wanted a wee. After adjusting myself I popped to the kitchen for a couple of aspirin and notice a few snails on the glass of the tank. Right, action required. I went back to the computer and signed into ebay. Say hello to the two newest to be members of the household…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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These are my bumblebee assassin snails. I hope they’ve got a good appetite as I want them to get rid of the little breeders in my tank. Fortunately I checked, these are very slow breeders and when they run out of escargot for lunch they hoover up old food from the tank floor. I worked until 8.00 am and then turned on the tank light and fed the fish. I issued no warnings of what was to come. After taking my meds and making a coffee I went back to work for a while. By 9.30 I’d mopped up, even the two offers from ‘Hi you don’t know me , but’ women who had suggestions enough to put me on my back or at least in bed all day. I washed, dressed and went to get some stamps and some cough medicine. I called in at Pauline’s for next week’s TV magazine and, well, next weeks TV magazine. I came back and was disgusted to see that you lot have been shirking and I’d run out of excuses to leave the i***ing. I ended up doing my single bedding, a pair of jeans and four shirts plus one tee shirt. I found the tee shirt I’d put a picture on last week had not survived well so after leaving that implement to cool down and putting the board away, I went back to ebay and ordered some Fruit of the Loom teeshirts at great prices and some new transfer sheets so Yvonne could have a go at making some as gifts. The reason mine didn’t fare well was because I didn’t press the transfer as I was supposed to.
After a lunch of lamb shank and mashed potatoes I studied the inside of my eyelids for some time and then watched a little TV. BY 2.15 pm I was wondering how the mail was and came through to check. I was working on it when there was a tap on the door, I didn’t turn it on though. I opened the door and there was my friend Dawn from the chemists with the items I’d requested yesterday. I passed her some chocs to share at work and took the drugs through. The bag seemed lighter than usual and when I checked prescription inside I had forgotten to order any of my sprays. I don’t know how I did this as I’ve taken to trying to order my drugs at about the same time as I did the previous month and I do this twice a month. At least I had the new drugs for the diabetes control. Ah well, I shall have to pay another visit there tomorrow- the third this week. This looking after yourself game isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
I worked until 5.30 pm then had a ham sandwich and a yoghurt before watching my Law and Order. It’s getting bad when I’m watching repeats of repeats. At 8.00 pm I’d had enough and came through. Much more waiting for me this time. Causes to be followed, Petitions to be signed. arguments to be had. There’s an amazing young man called Kenneth using his weekends to travel round the US to sit in coffee bars to chat to anyone who wants to chat. Fellow bloggers. authors or just people who happen to be there. He’s creating a remarkable society of tolerance and understanding because people are relaxed and able to speak openly. Bonds appear to be forming, not just with Kenneth but with each other. Here’s his blog, and don’t let the heading put you off. http://culturemonk.com/2014/04/15/cocaine-jesus-hitchens-really/ . It’s been quite an interesting evening really but like all good things it must now come to an end. One last blast from the past for tonight.
Wednesday. 4.45 up and about and coughing. This linctus is lovely but fairly useless. By tomorrow I’ll be needing a different one, hope it tastes as good. It takes me back about 50 years and more to a time when one of the top cough medicines was called Owbridges. They also made Owbridges Pastilles which were fantastic for coughs, colds and just eating as sweets. I had many a packet before they realised they shouldn’t be eaten that way and withdrew them from sale. I wonder if they still do the mixture? I know it’s only Wednesday but I’m starting to feel boxed in even though I do enjoy keeping up to date with all my post. I’ve got cabin fever and it’s only 6.00 am. HELP!!!
As usual I work until 8.00 am then do the rounds, fish tank, meds coffee. Knowing I wanted to get the prescription request in early in the hopes of having the sprays tomorrow I got washed and dressed early. I still wasn’t up to date when I let the house at 9.05 am and walked up to the chemist. It didn’t take too long and the sunshine was wonderful. As I was approaching home I saw the post van pull up and Darren posted something through my door. I was anxious to see what had arrived so moved my legs a little faster. In amongst the larger stuff was a very small padded envelope which I opened excitedly. Inside were two small containers used for putting daily tablets out. Inside each one was a little ball of moss and a bumblebee snail, my assassins. I placed them in the tank straight away and then read a not which said they could take up to 48 hours to move. That should be fun when I’m leaving feedback. It was odd. I’d seen both drift down but I could only see one.Maybe their colouring is good camouflage against the stones on the bottom of the tank. I watched for about 10 minutes but no movement.
I went back to working on my mail and every third one was back to being dodgy messages from banks plus one firm who have credited me £310 for my work and they’re desperate to pay me. Very kind of them. This kept me going until 11.10 am when I decided to go through to the lounge. One piece of mail from earlier proved to be the tee shirt transfer sheets for Yvonne. They were quick, and I also had a nice Easter card from friends. There was an epic on TV, The Fall of the Roman Empire so I sat down for a laugh since the history is barely acknowledged. But there was some good acting here and there. When the film ended at 2.15 pm I had a quick update of post and then went back to my chair and slept for an hour. When I woke up I heard someone outside say “I’m glad he’s stopped using that buzzsaw.” It was back to coughing again so they’d have something else to moan about but who cares, I have my honey and lemon linctus. I rushed through the messages and was back in the lounge for 5.15 pm ready for my visitors. I put a quiz on as they usually arrive for the last bit and try a few questions. Tonight the traffic must have been bad as they didn’t arrive until it was ending. Probably just as well as the last set of questions were on the Spice Girls.
As I made drinks Dil set up the table for Scrabble. I wish he hadn’t bothered. Nothing I did was right. It was a slaughter and I went from second place in the first game to third place in the second game. Thank heavens we don’t play a third. I’m actually a good player but I met my match and my Waterloo tonight. As I made the second drinks the cards came out and Matt prepared a score sheet for Nomination whist. OMG, I barely got out of double figures. Again I was third. I knew at that point exactly what my record of the night was going to be. But, before you enjoy my discomfiture let me say that by sheer luck and some prestidigitation with the pen I won Crazy 8′s.
They left at 9.30 pm giving me chance to tidy up, wash the post and take my night time drugs. I came through to finish up on my mail while listening to some music and then concentrate on the blog. Time to say Goodnight and go for a short read.
Thursday. I got to lie in until 4.50 am today , trouble is , last time I looked at the clock before going to sleep it was almost 2.00 am. Some noisy beggar with a cough was keeping me awake. By the time I’d had a wee or six then washed my hands it was 5.00 am and time to start on the emails. And what a lot there were this morning. You’d been a busy bunch overnight. Especially Dear Kitty-Some Blog http://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/ who always has such fascinating content it would be more than rude not to read it. My problem is that often they’re very emotive and drive me to comment or in some cases to want to create a blog on the subject myself. I had a message to let me know I won 3000 Euros compliments of Microsoft which is lovely. They said they’ll write to me so I’ll wait and see since they don’t have my address and couldn’t tell me how or why I’d won it. I think the con artists are dredging the bottom of a very deep barrel now.
At 7.30 I went through to deal with the fish and sort my tablets for the next week. It often takes quite a while to get them all into their little compartments. I never include the diabetic ones as I have some in my pockets for meals out and the rest in front of where I plate up at home so I shouldn’t forget then. Today is the first day for doubling up on one of those so I have to remember to take it 15 minutes before eating…..or 30 seconds if I forget. I must remember to take two in to take after the meal and if you ask me, I think they make a pretty poor pudding. I took my coffee through to continue with the mail but decided to get dressed first because I wanted to go out about 9.00 am. I choose that time so I’m usually back before the postman gets here. Today we arrive back at the same time and I was able to relieve him of a parcel of tee-shirts for Yvonne. She still doesn’t know it but they’re so she can create some gifts with Reuben’s pictures on for various family members. I checked them , pinched one for myself and put the others aside for when I see her next….by which time she’ll probably have read this post and there’l be no surprise.
At 11.00 am I’d finished and went through to the lounge where despite coughing enough to wake the dead, I fell asleep. It was strange as I could hear music, one of my favorites in fact and it was the late realisation that it was my phone that woke me. Naturally it was in the bedroom just as sitting here now I realise it’s in the lounge. The phone said 3 calls missed from Yvonne. Oops. A message came that she’s spoken to a doctor at the surgery and he’d checked my file out and was faxing a prescription to the chemist for some new antibiotics, some boob enhancing steroids and some medicine. She wasn’t sure the chemist would be able to deliver so could I pick it up. I know she doesn’t want me in hospital this year so she’s organised this and I’d better do as I’m told if I don’t want to be in hospital this year- she has a mean right hook. I got my shoes on and strolled up to the chemist. It’s fairly dull now and the wind is chilly. I wonder if the forecast of weekend rain is right, Ha, of course it is it’s a British bank holiday. There was a bit of a queue a bit of a wait and then Zaq the chemist called me over. I’m to take two of these antibiotics straight away with a pint of water and with food, then take one a day with the same rules. Won’t that be fun. 6 steroids to be taken at the same time every day and this mixture which taste of rotting sweet apples. It’s Ugh!!!! But my honey and lemon has run out now.
I wandered in and out of the computer mailroom until it was time for my programme. At 8.30 pm after watching the new Big Bang, BAZINGA, I went back again to catch up before Person of Interest at 10..00 pm. Of course when that finished I had o leg it to finish the mail and get to the blog.
So I leave you with this…..
Friday. I wasn’t sure today about writing the blog as I haven’t much to be proud of. I got up early as always, did mail, saw to fish..erm No actually, I’ve just realised I didn’t see to the fish then or later. If there’s no blog tomorrow you’ll know they got me….erm no you won’t as you won’t be reading the blog at all.I shall have to rely on my daughter to post something to describe the hideous condition in which I was found after the fish have done with me. I did remember to take my meds including the steroids and the new antibiotic, I even had some cornflakes so the antibiotic was OK though I didn’t have a pint of water. Having breakfast meant I could take the diabetic drugs early and be able to leave tea out today. I segued straight into the coffee routine and took it back to the pit to continue working. Being a bank holiday so many people were off and able to send mail or post blogs instead of spending that time with the family and in the case of the UK out in the sunshine while it lasts which isn’t long if the forecasters are right this time.
I knew I should get washed and dressed so I had shower and put on some clean clothes. I made the excuse of not going out because my hair was damp but if I’m honest that wasn’t the reason. I couldn’t face it, not even the corner shop. here would be so many people out and about and I didn’t want to see them. Still, the hair was a good excuse for a while. I was fortunate that no-one came to the door. The chemist was shut so I’m saved delivery of my sprays until Tuesday. I bought baps yesterday so I had two at lunch time. I had a bag of crisps with them and for pudding…I’m taking the fifth. Having my second lot of tabs meant I don’t have to face a third meal.
One of my favorite groups of all time and what fun I’m having listening to them.
I spent the afternoon alternating between the TV, nodding off and keeping the mail as up to date as possible. I try very hard not to respond to posts that offend me when it all comes down to just a difference of opinion, unless that difference is over something like the mistreatment of others. I have lost ‘friends’ before over the subject of the Health Reforms in America because I thought they sounded good at first and only sounded bad after they’d been watered down so much in the Senate. Now to me it sounds the same as before, a dream scenario for Insurance Companies. I honestly thought if anyone could have made a success of a free Health Service it would have been the US. For a long time I’ve thought they don’t really care about the people over there and half the senate are in the pay of the NRA or Monsanto. They’d forgotten who they work for. Imagine my delight today when I hear that one state has passed a law that any food made from GMO crops must be labelled. Then I hear that a group of women ‘Concerned Women’ are complaining because the President spoke to Uganda about the law that says homosexuals will be jailed for life. They see nothing wrong with that law at all.
I had a text from Yvonne that Ugo wants to bring his Mother and her partner round on Sunday. I’ve met her twice and him only once. He seems a nice chap but it seems he asks after me whenever he speaks to Ugo. That’s very kind of him. Anyway, I knew his Mother was coming and I’ve bought some chocolates for her but I’d nothing for Dale of course. I think that means I’m going out in the morning. I watched Law and Order, Special Victims Unit and decided to call it a day. More mail, more music and the blog. See you tomorrow I hope.
Saturday. I didn’t rise from the pit today until 4.50 am. That’s piggin’ typical when I decided last night I must go out. I know full well that much as I love Pauline’s she won’t have the kind of thing I want. So, I did as much of the mail as I could then saw to the fish at 6.30 am…and YES, I really did see to them today and made sure they got fed to make up for yesterdays debacle. I had my sprays, chomped through some cornflakes and took the 1001 tablets of the morning regime then too a coffee back to my room to have as I got dressed. I needed to be ready to leave the house at 7.30 am and gave myself no time to think about it. I made it and walked up to the bus stop. It’s early so obviously few people will be about and I don’t have to speak while I use my bus pass, just nod and smile at the conductor. There are only two other people there and so far apart as to be as antisocial as me. It was a short ride to town and again, all I had to do was press the bell as we approached my stop. I’ve only been on the damned thing fr 5 minutes and I can’ wait to get away from ‘the crowds.’ The Supermarket is open but also quite empty. Brilliant. I go to the cash machine and as the cash comes out shout “I won”. Then I grab a trolley and take a slow walk round. I do the slalom course round the shelf stackers cages and mark myself full points for not hitting any obstacles, despite one of them dropping a strawberry under my wheels. He must have bet on another driver. First stop flowers for Julia’s vases then my baps, hmm, nice and fresh, good date I’ll take two packets. Next stop cakes ( Honestly Andrea, it’s for the visitors not me…unless they leave some behind). Then milk. So that’s necessities taken care of that I could have got down the road but I’m here for a purpose of course. Still, no rush is there, so I buy a meal, some yoghurts, crisps, ( I completely bypass the freezer with ice lollies and BFG’s) and get a packet of biscuits and then some diet pop for me. Well, it could be three weeks before I can get out again. Finally I arrive at the chocolate aisle and get two blocks of special chocolate much more likely to appeal to a man that an Easter egg. Lastly round the corner to the beer aisle where I buy a bottle of Welsh beer for Dale and Ugo.
By now my trolley, which initially I used for support is getting quite full. So I head for the till knowing life is about to get awkward as I can’t do self service now. I’m so pleased, though still shaking, that the cashier s a young lady Ju and I used to see a lot and the two of them chatted together. She smiles at me but doesn’t make my life more difficult with chatter. Instead She asks If I need help packing and If I need bags. A nod and smile on both counts. My trip for chocolate came to £50.00 and I got a voucher for £5 off my next shop of £40.00 or more. What’s that saying about hell and ice? Anyhoo, there was no-one behind me and I asked her if she’d use the freefone to call me a cab ( please don’t insert your own jokes here). She did, and with a grateful smile I rolled the trolley outside in the hopes that the damp I could feel on my legs was sweat and in the hopes that no-one stuck a drinks mixer in my hands to shake the martinis. I put the bags by the kerb, dropped off the trolley and lit a cigarette. I was even allowed to finish it before the taxi arrived. ” For David” he said and picked my bags up like they weighed nothing and dropped them in the boot. I had no choice but to proffer my address or we could have been rolling about all morning. We arrived very quickly and the driver carried my bags to the steps. The cash transaction plus a suitable tip was soon done and I was able to go in and unpack. After that was done I put the fresh flowers out and wished I’d chosen more. It’s annoying that they’re nice flowers but quite expensive for small bunches there. They did look nice though.
It’s not 9.30 am yet so I go back to the computer and start on the mail again. I’m doing OK.
A little pause for thought borrowed from my good friends C.J. and Mousie http://morguemouse.com/2014/04/18/heres-a-jellybean/
It was about 10.30 am when I heard my phone go. It was Yvonne. She said she and Ugo had been hoping to spend some time with me on Monday after his Mum had gone home. Now they were arriving by coach today and as Ugo didn’t have to go to Birmingham to collect them would it be OK if they spent some time with me today instead. I asked whether this was instead of tomorrow too but no, that visit is still on. Yvonne said she needed an ALDI shop and would I like to go? I wasn’t going to text back and say I’ve been to a supermarket as that would have meant a lot of texts so I said Yes please but I don’t need anything. Well, they arrived about 11.45 am to collect me and off we went. It turns out Ugo’s young nephew is coming too and of course I haven’t got anything for him so I’m going to a supermarket aren’t I? I see more flowers and get two nice bunches for Ju and some for Yvonne, I see books for Reuben, a jumper for Ugo. I get Ugo’s chocolate fudge cake and find an old favorite of mine too a strawberry and rhubarb flan with a crumble top. Well you have to don’t you. The nothing I wanted in this place cost another £30.00. I dread to think what Yvonne’s was from the number of times she said “It would have been at least £150.00 in another supermarket” but her trolley was laden. From there we went to another shop, why? Well she needed tissues and I didn’t want to ask why she hadn’t got them where we’d just been. Anyway, she also found some shelves for her cousin’s birthday. I bought some wine ( not for me) and since we’d decided to lunch in the Ivy I had to get some sweets and some small chocolate Easter Bunnies for all the girls there. The ovely Helen ( AKA Crazy Cat Lady) has been keeping in touch by tweets so I know they’re missing their sweets though she does say she’s missing Mike and I too. I’ve been saying all week I’m missing my meals and my friends there.
As we drew up at the Ivy, Tariq was coming round the side of the building. We waved an he looked genuinely pleased to see me. In all fairness, he’s such a nice man he’s genuinely pleased to see everyone. He walked us indoors and said he’s preparing the outside play area now ready for the season. He never stops working. He took the order for drinks and left us a minute to decide on food and Yvonne fed Reuben. I passes the sweets etc over to dear Angie who then brought a big hug round the counter. C’mon be fair, of course I love it. It’s the nearest I get to a woman these days. Tariq took the food order then leaned down to talk to Reuben. He loves kids and it looks like the feeling is mutual. We had a wonderful meal and I got out the money to pay so I could go out for a smoke. Tariq approached before I could get up to ask if I was in a mad hurry. I answered “Not if you don’t need me to be”, so quick, just like that. He asked me to do him a favour to which I agreed straight away…I’ll never learn, though I did make him take the payment for the food first. We had to undergo the usual ten minute argument about getting it cheaper- like nothing, or a bit cheaper-like half or just bloody take it and put the change in the tips!! The favour was to let him do something for me. Eh?? “He never lets me do anything for him” he complained to Yvonne/Ugo.He wanted to take a photograph of myself with Reuben and frame it or put it on canvas. I agreed on the proviso that I’d let him take the picture if he let me pay for the framing. An argument for another day he said. He must have taken a dozen shots which pleased Reuben no end. One in particular stood out for me and I do look forward to seeing it when done.
We left and came home where I was able to give Yvonne the transfer paper and T-shirts I got this week. I’m sure I can bring her round to the idea, but Just in case, I told Ugo to make her do it. My beard was a mess and my hair not much better so Ugo cut my hair ( sorry Bro) and then Yvonne attacked my eyebrows with glee. I really am having a problem teaching her that you close the blades fully and cut the hair, not partially close them, drag the hair out then close the blades. Because of their visitors arrival they had to leave. It was magic for me to see them and spend time like that. I may not see Yvonne tomorrow because of a space in the car problem now the nephew is coming. He’s a lovely young lad though so maybe he’ll offer me support tomorrow.
I went straight back to the computer for 2 hours then had a couple of hours break cleaning loos, sinks and dusting tables. A little bit of inconsequential TV and then at 9.00 am back here for a last blast. I’m going to finish with a great song tonight even though I’m not a massive country fan, this one is great.
You’ve never seen such a poor performance in your life. I managed to strip the bed without too much hassle. A little heavy breathing maybe but that’s normal for a bedroom they tell me. Getting clean pillowslips on was also easy but getting the sheet on tired me. Getting the duvet cover on was an utter disaster though. I almost ended up inside it and after having succeeded it took over half an hour for my breathing to come back under control. I wonder if I burnt off any calories. I sat down in front of the computer to relax and keep the post up to date and that’s where my nieces found me at 10.45 am when they arrived. I gave them some little gifts and also their Easter Eggs as I won’t see them next weekend. Karen borrowed the computer to check her emails as her laptop has gone to the great byte ground in the sky. By the time she’ done I had my shoes on and was ready to go.
What a journey.Karen was driving and asked me if I knew the way as she’d forgotten. I said yrs, I could direct her. She wanted to go the part of the route she knew but I don’t know how to get there from that direction. All the time we’re deciding how we’re going to get there we’re actually driving and getting near to missing the way I knew. In the end I was made chief guide and directed Karen to an exit off the expressway. We were approaching Chester when Karen mentioned perhaps parking in town so we didn’t have to walk from Yvonne’s with my bed chest. We settled on that and proceeded to go round a big roundabout to go back on ourselves. We found with my disabled badge we could park for free in the law courts and so parked there. Then we realised Yvonne was expecting us and we tried to ring her to tell her to meet us in town.Neither Jo nor myself could get through. We also realised that the walk from the Law Courts was just as long as the walk from Yvonne’s and we’ gained nothing. I kept stopping to breathe which made it a long journey and as Jo still couldn’t get her I rang and left a message on Yvonne’s phone. She rang back a few minutes later and we arranged to meet. We were well on the way by now but Yvonne and pram still arrived when we did.
Dinner was in a pub chain and rather than try to get the lift activated to get upstairs we carried the trolley down 8 steps to the basement level. The meal was OK though nothing to write home about. Standard pub fare. We’d finished and were jut leaving when Ugo arrived but he wouldn’t stay for a meal and drink on his own so he had a soft drink while pushing Reuben round a clothes shop. What joy for him.Luckily the torture didn’t last too long. We all went to Cafe Nero for a drink ( Frappe for me) but Yvonne ordered cakes as well and I ended up with a wedge of chocolate Fudge cake. I really tried hard to fight against having it but I couldn’t see it go to waste. The girls had to share an extra cake as Karen is sworn off cake for Lent. We gathered outside on the pavement when we’d finished and looked like a protest group. It was time to say goodbye to Yvonne, Ugo and Reuben as we were heading off to a Supermarket before they closed. We mad it but not by much and all three managed to get what we needed.
The girls dropped me off at home and Karen put my shopping away for me. Then they had to leave. It was 4.30 pm and I felt quite alone. I came through to answer the mail I’d missed being out and was done by 6.00 when I went to have my tea and watch a Jennifer Aniston film Marley and Me before Endeavour came on. I watched that till 10.00 pm. I ‘ve been here ever since catching up and doing the post. Sorry I’ve kept you all up so late. I’ll try and do better tomorrow. It’s 12.10 and I’m off to bed sulking because I forgot to look at ebay earlier on.
Monday. I’m not going to mention what time I got up this morning but it was at least ten minutes before I went to bed. There was plenty of time to take it easy doing the post and because of that I did it wearing my headphones and had a music-fest all my own. I moved back and forth between the years and actually had a little Michael Jackson session running through some of the great songs he did. No matter what you think of the person it would be hard to deny he earned his title as Prince of Pop and amazed us with his many changes of song type. He was a humanitarian and an environmentalist …. I’m currently listening to Earth song and it was one that moved me greatly. Anyhoo I decided that I’d give you a few records this week as I’m going along and will try to be chronologically faithful, but don’t hold your collective breaths as I don’t want to be the world’s biggest mass murderer.
I did my tablets about 8.00 am, saw to the fish ‘pause’( sorry, it’s Buggles with Video killed the Radio Star) OK, then got washed and dressed. I returned to the mail but with one eye on the clock ( I was praying it wouldn’t roll off as I haven’t swept the carpet) as I wanted to go to the chemist with a repeat prescription. When this one is returned it will have the extra tablets to control this peak in my glucose levels. Heck it’s almost Easter I need them under control before eating all my eggs. (The Knack – My Sherona). The journey was swift. I wore a new hoodie so I could travel incognito. People said it would have worked better if I hadn’t worn one of my waistcoats on top- DRAT. It had rained overnight but the sun was shining brightly. Still a bit cool but if that’s as far as it goes with the threatened wintery blast before the heat wave I’ll be happy.
I returned to the mail and typically my short sojourn outside meant another 3 sacks had been delivered. It kept me going until almost 11.30am when with a sigh of relief I broke for lunch. Today I had a cottage pie and two buttered baps. ( Sorry, It’s Mister Mister with Broken Wings now). It’s possibly the warmth of the meal that brought on the tiredness but I had almost 2 hours in my chair before I had to gird myself up ( it’s not rude honest) for battle with the mail bag again. In truth can you imagine how boring my days would be without the personal messages from friends, the comments on my blog to answer or being able to share the blogs of others and try to make rude comments as Anonymous. Actually the blogs I read have my emotions up and down so often I’m newly engaged to a venetian blind. The world is full of idiots and evil where women and children can be traded as commodities, where life is so cheap and profit matters more than what we do to he planet and to animals. For instance I was reading about palm oil. Doesn’t sound important does it and yet great swathes of forest are being destroyed to plant palm trees for oil. Many of your Easter eggs will contain some but it’s a profit thing for the makers and does nothing for flavour. We don’t need palm oil as there are plenty of substitutes which can be used and which don’t need to have the Earth denuded of forests to get them. If you can buy Easter Eggs that don’t contain palm oil please do before another tree is knocked down to provide it thus losing all the species like orang-utans which are killed in the process. Many thanks to Chris at the Story Reading Ape for this……………… http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2014/04/14/spare-an-orang-utan-guv/
At tea time 5.30 pm I wasn’t on my best behaviour and had 2 small chocolate puds with custard then settled to watch my Law and Order. I must have blinked towards the end because suddenly it was NCIS and about half way though. I stayed to see if I could make sense of it and gave up when the end came.Whoever the black hat was they didn’t get him for a change. I decided to call it a night and have an early night myself so back to work on the posts. I hope you enjoy the music interludes and forgive the fact I have no real news to share.
Tuesday. The coughing got to me last night. If I could have I’d have stamped out of the room and gone to sleep on the couch, but this is one of those coughs that follows you. Anyway, I was probably in the best room not to disturb any neighbours. I tried lying down, I tried sitting upright- which isn’t too difficult when you have 5 pillows and I even tried a drink of milk. That’s my concession towards health foods for this month. At some point I obviously dropped off and this time I wasn’t sitting on the edge of the bed. I woke at 4.35 am and started on my mail before I even remembered I wanted a wee. After adjusting myself I popped to the kitchen for a couple of aspirin and notice a few snails on the glass of the tank. Right, action required. I went back to the computer and signed into ebay. Say hello to the two newest to be members of the household…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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These are my bumblebee assassin snails. I hope they’ve got a good appetite as I want them to get rid of the little breeders in my tank. Fortunately I checked, these are very slow breeders and when they run out of escargot for lunch they hoover up old food from the tank floor. I worked until 8.00 am and then turned on the tank light and fed the fish. I issued no warnings of what was to come. After taking my meds and making a coffee I went back to work for a while. By 9.30 I’d mopped up, even the two offers from ‘Hi you don’t know me , but’ women who had suggestions enough to put me on my back or at least in bed all day. I washed, dressed and went to get some stamps and some cough medicine. I called in at Pauline’s for next week’s TV magazine and, well, next weeks TV magazine. I came back and was disgusted to see that you lot have been shirking and I’d run out of excuses to leave the i***ing. I ended up doing my single bedding, a pair of jeans and four shirts plus one tee shirt. I found the tee shirt I’d put a picture on last week had not survived well so after leaving that implement to cool down and putting the board away, I went back to ebay and ordered some Fruit of the Loom teeshirts at great prices and some new transfer sheets so Yvonne could have a go at making some as gifts. The reason mine didn’t fare well was because I didn’t press the transfer as I was supposed to.
After a lunch of lamb shank and mashed potatoes I studied the inside of my eyelids for some time and then watched a little TV. BY 2.15 pm I was wondering how the mail was and came through to check. I was working on it when there was a tap on the door, I didn’t turn it on though. I opened the door and there was my friend Dawn from the chemists with the items I’d requested yesterday. I passed her some chocs to share at work and took the drugs through. The bag seemed lighter than usual and when I checked prescription inside I had forgotten to order any of my sprays. I don’t know how I did this as I’ve taken to trying to order my drugs at about the same time as I did the previous month and I do this twice a month. At least I had the new drugs for the diabetes control. Ah well, I shall have to pay another visit there tomorrow- the third this week. This looking after yourself game isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
I worked until 5.30 pm then had a ham sandwich and a yoghurt before watching my Law and Order. It’s getting bad when I’m watching repeats of repeats. At 8.00 pm I’d had enough and came through. Much more waiting for me this time. Causes to be followed, Petitions to be signed. arguments to be had. There’s an amazing young man called Kenneth using his weekends to travel round the US to sit in coffee bars to chat to anyone who wants to chat. Fellow bloggers. authors or just people who happen to be there. He’s creating a remarkable society of tolerance and understanding because people are relaxed and able to speak openly. Bonds appear to be forming, not just with Kenneth but with each other. Here’s his blog, and don’t let the heading put you off. http://culturemonk.com/2014/04/15/cocaine-jesus-hitchens-really/ . It’s been quite an interesting evening really but like all good things it must now come to an end. One last blast from the past for tonight.
Wednesday. 4.45 up and about and coughing. This linctus is lovely but fairly useless. By tomorrow I’ll be needing a different one, hope it tastes as good. It takes me back about 50 years and more to a time when one of the top cough medicines was called Owbridges. They also made Owbridges Pastilles which were fantastic for coughs, colds and just eating as sweets. I had many a packet before they realised they shouldn’t be eaten that way and withdrew them from sale. I wonder if they still do the mixture? I know it’s only Wednesday but I’m starting to feel boxed in even though I do enjoy keeping up to date with all my post. I’ve got cabin fever and it’s only 6.00 am. HELP!!!
As usual I work until 8.00 am then do the rounds, fish tank, meds coffee. Knowing I wanted to get the prescription request in early in the hopes of having the sprays tomorrow I got washed and dressed early. I still wasn’t up to date when I let the house at 9.05 am and walked up to the chemist. It didn’t take too long and the sunshine was wonderful. As I was approaching home I saw the post van pull up and Darren posted something through my door. I was anxious to see what had arrived so moved my legs a little faster. In amongst the larger stuff was a very small padded envelope which I opened excitedly. Inside were two small containers used for putting daily tablets out. Inside each one was a little ball of moss and a bumblebee snail, my assassins. I placed them in the tank straight away and then read a not which said they could take up to 48 hours to move. That should be fun when I’m leaving feedback. It was odd. I’d seen both drift down but I could only see one.Maybe their colouring is good camouflage against the stones on the bottom of the tank. I watched for about 10 minutes but no movement.
I went back to working on my mail and every third one was back to being dodgy messages from banks plus one firm who have credited me £310 for my work and they’re desperate to pay me. Very kind of them. This kept me going until 11.10 am when I decided to go through to the lounge. One piece of mail from earlier proved to be the tee shirt transfer sheets for Yvonne. They were quick, and I also had a nice Easter card from friends. There was an epic on TV, The Fall of the Roman Empire so I sat down for a laugh since the history is barely acknowledged. But there was some good acting here and there. When the film ended at 2.15 pm I had a quick update of post and then went back to my chair and slept for an hour. When I woke up I heard someone outside say “I’m glad he’s stopped using that buzzsaw.” It was back to coughing again so they’d have something else to moan about but who cares, I have my honey and lemon linctus. I rushed through the messages and was back in the lounge for 5.15 pm ready for my visitors. I put a quiz on as they usually arrive for the last bit and try a few questions. Tonight the traffic must have been bad as they didn’t arrive until it was ending. Probably just as well as the last set of questions were on the Spice Girls.
As I made drinks Dil set up the table for Scrabble. I wish he hadn’t bothered. Nothing I did was right. It was a slaughter and I went from second place in the first game to third place in the second game. Thank heavens we don’t play a third. I’m actually a good player but I met my match and my Waterloo tonight. As I made the second drinks the cards came out and Matt prepared a score sheet for Nomination whist. OMG, I barely got out of double figures. Again I was third. I knew at that point exactly what my record of the night was going to be. But, before you enjoy my discomfiture let me say that by sheer luck and some prestidigitation with the pen I won Crazy 8′s.
They left at 9.30 pm giving me chance to tidy up, wash the post and take my night time drugs. I came through to finish up on my mail while listening to some music and then concentrate on the blog. Time to say Goodnight and go for a short read.
Thursday. I got to lie in until 4.50 am today , trouble is , last time I looked at the clock before going to sleep it was almost 2.00 am. Some noisy beggar with a cough was keeping me awake. By the time I’d had a wee or six then washed my hands it was 5.00 am and time to start on the emails. And what a lot there were this morning. You’d been a busy bunch overnight. Especially Dear Kitty-Some Blog http://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/ who always has such fascinating content it would be more than rude not to read it. My problem is that often they’re very emotive and drive me to comment or in some cases to want to create a blog on the subject myself. I had a message to let me know I won 3000 Euros compliments of Microsoft which is lovely. They said they’ll write to me so I’ll wait and see since they don’t have my address and couldn’t tell me how or why I’d won it. I think the con artists are dredging the bottom of a very deep barrel now.
At 7.30 I went through to deal with the fish and sort my tablets for the next week. It often takes quite a while to get them all into their little compartments. I never include the diabetic ones as I have some in my pockets for meals out and the rest in front of where I plate up at home so I shouldn’t forget then. Today is the first day for doubling up on one of those so I have to remember to take it 15 minutes before eating…..or 30 seconds if I forget. I must remember to take two in to take after the meal and if you ask me, I think they make a pretty poor pudding. I took my coffee through to continue with the mail but decided to get dressed first because I wanted to go out about 9.00 am. I choose that time so I’m usually back before the postman gets here. Today we arrive back at the same time and I was able to relieve him of a parcel of tee-shirts for Yvonne. She still doesn’t know it but they’re so she can create some gifts with Reuben’s pictures on for various family members. I checked them , pinched one for myself and put the others aside for when I see her next….by which time she’ll probably have read this post and there’l be no surprise.
At 11.00 am I’d finished and went through to the lounge where despite coughing enough to wake the dead, I fell asleep. It was strange as I could hear music, one of my favorites in fact and it was the late realisation that it was my phone that woke me. Naturally it was in the bedroom just as sitting here now I realise it’s in the lounge. The phone said 3 calls missed from Yvonne. Oops. A message came that she’s spoken to a doctor at the surgery and he’d checked my file out and was faxing a prescription to the chemist for some new antibiotics, some boob enhancing steroids and some medicine. She wasn’t sure the chemist would be able to deliver so could I pick it up. I know she doesn’t want me in hospital this year so she’s organised this and I’d better do as I’m told if I don’t want to be in hospital this year- she has a mean right hook. I got my shoes on and strolled up to the chemist. It’s fairly dull now and the wind is chilly. I wonder if the forecast of weekend rain is right, Ha, of course it is it’s a British bank holiday. There was a bit of a queue a bit of a wait and then Zaq the chemist called me over. I’m to take two of these antibiotics straight away with a pint of water and with food, then take one a day with the same rules. Won’t that be fun. 6 steroids to be taken at the same time every day and this mixture which taste of rotting sweet apples. It’s Ugh!!!! But my honey and lemon has run out now.
I wandered in and out of the computer mailroom until it was time for my programme. At 8.30 pm after watching the new Big Bang, BAZINGA, I went back again to catch up before Person of Interest at 10..00 pm. Of course when that finished I had o leg it to finish the mail and get to the blog.
So I leave you with this…..
Friday. I wasn’t sure today about writing the blog as I haven’t much to be proud of. I got up early as always, did mail, saw to fish..erm No actually, I’ve just realised I didn’t see to the fish then or later. If there’s no blog tomorrow you’ll know they got me….erm no you won’t as you won’t be reading the blog at all.I shall have to rely on my daughter to post something to describe the hideous condition in which I was found after the fish have done with me. I did remember to take my meds including the steroids and the new antibiotic, I even had some cornflakes so the antibiotic was OK though I didn’t have a pint of water. Having breakfast meant I could take the diabetic drugs early and be able to leave tea out today. I segued straight into the coffee routine and took it back to the pit to continue working. Being a bank holiday so many people were off and able to send mail or post blogs instead of spending that time with the family and in the case of the UK out in the sunshine while it lasts which isn’t long if the forecasters are right this time.
I knew I should get washed and dressed so I had shower and put on some clean clothes. I made the excuse of not going out because my hair was damp but if I’m honest that wasn’t the reason. I couldn’t face it, not even the corner shop. here would be so many people out and about and I didn’t want to see them. Still, the hair was a good excuse for a while. I was fortunate that no-one came to the door. The chemist was shut so I’m saved delivery of my sprays until Tuesday. I bought baps yesterday so I had two at lunch time. I had a bag of crisps with them and for pudding…I’m taking the fifth. Having my second lot of tabs meant I don’t have to face a third meal.
One of my favorite groups of all time and what fun I’m having listening to them.
I spent the afternoon alternating between the TV, nodding off and keeping the mail as up to date as possible. I try very hard not to respond to posts that offend me when it all comes down to just a difference of opinion, unless that difference is over something like the mistreatment of others. I have lost ‘friends’ before over the subject of the Health Reforms in America because I thought they sounded good at first and only sounded bad after they’d been watered down so much in the Senate. Now to me it sounds the same as before, a dream scenario for Insurance Companies. I honestly thought if anyone could have made a success of a free Health Service it would have been the US. For a long time I’ve thought they don’t really care about the people over there and half the senate are in the pay of the NRA or Monsanto. They’d forgotten who they work for. Imagine my delight today when I hear that one state has passed a law that any food made from GMO crops must be labelled. Then I hear that a group of women ‘Concerned Women’ are complaining because the President spoke to Uganda about the law that says homosexuals will be jailed for life. They see nothing wrong with that law at all.
I had a text from Yvonne that Ugo wants to bring his Mother and her partner round on Sunday. I’ve met her twice and him only once. He seems a nice chap but it seems he asks after me whenever he speaks to Ugo. That’s very kind of him. Anyway, I knew his Mother was coming and I’ve bought some chocolates for her but I’d nothing for Dale of course. I think that means I’m going out in the morning. I watched Law and Order, Special Victims Unit and decided to call it a day. More mail, more music and the blog. See you tomorrow I hope.
Saturday. I didn’t rise from the pit today until 4.50 am. That’s piggin’ typical when I decided last night I must go out. I know full well that much as I love Pauline’s she won’t have the kind of thing I want. So, I did as much of the mail as I could then saw to the fish at 6.30 am…and YES, I really did see to them today and made sure they got fed to make up for yesterdays debacle. I had my sprays, chomped through some cornflakes and took the 1001 tablets of the morning regime then too a coffee back to my room to have as I got dressed. I needed to be ready to leave the house at 7.30 am and gave myself no time to think about it. I made it and walked up to the bus stop. It’s early so obviously few people will be about and I don’t have to speak while I use my bus pass, just nod and smile at the conductor. There are only two other people there and so far apart as to be as antisocial as me. It was a short ride to town and again, all I had to do was press the bell as we approached my stop. I’ve only been on the damned thing fr 5 minutes and I can’ wait to get away from ‘the crowds.’ The Supermarket is open but also quite empty. Brilliant. I go to the cash machine and as the cash comes out shout “I won”. Then I grab a trolley and take a slow walk round. I do the slalom course round the shelf stackers cages and mark myself full points for not hitting any obstacles, despite one of them dropping a strawberry under my wheels. He must have bet on another driver. First stop flowers for Julia’s vases then my baps, hmm, nice and fresh, good date I’ll take two packets. Next stop cakes ( Honestly Andrea, it’s for the visitors not me…unless they leave some behind). Then milk. So that’s necessities taken care of that I could have got down the road but I’m here for a purpose of course. Still, no rush is there, so I buy a meal, some yoghurts, crisps, ( I completely bypass the freezer with ice lollies and BFG’s) and get a packet of biscuits and then some diet pop for me. Well, it could be three weeks before I can get out again. Finally I arrive at the chocolate aisle and get two blocks of special chocolate much more likely to appeal to a man that an Easter egg. Lastly round the corner to the beer aisle where I buy a bottle of Welsh beer for Dale and Ugo.
By now my trolley, which initially I used for support is getting quite full. So I head for the till knowing life is about to get awkward as I can’t do self service now. I’m so pleased, though still shaking, that the cashier s a young lady Ju and I used to see a lot and the two of them chatted together. She smiles at me but doesn’t make my life more difficult with chatter. Instead She asks If I need help packing and If I need bags. A nod and smile on both counts. My trip for chocolate came to £50.00 and I got a voucher for £5 off my next shop of £40.00 or more. What’s that saying about hell and ice? Anyhoo, there was no-one behind me and I asked her if she’d use the freefone to call me a cab ( please don’t insert your own jokes here). She did, and with a grateful smile I rolled the trolley outside in the hopes that the damp I could feel on my legs was sweat and in the hopes that no-one stuck a drinks mixer in my hands to shake the martinis. I put the bags by the kerb, dropped off the trolley and lit a cigarette. I was even allowed to finish it before the taxi arrived. ” For David” he said and picked my bags up like they weighed nothing and dropped them in the boot. I had no choice but to proffer my address or we could have been rolling about all morning. We arrived very quickly and the driver carried my bags to the steps. The cash transaction plus a suitable tip was soon done and I was able to go in and unpack. After that was done I put the fresh flowers out and wished I’d chosen more. It’s annoying that they’re nice flowers but quite expensive for small bunches there. They did look nice though.
It’s not 9.30 am yet so I go back to the computer and start on the mail again. I’m doing OK.
A little pause for thought borrowed from my good friends C.J. and Mousie http://morguemouse.com/2014/04/18/heres-a-jellybean/
It was about 10.30 am when I heard my phone go. It was Yvonne. She said she and Ugo had been hoping to spend some time with me on Monday after his Mum had gone home. Now they were arriving by coach today and as Ugo didn’t have to go to Birmingham to collect them would it be OK if they spent some time with me today instead. I asked whether this was instead of tomorrow too but no, that visit is still on. Yvonne said she needed an ALDI shop and would I like to go? I wasn’t going to text back and say I’ve been to a supermarket as that would have meant a lot of texts so I said Yes please but I don’t need anything. Well, they arrived about 11.45 am to collect me and off we went. It turns out Ugo’s young nephew is coming too and of course I haven’t got anything for him so I’m going to a supermarket aren’t I? I see more flowers and get two nice bunches for Ju and some for Yvonne, I see books for Reuben, a jumper for Ugo. I get Ugo’s chocolate fudge cake and find an old favorite of mine too a strawberry and rhubarb flan with a crumble top. Well you have to don’t you. The nothing I wanted in this place cost another £30.00. I dread to think what Yvonne’s was from the number of times she said “It would have been at least £150.00 in another supermarket” but her trolley was laden. From there we went to another shop, why? Well she needed tissues and I didn’t want to ask why she hadn’t got them where we’d just been. Anyway, she also found some shelves for her cousin’s birthday. I bought some wine ( not for me) and since we’d decided to lunch in the Ivy I had to get some sweets and some small chocolate Easter Bunnies for all the girls there. The ovely Helen ( AKA Crazy Cat Lady) has been keeping in touch by tweets so I know they’re missing their sweets though she does say she’s missing Mike and I too. I’ve been saying all week I’m missing my meals and my friends there.
As we drew up at the Ivy, Tariq was coming round the side of the building. We waved an he looked genuinely pleased to see me. In all fairness, he’s such a nice man he’s genuinely pleased to see everyone. He walked us indoors and said he’s preparing the outside play area now ready for the season. He never stops working. He took the order for drinks and left us a minute to decide on food and Yvonne fed Reuben. I passes the sweets etc over to dear Angie who then brought a big hug round the counter. C’mon be fair, of course I love it. It’s the nearest I get to a woman these days. Tariq took the food order then leaned down to talk to Reuben. He loves kids and it looks like the feeling is mutual. We had a wonderful meal and I got out the money to pay so I could go out for a smoke. Tariq approached before I could get up to ask if I was in a mad hurry. I answered “Not if you don’t need me to be”, so quick, just like that. He asked me to do him a favour to which I agreed straight away…I’ll never learn, though I did make him take the payment for the food first. We had to undergo the usual ten minute argument about getting it cheaper- like nothing, or a bit cheaper-like half or just bloody take it and put the change in the tips!! The favour was to let him do something for me. Eh?? “He never lets me do anything for him” he complained to Yvonne/Ugo.He wanted to take a photograph of myself with Reuben and frame it or put it on canvas. I agreed on the proviso that I’d let him take the picture if he let me pay for the framing. An argument for another day he said. He must have taken a dozen shots which pleased Reuben no end. One in particular stood out for me and I do look forward to seeing it when done.
We left and came home where I was able to give Yvonne the transfer paper and T-shirts I got this week. I’m sure I can bring her round to the idea, but Just in case, I told Ugo to make her do it. My beard was a mess and my hair not much better so Ugo cut my hair ( sorry Bro) and then Yvonne attacked my eyebrows with glee. I really am having a problem teaching her that you close the blades fully and cut the hair, not partially close them, drag the hair out then close the blades. Because of their visitors arrival they had to leave. It was magic for me to see them and spend time like that. I may not see Yvonne tomorrow because of a space in the car problem now the nephew is coming. He’s a lovely young lad though so maybe he’ll offer me support tomorrow.
I went straight back to the computer for 2 hours then had a couple of hours break cleaning loos, sinks and dusting tables. A little bit of inconsequential TV and then at 9.00 am back here for a last blast. I’m going to finish with a great song tonight even though I’m not a massive country fan, this one is great.
Apologies but I find it difficult to inert things into the text in the place I want them. To view the pictures and the songs from this blog please visit my other site at http://barsetshirediaries.wordpress.com
Mother's Day and Diabetic Review.
It started early enough, bed at 1.30 am last night, or at least that’s when I finished reading. Up again at 5.15 am and that was AFTER putting the clocks forward. It’s stupid but I think I’d worked myself up to such a pitch about how I’d be today that it was almost self-fulfilling. I was thinking of Ju as I did my mail and I was looking at her pictures as I went around the house but oddly enough I wasn’t the miserable git I’d expected to be. I’d expected to be alone this weekend but that hadn’t been allowed and Mike was here though obviously as it was Sunday I only expected a few minuted with him between actually getting out of bed and leaving for his Dad’s. What a shock then to hear his alarm go off at 7.00 am when I was standing in the kitchen making my coffee. For one thing he’d watched TV late and for another the clocks had gone forward which would/could possibly deprive him of an hour’s sleep. Anyway, I put the kettle on for him ( he doesn’t like my podded brand of coffee). I was even more sure the alarm had been an accident after hearing no movement from him. Still, I risked making a drink and taking it through for him. I left it on the bedside table and just called “Coffee up Bro.” The response was a startled “OK, thank you, snore.” I got washed and dressed and drank my coffee while doing the last bit of overnight mail in my box. Lo and behold at 7.50 I heard mike call good morning and tell me he was awake. A few minutes alter he was in the lounge and I joined him there.
It turned out the thought of attending the first large car boot locally had appealed to him though I believe it was an attempt to occupy my mind really. We made it out of the house by 9.00am and drove to Rhuddlan. It was disappointing to see the car boot wasn’t as large as it usually is there, but after all it’s their first of the year. Still there were enough stalls to keep us going. We walked round paying careful attention to everything. I didn’t want anything in particular but Mike was hoping maybe to find another gurgle jug. We were approaching the last stall on the penultimate row when we both spotted them. A beautiful pair of jugs in a colour approaching gold. I thought they were from the sixties possibly and Mike agreed. The stall holder wanted so little for them it was a waste of time to haggle so Mike bought them both. We were well past the halfway mark on the last row when I grabbed Mike’s arm and drew his attention to a watch winder on a stall. Very smart looking. He never expected to see one at a car boot but he was a bit worried as he wanted a double ( or more) and this was a single. I said it would do for now at least keeping one watch wound until he found something else, but only if it worked of course. Mike asked about it and the chap said he’d paid £65 for it just over a year ago, and it worked fine. No way it could be proved at that moment but as he only wanted £15 it was worth the risk. I bought it and then added an 8 socket electric plug tower to my purchases for just £7.00 As we’d walked round Mike’s phone had beeped a few times and I’d seen him texting. Since I’d had a message from my niece Karen I didn’t think anything of it. We left and headed for a large supermarket close by that has a cafe. As we he sat eating toast then a bacon sandwich he asked me what I wanted to do about lunch. To be honest I wasn’t that interested today but he told me his messages had been from Yvonne and they were meeting us between 12.30 pm – 1.00 pm at the Ivy for lunch.
I bought some chocs at the Supermarket then we made our way to the Ivy getting there in plenty of time. I know they didn’t know we were going but shock, horror, they’d let someone else sit at both our tables. We had to sit at a normal dining table until my eyes drilling into the back of their head made one group leave. We occupied our rightful place. Tariq came over for hugs and Angie to say hello. It wasn’t too long before a baby was thrust in my lap and Yvonne sat down next to me. Ugo sat next to Mike. Tariq brought the drinks over and while Reuben alternated between the grape and whine dance on my lap and trying to snatch my latte from the table we ordered lunch, except Yvonne who’s weight loss plan with a diet group has her refusing all food. Normally I’d argue with her but today I realised she could take Reuben before he stole my lunch. Yvonne wasn’t at her best today and I knew it’s because she’s so upset about Ju. I could probably have offered more comfort than I did but was afraid of letting go.
After lunch there were multiple hugs, and no fight about the bill with Tariq as he left the room and I caught Angie. She didn’t want to do it but was persuaded. There was a disagreement about a tip though as she said no since I’d taken chocolates in. Lucky for me with so many customers she couldn’t follow me outside to fight. I’m learning. We went home and Ugo followed as I’d told Yvonne about Reuben’s outfits from yesterday’s shopping. I’m happy to say she loved them. They stayed with us a while then had to go. I did some work then went through to watch a bit of TV with Mike though he was actually on the computer himself for a long time looking at Ebay.I managed to nod off for half an hour though I was conscious of Mike having a long telephone conversation while I dozed. I made tea about 6.00 pm and then we did the fishtank (finally) before watching a new episode of Endevour which is excellent TV. At 10.00 pm it was time to come through to see how much work was waiting and to get the days blog done. I’m happy to report I survived the day well and though I obviously miss Ju I wasn’t overcome with emotion and was able to concentrate on wonderful times with her, especially at the car boot we’d been to today.
Monday. Confessions first, I didn’t open my eyes this morning until Mike’s alarm went off at 6.58 am. In fairness it was a 2.00 am bedtime last night so I don’t feel too guilty. But when the alarm went off I shot up as though I’d been stung. It was as well I did because I heard no movement from Mike’s room. Without pausing to turn on the computer I went straight to the kitchen. The fish were the first priority when kettle on while I used my sprays and took my tabs. As the kettle boiled I made Mike a coffee and shoved my mug under the machine for a latte. I woke Mike as I put the coffee on his bedside table, conscious of the fact he needed to be gone by 8.30 am. There was a definite grunt of acknowledgement but that was as far as it went. I grabbed my drink and went to the computer and made a start. First I had to finish doing the ones I hadn’t managed from last night. At 7.30 I went through to remind Mike his coffee was there and he needed to get going. Hnnnfff. Not a flicker. I finished my drink and was taking my cup to the kitchen at 8.45 when he finally moved. I sat in the lounge with him till his eyes opened and focused a bit.
It was 8.45 when Mike finally left. I haven’t heard whether he made his appointment on time yet. As for me, I started in earnest on my mail and managed to get up to date at just gone 10.00 am. Mike had reminded me before he left that I needed to get dressed and take my prescription request in to the chemist. So by 10.30 am I was on my way there and called in to Pauline’s for some Branston pickle, and one of those accidental kitkats. When I got home there was a pile of mail and every piece was junkmail without exception, not unlike what was also waiting on the computer. It was mid-day before I made myself a sandwich for lunch and sat in front of the TV as I ate. After I’d washed the pots I continued to sit there until I nodded off. When I woke I had one of those muzzy feelings and decided I’d better do something, I did, I fell straight back to sleep. It was 3.45 pm before I woke again. I have no idea why but I still felt tired. Anyway, back to the computer to catch up which took me till almost 5.30 pm. I had a tin of pineapple rings then watched Law and Order. Once that was done I turned over to watch something else but kept nodding. At 8.00 pm I finally pulled the plug and came through to the bedroom. There was quite a bit of mail to answer but I was also nipping back and forth to ebay. I won a box to keep tea bags in with a clear lid so you can make a choice. I won a watch. There was another one I wanted and bid on that I missed when commenting on a friend’s blog post.
I’m currently watching another two watches tonight but one finishes at 11.57 pm and I doubt my eyes will be open that long tonight. I’ll have to put a bid in and hope for the best. I’m off now to complete the rest of my post and cross my fingers there won’t be too much more tonight.
Tuesday. April Fools Day. It felt like I got up this morning ten minutes before I went to bed. I woke at just gone 3.00 am according to my ever so luminous clock. I tried to just relax and go back to sleep but gave up at 3.50 and started work. I finished the first batch before 6.30 am and felt tired so I lay down for a minute or 60. At 7.30 I was awake again and went to see to the fish, take my meds and make a coffee. When I returned there was mail again including some from Yvonne to say she felt lousy with her throat (again) and it was great that I didn’t have to face her when I said I didn’t need her to come today as a friend was taking me to the doctor’s. I know she was glad. From my point of view it was a great way of dodging the bullet.
I worked on the mail until about 10.15 when I decided to get washed and dressed. I was being very good with my smoking this morning, stretching my last packet out as I have a bad chest. That was the bullet I needed to dodge though missing the diabetic review would be a bonus as I hadn’t asked a friend to take me. By 12.15 pm I thought, “Why the heck not, I can do this”. At half past I donned my jacket and made my way to the bus stop.I was actually at the point of turning back, even though the day was glorious, when a bus pulled up beside me. It wasn’t the bus stop, but the driver was letting someone off early, he asked if I was heading for the bus stop. Like an idiot I said yes and got on. I was in town before 1.00 pm. My appointment wasn’t until 3.00 pm so I wandered down the High Street slowly until I reached Kassidy’s. It didn’t look too full so I entered and took a small table out of the way. Chris mouthed a welcoming hello at me but my hands were shaking. In over 4 years of being here I’ve never been out alone and been in somewhere alone either. Dawn took my order and I waited for my cuppa to take a tablet. Chris came over to say how beautiful Reuben is and she could see I wasn’t myself. She’s a lovely person and just ignored my idiocy. I think Dawn had forgotten my tea so Chris went to do it for me. It arrived at the same time as Dawn brought my lunch. So much for 15 mins between taking the first tab and eating.
As I finished Chris came over to squeeze my shoulder. I knew it was support. Si was cooking today so I wasn’t able to see him. I paid and left. It was 1.30pm. I had a look round the Supermarket and thought about going home. Instead I decided to try it. I bought a box of Ferrero Rocher and wandered to the surgery. I was there for 2.00 pm. I sat in solitary for the full hour before I was called and almost left a dozen times. When I got in, the Sister asked if there was anything she could do for me. I said No thanks. The review took only minutes and it appears my blood tests show an increase in my glucose levels so next prescription they’ll up the tabs even more. No checking my feet as usual or pricking of the thumb. My BP was OK this time though. What she did notice is that my chest isn’t and so I ended up with a prescription for anti-biotics. I think my stuttering responses took longer than the actual review but I handed over the chocs gratefully and left.
It’s quite a walk to the bus stop but I made it and within minutes two small buses appeared with Prestatyn as the destination. The first one left before I had chance to breathe but I got on the second one as it looked as though it was heading off. It was actually moving to the space vacated by the other one to give women ( girls) with trolleys chance to get on. It was awful, really crowded and I had a youngster bouncing about on the seat next to me. It started off and to my horror bypassed my usual road and started leaving Holywell heading away from the Coast Road where Prestatyn is. I had to ring the bell to get off which was a very long way due to roadworks preventing he bus stopping where it normally would. It was a long walk back to town and to wait for the right bus. I decided to bypass the chemist when I got home as I’ll go in the morning and see if they have my other prescription from Monday ready yet.
I ploughed into mail when I got in and kept going until almost 6.00 pm when I decided to watch a film instead of my usual Law and Order. That took me till 9.00 pm when I almost ran back here to try and catch up. It’s almost 11.45 pm and I have about 10 left which I’ll go and do now. Here’s hoping for some sleep tonight.
Wednesday. Another 3.50 day despite it being a 12.30 pm finish last night and I still had a read. I did wake up feeling rough. The bronchitis is here with a vengeance so I’ll have to get the anti-biotics this morning. There were so few messages this morning I worked till 6.45 and hen decided to lay down. I managed to nod off until 7.35 am. It wasn’t worth starting again then interrupting myself so I headed straight for the kitchen to give the fish a treat. Instead it was I who got one when I found two of the plecs climbing the glass so I could see their fronts and their mouths as they cleaned the glass. I’m fascinated as they’re small and almost translucent.I have 3 in total. Two are about an inch and a half and one about two inches long. Anyhoo, I fed them and then followed my routine with meds and coffee before going back to catch the next batch of messages.
At 9.30 I washed and dressed, going for the lumberjack look today in my checked shirt. I took a walk to the chemist with my scrip. Unfortunately the slightly uphill walk took it out of me and the journey took a while. When I arrived I was told the chemist hadn’t so I’d have to have them delivered later. Not a major problem as the prescription I put in on Monday should be back and they can all come together. I started the journey in reverse. Much easier on the downhill slope. I did a few more messages then printed off a picture of Reuben on Tee Shirt paper and went to iron it on. I don’t know whether I didn’t obey the destructions properly or whether the paper was old and faulty but the picture wouldn’t peel clean. It’s still a nice image but a little patchy. I’d just finished when I saw someone from the chemist approach the door. Yay, my anti-biotics, but when I got there that’s all there was. The man who delivered wouldn’t know about the rest of the drugs so I’ll wait till the end of the day.
11.30 am and I felt whacked and so packed it in for the morning and went to sit in the lounge. I saw the carpet looked bad so I got the hoover out. As soon as I’d done that I noticed the wood flooring looked bad now so I had to mop that down and did the kitchen floor at the same time. I put a load of washing in and decided enough was enough. At 12.00 I went to the freezer for a pizza and found some chips with Chinese curry sauce I’d bought. A rare treat as Ju hated the smell of curry. While it was in the microwave I buttered two baps and prepared a tray. As soon as it pinged my stomach rumbled and I tucked in with relish, that is, I didn’t have relish with it, just ate with gusto which is not another person. I put chips on one of the baps and loved having the butter melt everywhere. The other I used to mop up the curry sauce at the end. Yum Yum. The bronchitis hasn’t robbed me of an appetite…..Yet.
I did a few messages during the afternoon and the delivery of my other drugs didn’t come which means another walk to the chemist’s in the morning. Still, I would need to go out for my lottery anyway. It is a pain though as I usually do my drugs on a Thursday morning for the week and there won’t be enough now. Maybe I’ll rattle less. At 5.30 pm Dil and Matt arrived so I made coffee and tea while they answered the questions on a TV quiz I’d turned on. After I’d brought the drinks through I put up the card table and got the Scrabble ready. Why the heck did I bother. Two games to Matthew. I was whitewashed and trounced in that order. I did however learn for the future that qis is a word. I got the cards out and we played Nomination where it was my turn to win convincingly. After that we decided to try Chase the Lady ( a version of Hearts on the computer) as Matt needed a reminder of how to play. Again I stood and did the victory dance before collapsing breathless to the floor. I’ve just this minute realised that means Dil didn’t win anything tonight. I wonder if he made Matt walk home. We said our goodbyes and thank yous and they left. Do you know they do a forty minute journey each way every Wednesday just so we can play games. I love them for the effort they put in for me especially as Dil comes straight from work without eating. I tidied away the empty packets of biscuits ( at least 6) from Matt and washed the mugs.
I took my nighttime tablets through to the bedroom and started on the mail. I was horrified it was back up to 84 again and typically my computer had joined a union and was working to a go slow. It took till 11.55 pm to finish before I could start the blog post. Time for bed said Zebedee, G’night all.
Thursday.I shall have to ask you to suspend your natural scepticism for a moment when I tell you that after going to bed at gone midnight and turning my light off at approx 1.45 am I was rather disturbed to find myself awake and staring at the clock at 2.22 am.I was looking for a message in all those little ducks but determined not to get up so drifted back to sleep. No revealing dreams that I can remember. The next thing I knew is that I was awake again, this time it was the wakefulness of getting up and staring at my clock it was now 4.44 am. Even if I’d been tired at that moment there’s no way I’d have gone back to bed in case I woke to 6.66 am.
I started in on the mail and though there weren’t as many as yesterday they took me considerably longer. The first batch was almost at an end when I broke off at 8.00 am to see to the tank. I took the last meds in my boxes this morning but couldn’t do the next batch because my Monday meds hadn’t been delivered yet. I took my coffee back to the bedroom, crossed my fingers and refreshed the post. An extra 23 so not too bad. I cleared the remaining ones from pre-tank, cleared these also and then washed and dressed. By 9.30 am I was on my way to the chemist’s. I asked the young lady if my prescription was ready and she went off to check the boxes. No joy. A little panic set in as I have no idea what half my tabs do and wondered what I might do without their control. Dancing naked in the middle of a zebra crossing has completely lost it’s appeal these days. Seriously though, as some are diabetic controllers and some for my COPD along with anti-depressants I didn’t want to find out. I stood there for ages before she spoke to someone else who sent her to yet another person. Eventually she came back with someone else who told me that the prescription was in but they were still missing one item which they expected to be delivered today. If I’d like to take the rest of my stuff ( OF COURSE I WOULD) someone would deliver my last item later. Dawn who usually delivers my meds offered to bring it on her way home. She’s a gem, but I can’t believe they held my stuff since Tuesday rather than give it me minus one item which they’ve done many times before. As long as I know what’s missing I’m fine. I called at Pauline’s while I was out and collected my lottery tickets….I want everyone to cross their fingers between 8.00 pm and 10.00 pm gmt on Friday please. The coffee’s will be on me as I fly everywhere to meet you all.
At home I did my tablets for the week. I can always add the missing ones when they arrive and they’re for an evening anyway. Then it was back to work to clear the mail before lunch time. My postman Darren arrived with one of the watches I won which I’ll give to Ugo tomorrow. At lunch time I had a pizza with some micro chips ( Hey, I just looked at the clock and it’s 11.11 pm…I’m getting spooked). I fell asleep afterwards supposedly watching a film on TV. Later I did a few retweets, commented on a few blogs and caught up again on mail. It’s a constant battle to stay afloat sometimes and I’m already dreading tomorrow when I’m possibly out all day while the mail accumulates for my return.
I was going to have some pineapple for my tea but when I’d opened the fridge earlier I’d seen a packet of sausages. Normally I’d have cooked them at a lunchtime and had some with sweet potato mash and maybe a couple of cold ones for tea on a sandwich. As I’ll be out for lunch tomorrow ( I hope) and having thrown a couple of unopened packs away recently I decided to cook them and have some for tea. There are 8 in a packet and I decided to butter two baps. I found that four sausages just fitted a bap nicely and ended up having the whole packet. So much better than waste and far too late to ship them off to Africa. I stayed where I was after washing up until a new episode of my Big Bang Theory had aired then at 8.30 pm came through to start yet again. There was plenty to get through and it was gone 11.00 pm when I was able to start the blog and freak myself out. I think I’ll turn the clock around tonight.
Friday. So, Friday at last. I managed to get up at 3.58 am so had plenty of time to get the post out of the way and still do the fish, take tabs, drink coffee and have a last wee before going to catch a bus at 7.30 am. Allowing for the time it takes to get to the bus stop and travelling time, I expected to in Chester at 9.00 am today. The first one to come was one that goes in a different way which I took once before but was very surprised today when it pulled in at 8.30 am. It meant I could be at Yvonne’s for 9.00 am and have time for a cuppa before our outing. With the bronchitis I had no choice but to take it slow, I was moving so slowly the roadside beggars were offering me money to move off their pitches. But I got there in time for my drink, and also to have Reuben dropped in my lap while Ugo and Yvonne got ready.
Our 9.30 departure became 9.45 am and then we had to go to a specific garage to fill up so it was actually 10.00 am or gone when we started. The journey was pretty good with a constant speed most of the way.My nerves weren’t too bad as Ugo kept at least one hand on the steering wheel at all times. Perhaps the staining on the seat gives him problems. When we arrived we parked up and I got us a 3 hour ticket. First stop Coffee and loos. Since I was with Yvonne the second stop was at a clothes shop where she found things for Reuben and Ugo. She as particularly mean today and wouldn’t let me pay for anything. I especially like a watch she got Ugo with something on the dial like, Why worry, I’m already late. From there to another shop she likes and then to a cafe Ugo likes. The man is an eating machine. We wandered a bit but time was being eaten up and with 25 minutes to go we headed for the reason for the trip, Titterton’s Pork Pies. I got my little stock in and then we headed for the car to set off back.
When we arrived near home we carried on so I could go to The Ivy and take a pie for Shella who knows them from her time living in Stockport years ago. I handed it over to Tariq like the priceless object it is. Shella had left to collect her children from school half an hour since so I reminded him to take the pie home. Yvonne and Ugo had a cake with their drink but then decided perhaps we should have a meal while we were there. I needed something as I hadn’t eaten all day, Ugo needed something as his toast, bagels, cake, more cake and yet more cake hadn’t done the job. As always I had a lovely meal and as always a fight about the bill, firstly with Yvonne and when I won that, a fight with Tariq who insisted I shouldn’t pay because of the pie. They took me home and dropped me off. First things first after hiding the pies in the fridge was to check messages. 141 so I was stuck on the computer until 7.00 pm when I watched some TV. But, while I was on the computer I was reading a friends blog, the very excellent Melanie Marttila on http://melaniemarttila.ca/ I came across two things I have to share with you. The first is an amazing children’s choir which blew me away http://youtu.be/g7a2u9v0V0c ‘Untrust us’ Crystal Castles covered by Capital Children’s Choir. The second is the same two cellists I gave you last week but doing another piece. This is a rock piece and should astound you . Therefore here are the two cellists again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V7EugoweM4&list=PLrRtwIUSeaCEOxW7Ydgq2eDbFA84BdL5F&feature=share&index=2 Welcome to the Jungle. Enjoy.
I watched TV till Mike arrived at 9.30 pm then chatted with him until it was time to come back through to hit the mail. That took a while and as it’s now gone midnight I’m in danger of turning into a pumpkin if I don’t go to bed. I’m sure Mike would say I’ve already got the shape for it. G’Night All.
Saturday. I slept till 6.30 this morning So I hadn’t managed to clear much post before Mike’s alarm went off. At 7.00 am I shot through to the kitchen, turned the tank light on, put the kettle on and took my tabs. The alarm went off before the kettle boiled but it didn’t take long to brew a coffee and take it through. As usual the alarm was wasted and Mike had gone straight back to sleep. I called out that a coffee was there and got the usual garbled response. I’m sure some message penetrated the brain but I’m not sure what it was. I busied myself clearing the food waste bin and the larger rubbish bin taking the bags outside to the waiting receptacles. That done, I came in for the assorted recyclable waste bags and tucked them under the wheels of the big bin so they couldn’t be blown away. I came back in, washed my hands and grabbed my own coffee. The second alarm went off and within minutes Mike came through with his drink. I stayed quiet and gave him time to wake up. I went back though to my bedroom and jumped at the chance to do a couple more emails as I got dressed.
We were on the road at 7.45 am, amazingly Mike’s eyes were open now and I trusted him to drive. To be honest, eyes closed he’s often a better driver than some out there. Eyes open and I don’t wear myself out on the imaginary brakes. We had a quick stop at Tesco’s for my baps and some coffee pods then set of in earnest ( no that’s not the name of the car) for our main shopping haunt Asda which is owned by the American Walmart group. Last week Mike was looking at a jacket he liked at £35 and today when we went in it was £10 so he didn’t hesitate. I managed to find a couple of things for Reuben in his next clothing size. Mike disappeared to the Loo and I started shopping as I didn’t need much. Always a tense moment is seeing someone I know, or rather knew. I saw two people I like was was able to avoid until on one aisle I saw the wife of a friend. She spoke to me but only to say hello and you could see she wasn’t sure it was me. We passed easily. I had almost done when Mike returned and I felt safe again but minutes later a voice, and the friend and his wife were now there. The conversation was short as I think John knows how vulnerable I feel but he did invite me along to the closing of the Eisteddfod (International Music Competition and show ) where my two friends (The Toastie Tenors) Richard and Adam are appearing. I had to say yes. Conversation over we parted and Mike and I finished and left.
Leaving Asda we headed for Flint where we spent some time at the pet shop getting things for the fish and to clean the tank. Also admiring some beautiful glass fish they had.Completely translucent. After that it was time for a coffee which I’d missed at Asda and I was now completely dry. Ceri wasn’t in so the banter was very limited. He had to settle for his coffee and a teasted toecake. It didn’t take long to finish in there so we were home again by 11.00 am and unpacking. Since very little of the shopping was food today that didn’t take long. Mike was looking for something on his phone so I took a quick look at the actual mail, which could wait, then attacked the messages left from this morning. I worked steadily until Mike suggested he was ready to go to lunch so I packed in and we went to the Ivy.
It was really busy there and poor Angie looked run off her feet. She took the order for our drinks and we found a seat. By the time they arrived we were ready to order food and then some (cheeky) people vacated our table so we moved. Tariq ran back and forth delivering meals and we said a swift hello. We helped by folding some serviettes ready for use and then stood outside with a cigarette before lunch. Soon after we’d gone back in, Helen came out with our lunches and stopped for hugs. The food was lovely and very welcome. Things slowed a bit and Tariq was able to come and chat but I wanted him to disappear so I could pay. When he did disappear, Angie seemed reluctant to take payment and said Tariq would deal with it. That meant yet another argument. Only by putting money down and walking away can I win. I waited for Mike to finish his coffee and some more people came to pay. They were stuck for cash so I handed over £5 in coins. Tariq came round with a not , only it was a tenner. He must think I just got out of bed. I told him he can owe it to me, but if we don’t go there tomorrow I’m sure he’ll have forgotten before Mike gets back next month.
Back home again I was able to concentrate on the computer for a while before getting us some tea and settling to watch a bit of TV together, By ten o’clock I was itching to get back here or I’ll be up all night so Mike gave me permission and headed off to watch football in bed. No, they weren’t pla….well you knew what I meant anyway. I’m as up to date as I’m getting tonight as I fancy a read before sleep. Hoping you all have a Great Weekend. Massive Hugs all round.
It turned out the thought of attending the first large car boot locally had appealed to him though I believe it was an attempt to occupy my mind really. We made it out of the house by 9.00am and drove to Rhuddlan. It was disappointing to see the car boot wasn’t as large as it usually is there, but after all it’s their first of the year. Still there were enough stalls to keep us going. We walked round paying careful attention to everything. I didn’t want anything in particular but Mike was hoping maybe to find another gurgle jug. We were approaching the last stall on the penultimate row when we both spotted them. A beautiful pair of jugs in a colour approaching gold. I thought they were from the sixties possibly and Mike agreed. The stall holder wanted so little for them it was a waste of time to haggle so Mike bought them both. We were well past the halfway mark on the last row when I grabbed Mike’s arm and drew his attention to a watch winder on a stall. Very smart looking. He never expected to see one at a car boot but he was a bit worried as he wanted a double ( or more) and this was a single. I said it would do for now at least keeping one watch wound until he found something else, but only if it worked of course. Mike asked about it and the chap said he’d paid £65 for it just over a year ago, and it worked fine. No way it could be proved at that moment but as he only wanted £15 it was worth the risk. I bought it and then added an 8 socket electric plug tower to my purchases for just £7.00 As we’d walked round Mike’s phone had beeped a few times and I’d seen him texting. Since I’d had a message from my niece Karen I didn’t think anything of it. We left and headed for a large supermarket close by that has a cafe. As we he sat eating toast then a bacon sandwich he asked me what I wanted to do about lunch. To be honest I wasn’t that interested today but he told me his messages had been from Yvonne and they were meeting us between 12.30 pm – 1.00 pm at the Ivy for lunch.
I bought some chocs at the Supermarket then we made our way to the Ivy getting there in plenty of time. I know they didn’t know we were going but shock, horror, they’d let someone else sit at both our tables. We had to sit at a normal dining table until my eyes drilling into the back of their head made one group leave. We occupied our rightful place. Tariq came over for hugs and Angie to say hello. It wasn’t too long before a baby was thrust in my lap and Yvonne sat down next to me. Ugo sat next to Mike. Tariq brought the drinks over and while Reuben alternated between the grape and whine dance on my lap and trying to snatch my latte from the table we ordered lunch, except Yvonne who’s weight loss plan with a diet group has her refusing all food. Normally I’d argue with her but today I realised she could take Reuben before he stole my lunch. Yvonne wasn’t at her best today and I knew it’s because she’s so upset about Ju. I could probably have offered more comfort than I did but was afraid of letting go.
After lunch there were multiple hugs, and no fight about the bill with Tariq as he left the room and I caught Angie. She didn’t want to do it but was persuaded. There was a disagreement about a tip though as she said no since I’d taken chocolates in. Lucky for me with so many customers she couldn’t follow me outside to fight. I’m learning. We went home and Ugo followed as I’d told Yvonne about Reuben’s outfits from yesterday’s shopping. I’m happy to say she loved them. They stayed with us a while then had to go. I did some work then went through to watch a bit of TV with Mike though he was actually on the computer himself for a long time looking at Ebay.I managed to nod off for half an hour though I was conscious of Mike having a long telephone conversation while I dozed. I made tea about 6.00 pm and then we did the fishtank (finally) before watching a new episode of Endevour which is excellent TV. At 10.00 pm it was time to come through to see how much work was waiting and to get the days blog done. I’m happy to report I survived the day well and though I obviously miss Ju I wasn’t overcome with emotion and was able to concentrate on wonderful times with her, especially at the car boot we’d been to today.
Monday. Confessions first, I didn’t open my eyes this morning until Mike’s alarm went off at 6.58 am. In fairness it was a 2.00 am bedtime last night so I don’t feel too guilty. But when the alarm went off I shot up as though I’d been stung. It was as well I did because I heard no movement from Mike’s room. Without pausing to turn on the computer I went straight to the kitchen. The fish were the first priority when kettle on while I used my sprays and took my tabs. As the kettle boiled I made Mike a coffee and shoved my mug under the machine for a latte. I woke Mike as I put the coffee on his bedside table, conscious of the fact he needed to be gone by 8.30 am. There was a definite grunt of acknowledgement but that was as far as it went. I grabbed my drink and went to the computer and made a start. First I had to finish doing the ones I hadn’t managed from last night. At 7.30 I went through to remind Mike his coffee was there and he needed to get going. Hnnnfff. Not a flicker. I finished my drink and was taking my cup to the kitchen at 8.45 when he finally moved. I sat in the lounge with him till his eyes opened and focused a bit.
It was 8.45 when Mike finally left. I haven’t heard whether he made his appointment on time yet. As for me, I started in earnest on my mail and managed to get up to date at just gone 10.00 am. Mike had reminded me before he left that I needed to get dressed and take my prescription request in to the chemist. So by 10.30 am I was on my way there and called in to Pauline’s for some Branston pickle, and one of those accidental kitkats. When I got home there was a pile of mail and every piece was junkmail without exception, not unlike what was also waiting on the computer. It was mid-day before I made myself a sandwich for lunch and sat in front of the TV as I ate. After I’d washed the pots I continued to sit there until I nodded off. When I woke I had one of those muzzy feelings and decided I’d better do something, I did, I fell straight back to sleep. It was 3.45 pm before I woke again. I have no idea why but I still felt tired. Anyway, back to the computer to catch up which took me till almost 5.30 pm. I had a tin of pineapple rings then watched Law and Order. Once that was done I turned over to watch something else but kept nodding. At 8.00 pm I finally pulled the plug and came through to the bedroom. There was quite a bit of mail to answer but I was also nipping back and forth to ebay. I won a box to keep tea bags in with a clear lid so you can make a choice. I won a watch. There was another one I wanted and bid on that I missed when commenting on a friend’s blog post.
I’m currently watching another two watches tonight but one finishes at 11.57 pm and I doubt my eyes will be open that long tonight. I’ll have to put a bid in and hope for the best. I’m off now to complete the rest of my post and cross my fingers there won’t be too much more tonight.
Tuesday. April Fools Day. It felt like I got up this morning ten minutes before I went to bed. I woke at just gone 3.00 am according to my ever so luminous clock. I tried to just relax and go back to sleep but gave up at 3.50 and started work. I finished the first batch before 6.30 am and felt tired so I lay down for a minute or 60. At 7.30 I was awake again and went to see to the fish, take my meds and make a coffee. When I returned there was mail again including some from Yvonne to say she felt lousy with her throat (again) and it was great that I didn’t have to face her when I said I didn’t need her to come today as a friend was taking me to the doctor’s. I know she was glad. From my point of view it was a great way of dodging the bullet.
I worked on the mail until about 10.15 when I decided to get washed and dressed. I was being very good with my smoking this morning, stretching my last packet out as I have a bad chest. That was the bullet I needed to dodge though missing the diabetic review would be a bonus as I hadn’t asked a friend to take me. By 12.15 pm I thought, “Why the heck not, I can do this”. At half past I donned my jacket and made my way to the bus stop.I was actually at the point of turning back, even though the day was glorious, when a bus pulled up beside me. It wasn’t the bus stop, but the driver was letting someone off early, he asked if I was heading for the bus stop. Like an idiot I said yes and got on. I was in town before 1.00 pm. My appointment wasn’t until 3.00 pm so I wandered down the High Street slowly until I reached Kassidy’s. It didn’t look too full so I entered and took a small table out of the way. Chris mouthed a welcoming hello at me but my hands were shaking. In over 4 years of being here I’ve never been out alone and been in somewhere alone either. Dawn took my order and I waited for my cuppa to take a tablet. Chris came over to say how beautiful Reuben is and she could see I wasn’t myself. She’s a lovely person and just ignored my idiocy. I think Dawn had forgotten my tea so Chris went to do it for me. It arrived at the same time as Dawn brought my lunch. So much for 15 mins between taking the first tab and eating.
As I finished Chris came over to squeeze my shoulder. I knew it was support. Si was cooking today so I wasn’t able to see him. I paid and left. It was 1.30pm. I had a look round the Supermarket and thought about going home. Instead I decided to try it. I bought a box of Ferrero Rocher and wandered to the surgery. I was there for 2.00 pm. I sat in solitary for the full hour before I was called and almost left a dozen times. When I got in, the Sister asked if there was anything she could do for me. I said No thanks. The review took only minutes and it appears my blood tests show an increase in my glucose levels so next prescription they’ll up the tabs even more. No checking my feet as usual or pricking of the thumb. My BP was OK this time though. What she did notice is that my chest isn’t and so I ended up with a prescription for anti-biotics. I think my stuttering responses took longer than the actual review but I handed over the chocs gratefully and left.
It’s quite a walk to the bus stop but I made it and within minutes two small buses appeared with Prestatyn as the destination. The first one left before I had chance to breathe but I got on the second one as it looked as though it was heading off. It was actually moving to the space vacated by the other one to give women ( girls) with trolleys chance to get on. It was awful, really crowded and I had a youngster bouncing about on the seat next to me. It started off and to my horror bypassed my usual road and started leaving Holywell heading away from the Coast Road where Prestatyn is. I had to ring the bell to get off which was a very long way due to roadworks preventing he bus stopping where it normally would. It was a long walk back to town and to wait for the right bus. I decided to bypass the chemist when I got home as I’ll go in the morning and see if they have my other prescription from Monday ready yet.
I ploughed into mail when I got in and kept going until almost 6.00 pm when I decided to watch a film instead of my usual Law and Order. That took me till 9.00 pm when I almost ran back here to try and catch up. It’s almost 11.45 pm and I have about 10 left which I’ll go and do now. Here’s hoping for some sleep tonight.
Wednesday. Another 3.50 day despite it being a 12.30 pm finish last night and I still had a read. I did wake up feeling rough. The bronchitis is here with a vengeance so I’ll have to get the anti-biotics this morning. There were so few messages this morning I worked till 6.45 and hen decided to lay down. I managed to nod off until 7.35 am. It wasn’t worth starting again then interrupting myself so I headed straight for the kitchen to give the fish a treat. Instead it was I who got one when I found two of the plecs climbing the glass so I could see their fronts and their mouths as they cleaned the glass. I’m fascinated as they’re small and almost translucent.I have 3 in total. Two are about an inch and a half and one about two inches long. Anyhoo, I fed them and then followed my routine with meds and coffee before going back to catch the next batch of messages.
At 9.30 I washed and dressed, going for the lumberjack look today in my checked shirt. I took a walk to the chemist with my scrip. Unfortunately the slightly uphill walk took it out of me and the journey took a while. When I arrived I was told the chemist hadn’t so I’d have to have them delivered later. Not a major problem as the prescription I put in on Monday should be back and they can all come together. I started the journey in reverse. Much easier on the downhill slope. I did a few more messages then printed off a picture of Reuben on Tee Shirt paper and went to iron it on. I don’t know whether I didn’t obey the destructions properly or whether the paper was old and faulty but the picture wouldn’t peel clean. It’s still a nice image but a little patchy. I’d just finished when I saw someone from the chemist approach the door. Yay, my anti-biotics, but when I got there that’s all there was. The man who delivered wouldn’t know about the rest of the drugs so I’ll wait till the end of the day.
11.30 am and I felt whacked and so packed it in for the morning and went to sit in the lounge. I saw the carpet looked bad so I got the hoover out. As soon as I’d done that I noticed the wood flooring looked bad now so I had to mop that down and did the kitchen floor at the same time. I put a load of washing in and decided enough was enough. At 12.00 I went to the freezer for a pizza and found some chips with Chinese curry sauce I’d bought. A rare treat as Ju hated the smell of curry. While it was in the microwave I buttered two baps and prepared a tray. As soon as it pinged my stomach rumbled and I tucked in with relish, that is, I didn’t have relish with it, just ate with gusto which is not another person. I put chips on one of the baps and loved having the butter melt everywhere. The other I used to mop up the curry sauce at the end. Yum Yum. The bronchitis hasn’t robbed me of an appetite…..Yet.
I did a few messages during the afternoon and the delivery of my other drugs didn’t come which means another walk to the chemist’s in the morning. Still, I would need to go out for my lottery anyway. It is a pain though as I usually do my drugs on a Thursday morning for the week and there won’t be enough now. Maybe I’ll rattle less. At 5.30 pm Dil and Matt arrived so I made coffee and tea while they answered the questions on a TV quiz I’d turned on. After I’d brought the drinks through I put up the card table and got the Scrabble ready. Why the heck did I bother. Two games to Matthew. I was whitewashed and trounced in that order. I did however learn for the future that qis is a word. I got the cards out and we played Nomination where it was my turn to win convincingly. After that we decided to try Chase the Lady ( a version of Hearts on the computer) as Matt needed a reminder of how to play. Again I stood and did the victory dance before collapsing breathless to the floor. I’ve just this minute realised that means Dil didn’t win anything tonight. I wonder if he made Matt walk home. We said our goodbyes and thank yous and they left. Do you know they do a forty minute journey each way every Wednesday just so we can play games. I love them for the effort they put in for me especially as Dil comes straight from work without eating. I tidied away the empty packets of biscuits ( at least 6) from Matt and washed the mugs.
I took my nighttime tablets through to the bedroom and started on the mail. I was horrified it was back up to 84 again and typically my computer had joined a union and was working to a go slow. It took till 11.55 pm to finish before I could start the blog post. Time for bed said Zebedee, G’night all.
Thursday.I shall have to ask you to suspend your natural scepticism for a moment when I tell you that after going to bed at gone midnight and turning my light off at approx 1.45 am I was rather disturbed to find myself awake and staring at the clock at 2.22 am.I was looking for a message in all those little ducks but determined not to get up so drifted back to sleep. No revealing dreams that I can remember. The next thing I knew is that I was awake again, this time it was the wakefulness of getting up and staring at my clock it was now 4.44 am. Even if I’d been tired at that moment there’s no way I’d have gone back to bed in case I woke to 6.66 am.
I started in on the mail and though there weren’t as many as yesterday they took me considerably longer. The first batch was almost at an end when I broke off at 8.00 am to see to the tank. I took the last meds in my boxes this morning but couldn’t do the next batch because my Monday meds hadn’t been delivered yet. I took my coffee back to the bedroom, crossed my fingers and refreshed the post. An extra 23 so not too bad. I cleared the remaining ones from pre-tank, cleared these also and then washed and dressed. By 9.30 am I was on my way to the chemist’s. I asked the young lady if my prescription was ready and she went off to check the boxes. No joy. A little panic set in as I have no idea what half my tabs do and wondered what I might do without their control. Dancing naked in the middle of a zebra crossing has completely lost it’s appeal these days. Seriously though, as some are diabetic controllers and some for my COPD along with anti-depressants I didn’t want to find out. I stood there for ages before she spoke to someone else who sent her to yet another person. Eventually she came back with someone else who told me that the prescription was in but they were still missing one item which they expected to be delivered today. If I’d like to take the rest of my stuff ( OF COURSE I WOULD) someone would deliver my last item later. Dawn who usually delivers my meds offered to bring it on her way home. She’s a gem, but I can’t believe they held my stuff since Tuesday rather than give it me minus one item which they’ve done many times before. As long as I know what’s missing I’m fine. I called at Pauline’s while I was out and collected my lottery tickets….I want everyone to cross their fingers between 8.00 pm and 10.00 pm gmt on Friday please. The coffee’s will be on me as I fly everywhere to meet you all.
At home I did my tablets for the week. I can always add the missing ones when they arrive and they’re for an evening anyway. Then it was back to work to clear the mail before lunch time. My postman Darren arrived with one of the watches I won which I’ll give to Ugo tomorrow. At lunch time I had a pizza with some micro chips ( Hey, I just looked at the clock and it’s 11.11 pm…I’m getting spooked). I fell asleep afterwards supposedly watching a film on TV. Later I did a few retweets, commented on a few blogs and caught up again on mail. It’s a constant battle to stay afloat sometimes and I’m already dreading tomorrow when I’m possibly out all day while the mail accumulates for my return.
I was going to have some pineapple for my tea but when I’d opened the fridge earlier I’d seen a packet of sausages. Normally I’d have cooked them at a lunchtime and had some with sweet potato mash and maybe a couple of cold ones for tea on a sandwich. As I’ll be out for lunch tomorrow ( I hope) and having thrown a couple of unopened packs away recently I decided to cook them and have some for tea. There are 8 in a packet and I decided to butter two baps. I found that four sausages just fitted a bap nicely and ended up having the whole packet. So much better than waste and far too late to ship them off to Africa. I stayed where I was after washing up until a new episode of my Big Bang Theory had aired then at 8.30 pm came through to start yet again. There was plenty to get through and it was gone 11.00 pm when I was able to start the blog and freak myself out. I think I’ll turn the clock around tonight.
Friday. So, Friday at last. I managed to get up at 3.58 am so had plenty of time to get the post out of the way and still do the fish, take tabs, drink coffee and have a last wee before going to catch a bus at 7.30 am. Allowing for the time it takes to get to the bus stop and travelling time, I expected to in Chester at 9.00 am today. The first one to come was one that goes in a different way which I took once before but was very surprised today when it pulled in at 8.30 am. It meant I could be at Yvonne’s for 9.00 am and have time for a cuppa before our outing. With the bronchitis I had no choice but to take it slow, I was moving so slowly the roadside beggars were offering me money to move off their pitches. But I got there in time for my drink, and also to have Reuben dropped in my lap while Ugo and Yvonne got ready.
Our 9.30 departure became 9.45 am and then we had to go to a specific garage to fill up so it was actually 10.00 am or gone when we started. The journey was pretty good with a constant speed most of the way.My nerves weren’t too bad as Ugo kept at least one hand on the steering wheel at all times. Perhaps the staining on the seat gives him problems. When we arrived we parked up and I got us a 3 hour ticket. First stop Coffee and loos. Since I was with Yvonne the second stop was at a clothes shop where she found things for Reuben and Ugo. She as particularly mean today and wouldn’t let me pay for anything. I especially like a watch she got Ugo with something on the dial like, Why worry, I’m already late. From there to another shop she likes and then to a cafe Ugo likes. The man is an eating machine. We wandered a bit but time was being eaten up and with 25 minutes to go we headed for the reason for the trip, Titterton’s Pork Pies. I got my little stock in and then we headed for the car to set off back.
When we arrived near home we carried on so I could go to The Ivy and take a pie for Shella who knows them from her time living in Stockport years ago. I handed it over to Tariq like the priceless object it is. Shella had left to collect her children from school half an hour since so I reminded him to take the pie home. Yvonne and Ugo had a cake with their drink but then decided perhaps we should have a meal while we were there. I needed something as I hadn’t eaten all day, Ugo needed something as his toast, bagels, cake, more cake and yet more cake hadn’t done the job. As always I had a lovely meal and as always a fight about the bill, firstly with Yvonne and when I won that, a fight with Tariq who insisted I shouldn’t pay because of the pie. They took me home and dropped me off. First things first after hiding the pies in the fridge was to check messages. 141 so I was stuck on the computer until 7.00 pm when I watched some TV. But, while I was on the computer I was reading a friends blog, the very excellent Melanie Marttila on http://melaniemarttila.ca/ I came across two things I have to share with you. The first is an amazing children’s choir which blew me away http://youtu.be/g7a2u9v0V0c ‘Untrust us’ Crystal Castles covered by Capital Children’s Choir. The second is the same two cellists I gave you last week but doing another piece. This is a rock piece and should astound you . Therefore here are the two cellists again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V7EugoweM4&list=PLrRtwIUSeaCEOxW7Ydgq2eDbFA84BdL5F&feature=share&index=2 Welcome to the Jungle. Enjoy.
I watched TV till Mike arrived at 9.30 pm then chatted with him until it was time to come back through to hit the mail. That took a while and as it’s now gone midnight I’m in danger of turning into a pumpkin if I don’t go to bed. I’m sure Mike would say I’ve already got the shape for it. G’Night All.
Saturday. I slept till 6.30 this morning So I hadn’t managed to clear much post before Mike’s alarm went off. At 7.00 am I shot through to the kitchen, turned the tank light on, put the kettle on and took my tabs. The alarm went off before the kettle boiled but it didn’t take long to brew a coffee and take it through. As usual the alarm was wasted and Mike had gone straight back to sleep. I called out that a coffee was there and got the usual garbled response. I’m sure some message penetrated the brain but I’m not sure what it was. I busied myself clearing the food waste bin and the larger rubbish bin taking the bags outside to the waiting receptacles. That done, I came in for the assorted recyclable waste bags and tucked them under the wheels of the big bin so they couldn’t be blown away. I came back in, washed my hands and grabbed my own coffee. The second alarm went off and within minutes Mike came through with his drink. I stayed quiet and gave him time to wake up. I went back though to my bedroom and jumped at the chance to do a couple more emails as I got dressed.
We were on the road at 7.45 am, amazingly Mike’s eyes were open now and I trusted him to drive. To be honest, eyes closed he’s often a better driver than some out there. Eyes open and I don’t wear myself out on the imaginary brakes. We had a quick stop at Tesco’s for my baps and some coffee pods then set of in earnest ( no that’s not the name of the car) for our main shopping haunt Asda which is owned by the American Walmart group. Last week Mike was looking at a jacket he liked at £35 and today when we went in it was £10 so he didn’t hesitate. I managed to find a couple of things for Reuben in his next clothing size. Mike disappeared to the Loo and I started shopping as I didn’t need much. Always a tense moment is seeing someone I know, or rather knew. I saw two people I like was was able to avoid until on one aisle I saw the wife of a friend. She spoke to me but only to say hello and you could see she wasn’t sure it was me. We passed easily. I had almost done when Mike returned and I felt safe again but minutes later a voice, and the friend and his wife were now there. The conversation was short as I think John knows how vulnerable I feel but he did invite me along to the closing of the Eisteddfod (International Music Competition and show ) where my two friends (The Toastie Tenors) Richard and Adam are appearing. I had to say yes. Conversation over we parted and Mike and I finished and left.
Leaving Asda we headed for Flint where we spent some time at the pet shop getting things for the fish and to clean the tank. Also admiring some beautiful glass fish they had.Completely translucent. After that it was time for a coffee which I’d missed at Asda and I was now completely dry. Ceri wasn’t in so the banter was very limited. He had to settle for his coffee and a teasted toecake. It didn’t take long to finish in there so we were home again by 11.00 am and unpacking. Since very little of the shopping was food today that didn’t take long. Mike was looking for something on his phone so I took a quick look at the actual mail, which could wait, then attacked the messages left from this morning. I worked steadily until Mike suggested he was ready to go to lunch so I packed in and we went to the Ivy.
It was really busy there and poor Angie looked run off her feet. She took the order for our drinks and we found a seat. By the time they arrived we were ready to order food and then some (cheeky) people vacated our table so we moved. Tariq ran back and forth delivering meals and we said a swift hello. We helped by folding some serviettes ready for use and then stood outside with a cigarette before lunch. Soon after we’d gone back in, Helen came out with our lunches and stopped for hugs. The food was lovely and very welcome. Things slowed a bit and Tariq was able to come and chat but I wanted him to disappear so I could pay. When he did disappear, Angie seemed reluctant to take payment and said Tariq would deal with it. That meant yet another argument. Only by putting money down and walking away can I win. I waited for Mike to finish his coffee and some more people came to pay. They were stuck for cash so I handed over £5 in coins. Tariq came round with a not , only it was a tenner. He must think I just got out of bed. I told him he can owe it to me, but if we don’t go there tomorrow I’m sure he’ll have forgotten before Mike gets back next month.
Back home again I was able to concentrate on the computer for a while before getting us some tea and settling to watch a bit of TV together, By ten o’clock I was itching to get back here or I’ll be up all night so Mike gave me permission and headed off to watch football in bed. No, they weren’t pla….well you knew what I meant anyway. I’m as up to date as I’m getting tonight as I fancy a read before sleep. Hoping you all have a Great Weekend. Massive Hugs all round.
Future photos & Gurgle Jugs
Sunday. It was 5.56 this morning when I started. Since I’m on my own at this time of the day there was no rush. I was likely to be on my own for some time yet. I decided to break off at 7.00 am for meds and coffee and more importantly for the fish. Guilt at completely forgetting them yesterday made me decide to give them a longer run today and anyway, an earlier feed would confuse the little monsters. It was Mike who realised I’d forgotten them yesterday when we got back from Blakemere and he went to make a drink. Of course the sadistic beggar delighted in pointing out my memory is going.
I took my coffee back to my desk and continued answering comments on the blog and commenting on other posts. Despite my chair having supportive arms ( great for when I nod off) I almost fell out of it when Mike walked in at 8.00 am. It was at least another two hours before I expected him. I made him his first coffee then rushed around to get dressed. I heard him put the kettle on a few minutes later and then go to wash and dress himself. He’s very good since I taught him how to do his own buttons and put a big L and R on his shoes. Shame I didn’t do it on his feet as well though………. By the time he started on his second drink I’d finished the mail and could go through to join him. He’d decided to try the car boot again so I raided Reuben’s piggy bank ( I put it all back honestly Yvonne) for some change and off we went.
It was beautiful going over the mountain into the Wheeler Valley and seeing the sun shining in patches on the opposite side. We drove along to Love Lane in Mold and parked up. The car boot occupies most of the car park there. I found a brand new keyboard as a spare for the next time my nails take the letters and numbers off to make writing messages a guessing game. I paid just £2.00 for it. I’m sure I got something else too but for the life of me I can’t remember what. I was very excited to find a gurgle jug for Mike but we were both disappointed to find it had been repaired and not too well so it wasn’t bought. Still, we did find two great gurgle jugs yesterday……..
Dartmouth Pottery made the originals and they make quite a few colours. Other makers including Wade also made them and they make a great collection……………………
When we finished at the car boot we headed for Flint where we bought some chocs before heading in for a coffee at Temptations. Daniel and Trudie were on again and I was able to ask him if I could take a few pictures next time I go in to let you all see where I eat and drink as suggested by one of my friends. We had a nice break and then nipped next door where we found the perfect curtains for Yvonne. Silver, lined and a 90″ drop.
I needed some tins of pineapple so Mike drove me the 200 yards to the shop and reminded me to pick up more chocs. Having got what I needed we had a run down to Gronant along the Coast Road and lunched at The Ivy Emporium. Everyone came out to greet us from the kitchens and Shella offered to do a meal that wasn’t on the menu but which I love. Mike had a lamb shank with dauphinoise potatoes. Just being there is a treat knowing that Tariq, Shella, Angie and Helen will always come to say hello and there are hugs both coming and going. A little later Mike dropped me off and headed for his Dad’s. I headed straight for the mailbox on the computer and worked till about 4.00 pm when suddenly the front door opened.My heart stopped until a pushchair appeared followed by Yvonne and then Ugo. An unexpected treat. Ugo made himself something to eat while Reuben and I inspected his refection in the mirror. Ugo demolished half a pack of chocolate biscuits with his drink while Reuben was not happy at being missed out. He showed his displeasure on my beard, sideburns and moustache . OUCH. Ugo liked his git, Yvonne loved hers and also the curtains so I didn’t have to save them till Tuesday. They left about half five and I returned to mail till 6.00 when I gave up to watch TV for a while.
A text from Mike for info kept me occupied for a while but after that I watched a film until 9.00 pm when it was back to work. Here I am at 11.45 pm caught up and ready for a read. I wish you all goodnight and sweet dreams.
Monday. This is one of the first pieces of mail I opened this morning. http://youtu.be/x1qQdjPyagU I’m sorry Andrea, but here is scientific evidence that when you game too much you can no longer tell real life from the game.
On another note, for all you historical buffs, a new piece of work by one of our more classical composers came to light that was videoed at the time and was lost. I think the scene may be a Viennese Concert room but perhaps may be better identified by the costume. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk
So my day started well though there was a goodly chunk of mail. In no rush I took it easy, breaking off at 8.00 am for the fish, mu uppers and a cuppa. I came back and carried on going until I finished just before 9.30. I got ready and took a walk to the chemist to drop off a prescription and then called in at Pauline’s for some baps. The bread kind that is. One of my friends suggested that I should mention that in the UK baps is also a euphamism for boobs, knockers, boobies and buzooms. I assure you Pauline stocks none of these items. See Lottie, not a single snigger from the audience but I might now get a visit from the respectability police. Coming home again I found the postman had been. It’s a new one these days and I can’t make head nor tail of his times. Anyway, he delivered the missing credit card holder that stops cards being copied as it’s metal. He also, much to my delight, delivered a letter from my cousin in California. I haven’t heard from her for a couple of years though Christmas cards always come. I know when we retire things often get forgotten but I’m so pleased to hear from her. I dashed off an answer and then walked back up to the Post Office to send it par avion. Things were so much easier when she worked and had a computer. Her son lives on the East Coast and I haven’t seen him since he was about 10 years old, he’s 47 this year !!
I worked till lunchtime at twelve then made something to eat and sat down to watch a bit of TV. All mindnumbing stuff usually at this time of the day. After I’d eaten I washed the pots and sat down again with my eyes closed for a minute. What a long minute that was. It was gone 3.00 pm before I got back to work and the post box was full again. That took until 5.45 to clear but it was worth the effort. I made some tea which translates as I had a sandwich ( a bap) and opened a tin of fruit. Washed up again and watched Law and Order. I stayed with TV until 9.00 pm before coming back through to see who was still expecting me to work at this time of night. More of you than I thought it seems. Time to go get some beauty sleep ( I heard that remark about there not being THAT much time). Yvonne and Reuben are coming tomorrow as I have blood tests , no not Reuben biting me again. Proper blood tests so I may meet them in town and go from there. Maybe we have time for a small shop before coming home as Lis is visiting then…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Wednesday. I didn’t get up till 6.00 am but who cares, there’s no one to tell tales on me here. I worked for two hours and then went through the daily routine. The fish were happy to be back at normal time. How the heck are they going to cope with the clocks going forward and them losing an hour. I took my coffee back and finished the first round of mail. Next on the list was getting dressed. I put a waistcoat on as it looked a bit nippy out there this morning. About half past nine my phone burped and Yvonne said she was on the bus. Allowing for traffic, a little rain, the driver’s ciggie break and an outbreak of dandruff in Kowloon I arranged to meet her in Holywell at 10.45 am. Two hours before the bloodtests but time enough for coffee and a spot of lunch. I reached Holywell with a following wind at 10.15 am and decided to look round a shop. It was as well I came out early as I saw Yvonne’s bus pull in at 10.30 am. I’d forgotten my phone and might have missed her.
Reuben was awake and I got one smile before he started to look at me with some suspicion. I’m obviously not his Dad who he adores, at least we know he’s not colour blind. I took a walk round another shop while Yvonne visited the bank. He please must have fallen on deaf ears because they joined me a minute later. The total faff surrounding a name change at a bank is amazing. You now need to make an appointment to do it even when the staff are free. She’ll have to do that at her home branch now. We spotted my favourite word ‘SALE’ on the window of a clothes shop and Ihad to turn a deaf ear to her moans at me in order to get Reuben a couple of things. Then we headed for lunch. Kassidy’s was fairly quiet so we found a nice table and got Reuben out of his pushchair and onto my knee where he promptly grabbed two handfuls of my facial hair and pulled. Yvonne ordered a strawberry tea with a baked potato and tuna. I had a pot of tea and a b***n sandwich. Reuben has some milk, blown back out with a raspberry and some dinner which went the same way. I just had to tell people they were natural flecks of colour in my jacket.
The women all thought Reuben was a Cutie and Chris came out of the kitchen to coo a little. Meanwhile he has such a death grip on my moustache I had to offer a corner of my bread to occupy his hands. Just as well he didn’t realise the bread was sans content. As we finished there and Reuben was once again in his trolley, poor Yvonne had to move furniture around to clean up the floor.Reuben had made a bit of a mess too. We left and went to get him some more baby food before heading back up town. It was still just mid-day so we had a wander round Lidl. It must have taken longer than we thought as I had to leave them at the till and fly to get to the hospital. I made it. I didn’t have long to wait before it was over again for a couple of months. I must be nearly empty now though. I came out of the hospital slowly looking about for a missing daughter and grandson. I was halfway back to town before I met them. Yvonne had missed the hospital ( just one road away). How anyone can lose a building that big I don’t know.
We got home safely and my phone had a message to say Lis wasn’t well and wasn’t able to come out. That meant I could be bullied by Reuben without a break now. He did eventually nod off, no doubt knackered from beating me up. As Yvonne held him on her lap I nipped outside for a ciggie and then did some messages so tonight’s batch wasn’t too bad. My prescription drugs were delivered and I took Reuben when the phone rang and it was the Gas Company to sort out my problems. Yvonne got all my queries answered and someone is coming out in April to assess moving the meter. Also, towards the end of April they’ll assess my payments again an d issue a refund for the credit’s on my accounts. Just as well since they’ve changed the direct debit for gas up by £20 a month despite owing me and not the other way round.
It was 7.00pm before Ugo arrived tonight since the traffic was bad an then the local chippie was closed and he had to go back into town. I was about to start on Rueben’s arm when he turned up. I couldn’t finish it all but Ugo had no problem with his plus his chocolate puddings. Reuben used great big Doe eyes but couldn’t get a taste. It was 7.45 pm before they left and baby was tired. Still he was as good as gold when I put him in his car seat. I hugged them all and they’d gone. I came back in and tried to make it look like a herd of buffalo hadn’t just passed through then straight in here to start work. I’m up to date for now but think I’ll call it a night. It’s a Night ! Off to read a book.
Wednesday. It was a late start this morning as I lay in bed until almost 7.30 am. I was awake but not motivated at all. When I finally moved, I had time to turn the computer on, nip to the loo and then do about four messages before going to feed the fish. I took my coffee back to the computer and resisted the urge to go back to bed. Just before 9.30 I got washed and dressed to go out for some baps, ciggies and a kitkat that miraculously appeared in my hand at the till. I did manage to get as far as home before eating it. I worked on until the first batch of post was cleared at about 10.15 am then decided to go through to the lounge. Unusually I made a second coffee and sat down to watch a film about George Washington and the Continental Army that was about to start. I was no more than a couple of minutes into it when glancing out of the window I saw my nephew David approaching and he was carrying a box.
Intrigued I went and opened the front door for him. I was greeted with his usual smile and he placed the box in my arms telling me it was something he’d picked up free of charge ( I never believe him) at the weekend. As we went through to the lounge and he headed off to make himself a cuppa I found the box was full of discs from the front of various Family Tree and Genealogy magazines. There look to be some excellent records there which may help in my quest to get past some stumbling blocks. I’m really very grateful. Though he wouldn’t accept anything for them, there was a small job on the computer I was at least able to help him with. He’s not been lucky enough to develop the kind of interest as I have and therefore has no idea what to do sitting in front of the screen. A shame really as he has the time to become really good. He wouldn’t stay for lunch but left to go and do some shopping before going home.
I had lunch and then spent the early part of the afternoon thinking of my nieces Karen and Jo. They’re in my mind quite often and I’m just looking forward to seeing them in early April. It’s just hit me what an odd month that will be. Mike away, my nephew Lee away, I think Yvonne and Ugo are away for a week of it and then Ugo’s mother will be staying with them over Easter. My world will be quite empty except when the card sharps visit on a Wednesday.Talking of which, that’s today. I did some catch-up work between about 3.00- 5.30 pm then went to put a quiz on the box while I awaited my visitors. Dil and Matt turned up at about 5.45 pm and watched the end of the quiz while I made drinks. As it finished I erected the card table and set out the Scrabble. We’d just managed two words each when Lee turned up so we abandoned the game and started again with all four of us. Lee was telling us about going to Japan with his lovely wife in April for a month. Then the subject turned to the problems in The Ukraine and also the missing airliner. Concentration was not on the game for a change. I can remember that I lost and Dil won. Out came the cards for Nomination Whist, I lost again. This is becoming habit forming now. Dil suggested as there were four of us that perhaps we play partners at cribbage. I had Lee as my partner and he’s not played before. I found it hard to try and explain the basics .The game was progressing well and it had been Matt’s deal so his was the box. ( For non-players, the box is a second hand the dealer gets). When we’d played the lay-down part and it came to counting points in the hand Matt ‘accidentaly’ mixed his hand and his box together so Dil ( his partner) helped sort out what he’s played and passed the two hands back to him. His hand had some thing like 6 points, but when he turned the box over it was a 24 pointer with two eights, a seven and a six with a seven as the turn-up card. He admitted he’s not sure if he separated the two hands correctly but it would have been criminal not to have the box with the cards it now had. The cheating didn’t save them as Lee and I won ( Come on, I was doing the scoring). They left at just gone 9.30 pm.
I came through once I’d tidied up and stored what few biscuits Matt had left me. ( One I think). I’ve caught up with the mail again and managed this post for 11.30 pm so I have time for a short read now. Before I go though, it interests me to ask how many of you still play games at home either with your children or just as adults. With the advent of the computer I’m sure lots of people game, but alone these days or in RPG’s on the net and I just wonder if the social aspect is being lost with all the laughs that can be had. Night all.
……………….What’s the blank to make a 7 letter word. Picture credit the Scrabble Site SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF POST.
Thursday. Sleep at about 1.00 am and up again at 3.10 am so I went to see if I could nod off on my chair in the lounge. Fat Chance ! I’m not especially nosy but every movement outside caught my attention. One elderly male neighbour turned his light on and walked stark naked into his lounge. Hell, I wish he’d used an iron. Lucky for me the light was soon turned off again but I’d already put dark glasses on so I could see nothing more. It wasn’t too long before some dozy beggar woke the birds and their morning chorus started. I gave up trying to sleep and came through to the computer. I never open the curtains there as the screen faces the window and it makes it extremely hard to see. At least there are no distractions.
I saw to the fish at 8.00 am and spent half an hour sorting my drugs for the week before making myself a coffee and taking it back through to continue with my mail. The latest annoyance are messages that look genuine until opened which then say my payment owed of $212.50 ( or similar ) is ready to be paid if I just click the link. Since I know no-one owes me anything it’s a pain not being able to just delete them. The wind started howling outside in a repeat of yesterday’s gales but today the rain came too. I’m not going to complain as the Spring flowers need a drink and we’ve had a reasonable run of dry and sunny weather. It does sound awful out there though. By 9.30 am I’d finished and got myself ready to go out. Unfortunately I need my lottery tickets and some biscuits. At Pauline’s shop I met Darren the postman who said he had a parcel for me. Amazing since the item was only ordered yesterday. I texted my nephew David to let him know and had a response later to say I’d have a visit tomorrow.
More mail and blog comments when I got back and the parcel was delivered. I put it to one side for David to open in the morning. Lunchtime came and I fed my face on a lamb shank. Thanks Asda, it was very tasty. As soon as I’d washed up I turned on an old film and promptly nodded off. I didn’t wake till 3.00 pm. On checking the computer I found a message from Yvonne to thank me for a parcel she’d received along with a message from me. It was full of bags of apple crisps apparently. I confess here and now that if Yvonne hadn’t told me about the message in the parcel I might have denied it was me. I’ve only got a vague recollection of doing it a couple of weeks or so ago. I worked until 5.30 pm then went for tea before Law and Order started. I watched TV until 8.00 pm and then came back through to find 82 pieces of mail waiting. I also wanted to order something from Amazon.com for delivery in the U.S.- it wouldn’t let me so I went to my account with Amazon.co.uk. It let me get through the order process then refused to send the good abroad even though .com import via the same firm. Aarrrgghh. In the end I went to http://www.englishteastore.com/ where if you live in the U.S. you can get a great selection of British food…….including my Border Dark Chocolate Gingers. It’s probably not the only place but they’ve been excellent with their service so far. Anyway, someone is due to get a nice birthday gift soon. Mail done, blog done, it’s time for a short read I think.
Friday. It was 3.55 today and even though I was reluctant, I knew I wouldn’t nod off again just yet. It was worth starting on the post to give myself a little leeway later. I worked up to 6.15 which brought me up to date with the 82 waiting in my box so I took a chance and lay on top of the bed. It seemed to take a while but I did manage and stayed there until 7.20 am. I’d had a treat so I gave the fish one and fed them early today. There were only 30 new messages when I got back so I was able to get washed and dressed before 9.30 as I’d no idea what time David would call for his parcel. As it happened I worked on and off between mail and family tree until almost 11.30 am when I decided to go through to the lounge I’d just stood up from my desk when there was a knock at the door and David came in. He was going to Broughton Park near Chester to a shop he’s heard about and asked if I’d like the ride out. Me- Shops, what do you think? I was in the car before he was. It turned out the shop is my favourite shop there, it’s called Home Sense and has really nice and unusual gifts, furnishings etc. It’s partnered with TKMAXX.
David was after some items from the sale displays and went straight to the appropriate shelves. I paused a little and enjoyed some of the wonderful Japanese style furniture and some of their ceramics. I was just catching up to David when I saw some tea bags with green tea, pomegranate and cranberry that I thought Yvonne might enjoy. Then a cute little table caught my eye with a glass top under which sits an ornate clock so there’s no chance of not knowing what time it is if you’re having a cuppa. Lastly I saw a sale if the craft section and found a sweet little motto and surrounding leaves that go on a wall I thought might look quite sweet in the hallway. I’ll have to ask Mike what he thinks as his hands are steadier than mine. Having finished in there we nipped next door to have a coffee and sandwich as my lunchtime meds were late. David ran me home again then headed off to collect some thing to go on his next Charity Car Boot Stall. I’m always happy to donate stuff to that as he does it for the hospice Ju was in at the end. I think he’s brave considering the last traces of his own cancer haven’t been eradicated yet.
I worked all afternoon on the mail and was glad to see a couple of KDP Royalty payments for last month. I stopped at 5.00pm to make a sandwich and watch a quiz. I wasn’t sure what time Mike would arrive as he’d gone to his Dad’s today to sort some problems for him. He still wasn’t here at 7.00pm so I didn’t get a decent hairwash this week but I can do so tomorrow. The man has nails and uses them. I get my hair washed and my head scratched at the same time. I really miss being able to do that. It’s one of those odd things that brings on an angina attack, like raising my arms above my head sometimes does. It’s as well I don’t have to cheer Wales beating England at rugby these days or I’d be in trouble. He eventually arrived at 8.30 halfway through Agents of Shield which he likes so we had to start it again at 9.00 pm so he could see it all. I decided to head through here then as he complained he hadn’t had much of my company. No Comment. I finished the mail which was a measly 29 this time, had chance to do my blog and am now going to read a little more about King Alfred and the Danes. See you all tomorrow.
Saturday.I’ve already been threatened with exposure in the comments so I’ll confess my guilt up front and admit I didn’t get up this morning until Mike’s alarm went off and woke me at 7.00 am. I have no idea what happened but as I went to the loo a voice chirped out a good morning to me as I passed his bedroom. I was frankly amazed he was awake and thought he must realize I’d only just got up. A few minutes later as I was preparing drinks Mike came to the kitchen. He said something along the lines of ”Aren’t you surprised I’ve come through for my drink?” My less than charitable response was ” I’m surprised yo’re not waiting for the second alarm before moving at all.” I expected a sharp retort as usual but was rewarded with ” Huh, starting on me when I’ve just got up.” I should have bitten my tongue off at that point but no, I had to open my mouth, “No, I’m starting on you when I’ve just go up.” That was it. The realisation of what I’d said registered and I knew I’ll not live this down easily and won’t be able to tease him about not getting up in future. It strikes me now that I’m sure he drugged me last night.
We left at about 7.45 am and my computer wasn’t turned on. All I could think about was unanswered messages and how many more there’s be when I got home. We arrived at the store just before 8.00 am and I’ve never seen anyone look so smug. Nothing at all I could say. We shopped, we had coffee ( mine was iced) and we left. First stop on the way back was Flint and we picked up a couple of things I needed from Home Bargains, a brilliant shop, then headed for another coffee at Temptations. No Ceri today as somehow she’s managed to get another weekend off to avoid us. I sort of promised I wouldn’t call Mike a pig in this post so let me just say The Gannet has a teasted toecake as well as both his and my biscuits with his drink. He did allow me to have real sugar with my drink bless him. There was a good conversation going on about learning to drive and before I could stop him Mike took his revenge early and related a story about some unforgiving hedges upcountry that a certain nameless person became acquainted with. When we left Flint it had just begun to rain so we drove home to unpack the shopping. That didn’t take too long as I can’t afford food these days with all the clothes I bought recently. So, I left Mike showing his feminine side sorting out Ju’s flowers and putting them in a vase. He let me escape to the computer to check how bad the mail was. I was very relieved to find it less than 100 and made a start. I’s almost done at 12.30 pm when Mike came to see what we were doing about lunch. I knew Tariq had made him a brilliant and kind offer to help make a lid for his fishtank that he could use a new lighting system on. I also knew he’d bought and brought with him a piano hinge to fit on the lid so The Ivy Emporium seemed the best place ( as well as being a great choice anyway). As soon as I finished the mail we headed off. Just as well as I was starving and needed my lunchtime tablets. The traffic was atrocious as the coast road seems to have work parties digging up or laying down every hundred metres. We eventually arrived and found a table. Angie came over to say hello and Mike went in search of Tariq who as usual was working on one of his projects. I followed to say hello to Tariq and to ask Mike what he wanted me to order. “Jerked pork” came the response and I promise I bit my tongue.
As I got back to the table the lovely Helen came for a welcome hug . As she headed back to the kitchen I took the chocolate I’d brought with me to the counter just as Tariq came to take my order and sort the drinks. I have to say I haven’t had the great pleasure of meeting many people like Tariq and he did bring a lump somewhere when he made a comment later about moving from the friends stage to family which is actually a fairly good way of describing my feelings- and I’m supposed to be the wordsmith in this family. Lunch came and was dutifully eaten, though Mike said he was surprised I could finish considering I had two lunches……completely untrue.
After leaving we had a change and headed for Prestatyn where we scoured the charity shops and an antique shop looking for a set of fire digs and some fire irons. We were only partly successful. On the way home Mike stopped off at a small antique place you may remember from a couple of weeks ago and managed to find a small set of fire irons. Not what we wanted exactly, but they’ll do for now. We arrived home safely and Mike went off to watch the football results on TV so I was able to gt on with some work. By the time I’d finished the results were in and Mike wasn’t looking too happy. It’s not that his team had lost, they hadn’t, but that the competition in the league had won so convincingly they were ahead of his team. He improved a bit when his lot won 2-0 a little later after a late kick off. I went through to watch a little TV with him and then had a shower after he’d been kind enough to was my hair again. A bit more TV and some supper brought us to 10.00 pm when I’ d no choice but to come finish the mail off. That done I could start on the weekly epistle which I’m happy to say is now done. I wish you all a fantastic weekend, or what’s left of it and a brilliant new week, hopefully full of Hugs.
I took my coffee back to my desk and continued answering comments on the blog and commenting on other posts. Despite my chair having supportive arms ( great for when I nod off) I almost fell out of it when Mike walked in at 8.00 am. It was at least another two hours before I expected him. I made him his first coffee then rushed around to get dressed. I heard him put the kettle on a few minutes later and then go to wash and dress himself. He’s very good since I taught him how to do his own buttons and put a big L and R on his shoes. Shame I didn’t do it on his feet as well though………. By the time he started on his second drink I’d finished the mail and could go through to join him. He’d decided to try the car boot again so I raided Reuben’s piggy bank ( I put it all back honestly Yvonne) for some change and off we went.
It was beautiful going over the mountain into the Wheeler Valley and seeing the sun shining in patches on the opposite side. We drove along to Love Lane in Mold and parked up. The car boot occupies most of the car park there. I found a brand new keyboard as a spare for the next time my nails take the letters and numbers off to make writing messages a guessing game. I paid just £2.00 for it. I’m sure I got something else too but for the life of me I can’t remember what. I was very excited to find a gurgle jug for Mike but we were both disappointed to find it had been repaired and not too well so it wasn’t bought. Still, we did find two great gurgle jugs yesterday……..
Dartmouth Pottery made the originals and they make quite a few colours. Other makers including Wade also made them and they make a great collection……………………
When we finished at the car boot we headed for Flint where we bought some chocs before heading in for a coffee at Temptations. Daniel and Trudie were on again and I was able to ask him if I could take a few pictures next time I go in to let you all see where I eat and drink as suggested by one of my friends. We had a nice break and then nipped next door where we found the perfect curtains for Yvonne. Silver, lined and a 90″ drop.
I needed some tins of pineapple so Mike drove me the 200 yards to the shop and reminded me to pick up more chocs. Having got what I needed we had a run down to Gronant along the Coast Road and lunched at The Ivy Emporium. Everyone came out to greet us from the kitchens and Shella offered to do a meal that wasn’t on the menu but which I love. Mike had a lamb shank with dauphinoise potatoes. Just being there is a treat knowing that Tariq, Shella, Angie and Helen will always come to say hello and there are hugs both coming and going. A little later Mike dropped me off and headed for his Dad’s. I headed straight for the mailbox on the computer and worked till about 4.00 pm when suddenly the front door opened.My heart stopped until a pushchair appeared followed by Yvonne and then Ugo. An unexpected treat. Ugo made himself something to eat while Reuben and I inspected his refection in the mirror. Ugo demolished half a pack of chocolate biscuits with his drink while Reuben was not happy at being missed out. He showed his displeasure on my beard, sideburns and moustache . OUCH. Ugo liked his git, Yvonne loved hers and also the curtains so I didn’t have to save them till Tuesday. They left about half five and I returned to mail till 6.00 when I gave up to watch TV for a while.
A text from Mike for info kept me occupied for a while but after that I watched a film until 9.00 pm when it was back to work. Here I am at 11.45 pm caught up and ready for a read. I wish you all goodnight and sweet dreams.
Monday. This is one of the first pieces of mail I opened this morning. http://youtu.be/x1qQdjPyagU I’m sorry Andrea, but here is scientific evidence that when you game too much you can no longer tell real life from the game.
On another note, for all you historical buffs, a new piece of work by one of our more classical composers came to light that was videoed at the time and was lost. I think the scene may be a Viennese Concert room but perhaps may be better identified by the costume. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk
So my day started well though there was a goodly chunk of mail. In no rush I took it easy, breaking off at 8.00 am for the fish, mu uppers and a cuppa. I came back and carried on going until I finished just before 9.30. I got ready and took a walk to the chemist to drop off a prescription and then called in at Pauline’s for some baps. The bread kind that is. One of my friends suggested that I should mention that in the UK baps is also a euphamism for boobs, knockers, boobies and buzooms. I assure you Pauline stocks none of these items. See Lottie, not a single snigger from the audience but I might now get a visit from the respectability police. Coming home again I found the postman had been. It’s a new one these days and I can’t make head nor tail of his times. Anyway, he delivered the missing credit card holder that stops cards being copied as it’s metal. He also, much to my delight, delivered a letter from my cousin in California. I haven’t heard from her for a couple of years though Christmas cards always come. I know when we retire things often get forgotten but I’m so pleased to hear from her. I dashed off an answer and then walked back up to the Post Office to send it par avion. Things were so much easier when she worked and had a computer. Her son lives on the East Coast and I haven’t seen him since he was about 10 years old, he’s 47 this year !!
I worked till lunchtime at twelve then made something to eat and sat down to watch a bit of TV. All mindnumbing stuff usually at this time of the day. After I’d eaten I washed the pots and sat down again with my eyes closed for a minute. What a long minute that was. It was gone 3.00 pm before I got back to work and the post box was full again. That took until 5.45 to clear but it was worth the effort. I made some tea which translates as I had a sandwich ( a bap) and opened a tin of fruit. Washed up again and watched Law and Order. I stayed with TV until 9.00 pm before coming back through to see who was still expecting me to work at this time of night. More of you than I thought it seems. Time to go get some beauty sleep ( I heard that remark about there not being THAT much time). Yvonne and Reuben are coming tomorrow as I have blood tests , no not Reuben biting me again. Proper blood tests so I may meet them in town and go from there. Maybe we have time for a small shop before coming home as Lis is visiting then…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Wednesday. I didn’t get up till 6.00 am but who cares, there’s no one to tell tales on me here. I worked for two hours and then went through the daily routine. The fish were happy to be back at normal time. How the heck are they going to cope with the clocks going forward and them losing an hour. I took my coffee back and finished the first round of mail. Next on the list was getting dressed. I put a waistcoat on as it looked a bit nippy out there this morning. About half past nine my phone burped and Yvonne said she was on the bus. Allowing for traffic, a little rain, the driver’s ciggie break and an outbreak of dandruff in Kowloon I arranged to meet her in Holywell at 10.45 am. Two hours before the bloodtests but time enough for coffee and a spot of lunch. I reached Holywell with a following wind at 10.15 am and decided to look round a shop. It was as well I came out early as I saw Yvonne’s bus pull in at 10.30 am. I’d forgotten my phone and might have missed her.
Reuben was awake and I got one smile before he started to look at me with some suspicion. I’m obviously not his Dad who he adores, at least we know he’s not colour blind. I took a walk round another shop while Yvonne visited the bank. He please must have fallen on deaf ears because they joined me a minute later. The total faff surrounding a name change at a bank is amazing. You now need to make an appointment to do it even when the staff are free. She’ll have to do that at her home branch now. We spotted my favourite word ‘SALE’ on the window of a clothes shop and Ihad to turn a deaf ear to her moans at me in order to get Reuben a couple of things. Then we headed for lunch. Kassidy’s was fairly quiet so we found a nice table and got Reuben out of his pushchair and onto my knee where he promptly grabbed two handfuls of my facial hair and pulled. Yvonne ordered a strawberry tea with a baked potato and tuna. I had a pot of tea and a b***n sandwich. Reuben has some milk, blown back out with a raspberry and some dinner which went the same way. I just had to tell people they were natural flecks of colour in my jacket.
The women all thought Reuben was a Cutie and Chris came out of the kitchen to coo a little. Meanwhile he has such a death grip on my moustache I had to offer a corner of my bread to occupy his hands. Just as well he didn’t realise the bread was sans content. As we finished there and Reuben was once again in his trolley, poor Yvonne had to move furniture around to clean up the floor.Reuben had made a bit of a mess too. We left and went to get him some more baby food before heading back up town. It was still just mid-day so we had a wander round Lidl. It must have taken longer than we thought as I had to leave them at the till and fly to get to the hospital. I made it. I didn’t have long to wait before it was over again for a couple of months. I must be nearly empty now though. I came out of the hospital slowly looking about for a missing daughter and grandson. I was halfway back to town before I met them. Yvonne had missed the hospital ( just one road away). How anyone can lose a building that big I don’t know.
We got home safely and my phone had a message to say Lis wasn’t well and wasn’t able to come out. That meant I could be bullied by Reuben without a break now. He did eventually nod off, no doubt knackered from beating me up. As Yvonne held him on her lap I nipped outside for a ciggie and then did some messages so tonight’s batch wasn’t too bad. My prescription drugs were delivered and I took Reuben when the phone rang and it was the Gas Company to sort out my problems. Yvonne got all my queries answered and someone is coming out in April to assess moving the meter. Also, towards the end of April they’ll assess my payments again an d issue a refund for the credit’s on my accounts. Just as well since they’ve changed the direct debit for gas up by £20 a month despite owing me and not the other way round.
It was 7.00pm before Ugo arrived tonight since the traffic was bad an then the local chippie was closed and he had to go back into town. I was about to start on Rueben’s arm when he turned up. I couldn’t finish it all but Ugo had no problem with his plus his chocolate puddings. Reuben used great big Doe eyes but couldn’t get a taste. It was 7.45 pm before they left and baby was tired. Still he was as good as gold when I put him in his car seat. I hugged them all and they’d gone. I came back in and tried to make it look like a herd of buffalo hadn’t just passed through then straight in here to start work. I’m up to date for now but think I’ll call it a night. It’s a Night ! Off to read a book.
Wednesday. It was a late start this morning as I lay in bed until almost 7.30 am. I was awake but not motivated at all. When I finally moved, I had time to turn the computer on, nip to the loo and then do about four messages before going to feed the fish. I took my coffee back to the computer and resisted the urge to go back to bed. Just before 9.30 I got washed and dressed to go out for some baps, ciggies and a kitkat that miraculously appeared in my hand at the till. I did manage to get as far as home before eating it. I worked on until the first batch of post was cleared at about 10.15 am then decided to go through to the lounge. Unusually I made a second coffee and sat down to watch a film about George Washington and the Continental Army that was about to start. I was no more than a couple of minutes into it when glancing out of the window I saw my nephew David approaching and he was carrying a box.
Intrigued I went and opened the front door for him. I was greeted with his usual smile and he placed the box in my arms telling me it was something he’d picked up free of charge ( I never believe him) at the weekend. As we went through to the lounge and he headed off to make himself a cuppa I found the box was full of discs from the front of various Family Tree and Genealogy magazines. There look to be some excellent records there which may help in my quest to get past some stumbling blocks. I’m really very grateful. Though he wouldn’t accept anything for them, there was a small job on the computer I was at least able to help him with. He’s not been lucky enough to develop the kind of interest as I have and therefore has no idea what to do sitting in front of the screen. A shame really as he has the time to become really good. He wouldn’t stay for lunch but left to go and do some shopping before going home.
I had lunch and then spent the early part of the afternoon thinking of my nieces Karen and Jo. They’re in my mind quite often and I’m just looking forward to seeing them in early April. It’s just hit me what an odd month that will be. Mike away, my nephew Lee away, I think Yvonne and Ugo are away for a week of it and then Ugo’s mother will be staying with them over Easter. My world will be quite empty except when the card sharps visit on a Wednesday.Talking of which, that’s today. I did some catch-up work between about 3.00- 5.30 pm then went to put a quiz on the box while I awaited my visitors. Dil and Matt turned up at about 5.45 pm and watched the end of the quiz while I made drinks. As it finished I erected the card table and set out the Scrabble. We’d just managed two words each when Lee turned up so we abandoned the game and started again with all four of us. Lee was telling us about going to Japan with his lovely wife in April for a month. Then the subject turned to the problems in The Ukraine and also the missing airliner. Concentration was not on the game for a change. I can remember that I lost and Dil won. Out came the cards for Nomination Whist, I lost again. This is becoming habit forming now. Dil suggested as there were four of us that perhaps we play partners at cribbage. I had Lee as my partner and he’s not played before. I found it hard to try and explain the basics .The game was progressing well and it had been Matt’s deal so his was the box. ( For non-players, the box is a second hand the dealer gets). When we’d played the lay-down part and it came to counting points in the hand Matt ‘accidentaly’ mixed his hand and his box together so Dil ( his partner) helped sort out what he’s played and passed the two hands back to him. His hand had some thing like 6 points, but when he turned the box over it was a 24 pointer with two eights, a seven and a six with a seven as the turn-up card. He admitted he’s not sure if he separated the two hands correctly but it would have been criminal not to have the box with the cards it now had. The cheating didn’t save them as Lee and I won ( Come on, I was doing the scoring). They left at just gone 9.30 pm.
I came through once I’d tidied up and stored what few biscuits Matt had left me. ( One I think). I’ve caught up with the mail again and managed this post for 11.30 pm so I have time for a short read now. Before I go though, it interests me to ask how many of you still play games at home either with your children or just as adults. With the advent of the computer I’m sure lots of people game, but alone these days or in RPG’s on the net and I just wonder if the social aspect is being lost with all the laughs that can be had. Night all.
……………….What’s the blank to make a 7 letter word. Picture credit the Scrabble Site SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF POST.
Thursday. Sleep at about 1.00 am and up again at 3.10 am so I went to see if I could nod off on my chair in the lounge. Fat Chance ! I’m not especially nosy but every movement outside caught my attention. One elderly male neighbour turned his light on and walked stark naked into his lounge. Hell, I wish he’d used an iron. Lucky for me the light was soon turned off again but I’d already put dark glasses on so I could see nothing more. It wasn’t too long before some dozy beggar woke the birds and their morning chorus started. I gave up trying to sleep and came through to the computer. I never open the curtains there as the screen faces the window and it makes it extremely hard to see. At least there are no distractions.
I saw to the fish at 8.00 am and spent half an hour sorting my drugs for the week before making myself a coffee and taking it back through to continue with my mail. The latest annoyance are messages that look genuine until opened which then say my payment owed of $212.50 ( or similar ) is ready to be paid if I just click the link. Since I know no-one owes me anything it’s a pain not being able to just delete them. The wind started howling outside in a repeat of yesterday’s gales but today the rain came too. I’m not going to complain as the Spring flowers need a drink and we’ve had a reasonable run of dry and sunny weather. It does sound awful out there though. By 9.30 am I’d finished and got myself ready to go out. Unfortunately I need my lottery tickets and some biscuits. At Pauline’s shop I met Darren the postman who said he had a parcel for me. Amazing since the item was only ordered yesterday. I texted my nephew David to let him know and had a response later to say I’d have a visit tomorrow.
More mail and blog comments when I got back and the parcel was delivered. I put it to one side for David to open in the morning. Lunchtime came and I fed my face on a lamb shank. Thanks Asda, it was very tasty. As soon as I’d washed up I turned on an old film and promptly nodded off. I didn’t wake till 3.00 pm. On checking the computer I found a message from Yvonne to thank me for a parcel she’d received along with a message from me. It was full of bags of apple crisps apparently. I confess here and now that if Yvonne hadn’t told me about the message in the parcel I might have denied it was me. I’ve only got a vague recollection of doing it a couple of weeks or so ago. I worked until 5.30 pm then went for tea before Law and Order started. I watched TV until 8.00 pm and then came back through to find 82 pieces of mail waiting. I also wanted to order something from Amazon.com for delivery in the U.S.- it wouldn’t let me so I went to my account with Amazon.co.uk. It let me get through the order process then refused to send the good abroad even though .com import via the same firm. Aarrrgghh. In the end I went to http://www.englishteastore.com/ where if you live in the U.S. you can get a great selection of British food…….including my Border Dark Chocolate Gingers. It’s probably not the only place but they’ve been excellent with their service so far. Anyway, someone is due to get a nice birthday gift soon. Mail done, blog done, it’s time for a short read I think.
Friday. It was 3.55 today and even though I was reluctant, I knew I wouldn’t nod off again just yet. It was worth starting on the post to give myself a little leeway later. I worked up to 6.15 which brought me up to date with the 82 waiting in my box so I took a chance and lay on top of the bed. It seemed to take a while but I did manage and stayed there until 7.20 am. I’d had a treat so I gave the fish one and fed them early today. There were only 30 new messages when I got back so I was able to get washed and dressed before 9.30 as I’d no idea what time David would call for his parcel. As it happened I worked on and off between mail and family tree until almost 11.30 am when I decided to go through to the lounge I’d just stood up from my desk when there was a knock at the door and David came in. He was going to Broughton Park near Chester to a shop he’s heard about and asked if I’d like the ride out. Me- Shops, what do you think? I was in the car before he was. It turned out the shop is my favourite shop there, it’s called Home Sense and has really nice and unusual gifts, furnishings etc. It’s partnered with TKMAXX.
David was after some items from the sale displays and went straight to the appropriate shelves. I paused a little and enjoyed some of the wonderful Japanese style furniture and some of their ceramics. I was just catching up to David when I saw some tea bags with green tea, pomegranate and cranberry that I thought Yvonne might enjoy. Then a cute little table caught my eye with a glass top under which sits an ornate clock so there’s no chance of not knowing what time it is if you’re having a cuppa. Lastly I saw a sale if the craft section and found a sweet little motto and surrounding leaves that go on a wall I thought might look quite sweet in the hallway. I’ll have to ask Mike what he thinks as his hands are steadier than mine. Having finished in there we nipped next door to have a coffee and sandwich as my lunchtime meds were late. David ran me home again then headed off to collect some thing to go on his next Charity Car Boot Stall. I’m always happy to donate stuff to that as he does it for the hospice Ju was in at the end. I think he’s brave considering the last traces of his own cancer haven’t been eradicated yet.
I worked all afternoon on the mail and was glad to see a couple of KDP Royalty payments for last month. I stopped at 5.00pm to make a sandwich and watch a quiz. I wasn’t sure what time Mike would arrive as he’d gone to his Dad’s today to sort some problems for him. He still wasn’t here at 7.00pm so I didn’t get a decent hairwash this week but I can do so tomorrow. The man has nails and uses them. I get my hair washed and my head scratched at the same time. I really miss being able to do that. It’s one of those odd things that brings on an angina attack, like raising my arms above my head sometimes does. It’s as well I don’t have to cheer Wales beating England at rugby these days or I’d be in trouble. He eventually arrived at 8.30 halfway through Agents of Shield which he likes so we had to start it again at 9.00 pm so he could see it all. I decided to head through here then as he complained he hadn’t had much of my company. No Comment. I finished the mail which was a measly 29 this time, had chance to do my blog and am now going to read a little more about King Alfred and the Danes. See you all tomorrow.
Saturday.I’ve already been threatened with exposure in the comments so I’ll confess my guilt up front and admit I didn’t get up this morning until Mike’s alarm went off and woke me at 7.00 am. I have no idea what happened but as I went to the loo a voice chirped out a good morning to me as I passed his bedroom. I was frankly amazed he was awake and thought he must realize I’d only just got up. A few minutes later as I was preparing drinks Mike came to the kitchen. He said something along the lines of ”Aren’t you surprised I’ve come through for my drink?” My less than charitable response was ” I’m surprised yo’re not waiting for the second alarm before moving at all.” I expected a sharp retort as usual but was rewarded with ” Huh, starting on me when I’ve just got up.” I should have bitten my tongue off at that point but no, I had to open my mouth, “No, I’m starting on you when I’ve just go up.” That was it. The realisation of what I’d said registered and I knew I’ll not live this down easily and won’t be able to tease him about not getting up in future. It strikes me now that I’m sure he drugged me last night.
We left at about 7.45 am and my computer wasn’t turned on. All I could think about was unanswered messages and how many more there’s be when I got home. We arrived at the store just before 8.00 am and I’ve never seen anyone look so smug. Nothing at all I could say. We shopped, we had coffee ( mine was iced) and we left. First stop on the way back was Flint and we picked up a couple of things I needed from Home Bargains, a brilliant shop, then headed for another coffee at Temptations. No Ceri today as somehow she’s managed to get another weekend off to avoid us. I sort of promised I wouldn’t call Mike a pig in this post so let me just say The Gannet has a teasted toecake as well as both his and my biscuits with his drink. He did allow me to have real sugar with my drink bless him. There was a good conversation going on about learning to drive and before I could stop him Mike took his revenge early and related a story about some unforgiving hedges upcountry that a certain nameless person became acquainted with. When we left Flint it had just begun to rain so we drove home to unpack the shopping. That didn’t take too long as I can’t afford food these days with all the clothes I bought recently. So, I left Mike showing his feminine side sorting out Ju’s flowers and putting them in a vase. He let me escape to the computer to check how bad the mail was. I was very relieved to find it less than 100 and made a start. I’s almost done at 12.30 pm when Mike came to see what we were doing about lunch. I knew Tariq had made him a brilliant and kind offer to help make a lid for his fishtank that he could use a new lighting system on. I also knew he’d bought and brought with him a piano hinge to fit on the lid so The Ivy Emporium seemed the best place ( as well as being a great choice anyway). As soon as I finished the mail we headed off. Just as well as I was starving and needed my lunchtime tablets. The traffic was atrocious as the coast road seems to have work parties digging up or laying down every hundred metres. We eventually arrived and found a table. Angie came over to say hello and Mike went in search of Tariq who as usual was working on one of his projects. I followed to say hello to Tariq and to ask Mike what he wanted me to order. “Jerked pork” came the response and I promise I bit my tongue.
As I got back to the table the lovely Helen came for a welcome hug . As she headed back to the kitchen I took the chocolate I’d brought with me to the counter just as Tariq came to take my order and sort the drinks. I have to say I haven’t had the great pleasure of meeting many people like Tariq and he did bring a lump somewhere when he made a comment later about moving from the friends stage to family which is actually a fairly good way of describing my feelings- and I’m supposed to be the wordsmith in this family. Lunch came and was dutifully eaten, though Mike said he was surprised I could finish considering I had two lunches……completely untrue.
After leaving we had a change and headed for Prestatyn where we scoured the charity shops and an antique shop looking for a set of fire digs and some fire irons. We were only partly successful. On the way home Mike stopped off at a small antique place you may remember from a couple of weeks ago and managed to find a small set of fire irons. Not what we wanted exactly, but they’ll do for now. We arrived home safely and Mike went off to watch the football results on TV so I was able to gt on with some work. By the time I’d finished the results were in and Mike wasn’t looking too happy. It’s not that his team had lost, they hadn’t, but that the competition in the league had won so convincingly they were ahead of his team. He improved a bit when his lot won 2-0 a little later after a late kick off. I went through to watch a little TV with him and then had a shower after he’d been kind enough to was my hair again. A bit more TV and some supper brought us to 10.00 pm when I’ d no choice but to come finish the mail off. That done I could start on the weekly epistle which I’m happy to say is now done. I wish you all a fantastic weekend, or what’s left of it and a brilliant new week, hopefully full of Hugs.
Forgotten Fishes and A Scrabble Win
Sunday. It was almost 6.00 am before I got up this morning. No conscience though as it was 2.oo am before I got to bed. Mike will say he was up till that time too but he was snoring away when I went to the loo at about 1.00 am and turned his TV off just as Lena Lovich came on. Just as well or she might have woken him up again. In that short space of time I’d got over 120 pieces of mail so my heart did sink a bit but on the other hand what chances of Mike getting up early and wanting my company anyway, so I ploughed on. At 8.00 am I got up to take my tabs, do the fish etc or so I thought. I know I definitely came back to the bedroom with a coffee. I was through them by 9.25 am and as there was no sound I refreshed the screen. Another 28, Hmmm. no problem. Ten minutes later Grumpy got up, leaving the other 6 dwarves behind. I nipped through and put the kettle on to make a coffee. Leaving everything in his cup I headed back to my room shouting through the bathroom door to let him know he just needed to add the water.
I returned to the mail and there were just 12 outstanding. One quite a long letter from a friend whom I enjoy writing to and one, the exciting one, to tell me the book had been put on Lulu. I was really excited and had been waiting to hear this since last night. It might be the reason for a slight distraction, what some may call a lousy excuse, I offered to Mike as he came through to ask why the fish were beating on the glass of their tank in the dark. How the hell I’d forgotten about then I don’t know. Anyway, he said he’d see to it for me and I said I’d be in soon. I couldn’t wait to get onto Lulu and complete the book. Sending it to Global advertising, ordering my proof copy and setting the price,which was quite a job in itself. It’s all done.
This book is dedicated to my grandson Reuben D.C. Eboh who will be a reader I hope.
I owe Huge Thanks to the following friends for helping me reach this stage.
Ilil Arbel without whose technical wizardry I’d be lost.
Sherie Sprague for editing out all my errors and making my English look better.
http://roughseasinthemed.wordpress.com for helping with the title, though I got the final tweak.
Huge Hugs to you all and to those
who encouraged me to do this!
As I went through to the lounge about 11.00 am still in my dressing gown ( Shock, Horror) Mike was watching the bobsleighs in the Winter Olympics. I was in time to see the UK set a fantastic time and get to third place in the medals, and also in time to see Latvia and Russia do even better and push the UK to 5th. I was proud of them anyway. Mike then cheered on the Canadians at Ice Hockey unto about 12.15 when it was time to get dressed. We went out just before 1.00 and because it was local went to the Royal Oak for Sunday dinner. Uncomfortably crowded for me but a tasty meal. We went back home and almost as though we hadn’t gone out Mike was able to catch the rest of the Hockey with Canada winning 3 to Nil over Sweden. A shame as Sweden deserved to score too. It was a good game if you like violent mayhem. Mike was not going to his Dad’s today so he was able to stay longer. We watched a file together ‘The Boy’ and then nodded off during other programmes until about 6.00 pm when we had a light tea, one bulb each. At 7.30 he left for home and I flew to the bedroom to do what my hands had itched to do for hours, get back to my mail. Amazingly just 84 so I’ve had an easy time so far.
Monday. An early start this morning and the news that the book is on Lulu. I had to go in and set the price, choose the Global distribution package and order my proof copy. In a way it’s quite exciting as I’ve ventured far outside my comfort zone with this, I’ve also made the classic mistake of listening to friends and family about how good it is rather than some unconnected beta reader. That’s because of course it was only intended for my grandson originally. Now of course, since being persuaded to open it for general sale I can donate the royalties to the Pancreatic Cancer Fund for Ju’s memory. I was still hopping about when 8.00 am came and I had to feed the fish and follow my normal routine. The snail colony in the tank is almost blocking the light now, I think it’s wet arm time this weekend.
I did a couple of tweets during the morning and there seemed to be a lot of blog posts to comment on so that I was at the computer most of the morning on and off. I put a load of washing in as there was no-one here to tell me about separating the colours. At lunchtime I emptied the machine after having the drier on for 3 hours, flapped them to remove as many creases as possible and folded them into the linen basket. Now I have to train my eyes to avert themselves if they stray in that direction again. For lunch I had beef casserole with mashed potatoes and peas and then granted myself a couple of hours break which was spent nodding off in my chair. Late afternoon and I returned to battle bringing myself up to date and responding to wonderful comments on my post.
After tea I settled to watch some Big Bang Theory and an episode of CSI NY before coming through about 8.00 pm to carry on with mail and the nights blog post. Plenty to keep me going till late but I still managed a read.
Tuesday. Up at 6.00 am and in no rush this morning as Chester is visiting me this afternoon so I can take my time. In amongst all the mail there’s this little gem. I accept that English is not everyone’s first language but I’d expect someone in such an important business to have a smattering of education. Since those fools at the lottery missed my numbers again at the weekend I decided to pass the opportunity on to those of you who are investors. Go on, you know you want to.
Dear
with all du respect i’m mr Ibrahim i lead a group of suppliers
in gold dust and bars from west africa.
we are looking for partners or buyers in europe , asia ,
america for the quantity of gold of 22 carat and 95% of purity origin
from guinea conakry we currently have.
we are abble to bring the said gold anywhere the buyer want us too
after discussing about the proccess and sign sale and purchase agreement.
waitting for your urgent reply to send you some certificat of the gold we
have now.
i’m presently with that said gold at morocco in transit .
Thank you
best regar
I’m not quite sure what a best regar is but if any of you have one, keep it to yourselves please. A couple more tweets this morning and lots of comments to make on other people’s blogs. There’s a lot going on out there. At some stage I knew I’ d have to get dressed, the picture of the writer cigarette in hand, still in dressing gown and open bottle of ———– ( insert your own poison) to hand died out in the thirties, or at least in my thirties. We’re all bright as a button, laptop toting semi-professionals on the run these days. So, I got dressed before lunchtime and then made myself lunch just to prove it.
Afterwards I’d returned to the mail when I received a text from my wonderful friend Lis just checking if I was still alive and checking if I was at home or in Chester. When I said “At home” she told me she was on her way. She arrived about half an hour later and settled with a coffee and chocolate biscuit ( see, I do share) as we chatted about everything happening since we last saw each other. When it came time for her to go it was just time for Yvonne and Reuben to arrive. She was able to spend enough time to coo over Reuben as I picked him out of his pram and was rewarded with a big smile.
Reuben in my armchair
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Yvonne was thrilled with the cow rocker I bought at the weekend and Reuben seemed to approve too. He also seemed to enjoy me pretending to drop him and there were whoops of laughter in the lounge as we played. At about 6.00 pm Ugo arrived with ta which for him was his only meal today but not for Yvonne and myself who still managed to pack away some chips. I had two buttered baps and Yvonne showed restraint with one. Reuben showed even mor restraint by helping Yvonne eat hers. I had a rhubarb crumble and custard afterwards though I haven’t the foggiest idea where I put it. Ugo (oink oink) had 2 chocolate puddings with custard.!!!!! OK, they were very small but that doesn’t sound half as good. At 7.00 pm it was time for them to go and I carried Reuben out to the car. You could hear my joints scream. He’s really heavy. The rocking cow is for one year olds but he’s tall enough to more than reach the floor on it. After waving them off I spent an hour catching up again and then treated myself to a film. A lighthearted comedy with poor old Heath Ledger kept me smiling until 10.00 pm when it was time to turn off and concentrate on leaving myself a clean slate. Mujo tomorrow and card night too.
Wednesday. T’was a funny old start to the day as I felt full of beans ( which I’m not for a change) despite it being only 3.10 am. I’m not even sure it was worth going to bed earlier on. Anyway, I started on my mail, an opened can of Pepsi beside me ( just in case any Pepsi exec is reading this, I prefer Pepsi Max). By 6.15 am I’d started to flag and the yawns were getting bigger and bigger so that I was actually in danger of swallowing myself. I lay down on the bed and zonked until 7.50.am. One minute there, the next minute gone. The rest did me a power of good and my eyes were almost fully open when I bopped one of the plecs on the head with a food tablet. I’ve never seen it move so fast, mind you they’re so good at camouflage I’ve never seen it move period.
Tabs done and coffee in hand I returned to the bedroom and worked till 9.00 am then decided I’d better get dressed in case my visitors came early. They did, but not until 10.30 am by which time I’d almost got up to date. There was a knock, the door opened and I heard a call of “It’s only us”. I made drinks or rather I poured drinks as Muriel likes her J2O and John wanted a cold drink so I did him a lime and lemonade. One day I must remember to put water in the ice trays and stick them in the freezer. We had a bit of a natter before Mu announced she’d like to go to Jackson’s Nursery after lunch. Fine by me, but then followed a discussion about where lunch should be. I’m afraid I ruled out his chippie because I’d had chips last night. He ruled out my choices as not liking them and we settled on The Bells ( of St.Mary) which is a carvery. I have no complaints about the meal except it was too big but that didn’t stop me eating it since I was the one who piled stuff on but I did end up feeling bloated. One good thing, and Mike would be proud of me, I remembered my tablets and took them in the right order. It was also handy as I’d downloaded a £3 voucher for The Bells yesterday.
Lunch over we set off for Jackson’s and found it very changed inside, that is except for the prices which only bankers can afford. We couldn’t even get a cuppa because it’s half term and the cafe was full. After a good look round at some of the fantastic stuff they have we left to head for home. On the way we had to detour which brought us close to The Dragon’s Rest where we decided to have a drink. I had a chocolate milkshake which was glorious.
We reached home and found we were all three tired. John went to sleep, Is struggled and Muriel tried to occupy herself. At 3.30 pm she announced they needed to leave and woke John. They set off, and avoiding falling asleep I came back to the computer. I finished at about 5.05 pm so scuttled through to see the last ten minutes of my antiques show. From then on I kept a weather eye on the window. A text from Lee said he couldn’t make it today. A shame, but at 5.50 pm I saw Dil and Matt approach so I went to make drinks. Dil has his tea and Matt has pot luck of the coffees. Play started and I actually won a game of scrabble, then Dil won a game and also won nomination whist which Matt says he always does. The usual insults flew across the newly covered card table, if Dil gets any more sarcastic I’m passing him a tissue to stop it dripping from his chin. Then we decide ( sorry, Dil decided. It’s not my fault Matt) to teach Matt how to play Cribbage. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to teach anyone how to play crib but you can see their eyes glaze over or start to look fearful when you start, Fifteen Two, Fifteen Four, two goes six and six is a dozen. Or playing the hands, Eight, fifteen for two, twenty one ( Crib made easy), Twenty eight ( three to the gate) Twenty Nine ( Two to the line) Thirty one for two. By this time Matt was grabbing his coat and heading for the door screaming something about speaking English. Dil almost tripped over his box of sarcasm tissues trying to bring him back. Yes, I lost that game too.
Wednesdays are always a fantastic evening for me. I get the feeling of closeness within the family though I wish it was closer still since there are some people I see far too little of. Matt is a bright young man whose company I enjoy but I’m sure for him the Wednesday trip might be more a duty than a pleasure. We never get the chance of a real conversation like remember having with Karen at his age. Mind you, what would he have to say to a boring old fart anyway.
Today is the day I’ve decided to add music to this weeks blog and again I’m dedicating it to my friends. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Olga at olganm.wordpress.com http://youtu.be/HiB7Be0wNsg Barcelona by Freddie Mercury and Montserrsat Caballe in honour of her beautiful home.
And one for Reuben. Brian and Michael had a big hit with their record about L.S.Lowry but the ‘B’ side was my favorite http://youtu.be/sg9Rra9mdTg . I hope he’ll remember the Nanna he never got to meet.
One for all my friends http://youtu.be/Bx9qUR9P2ZQ A Good Heart by Feargal Sharkey. I’ve found so many good hearts through the blog. Than you all.
Marylin Warner warnerwriting.wordpress.com http://youtu.be/uGDA0Hecw1k who reminds us to tell our family the important things while we can. Mike and the Mechanics with The Living Years.
Thursday. I had a struggle this morning. I did get up but it was a fight as I saw no reason to get up. I attacked the mail but saw no urgency in it. I was lethargic. Not so lethargic that I forgot the fish of course, I don’t want to face THAT look again. I also managed to see to my meds for the week. Mr.Predictable, that’s me. At about half nine I got washed and dressed before heading out to buy some cigs, bread and the all important Lottery tickets. The fresh air made all the difference. I came back feeling much more alive and decided to try and download Adobe Air to my computer to open a programme I’d been sent called Booksoftware and it’s for designing covers. Up to now I’ve had no joy with Adobe Air and it took three or four goes before I got it this morning. Then I tried to open the Booksoftware file and it’s that has caused my final defeat. Nothing I can do makes it open, I’ve even tried deleting it and downloading again. Aaaarghhh, frustration.
There was a knock at the door and it was a delivery man from Lulu with the proof copies of Reuben’s book. It’s thin but looks very good. I’m really pleased with the end result. I let Yvonne know straight away and she’s making sure I remember to write in it for Reuben. I tried to break it to her gently that he can’t read yet. I must find the funds to order some more. I had an email from Ugo with some points on our ongoing theological discussions. We’re both a little inflexible in our viewpoint but he’s such a star it easy not to offend and even have a laugh sometimes. I liked the way he called his faith a big hope as that’s what I consider my faith to be too though more grounded in people. What I like is that he listens politely and doesn’t preach or try to punish me with threats of hell but does what I expect everyone to do, accept that we can still live together with different viewpoints.
I dodged lunch in favour of ham baps and allowed myself some dark chocolate fingers afterwards. Most of the afternoon I was dozing for which I paid a price when I came back through here at 8.00 pm and found my message box jammed to overflowing again. I’ve been at it for two and a half hours so far, taken a break for the blog an must now return. It’s just as well Mike’s not here or he’d make me refresh. There’s been no change in sales of the new book but i’ d like to thank the UK buyer and the U.S. buyer very much. Pancreatic Cancer Research will be grateful. Night all.
Friday. 7.30 am today before I opened my eyes. I couldn’t believe the clock and thought for a minute I hadn’t notice it stopped last night. I nipped out to turn the fish light on and then went for a wee. Getting back to the bedroom it was a bit nippy so I put my dressing gown on and kickstarted the computer. Naturally the rules say if I’m late the postbox has to be full. At 98 it wasn’t joking. I worked to 8.30 am and went for tabs and my coffee then ploughed in again until 10.00 am when I nipped out for some milk. Even with a refresh I was up to date buy 11.15 am but definitely in need of a break. There’s a channel that shows old films so I sat watching Moonraker with George Baker and wishing myself a Cavalier. Those Roundheads had no sense of fun.
I had a small break for lunch which was pizza and micro chips so not too unhealthy and as the pizza had pineapple I had at least one of my 5 a day. Once the film was over I came back to keep the messages down and returned to watch another. As that ended it was back to work long enough to empty the box before going to watch the final day of my antiques programme. I had a text from Mike to say he was on his way from Manchester and he’d be there by 6.00pm. He was, with moments to spare so I made his coffee while he settled to watch a quiz. We chatted so I knew how his week had been and he’s told me that next Wednesday he’s to go for a heart monitor test. A bit worrying. I made him some tea and had a small sandwich followed by a healthy yoghurt. At 7.00 pm I disappeared for a shower then came back to the lounge to keep Mike company.
After a couple of quite interesting things on the box we watched Jonathan Creek which was to my mind poor by comparison to the old series. Then tit was time for Mike to go out for ciggies. He came back in complaining of the cold. I said at least it wasn’t snowing and cheekily brushing his hand through my thatch he said “Unless he did that” meaning dandruff. Cheeky sod. The boy is so sharp he’ll cut himself one day. There was a bit more banter before I was able to throw him out and concentrate on mail again. Just 68 this time and I’d polished those off by 11.00 pm. Then I made another attempt to change the background on my Twitter to include the new book. Twenty minutes later and I was no nearer. I can change it to a normal theme but I can’t get it to accept a picture of my books like I had before. I’ve no idea what i’m doing wrong. Anyway I’ve broken off to write this and keep you up to date with my ineptitude. One more try then I’m off. See you tomorrow.
Saturday. I didn’t start answering mail this morning until almost 6.30 am. I was up at 3.00 am for a nip to the loo and a ciggie but wasn’t in the least interested in staying up and managed to get back to sleep fairly easily.The next think I know is it’s past 6.00am, that’s three days recently with around 5 hours of sleep.I don’t understand it but I’m not complaining. When I did finally rouse myself I ploughed into it fully expecting Mike to be up at 7.00 am raring to go, sorry, it’s a bit early in the day for a joke like that. If he got up at that time he’d waste half an hour trying to bring me round. As it happens his alarm didn’t go off when expected but I took a coffee through at 7.00 anyway after following the usual routine in the kitchen. I managed to get through some more mail before his alarm finally went off about quarter past when I nipped to the bathroom before he needed it. As I got dressed afterwards I actually hear him rouse himself and attack the now iced coffee.
I did finish the first batch on my computer before going out and we actually made the shops for 8.15 am, Yes, on the same day !! I wouldn’t say Mike’s fond of his bed but he does have a mattress stapled to his back. I keep asking what he’s got stapled to his front that causes the shirt buttons to strain but he says he’s no idea what I’m talking about. cough cough. Shopping didn’t take long today as he refused to let me near the sweet counter or the biscuit aisle. For ‘my own good’ of course. It’s a hard life. Later we shot off to Flint for a couple of items where I managed to smuggle some Wagonwheels ( chocolate mallow biscuits) into the basket. We went for a coffee where one of us had two roundss of toast and I promise I have no crumbs on me except those spluttered when I muttered “piggy” under my breath. We went home then and after a couple of hundred yards he even let me get into the car instead of running alongside screaming that my jacket was caught in the door. Bless those Nuns who started waving to him and pointing.
We had time to unpack and I checked my mail. Three letters and all trying to sell me insurance. Mike suggests maybe they know something I don’t. I’d just caught up with my mail again when our friend arrived to take us to lunch to say thanks for help with his moving. Mike and I decided to suggest somewhere which would cost very little and still have a good meal so I ended up in The Bells again. This time my beef was on, and it was gorgeous with onion gravy. We chatted a while then decided to go out for a cigarette. My face lit up when I saw a familiar face emerge. Cheryl from Kassidy’s was there and neither Mike nor I have seen her in ages. There were huge hugs and she sat down beside me. I was asking about her health as she had a bad chest last time I saw her, I also asked if she was still working. Her face crumpled and she told me she was out for a treat with her daughter and granddaughter because she’s been quite ill. She has cancer and needs chemotherapy to reduce a large mass before they can do a mastectomy. Mike and I are devastated for her and the family. She’s a wonderful person and one of the few I’m comfortable talking to. Plus she was really nice with Ju when she and I used to eat in Kassidy’s. Life is very cruel and quite unfair. Mike teased Cheryl as he always has and brought a smile to her face, but you could see how closely he felt the memories of his own close dealings with cancer through his beautiful daughter in law Kirsty as well as my Julia.
When Cheryl and her family had left we sat and chatted with Brian a little longer and then went our separate ways which was easy as we’d come in separate cars. The Ivy was on our way home and Mike agreed it would be nice to go for a coffee and to say hello. Tariq was there and came to shake hands, his wife Shella was there with her parents and also her very pretty daughter. Helen and Angie were both on too. Tariq grabbed the Ferrero Rocher before the girls got a look in but they both came over to say hello and thanks anyway. Helen had time for a laugh as always, she’s a delight. It may be Cheryl’s news had hit a little hard and I wasn’t talking much ( so what’s new there before Mike says anything) but Tariq squatted down beside our seats for a real chat and paid us the great compliment of calling us friends despite the short time we’ve known him. He also took us to see the progress he’s made on the photographic studio and where the cake business will be based. Mike says I’m banned. Shella and her daughter left, Helen left too but not without coming over to hug us. Tariq had to leave to cook since Helen had gone, with so many cats and other pets she probably needs an early finish to have them all fed before midnight.
Mike and I got our coats on to leave and Tariq came out, He lied said there was no change in the till and he couldn’t manage the £20 note I offered payment with. I had nothing smaller but if he thinks I’ll forget………. He also came from behind the counter to hug us both which brought a lump to my already lumpy throat. The journey continued and as we were getting towards home Mike reminded me of the antique shop we’d tried to visit that was closed recently and drew in beside it. We’d just gone inside and there was another familiar face not seen for an age. That of Si(mon) owner and chef at Kassidy’s and also Cheryl’s boss. As it’s been a while since we were there I obviously asked what news there is and all I was told was that he’d closed early as there was no-one in town. I was really surprised he didn’t mention Cheryl as I know him to be a caring man. We didn’t but anything so headed home.
There’s a gannet in my home. I don’t want to name names but lat me say he’s not called David. The gannet ate chocolates just before tea. Had tea,plus malt loaf and egg custards. Then there was more chocolate. It wasn’t long before David heard the pitiful words “Ooer, I shouldn’t have had that last chocolate ( or six). Unfortunately David has run out of sympathy today and sniggered. Love and Hugs to you all and wished for a great week. Share a hug with someone xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I returned to the mail and there were just 12 outstanding. One quite a long letter from a friend whom I enjoy writing to and one, the exciting one, to tell me the book had been put on Lulu. I was really excited and had been waiting to hear this since last night. It might be the reason for a slight distraction, what some may call a lousy excuse, I offered to Mike as he came through to ask why the fish were beating on the glass of their tank in the dark. How the hell I’d forgotten about then I don’t know. Anyway, he said he’d see to it for me and I said I’d be in soon. I couldn’t wait to get onto Lulu and complete the book. Sending it to Global advertising, ordering my proof copy and setting the price,which was quite a job in itself. It’s all done.
This book is dedicated to my grandson Reuben D.C. Eboh who will be a reader I hope.
I owe Huge Thanks to the following friends for helping me reach this stage.
Ilil Arbel without whose technical wizardry I’d be lost.
Sherie Sprague for editing out all my errors and making my English look better.
http://roughseasinthemed.wordpress.com for helping with the title, though I got the final tweak.
Huge Hugs to you all and to those
who encouraged me to do this!
As I went through to the lounge about 11.00 am still in my dressing gown ( Shock, Horror) Mike was watching the bobsleighs in the Winter Olympics. I was in time to see the UK set a fantastic time and get to third place in the medals, and also in time to see Latvia and Russia do even better and push the UK to 5th. I was proud of them anyway. Mike then cheered on the Canadians at Ice Hockey unto about 12.15 when it was time to get dressed. We went out just before 1.00 and because it was local went to the Royal Oak for Sunday dinner. Uncomfortably crowded for me but a tasty meal. We went back home and almost as though we hadn’t gone out Mike was able to catch the rest of the Hockey with Canada winning 3 to Nil over Sweden. A shame as Sweden deserved to score too. It was a good game if you like violent mayhem. Mike was not going to his Dad’s today so he was able to stay longer. We watched a file together ‘The Boy’ and then nodded off during other programmes until about 6.00 pm when we had a light tea, one bulb each. At 7.30 he left for home and I flew to the bedroom to do what my hands had itched to do for hours, get back to my mail. Amazingly just 84 so I’ve had an easy time so far.
Monday. An early start this morning and the news that the book is on Lulu. I had to go in and set the price, choose the Global distribution package and order my proof copy. In a way it’s quite exciting as I’ve ventured far outside my comfort zone with this, I’ve also made the classic mistake of listening to friends and family about how good it is rather than some unconnected beta reader. That’s because of course it was only intended for my grandson originally. Now of course, since being persuaded to open it for general sale I can donate the royalties to the Pancreatic Cancer Fund for Ju’s memory. I was still hopping about when 8.00 am came and I had to feed the fish and follow my normal routine. The snail colony in the tank is almost blocking the light now, I think it’s wet arm time this weekend.
I did a couple of tweets during the morning and there seemed to be a lot of blog posts to comment on so that I was at the computer most of the morning on and off. I put a load of washing in as there was no-one here to tell me about separating the colours. At lunchtime I emptied the machine after having the drier on for 3 hours, flapped them to remove as many creases as possible and folded them into the linen basket. Now I have to train my eyes to avert themselves if they stray in that direction again. For lunch I had beef casserole with mashed potatoes and peas and then granted myself a couple of hours break which was spent nodding off in my chair. Late afternoon and I returned to battle bringing myself up to date and responding to wonderful comments on my post.
After tea I settled to watch some Big Bang Theory and an episode of CSI NY before coming through about 8.00 pm to carry on with mail and the nights blog post. Plenty to keep me going till late but I still managed a read.
Tuesday. Up at 6.00 am and in no rush this morning as Chester is visiting me this afternoon so I can take my time. In amongst all the mail there’s this little gem. I accept that English is not everyone’s first language but I’d expect someone in such an important business to have a smattering of education. Since those fools at the lottery missed my numbers again at the weekend I decided to pass the opportunity on to those of you who are investors. Go on, you know you want to.
Dear
with all du respect i’m mr Ibrahim i lead a group of suppliers
in gold dust and bars from west africa.
we are looking for partners or buyers in europe , asia ,
america for the quantity of gold of 22 carat and 95% of purity origin
from guinea conakry we currently have.
we are abble to bring the said gold anywhere the buyer want us too
after discussing about the proccess and sign sale and purchase agreement.
waitting for your urgent reply to send you some certificat of the gold we
have now.
i’m presently with that said gold at morocco in transit .
Thank you
best regar
I’m not quite sure what a best regar is but if any of you have one, keep it to yourselves please. A couple more tweets this morning and lots of comments to make on other people’s blogs. There’s a lot going on out there. At some stage I knew I’ d have to get dressed, the picture of the writer cigarette in hand, still in dressing gown and open bottle of ———– ( insert your own poison) to hand died out in the thirties, or at least in my thirties. We’re all bright as a button, laptop toting semi-professionals on the run these days. So, I got dressed before lunchtime and then made myself lunch just to prove it.
Afterwards I’d returned to the mail when I received a text from my wonderful friend Lis just checking if I was still alive and checking if I was at home or in Chester. When I said “At home” she told me she was on her way. She arrived about half an hour later and settled with a coffee and chocolate biscuit ( see, I do share) as we chatted about everything happening since we last saw each other. When it came time for her to go it was just time for Yvonne and Reuben to arrive. She was able to spend enough time to coo over Reuben as I picked him out of his pram and was rewarded with a big smile.
Reuben in my armchair
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Yvonne was thrilled with the cow rocker I bought at the weekend and Reuben seemed to approve too. He also seemed to enjoy me pretending to drop him and there were whoops of laughter in the lounge as we played. At about 6.00 pm Ugo arrived with ta which for him was his only meal today but not for Yvonne and myself who still managed to pack away some chips. I had two buttered baps and Yvonne showed restraint with one. Reuben showed even mor restraint by helping Yvonne eat hers. I had a rhubarb crumble and custard afterwards though I haven’t the foggiest idea where I put it. Ugo (oink oink) had 2 chocolate puddings with custard.!!!!! OK, they were very small but that doesn’t sound half as good. At 7.00 pm it was time for them to go and I carried Reuben out to the car. You could hear my joints scream. He’s really heavy. The rocking cow is for one year olds but he’s tall enough to more than reach the floor on it. After waving them off I spent an hour catching up again and then treated myself to a film. A lighthearted comedy with poor old Heath Ledger kept me smiling until 10.00 pm when it was time to turn off and concentrate on leaving myself a clean slate. Mujo tomorrow and card night too.
Wednesday. T’was a funny old start to the day as I felt full of beans ( which I’m not for a change) despite it being only 3.10 am. I’m not even sure it was worth going to bed earlier on. Anyway, I started on my mail, an opened can of Pepsi beside me ( just in case any Pepsi exec is reading this, I prefer Pepsi Max). By 6.15 am I’d started to flag and the yawns were getting bigger and bigger so that I was actually in danger of swallowing myself. I lay down on the bed and zonked until 7.50.am. One minute there, the next minute gone. The rest did me a power of good and my eyes were almost fully open when I bopped one of the plecs on the head with a food tablet. I’ve never seen it move so fast, mind you they’re so good at camouflage I’ve never seen it move period.
Tabs done and coffee in hand I returned to the bedroom and worked till 9.00 am then decided I’d better get dressed in case my visitors came early. They did, but not until 10.30 am by which time I’d almost got up to date. There was a knock, the door opened and I heard a call of “It’s only us”. I made drinks or rather I poured drinks as Muriel likes her J2O and John wanted a cold drink so I did him a lime and lemonade. One day I must remember to put water in the ice trays and stick them in the freezer. We had a bit of a natter before Mu announced she’d like to go to Jackson’s Nursery after lunch. Fine by me, but then followed a discussion about where lunch should be. I’m afraid I ruled out his chippie because I’d had chips last night. He ruled out my choices as not liking them and we settled on The Bells ( of St.Mary) which is a carvery. I have no complaints about the meal except it was too big but that didn’t stop me eating it since I was the one who piled stuff on but I did end up feeling bloated. One good thing, and Mike would be proud of me, I remembered my tablets and took them in the right order. It was also handy as I’d downloaded a £3 voucher for The Bells yesterday.
Lunch over we set off for Jackson’s and found it very changed inside, that is except for the prices which only bankers can afford. We couldn’t even get a cuppa because it’s half term and the cafe was full. After a good look round at some of the fantastic stuff they have we left to head for home. On the way we had to detour which brought us close to The Dragon’s Rest where we decided to have a drink. I had a chocolate milkshake which was glorious.
We reached home and found we were all three tired. John went to sleep, Is struggled and Muriel tried to occupy herself. At 3.30 pm she announced they needed to leave and woke John. They set off, and avoiding falling asleep I came back to the computer. I finished at about 5.05 pm so scuttled through to see the last ten minutes of my antiques show. From then on I kept a weather eye on the window. A text from Lee said he couldn’t make it today. A shame, but at 5.50 pm I saw Dil and Matt approach so I went to make drinks. Dil has his tea and Matt has pot luck of the coffees. Play started and I actually won a game of scrabble, then Dil won a game and also won nomination whist which Matt says he always does. The usual insults flew across the newly covered card table, if Dil gets any more sarcastic I’m passing him a tissue to stop it dripping from his chin. Then we decide ( sorry, Dil decided. It’s not my fault Matt) to teach Matt how to play Cribbage. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to teach anyone how to play crib but you can see their eyes glaze over or start to look fearful when you start, Fifteen Two, Fifteen Four, two goes six and six is a dozen. Or playing the hands, Eight, fifteen for two, twenty one ( Crib made easy), Twenty eight ( three to the gate) Twenty Nine ( Two to the line) Thirty one for two. By this time Matt was grabbing his coat and heading for the door screaming something about speaking English. Dil almost tripped over his box of sarcasm tissues trying to bring him back. Yes, I lost that game too.
Wednesdays are always a fantastic evening for me. I get the feeling of closeness within the family though I wish it was closer still since there are some people I see far too little of. Matt is a bright young man whose company I enjoy but I’m sure for him the Wednesday trip might be more a duty than a pleasure. We never get the chance of a real conversation like remember having with Karen at his age. Mind you, what would he have to say to a boring old fart anyway.
Today is the day I’ve decided to add music to this weeks blog and again I’m dedicating it to my friends. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Olga at olganm.wordpress.com http://youtu.be/HiB7Be0wNsg Barcelona by Freddie Mercury and Montserrsat Caballe in honour of her beautiful home.
And one for Reuben. Brian and Michael had a big hit with their record about L.S.Lowry but the ‘B’ side was my favorite http://youtu.be/sg9Rra9mdTg . I hope he’ll remember the Nanna he never got to meet.
One for all my friends http://youtu.be/Bx9qUR9P2ZQ A Good Heart by Feargal Sharkey. I’ve found so many good hearts through the blog. Than you all.
Marylin Warner warnerwriting.wordpress.com http://youtu.be/uGDA0Hecw1k who reminds us to tell our family the important things while we can. Mike and the Mechanics with The Living Years.
Thursday. I had a struggle this morning. I did get up but it was a fight as I saw no reason to get up. I attacked the mail but saw no urgency in it. I was lethargic. Not so lethargic that I forgot the fish of course, I don’t want to face THAT look again. I also managed to see to my meds for the week. Mr.Predictable, that’s me. At about half nine I got washed and dressed before heading out to buy some cigs, bread and the all important Lottery tickets. The fresh air made all the difference. I came back feeling much more alive and decided to try and download Adobe Air to my computer to open a programme I’d been sent called Booksoftware and it’s for designing covers. Up to now I’ve had no joy with Adobe Air and it took three or four goes before I got it this morning. Then I tried to open the Booksoftware file and it’s that has caused my final defeat. Nothing I can do makes it open, I’ve even tried deleting it and downloading again. Aaaarghhh, frustration.
There was a knock at the door and it was a delivery man from Lulu with the proof copies of Reuben’s book. It’s thin but looks very good. I’m really pleased with the end result. I let Yvonne know straight away and she’s making sure I remember to write in it for Reuben. I tried to break it to her gently that he can’t read yet. I must find the funds to order some more. I had an email from Ugo with some points on our ongoing theological discussions. We’re both a little inflexible in our viewpoint but he’s such a star it easy not to offend and even have a laugh sometimes. I liked the way he called his faith a big hope as that’s what I consider my faith to be too though more grounded in people. What I like is that he listens politely and doesn’t preach or try to punish me with threats of hell but does what I expect everyone to do, accept that we can still live together with different viewpoints.
I dodged lunch in favour of ham baps and allowed myself some dark chocolate fingers afterwards. Most of the afternoon I was dozing for which I paid a price when I came back through here at 8.00 pm and found my message box jammed to overflowing again. I’ve been at it for two and a half hours so far, taken a break for the blog an must now return. It’s just as well Mike’s not here or he’d make me refresh. There’s been no change in sales of the new book but i’ d like to thank the UK buyer and the U.S. buyer very much. Pancreatic Cancer Research will be grateful. Night all.
Friday. 7.30 am today before I opened my eyes. I couldn’t believe the clock and thought for a minute I hadn’t notice it stopped last night. I nipped out to turn the fish light on and then went for a wee. Getting back to the bedroom it was a bit nippy so I put my dressing gown on and kickstarted the computer. Naturally the rules say if I’m late the postbox has to be full. At 98 it wasn’t joking. I worked to 8.30 am and went for tabs and my coffee then ploughed in again until 10.00 am when I nipped out for some milk. Even with a refresh I was up to date buy 11.15 am but definitely in need of a break. There’s a channel that shows old films so I sat watching Moonraker with George Baker and wishing myself a Cavalier. Those Roundheads had no sense of fun.
I had a small break for lunch which was pizza and micro chips so not too unhealthy and as the pizza had pineapple I had at least one of my 5 a day. Once the film was over I came back to keep the messages down and returned to watch another. As that ended it was back to work long enough to empty the box before going to watch the final day of my antiques programme. I had a text from Mike to say he was on his way from Manchester and he’d be there by 6.00pm. He was, with moments to spare so I made his coffee while he settled to watch a quiz. We chatted so I knew how his week had been and he’s told me that next Wednesday he’s to go for a heart monitor test. A bit worrying. I made him some tea and had a small sandwich followed by a healthy yoghurt. At 7.00 pm I disappeared for a shower then came back to the lounge to keep Mike company.
After a couple of quite interesting things on the box we watched Jonathan Creek which was to my mind poor by comparison to the old series. Then tit was time for Mike to go out for ciggies. He came back in complaining of the cold. I said at least it wasn’t snowing and cheekily brushing his hand through my thatch he said “Unless he did that” meaning dandruff. Cheeky sod. The boy is so sharp he’ll cut himself one day. There was a bit more banter before I was able to throw him out and concentrate on mail again. Just 68 this time and I’d polished those off by 11.00 pm. Then I made another attempt to change the background on my Twitter to include the new book. Twenty minutes later and I was no nearer. I can change it to a normal theme but I can’t get it to accept a picture of my books like I had before. I’ve no idea what i’m doing wrong. Anyway I’ve broken off to write this and keep you up to date with my ineptitude. One more try then I’m off. See you tomorrow.
Saturday. I didn’t start answering mail this morning until almost 6.30 am. I was up at 3.00 am for a nip to the loo and a ciggie but wasn’t in the least interested in staying up and managed to get back to sleep fairly easily.The next think I know is it’s past 6.00am, that’s three days recently with around 5 hours of sleep.I don’t understand it but I’m not complaining. When I did finally rouse myself I ploughed into it fully expecting Mike to be up at 7.00 am raring to go, sorry, it’s a bit early in the day for a joke like that. If he got up at that time he’d waste half an hour trying to bring me round. As it happens his alarm didn’t go off when expected but I took a coffee through at 7.00 anyway after following the usual routine in the kitchen. I managed to get through some more mail before his alarm finally went off about quarter past when I nipped to the bathroom before he needed it. As I got dressed afterwards I actually hear him rouse himself and attack the now iced coffee.
I did finish the first batch on my computer before going out and we actually made the shops for 8.15 am, Yes, on the same day !! I wouldn’t say Mike’s fond of his bed but he does have a mattress stapled to his back. I keep asking what he’s got stapled to his front that causes the shirt buttons to strain but he says he’s no idea what I’m talking about. cough cough. Shopping didn’t take long today as he refused to let me near the sweet counter or the biscuit aisle. For ‘my own good’ of course. It’s a hard life. Later we shot off to Flint for a couple of items where I managed to smuggle some Wagonwheels ( chocolate mallow biscuits) into the basket. We went for a coffee where one of us had two roundss of toast and I promise I have no crumbs on me except those spluttered when I muttered “piggy” under my breath. We went home then and after a couple of hundred yards he even let me get into the car instead of running alongside screaming that my jacket was caught in the door. Bless those Nuns who started waving to him and pointing.
We had time to unpack and I checked my mail. Three letters and all trying to sell me insurance. Mike suggests maybe they know something I don’t. I’d just caught up with my mail again when our friend arrived to take us to lunch to say thanks for help with his moving. Mike and I decided to suggest somewhere which would cost very little and still have a good meal so I ended up in The Bells again. This time my beef was on, and it was gorgeous with onion gravy. We chatted a while then decided to go out for a cigarette. My face lit up when I saw a familiar face emerge. Cheryl from Kassidy’s was there and neither Mike nor I have seen her in ages. There were huge hugs and she sat down beside me. I was asking about her health as she had a bad chest last time I saw her, I also asked if she was still working. Her face crumpled and she told me she was out for a treat with her daughter and granddaughter because she’s been quite ill. She has cancer and needs chemotherapy to reduce a large mass before they can do a mastectomy. Mike and I are devastated for her and the family. She’s a wonderful person and one of the few I’m comfortable talking to. Plus she was really nice with Ju when she and I used to eat in Kassidy’s. Life is very cruel and quite unfair. Mike teased Cheryl as he always has and brought a smile to her face, but you could see how closely he felt the memories of his own close dealings with cancer through his beautiful daughter in law Kirsty as well as my Julia.
When Cheryl and her family had left we sat and chatted with Brian a little longer and then went our separate ways which was easy as we’d come in separate cars. The Ivy was on our way home and Mike agreed it would be nice to go for a coffee and to say hello. Tariq was there and came to shake hands, his wife Shella was there with her parents and also her very pretty daughter. Helen and Angie were both on too. Tariq grabbed the Ferrero Rocher before the girls got a look in but they both came over to say hello and thanks anyway. Helen had time for a laugh as always, she’s a delight. It may be Cheryl’s news had hit a little hard and I wasn’t talking much ( so what’s new there before Mike says anything) but Tariq squatted down beside our seats for a real chat and paid us the great compliment of calling us friends despite the short time we’ve known him. He also took us to see the progress he’s made on the photographic studio and where the cake business will be based. Mike says I’m banned. Shella and her daughter left, Helen left too but not without coming over to hug us. Tariq had to leave to cook since Helen had gone, with so many cats and other pets she probably needs an early finish to have them all fed before midnight.
Mike and I got our coats on to leave and Tariq came out, He lied said there was no change in the till and he couldn’t manage the £20 note I offered payment with. I had nothing smaller but if he thinks I’ll forget………. He also came from behind the counter to hug us both which brought a lump to my already lumpy throat. The journey continued and as we were getting towards home Mike reminded me of the antique shop we’d tried to visit that was closed recently and drew in beside it. We’d just gone inside and there was another familiar face not seen for an age. That of Si(mon) owner and chef at Kassidy’s and also Cheryl’s boss. As it’s been a while since we were there I obviously asked what news there is and all I was told was that he’d closed early as there was no-one in town. I was really surprised he didn’t mention Cheryl as I know him to be a caring man. We didn’t but anything so headed home.
There’s a gannet in my home. I don’t want to name names but lat me say he’s not called David. The gannet ate chocolates just before tea. Had tea,plus malt loaf and egg custards. Then there was more chocolate. It wasn’t long before David heard the pitiful words “Ooer, I shouldn’t have had that last chocolate ( or six). Unfortunately David has run out of sympathy today and sniggered. Love and Hugs to you all and wished for a great week. Share a hug with someone xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://askdavid.com/free-book-promotion
A Slightly Anarchic Book of Poems for Reuben.
It’s been a while coming. Ever since the day my daughter nagged asked me if I’d create a book for Reuben full of the type of poems I’d done for her as a girl it’s been beset with problems. When I’d first done them I’d done my own illustrations but nowadays I can’t hold a pencil still enough for that. Then we needed to find the original poems as she was sure some would be ideal. She was also sure she’d seen them since the attic was done. A mass search ensued which led me to believe they’d gone back up there.
A couple of weeks and a few not so subtle hints later I actually came across the original poems just feet from where I’d looked so head hanging low I said I’d wait until she had chance to re-read them and select some. What a mistake that was. I freely admit that while I was writing them nearly 30 years ago I may have been entertaining myself too and there were more double entendres than you could shake a very long stick at. But, she didn’t understand them at the time and no reason Reuben will when he’s the age she was. It was a big No-No. Yvonne was adamant she wouldn’t be reading some of those to him. She did select some however which left me with about 24 to write to manage a 32 page book. At a couple a day with time off for good behaviour I managed it fairly soon and set about finding pictures to suit them. That wasn’t too bad either.
The poems went off to a friend who had offered to edit for me while another friend who’d offered to place the book on Lulu for me got the pictures to look at and decide if the format and size was OK. A third kind friend had helped me with the title, though I made a final adjustment and I was set, or so I thought. Once the editing was done the poems went off to my friend Ilil for input and so came a discussion or two about size. I preferred a bigger size book like a children’s painting book which they could lie on the floor with. It turns out some sizes can be done with a minimum of 32 pages and some with 64. My first choice was scuppered. There was much chopping and changing to address the size of the cover picture and then came the news about cost. Because my pictures are colour inside the book the costs will be high. Maybe high enough to dissuade the people who enquired about buying it from doing so.
Eventually we settled on a 6″x 9″ book which she’d suggested in the first place with a production cost to me of over £7. Lulu suggested a retail price of over £13 but I’ve got it at £9.95 to allow Lulu their share of the royalties while I get 91p which won’t even buy the swimming trunks to swim to America never mind the air fare and unlimited spends. Yah Boo Sucks. Anyway, for those of you who’ve followed my journey, thank you, and here’s the finished product………………………………….
A couple of weeks and a few not so subtle hints later I actually came across the original poems just feet from where I’d looked so head hanging low I said I’d wait until she had chance to re-read them and select some. What a mistake that was. I freely admit that while I was writing them nearly 30 years ago I may have been entertaining myself too and there were more double entendres than you could shake a very long stick at. But, she didn’t understand them at the time and no reason Reuben will when he’s the age she was. It was a big No-No. Yvonne was adamant she wouldn’t be reading some of those to him. She did select some however which left me with about 24 to write to manage a 32 page book. At a couple a day with time off for good behaviour I managed it fairly soon and set about finding pictures to suit them. That wasn’t too bad either.
The poems went off to a friend who had offered to edit for me while another friend who’d offered to place the book on Lulu for me got the pictures to look at and decide if the format and size was OK. A third kind friend had helped me with the title, though I made a final adjustment and I was set, or so I thought. Once the editing was done the poems went off to my friend Ilil for input and so came a discussion or two about size. I preferred a bigger size book like a children’s painting book which they could lie on the floor with. It turns out some sizes can be done with a minimum of 32 pages and some with 64. My first choice was scuppered. There was much chopping and changing to address the size of the cover picture and then came the news about cost. Because my pictures are colour inside the book the costs will be high. Maybe high enough to dissuade the people who enquired about buying it from doing so.
Eventually we settled on a 6″x 9″ book which she’d suggested in the first place with a production cost to me of over £7. Lulu suggested a retail price of over £13 but I’ve got it at £9.95 to allow Lulu their share of the royalties while I get 91p which won’t even buy the swimming trunks to swim to America never mind the air fare and unlimited spends. Yah Boo Sucks. Anyway, for those of you who’ve followed my journey, thank you, and here’s the finished product………………………………….
Available now from Lulu.com and in a few weeks from Amazon , Barnes & Noble etc.
Second Book The Queen's Envoy
Third Book More Barsetshire Diary
Fourth Book. Memoirs of a Superior.
http://www.blackcaviar-bookclub.com/humour-genre-books-my-barsetshire-diary.html
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Award for Love and Kindness.
The wonderful Tazein Mirza Saad at http://transcendingbordersblog.wordpress.com/ has been kind enough to nominate me for yet another award. In most instances I’m quite sure people chose me in error, in this case I’m convinced there can be no other reason.
I’m a big believer in these awards as recognition between bloggers of the effect people have on each other whether it be to make people laugh or to be an agent for good in bringing to out notice some causes we may otherwise miss. They’re an encouragement to be better an to do better. That’s not to say I don’t understand why some people choose not to accept them and/or feature them. Having said that, see no reason for not letting those people know that I recognise their value and worth as bloggers.
This latest one is called The Award for Love and Kindness so you’ll understand my questioning whether Tazein has been getting enough sleep or perhaps knows more than one David.
The Award for Love and Kindness.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
THE RULES:
1-Share an act of kindness another blogger has done for you.
2-Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
Nominate those bloggers whom you feel practice kindness and love, you choose how many!
The astounding Niamh Clune of http://ontheplumtree.wordpress.com was in contact frequently during the time my wife was ill and after she died. She was always very supportive as a friend which was appreciated but she also had the ability o detect the times when I was at rock bottom and my mental health was not at it’d best. She made efforts, without acknowledging the problem, to keep me going and on an even keel. That I’m here now may be due in no small part to her support. Thank you Niamh. ( Though my readers may not feel the same way).
MY NOMINATIONS:
http://rich-full-life.com
http://morguemouse.com
http://tracesofthesoul.wordpress.com
http://everyonehasastory.me
Thank you Tazein for your kindness.
I’m a big believer in these awards as recognition between bloggers of the effect people have on each other whether it be to make people laugh or to be an agent for good in bringing to out notice some causes we may otherwise miss. They’re an encouragement to be better an to do better. That’s not to say I don’t understand why some people choose not to accept them and/or feature them. Having said that, see no reason for not letting those people know that I recognise their value and worth as bloggers.
This latest one is called The Award for Love and Kindness so you’ll understand my questioning whether Tazein has been getting enough sleep or perhaps knows more than one David.
The Award for Love and Kindness.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
THE RULES:
1-Share an act of kindness another blogger has done for you.
2-Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
Nominate those bloggers whom you feel practice kindness and love, you choose how many!
The astounding Niamh Clune of http://ontheplumtree.wordpress.com was in contact frequently during the time my wife was ill and after she died. She was always very supportive as a friend which was appreciated but she also had the ability o detect the times when I was at rock bottom and my mental health was not at it’d best. She made efforts, without acknowledging the problem, to keep me going and on an even keel. That I’m here now may be due in no small part to her support. Thank you Niamh. ( Though my readers may not feel the same way).
MY NOMINATIONS:
http://rich-full-life.com
http://morguemouse.com
http://tracesofthesoul.wordpress.com
http://everyonehasastory.me
Thank you Tazein for your kindness.
Icicle Sneezes and Bothersome Toothypegs
Sunday. Mike slept late this morning. There we are, a totally ordinary non-insulting statement of fact. Unusually he came to life quite early in the first coffee and managed to chatter away quite happily without noticing my mind had left the building. I’m certainly not on form at the moment and he could probably have called me all the names under the sun ( as usual) without me noticing. We set off a bit before lunchtime so he could take me shopping for a birthday gift for my sister-in-law. I managed to concentrate long enough to get a few little things and then we went for lunch.
Today we returned to the Blossoms so we could enjoy a proper Sunday dinner without risking me piling my own plate at a carvery. It was an excellent roast lamb dinner made even more delightful by the owner giving us some pickled red cabbage to accompany it as I dislike mint sauce. After lunch Mike ran me home and collected his mobile phone which he’d left on charge and forgotten when packing. He rang his father to see if he wanted any shopping and waved me goodbye. I’d spent so little time on the computer with the frauds in the morning I headed straight there. This afternoon just the one, I felt cheated- even though that was probably the point of the exercise for them.
You will have gathered I’m not very technically minded so I spent some time working out how to change all the poems I’ve written into a format that the friend who’s editing them for me can actually make changes. After a few false starts I managed it by rewriting them as txt files. I’m not sure but I think the clipart will have to be done separately too so that it can be added to the pages once the book has been put on Lulu. I’ll wait until another friend has created the cover before deciding how to forge ahead. I have four books out and not one has been put on the publisher sites by me. My eyes glaze over and my brain shuts down when I try.
I finished my mail and went through to the lounge for long enough to watch a little TV but I was getting bored so after tea I came back through and started the mail and this blogpost. I’d expected to finish in time to have an early night but it seems not. Just approaching midnight and I’m going for a read. BTW, is this easier to cope with in smaller paragraphs like this?
Monday. I’m pretty sure I have a cold. I’m also pretty sure that despite having put the thermostat up at about 4.30 I’m freezing to death. I swear when I sneeze the icicles from my nose are flying across the room like knives. I dealt with all the usual jobs like mail, fish, tablets and a hot coffee before 8.00 am and then got washed and dressed hoping to warm up. By 9.30 nothing had improved though the radiators are hot so I decided to go out for bread. It’s a disaster, I had to buy brown baps, the white had all gone.
Coming back in it felt warmer so I started changing a few more of the poems to txt files and was eventually able to remove my gloves. I suppose most of you would think them useless as they’re fingerless gloves but they allow me to take the change out of my pocket easily when I’m out. As I was doing my mail I had a message from a friend who told me her landlords are going to fine her for putting her rubbish bin out too early. He would brook no arguments like how did she know how early too early is when the binmen themselves have no set time for arriving. This landlord apparently can ask tenants to vacate if they receive three strikes and he’s counting this as one. It made me think that things in the US must be as bad as here since my daughter was threatened with a large fine by Cheshire CC for putting bin bags in the wrong place. That she didn’t know there was a right place and just added her bag to some others wasn’t an acceptable excuse. They employ a team to go through people’ rubbish bags and can fine them if there’s any recyclable material there. My own authority in Wales issues us with separate rubbish bags for things to be recycled. A bag for paper/cardboard, glass, tins and plastic. We have a small bin for food waste and a large wheelie bin for household waste. Our biggest problem is the bags blowing away in bad weather.
At lunchtime I had baked potato and beans and watched part of one of my favourite films, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness which was showing today. A big coincidence as I was only talking about it on Friday. Then I spied my repeat prescription form on the table that should have gone in this morning and had to go out again. This time when I came back I sat in my armchair and fell asleep during CSI NY. I had some fruit at teatime and managed to stay awake for a quiz but after Law and Order decided the only way to stay awake was to work so I came through intending to change some more poems. No chance. Tons of mail which included an unexpected award.These may be a nuisance to some and they do take a long time to deal with but I can’t ignore someone’s kindness and so had to blog about it and make my own nominations. It’s a gesture of appreciation for the work they put into their blogs even if it’s for entertainment alone. Having done that I started on the rest of the mail.
Three hours has now passed and I’m off to get my meds which I’ve managed to forget for the last three nights. Then I’m going to do some poems come Hell or high water.As I finished my Pratchett short stories last night I’m going to choose another new book to read and try for an early night. Because of the cold I won’t go out tomorrow so poor Yvonne will have a little peace, at least from me. Reuben won’t give her any as his first tooth is breaking through.
Toothy peg coming through.
Ooh toothache.
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Tuesday. No sneezing this morning so probably not a cold, unless it’s in shock at the 4.10 am on the clock. I knew I’d slept in the bed last night so no surprise at finding the duvet round my legs. My trip to the loo once up though was more an automatic journey than one undertaken awake. For some reason I did it with my eyes closed. I only realised it when I got back and turned the light on before powering up the computer. One of the first messages today was from Africa…..
Good day! I am Mrs.Bintou Sawadogo auditing and accounting department" (B.O.A) Bank Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, I need your assistance to stand as the next of kin to this sum of money (usd7.2) I have agreed that 40% of this money will be for you as the beneficiary respect of the provision of your account and service rendered, 60% will be for me For further procedure contact me for more details, Yours faithful, Mrs.Bintou Sawadogo
Do they really think I’m going to move for a share of less than $8 ? They’re getting very careless considering they have charge of so much money. There was fun to be had with comments on my last blog. There are a few cards amongst my friends and it’s a joy to read what some of you write.
I’d decided not to go out today but Yvonne told me she, Ugo and Reuben would come and bring a chippie tea after Ugo finished work. That gave me opportunity to ask her to pick up some shopping for me on the way. Most important were white baps instead of the brown ones I was forced to buy yesterday. There’s only so much I can do towards a healthy diet……and yes, I know chips don’t count but at least it’s not me buying them. I’ve spent most of the morning on the computer before going through to do lunch. On the way I found the postie has delivered my last Terry Pratchett DVD, The Colour of Magic. During lunch I watched another Sherlock Holmes ( Jeremy Brett) and then drifted off to sleep. I was out almost an hour and was only woken by the phone ringing. They didn’t leave a message so it was probably a salesman for double glazing again. It usually is if Mike’s here and he answers. I NEVER speak on the telephone.
I spent a couple more hours on messages and blogs I follow and finally have all the poems as text files and all the clipart illustrations as individual pieces ready to send off again. I’ll probably do that tomorrow though I know my friend is too busy to get to them for now. Then it was teatime but of course I couldn’t have tea as the visitor are bringing that so I watched an antiques show Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is ad then a quiz. There was a text to say Yvonne was just leaving Tesco and tea would be with me in about twenty minutes. I covered up my well gnawed fingers. Eventually Yvonne arrived carrying Reuben. Ugo was in the chippie round the corner getting the food so they’d walked on. Reuben was a delight. Beard pulling, story telling, dribbling but full of smiles and giggles. I held him until Ugo arrived and then threw him at Yvonne so I could plate up the food. Yvonne had buttered me a bap (white) in readiness while I held Reuben. She’s on a diet fad at the moment so no chips for her but she’d brought some bird food with her anyway. Reuben sat with his dad making snatches with his hand whenever food came close. He wasn’t successful and I felt really sorry for him. There’s no way Ugo is parting with food as I already know to my cost. I washed up and saw to Ugo’s pudding while Yvonne fed Reuben some yucky cauliflower cheese which he pulled faces at ( I don’t blame him) then some pineapple. It didn’t stop him looking longingly but hopelessly at Ugo’s hot chocolate fudge cake and ice cream. I took him on my knee and pulled my birthday balloons over. He had a whale of a table belting seven bells out of them and screaming with joy. The only problem is that every punch was accompanied by a large stamp of the foot which means I’m singing soprano for the rest of the week.
Back over on Yvonne’s knee to start getting ready meant tears and shouts. The same on Ugo’s knee but Yvonne commented as I picked him up again that for me he shuts up right away and no tears. Maybe one day they’ll learn to scare him as I do. They left about 8.00 pm and as usual I came straight to the bedroom to clear up any messages. There were quite a few so it’s now gone 10.0 pm and I still have a few to go. It’s a bit early to check the Euro lottery but if you hear a scream later please keep the begging letters to a minimum, I’m not refunding the postage.
Wednesday. Anotjher early start on the computer so that by 6.00am I was able to go sit in the lounge with a cuppa. No point in waking the fish up yet, it’s not another birthday. I couldn’t nod off despite trying hard and as the light started to come up about 7.00am I decided to get washed and dressed before going back on the computer. Might as well be formal for my friends and dispel the belief I spend all my time in this dressing gown- which is not in the least reminiscent of Noel Coward. Still couldn’t be bothered to go out this morning so I did keep my furry caveman slippers on. No lottery win, hence no scream. It’s very disappointing, I need a lottery win to be able to afford the bribes to ensure a lottery win.
Lets just gloss over lunch. I can’t make potato and beans sound any more appetising that it sounded the last few times but I promise myself a small packet of bacon the next time I’m in Pauline’s. The afternoon was spent having a general tidy up before my visitors arrive at about 6.00 pm. A slight problem was that I was going to get my tea at 5.00 pm when I hard “Hello” from the hall and in walked Dil and Matt. Dil had taken the day off for his wife’s birthday and had decided to come early for his weekly thrashing. I’d just finished making drinks when Lee arrived too. I got him a glass of water cos’ that’s how mean I am and got the table and the Scrabble out. It was a close fought game with words like jo and quean making an appearance as well as aglet. Despite (my) cheating young Matt still won. He was pleased about that. Dil made some remark and had us clutching our stomachs.
Time for cards and we decided upon Nomination Whist playing 10-1 and 1-10 again. I claimed victory by four points and a judicial use of the pen I was scoring with. Being landed with that job every week has it’s advantages. Next was crazy 8′s and Matt did the scoring as I made the drinks. He tried to distract me by telling of a new card game for next week. It sounds horribly complicated but all that bothers me is whether we can have a laugh and toss insults about as usual. Despite him wielding the pen I won by wide margin. Perhaps the aces up my sleeve helped a bit. Lee had to go. I’m so grateful he comes as it’s a very long day for him after travelling early for work and then coming here before he’s eaten. He’s an exceptional person. The rest of us decided to play Newmarket. I’m beholden to Reuben that we all started the game with 40p each from his coin jar. At one stage I was down to 22p and Dil’s pot was looking very healthy. Matt was hanging in there too when suddenly the tide turned and Matt started winning. It got so good that he had ‘snow in the kitty’ but by the time they were due to leave I was 26p up and Dil was almost skint. It didn’t stop him finding four 5p’s in his pocket to make Reuben the real winner of the night though. As always I was sorry to see them go but I settled to watch the second half of a Person of Interest I hadn’t seen and now need to see the first half too.
Time to turn off and get back to catching up on mail. Since I hadn’t been near the computer since the afternoon, my postbox held 93 when I got here. Ai Caramba ! It took me till well gone midnight to clear up and now it’s almost time to get up so Good Night all. Hugs
Thursday. I managed just over 3 hours sleep. How on earth do so many people get so many messages to me in such a short space of time? Don’t you have anything better to do? Actually things went very well and before 7.00 am I’d managed to send off all the clipart to the friend who’s going to do the cover for Reuben’s book. I shall owe a dedication to the friend who came up with the title since it was decided to drop the word Odd which I was using in ‘Odd Poems for Toddlers and Up’. Now it will probably be ‘Tall Animal Tales for Toddlers & Over’ or something similar.
Anyhoo, I went through and fed the fish, did my drugs for the week and had my morning meds before grabbing a coffee. I was feeling tired again as I sat down at the computer and might have lain down had my phone not beeped with a message. It was Mujo suggesting a visit. I thanked them but explained about the ‘cold’ and said I don’t want to pass it on to John in his state of health. A quick flurry of messages back and forth settled on seeing them next week. I did manage the energy to get ready to go out however and trekked up to the chemist to order an item I’d forgotten and only had five days supply of. To the sandwich shop to get a ham salad roll for lunch and to Pauline’s to renew the lottery tickets. I was back home before I remembered about the pack of bacon. Why did no-one remind me?
The usual morning followed. Dealing with messages etc until 11.00 am when I decided enough was enough and I deserted my post. On went the TV and I chilled out to Murder she Wrote. At least it was one I hadn’t seen though I’ve no idea how that could have happened. I had my pre-lunch tablet followed by my bap which was heavy on the onions as requested. No more colds for me then. Shame on me I also had a small pork pie too. I stayed there with the TV on an antiques programme until I found the enthusiasm to return to the keyboard. During last night’s visit I’d had Matt look at Ancestry.co.uk for me to see how to download a Gedcom file to a memory stick. It must have stayed in my bonce as I managed to download a copy of the family tree for Yvonne. I have two more memory sticks on order so I can do one for Karen and one for Lee if he’s interested. Oh, I must pick one up to do a copy of Mike’s for him too.
At 4.00 pm I went to the lounge and saw a quiz show after which I had some toast and a tin of pineapple for tea.After washing up I thought I’d watch Law and Order but fell asleep in the chair instead till 7.30 pm. I came through to check whether I’d won something on Ebay and found Mike on skype. We had a conversation for a while (written only) about him coming tomorrow, he’ll be late as he’s visiting his dad first. I missed the Ebay item altogether , for which I’ll blame him for distracting me. Never mind, I can always bid on a different one ( but I won’t let him off the hook that easy). I’ve since caught up on my mail and have managed to bore the pants off you all so I’m going to have a short read though I’m starting to yawn now. See you tomorrow !
Friday.This was a 4.45 day. What an idle git I hear you say but in my defence it was well gone midnight before I finished reading this morning and settled to sleep. When I got up all I could hear was the rain. I turned the computer on and left it to reach live while I nipped to the loo. The rain was annoying today whereas I can usually ignore that kind of distraction. So, headphones on and over to Youtube. It’s quite easy to get lost in my music while I’m dealing with mail as most doesn’t require too much concentration. Be fair, I come out with such rubbish sometimes people wouldn’t know if I were distracted or not. For no other reason than it pleases me I’ve decided to add at least one song to each blog IF that song has made a difference to me that week. Today I offer you http://youtu.be/-SiGnAi845o which is the great 80′s group Simple Minds with a later offering called She’s a River. Ju and I used to play this during a certain part of the ride we took to visit MuJo. I apologise if I mention her to anyone’s discomfort but she’s much on my mind at the moment.
By the time I’d finished the mail and I’d disentangled myself from the headphones which I was still wearing as I tried to leave the room, it was almost time for the fish. This was the day when the albino cory hid and I almost had a heart attack thinking it was dead somewhere. I’d got the top off the tank and was fighting back the advance guard of the snail army when the little beggar came out from behind the pump with slow deliberation. I slammed the lid back on and got a disgusted look from the biggest of the bullnose plecs ( only about 2 inches). I put a heavy vase on top as I’m sure the snails are enough to move the top if they make a concerted effort now. I washed my hands, took my meds ( I must cut down on the hallucogenic ones) made a coffee and went back to the computer. I refreshed the screen, sat down heavilly when I saw what came into my mail box and decided to get dressed first.
Catching up again took me till 9.30 am so I decided to nip to Pauline’s and get the bacon. I also picked up some roast pork and stuffing, some corned beef and (here logic defeats me) a pack of microwave baked potatoes. I mean, I do the bloody potatoes I buy in the microwave anyway and I get a lot more for the same money. Back at home I worked for a couple of hours then had lunch. Today I had the corned beef with my baked potato ( ordinary one) and beans. Such variety. After I’d washed up I sat in the lounge for a while. I didn’t feel guilty at nodding off and knew Mike wouldn’t catch me as he won’t be here until tonight. I managed to catch up with post again before my antiques show started then I had a little of the news when I found Law and Order was a recent repeat. At about 8.00pm I went for a shower and had just finished in there when Mike arrived gasping for his coffee and full of tales about his week. It’s been a particularly frustrating one for him it seems, he’s been waiting to talk to me and obviously it doesn’t help when I don’t speak on the phone. After forty years the relationship between Mike and I is a little symbiotic in that we both have a need for the other to talk to. It’s a double edged sword this telephone business as I can’t share with him either.
At ten o’clock he’d about exhausted his problems and I’m sure there was a degree of relief there. He’s full of hope that his son will move back to Wales with the children and he’ll be able to come home so we’re only a short distance away. I think my problems can wait for another time. So, it was time to come through and have my final catch up of the day and do the blog before having a short read. It’s early shop day tomorrow of course. If, and it’s a very big if, I can actually move someone out of his pit while the shops are still open. One minute past 12 so the weekend has started. I wish you all a Wonderful one.
Saturday. Well the mornings are startling to get a little lighter. Just not at 4.12 am which is when I went to the loo falling over my slippers, stubbing my toe and them cracking my kneecap. The blue tinge that appeared in the air did at least help me see a bit. One thing I did see as I passed Mike’s room s that his bedside lamp was on . He appeared to be laying across the bed face down and I was grateful for the covers because I knew which part of his anatomy was aimed at me. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…. He was fast asleep so I didn’t disturb him. I concentrated hard on my emails from late last night and this morning. So many people report the weather is giving them a battering one way or another. I finished just before Mike’s alarm clock went off for the first time. I say for the first time secure in the knowledge that Quasimodo ringing his bells wouldn’t get Mike up yet. For one thing his coffee isn’t ready.
I saw to the fish, took my meds and finally made us both a drink. Mike’s I deposited on the bedside table letting him know it was there…”Mike, coffee’s ready” ………. “Grunt”…….” OK then, I’ll call you later”. I took my coffee back and refreshed my screen. Just 6 messages, no problem. I finished them as Mike’s alarm went off for the second time, it rang until it hit the wall. I’d just finished my drink so I went to get washed. On my way out of the bathroom I reminded him his coffee was getting cold (it’s been there half an hour) and he actually moved so I came through and got dressed. Minutes later I head him go to the bathroom so I emptied my wastebin and took it through to the kitchen to add to the black bag from the main bin. I emptied that and put a clean bag in then did the same for the food bin. I took them outside to await collection. Then I took the recycling bags out and stuck the edges under the wheelie bin to stop them blowing away.
I came back in to wash my hands and Mike was just making his second coffee though to be fair he’d made a start at getting dressed. I’m nor sure what the dress code is for supermarket shopping but instinct tells me it may be more than a pair of shreddies (underpants) a rather ‘relaxed’ stomach and one sock. Eventually we got underway. He was driving as though trying to recycle the fumes of any car in front. When I asked him about it, he sarcastically told me he was just trying to reach the speed to get us there yesterday to shut me up. We arrived at what felt like lunchtime and toured the car park looking for a place. Well OK, we didn’t as there was no shortage, but there COULD have been. First job potatoes, done and dusted. Then flowers for Ju. Some chrysanths and a few carnations. Some outfits for Reuben and then moving to an aisle to look at gifts for Dil’s birthday Mike moved ahead of me. He was standing still so I guessed he’d found something suitable and moved towards him. As I got closer the grin appeared and broadened until it hit me, and I mean like a sledge hammer. It was like walking into a brick wall. “No warning?” I gasped. The valley of death had struck. Heaven help us if another customer came that way or worse still a member of staff. They’d evacuate the store at the very least. Then I noticed him scuttle away “I need the loo he said.” I threw my crutches in the trolley and rapidly scooted to another aisle.
From the supermarket we headed to Flint for his verbal sparring match over a coffee. Today he wolfed down a piece of tiramisu in Ju’s honour and the biscuit from both our saucers. At home again we met the bin men collecting the recycling bags. I hung back a moment to collect the empty bags to put indoors. The young lad asked me if I’d like the bags putting on my front step where it’s protected and a thanked him. He asked if I’d like them putting in a box I keep there and I thanked him. As he left I couldn’t help but wonder they don’t do that as a matter of course instead of just throwing them down anywhere to get blown away. I went in and dropped the shopping I was carrying in the kitchen, Mike was unloading the other bags. I put the shopping away and while Mike put the flowers in a vase I went to bring the rubbish bags in.
We’d been out almost 3 hours by then so I caught up on messages again while my lone arranger worked on. I decided to have a shave and thought an electric one would be quicker perhaps. I really can’t get on with electric razors at my age. Too many wrinkles (folds) in the skin where it misses so I had half electric and half wet. Time to see where he wants to go for lunch. He has a date tonight with a paramour he’s had a crush on for years so I knew he wouldn’t want much lunch. Because of that we went to the Ivy to see Tariq and Shella. Tariq showed us round the room he’s turning into a photographic studio and he has great plans for some other rooms too including, crafting and cake sales. There’s a large room to be used for private parties which will be great if any of them want photographs on the day. I had fresh cut ham, egg and chips for lunch while Mike stuck to cheese on toast.We also had puddings and an argument ensued when Tariq said we weren’t to pay for them at which I pointed out he’s running a business and is supposed to make a profit. We had a nice chat with Shella too and I really must see if I can find a way to get her a couple of Titterton’s pies.
After we left Mike decided on a cross country tour. It was fascinating. Some fantastic houses and some brilliant views. Eventually we found ourselves by Jackson’s nurseries where we bought a couple of things before heading home. Mike had time for a shave before having to head out again. I’ve told him if he’ s not in bed by 11.00pm he’s to come home. That’s about it really. I’ve caught up on emails again this evening and decided which two pictures of Reuben will grace the page. I wish you all a fantastic week and don’t forget to be generous with the Hugs please. I think it’s National Hugs Week……………………………………………………………………………………….
The Happy Chappie.
Hugs Everyone.
Today we returned to the Blossoms so we could enjoy a proper Sunday dinner without risking me piling my own plate at a carvery. It was an excellent roast lamb dinner made even more delightful by the owner giving us some pickled red cabbage to accompany it as I dislike mint sauce. After lunch Mike ran me home and collected his mobile phone which he’d left on charge and forgotten when packing. He rang his father to see if he wanted any shopping and waved me goodbye. I’d spent so little time on the computer with the frauds in the morning I headed straight there. This afternoon just the one, I felt cheated- even though that was probably the point of the exercise for them.
You will have gathered I’m not very technically minded so I spent some time working out how to change all the poems I’ve written into a format that the friend who’s editing them for me can actually make changes. After a few false starts I managed it by rewriting them as txt files. I’m not sure but I think the clipart will have to be done separately too so that it can be added to the pages once the book has been put on Lulu. I’ll wait until another friend has created the cover before deciding how to forge ahead. I have four books out and not one has been put on the publisher sites by me. My eyes glaze over and my brain shuts down when I try.
I finished my mail and went through to the lounge for long enough to watch a little TV but I was getting bored so after tea I came back through and started the mail and this blogpost. I’d expected to finish in time to have an early night but it seems not. Just approaching midnight and I’m going for a read. BTW, is this easier to cope with in smaller paragraphs like this?
Monday. I’m pretty sure I have a cold. I’m also pretty sure that despite having put the thermostat up at about 4.30 I’m freezing to death. I swear when I sneeze the icicles from my nose are flying across the room like knives. I dealt with all the usual jobs like mail, fish, tablets and a hot coffee before 8.00 am and then got washed and dressed hoping to warm up. By 9.30 nothing had improved though the radiators are hot so I decided to go out for bread. It’s a disaster, I had to buy brown baps, the white had all gone.
Coming back in it felt warmer so I started changing a few more of the poems to txt files and was eventually able to remove my gloves. I suppose most of you would think them useless as they’re fingerless gloves but they allow me to take the change out of my pocket easily when I’m out. As I was doing my mail I had a message from a friend who told me her landlords are going to fine her for putting her rubbish bin out too early. He would brook no arguments like how did she know how early too early is when the binmen themselves have no set time for arriving. This landlord apparently can ask tenants to vacate if they receive three strikes and he’s counting this as one. It made me think that things in the US must be as bad as here since my daughter was threatened with a large fine by Cheshire CC for putting bin bags in the wrong place. That she didn’t know there was a right place and just added her bag to some others wasn’t an acceptable excuse. They employ a team to go through people’ rubbish bags and can fine them if there’s any recyclable material there. My own authority in Wales issues us with separate rubbish bags for things to be recycled. A bag for paper/cardboard, glass, tins and plastic. We have a small bin for food waste and a large wheelie bin for household waste. Our biggest problem is the bags blowing away in bad weather.
At lunchtime I had baked potato and beans and watched part of one of my favourite films, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness which was showing today. A big coincidence as I was only talking about it on Friday. Then I spied my repeat prescription form on the table that should have gone in this morning and had to go out again. This time when I came back I sat in my armchair and fell asleep during CSI NY. I had some fruit at teatime and managed to stay awake for a quiz but after Law and Order decided the only way to stay awake was to work so I came through intending to change some more poems. No chance. Tons of mail which included an unexpected award.These may be a nuisance to some and they do take a long time to deal with but I can’t ignore someone’s kindness and so had to blog about it and make my own nominations. It’s a gesture of appreciation for the work they put into their blogs even if it’s for entertainment alone. Having done that I started on the rest of the mail.
Three hours has now passed and I’m off to get my meds which I’ve managed to forget for the last three nights. Then I’m going to do some poems come Hell or high water.As I finished my Pratchett short stories last night I’m going to choose another new book to read and try for an early night. Because of the cold I won’t go out tomorrow so poor Yvonne will have a little peace, at least from me. Reuben won’t give her any as his first tooth is breaking through.
Toothy peg coming through.
Ooh toothache.
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Tuesday. No sneezing this morning so probably not a cold, unless it’s in shock at the 4.10 am on the clock. I knew I’d slept in the bed last night so no surprise at finding the duvet round my legs. My trip to the loo once up though was more an automatic journey than one undertaken awake. For some reason I did it with my eyes closed. I only realised it when I got back and turned the light on before powering up the computer. One of the first messages today was from Africa…..
Good day! I am Mrs.Bintou Sawadogo auditing and accounting department" (B.O.A) Bank Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, I need your assistance to stand as the next of kin to this sum of money (usd7.2) I have agreed that 40% of this money will be for you as the beneficiary respect of the provision of your account and service rendered, 60% will be for me For further procedure contact me for more details, Yours faithful, Mrs.Bintou Sawadogo
Do they really think I’m going to move for a share of less than $8 ? They’re getting very careless considering they have charge of so much money. There was fun to be had with comments on my last blog. There are a few cards amongst my friends and it’s a joy to read what some of you write.
I’d decided not to go out today but Yvonne told me she, Ugo and Reuben would come and bring a chippie tea after Ugo finished work. That gave me opportunity to ask her to pick up some shopping for me on the way. Most important were white baps instead of the brown ones I was forced to buy yesterday. There’s only so much I can do towards a healthy diet……and yes, I know chips don’t count but at least it’s not me buying them. I’ve spent most of the morning on the computer before going through to do lunch. On the way I found the postie has delivered my last Terry Pratchett DVD, The Colour of Magic. During lunch I watched another Sherlock Holmes ( Jeremy Brett) and then drifted off to sleep. I was out almost an hour and was only woken by the phone ringing. They didn’t leave a message so it was probably a salesman for double glazing again. It usually is if Mike’s here and he answers. I NEVER speak on the telephone.
I spent a couple more hours on messages and blogs I follow and finally have all the poems as text files and all the clipart illustrations as individual pieces ready to send off again. I’ll probably do that tomorrow though I know my friend is too busy to get to them for now. Then it was teatime but of course I couldn’t have tea as the visitor are bringing that so I watched an antiques show Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is ad then a quiz. There was a text to say Yvonne was just leaving Tesco and tea would be with me in about twenty minutes. I covered up my well gnawed fingers. Eventually Yvonne arrived carrying Reuben. Ugo was in the chippie round the corner getting the food so they’d walked on. Reuben was a delight. Beard pulling, story telling, dribbling but full of smiles and giggles. I held him until Ugo arrived and then threw him at Yvonne so I could plate up the food. Yvonne had buttered me a bap (white) in readiness while I held Reuben. She’s on a diet fad at the moment so no chips for her but she’d brought some bird food with her anyway. Reuben sat with his dad making snatches with his hand whenever food came close. He wasn’t successful and I felt really sorry for him. There’s no way Ugo is parting with food as I already know to my cost. I washed up and saw to Ugo’s pudding while Yvonne fed Reuben some yucky cauliflower cheese which he pulled faces at ( I don’t blame him) then some pineapple. It didn’t stop him looking longingly but hopelessly at Ugo’s hot chocolate fudge cake and ice cream. I took him on my knee and pulled my birthday balloons over. He had a whale of a table belting seven bells out of them and screaming with joy. The only problem is that every punch was accompanied by a large stamp of the foot which means I’m singing soprano for the rest of the week.
Back over on Yvonne’s knee to start getting ready meant tears and shouts. The same on Ugo’s knee but Yvonne commented as I picked him up again that for me he shuts up right away and no tears. Maybe one day they’ll learn to scare him as I do. They left about 8.00 pm and as usual I came straight to the bedroom to clear up any messages. There were quite a few so it’s now gone 10.0 pm and I still have a few to go. It’s a bit early to check the Euro lottery but if you hear a scream later please keep the begging letters to a minimum, I’m not refunding the postage.
Wednesday. Anotjher early start on the computer so that by 6.00am I was able to go sit in the lounge with a cuppa. No point in waking the fish up yet, it’s not another birthday. I couldn’t nod off despite trying hard and as the light started to come up about 7.00am I decided to get washed and dressed before going back on the computer. Might as well be formal for my friends and dispel the belief I spend all my time in this dressing gown- which is not in the least reminiscent of Noel Coward. Still couldn’t be bothered to go out this morning so I did keep my furry caveman slippers on. No lottery win, hence no scream. It’s very disappointing, I need a lottery win to be able to afford the bribes to ensure a lottery win.
Lets just gloss over lunch. I can’t make potato and beans sound any more appetising that it sounded the last few times but I promise myself a small packet of bacon the next time I’m in Pauline’s. The afternoon was spent having a general tidy up before my visitors arrive at about 6.00 pm. A slight problem was that I was going to get my tea at 5.00 pm when I hard “Hello” from the hall and in walked Dil and Matt. Dil had taken the day off for his wife’s birthday and had decided to come early for his weekly thrashing. I’d just finished making drinks when Lee arrived too. I got him a glass of water cos’ that’s how mean I am and got the table and the Scrabble out. It was a close fought game with words like jo and quean making an appearance as well as aglet. Despite (my) cheating young Matt still won. He was pleased about that. Dil made some remark and had us clutching our stomachs.
Time for cards and we decided upon Nomination Whist playing 10-1 and 1-10 again. I claimed victory by four points and a judicial use of the pen I was scoring with. Being landed with that job every week has it’s advantages. Next was crazy 8′s and Matt did the scoring as I made the drinks. He tried to distract me by telling of a new card game for next week. It sounds horribly complicated but all that bothers me is whether we can have a laugh and toss insults about as usual. Despite him wielding the pen I won by wide margin. Perhaps the aces up my sleeve helped a bit. Lee had to go. I’m so grateful he comes as it’s a very long day for him after travelling early for work and then coming here before he’s eaten. He’s an exceptional person. The rest of us decided to play Newmarket. I’m beholden to Reuben that we all started the game with 40p each from his coin jar. At one stage I was down to 22p and Dil’s pot was looking very healthy. Matt was hanging in there too when suddenly the tide turned and Matt started winning. It got so good that he had ‘snow in the kitty’ but by the time they were due to leave I was 26p up and Dil was almost skint. It didn’t stop him finding four 5p’s in his pocket to make Reuben the real winner of the night though. As always I was sorry to see them go but I settled to watch the second half of a Person of Interest I hadn’t seen and now need to see the first half too.
Time to turn off and get back to catching up on mail. Since I hadn’t been near the computer since the afternoon, my postbox held 93 when I got here. Ai Caramba ! It took me till well gone midnight to clear up and now it’s almost time to get up so Good Night all. Hugs
Thursday. I managed just over 3 hours sleep. How on earth do so many people get so many messages to me in such a short space of time? Don’t you have anything better to do? Actually things went very well and before 7.00 am I’d managed to send off all the clipart to the friend who’s going to do the cover for Reuben’s book. I shall owe a dedication to the friend who came up with the title since it was decided to drop the word Odd which I was using in ‘Odd Poems for Toddlers and Up’. Now it will probably be ‘Tall Animal Tales for Toddlers & Over’ or something similar.
Anyhoo, I went through and fed the fish, did my drugs for the week and had my morning meds before grabbing a coffee. I was feeling tired again as I sat down at the computer and might have lain down had my phone not beeped with a message. It was Mujo suggesting a visit. I thanked them but explained about the ‘cold’ and said I don’t want to pass it on to John in his state of health. A quick flurry of messages back and forth settled on seeing them next week. I did manage the energy to get ready to go out however and trekked up to the chemist to order an item I’d forgotten and only had five days supply of. To the sandwich shop to get a ham salad roll for lunch and to Pauline’s to renew the lottery tickets. I was back home before I remembered about the pack of bacon. Why did no-one remind me?
The usual morning followed. Dealing with messages etc until 11.00 am when I decided enough was enough and I deserted my post. On went the TV and I chilled out to Murder she Wrote. At least it was one I hadn’t seen though I’ve no idea how that could have happened. I had my pre-lunch tablet followed by my bap which was heavy on the onions as requested. No more colds for me then. Shame on me I also had a small pork pie too. I stayed there with the TV on an antiques programme until I found the enthusiasm to return to the keyboard. During last night’s visit I’d had Matt look at Ancestry.co.uk for me to see how to download a Gedcom file to a memory stick. It must have stayed in my bonce as I managed to download a copy of the family tree for Yvonne. I have two more memory sticks on order so I can do one for Karen and one for Lee if he’s interested. Oh, I must pick one up to do a copy of Mike’s for him too.
At 4.00 pm I went to the lounge and saw a quiz show after which I had some toast and a tin of pineapple for tea.After washing up I thought I’d watch Law and Order but fell asleep in the chair instead till 7.30 pm. I came through to check whether I’d won something on Ebay and found Mike on skype. We had a conversation for a while (written only) about him coming tomorrow, he’ll be late as he’s visiting his dad first. I missed the Ebay item altogether , for which I’ll blame him for distracting me. Never mind, I can always bid on a different one ( but I won’t let him off the hook that easy). I’ve since caught up on my mail and have managed to bore the pants off you all so I’m going to have a short read though I’m starting to yawn now. See you tomorrow !
Friday.This was a 4.45 day. What an idle git I hear you say but in my defence it was well gone midnight before I finished reading this morning and settled to sleep. When I got up all I could hear was the rain. I turned the computer on and left it to reach live while I nipped to the loo. The rain was annoying today whereas I can usually ignore that kind of distraction. So, headphones on and over to Youtube. It’s quite easy to get lost in my music while I’m dealing with mail as most doesn’t require too much concentration. Be fair, I come out with such rubbish sometimes people wouldn’t know if I were distracted or not. For no other reason than it pleases me I’ve decided to add at least one song to each blog IF that song has made a difference to me that week. Today I offer you http://youtu.be/-SiGnAi845o which is the great 80′s group Simple Minds with a later offering called She’s a River. Ju and I used to play this during a certain part of the ride we took to visit MuJo. I apologise if I mention her to anyone’s discomfort but she’s much on my mind at the moment.
By the time I’d finished the mail and I’d disentangled myself from the headphones which I was still wearing as I tried to leave the room, it was almost time for the fish. This was the day when the albino cory hid and I almost had a heart attack thinking it was dead somewhere. I’d got the top off the tank and was fighting back the advance guard of the snail army when the little beggar came out from behind the pump with slow deliberation. I slammed the lid back on and got a disgusted look from the biggest of the bullnose plecs ( only about 2 inches). I put a heavy vase on top as I’m sure the snails are enough to move the top if they make a concerted effort now. I washed my hands, took my meds ( I must cut down on the hallucogenic ones) made a coffee and went back to the computer. I refreshed the screen, sat down heavilly when I saw what came into my mail box and decided to get dressed first.
Catching up again took me till 9.30 am so I decided to nip to Pauline’s and get the bacon. I also picked up some roast pork and stuffing, some corned beef and (here logic defeats me) a pack of microwave baked potatoes. I mean, I do the bloody potatoes I buy in the microwave anyway and I get a lot more for the same money. Back at home I worked for a couple of hours then had lunch. Today I had the corned beef with my baked potato ( ordinary one) and beans. Such variety. After I’d washed up I sat in the lounge for a while. I didn’t feel guilty at nodding off and knew Mike wouldn’t catch me as he won’t be here until tonight. I managed to catch up with post again before my antiques show started then I had a little of the news when I found Law and Order was a recent repeat. At about 8.00pm I went for a shower and had just finished in there when Mike arrived gasping for his coffee and full of tales about his week. It’s been a particularly frustrating one for him it seems, he’s been waiting to talk to me and obviously it doesn’t help when I don’t speak on the phone. After forty years the relationship between Mike and I is a little symbiotic in that we both have a need for the other to talk to. It’s a double edged sword this telephone business as I can’t share with him either.
At ten o’clock he’d about exhausted his problems and I’m sure there was a degree of relief there. He’s full of hope that his son will move back to Wales with the children and he’ll be able to come home so we’re only a short distance away. I think my problems can wait for another time. So, it was time to come through and have my final catch up of the day and do the blog before having a short read. It’s early shop day tomorrow of course. If, and it’s a very big if, I can actually move someone out of his pit while the shops are still open. One minute past 12 so the weekend has started. I wish you all a Wonderful one.
Saturday. Well the mornings are startling to get a little lighter. Just not at 4.12 am which is when I went to the loo falling over my slippers, stubbing my toe and them cracking my kneecap. The blue tinge that appeared in the air did at least help me see a bit. One thing I did see as I passed Mike’s room s that his bedside lamp was on . He appeared to be laying across the bed face down and I was grateful for the covers because I knew which part of his anatomy was aimed at me. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…. He was fast asleep so I didn’t disturb him. I concentrated hard on my emails from late last night and this morning. So many people report the weather is giving them a battering one way or another. I finished just before Mike’s alarm clock went off for the first time. I say for the first time secure in the knowledge that Quasimodo ringing his bells wouldn’t get Mike up yet. For one thing his coffee isn’t ready.
I saw to the fish, took my meds and finally made us both a drink. Mike’s I deposited on the bedside table letting him know it was there…”Mike, coffee’s ready” ………. “Grunt”…….” OK then, I’ll call you later”. I took my coffee back and refreshed my screen. Just 6 messages, no problem. I finished them as Mike’s alarm went off for the second time, it rang until it hit the wall. I’d just finished my drink so I went to get washed. On my way out of the bathroom I reminded him his coffee was getting cold (it’s been there half an hour) and he actually moved so I came through and got dressed. Minutes later I head him go to the bathroom so I emptied my wastebin and took it through to the kitchen to add to the black bag from the main bin. I emptied that and put a clean bag in then did the same for the food bin. I took them outside to await collection. Then I took the recycling bags out and stuck the edges under the wheelie bin to stop them blowing away.
I came back in to wash my hands and Mike was just making his second coffee though to be fair he’d made a start at getting dressed. I’m nor sure what the dress code is for supermarket shopping but instinct tells me it may be more than a pair of shreddies (underpants) a rather ‘relaxed’ stomach and one sock. Eventually we got underway. He was driving as though trying to recycle the fumes of any car in front. When I asked him about it, he sarcastically told me he was just trying to reach the speed to get us there yesterday to shut me up. We arrived at what felt like lunchtime and toured the car park looking for a place. Well OK, we didn’t as there was no shortage, but there COULD have been. First job potatoes, done and dusted. Then flowers for Ju. Some chrysanths and a few carnations. Some outfits for Reuben and then moving to an aisle to look at gifts for Dil’s birthday Mike moved ahead of me. He was standing still so I guessed he’d found something suitable and moved towards him. As I got closer the grin appeared and broadened until it hit me, and I mean like a sledge hammer. It was like walking into a brick wall. “No warning?” I gasped. The valley of death had struck. Heaven help us if another customer came that way or worse still a member of staff. They’d evacuate the store at the very least. Then I noticed him scuttle away “I need the loo he said.” I threw my crutches in the trolley and rapidly scooted to another aisle.
From the supermarket we headed to Flint for his verbal sparring match over a coffee. Today he wolfed down a piece of tiramisu in Ju’s honour and the biscuit from both our saucers. At home again we met the bin men collecting the recycling bags. I hung back a moment to collect the empty bags to put indoors. The young lad asked me if I’d like the bags putting on my front step where it’s protected and a thanked him. He asked if I’d like them putting in a box I keep there and I thanked him. As he left I couldn’t help but wonder they don’t do that as a matter of course instead of just throwing them down anywhere to get blown away. I went in and dropped the shopping I was carrying in the kitchen, Mike was unloading the other bags. I put the shopping away and while Mike put the flowers in a vase I went to bring the rubbish bags in.
We’d been out almost 3 hours by then so I caught up on messages again while my lone arranger worked on. I decided to have a shave and thought an electric one would be quicker perhaps. I really can’t get on with electric razors at my age. Too many wrinkles (folds) in the skin where it misses so I had half electric and half wet. Time to see where he wants to go for lunch. He has a date tonight with a paramour he’s had a crush on for years so I knew he wouldn’t want much lunch. Because of that we went to the Ivy to see Tariq and Shella. Tariq showed us round the room he’s turning into a photographic studio and he has great plans for some other rooms too including, crafting and cake sales. There’s a large room to be used for private parties which will be great if any of them want photographs on the day. I had fresh cut ham, egg and chips for lunch while Mike stuck to cheese on toast.We also had puddings and an argument ensued when Tariq said we weren’t to pay for them at which I pointed out he’s running a business and is supposed to make a profit. We had a nice chat with Shella too and I really must see if I can find a way to get her a couple of Titterton’s pies.
After we left Mike decided on a cross country tour. It was fascinating. Some fantastic houses and some brilliant views. Eventually we found ourselves by Jackson’s nurseries where we bought a couple of things before heading home. Mike had time for a shave before having to head out again. I’ve told him if he’ s not in bed by 11.00pm he’s to come home. That’s about it really. I’ve caught up on emails again this evening and decided which two pictures of Reuben will grace the page. I wish you all a fantastic week and don’t forget to be generous with the Hugs please. I think it’s National Hugs Week……………………………………………………………………………………….
The Happy Chappie.
Hugs Everyone.
Bad Temper(ature) and Boil(er)ing Hot.
Sunday. Sunday morning at 8.30 saw my visitors leave. Not because I’d insulted them or refused to feed them but because they needed to make a swift run to Manchester airport to collect Mike’s father returning from foreign parts. He’d been quite well over there so at least he wasn’t returning with foreign parts. They haven’t realised it’s his 65th trip abroad this year and when they search his suitcase for contraband booze he walks through with the 65th pacemaker he’s smuggled. The house was empty without them here, apart from me of course and I found that I’d been left with a bad case of sleeping sickness after Saturday’s illness. No, I’m not telling you, you’ll have to read last weeks blog now. I went through to sit in the lounge after doing my emails and promptly fell asleep . It was almost lunch time before I woke. My stomach is a very reliable alarm clock. No sooner has I eaten a Bing meal than I fell asleep again for most of the afternoon. It was about 4.pm when I woke and dragged myself through to the bedroom to check messages again. At well over 100 I was almost sorry I’d bothered. I just stayed there after that until it was time for bed and set about trying to create a new World Sleep Record. No chance of that as I’ve found out there are people who can actually stay in bed beyond noon !!!! And there are shops open!
Monday. Monday was a terrible day. Sooo boring. I did some washing and was almost bored enough to start I***ing, but sanity kept a tight grip and I managed to hold back. After all, once you start, there’s no knowing where it might lead. I might be tempted to go further than shirts and start on the bedding. I managed to catch a bit of TV during the evening which was great for a change.
Tuesday. We all get those days we’re going to dread. This was mine. My nephew David arrived as threatened promised, to kick me out of my bedroom to give it a lick of paint, or to put it another way, change the walls from nicotine yellow to something more acceptable like Terracotta and Cream. If you try to imagine a square box which has a door at the bottom left ( it’s the bottom from where I’m standing anyway, but you go with your own plans). We started by unloading the bookcase of the left as you go in and the wardrobe beyond that. Once empty they could be walked forward about 18 inches. Davis had the joy of starting on the wall behind them. I was dismissed and sent to do my emails in the lounge using a laptop with keys missing- such fun. There was a fair bit of blue air and grunts as a not too small man tried to perform 4 coats of cream miracles in such a small space. He then glossed the back of the door and wedged it to dry without anything touching it. Back went the bookcase and wardrobe. Opposite the door is the window wall under which I have a large trunk. That moved, he did as much cream as he could, and then glossing the window frame and window sill before the trunk could go back he waited for my help in moving the bed. The bed is on the right hand side wall and at the foot there is approx 12 inches of room before another mass of bookcases one atop another appear. On the last wall, just to the right of the door is my computer desk which had to be moved so the bed could come away from the wall. That achieved David slapped on the terracotta. then he moved all the bookcases so that wall could be finished and the last wall started. In his anxiety to do a good job but to get away from my watchful eye I think this is where the day went awry. The bed was pushed back a little too early and I later found a long patch of terracotta bedding and some terrcotta blue shirt sleeves. It was either an accident or a fashion statement. In the middle of this disruption a man called about the boiler. Bear in mind it was serviced three weeks ago and then a week later someone else came to check the quality of the work. This one came to look and decided I was due a new boiler as the existing one is ten years old. I didn’t sing Happy Birthday but just laughed at the lack of organisation. More so when he said the work would take place Friday.
Wednesday. David arrived for the next bout of torture today but it actually warranted very little furniture removal as he was doing the ceiling. Being a very small room and only requiring ten coats or so he was done quite soon. After that he asked for the ladders. A shiver went down my spine as I knew what was coming. The dreaded loft. I suggested just taking a look today as he couldn’t come again this week due to visitors. “Who’s coming?” he asked, so I quickly thought up some fictitious names and smiled sincerely. I did aslk him to check the heating flue was OK and not covered in bags of books. I had to disappear for a few minutes and left him to it as I made lunch. He came and with a shrug said it wouldn’t take long, which surprised me, and that he couldn’t see the flue which flummoxed me. It was only on stepping out I found that I hadn’t warned him I have two lofts, and he’d chosen the wrong one. Assuring him I wanted to keep the books in the first one, I directed him to the other hatchway. Even from the kitchen I heard the “Bloody Hell” and the heart wrenching sobs when he saw what he was up against. ” How many flamin’ trees does one house need.6, 7, 8??” He called down to me that he’d cleared the flue and could he pass a few things down. He did and I told him to take them to his car boot sale. Fortunately a large glass framed box full of personal seals, quill pens and ink bottles had survived and I hope should get him a few pounds. He did ask one or two questions about Christmas trees and decorations before saying he’s be round on Monday with a trailer. Now I know it’s bad. We went through our usual tarantella about him being paid with me forcing at least fuel money on him ( I have a stroppy family) an he left. My brother and nephew Matthew arrived for their evening game and I was so pleased my nephew Lee came. He was going to try and put more memory in y desktop and sort out a few problems but he also played games with us. Dil won Scrabble, I won a Balderdash and then we opened the never played Absolute Balderdash. What a game. No-one really cares who wins but it matters who get the most insults in. As it happened Dil won that too but I swear he cheated. No way would I lose two games if there’s fair play and I’m cheating.
Thursday. For me days don’t start any worse. The desk top wouldn’t work. I was reduced to the lap top again and I don’t like laptops. I have to remember passwords to my programmes and it doesn’t like them so twitter is out of bounds as is Gather and my ancestry.com. There are probably more. My messages took forever to do. With no delete button I have to keep backspacing where the errors are. Thinking that was the worst that could happen there was a knock at the door. The contractor for the boiler asked if it was possible he could have a look round before Friday’s work started and maybe check the flue in the loft. Knowing that was safe I said OK. FOOL. As I walked round he pointed out that the airing cupboard would need emptying, and all the radiators would need to be exposed so they could be bled and have new valves fitted. Naturally all the sections of the radiators needed are behind trunks, TV’d or I***ing baskets. Nonetheless I said it would be done. He went into the loft and I could hear banging and clattering, another man entered and water tanks and other pieces of metal were passed down. I thought they were just robbers after my lead pipes. They finally left and I just at there waiting to be flooded.
Friday. First thing in the morning I went round emptying the airing cupboard and exposing all the radiators. They arrived and started work at 8.30am. I was expecting a MuJo visit but they cried off saying it would be difficult with workmen there. It’s a shame as Yvonne was bringing Reuben through for a visit to meet them.At 10.am I went off with my friend to have our flu jabs. I was leaving the surgery and just said “See you later” to the nurse when she called me back after realising I was due back there for a BP test in the afternoon. Knowing it takes so little ti,me she did it there and then though the receptionist had refused to book me at that time. Yvonne arrived before noon and I sat and fed Reuben until Mike arrived flying solo this week, he was glad not to be having to take me out for the BP test later on.( It’s still up BTW)..
It was nice to have a little support there since the contractors didn’t finish when they thought but were there until about 3 pm. Everything was fine and they were very clean even doing their own hoovering but I did notice after they’d gone a large hole in my kitchen wall where they’d removed the old heater controls. On the other hand I now have hot water on tap. Yvonne left soon after to get home and left Mike and I to chat and grab something to eat at ‘The Bell’s of St Mary’s’ a local carvery. Home for the evening for TV and my messages.
Saturday. Some people, and I’m not pointing the finger at anyone in particular here, are lousy at getting up in a morning. I was up, washed, dressed and raring to go when Mike the nameless person was still throwing Zzz’s at the ceiling. He’d set his alarm for 7.30 am and then ignored it. Not for long though as I put on tap dancing shoes and did a loud Fred Astaire right to his bedroom with a coffee. After waking him to say it was there I tapped away again. Two minutes later, my corns safely wrapped in a pair of slippers I shouted for him not to forget his drink. He moved. By 8.15 we were on our way to the shops. We wandered round with a trolley until the checkout where we packed the bags and made our way to the cafe. I said I’d have a drink but couldn’t have breakfast as I’d forgotten my tablets. The evil beggar sat and ate a sausage toastie in front of me. How cruel is that? Home again to unpack and by 10.30 we were on our way again heading for ‘Sunny’ Rhyl to meet our friend for lunch as it’s his 65th birthday. We met up at another branch of the store we’d been in this morning which gave me chance to pick up a couple of things I hadn’t got then. We had a nice lunch and took the cars to park in the town centre for a look round. Day over, Brian went home and Mike and I headed back here to relax. I did my messages while watching TV and chatting with Mike just to prove I can multi task, though my temper at the laptop has only just kept it in the room instead of the garden.
I hope you’ve all had nice weeks and have great weeks to come.
Hugs
Monday. Monday was a terrible day. Sooo boring. I did some washing and was almost bored enough to start I***ing, but sanity kept a tight grip and I managed to hold back. After all, once you start, there’s no knowing where it might lead. I might be tempted to go further than shirts and start on the bedding. I managed to catch a bit of TV during the evening which was great for a change.
Tuesday. We all get those days we’re going to dread. This was mine. My nephew David arrived as threatened promised, to kick me out of my bedroom to give it a lick of paint, or to put it another way, change the walls from nicotine yellow to something more acceptable like Terracotta and Cream. If you try to imagine a square box which has a door at the bottom left ( it’s the bottom from where I’m standing anyway, but you go with your own plans). We started by unloading the bookcase of the left as you go in and the wardrobe beyond that. Once empty they could be walked forward about 18 inches. Davis had the joy of starting on the wall behind them. I was dismissed and sent to do my emails in the lounge using a laptop with keys missing- such fun. There was a fair bit of blue air and grunts as a not too small man tried to perform 4 coats of cream miracles in such a small space. He then glossed the back of the door and wedged it to dry without anything touching it. Back went the bookcase and wardrobe. Opposite the door is the window wall under which I have a large trunk. That moved, he did as much cream as he could, and then glossing the window frame and window sill before the trunk could go back he waited for my help in moving the bed. The bed is on the right hand side wall and at the foot there is approx 12 inches of room before another mass of bookcases one atop another appear. On the last wall, just to the right of the door is my computer desk which had to be moved so the bed could come away from the wall. That achieved David slapped on the terracotta. then he moved all the bookcases so that wall could be finished and the last wall started. In his anxiety to do a good job but to get away from my watchful eye I think this is where the day went awry. The bed was pushed back a little too early and I later found a long patch of terracotta bedding and some terrcotta blue shirt sleeves. It was either an accident or a fashion statement. In the middle of this disruption a man called about the boiler. Bear in mind it was serviced three weeks ago and then a week later someone else came to check the quality of the work. This one came to look and decided I was due a new boiler as the existing one is ten years old. I didn’t sing Happy Birthday but just laughed at the lack of organisation. More so when he said the work would take place Friday.
Wednesday. David arrived for the next bout of torture today but it actually warranted very little furniture removal as he was doing the ceiling. Being a very small room and only requiring ten coats or so he was done quite soon. After that he asked for the ladders. A shiver went down my spine as I knew what was coming. The dreaded loft. I suggested just taking a look today as he couldn’t come again this week due to visitors. “Who’s coming?” he asked, so I quickly thought up some fictitious names and smiled sincerely. I did aslk him to check the heating flue was OK and not covered in bags of books. I had to disappear for a few minutes and left him to it as I made lunch. He came and with a shrug said it wouldn’t take long, which surprised me, and that he couldn’t see the flue which flummoxed me. It was only on stepping out I found that I hadn’t warned him I have two lofts, and he’d chosen the wrong one. Assuring him I wanted to keep the books in the first one, I directed him to the other hatchway. Even from the kitchen I heard the “Bloody Hell” and the heart wrenching sobs when he saw what he was up against. ” How many flamin’ trees does one house need.6, 7, 8??” He called down to me that he’d cleared the flue and could he pass a few things down. He did and I told him to take them to his car boot sale. Fortunately a large glass framed box full of personal seals, quill pens and ink bottles had survived and I hope should get him a few pounds. He did ask one or two questions about Christmas trees and decorations before saying he’s be round on Monday with a trailer. Now I know it’s bad. We went through our usual tarantella about him being paid with me forcing at least fuel money on him ( I have a stroppy family) an he left. My brother and nephew Matthew arrived for their evening game and I was so pleased my nephew Lee came. He was going to try and put more memory in y desktop and sort out a few problems but he also played games with us. Dil won Scrabble, I won a Balderdash and then we opened the never played Absolute Balderdash. What a game. No-one really cares who wins but it matters who get the most insults in. As it happened Dil won that too but I swear he cheated. No way would I lose two games if there’s fair play and I’m cheating.
Thursday. For me days don’t start any worse. The desk top wouldn’t work. I was reduced to the lap top again and I don’t like laptops. I have to remember passwords to my programmes and it doesn’t like them so twitter is out of bounds as is Gather and my ancestry.com. There are probably more. My messages took forever to do. With no delete button I have to keep backspacing where the errors are. Thinking that was the worst that could happen there was a knock at the door. The contractor for the boiler asked if it was possible he could have a look round before Friday’s work started and maybe check the flue in the loft. Knowing that was safe I said OK. FOOL. As I walked round he pointed out that the airing cupboard would need emptying, and all the radiators would need to be exposed so they could be bled and have new valves fitted. Naturally all the sections of the radiators needed are behind trunks, TV’d or I***ing baskets. Nonetheless I said it would be done. He went into the loft and I could hear banging and clattering, another man entered and water tanks and other pieces of metal were passed down. I thought they were just robbers after my lead pipes. They finally left and I just at there waiting to be flooded.
Friday. First thing in the morning I went round emptying the airing cupboard and exposing all the radiators. They arrived and started work at 8.30am. I was expecting a MuJo visit but they cried off saying it would be difficult with workmen there. It’s a shame as Yvonne was bringing Reuben through for a visit to meet them.At 10.am I went off with my friend to have our flu jabs. I was leaving the surgery and just said “See you later” to the nurse when she called me back after realising I was due back there for a BP test in the afternoon. Knowing it takes so little ti,me she did it there and then though the receptionist had refused to book me at that time. Yvonne arrived before noon and I sat and fed Reuben until Mike arrived flying solo this week, he was glad not to be having to take me out for the BP test later on.( It’s still up BTW)..
It was nice to have a little support there since the contractors didn’t finish when they thought but were there until about 3 pm. Everything was fine and they were very clean even doing their own hoovering but I did notice after they’d gone a large hole in my kitchen wall where they’d removed the old heater controls. On the other hand I now have hot water on tap. Yvonne left soon after to get home and left Mike and I to chat and grab something to eat at ‘The Bell’s of St Mary’s’ a local carvery. Home for the evening for TV and my messages.
Saturday. Some people, and I’m not pointing the finger at anyone in particular here, are lousy at getting up in a morning. I was up, washed, dressed and raring to go when Mike the nameless person was still throwing Zzz’s at the ceiling. He’d set his alarm for 7.30 am and then ignored it. Not for long though as I put on tap dancing shoes and did a loud Fred Astaire right to his bedroom with a coffee. After waking him to say it was there I tapped away again. Two minutes later, my corns safely wrapped in a pair of slippers I shouted for him not to forget his drink. He moved. By 8.15 we were on our way to the shops. We wandered round with a trolley until the checkout where we packed the bags and made our way to the cafe. I said I’d have a drink but couldn’t have breakfast as I’d forgotten my tablets. The evil beggar sat and ate a sausage toastie in front of me. How cruel is that? Home again to unpack and by 10.30 we were on our way again heading for ‘Sunny’ Rhyl to meet our friend for lunch as it’s his 65th birthday. We met up at another branch of the store we’d been in this morning which gave me chance to pick up a couple of things I hadn’t got then. We had a nice lunch and took the cars to park in the town centre for a look round. Day over, Brian went home and Mike and I headed back here to relax. I did my messages while watching TV and chatting with Mike just to prove I can multi task, though my temper at the laptop has only just kept it in the room instead of the garden.
I hope you’ve all had nice weeks and have great weeks to come.
Hugs
A Mode of Transport
I stood outside a garage for an hour this afternoon. Not because I was hoping to be picked up by a female kerb crawler, after all she’d have to let the guide dog drive, but because my ‘brotherfriend’ was waiting to pick up his car which was being repaired. Since I was having no joy with the ladies, not even the sympathy vote, it gave me time to think about just how often I’ve done this with Michael. Believe me he’s been through a lot of cars since I’ve known him, and even before that he had one of the first Model T’s from Ford’s line. Factory fresh and brand new it was apparently.
Excuse me a moment while I just barricade my door. ” Pardon Michael, sorry bro I can’t hear you too well, and something seems to have happened to the door. Now now, temper, temper, you know what the specialist said.”
His cars have never been new, except to him. and they’ve always been bargains in his eyes. Yet a relatively short time later he appears in something else as his car is in the garage. This time he has a Renault Megane cabriolet 1.9 dci which may well be Greek for They saw him Coming. When he arrived on Friday I saw the look of fear on his face that told me it may be something serious this time, we’ve all seen the look where the pound signs roll in the eyes like the handle of a penny imagine has been depressed, and that’s quite an appropriate word. You can hear the sound of mechanics hands rubbing together in glee, so fast it almost ignites the oil deposited under their nails. He’d heard a sound when driving up that came from the rear underside of the car and it sounded expensive. The car had gone in on Friday and he was told to check on it’s health this afternoon. He’d been given a loaner because the garage he’s using at the moment is owned by someone he considers a friend and a straight up front fella to paraphrase his words. This chap is very knowledgeable with car electrics and is the man to call if you have a problem in this area.
The car he’d been loaned is a Renault Twingo and just in case anyone is interested I know nothing about cars but made copious notes. However, if Renault are interested in a sponsorship deal, the Twingo is an excellent vehicle with plenty of leg room for the slightly longer person even when they use crutches. We used thiss most excellent vehicle to go and buy some urgent supplies for my daughter and new born grandson ( Come on, what kind of Pops would I be if I couldn’t brag when I could? ). We’d had to travel over the border into that country where carrier bags are still free in shops, ( but yah boo sucks, we don’t pay prescription charges on my side!), but we’d managed to deliver said supplies, received tears of gratitude, get hugs, coffee and then a ten minute argument with my daughter when she transferred the money into my bank account. *** Note to pensioner parents, be careful never to let anyone have your bank account details, this goes doubly if you’re related to them. *** Note to self, she thinks she’s won does she? HA!
We recrossed the border at the checkpoint and were eyed with suspicion by guards on both sides. I assured them we were not smuggling Titterton’s Pork Pies ( I haven’t given up hope of one of their executives reading this blog) but were on a humanitarian mission to fill Michael’s stomach, at times it grumbles more than he does. We were close to a Frankie and Benny’s ( will I ever make a living name dropping like this) so stopped for an all day breakfast. A very healthy diabetic option of course with bacon, sausage, egg, French fries, tomato, beans and mushroom, just look at all that veg. After mopping the residue from the front of my shirt we made tracks for the garage. The first thing I noticed as we arrived was a Suzuki Cappucini 675cc 1994 reg roller skate. It’s been so long since I heard mention of his second car that I almost forgot he had one. Yes, it was another of his ‘new’ cars he’d wanted because it was rare, sporty, soft top ( to match him) and only broke down on alternate weeks.This one has spent much of it’s life with him in this home from convalescent home with various ills. For the sake of my health I decide not to mention it.
In the hour I waited outside the garage Michael explained how he’d managed o swing the deal of the century in paying much less for this car than it’s worth- as a very expensive ornament- when behold it was fixed. We returned the Twingo with some apprehension and set off for home in the now repaired Renault. We didn’t get very far before I proved just how extensive my knowledge of cars is. ” Stop!!! Car thingy ! Look that has to be big enough for Yvonne, Ugo and the baby, a family! ( no-one can doubt my deductive powers after this).
Excuse me a moment while I just barricade my door. ” Pardon Michael, sorry bro I can’t hear you too well, and something seems to have happened to the door. Now now, temper, temper, you know what the specialist said.”
His cars have never been new, except to him. and they’ve always been bargains in his eyes. Yet a relatively short time later he appears in something else as his car is in the garage. This time he has a Renault Megane cabriolet 1.9 dci which may well be Greek for They saw him Coming. When he arrived on Friday I saw the look of fear on his face that told me it may be something serious this time, we’ve all seen the look where the pound signs roll in the eyes like the handle of a penny imagine has been depressed, and that’s quite an appropriate word. You can hear the sound of mechanics hands rubbing together in glee, so fast it almost ignites the oil deposited under their nails. He’d heard a sound when driving up that came from the rear underside of the car and it sounded expensive. The car had gone in on Friday and he was told to check on it’s health this afternoon. He’d been given a loaner because the garage he’s using at the moment is owned by someone he considers a friend and a straight up front fella to paraphrase his words. This chap is very knowledgeable with car electrics and is the man to call if you have a problem in this area.
The car he’d been loaned is a Renault Twingo and just in case anyone is interested I know nothing about cars but made copious notes. However, if Renault are interested in a sponsorship deal, the Twingo is an excellent vehicle with plenty of leg room for the slightly longer person even when they use crutches. We used thiss most excellent vehicle to go and buy some urgent supplies for my daughter and new born grandson ( Come on, what kind of Pops would I be if I couldn’t brag when I could? ). We’d had to travel over the border into that country where carrier bags are still free in shops, ( but yah boo sucks, we don’t pay prescription charges on my side!), but we’d managed to deliver said supplies, received tears of gratitude, get hugs, coffee and then a ten minute argument with my daughter when she transferred the money into my bank account. *** Note to pensioner parents, be careful never to let anyone have your bank account details, this goes doubly if you’re related to them. *** Note to self, she thinks she’s won does she? HA!
We recrossed the border at the checkpoint and were eyed with suspicion by guards on both sides. I assured them we were not smuggling Titterton’s Pork Pies ( I haven’t given up hope of one of their executives reading this blog) but were on a humanitarian mission to fill Michael’s stomach, at times it grumbles more than he does. We were close to a Frankie and Benny’s ( will I ever make a living name dropping like this) so stopped for an all day breakfast. A very healthy diabetic option of course with bacon, sausage, egg, French fries, tomato, beans and mushroom, just look at all that veg. After mopping the residue from the front of my shirt we made tracks for the garage. The first thing I noticed as we arrived was a Suzuki Cappucini 675cc 1994 reg roller skate. It’s been so long since I heard mention of his second car that I almost forgot he had one. Yes, it was another of his ‘new’ cars he’d wanted because it was rare, sporty, soft top ( to match him) and only broke down on alternate weeks.This one has spent much of it’s life with him in this home from convalescent home with various ills. For the sake of my health I decide not to mention it.
In the hour I waited outside the garage Michael explained how he’d managed o swing the deal of the century in paying much less for this car than it’s worth- as a very expensive ornament- when behold it was fixed. We returned the Twingo with some apprehension and set off for home in the now repaired Renault. We didn’t get very far before I proved just how extensive my knowledge of cars is. ” Stop!!! Car thingy ! Look that has to be big enough for Yvonne, Ugo and the baby, a family! ( no-one can doubt my deductive powers after this).
Car thingy aka Nissan Almeira.
If it gets them out of that Fordy thing it has to be good. “The Almeira you mean” said a smug little voice, ” yes. it would be good since it’s in the garage quite a lot.” It was at this point I bit my tongue and almost choked when I swallowed it. Mind you If I’d opened my mouth just then to say what I was thinking I’d have choked for sure and Michael’s children would have been smuggling files in cakes. Anyway, Michael asked about it. Y reg model I think, one owner from new, 75,000 miles on the clock, 11 months MOT, 6 months tax ( thanks to his silver tongue) and just £850 with about £200 part exchange for his Mondeo. Bearing in mind I know naff all about cars, don’t care to and don’t drive I was so excited now I was almost salivating at this point and desperate to get it for them. Only the voice of reason held me back as I thought maybe they should agree to this first. Michael test drove it to check the handling which was fine and I texted her. It was all Michael could do to stop me rushing in and paying on my card and he suggested we go home and wait for an answer. I take back everything I ever said about him, I can see where the red haze descends and takes over now. At that point I’d have bought a bald tyre.
I’m still waiting for an answer- A reasonable, non-swearing at Daddy type answer for preference. After all, I’m just trying to look after my baby. xx
If it gets them out of that Fordy thing it has to be good. “The Almeira you mean” said a smug little voice, ” yes. it would be good since it’s in the garage quite a lot.” It was at this point I bit my tongue and almost choked when I swallowed it. Mind you If I’d opened my mouth just then to say what I was thinking I’d have choked for sure and Michael’s children would have been smuggling files in cakes. Anyway, Michael asked about it. Y reg model I think, one owner from new, 75,000 miles on the clock, 11 months MOT, 6 months tax ( thanks to his silver tongue) and just £850 with about £200 part exchange for his Mondeo. Bearing in mind I know naff all about cars, don’t care to and don’t drive I was so excited now I was almost salivating at this point and desperate to get it for them. Only the voice of reason held me back as I thought maybe they should agree to this first. Michael test drove it to check the handling which was fine and I texted her. It was all Michael could do to stop me rushing in and paying on my card and he suggested we go home and wait for an answer. I take back everything I ever said about him, I can see where the red haze descends and takes over now. At that point I’d have bought a bald tyre.
I’m still waiting for an answer- A reasonable, non-swearing at Daddy type answer for preference. After all, I’m just trying to look after my baby. xx
A Surprise or is it?
Hello everyone, I hope you’re all having a nice weekend. At this point of the week I fully expected to be regaling you with tales about the birth of my grandson and boring you to tears with 73 different pictures of his tiny hands as the shadows ply upon them giving the impression of movement. Instead I think the hands may actually be moving in temper when we actually tempt him out with pieces of chocolate swung on a piece of string. Of course my daughters recent ( ha ha) predilection for chocolate may already have put him off for life.
Anyway, at the moment the little scamp is still holding on to his cushy berth ( sorry) for dear life, and refusing the glare of publicity and the intrusion into his private life. It appears he’s shy. It seems he reacts quite well to my voice doing little somersaults when he hears me. Remind me to tell you about Olive, a fish I had that used to do the same. They react better to lower tones. His mum so desperately wants to see him she’s resorted to screeching now when he moves. Of course he’s been in there so long we reckon he’s already probably 6 foot tall.
So, it looks like the news will have to wait another week but I’ve already got an author interview in hand so heaven only knows when I’ll fit him into my calendar now.
In the meantime there is a little bit of news I’ve been keeping under my deerstalker this week ( Now Now ladies, keep it clean). Some people may think I’ve taken advice from my contemporaries, I prefer to think of it as giving in to incessant nagging from various sources. ( Yes. you know who you are people!).
When I’d written the Barsetshire Diaries books I’d started a blog for Oscar the cat Superior after being threatened with legal action by his brief for using his proper name in the books. He said the constant adulation left Oscar no privacy. Anyway, it appears his many fans ( damn you both) thought with a few minor changes the blog would make a good book and unbelievable as it seems, there are people out there who like cats Superiors ( why does my machine keep defaulting to that word?).
So let me introduce you to the new book which is currently on the Amazon kindle sites and Xin Xii. During the coming week I hope to OK the proof copy for Lulu and have the paperback up on sale too though it will take a while to reach Amazon. Here’s the cover…….
Anyway, at the moment the little scamp is still holding on to his cushy berth ( sorry) for dear life, and refusing the glare of publicity and the intrusion into his private life. It appears he’s shy. It seems he reacts quite well to my voice doing little somersaults when he hears me. Remind me to tell you about Olive, a fish I had that used to do the same. They react better to lower tones. His mum so desperately wants to see him she’s resorted to screeching now when he moves. Of course he’s been in there so long we reckon he’s already probably 6 foot tall.
So, it looks like the news will have to wait another week but I’ve already got an author interview in hand so heaven only knows when I’ll fit him into my calendar now.
In the meantime there is a little bit of news I’ve been keeping under my deerstalker this week ( Now Now ladies, keep it clean). Some people may think I’ve taken advice from my contemporaries, I prefer to think of it as giving in to incessant nagging from various sources. ( Yes. you know who you are people!).
When I’d written the Barsetshire Diaries books I’d started a blog for Oscar the cat Superior after being threatened with legal action by his brief for using his proper name in the books. He said the constant adulation left Oscar no privacy. Anyway, it appears his many fans ( damn you both) thought with a few minor changes the blog would make a good book and unbelievable as it seems, there are people out there who like cats Superiors ( why does my machine keep defaulting to that word?).
So let me introduce you to the new book which is currently on the Amazon kindle sites and Xin Xii. During the coming week I hope to OK the proof copy for Lulu and have the paperback up on sale too though it will take a while to reach Amazon. Here’s the cover…….
http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-of-a-Superior-ebook/dp/B00EJ9FNWS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376781878&sr=8-2&keywords=memoirs+of+a+superior
and here is the first review already which is very exciting.
By Ilil R. Arbel (New York)
This review is from: Memoirs of a Superior (Kindle Edition)
The book “Memoirs of a Superior” succeeds where so many other books fail – it makes a cat communicate with us in an entirely believable way. I have read many books told from the point of view of an animal, and this book stand above and beyond most of them. As a matter of fact, I can think of only one that could be compared – and this is high praise indeed – “The Fur Person” by May Sarton, an acknowledged masterpiece in the genre. Nothing else comes to mind that could be termed as good as Oscar’s story.
Anyone who had met this fabulous cat before in the other delightful books by Lord David Prosser, knows that Oscar is really the master of the household. Oscar himself has no doubt of it, and he runs the lives of his “longlegs” in a despotic though kindly way, as a “superior” should. If you never met him before, not to worry… he will let you know exactly what he thinks, in no uncertain manner.
I also want to touch on the language, which is extraordinary. Oscar’s “voice,” choice of words, and style of narrating his story are wholly consistent, so much so that you would be able to feel that indeed, a cat is sitting at the computer and typing or dictating to his beloved slave. New definitions like “superior,” “longlegs,” “dark time” “sleeping place” and “clearway,” among many others, are used so brilliantly that you feel and see the way a cat feels and sees. When Oscar is outside, I could hear the “things that rustle in the grass.” When Oscar notices the delightful scent of food, I smelled it with him. His views on veterinarians, rats, dogs, or catteries are perfectly in line with his distinctive personality and he would not mince words – why should he? He is a Superior, with a capital S.
Oscar’s adventures are sometimes suspenseful, sometimes very funny, and always entertaining. I highly recommend this book which, incidentally, has no age limit. Any animal lover, of any age, would love it, and if you are not an animal lover, well, Oscar may just convert you… Enjoy!
If you know anyone who likes cats don’t hesitate to make me rich by recommending this book. Maybe I’ll even make a new start on the next book someday but as yet I don’t hate the world quite that much.
My thanks to Owen Jones who helped me get The book on the sites it needed to go on. Megan Publishing Services. http://fb.me/2ltocSkbO
and here is the first review already which is very exciting.
By Ilil R. Arbel (New York)
This review is from: Memoirs of a Superior (Kindle Edition)
The book “Memoirs of a Superior” succeeds where so many other books fail – it makes a cat communicate with us in an entirely believable way. I have read many books told from the point of view of an animal, and this book stand above and beyond most of them. As a matter of fact, I can think of only one that could be compared – and this is high praise indeed – “The Fur Person” by May Sarton, an acknowledged masterpiece in the genre. Nothing else comes to mind that could be termed as good as Oscar’s story.
Anyone who had met this fabulous cat before in the other delightful books by Lord David Prosser, knows that Oscar is really the master of the household. Oscar himself has no doubt of it, and he runs the lives of his “longlegs” in a despotic though kindly way, as a “superior” should. If you never met him before, not to worry… he will let you know exactly what he thinks, in no uncertain manner.
I also want to touch on the language, which is extraordinary. Oscar’s “voice,” choice of words, and style of narrating his story are wholly consistent, so much so that you would be able to feel that indeed, a cat is sitting at the computer and typing or dictating to his beloved slave. New definitions like “superior,” “longlegs,” “dark time” “sleeping place” and “clearway,” among many others, are used so brilliantly that you feel and see the way a cat feels and sees. When Oscar is outside, I could hear the “things that rustle in the grass.” When Oscar notices the delightful scent of food, I smelled it with him. His views on veterinarians, rats, dogs, or catteries are perfectly in line with his distinctive personality and he would not mince words – why should he? He is a Superior, with a capital S.
Oscar’s adventures are sometimes suspenseful, sometimes very funny, and always entertaining. I highly recommend this book which, incidentally, has no age limit. Any animal lover, of any age, would love it, and if you are not an animal lover, well, Oscar may just convert you… Enjoy!
If you know anyone who likes cats don’t hesitate to make me rich by recommending this book. Maybe I’ll even make a new start on the next book someday but as yet I don’t hate the world quite that much.
My thanks to Owen Jones who helped me get The book on the sites it needed to go on. Megan Publishing Services. http://fb.me/2ltocSkbO
The Price of Victory and Niggles of the Week
I know that quite a few of my friends followed the mighty battle earlier in the week as I contested hotly on Ebay to win the carved bamboo walking stick that left me with foot rot from drooling so much. I have to inform you that due to significant skill on my part plus various IOU’s I WON IT !
I’ll never be able to use it of course since it cost me an arm and a leg ( plus my soul I think) and I now topple over a lot. That however is not about to stop me displaying the same picture as before just to rub it in on anyone who may have bid against me.
I don’t have it yet as it’s still in transit guarded by an SAS regiment and a brace of rottweilers.The other stick I won earlier in the week is still in transit also and I have a budgie sending me messages about how it’s doing. It’s really nice but the carving is not in the same class. I’m going to have great joy checking for signatures to see if I can be more specific with the dates . I’m pretty sure they’re both about the 1880 mark but it’s nice to be sure. For anyone entering the walking-stick / cane collecting arena, I promise the Meiji period produced the most fantastic work.
I won’t bore you to death with my other purchases over this week because much of what I got was for gifts and some very nosey people curious family / friends read my blogs these days.
It’s been a week of frustration and niggles too.I find it curious that we are forever being exhorted to upgrade our computers and operating systems. Recently I’d been giving this some consideration since I run Windows Vista and have been experiencing some real problems.I decided to look a little more closely first.
The First problem started a few weeks ago but seemed to be getting worse. I was unable to get into wordpress accounts, getting a message that they weren’t available (including my own) or, if I could get in, I wasn’t able to leave comments. I could write them and save them but they didn’t appear.It turns out this is a well known problem between Google Chrome and WordPress. What didn’t help was that in going to the WordPress ‘help’ button for this with a question, I was redirected to the forum where I got no answers at all. Anyway a Google Search soon brought up the subject and information from fellow sufferers on how to overcome it. ‘Get rid of chrome and go to IE was one.’ I did that and my regret was almost instant because I remembered the crashes I used to get that sent me to Chrome . Go to Firefox was another suggestion I tried. The layout on that was terrible ( for me) and in the end I uninstalled and re-installed Google Chrome thinking the problem was less annoying than the cure. As it turns out, I may have done something right as things have improved a bit. Not perfect, but definitely better.
The Second problem is with Google Chrome and ‘Flash’ ( no, not the fast running man in the crimson outfit, that’s FLASH). More and more I’ve had the message that Flash has crashed which has frozen my screen in Ebay. When you’re in the last minute of a bidding war this you don’t need. Neither swearing nor cajoling seemed to be doing the trick. I turned to professional assistance, otherwise known as the ‘Scream for Help’ from my browser, only to be told yet again this is a well known problem between Google Chrome and Adobe Flash.I’m not very technically minded but I did manage to follow the directions I was given which would cure this. What is odd is that when I went to try it again it wouldn’t work at all as no Flash showed up at all. I retraced my steps and lo’ and behold all seems OK now.
The niggle is that wordpress must have been aware of the problem and didn’t try to help me. They could have sent a general message out warning Google Chrome users they may experience this problem and this is how you deal with it. 1, 2, 3 done. I could have gone out and bought a new computer in my ignorance which might also have run Google Chrome and I’d soon be in a mess again. Adobe Flash can’t be unaware of the disparity between themselves and Chrome either. They may feel it isn’t their fault but it would be good if they put out a general alert since so many systems use their product. As for Google, well they certainly must have known what was happening as theirs was the system that came last and caused the problems. If a patch wouldn’t work, again surely they could have sent out a general message saying some users might experience problems but here was the solution. It was a disappointment that it appeared none of the companies was prepared to confront the problem that would hit some of their users.
Anyway a week of some Joy. Since my beloved daughter is still crossing her knees and refusing to let my grandson appear I have no news on that front. His father’s birthday is next week and he’s hoping for an extra special present. Sorry Ugo, I think you’ll have to put up with the ones in gift wrap. As an aside to this I have recently been tweeting a lot about the Miracles of Cord Blood. That is the blood from a baby’s umbilical cord that is fresh and pristine and doesn’t have memories of being any particular organ and can be used to help repair or create many things within the body. It really is turning out to be a great miracle helping heart conditions, cancers and has even helped an AIDS victim. I have always said that too few of our hospitals save the cord or harvest the blood and asked that mothers to be check to see if their hospitals do so and if not, encourage them to do so for research purposes.
At the moment there’s one little boy who could do with all the help we can offer and I hope maybe you’ll take a look and see if there’s anything you can do. His name is Rayaan and here’s his link. http://www.thecordbloodmiracle.com/2013/08/Rayaan-Siddiqi-hemophagocytic-lymphohistiocytosis-Stem-Cell-HLH.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCordBloodMiracle+%28The+Cord+Blood+Miracle%29
Now, since I’ve just seen a spider the size of a carthorse scuttle across my floor, you’ll have to excuse me. Since there’s room for only one thing that size in this house I’m off to stand outside the font door and plead for help. Someone must have a chair, a trident and a lot of courage I could use.
Have a Great Week everyone. Hugs to you all. ( Yes, even men )
I’ll never be able to use it of course since it cost me an arm and a leg ( plus my soul I think) and I now topple over a lot. That however is not about to stop me displaying the same picture as before just to rub it in on anyone who may have bid against me.
I don’t have it yet as it’s still in transit guarded by an SAS regiment and a brace of rottweilers.The other stick I won earlier in the week is still in transit also and I have a budgie sending me messages about how it’s doing. It’s really nice but the carving is not in the same class. I’m going to have great joy checking for signatures to see if I can be more specific with the dates . I’m pretty sure they’re both about the 1880 mark but it’s nice to be sure. For anyone entering the walking-stick / cane collecting arena, I promise the Meiji period produced the most fantastic work.
I won’t bore you to death with my other purchases over this week because much of what I got was for gifts and some very nosey people curious family / friends read my blogs these days.
It’s been a week of frustration and niggles too.I find it curious that we are forever being exhorted to upgrade our computers and operating systems. Recently I’d been giving this some consideration since I run Windows Vista and have been experiencing some real problems.I decided to look a little more closely first.
The First problem started a few weeks ago but seemed to be getting worse. I was unable to get into wordpress accounts, getting a message that they weren’t available (including my own) or, if I could get in, I wasn’t able to leave comments. I could write them and save them but they didn’t appear.It turns out this is a well known problem between Google Chrome and WordPress. What didn’t help was that in going to the WordPress ‘help’ button for this with a question, I was redirected to the forum where I got no answers at all. Anyway a Google Search soon brought up the subject and information from fellow sufferers on how to overcome it. ‘Get rid of chrome and go to IE was one.’ I did that and my regret was almost instant because I remembered the crashes I used to get that sent me to Chrome . Go to Firefox was another suggestion I tried. The layout on that was terrible ( for me) and in the end I uninstalled and re-installed Google Chrome thinking the problem was less annoying than the cure. As it turns out, I may have done something right as things have improved a bit. Not perfect, but definitely better.
The Second problem is with Google Chrome and ‘Flash’ ( no, not the fast running man in the crimson outfit, that’s FLASH). More and more I’ve had the message that Flash has crashed which has frozen my screen in Ebay. When you’re in the last minute of a bidding war this you don’t need. Neither swearing nor cajoling seemed to be doing the trick. I turned to professional assistance, otherwise known as the ‘Scream for Help’ from my browser, only to be told yet again this is a well known problem between Google Chrome and Adobe Flash.I’m not very technically minded but I did manage to follow the directions I was given which would cure this. What is odd is that when I went to try it again it wouldn’t work at all as no Flash showed up at all. I retraced my steps and lo’ and behold all seems OK now.
The niggle is that wordpress must have been aware of the problem and didn’t try to help me. They could have sent a general message out warning Google Chrome users they may experience this problem and this is how you deal with it. 1, 2, 3 done. I could have gone out and bought a new computer in my ignorance which might also have run Google Chrome and I’d soon be in a mess again. Adobe Flash can’t be unaware of the disparity between themselves and Chrome either. They may feel it isn’t their fault but it would be good if they put out a general alert since so many systems use their product. As for Google, well they certainly must have known what was happening as theirs was the system that came last and caused the problems. If a patch wouldn’t work, again surely they could have sent out a general message saying some users might experience problems but here was the solution. It was a disappointment that it appeared none of the companies was prepared to confront the problem that would hit some of their users.
Anyway a week of some Joy. Since my beloved daughter is still crossing her knees and refusing to let my grandson appear I have no news on that front. His father’s birthday is next week and he’s hoping for an extra special present. Sorry Ugo, I think you’ll have to put up with the ones in gift wrap. As an aside to this I have recently been tweeting a lot about the Miracles of Cord Blood. That is the blood from a baby’s umbilical cord that is fresh and pristine and doesn’t have memories of being any particular organ and can be used to help repair or create many things within the body. It really is turning out to be a great miracle helping heart conditions, cancers and has even helped an AIDS victim. I have always said that too few of our hospitals save the cord or harvest the blood and asked that mothers to be check to see if their hospitals do so and if not, encourage them to do so for research purposes.
At the moment there’s one little boy who could do with all the help we can offer and I hope maybe you’ll take a look and see if there’s anything you can do. His name is Rayaan and here’s his link. http://www.thecordbloodmiracle.com/2013/08/Rayaan-Siddiqi-hemophagocytic-lymphohistiocytosis-Stem-Cell-HLH.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCordBloodMiracle+%28The+Cord+Blood+Miracle%29
Now, since I’ve just seen a spider the size of a carthorse scuttle across my floor, you’ll have to excuse me. Since there’s room for only one thing that size in this house I’m off to stand outside the font door and plead for help. Someone must have a chair, a trident and a lot of courage I could use.
Have a Great Week everyone. Hugs to you all. ( Yes, even men )
BOGOF 1
BOGOF 1.Monday of this week (15th) was Julia’s birthday. Though she’s no longer with us, the family ( or as much as could get away) wanted to celebrate the day to show she’s not forgotten. I wanted so much to show my appreciation of all the support I’ve had and settled on a couple of days away. I didn’t choose the place but in the end couldn’t fault the choice.
My niece Karen found a Groupon stay in York and we were able to book the last rooms available from Monday to Wednesday at a nice little place called the Queen Anne’s Guest House. Before I go further let me again thank Phil West and his wife for making our stay easy and pleasant. We arrived late morning and had been told it was fine to drop our bags off and go off to explore and find lunch if we wanted. My son-in-law aka The Stomach on Legs needed little persuasion so we headed the ten minute walk into town for food. The weather was a great help at lifting everyone’s spirits but our walk took us through the most beautiful park by the River Ouse where we were able to release balloons in Ju’s memory. True to form she didn’t make life easy when the balloon released by Yvonne hopped along the ground and headed straight for the nearest tree which it began to climb. She was quite the tomboy in her youth.
After the release we had a coffee and light lunch, a wander round part of the city and returned to the guest house to rest before going out again for dinner. There was a nice pub/hotel quite close by and we had excellent food before realising how much the heat had taken out of us. In honour of the day I had agreed with a friend that I’d have a pint on his behalf. Not something I’d normally do since a sniff of the barmaid’s apron is usually enough to have me flat on my back.
Of course everyone was only too happy to record this and I think four cameras were out and trained on me. We got back to the guest house safely and had an early night.
Tuesday morning breakfast and Phil’s lovely wife was dancing attendance on us with our various orders. I can highly recommend the full English and even managed to have my fill of toast before Ugo descended from his pit. I’ve never seen hand and jaws co-ordinate with such speed before as the table rapidly emptied. We were lucky it was time to leave before he started on the tablecloths. Karen and Joanne kept me in check as we headed back into York as Ugo made sure Yvonne was OK and not about to give birth before the holiday was over. First job of the day was to indulge a whim of mine which was to ave a photograph taken together without one of us claiming they needed to be on the other side of the camera. We headed for York’s famous Shambles and the Past Images Studio. The Shambles is a centuries old Meat Market with many of the building still retaining the original meat hooks by the doors. It’s beautiful, it’s quaint and very historic.
These are some of the Photographs from the studio.
My niece Karen found a Groupon stay in York and we were able to book the last rooms available from Monday to Wednesday at a nice little place called the Queen Anne’s Guest House. Before I go further let me again thank Phil West and his wife for making our stay easy and pleasant. We arrived late morning and had been told it was fine to drop our bags off and go off to explore and find lunch if we wanted. My son-in-law aka The Stomach on Legs needed little persuasion so we headed the ten minute walk into town for food. The weather was a great help at lifting everyone’s spirits but our walk took us through the most beautiful park by the River Ouse where we were able to release balloons in Ju’s memory. True to form she didn’t make life easy when the balloon released by Yvonne hopped along the ground and headed straight for the nearest tree which it began to climb. She was quite the tomboy in her youth.
After the release we had a coffee and light lunch, a wander round part of the city and returned to the guest house to rest before going out again for dinner. There was a nice pub/hotel quite close by and we had excellent food before realising how much the heat had taken out of us. In honour of the day I had agreed with a friend that I’d have a pint on his behalf. Not something I’d normally do since a sniff of the barmaid’s apron is usually enough to have me flat on my back.
Of course everyone was only too happy to record this and I think four cameras were out and trained on me. We got back to the guest house safely and had an early night.
Tuesday morning breakfast and Phil’s lovely wife was dancing attendance on us with our various orders. I can highly recommend the full English and even managed to have my fill of toast before Ugo descended from his pit. I’ve never seen hand and jaws co-ordinate with such speed before as the table rapidly emptied. We were lucky it was time to leave before he started on the tablecloths. Karen and Joanne kept me in check as we headed back into York as Ugo made sure Yvonne was OK and not about to give birth before the holiday was over. First job of the day was to indulge a whim of mine which was to ave a photograph taken together without one of us claiming they needed to be on the other side of the camera. We headed for York’s famous Shambles and the Past Images Studio. The Shambles is a centuries old Meat Market with many of the building still retaining the original meat hooks by the doors. It’s beautiful, it’s quaint and very historic.
These are some of the Photographs from the studio.
York Minster was another place we couldn’t afford to miss since it’s history is so significant to the City. After lunch it was our first stop before we again ambled back to the guest house to rest up before dinner at the same pub as before but without me indulging a second time.
Breakfast on Wednesday wasn’t half as much fun as the day before as Ugo arrived before I could finish the toast. We’d all slept well after the walking but today we had to journey home and had a stop to make on the way. Stockport !! I’m going to make the excuse that the girls all wanted to shop for baby clothes but in reality I wanted to stop for pork pies before my brother visited that evening. After breakfast Ugo only needed to stop for food once before having his first beef pie ( my pies are safe since he doesn’t care for pork) just before stopping for lunch. Since I’m honest I can say we shopped for baby clothes and the girls between them created a dearth of clothes and shoes that will leave the women of Stockport stunned for many a year.
We arrived home safely. Of course in a blog there’s no way I can describe everything we saw even if I had the words to do so. York is an exceptional place, the guest house was superb and I’d gladly return there, most of all I was in fantastic company at a time when alone I may have been fragile. Thank you so much to my lovely family, Karen who stood to my right in the picture, Yvonne who stood to my left, Ugo to her left and Joanne who managed to get the only chair in a way I haven’t fathomed yet. You gave me a wonderful break.
Breakfast on Wednesday wasn’t half as much fun as the day before as Ugo arrived before I could finish the toast. We’d all slept well after the walking but today we had to journey home and had a stop to make on the way. Stockport !! I’m going to make the excuse that the girls all wanted to shop for baby clothes but in reality I wanted to stop for pork pies before my brother visited that evening. After breakfast Ugo only needed to stop for food once before having his first beef pie ( my pies are safe since he doesn’t care for pork) just before stopping for lunch. Since I’m honest I can say we shopped for baby clothes and the girls between them created a dearth of clothes and shoes that will leave the women of Stockport stunned for many a year.
We arrived home safely. Of course in a blog there’s no way I can describe everything we saw even if I had the words to do so. York is an exceptional place, the guest house was superb and I’d gladly return there, most of all I was in fantastic company at a time when alone I may have been fragile. Thank you so much to my lovely family, Karen who stood to my right in the picture, Yvonne who stood to my left, Ugo to her left and Joanne who managed to get the only chair in a way I haven’t fathomed yet. You gave me a wonderful break.
Six Degrees of Desperation
You’re going to laugh now. I know you will. Last night I found a few minutes to spare…… See, I said you’d laugh. I’ve got a prison pallor from sitting at the computer so much answering emails and maybe a ten second stint on ebay buying a few coins. Anyhoo, with this few minutes I thought I’d take a look at the family tree again on Ancestry.co.uk ( The same as Ancestry.com except for the accent). I’ve been making remarkable progress working my way backwards. Julia’s went back to Adam and Eve and a certain apple seller but I’d been making good headway on a certain part of mine. It’s funny that sometimes things just fit together.
Some of you will no doubt be on the Ancestry site and will know that when you go on a person’s profile it allows you to check the relationship between you and that person. Please believe me when I say I used to have a very high IQ but I’m going to admit here and now I find certain relationship very confusing. For instance…..My great-grandmother had a sister. I could probably work out that she’d be my Great, Great Aunt? OK, with me so far? So this person has a child who then becomes my grandmothers first cousin. What relationship is she to me? Well it seems she’s my first cousin two times removed????? And if that person has a child, what are they to me? Pass the aspirin please.
Again with my Great Grandmother’s family. One or two of her sons who would be my first cousins twice removed, then removed themselves from the UK and settled in the US. Everyone seems to have taken ship from Liverpool to Canada and then entered the US from there. They seem to have settled in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Judging by the success I’ve had these people seem to have married Swedes ( not the vegetable), people from Germany, Russia, the US itself and also some fellow Brits. They’re spreading out so much I think there’s a chance that Chicago may one day come back to the Commonwealth.
I’ve had one friend in my life and apart from a few minor hiccups we’ve known each other for about 36 years. He’s so close we say the same things at the same time, have been called an old married couple, the Brothers Grimm and probably a few other choice epithets as well. Because of our closeness we’ve often referred to each other as brothers. At my nieces today he got into a conversation about 6 degrees of separation, whereby if you speak to anyone, anywhere in the world, in 6 moves you’ll find something in common, or words to that effect. He said how strange it would be to find we’re actually related. He’s Jewish and his father’s family originated in Poland. A lot of the family were lost to the Concentration Camps during WWII and many records relating to the family were destroyed or lost when ‘Dad F’ had to flee Poland for his life. (OK don’t rush me, I’m getting to the point as quickly as I know how now). Mike wanted some help with a family tree, knowing he wouldn’t get too far but he wanted something for his children and grandchildren. I created one for him on my Ancestry pages and set to work starting with him. It’s been difficult but fun in it’s own way. I watched one group of his family set up in Manchester quite close to where part of my family had a section of tree. Tonight he was cracking the whip a bit and I came across a name that seemed to ring bells. I wasn’t sure why and while checking some new ‘Hints’ I Followed her to a marriage in the US. Would you believe it’ s in Chicago, Cooke County, Illinois. There are quite a few of his family there now. We had a laugh about it, I finished what I could ( I mean what I had patience for) and before signing out, just nipped back to my own family tree. There, I found a name so close to the one of his relative I was taken aback for a moment ( I’m not sure where to) it was almost the same name as one of mine. No wonder it sounded familiar. He rolled on the bed laughing ( shame he didn’t roll off the bed but you can’t have everything and I want the lottery instead). It was true that we could almost have been related after all. Maybe this 6 degrees of separation is actually true.
Some of you will no doubt be on the Ancestry site and will know that when you go on a person’s profile it allows you to check the relationship between you and that person. Please believe me when I say I used to have a very high IQ but I’m going to admit here and now I find certain relationship very confusing. For instance…..My great-grandmother had a sister. I could probably work out that she’d be my Great, Great Aunt? OK, with me so far? So this person has a child who then becomes my grandmothers first cousin. What relationship is she to me? Well it seems she’s my first cousin two times removed????? And if that person has a child, what are they to me? Pass the aspirin please.
Again with my Great Grandmother’s family. One or two of her sons who would be my first cousins twice removed, then removed themselves from the UK and settled in the US. Everyone seems to have taken ship from Liverpool to Canada and then entered the US from there. They seem to have settled in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Judging by the success I’ve had these people seem to have married Swedes ( not the vegetable), people from Germany, Russia, the US itself and also some fellow Brits. They’re spreading out so much I think there’s a chance that Chicago may one day come back to the Commonwealth.
I’ve had one friend in my life and apart from a few minor hiccups we’ve known each other for about 36 years. He’s so close we say the same things at the same time, have been called an old married couple, the Brothers Grimm and probably a few other choice epithets as well. Because of our closeness we’ve often referred to each other as brothers. At my nieces today he got into a conversation about 6 degrees of separation, whereby if you speak to anyone, anywhere in the world, in 6 moves you’ll find something in common, or words to that effect. He said how strange it would be to find we’re actually related. He’s Jewish and his father’s family originated in Poland. A lot of the family were lost to the Concentration Camps during WWII and many records relating to the family were destroyed or lost when ‘Dad F’ had to flee Poland for his life. (OK don’t rush me, I’m getting to the point as quickly as I know how now). Mike wanted some help with a family tree, knowing he wouldn’t get too far but he wanted something for his children and grandchildren. I created one for him on my Ancestry pages and set to work starting with him. It’s been difficult but fun in it’s own way. I watched one group of his family set up in Manchester quite close to where part of my family had a section of tree. Tonight he was cracking the whip a bit and I came across a name that seemed to ring bells. I wasn’t sure why and while checking some new ‘Hints’ I Followed her to a marriage in the US. Would you believe it’ s in Chicago, Cooke County, Illinois. There are quite a few of his family there now. We had a laugh about it, I finished what I could ( I mean what I had patience for) and before signing out, just nipped back to my own family tree. There, I found a name so close to the one of his relative I was taken aback for a moment ( I’m not sure where to) it was almost the same name as one of mine. No wonder it sounded familiar. He rolled on the bed laughing ( shame he didn’t roll off the bed but you can’t have everything and I want the lottery instead). It was true that we could almost have been related after all. Maybe this 6 degrees of separation is actually true.
Top Tenners
The ever Wonderful Paula Acton is doing a Blog Challenge on her site. I don’t normally take part in TOP TEN challenges mainly because I can only ever count up to nine as I need one finger to do the counting and my memory is crap. But this week her challenge was her TOP TEN favourite films and I decided to take part. I still haven’t figured out why. Anyway, I copied them for my site as it gives me the perfect excuse to post again and also to suggest you maybe ‘strain the brain’ and come up with your own TOP TEN challenge for your followers or see if you can find your own TOP TEN favourite films to share here.
Here are mine and I freely admit I pinched No’s 1 & 2 from Paula’s list because I like the films.
10. Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Iconic film and Audrey Hepburn at her best.
9. Silence of the Lambs. True horror in that everything seems so normal. Who couldn’t listen to Anthony Hopkin’s accent all day?( Not that I’m biased)
8. To Sir with Love. Brilliant film with Sidney Poitier playing the teacher sent to a down at heel school in London’s East End. He has to win over the pupils, teach them respect for each other, and get them to learn. Stars Lulu who plays an excellent part. http://youtu.be/CbjMVpK_utU
7. The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. The Gladys Aylward story starring Ingrid Bergman who has to lead a group of children over the mountains in China to get away from the Invading Japanese.Amazing film. No dry eyes when Athene Seyler falls from a balcony or when Robert Donat ( The Mandarin) sends Aylward to safety with a catch in his voice. Curt Jurgens is the love interest. One great thing about this film for me is that it was filmed in the Welsh Mountainside near Conwy using as many Chinese children as the Takeaways and Restaurants of Liverpool could manage.
6. Guess who’s Coming to Dinner. Back to the very talented Mr. Poutier who stars alongside my favourite acting duo ( and the woman I have drooled over all my life) Spencer Tracy and KATHARINE HEPBURN along with Katharine Houghton. The story of two people ( Poitier and Houghton) who descend on her parents and announce they’re going to be married. This is a big test to her parents Liberal attitudes as this would be an interracial marriage and they’ve never met him before. This is an amazing film but then anything with Katharine Hepburn in it is.
5. The Lion in Winter. Henry II (Peter O’Toole) won’t commit to naming his heir to the throne and all his three sons want it. His wife Eleonor of Aquitaine
( Katie Hepburn again) wants it to go to Richard but they are all plotting against Henry together and separately. Well scripted and played historical drama also stars a young Anthony Hopkins.
4. A Man for all Seasons. Starring Paul Schofield who had made the part his own in the stage play, this is the story of Sir Thomas More who refused to sign a letter asking the Pope to annul the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. .The story of a man of conscience standing his ground and paying the price.
3. Braveheart. The story of William Wallace who led the Scots against the tyranny of King Edward I of England in an effort to gain Independence for the Scots..Some fanciful dream scenes in the film but not enough to spoil the action. Edward I is brilliantly played by Patrick McGoohan ( Just watch how he deals with his son’s boyfriend ).
2. Ghost. Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore., What a pairing. After being killed during a botched mugging, a man’s love for his partner enables him to remain on earth as a ghost. There’s a nice twist at the end. Great also for the fantastic music. http://youtu.be/ZoEwR9_Sy_M
1. Goodbye Mr. Chips. A film based on a short story by novelist James Hilton. The Magnificent Robert Donat beat off people like Clark Gable to win this part. He plays a schoolteacher devoted to his school to the expense of his social life. So much so that he’s passed over for promotions because he’s regarded as mousey. Bring on the school holiday and a hiking trip in Eorope with the German Teacher ( Paul Heinreid- a German) where he bumps into Greer Garson. One thing leads to another and they marry. It’s a New Mr Chips with a sense of humour and a pretty wife at school now. Then comes a sad bit when his wife and baby die in childbirth.Keep your tissues handy. Hitler casts a pall over Europe and Paul Heinried goes back to Germany to fight. Mr Chips is made temporary headmaster when so many teachers go to fight and causes a minor uproar when he remembers the death of an old colleague, yes, The German Master, killed in action.
I won’t spoil the closing of the film but believe me even the men will need tissues.
See how you can do……
Here are mine and I freely admit I pinched No’s 1 & 2 from Paula’s list because I like the films.
10. Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Iconic film and Audrey Hepburn at her best.
9. Silence of the Lambs. True horror in that everything seems so normal. Who couldn’t listen to Anthony Hopkin’s accent all day?( Not that I’m biased)
8. To Sir with Love. Brilliant film with Sidney Poitier playing the teacher sent to a down at heel school in London’s East End. He has to win over the pupils, teach them respect for each other, and get them to learn. Stars Lulu who plays an excellent part. http://youtu.be/CbjMVpK_utU
7. The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. The Gladys Aylward story starring Ingrid Bergman who has to lead a group of children over the mountains in China to get away from the Invading Japanese.Amazing film. No dry eyes when Athene Seyler falls from a balcony or when Robert Donat ( The Mandarin) sends Aylward to safety with a catch in his voice. Curt Jurgens is the love interest. One great thing about this film for me is that it was filmed in the Welsh Mountainside near Conwy using as many Chinese children as the Takeaways and Restaurants of Liverpool could manage.
6. Guess who’s Coming to Dinner. Back to the very talented Mr. Poutier who stars alongside my favourite acting duo ( and the woman I have drooled over all my life) Spencer Tracy and KATHARINE HEPBURN along with Katharine Houghton. The story of two people ( Poitier and Houghton) who descend on her parents and announce they’re going to be married. This is a big test to her parents Liberal attitudes as this would be an interracial marriage and they’ve never met him before. This is an amazing film but then anything with Katharine Hepburn in it is.
5. The Lion in Winter. Henry II (Peter O’Toole) won’t commit to naming his heir to the throne and all his three sons want it. His wife Eleonor of Aquitaine
( Katie Hepburn again) wants it to go to Richard but they are all plotting against Henry together and separately. Well scripted and played historical drama also stars a young Anthony Hopkins.
4. A Man for all Seasons. Starring Paul Schofield who had made the part his own in the stage play, this is the story of Sir Thomas More who refused to sign a letter asking the Pope to annul the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. .The story of a man of conscience standing his ground and paying the price.
3. Braveheart. The story of William Wallace who led the Scots against the tyranny of King Edward I of England in an effort to gain Independence for the Scots..Some fanciful dream scenes in the film but not enough to spoil the action. Edward I is brilliantly played by Patrick McGoohan ( Just watch how he deals with his son’s boyfriend ).
2. Ghost. Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore., What a pairing. After being killed during a botched mugging, a man’s love for his partner enables him to remain on earth as a ghost. There’s a nice twist at the end. Great also for the fantastic music. http://youtu.be/ZoEwR9_Sy_M
1. Goodbye Mr. Chips. A film based on a short story by novelist James Hilton. The Magnificent Robert Donat beat off people like Clark Gable to win this part. He plays a schoolteacher devoted to his school to the expense of his social life. So much so that he’s passed over for promotions because he’s regarded as mousey. Bring on the school holiday and a hiking trip in Eorope with the German Teacher ( Paul Heinreid- a German) where he bumps into Greer Garson. One thing leads to another and they marry. It’s a New Mr Chips with a sense of humour and a pretty wife at school now. Then comes a sad bit when his wife and baby die in childbirth.Keep your tissues handy. Hitler casts a pall over Europe and Paul Heinried goes back to Germany to fight. Mr Chips is made temporary headmaster when so many teachers go to fight and causes a minor uproar when he remembers the death of an old colleague, yes, The German Master, killed in action.
I won’t spoil the closing of the film but believe me even the men will need tissues.
See how you can do……
Bring on the Strait Jacket
I think my body and brain are officially at war. There’s a part of me ( the brain ) that thinks I should still be sixteen (scratch that) twenty ( I don’t want to return to being sweet 16 and never been kissed) and the senile part of my brain (all) refuses to accept the realities of life despite all the signposts life puts in the way. For instance, I see a pretty girl walk by, I turn to wolf whistle my appreciation and I fall over after having twisted my neck out of alignment and having tripped over my crutches. The only way I can catch a woman these days is if she’s behind me and I walk backwards. It helps if she’s myopic too in case anyone is listening to my prayers. I doubt that very much though since I can hear a dirty laugh in the background whenever I check my lottery. To be fair I’ve always said that I won’t forget my friends if I win. All of you would get a postcard from my cruise ship.
Anyway, as usual the senility is kicking in and I digress. I wanted to speak tonight ( this morning for all you pedants out there) about the need for people my age to be watched 24/7 by our children while they still stand the chance of an inheritance. I decided to come to an agreement with my brain. I’d let it go it’s own way in certain things as long as it left me some common sense and dignity at the end of each week. I don’t think it’s holding up it’s end of the deal. The family always knew my father in law to be a gadget man. Whatever the latest thing on the market was, he had to have it ( or as my daughter used to put it….But I neeeeed it ). It’s just occurred to me how much I’ve stepped into his role.
When I’m taken out (allowed out it should be) anywhere, one of the things I enjoy most is to stop for a latte. Yes, when I’m outside I do realise it’s just a glorified milky coffee, but I like it. What if I could have this at home I thought. Enter my old friend ebay and my deadly enemy the credit card. ( It’s not my fault, my daughter should hold it !). “Why get a machine that just does latte?” my enfeebled brain asked ” when you can supply drinks of all varieties for your visitors.” This made perfect sense and of course as a gentleman I should offer my guests the best I can. That terrible little temptress ebay gave me some ideas and I liked the look of the Tassimo machine model T40 which has a drink forevery occasion (OK pedants, you’re starting to annoy me now, NO there is no communion wine button). Nearly every occasion. I could see that the usual price is round the £100.00 mark but as an embittered veteran of the ‘War of the Last Ten Seconds’ I knew I’d not be paying anything like that for it. First decision new or used? Definitely new I think. I set to work saving the best in my ‘Watch list’. Two days later I’d already lost two thanks to the tactics of some even more embittered veterans but I hadn’t given up hope.
Day three brought success, probably because no-one else was stupid enough to be on at 3.am. But, I paid £41.00 for it and £10.00 postage. Almost 50% of the list price. I was noticeably pleased with myself. I hadn’t noticed that I’d left details of the address my last purchase ( a gift) was to go to on paypal and as the expected arrival date came and went with no delivery I was gloomy. Still, I managed to get it back from it’s destination and corrected paypal for the future. So it’s here, I can’t wait ! Of course I hadn’t given any thought to the pods at this point so today it was time for the weekly shop.
In a large Supermarket ( I’ll name them in exchange for sponsorship) I bought some different coffee pods and some chocolate pods. I couldn’t find any tea but there’s always ebay. Back home again I didn’t want to go through the routine of filling the new machine four times in order to let the water run through the system before being able to make a drink. That can be a pleasure for tomorrow and I’ll be able to enjoy the trial run myself before hosting open house to supply drinks to the neighbourhood. There’s time enough to do a search. YES, ebay has tea bags and they’re only £2.95, but hang on, there’s £1.99 p & p which makes them dearer than the shops, ah, but not if I buy three packs as they only charge for one postage. Brilliant that’s just short of £11.00 for three packs making them cheaper than the shops. Click, ordered and paid.
The problem is that now the last remaining working synapses of my brain are kicking in. The tea I ordered has 8 pods in. With it’s own postage it works out I’m going to be paying 50p for a cup of tea using my own electricity, water, milk and sugar?? It’s only around £1.00 for 80 teabags to put in a teapot. Some of the coffees have 16 pods and the chocolate 8 and they’re around £4.00 a pack. I only know coffee drinkers and they only have Americanos except me. What am I doing? In exasperation I tell my enfeebled brain that it’s never having this kind of freedom again. I hear a dirty snigger and am sent to the pantry where I discover the Senseo system with it’s coffee bags and a little coffee maker for ground coffee. Duh!! Betrayed by my own body.
So children, I implore you to take a firm hand on the reins when your parents reach my age or there’ll be nothing left. And when you start approaching 40 ( I’m not saying from which direction) start training your own children up and hand over your credit card just in case. If you don’t, well that pantry is going to be damned difficult to empty when I’m gone. Still, I’ll be gone so why should I worry. Now, where’s ebay, I just heard about a great toasted sandwich maker……….
Anyway, as usual the senility is kicking in and I digress. I wanted to speak tonight ( this morning for all you pedants out there) about the need for people my age to be watched 24/7 by our children while they still stand the chance of an inheritance. I decided to come to an agreement with my brain. I’d let it go it’s own way in certain things as long as it left me some common sense and dignity at the end of each week. I don’t think it’s holding up it’s end of the deal. The family always knew my father in law to be a gadget man. Whatever the latest thing on the market was, he had to have it ( or as my daughter used to put it….But I neeeeed it ). It’s just occurred to me how much I’ve stepped into his role.
When I’m taken out (allowed out it should be) anywhere, one of the things I enjoy most is to stop for a latte. Yes, when I’m outside I do realise it’s just a glorified milky coffee, but I like it. What if I could have this at home I thought. Enter my old friend ebay and my deadly enemy the credit card. ( It’s not my fault, my daughter should hold it !). “Why get a machine that just does latte?” my enfeebled brain asked ” when you can supply drinks of all varieties for your visitors.” This made perfect sense and of course as a gentleman I should offer my guests the best I can. That terrible little temptress ebay gave me some ideas and I liked the look of the Tassimo machine model T40 which has a drink forevery occasion (OK pedants, you’re starting to annoy me now, NO there is no communion wine button). Nearly every occasion. I could see that the usual price is round the £100.00 mark but as an embittered veteran of the ‘War of the Last Ten Seconds’ I knew I’d not be paying anything like that for it. First decision new or used? Definitely new I think. I set to work saving the best in my ‘Watch list’. Two days later I’d already lost two thanks to the tactics of some even more embittered veterans but I hadn’t given up hope.
Day three brought success, probably because no-one else was stupid enough to be on at 3.am. But, I paid £41.00 for it and £10.00 postage. Almost 50% of the list price. I was noticeably pleased with myself. I hadn’t noticed that I’d left details of the address my last purchase ( a gift) was to go to on paypal and as the expected arrival date came and went with no delivery I was gloomy. Still, I managed to get it back from it’s destination and corrected paypal for the future. So it’s here, I can’t wait ! Of course I hadn’t given any thought to the pods at this point so today it was time for the weekly shop.
In a large Supermarket ( I’ll name them in exchange for sponsorship) I bought some different coffee pods and some chocolate pods. I couldn’t find any tea but there’s always ebay. Back home again I didn’t want to go through the routine of filling the new machine four times in order to let the water run through the system before being able to make a drink. That can be a pleasure for tomorrow and I’ll be able to enjoy the trial run myself before hosting open house to supply drinks to the neighbourhood. There’s time enough to do a search. YES, ebay has tea bags and they’re only £2.95, but hang on, there’s £1.99 p & p which makes them dearer than the shops, ah, but not if I buy three packs as they only charge for one postage. Brilliant that’s just short of £11.00 for three packs making them cheaper than the shops. Click, ordered and paid.
The problem is that now the last remaining working synapses of my brain are kicking in. The tea I ordered has 8 pods in. With it’s own postage it works out I’m going to be paying 50p for a cup of tea using my own electricity, water, milk and sugar?? It’s only around £1.00 for 80 teabags to put in a teapot. Some of the coffees have 16 pods and the chocolate 8 and they’re around £4.00 a pack. I only know coffee drinkers and they only have Americanos except me. What am I doing? In exasperation I tell my enfeebled brain that it’s never having this kind of freedom again. I hear a dirty snigger and am sent to the pantry where I discover the Senseo system with it’s coffee bags and a little coffee maker for ground coffee. Duh!! Betrayed by my own body.
So children, I implore you to take a firm hand on the reins when your parents reach my age or there’ll be nothing left. And when you start approaching 40 ( I’m not saying from which direction) start training your own children up and hand over your credit card just in case. If you don’t, well that pantry is going to be damned difficult to empty when I’m gone. Still, I’ll be gone so why should I worry. Now, where’s ebay, I just heard about a great toasted sandwich maker……….
Homecomings, Happenings and Caught out.
Last Sunday ( Father’s Day) my nieces arrived bearing gifts and cards. More importantly they also brought Ju home. I’d left her ashes with the undertaker until a time I could cope ( and until I’d paid for the funeral which now requires a second and third mortgage). Karen passed me a carrier bag which was surprisingly heavy. When I opened it I had a surprise and not a pleasant one. How can I describe it best…….well, you know Heinz beans now do one called the fridge pack which is a green plastic square bottle? Think of this as the giant economy model. An ugly green bottle with nothing attractive about it. “It comes with the carrier bag” Karen told me, probably in an attempt to cheer me since she knows that I try to fill all my bags when shopping and a new one added an extra bit of fun to the game. I placed my love amongst the flowers that surround her picture but though massive, it was almost lost in the greenery.
Yvonne and Ugo came to visit and were about as impressed as I was and had been my ‘brother of another mother’ Mike who was here when the girls came. Mourners 5, Green Tub 0 so far. I left them all chatting and disappeared to my computer to look for a suitable casket. Oddly enough on ebay I found a supplier to the funeral trade. I found a casket I liked and was happy that for a few shillings more they would supply a plaque complete with my own words. I paid less than £40 for it and that included postage.
This is a picture of the one I chose. Looking at the same one in an undertakers catalogue I find they charge £80.00 for the same one. No wonder funerals are such costly affairs. Anyhoo, I ordered it on Monday and it arrived on Thursday. Fortunately this was the day Yvonne and Ugo were visiting again and I was able to ask Yvonne if she’d like to help Ma slip into something a bit prettier. She jumped at the chance. We did the job in the kitchen and as I poured a little dust was raised. ” Your Mum won’t be happy about that ” I quipped, “it’s the longest she spent in the kitchen in years.” It broke the tension nicely and until that moment I hadn’t realised we both had tears in our eyes. If the dust got stuck in those we’d be in trouble. After finishing and attaching the plaque which just said “Julia, 15.07.1956 to 30.03.2013″ she was placed on the table with the flowers I refresh every week.
Ju in her new home. Picture at the top.
Time to backtrack a bit now. I apologise to those who suffer travel sickness but we’re going back to Tuesday. Regular readers will know that I never answer the telephone and rarely answer the door. The main exception to answering the door is my postman. He’s one of those very nice, very cheery people it’s a pleasure to speak to and I can do it virtually without stuttering. Just recently he’s had to come quite often with goodies ordered from ebay. On Tuesday morning I saw him go past the lounge window and moments later there was a knock on the door. I answered only to be confronted by a little chap with rugs upon his arm. “Wanna buy a rug Guv’ner” he said, though actually he didn’t sound Cockney at all in truth, it just looked better on the page. Having expected the postman I was quite distracted but managed to decline his offer. Somehow he was standing inside my hallway and I was looking over his shoulder for my post as he suggested I might prefer some bedding maybe ? Again I declined and told him rather distractedly that I’d only have been interested in a runner.
The Postie arrived and he handed over the parcels of the day. I thanked him and passed him some sweets for his family. The little man meantime had taken his rugs and gone….or so I thought. As my Postie turned to go. back the man came this time carrying two runners. He waxed lyrical about the quality, how the wool went all the way through and how good length they were. In truth they were quite nice and I decided to have one. “The price?” I asked. “Well, they’re worth £240″ he said ” but I won’t ask for that. I’m asking for £120 because I know money is in short supply.” I’m surprised he knows my income so well. ” You’ll have to do a bit better ” I told him and we eventually agreed on £80.00 It’s 5 yards long and a tad longer than my hallway so I asked my brother Dilwyn if he could fit it for me since it would need trimming into an alcove.” Sure” he answered, “I’ll take a look tomorrow evening”.
Wednesday evening arrived ( sorry about the jump ahead travellers) and with two wins to one under his belt at Scrabble and a look of satisfaction on his face, my ‘Bro’ took a look. I confess to standing with fingers crossed in case he said it wasn’t wool or that I’d been ripped off. Maybe even told off for not asking him to get me one which he could have done much cheaper. Nothing. He just said he’ll bring his tools along next Wednesday and something to stop the runner sliding when anyone steps on it. I must remember to get him to do it before we play next week in case the score goes in my favour again.
OK. Ready yourselves……we now skip ahead to Thursday. This is the day of the MuJo visit. Muriel likes to look at properties for sale so I always buy the local rag ready for her visit. I managed to walk as far as the corner shop to get a paper and to throw my money at the government in the form of lottery tickets. I specifically asked Pauline to sell me the winning ticket this time but after checking on Friday and last night I know she hadn’t. So anyway, MuJo arrive. As always she grabs the paper to read as I sort out drinks. I’m just taking John’s coffee through when Muriel says ” Oh be careful, there’s a warning here about a man going door to door selling carpets in this area, and he’s ripping the elderly off.” The elderly? That must rule me out then, I must have had a different man.
On Friday Mike arrived again. We had a good natter after I fed him and I worked on emails till late.
Saturday. Mike took me shopping and then we went to ‘Let me Tempt You’ ( in the books) which is Temptation for coffee. We took the usual box of chocolates for the staff. A bit like coals to Newcastle I think sometimes as they sell individual chocolates there. We then dashed home as a cousin had promised a visit and had hinted that he was going to Stockport first. In my excited little mind this means only one thing TITTERTON’S PIES. The best pork pies in the world. Lo and behold he arrived with his partner and another of my cousins complete with a bag of 6 pies. Now where can I hide them? Too late, Mike got them and placed them in the fridge. It was a short but great visit with them all and I got some excellent family tree information I needed. In the afternoon Mike and I went to a place called the Tweed Mill for lunch and to give me a pleasure outing which really just means shopping. It was fun.
Titterton’s Pork Pies. The best Pork Butchers in the world in my opinion and unbeatable pies. Ahem, (I think this amount should just about do the job for this week Gentlemen). Not that I am looking for sponsorship of course.
Sunday- today.Emails kept me going from 5.am to 9.am then after giving Mike a coffee it was back to the computer to bring you up to date with my life. Mike has to go soon to travel to Manchester to see his father and I must get dressed because today I’m lunching with two ladies……….
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Yvonne and Ugo came to visit and were about as impressed as I was and had been my ‘brother of another mother’ Mike who was here when the girls came. Mourners 5, Green Tub 0 so far. I left them all chatting and disappeared to my computer to look for a suitable casket. Oddly enough on ebay I found a supplier to the funeral trade. I found a casket I liked and was happy that for a few shillings more they would supply a plaque complete with my own words. I paid less than £40 for it and that included postage.
This is a picture of the one I chose. Looking at the same one in an undertakers catalogue I find they charge £80.00 for the same one. No wonder funerals are such costly affairs. Anyhoo, I ordered it on Monday and it arrived on Thursday. Fortunately this was the day Yvonne and Ugo were visiting again and I was able to ask Yvonne if she’d like to help Ma slip into something a bit prettier. She jumped at the chance. We did the job in the kitchen and as I poured a little dust was raised. ” Your Mum won’t be happy about that ” I quipped, “it’s the longest she spent in the kitchen in years.” It broke the tension nicely and until that moment I hadn’t realised we both had tears in our eyes. If the dust got stuck in those we’d be in trouble. After finishing and attaching the plaque which just said “Julia, 15.07.1956 to 30.03.2013″ she was placed on the table with the flowers I refresh every week.
Ju in her new home. Picture at the top.
Time to backtrack a bit now. I apologise to those who suffer travel sickness but we’re going back to Tuesday. Regular readers will know that I never answer the telephone and rarely answer the door. The main exception to answering the door is my postman. He’s one of those very nice, very cheery people it’s a pleasure to speak to and I can do it virtually without stuttering. Just recently he’s had to come quite often with goodies ordered from ebay. On Tuesday morning I saw him go past the lounge window and moments later there was a knock on the door. I answered only to be confronted by a little chap with rugs upon his arm. “Wanna buy a rug Guv’ner” he said, though actually he didn’t sound Cockney at all in truth, it just looked better on the page. Having expected the postman I was quite distracted but managed to decline his offer. Somehow he was standing inside my hallway and I was looking over his shoulder for my post as he suggested I might prefer some bedding maybe ? Again I declined and told him rather distractedly that I’d only have been interested in a runner.
The Postie arrived and he handed over the parcels of the day. I thanked him and passed him some sweets for his family. The little man meantime had taken his rugs and gone….or so I thought. As my Postie turned to go. back the man came this time carrying two runners. He waxed lyrical about the quality, how the wool went all the way through and how good length they were. In truth they were quite nice and I decided to have one. “The price?” I asked. “Well, they’re worth £240″ he said ” but I won’t ask for that. I’m asking for £120 because I know money is in short supply.” I’m surprised he knows my income so well. ” You’ll have to do a bit better ” I told him and we eventually agreed on £80.00 It’s 5 yards long and a tad longer than my hallway so I asked my brother Dilwyn if he could fit it for me since it would need trimming into an alcove.” Sure” he answered, “I’ll take a look tomorrow evening”.
Wednesday evening arrived ( sorry about the jump ahead travellers) and with two wins to one under his belt at Scrabble and a look of satisfaction on his face, my ‘Bro’ took a look. I confess to standing with fingers crossed in case he said it wasn’t wool or that I’d been ripped off. Maybe even told off for not asking him to get me one which he could have done much cheaper. Nothing. He just said he’ll bring his tools along next Wednesday and something to stop the runner sliding when anyone steps on it. I must remember to get him to do it before we play next week in case the score goes in my favour again.
OK. Ready yourselves……we now skip ahead to Thursday. This is the day of the MuJo visit. Muriel likes to look at properties for sale so I always buy the local rag ready for her visit. I managed to walk as far as the corner shop to get a paper and to throw my money at the government in the form of lottery tickets. I specifically asked Pauline to sell me the winning ticket this time but after checking on Friday and last night I know she hadn’t. So anyway, MuJo arrive. As always she grabs the paper to read as I sort out drinks. I’m just taking John’s coffee through when Muriel says ” Oh be careful, there’s a warning here about a man going door to door selling carpets in this area, and he’s ripping the elderly off.” The elderly? That must rule me out then, I must have had a different man.
On Friday Mike arrived again. We had a good natter after I fed him and I worked on emails till late.
Saturday. Mike took me shopping and then we went to ‘Let me Tempt You’ ( in the books) which is Temptation for coffee. We took the usual box of chocolates for the staff. A bit like coals to Newcastle I think sometimes as they sell individual chocolates there. We then dashed home as a cousin had promised a visit and had hinted that he was going to Stockport first. In my excited little mind this means only one thing TITTERTON’S PIES. The best pork pies in the world. Lo and behold he arrived with his partner and another of my cousins complete with a bag of 6 pies. Now where can I hide them? Too late, Mike got them and placed them in the fridge. It was a short but great visit with them all and I got some excellent family tree information I needed. In the afternoon Mike and I went to a place called the Tweed Mill for lunch and to give me a pleasure outing which really just means shopping. It was fun.
Titterton’s Pork Pies. The best Pork Butchers in the world in my opinion and unbeatable pies. Ahem, (I think this amount should just about do the job for this week Gentlemen). Not that I am looking for sponsorship of course.
Sunday- today.Emails kept me going from 5.am to 9.am then after giving Mike a coffee it was back to the computer to bring you up to date with my life. Mike has to go soon to travel to Manchester to see his father and I must get dressed because today I’m lunching with two ladies……….
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Kinky Boots
I’d say it’s fairly well known that men make mistakes when they don’t think things through. Sometimes one mistake leads to another. Let me share with you a story about a man who did just that. Let’s call him oh, David just for fun.
The year was 1987 and it was during the summer months when the sun was out that David took a bus ride along the coast to the Queen of Resorts town of Llandudno, that’s ‘Clan did no’ for those who don’t speak the oldest living language of Europe. ( See, I try to be educational as well). Getting off the bus at what was then the delicately named place of Bog Island because the public loos were underground with the entrances on an Island which divided the road in two, David checked there was no egg on his chin ( no flies open), crossed the road and started looking in the shop windows. I have no recollection of why I I mean David had gone to Llandudno that day but he does remember that it was early and the shops were only just beginning to open.
David must have been at that end of town for some specific reason and there must have been an appointment or he wouldn’t have found himself looking in the window of a ladies shoe shop. But as (bad) luck would have it there was a sale starting and in the window was the most glorious pair of boots he just knew his wife would adore. What’s more they were down from £160.00 to £45.00 which is mmm, mmm a lot. Without hesitation he dashed inside. They turned out to be half a size bigger than his wife took but she could just wear thicker socks couldn’t she? He paid and the boots were packed in a nice bag with all bits of confetti. David supposed they must have thought they were for a wedding.
Business concluded, David wandered wherever he needed to go before taking another bus home . He knew there would be a hero’s welcome and if I have to be brutally honest he was probably a little too full of self-congratulation. On arriving home David presented his wife with the parcel. ” What;s this ?” she asked. “Just a little gift I wanted you to have” I he replied. “What have you been up to David?” she asked, whereupon he realised the first mistake he’d made in not thinking things through, wives are always suspicious of spontaneous gifts. ” Nothing sweetie” he replied, “I just saw them and thought you’d love them.”
“Wouldn’t you like to put it to one side until my birthday next month?” she asked as he realised mistake number two in that he’s have to remember that ,and buy another gift. Kicking himself he answered ” No, I want you to have it now.” His wife unwrapped the parcel and covered the floor in the loose confetti earning him a glare for not warning her after she’d Hoovered up. At last she reached the gift and in place of the expected look of joy was one of puzzlement.
“How lovely” she said, “but it’s the end of June David and the sun is shining. It’s not pantomime season yet where I need thigh high boots to slap.” So came the next lesson , he hadn’t bought appropriate to the season and also that all women can be snarky when they want. He plunged into a blustering explanation that the boots were almost exclusive and no-one else would be seen wearing them, to which she agreed but in a very smug way. She was also not convinced about the wearing thick socks to help get over the size problem though he thought he presented a perfectly reasonable argument.
Julia gave David a kiss and took the boots away. He thought he’d seen the last of them. But, in the winter of 87 and a few winters thereafter the boots made an appearance. They looked fantastic below an maxi or a midi or even over jeans. Over the subsequent years there were many more pairs of boots with riding boots and a sheepskin pair being the most seen until they were thrown away eventually and replaced. Maybe he just stopped noticing in the end. But this year 2013 in sorting out clothes, shoes and boots to be given to charity shops , 26 whole years later the boots came to light again. They’ve undergone three property moves but never been thrown away and are still wearable.( In David’s opinion anyway). I really think she must have liked them after all.
The year was 1987 and it was during the summer months when the sun was out that David took a bus ride along the coast to the Queen of Resorts town of Llandudno, that’s ‘Clan did no’ for those who don’t speak the oldest living language of Europe. ( See, I try to be educational as well). Getting off the bus at what was then the delicately named place of Bog Island because the public loos were underground with the entrances on an Island which divided the road in two, David checked there was no egg on his chin ( no flies open), crossed the road and started looking in the shop windows. I have no recollection of why I I mean David had gone to Llandudno that day but he does remember that it was early and the shops were only just beginning to open.
David must have been at that end of town for some specific reason and there must have been an appointment or he wouldn’t have found himself looking in the window of a ladies shoe shop. But as (bad) luck would have it there was a sale starting and in the window was the most glorious pair of boots he just knew his wife would adore. What’s more they were down from £160.00 to £45.00 which is mmm, mmm a lot. Without hesitation he dashed inside. They turned out to be half a size bigger than his wife took but she could just wear thicker socks couldn’t she? He paid and the boots were packed in a nice bag with all bits of confetti. David supposed they must have thought they were for a wedding.
Business concluded, David wandered wherever he needed to go before taking another bus home . He knew there would be a hero’s welcome and if I have to be brutally honest he was probably a little too full of self-congratulation. On arriving home David presented his wife with the parcel. ” What;s this ?” she asked. “Just a little gift I wanted you to have” I he replied. “What have you been up to David?” she asked, whereupon he realised the first mistake he’d made in not thinking things through, wives are always suspicious of spontaneous gifts. ” Nothing sweetie” he replied, “I just saw them and thought you’d love them.”
“Wouldn’t you like to put it to one side until my birthday next month?” she asked as he realised mistake number two in that he’s have to remember that ,and buy another gift. Kicking himself he answered ” No, I want you to have it now.” His wife unwrapped the parcel and covered the floor in the loose confetti earning him a glare for not warning her after she’d Hoovered up. At last she reached the gift and in place of the expected look of joy was one of puzzlement.
“How lovely” she said, “but it’s the end of June David and the sun is shining. It’s not pantomime season yet where I need thigh high boots to slap.” So came the next lesson , he hadn’t bought appropriate to the season and also that all women can be snarky when they want. He plunged into a blustering explanation that the boots were almost exclusive and no-one else would be seen wearing them, to which she agreed but in a very smug way. She was also not convinced about the wearing thick socks to help get over the size problem though he thought he presented a perfectly reasonable argument.
Julia gave David a kiss and took the boots away. He thought he’d seen the last of them. But, in the winter of 87 and a few winters thereafter the boots made an appearance. They looked fantastic below an maxi or a midi or even over jeans. Over the subsequent years there were many more pairs of boots with riding boots and a sheepskin pair being the most seen until they were thrown away eventually and replaced. Maybe he just stopped noticing in the end. But this year 2013 in sorting out clothes, shoes and boots to be given to charity shops , 26 whole years later the boots came to light again. They’ve undergone three property moves but never been thrown away and are still wearable.( In David’s opinion anyway). I really think she must have liked them after all.
Post Marital One-Sided Discussions
Today I was transported back in time to the days when the first bloom of marriage has just worn off and the protagonists erm partners, are just trying to assert themselves a bit to show they haven’t lost themselves totally. I remember going through it with Julia so well and in fairness I would have warned my son-in-law if I’d remembered that it’s a waste of time because men never win, but I forgot. Or at least I forgot for a while and then thought I might as well just shut up and enjoy the match.
Yvonne and Ugo have just moved to a new house. It’s larger than the last one and in need of a lot of decoration. Knowing how Yvonne decorated the last one before she and Ugo became a couple reminded me that she’s very good, except maybe when it”s not her property. I add that only to remind her that when she moved in with Julia and myself ‘for a few weeks’ some years ago, the visit ended up being for two years and meant the bedroom needed redecoration. OK, I admit she was a lot younger, but even so, you needed sunglasses to walk in there and she’s only done the parts she could reach. When she vacated we were left with a room that had day-glo crimson walls coupled with dark brown skirting boards and an off white border at the top which she hadn’t reached. It was a case of fait accomplis one day when I returned from work and my gaping mouth was quickly covered by Ju.
Notwithstanding that, her last house was elegant and very tasteful. I expect the same of this one though the signs were worrying. Not for me obviously as I don’t have to live with it. Bear in mind also that this new place has lounge, dining room, kitchen and 3 bedrooms, one of which ( the smallest) is to become Ugo’s study. It seems there were discussions last week about wallpaper for the lounge , Ugo listed the choices he liked and Yvonne bought the one she wanted which was not on his list. The soft furnishing will now be bought to match. Today was the turn of their bedroom. A new bed arrived last week, I’m afraid that choice may have been somewhat limited by budget as I was buying it as a housewarming gift. Yvonne made the final decision as to style and colour though. Today was shopping for a new quilt since Ugo is allergic to duck and down and needed a hypoallergenic one. Easy-peasy since no colour is involved. But with a new quilt comes pillows and bedding.
Walking round the shop looking at bedding was a treat. Ugo’s eyes and hands alighted on some which he raised with great hope asking ” How about this one”. Yvonne without actually shaking her head and tutting managed to covey that feeling nonetheless. Each one was put back until she found the ideal one is a shade of turquoise though she named it Teal. Ugo was ready to appeal to me and to L’il Mike who was at my side grinning. We both shrugged our shoulders in a ‘Don’t involve us’ kind of way and we watched him physically deflate. A momentary attempt at ” I’m not too sure about it” got him nowhere as she explained that it would match the proposed colour scheme exactly. He considered his next words carefully before swallowing them again. Sensible lad. We left the shop with the bedding and with a throw in a lime green shade also.
There’s work to be done on the room Ugo wanted as a study which it turned out wasn’t going to happen since that is the nursery. Since the baby to come is a boy Ugo was I’m sure contemplating a blue room with football wallpaper. It’s amazing how good he’s getting at hiding his disappointment. We also paid a visit to an old factory that houses a furniture warehouse. I knew what would happen there and tried to distract Ugo with talk of the man who used to play professional football for Poland who works there. ( Zbigniew you’re a gentleman and I appreciate your help in the past with putting things together). It didn’t last for long as he watched Yvonne check out the wardrobes and chests of drawers for the bedrooms, along with tables and chairs for the dining-room and a display cabinet for the lounge. For all the help we actually were, Mike and I might have well gone for coffee. Ugo could have joined us. Yvonne had perfectly valid reasons for rejecting his choices and for wanting wood rather than a laminate but he was starting to look despondent. Having been through a similar day or two with Ju I could have advised him, Mike also could have put in a word to the wise but we were both having too much fun to do so. We both saw the moment when he lost his tether and ask in a desperate voice if he was to have any say in how the house was done. We had to bite our tongues when she answered ” But of course dear, you can do your study.” The dear was said with such resignation that it spoke volumes, As if I’d trust a man to do this, and/or why don’t you go and look at a football magazine or something.”
I dare say Ugo will learn eventually that a man’s opinion as to decor is only sought as a sop to their pride since women know our limitations. Julia knew mine and I was a quick study in those days. A fair division of labour, she chose, I applied.
Yvonne and Ugo have just moved to a new house. It’s larger than the last one and in need of a lot of decoration. Knowing how Yvonne decorated the last one before she and Ugo became a couple reminded me that she’s very good, except maybe when it”s not her property. I add that only to remind her that when she moved in with Julia and myself ‘for a few weeks’ some years ago, the visit ended up being for two years and meant the bedroom needed redecoration. OK, I admit she was a lot younger, but even so, you needed sunglasses to walk in there and she’s only done the parts she could reach. When she vacated we were left with a room that had day-glo crimson walls coupled with dark brown skirting boards and an off white border at the top which she hadn’t reached. It was a case of fait accomplis one day when I returned from work and my gaping mouth was quickly covered by Ju.
Notwithstanding that, her last house was elegant and very tasteful. I expect the same of this one though the signs were worrying. Not for me obviously as I don’t have to live with it. Bear in mind also that this new place has lounge, dining room, kitchen and 3 bedrooms, one of which ( the smallest) is to become Ugo’s study. It seems there were discussions last week about wallpaper for the lounge , Ugo listed the choices he liked and Yvonne bought the one she wanted which was not on his list. The soft furnishing will now be bought to match. Today was the turn of their bedroom. A new bed arrived last week, I’m afraid that choice may have been somewhat limited by budget as I was buying it as a housewarming gift. Yvonne made the final decision as to style and colour though. Today was shopping for a new quilt since Ugo is allergic to duck and down and needed a hypoallergenic one. Easy-peasy since no colour is involved. But with a new quilt comes pillows and bedding.
Walking round the shop looking at bedding was a treat. Ugo’s eyes and hands alighted on some which he raised with great hope asking ” How about this one”. Yvonne without actually shaking her head and tutting managed to covey that feeling nonetheless. Each one was put back until she found the ideal one is a shade of turquoise though she named it Teal. Ugo was ready to appeal to me and to L’il Mike who was at my side grinning. We both shrugged our shoulders in a ‘Don’t involve us’ kind of way and we watched him physically deflate. A momentary attempt at ” I’m not too sure about it” got him nowhere as she explained that it would match the proposed colour scheme exactly. He considered his next words carefully before swallowing them again. Sensible lad. We left the shop with the bedding and with a throw in a lime green shade also.
There’s work to be done on the room Ugo wanted as a study which it turned out wasn’t going to happen since that is the nursery. Since the baby to come is a boy Ugo was I’m sure contemplating a blue room with football wallpaper. It’s amazing how good he’s getting at hiding his disappointment. We also paid a visit to an old factory that houses a furniture warehouse. I knew what would happen there and tried to distract Ugo with talk of the man who used to play professional football for Poland who works there. ( Zbigniew you’re a gentleman and I appreciate your help in the past with putting things together). It didn’t last for long as he watched Yvonne check out the wardrobes and chests of drawers for the bedrooms, along with tables and chairs for the dining-room and a display cabinet for the lounge. For all the help we actually were, Mike and I might have well gone for coffee. Ugo could have joined us. Yvonne had perfectly valid reasons for rejecting his choices and for wanting wood rather than a laminate but he was starting to look despondent. Having been through a similar day or two with Ju I could have advised him, Mike also could have put in a word to the wise but we were both having too much fun to do so. We both saw the moment when he lost his tether and ask in a desperate voice if he was to have any say in how the house was done. We had to bite our tongues when she answered ” But of course dear, you can do your study.” The dear was said with such resignation that it spoke volumes, As if I’d trust a man to do this, and/or why don’t you go and look at a football magazine or something.”
I dare say Ugo will learn eventually that a man’s opinion as to decor is only sought as a sop to their pride since women know our limitations. Julia knew mine and I was a quick study in those days. A fair division of labour, she chose, I applied.
Rhyme or Reason
In a post I did on April 11th I mentioned how difficult I’ve been finding it to locate certain things. I was starting to wonder if Ju was sending me a message. For instance, when we cleared the garage , Yvonne, Ugo and I created piles for me, the Hospice Charity shops and for Muriel/John ( hereinafter called MuJo). When MuJo came I took them round to the garage, we’d found literally boxes of Ju’s horse figurines and I wanted her to have her choice. I’d put some watercolour paintings to one side for John as I know he likes them, but could they be found? Not a cat in hell’s chance. Either they’d evaporated or some wild rats have discerning taste in nest decor.
Whenever Christmas rolled around Ju would clear the decks to make way for the decorations. My collections on display would disappear and I’d be told they’d be back when the decorations were packed away. That never seemed to happen just as last years tree never seemed to re-appear. The loft ( please God I don’t have to clear that out ) must be full of Christmas trees and collections of old inkwells etc. But, the thing that had most puzzled me was Julia’s laptop bag. It and it’s contents had faded into thin air. I’d torn clumps of hair from my rapidly receding widow’s peak trying to find them. I tried to follow Ju’s logic as to where it would be since it wasn’t actually with the laptop which naturally enough was tucked down beside the settee. OK, I had to admit defeat as women’s logic was always beyond me. But in wanting to give things to the family to remember Ju I have a niece who crafts and that bag contained lots of crafting DVD’s.
On Thursday when Yvonne was with me I’d gone to the pantry and a flash of yellow had caught my eye. I visit the pantry multiple times daily for the accoutrements to cooking or to deposit rubbish in the bin and before Thursday- Nada, but there it was, the flash of yellow. Reaching through the accumulated brushes, ancient hoovers, pan stands and a lightbulb collection that would do a lighthouse justice, I grasped the object in question and out came the upside down laptop bag complete with the DVD’s I wanted. Checking through there was no sign of the also missing tablet bought some months ago. Back to the pantry I went and soon had it in hand. I’m not sure if it still works, or how it works and will have to rely on my nephew’s expertise. He’ll tell me if it’s a toy I need or whether someone else can use it better. The DVD’s will now be able to go to a good home too. But PLEASE someone, explain to me the logic behind having a laptop bag, upside down in a pantry of all places and why it chose to reveal itself at that moment. At some stage I may have to explain to someone why I didn’t decide to look in there purposely as they wearily tap their feet and say, “Huh, s’obvious innit?”.
Whenever Christmas rolled around Ju would clear the decks to make way for the decorations. My collections on display would disappear and I’d be told they’d be back when the decorations were packed away. That never seemed to happen just as last years tree never seemed to re-appear. The loft ( please God I don’t have to clear that out ) must be full of Christmas trees and collections of old inkwells etc. But, the thing that had most puzzled me was Julia’s laptop bag. It and it’s contents had faded into thin air. I’d torn clumps of hair from my rapidly receding widow’s peak trying to find them. I tried to follow Ju’s logic as to where it would be since it wasn’t actually with the laptop which naturally enough was tucked down beside the settee. OK, I had to admit defeat as women’s logic was always beyond me. But in wanting to give things to the family to remember Ju I have a niece who crafts and that bag contained lots of crafting DVD’s.
On Thursday when Yvonne was with me I’d gone to the pantry and a flash of yellow had caught my eye. I visit the pantry multiple times daily for the accoutrements to cooking or to deposit rubbish in the bin and before Thursday- Nada, but there it was, the flash of yellow. Reaching through the accumulated brushes, ancient hoovers, pan stands and a lightbulb collection that would do a lighthouse justice, I grasped the object in question and out came the upside down laptop bag complete with the DVD’s I wanted. Checking through there was no sign of the also missing tablet bought some months ago. Back to the pantry I went and soon had it in hand. I’m not sure if it still works, or how it works and will have to rely on my nephew’s expertise. He’ll tell me if it’s a toy I need or whether someone else can use it better. The DVD’s will now be able to go to a good home too. But PLEASE someone, explain to me the logic behind having a laptop bag, upside down in a pantry of all places and why it chose to reveal itself at that moment. At some stage I may have to explain to someone why I didn’t decide to look in there purposely as they wearily tap their feet and say, “Huh, s’obvious innit?”.
Our Goodbye
Yesterday, Friday 12 th was the day of the funeral and our last goodbye to Julia. Many people may not understand-or agree- with our decision to honour her request for a religion free service. It was beautiful. Julia had a wonderful sense of humour and so my arrangements with the undertaker may have raised a few eyebrows but with the agreement of all the major players, Yvonne, Karen and Joanne we went ahead. I prepared the order of service which would be given out yesterday.
The hearse and the family car collected us at about 11.20 . The flowers reading ‘MUM’ from Yvonne and a large horseshoe from me were place aboard the coffin along with other family flowers. We were all wearing some token black but under my frockcoat I wore a silver waistcoat (vest) and a silver, flower patterned tie. Yvonne, my nieces and I got in the family car and the undertaker started walking in front of the hearse to guide it into traffic on the main road. We set off at a sedate pace and maintained it the whole journey. For anyone who’s journey was delayed because of us I apologise
We arrived at the crematorium at 11.40 and had a few minutes to wait while the previous mourners departed. At a beckoning motion from the funeral director someone opened the car doors and we were ready to go in. Julia had expected perhaps a dozen mourners or celebrants but I could see at least sixty people there. We entered to the strains of Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah by Alan Sherman and I’m sure Ju was laughing. The Reverend spoke for a few minutes to say we were there to celebrate the life of Julia before inviting Yvonne and my niece Karen up to speak. Yvonne spoke movingly about her beloved mother and described her as both mother and friends. Some things were so difficult she had to pause to regain control and the congregation had tears in their eyes. I know I cried as did Julia’s sister Muriel behind me who was so close to Julia in many ways. Karen read Julia’s poem which it turns out she helped to write. She also choked and her audience followed suit.
The Reverend introduced the song Hey Ho by the Lumineers which had become a firm favourite by Julia recently after hearing it on an advert. The words ‘I belong to you, you belong to me, Be mine Sweetheart’ brought on the eyeball sweats again. The tissue manufacturers saw their share prices rise accordingly. As the song ended I was called along with Ugo to speak. Many of you won’t know that I stutter badly when faced with strangers and so I kept my head down as I laid a single lily in remembrance on the coffin and for the whole time I spoke about Julia and her kindness, her being my rock and making me wheeze by introducing rats, degus and anything else to the house .( I confess, I love them all). I had to stop three or four times to regain my composure and kick myself for not buying shares in tissues before I left. I finished with a poem by E.E.Cummings called I hold you in my heart. Ugo followed me and made sure everyone knew what a privilege it was to know Julia and be welcomed into the family by so caring a person who never judged. Even my stoic son in law needed my comfort up there when he choked and the audience choked with him. There was such sadness and yet such Joy at having known her.
The Reverend started the committal with some nice words and to the music of Fun with We are Young, Julia’s casket was borne away and the curtains closed. The Reverend gave a nice speech about Julia, including how wrong the comedian Les Dawson had been about Mothers -in-law and how Julia had been many different things to many different people, Julia Prosser the mother, Julia Prosser the wife the aunt, the friend. Julia Prosser, Lady of Bouldnor, the fundraiser for good causes, Julia Prosser the mother in law and the lover of animals. Yet while being all these people she was ONE PERSON in one body all the time. Thinking about it that must be true of all of us that different people see us in different ways in different roles. I hope we’re nice in all of them.
We then stood for the closing as we were told to stay strong for Ju and she was wished a safe journey to follow her belief of meeting up with her parents again until it’s time for us to be together again. I have no doubt she’s with them and enjoying a lot of pain free rides on all the horses in the sunlight. We walked out of the crematorium to the strains of Talk Talk and their record Life’s What You Make It.
Back out in the daylight we met all those who had come to pay their respects. Ugo’s family who’d travelled from London and Birmingham ( not Alabama), My sister-in-law’s daughter ( yes, a long winded way of saying my niece) Hayley, who had also driven from London that morning, friends from the cafes I wrote of in the books that she so loved visiting, friends of Yvonne’s who had met her and loved her and her friends from the two stables she used. Llanfynydd RDA with their wonderful staff, especially Di who helped her so much and Carl and Storm from Pennant Park which now has it’s indoor arena ( we still need a hoist though- subtle hint). I took the canvas of Julia that had been on the coffin and we repaired to the pub where glasses and cups were raised to her picture on the mantlepiece as she watched us enjoy her day. She will never be forgotten.
The hearse and the family car collected us at about 11.20 . The flowers reading ‘MUM’ from Yvonne and a large horseshoe from me were place aboard the coffin along with other family flowers. We were all wearing some token black but under my frockcoat I wore a silver waistcoat (vest) and a silver, flower patterned tie. Yvonne, my nieces and I got in the family car and the undertaker started walking in front of the hearse to guide it into traffic on the main road. We set off at a sedate pace and maintained it the whole journey. For anyone who’s journey was delayed because of us I apologise
We arrived at the crematorium at 11.40 and had a few minutes to wait while the previous mourners departed. At a beckoning motion from the funeral director someone opened the car doors and we were ready to go in. Julia had expected perhaps a dozen mourners or celebrants but I could see at least sixty people there. We entered to the strains of Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah by Alan Sherman and I’m sure Ju was laughing. The Reverend spoke for a few minutes to say we were there to celebrate the life of Julia before inviting Yvonne and my niece Karen up to speak. Yvonne spoke movingly about her beloved mother and described her as both mother and friends. Some things were so difficult she had to pause to regain control and the congregation had tears in their eyes. I know I cried as did Julia’s sister Muriel behind me who was so close to Julia in many ways. Karen read Julia’s poem which it turns out she helped to write. She also choked and her audience followed suit.
The Reverend introduced the song Hey Ho by the Lumineers which had become a firm favourite by Julia recently after hearing it on an advert. The words ‘I belong to you, you belong to me, Be mine Sweetheart’ brought on the eyeball sweats again. The tissue manufacturers saw their share prices rise accordingly. As the song ended I was called along with Ugo to speak. Many of you won’t know that I stutter badly when faced with strangers and so I kept my head down as I laid a single lily in remembrance on the coffin and for the whole time I spoke about Julia and her kindness, her being my rock and making me wheeze by introducing rats, degus and anything else to the house .( I confess, I love them all). I had to stop three or four times to regain my composure and kick myself for not buying shares in tissues before I left. I finished with a poem by E.E.Cummings called I hold you in my heart. Ugo followed me and made sure everyone knew what a privilege it was to know Julia and be welcomed into the family by so caring a person who never judged. Even my stoic son in law needed my comfort up there when he choked and the audience choked with him. There was such sadness and yet such Joy at having known her.
The Reverend started the committal with some nice words and to the music of Fun with We are Young, Julia’s casket was borne away and the curtains closed. The Reverend gave a nice speech about Julia, including how wrong the comedian Les Dawson had been about Mothers -in-law and how Julia had been many different things to many different people, Julia Prosser the mother, Julia Prosser the wife the aunt, the friend. Julia Prosser, Lady of Bouldnor, the fundraiser for good causes, Julia Prosser the mother in law and the lover of animals. Yet while being all these people she was ONE PERSON in one body all the time. Thinking about it that must be true of all of us that different people see us in different ways in different roles. I hope we’re nice in all of them.
We then stood for the closing as we were told to stay strong for Ju and she was wished a safe journey to follow her belief of meeting up with her parents again until it’s time for us to be together again. I have no doubt she’s with them and enjoying a lot of pain free rides on all the horses in the sunlight. We walked out of the crematorium to the strains of Talk Talk and their record Life’s What You Make It.
Back out in the daylight we met all those who had come to pay their respects. Ugo’s family who’d travelled from London and Birmingham ( not Alabama), My sister-in-law’s daughter ( yes, a long winded way of saying my niece) Hayley, who had also driven from London that morning, friends from the cafes I wrote of in the books that she so loved visiting, friends of Yvonne’s who had met her and loved her and her friends from the two stables she used. Llanfynydd RDA with their wonderful staff, especially Di who helped her so much and Carl and Storm from Pennant Park which now has it’s indoor arena ( we still need a hoist though- subtle hint). I took the canvas of Julia that had been on the coffin and we repaired to the pub where glasses and cups were raised to her picture on the mantlepiece as she watched us enjoy her day. She will never be forgotten.
Error Report
We started today by taking a prescription request to the doctors and collecting the prescription I’d requested Monday. My drug tray is updated every Thursday so the stocks must be maintained. After leaving the doctors I knew we needed bread and OK i needed cigarettes. Before you ask, I haven’t given them up because I haven’t really wanted too and yes, I realise my illness is exacerbated by smoking but I’ve been at it a long time now. I’ve tried hypnosis and all that got me was a reasonable sleep for half an hour. Anyway back to the plot. The brand I smoke isn’t sold where we live so we decided to pick them up with fresh bread from Flint and perhaps go for a coffee.
Walking round the supermarket someone threw herself at us and we were delighted to see a young lady we first met some years ago who we haven’t seen for a long time. It appears she’d been to the cafe and actually left her phone number there for us as she wanted to bring her daughter round to see us. This young lady was fresh out of the army when we met her and she’d just had her baby. She had just moved to the area and knew no-one, it showed. She looked quite lost that first day and you could see what a wonderful mother she was from the way she interacted with the baby. Julia took quite an interest in the baby while I smiled from a distance having not got used to being near strangers . As we were leaving I passed Ju some money to pass on for Mum to buy the little girl a gift from us. She was so taken aback and it proved to be the start of a warm friendship whenever we met. It hasn’t happened often but each time we’ve noticed huge changes in the little girl who now attends school.
We paid for the shopping and went for coffee remembering to take a box of sweets for the cafe staff who are great with us. There really are some wonderful people around and it’s nice to acknowledge them. After coffee it was a dash home to have lunch and prepare for going out for Ju’s scan. I hadn’t seen the appointment card for this but knowing we’d seen Dr. Dreamboat last week and he’d hoped to get an appointment this week I was happy. We lunched and I watched an antique programme got my coat and prepared to leave. I’d suggested going early so that if there were no delays we’d have time to sit with a cuppa before going in. Coats on we headed to the car.
“Ju, it’s definitely two o’clock for the scan” I asked as we got in the car. With a sigh of exasperation she opened her bag and pulled out the letter. “There see, doubting Thomas” she said ” two o’clock Wednesday 20th Feb.” I must have looked stunned for a moment as she asked what was wrong. “It is Wednesday isn’t it?” she asked. It didn’t take me long to point out she’d got that much right at least but that I didn’t fancy sitting in the waiting room for two weeks. On a more serious note neither of us wanted her to wait another two weeks in the pain she’s currently feeling. So, as we headed back out of the car and I thanked her for the outing, I suggested I go to the chemist to fill my prescription and she phone the oncologist and see if he could get the appointment moved up. It turned out that was up to us so when I came home from the chemist we phoned the scan department and explained the problem, emphasising that Ju has cancer and a prolonged wait would mean very much increased pain. They promised to ring us back if they could find a cancellation. Sure enough ten minutes later they were on asking if we could go next Tuesday evening. We grabbed it.
The Macmillan nurse called this evening and I disappeared after quickly making sure Ju would ask about the treatment after the scan. She assured us Doc. Hotlips would act very quickly after the result and if it turned out to be fluid causing the distended stomach he would probably drain it in a matter of days.( I’m reliably informed they can’t drain it by giving the patient a tap on the head). She said if he wasn’t quick enough she’d see if it could be done in a hospice by another doctor. That’s a real comfort knowing there may be another option. It may be done in the day or it may mean an overnight stay as a lot of the body’s salt and other minerals could be lost and Ju could be very tired. The bad news is this may be a recurring theme. The good news was Ju managed to stay up until 6.30pm because she hasn’t eaten today and that meant I saw an episode of the Big Bang Theory. Cup half full !!
Walking round the supermarket someone threw herself at us and we were delighted to see a young lady we first met some years ago who we haven’t seen for a long time. It appears she’d been to the cafe and actually left her phone number there for us as she wanted to bring her daughter round to see us. This young lady was fresh out of the army when we met her and she’d just had her baby. She had just moved to the area and knew no-one, it showed. She looked quite lost that first day and you could see what a wonderful mother she was from the way she interacted with the baby. Julia took quite an interest in the baby while I smiled from a distance having not got used to being near strangers . As we were leaving I passed Ju some money to pass on for Mum to buy the little girl a gift from us. She was so taken aback and it proved to be the start of a warm friendship whenever we met. It hasn’t happened often but each time we’ve noticed huge changes in the little girl who now attends school.
We paid for the shopping and went for coffee remembering to take a box of sweets for the cafe staff who are great with us. There really are some wonderful people around and it’s nice to acknowledge them. After coffee it was a dash home to have lunch and prepare for going out for Ju’s scan. I hadn’t seen the appointment card for this but knowing we’d seen Dr. Dreamboat last week and he’d hoped to get an appointment this week I was happy. We lunched and I watched an antique programme got my coat and prepared to leave. I’d suggested going early so that if there were no delays we’d have time to sit with a cuppa before going in. Coats on we headed to the car.
“Ju, it’s definitely two o’clock for the scan” I asked as we got in the car. With a sigh of exasperation she opened her bag and pulled out the letter. “There see, doubting Thomas” she said ” two o’clock Wednesday 20th Feb.” I must have looked stunned for a moment as she asked what was wrong. “It is Wednesday isn’t it?” she asked. It didn’t take me long to point out she’d got that much right at least but that I didn’t fancy sitting in the waiting room for two weeks. On a more serious note neither of us wanted her to wait another two weeks in the pain she’s currently feeling. So, as we headed back out of the car and I thanked her for the outing, I suggested I go to the chemist to fill my prescription and she phone the oncologist and see if he could get the appointment moved up. It turned out that was up to us so when I came home from the chemist we phoned the scan department and explained the problem, emphasising that Ju has cancer and a prolonged wait would mean very much increased pain. They promised to ring us back if they could find a cancellation. Sure enough ten minutes later they were on asking if we could go next Tuesday evening. We grabbed it.
The Macmillan nurse called this evening and I disappeared after quickly making sure Ju would ask about the treatment after the scan. She assured us Doc. Hotlips would act very quickly after the result and if it turned out to be fluid causing the distended stomach he would probably drain it in a matter of days.( I’m reliably informed they can’t drain it by giving the patient a tap on the head). She said if he wasn’t quick enough she’d see if it could be done in a hospice by another doctor. That’s a real comfort knowing there may be another option. It may be done in the day or it may mean an overnight stay as a lot of the body’s salt and other minerals could be lost and Ju could be very tired. The bad news is this may be a recurring theme. The good news was Ju managed to stay up until 6.30pm because she hasn’t eaten today and that meant I saw an episode of the Big Bang Theory. Cup half full !!
Dilated to meet you.
Today the snow was meant to be gone, or at least well on the way to going. Instead when I got up, the receding flow had stopped and a new tidal wave was threatening to engulf us as more and more came down in a steady flow. Because it hadn't reached a critical level where we live it was decided that I should still attend a 10.30 am appointment at the hospital......or to be more precise at a vehicle in the hospital car park.
By the time we'd dug the car out we were pushing the time a little bit but just made it. The hill was quiet, the road to the hospital was quiet and the hospital car park was quiet apart from some few cars trying to get enough grip to leave. For some reason the car park was built sloping down so it's easy to get into but not so easy to get out of if there's any ice. The gritters had obviously been out yesterday but had also believed the reports of no snow today and weren't prepared. Anyway, we were there and rang the bell on the outside of the wagon that at least sounded as though it would be warm with a generator running. The nurse who opened the door expressed some surprise to see us but invited us in. That in itself was a task as the steps were very steep so Ju and I on crutches felt like Sherpa Tensing.
We were in. The nurse took my name and said they were phoning people to come this morning as it was possible they'd have to give up before the afternoon. All in all, most people were cancelling. She put my drops in without warning me they were sulphuric acid and would burn their way to the back of my head. "Might sting a bit" she added.I was given a couple of pieces of tissue and told to sit in the waiting room with Ju for twenty minutes. The waiting room was where I'd come into the vehicle and had one bench seat that would hold about four anorexics. Ju and I were two of them. After a few minutes another nurse appeared from a different room and said she'd be doing the photographs of the back of my eye, retinopathy. They're very good at doing these at least once a year if you're diabetic.
There was a ring on the bell and another willing sacrifice arrived and was taken through to be tortured. I was going to try and mouth to him " Get away while you still can" but I think the nurse was watching me. I'm not sure as by now my pupils had dilated and my eyes were watering like mad. Three more people arrived that they'd phoned. The first came came out and sat with Ju and I, he called "Right, all together now, breathe out so I can slip in" and he managed it. Luckily for me as the next one came out groping blindly and zombie like, the second nurse came to say she was ready for me. There was no room at the inn for Ju though so she had to stay on the bench like a substitute at a football match.
I vaguely saw the nurse sitting on a chair and went to take a seat opposite her and found a laptop open . " Hold on" she said "you sit over here. I was just adjusting it for you". I moved round to the chair she vacated and she did the same with me. I hope I left hers warmer than she left mine. She told me to place my chin in a device that hung in front of my face and place my forehead against the bar above it. It was a bit of a strain on the neck but I managed it and off we went.........nowhere. "Eyes wide please, and concentrate on the blue light" she said. I did. FLASH!!! "Wait" she told me, that didn't work there's some condensation on the lens." I waited while she came round to my side and vigorously polished the lens. As she returned to her seat I drew myself up and placed my chin back in the device but the strain of getting my forehead there was much worse as the chair I was on had been getting lower and lower as I waited. I was praying for this to be over.
Again we were unsuccessful and she had to clean my lens. "Perhaps it's on the inside "I said "due to all the cold outside." "This is a £9000 camera in a sealed unit" she said, "it can't be on the inside."! We had two more failures and I thought my neck would snap she she suddenly announced "I think it must be on the inside. I'm afraid I'll have to phone my boss. Could you just sit outside a minute please." I didn't dare say there was no way I'd find a seat out there with all the other blind people but I agreed and let myself out. I didn't have long to wait before she came out and told us all she was sorry but her boss had decided all appointments were cancelled for the day. They needed to subject the camera to heat for at least half an hour. FREEDOM !!
Ju and I carefully walked back to where we'd parked and cleared the new snow from the roof and windscreen. Sitting inside I lit up a cigarette and swore I wasn't going again until the summer. Ju remarked how odd I looked with such dilated pupils. We headed up the slope of the car park and over the road to my doctors car park to drop off a prescription request then went to the supermarket for a fresh loaf before going home to have soup for lunch and watch the snow were not having fall outside. Late this afternoon it stopped snowing but I'm not taking bets on what tomorrow holds.
By the time we'd dug the car out we were pushing the time a little bit but just made it. The hill was quiet, the road to the hospital was quiet and the hospital car park was quiet apart from some few cars trying to get enough grip to leave. For some reason the car park was built sloping down so it's easy to get into but not so easy to get out of if there's any ice. The gritters had obviously been out yesterday but had also believed the reports of no snow today and weren't prepared. Anyway, we were there and rang the bell on the outside of the wagon that at least sounded as though it would be warm with a generator running. The nurse who opened the door expressed some surprise to see us but invited us in. That in itself was a task as the steps were very steep so Ju and I on crutches felt like Sherpa Tensing.
We were in. The nurse took my name and said they were phoning people to come this morning as it was possible they'd have to give up before the afternoon. All in all, most people were cancelling. She put my drops in without warning me they were sulphuric acid and would burn their way to the back of my head. "Might sting a bit" she added.I was given a couple of pieces of tissue and told to sit in the waiting room with Ju for twenty minutes. The waiting room was where I'd come into the vehicle and had one bench seat that would hold about four anorexics. Ju and I were two of them. After a few minutes another nurse appeared from a different room and said she'd be doing the photographs of the back of my eye, retinopathy. They're very good at doing these at least once a year if you're diabetic.
There was a ring on the bell and another willing sacrifice arrived and was taken through to be tortured. I was going to try and mouth to him " Get away while you still can" but I think the nurse was watching me. I'm not sure as by now my pupils had dilated and my eyes were watering like mad. Three more people arrived that they'd phoned. The first came came out and sat with Ju and I, he called "Right, all together now, breathe out so I can slip in" and he managed it. Luckily for me as the next one came out groping blindly and zombie like, the second nurse came to say she was ready for me. There was no room at the inn for Ju though so she had to stay on the bench like a substitute at a football match.
I vaguely saw the nurse sitting on a chair and went to take a seat opposite her and found a laptop open . " Hold on" she said "you sit over here. I was just adjusting it for you". I moved round to the chair she vacated and she did the same with me. I hope I left hers warmer than she left mine. She told me to place my chin in a device that hung in front of my face and place my forehead against the bar above it. It was a bit of a strain on the neck but I managed it and off we went.........nowhere. "Eyes wide please, and concentrate on the blue light" she said. I did. FLASH!!! "Wait" she told me, that didn't work there's some condensation on the lens." I waited while she came round to my side and vigorously polished the lens. As she returned to her seat I drew myself up and placed my chin back in the device but the strain of getting my forehead there was much worse as the chair I was on had been getting lower and lower as I waited. I was praying for this to be over.
Again we were unsuccessful and she had to clean my lens. "Perhaps it's on the inside "I said "due to all the cold outside." "This is a £9000 camera in a sealed unit" she said, "it can't be on the inside."! We had two more failures and I thought my neck would snap she she suddenly announced "I think it must be on the inside. I'm afraid I'll have to phone my boss. Could you just sit outside a minute please." I didn't dare say there was no way I'd find a seat out there with all the other blind people but I agreed and let myself out. I didn't have long to wait before she came out and told us all she was sorry but her boss had decided all appointments were cancelled for the day. They needed to subject the camera to heat for at least half an hour. FREEDOM !!
Ju and I carefully walked back to where we'd parked and cleared the new snow from the roof and windscreen. Sitting inside I lit up a cigarette and swore I wasn't going again until the summer. Ju remarked how odd I looked with such dilated pupils. We headed up the slope of the car park and over the road to my doctors car park to drop off a prescription request then went to the supermarket for a fresh loaf before going home to have soup for lunch and watch the snow were not having fall outside. Late this afternoon it stopped snowing but I'm not taking bets on what tomorrow holds.
The Birthday
Well, the big day was yesterday. The 60 something birthday and the day the snow was predicted to arrive. Isn’t that typical, you sit here Christmas day hoping for a blanket of white and it arrives in mid January when you don’t want it.
Ju had tried the sign of the cross to ward off the evil of an early start but as I was expecting a flood of visitors laden down with gifts I wanted to get back from the shopping. The reason for shopping on a Friday, blame Ju since she decided to start horse riding on a Saturday at one stage. OK, I admit that’s changed now but the shopping expedition seems to have stuck.
I woke her at 7 am with a cuppa, a warning that we had half an hour before leaving and that there was a smidgeon of snow on the ground. I backed out of the bedroom to ensure I could see any missiles heading in my direction. My coffee was in the lounge where I’d given all the girls a yoghurt drop as a treat. Ju cowered in her bedroom afraid to venture out in case she had a fit of conscience at not giving the girls their early morning outing on the settee. In fairness, I’ve told her if she wants to do it I’ll get her up at 6.am
I gathered the shopping bags, my list and the all important lottery pouch., brought Ju’s handbag through to the hall and said goodbye to the girls. Off we set. The winds of Siberia were howling around the front door and the smidgeon had become a couple of inches and it was still coming down. After what felt like a three mile trek to the car which is 50 feet away we hauled ourselves in and set a’shivering while waiting for the heater to kick in. The wipers took the worst off the screen and away we went.
Living by the coast has it’s benefits one of which is that snow rarely sticks here. I guess no-one was listening as I shouted a reminder to the gods. The coast road was still fairly clear and it had obviously been salted. We made good time to the supermarket arriving just before they opened at 8.am. The heater hadn’t done a fantastic job as some fool had opened the window to smoke. ahem. moving rapidly on……. I got out and walked stiff-legged to where the shopping trolleys were parked. I put in my £ coin and tried to pull mine away from the rest. After a few minutes trying I went to borrow an ice axe to separate them then shot into the warmth of the store.
Our routine is that Ju goes off to buy the lottery tickets and her paper then while I go round the store to shop, she sits and has a coffee till I’m in the queue at the till when she comes to help me pack.(If she sees me. I have pointed out that she stands a better chance if she actually faces the tills). Three quarters of an hour later I’m done and ready for a coffee and a diet conscious, diabetic, toasted sausage sandwich with brown sauce. Mmmmmm. As I’m sitting there Ju tells me Yvonne has phoned and won’t be able to get through because of the white stuff and her sister has phoned and said the same. Heavens above, what’s the matter with these people. Mu and John only live 40 miles away at the bottom of a valley with about 4 mountains between us. No-one makes an effort anymore. Looking out the window convinces me that maybe the gods are making an effort because the car is fast disappearing.
We’re on our way home when I remember that I promised to visit ‘our’ cafe Let me Tempt You, to take a pair of earring to one of the girls. When I mention it to Ju her lip seems to curl. I think it must be the cold contracting her muscles. We arrive home safely and the snow is sticking . We unpack and I say ” would you like a coffee sweetie”? “Yes please babe” is the response. “Grab your coat then and let’s take these earrings to K….”. I hear a growl and almost think there’s a dog handy but my beloved knows it’s my birthday and is humouring me. Borrowed tennis racquets on our feet we struggle back to the car. I try breathing on the lock to getthe key in but my nose sticks to the side of the car. Afraid Ju will drive off with me in this position I tug and take the skin off the tip off my nose. Oooh, that stings.
The Coast Road is still accessible and we make it safely to the cafe. K… looks up in surprise and said she didn’t expect to see us in view of the weather. I just say a promise is a promise. I’m renowned for my wisdom. Ju makes a comment about buying me my birthday drink and she head off to order while K… selects the earrings she wants. Leaving K… smiling happily I go to join Ju who has found us a table…….ha, 40 tables, 3 customers, how hard that must have been, and sit. I am no sooner ready to take my gloves off than the tray arrives with two of the staff who start to serenade me “Penblwydd Hapus i chwi. penblwydd hapus…..Dear David……..” I’m cringing and trying to crawl into my boots as everyone is looking and of course the next four customers in sat just behind me. I’m given a lovely card and a sweet little gift as well as a free coffee. Ah, and Ju must be warming up since the mouth seems to be grinning.
We came home about 11.30 and spent the rest of the day wrapped up warmly indoors. It carried on snowing.
Poor Ju was unwell and had to go to bed about 4.pm but it was not snow or shopping trip related. This morning she seemed a little better and the snow has stopped. They say we’ll have another little flurry than it should clear over the next few days but it’s going to be cold, verrrry cold with icy blasts in the minus. Maybe we can hibernate for a while. Oh, a phone call to say my next birthday is tomorrow when Yvonne and Ugo are going to come then another early next week when Mu and John come. Then the following Sunday when my nieces turn up. I quite like the idea of Official Birthdays and unofficial ones to follow.
Ju had tried the sign of the cross to ward off the evil of an early start but as I was expecting a flood of visitors laden down with gifts I wanted to get back from the shopping. The reason for shopping on a Friday, blame Ju since she decided to start horse riding on a Saturday at one stage. OK, I admit that’s changed now but the shopping expedition seems to have stuck.
I woke her at 7 am with a cuppa, a warning that we had half an hour before leaving and that there was a smidgeon of snow on the ground. I backed out of the bedroom to ensure I could see any missiles heading in my direction. My coffee was in the lounge where I’d given all the girls a yoghurt drop as a treat. Ju cowered in her bedroom afraid to venture out in case she had a fit of conscience at not giving the girls their early morning outing on the settee. In fairness, I’ve told her if she wants to do it I’ll get her up at 6.am
I gathered the shopping bags, my list and the all important lottery pouch., brought Ju’s handbag through to the hall and said goodbye to the girls. Off we set. The winds of Siberia were howling around the front door and the smidgeon had become a couple of inches and it was still coming down. After what felt like a three mile trek to the car which is 50 feet away we hauled ourselves in and set a’shivering while waiting for the heater to kick in. The wipers took the worst off the screen and away we went.
Living by the coast has it’s benefits one of which is that snow rarely sticks here. I guess no-one was listening as I shouted a reminder to the gods. The coast road was still fairly clear and it had obviously been salted. We made good time to the supermarket arriving just before they opened at 8.am. The heater hadn’t done a fantastic job as some fool had opened the window to smoke. ahem. moving rapidly on……. I got out and walked stiff-legged to where the shopping trolleys were parked. I put in my £ coin and tried to pull mine away from the rest. After a few minutes trying I went to borrow an ice axe to separate them then shot into the warmth of the store.
Our routine is that Ju goes off to buy the lottery tickets and her paper then while I go round the store to shop, she sits and has a coffee till I’m in the queue at the till when she comes to help me pack.(If she sees me. I have pointed out that she stands a better chance if she actually faces the tills). Three quarters of an hour later I’m done and ready for a coffee and a diet conscious, diabetic, toasted sausage sandwich with brown sauce. Mmmmmm. As I’m sitting there Ju tells me Yvonne has phoned and won’t be able to get through because of the white stuff and her sister has phoned and said the same. Heavens above, what’s the matter with these people. Mu and John only live 40 miles away at the bottom of a valley with about 4 mountains between us. No-one makes an effort anymore. Looking out the window convinces me that maybe the gods are making an effort because the car is fast disappearing.
We’re on our way home when I remember that I promised to visit ‘our’ cafe Let me Tempt You, to take a pair of earring to one of the girls. When I mention it to Ju her lip seems to curl. I think it must be the cold contracting her muscles. We arrive home safely and the snow is sticking . We unpack and I say ” would you like a coffee sweetie”? “Yes please babe” is the response. “Grab your coat then and let’s take these earrings to K….”. I hear a growl and almost think there’s a dog handy but my beloved knows it’s my birthday and is humouring me. Borrowed tennis racquets on our feet we struggle back to the car. I try breathing on the lock to getthe key in but my nose sticks to the side of the car. Afraid Ju will drive off with me in this position I tug and take the skin off the tip off my nose. Oooh, that stings.
The Coast Road is still accessible and we make it safely to the cafe. K… looks up in surprise and said she didn’t expect to see us in view of the weather. I just say a promise is a promise. I’m renowned for my wisdom. Ju makes a comment about buying me my birthday drink and she head off to order while K… selects the earrings she wants. Leaving K… smiling happily I go to join Ju who has found us a table…….ha, 40 tables, 3 customers, how hard that must have been, and sit. I am no sooner ready to take my gloves off than the tray arrives with two of the staff who start to serenade me “Penblwydd Hapus i chwi. penblwydd hapus…..Dear David……..” I’m cringing and trying to crawl into my boots as everyone is looking and of course the next four customers in sat just behind me. I’m given a lovely card and a sweet little gift as well as a free coffee. Ah, and Ju must be warming up since the mouth seems to be grinning.
We came home about 11.30 and spent the rest of the day wrapped up warmly indoors. It carried on snowing.
Poor Ju was unwell and had to go to bed about 4.pm but it was not snow or shopping trip related. This morning she seemed a little better and the snow has stopped. They say we’ll have another little flurry than it should clear over the next few days but it’s going to be cold, verrrry cold with icy blasts in the minus. Maybe we can hibernate for a while. Oh, a phone call to say my next birthday is tomorrow when Yvonne and Ugo are going to come then another early next week when Mu and John come. Then the following Sunday when my nieces turn up. I quite like the idea of Official Birthdays and unofficial ones to follow.
The Diagnosis
In order not to disappoint my antipodean friends and those of the ‘I told you so persuasion” I admit to seeing the doctor today. Unfortunately as the pins in the voodoo doll must have worked I woke with a gyppy tummy today. I suppose it’s just conceivable that it had something to do with the liquorice allsorts of yesterday but after all, why take the chance of spreading any new illness in the surgery. Even more unfortunately that excuse didn’t hold water with my doctor who decided to do a home visit instead.
With waiting for the back and forth telephone calls to make arrangements either to visit or leave a prescription my chances of going out to enjoy a morning coffee dwindled before my eyes, even afternoon tea was out the window when the last call came to confirm “I’m just around the corner and will be there in minutes” at half past three. By twenty five to four there he was gone. The look, the questions and the bloody cold stethoscope all led to the same conclusion. I have a cough. Mind you, the deafening proportions of the cough might have given it away. Well, he should have warmed the stethoscope up first.
I have a deep seated infection. Of the dire rear there was no mention and I’d already hidden the box of allsorts when I hid the ashtrays and cigarettes. I reminded the doc via my interpreter Lady J ( I don’t talk to doctors well) that amoxycillin are like Smarties and just about as effective. He chose to leave me a prescription for Doxycycline 100mg which I’m sure I had last year as the last of the four I took. The rules with these are to take two straight away with a meal and then one daily with a meal. No way am I having a meal mid afternoon like that so after Julia had been to the chemist ( drugstore) I had two (OK 4 ) dark chocolate digestives and the tablets. He also left me a bottle of some kind of suspension to take 10mls three times daily so I took a swig there and then. Not bad, but nt as tasty as my own choice.
What amazed me when I come to check out the medicines is that I note the Doxycycline are given for acne, syphilis, tick bites and malaria. I hadn’t realised just how sophisticated the stethoscope has become to pick up on all those as well as the bronchitic infection. Medicine moves on apace doesn’t it.
By the way, no chance at all I’m not going out for morning coffee tomorrow or I’ll be stir crazy but I promise to wrap up warm mum.
With waiting for the back and forth telephone calls to make arrangements either to visit or leave a prescription my chances of going out to enjoy a morning coffee dwindled before my eyes, even afternoon tea was out the window when the last call came to confirm “I’m just around the corner and will be there in minutes” at half past three. By twenty five to four there he was gone. The look, the questions and the bloody cold stethoscope all led to the same conclusion. I have a cough. Mind you, the deafening proportions of the cough might have given it away. Well, he should have warmed the stethoscope up first.
I have a deep seated infection. Of the dire rear there was no mention and I’d already hidden the box of allsorts when I hid the ashtrays and cigarettes. I reminded the doc via my interpreter Lady J ( I don’t talk to doctors well) that amoxycillin are like Smarties and just about as effective. He chose to leave me a prescription for Doxycycline 100mg which I’m sure I had last year as the last of the four I took. The rules with these are to take two straight away with a meal and then one daily with a meal. No way am I having a meal mid afternoon like that so after Julia had been to the chemist ( drugstore) I had two (OK 4 ) dark chocolate digestives and the tablets. He also left me a bottle of some kind of suspension to take 10mls three times daily so I took a swig there and then. Not bad, but nt as tasty as my own choice.
What amazed me when I come to check out the medicines is that I note the Doxycycline are given for acne, syphilis, tick bites and malaria. I hadn’t realised just how sophisticated the stethoscope has become to pick up on all those as well as the bronchitic infection. Medicine moves on apace doesn’t it.
By the way, no chance at all I’m not going out for morning coffee tomorrow or I’ll be stir crazy but I promise to wrap up warm mum.
Leonard I'm sick.
For those of you who know me, you’ll know I’m a big fan of the Wonderful Big Bang Theory. If any of you also like it enough not to miss an episode ( even when repeated for the umpteenth time) the phrase above will be familiar. Leonard I’m sick ! At which point Leonard is on his way out of the front door dragging on his trousers at 6am on a Sunday morning. When Sheldon gets no response o his plea he rings Leonard who claims to be in work on an emergency call.
Well poor Julia is having a Leonard week and she couldn’t even get out of the front door without being seen by me. Not that she’s renowned for being up at 6 am and not that she’s famous for hearing my calls anyway.
This has been coming on a week. Constant coughing with me swearing I’ll be able to shake it off usually leading to a trip to the doctors and very often a little holiday in hospital. This year I was determined, no docs, no hospitals. I didn’t do a Sheldon by inviting everyone to comment on the colour of my phlegm. Mossy green looked close enough. Monday I went out for a while with Ju’s sister and her husband with whom I’m very close and heard all the comments about looking white, looking pasty and looking below par as well as “Isn’t this chocolate Indulgence drink fantastic.” I was glad to get home. My breathing was getting worse and the constant coughing exacerbated that.
Yesterday was meant to be a very short trip out to collect something but I couldn’t manage it. Last night I went to bed about 10pm and slept till two when I was wide awake coughing. I answered messages on the computer till 5 am then went back to bed till 8.30 which is quite a lot for me. In between coughs I tried to giggle as I rang the bell Ju had left me with in case I needed her. Perhaps she didn’t hear it because it said ring for peace and quiet. If only they sold one that said ring for Armageddon. She didn’t hear me so I swung myself out of bed and went to wake her, give the girls their morning treat and put the kettle on. I just laid her tea on the table as she arrived to get the girls out for a play. I took my meds and ambled back to my bedroom to check the mail.
Very oddly I found myself nodding off over my keyboard, of course I didn’t realise it until I actually woke with a start and realised I’d no idea what message I was dealing with, whether I was answering them with balderdash or just deleting them. It all seemed such an effort. I really felt so odd ( yes, other than my usual self thank you Oz) I had to lie down and the next thing it’s 11.30 am and Ju’s asking me what I want for lunch. Because of the knife in her hand I forebore to mention I hadn’t even had breakfast. Anyway we lunched and in order to satisfy the diet tabs I had egg toasties. Almost straight afterwards I must have fallen asleep. Ju gave me a gentle shake at 1.15 pm to say she was going to her riding. Hugs were exchanges as were I love you’s and she left. I saw a little news and decided to come back to my mail for another go. I was doing really well and had cleared it by just gone 3.00 and thought the afternoon film at 3.15 appealed. I turned on and promptly fell asleep though of course I denied it when Ju walked in about 3 40 pm. I made her a cuppa and settled to the film again. Viewed though my eyelids it was quite different. That over I was fine between 4.45 and 6.oo for part of an antique show and a quiz. By that time Ju was ready to relax in comfort in bed and I came through here again to catch my messages. I’m going to urn in soon because I feel tired, my breathing is atrocious and the coughing is annoying me. In honesty I’d go out and leave it if I could,
So, if any of you hear a plaintive little cry of ‘I’m sick’ tomorrow morning, it’s not Sheldon so you’re safe. It’s me, get over here with the chicken soup and brow soothers as soon as possible.
Well poor Julia is having a Leonard week and she couldn’t even get out of the front door without being seen by me. Not that she’s renowned for being up at 6 am and not that she’s famous for hearing my calls anyway.
This has been coming on a week. Constant coughing with me swearing I’ll be able to shake it off usually leading to a trip to the doctors and very often a little holiday in hospital. This year I was determined, no docs, no hospitals. I didn’t do a Sheldon by inviting everyone to comment on the colour of my phlegm. Mossy green looked close enough. Monday I went out for a while with Ju’s sister and her husband with whom I’m very close and heard all the comments about looking white, looking pasty and looking below par as well as “Isn’t this chocolate Indulgence drink fantastic.” I was glad to get home. My breathing was getting worse and the constant coughing exacerbated that.
Yesterday was meant to be a very short trip out to collect something but I couldn’t manage it. Last night I went to bed about 10pm and slept till two when I was wide awake coughing. I answered messages on the computer till 5 am then went back to bed till 8.30 which is quite a lot for me. In between coughs I tried to giggle as I rang the bell Ju had left me with in case I needed her. Perhaps she didn’t hear it because it said ring for peace and quiet. If only they sold one that said ring for Armageddon. She didn’t hear me so I swung myself out of bed and went to wake her, give the girls their morning treat and put the kettle on. I just laid her tea on the table as she arrived to get the girls out for a play. I took my meds and ambled back to my bedroom to check the mail.
Very oddly I found myself nodding off over my keyboard, of course I didn’t realise it until I actually woke with a start and realised I’d no idea what message I was dealing with, whether I was answering them with balderdash or just deleting them. It all seemed such an effort. I really felt so odd ( yes, other than my usual self thank you Oz) I had to lie down and the next thing it’s 11.30 am and Ju’s asking me what I want for lunch. Because of the knife in her hand I forebore to mention I hadn’t even had breakfast. Anyway we lunched and in order to satisfy the diet tabs I had egg toasties. Almost straight afterwards I must have fallen asleep. Ju gave me a gentle shake at 1.15 pm to say she was going to her riding. Hugs were exchanges as were I love you’s and she left. I saw a little news and decided to come back to my mail for another go. I was doing really well and had cleared it by just gone 3.00 and thought the afternoon film at 3.15 appealed. I turned on and promptly fell asleep though of course I denied it when Ju walked in about 3 40 pm. I made her a cuppa and settled to the film again. Viewed though my eyelids it was quite different. That over I was fine between 4.45 and 6.oo for part of an antique show and a quiz. By that time Ju was ready to relax in comfort in bed and I came through here again to catch my messages. I’m going to urn in soon because I feel tired, my breathing is atrocious and the coughing is annoying me. In honesty I’d go out and leave it if I could,
So, if any of you hear a plaintive little cry of ‘I’m sick’ tomorrow morning, it’s not Sheldon so you’re safe. It’s me, get over here with the chicken soup and brow soothers as soon as possible.
Christmas Doings
Christmas Eve dawned early with a six o’clock awakening of my wife. One bleary eye opened when I announced her cup of tea. ” What time is it ?” she asked. “Getting on for eight” I replied fearing the Wrath of Khan before the tea was drunk. Knowing that for some reason she generally sleeps without a watch helps. The reason for my duplicity was twofold. Firstly, I wanted to get to the shops before they became too crowded and secondly, I wanted to go without the girls having been given playtime or we’d be lucky to get out before ten.
Anyway, by 6.30 we’d made real progress in that the tea was drunk and not thrown at me and Ju was looking much more bright eyed than I’d hoped since she’d been in some pain on the Sunday. By 6.45 we were in the car and on our way. The road was quite busy with people rushing to work or rushing home from the party the night before. It was quite foggy and atmospheric with the lights of approaching cars coming towards us. In the supermarket there were quite a few early shoppers but not enough to worry me. Yes, it’s me that has a thing about crowds….more on that later.
I left Ju to pick up some cigarettes for me and go for a coffee while I shopped. Normally I wouldn’t do so alone in case someone spoke to me but today everyone was conscious of their own needs and getting what they needed before someone emptied the shelves. Not wanting much other than fresh bread, milk , ham and some coleslaw I was ready to head for the tills when I spotted some trifles. I bought one then decided to look at the Christmas puddings and fresh cream. By the time I’d got the extra things and gone to the tills it was eight o’clock. Smiling at the cashier to avoid speaking I paid up, packed the shopping and wheeled the trolley to the MacDonalds where Ju was sitting with coffee. As she saw me approach she tipped her hand asking if I wanted one and I nodded. Reaching the table I asked her to order a bacon roll for me too, I passed her some money then dipped into her bag for my ‘before food’ tablet and sat down to take it. “Brown or red sauce ” she called from the counter. “Brown please” I replied wondering why I bothered since it’s so thinly spread it’s questionable whether it’s really there sometimes..
Ju brought me a latte over and a fresh one for herself since I must have been feeling so generous. The bacon roll arrived, was eaten and for dessert I took my two ‘after food’ torpedoes. Ju asked me the time. “It’s almost 8.15 sweetie” I risked with a smile. “Hmm, we’ve made good time this morning then” I heard and wondered which of the Pantheon of Gods I owed that favour to. We were soon on our way again heading for the trading estate which has a handy pet shop where we could get some treats for the girls. One of my favourite shops is there so I was allowed to look round in case anything new and interesting was in. There wasn’t so we hit the coffee bar where the staff treated us to a latte each before we head for home.
At ten o’clock we were home and had the shopping inside. Unfortunately you reach the kitchen of our home through the lounge and as we entered we were greeted by four wide awake and very hopeful faces from one cage and the sound of frantic activity from the other. I knew what was coming so as Ju removed her coat I put the shopping away. She’d no sooner opened the rats cage than Priya ran down her arm and plunged inside the neckline of her cardigan. Bernie wasn’t far behind preferring to sit on her shoulder and nestle into her neck. Penny and Amy climbed inside one of the tubes in the cage and patiently waited to be lifted out. Ju put two large picture frames against the degu cage to stop the rats climbing up it and upsetting the degus . They’re not enemies but they certainly don’t get on. If Bernie climbs on to their cage to see them in her friendly way they set up an almighty chittering sound. Anyway, Ju played with the girls on the settee for half an hour as usual and then put them back in their cage where they happily settled down to sleep. Removing the picture frames she then got the degus out one by one and put them into balls. First Poppy then Honey with Mummy degu Saffy last to go. With three balls hurtling round the rooms aiming for your ankles it’s easier if you’re not on your feet. I swear if they catch you a Dick Dastardly snicker comes from them. I beat a hasty retreat to catch up on emails I hadn’t finished earlier. The eventual call of “Sweeties” has the balls tolling back to the lounge so they’re given a sweet before going back in their cage.
The rest of the day was a light lunch, television. emails and an assortment of phone calls before Ju went to bed at 6.30. I was luckier than usual and she went to sleey just the right side of midnight so I was able to turn my computer off and rest myself.
Christmas day I was up at 4am. I answered messages and sent messages of greeting out to friends around the world. At 6am I took Ju’s stocking ( a carrier bag really) and placed it one her bed before going to make a drink. Turning the lounge light on I gave all the animals a sweet and went through to the kitchen. While the kettle boiled I turned the tank light on and fed the fish. I took my meds then made the tea and took them through to Ju to gently wake her. Unusually it didn’t take much. She moved over for me to get in and passed my stocking ( a large sack) to me to open. We always do this together and in the past when Yvonne lived at home or stayed with us she joined us in bed to open her stocking too. There are always fantastic treats and always something funny. One year Ju go me some washing up gloves with a fur trim. This year I’d got her a rubber horse head mask and used bags of her favourite sweets to fill it out. It looked like a scene from the Godfather.
Tradition says we would normally go and have breakfast next before being allowed to open main presents but since Ju can’t face breakfast these days it’s just me. Up went the barriers and out came the girls. When they heard me put cereal (Shreddies) in a bowl they all rushed to my end of the settee to wait. I sit down gingerly to try and avoid sitting on anyone before the fun starts. Four heads in unison try to get to my bowl first and I have to rush to get a shreddie on the spoon before one of them snatches it off. I usually manage a mouthful in between each of their courses which is usually three each though Bernie only eats one and squirrels the others away behind a cushion for later. Priya usually finds them within minutes.
After both sets have played and been returned to their cages it’s our time. We opened our gifts from Santa , or each other if you like. This took quite a while and was accompanied by lots of Oohs and Aahs. After that it’s time to open gifts from friends and family we won’t see on Christmas day.After each one we phoned or texted our delight. Finally finished Ju collects the wrapping to go for recycling while I make another cuppa and it’s time to get dressed. I show Ju a tee-shirt I printed up with a picture of us both on with wording that says Happiness is Love shaped. I have on new warm socks, new underwear, tee-shirt, new black jeans, black cardigan and black winklepicker cowboy boots with a cuban heel. Suddenly I’m as tall as I used to be. Ju spends some time picking through her finery before settling on a nice outfit and we’re ready to go. Yvonne’s first Christmas as a wife and her first cooking Christmas dinner for us all.
We have a great time at their home swapping and opening presents before settling down to dinner.She’s cooked a small beef joint for me and done my favourite onion sauce with it. For Ju she’s cooked a small lamb joint with her favourite mint sauce and for Ugo and herself she’s done a 3 bird roast. We wouldn’t normally undertake such a large task but she wanted us all to have our favourites. I struggled to eat a small Christmas pudding afterwards.
A nice couple of days started to go downhill then. Ju was very quiet and excused herself to go to the loo. She was there quite a while and when she eventually rejoined us looked very pale. I asked her quietly what was wrong and found she was in great pain and her bowels were not holding again. We had to go home. Sadly we made our goodbyes saying we wanted to give them plenty of time to travel to Ugo’s family in the Midlands. Fortunately they accepted this. We made our way home where Ju took some fast acting morphine and got into bed. It was about 2 pm by then. There were a couple of trips to the loo early on and I couldn’t persuade her to have a cuppa at all. She lay there watching TV and resting while I worked on emails just occasionally sticking my head in. When I did so at 8 pm she was well away. I turned the TV off, and her light, went back to my room and just listened out for her waking.
I woke Ju at 7.am after eleven hours of solid sleep without waking once.She seemed to be a lot better and got up to see to the varmints. By half eight they were done and dusted and Ju said “Come on then. let’s hit the sales.” After checking I wasn’t hallucinating and she wasn’t running a temperature I ran to the car in case she changed her mind. She hates shopping…..I love it. It was well worth her while though since she got some nice outfits.We we’re home by half eleven though and things still seemed OK. The rest of the day went well. Today it wasn’t such an early start but the girls were still done by 9 am and Ju was taking me to a different sale. We’d done quite well and got some nice clothes each before we stopped for coffee. As she finished I noticed something wrong and knew it was time to go.We made it home and Ju’s stomach betrayed her again. She’s back in bed. She’s very unhappy at what’s happening though I ask her to remember what the alternative is.Tomorrow I’ll get some imodium and see if it can stop the problem for now though as soon as she takes it there is usually a period of painful constipation. Sometimes the morphine helps and sometimes not with the pain. Her biggest worry is letting herself down in public but I try to say it can’t be helped and she can’t isolate herself on the off chance.That’s no life for anyone.
Anyway, by 6.30 we’d made real progress in that the tea was drunk and not thrown at me and Ju was looking much more bright eyed than I’d hoped since she’d been in some pain on the Sunday. By 6.45 we were in the car and on our way. The road was quite busy with people rushing to work or rushing home from the party the night before. It was quite foggy and atmospheric with the lights of approaching cars coming towards us. In the supermarket there were quite a few early shoppers but not enough to worry me. Yes, it’s me that has a thing about crowds….more on that later.
I left Ju to pick up some cigarettes for me and go for a coffee while I shopped. Normally I wouldn’t do so alone in case someone spoke to me but today everyone was conscious of their own needs and getting what they needed before someone emptied the shelves. Not wanting much other than fresh bread, milk , ham and some coleslaw I was ready to head for the tills when I spotted some trifles. I bought one then decided to look at the Christmas puddings and fresh cream. By the time I’d got the extra things and gone to the tills it was eight o’clock. Smiling at the cashier to avoid speaking I paid up, packed the shopping and wheeled the trolley to the MacDonalds where Ju was sitting with coffee. As she saw me approach she tipped her hand asking if I wanted one and I nodded. Reaching the table I asked her to order a bacon roll for me too, I passed her some money then dipped into her bag for my ‘before food’ tablet and sat down to take it. “Brown or red sauce ” she called from the counter. “Brown please” I replied wondering why I bothered since it’s so thinly spread it’s questionable whether it’s really there sometimes..
Ju brought me a latte over and a fresh one for herself since I must have been feeling so generous. The bacon roll arrived, was eaten and for dessert I took my two ‘after food’ torpedoes. Ju asked me the time. “It’s almost 8.15 sweetie” I risked with a smile. “Hmm, we’ve made good time this morning then” I heard and wondered which of the Pantheon of Gods I owed that favour to. We were soon on our way again heading for the trading estate which has a handy pet shop where we could get some treats for the girls. One of my favourite shops is there so I was allowed to look round in case anything new and interesting was in. There wasn’t so we hit the coffee bar where the staff treated us to a latte each before we head for home.
At ten o’clock we were home and had the shopping inside. Unfortunately you reach the kitchen of our home through the lounge and as we entered we were greeted by four wide awake and very hopeful faces from one cage and the sound of frantic activity from the other. I knew what was coming so as Ju removed her coat I put the shopping away. She’d no sooner opened the rats cage than Priya ran down her arm and plunged inside the neckline of her cardigan. Bernie wasn’t far behind preferring to sit on her shoulder and nestle into her neck. Penny and Amy climbed inside one of the tubes in the cage and patiently waited to be lifted out. Ju put two large picture frames against the degu cage to stop the rats climbing up it and upsetting the degus . They’re not enemies but they certainly don’t get on. If Bernie climbs on to their cage to see them in her friendly way they set up an almighty chittering sound. Anyway, Ju played with the girls on the settee for half an hour as usual and then put them back in their cage where they happily settled down to sleep. Removing the picture frames she then got the degus out one by one and put them into balls. First Poppy then Honey with Mummy degu Saffy last to go. With three balls hurtling round the rooms aiming for your ankles it’s easier if you’re not on your feet. I swear if they catch you a Dick Dastardly snicker comes from them. I beat a hasty retreat to catch up on emails I hadn’t finished earlier. The eventual call of “Sweeties” has the balls tolling back to the lounge so they’re given a sweet before going back in their cage.
The rest of the day was a light lunch, television. emails and an assortment of phone calls before Ju went to bed at 6.30. I was luckier than usual and she went to sleey just the right side of midnight so I was able to turn my computer off and rest myself.
Christmas day I was up at 4am. I answered messages and sent messages of greeting out to friends around the world. At 6am I took Ju’s stocking ( a carrier bag really) and placed it one her bed before going to make a drink. Turning the lounge light on I gave all the animals a sweet and went through to the kitchen. While the kettle boiled I turned the tank light on and fed the fish. I took my meds then made the tea and took them through to Ju to gently wake her. Unusually it didn’t take much. She moved over for me to get in and passed my stocking ( a large sack) to me to open. We always do this together and in the past when Yvonne lived at home or stayed with us she joined us in bed to open her stocking too. There are always fantastic treats and always something funny. One year Ju go me some washing up gloves with a fur trim. This year I’d got her a rubber horse head mask and used bags of her favourite sweets to fill it out. It looked like a scene from the Godfather.
Tradition says we would normally go and have breakfast next before being allowed to open main presents but since Ju can’t face breakfast these days it’s just me. Up went the barriers and out came the girls. When they heard me put cereal (Shreddies) in a bowl they all rushed to my end of the settee to wait. I sit down gingerly to try and avoid sitting on anyone before the fun starts. Four heads in unison try to get to my bowl first and I have to rush to get a shreddie on the spoon before one of them snatches it off. I usually manage a mouthful in between each of their courses which is usually three each though Bernie only eats one and squirrels the others away behind a cushion for later. Priya usually finds them within minutes.
After both sets have played and been returned to their cages it’s our time. We opened our gifts from Santa , or each other if you like. This took quite a while and was accompanied by lots of Oohs and Aahs. After that it’s time to open gifts from friends and family we won’t see on Christmas day.After each one we phoned or texted our delight. Finally finished Ju collects the wrapping to go for recycling while I make another cuppa and it’s time to get dressed. I show Ju a tee-shirt I printed up with a picture of us both on with wording that says Happiness is Love shaped. I have on new warm socks, new underwear, tee-shirt, new black jeans, black cardigan and black winklepicker cowboy boots with a cuban heel. Suddenly I’m as tall as I used to be. Ju spends some time picking through her finery before settling on a nice outfit and we’re ready to go. Yvonne’s first Christmas as a wife and her first cooking Christmas dinner for us all.
We have a great time at their home swapping and opening presents before settling down to dinner.She’s cooked a small beef joint for me and done my favourite onion sauce with it. For Ju she’s cooked a small lamb joint with her favourite mint sauce and for Ugo and herself she’s done a 3 bird roast. We wouldn’t normally undertake such a large task but she wanted us all to have our favourites. I struggled to eat a small Christmas pudding afterwards.
A nice couple of days started to go downhill then. Ju was very quiet and excused herself to go to the loo. She was there quite a while and when she eventually rejoined us looked very pale. I asked her quietly what was wrong and found she was in great pain and her bowels were not holding again. We had to go home. Sadly we made our goodbyes saying we wanted to give them plenty of time to travel to Ugo’s family in the Midlands. Fortunately they accepted this. We made our way home where Ju took some fast acting morphine and got into bed. It was about 2 pm by then. There were a couple of trips to the loo early on and I couldn’t persuade her to have a cuppa at all. She lay there watching TV and resting while I worked on emails just occasionally sticking my head in. When I did so at 8 pm she was well away. I turned the TV off, and her light, went back to my room and just listened out for her waking.
I woke Ju at 7.am after eleven hours of solid sleep without waking once.She seemed to be a lot better and got up to see to the varmints. By half eight they were done and dusted and Ju said “Come on then. let’s hit the sales.” After checking I wasn’t hallucinating and she wasn’t running a temperature I ran to the car in case she changed her mind. She hates shopping…..I love it. It was well worth her while though since she got some nice outfits.We we’re home by half eleven though and things still seemed OK. The rest of the day went well. Today it wasn’t such an early start but the girls were still done by 9 am and Ju was taking me to a different sale. We’d done quite well and got some nice clothes each before we stopped for coffee. As she finished I noticed something wrong and knew it was time to go.We made it home and Ju’s stomach betrayed her again. She’s back in bed. She’s very unhappy at what’s happening though I ask her to remember what the alternative is.Tomorrow I’ll get some imodium and see if it can stop the problem for now though as soon as she takes it there is usually a period of painful constipation. Sometimes the morphine helps and sometimes not with the pain. Her biggest worry is letting herself down in public but I try to say it can’t be helped and she can’t isolate herself on the off chance.That’s no life for anyone.
Nothing is Best.
Today was our monthly visit to see Dr. McHottie. Julia and myself went along with his fan club of my daughter Yvonne and my two nieces Karen and Joanne (though Jo proclaims her innocence at having really drooled when she saw him. I know for a fact we were an age getting her jaw off the floor when she heard the accent that first day.)
I took along a box of sweets for the staff ( yes I know, very healthy, but it is Christmas) and a copy of Ju' s book he'd asked to see. Ju was weighed and she's gained a kilo since August which though progress wasn't the news I was hoping to hear. She was wearing two of everything ( no, not bra's) because of the biting cold in today's sub-zero temperatures. I reckon that lot must have weighed in at a kilo on their own.
Anyhoo, he checked the bloods that were taken yesterday and said they were OK, no sign of anaemia. He asked about the digestion problems she suffers but the last change of medication seems to have increased the appetite slightly and helped with digestion and lastly he asked about pain. Ju explained that the worst pain is now covered by some extra morphine prescribed by the MacMillan Nurse. He was happy at that and suggested since we know the tumour is still growing but that there's no immediate discomfort we don't make a new appointment for next month but leave it until Ju decides she needs to see him. Ju took this quite bravely but asked whether it would be possible for our nieces to see him next month regardless of her. He looked puzzled until I added, "It's only you the fan club come to see anyway." I told him there are all manner of nicknames bandied about on my blog for him because of the girls. The was a matching glow in the room despite the chill outside, his cheeks and Karen's a perfect match. He laughed out loud.
We left on a high note knowing he's pleased to see Ju doing so well despite not being able to offer treatment or hope. I dare say after the afternoon's revelations he's booked a seat back to his home Country for Christmas and will be relieved he got away unscathed. As we exited the Hospital the girls were laughing together, "Perhaps if we...............she'll need to see him soon" I heard. If I were Julia I'd start to worry.
I took along a box of sweets for the staff ( yes I know, very healthy, but it is Christmas) and a copy of Ju' s book he'd asked to see. Ju was weighed and she's gained a kilo since August which though progress wasn't the news I was hoping to hear. She was wearing two of everything ( no, not bra's) because of the biting cold in today's sub-zero temperatures. I reckon that lot must have weighed in at a kilo on their own.
Anyhoo, he checked the bloods that were taken yesterday and said they were OK, no sign of anaemia. He asked about the digestion problems she suffers but the last change of medication seems to have increased the appetite slightly and helped with digestion and lastly he asked about pain. Ju explained that the worst pain is now covered by some extra morphine prescribed by the MacMillan Nurse. He was happy at that and suggested since we know the tumour is still growing but that there's no immediate discomfort we don't make a new appointment for next month but leave it until Ju decides she needs to see him. Ju took this quite bravely but asked whether it would be possible for our nieces to see him next month regardless of her. He looked puzzled until I added, "It's only you the fan club come to see anyway." I told him there are all manner of nicknames bandied about on my blog for him because of the girls. The was a matching glow in the room despite the chill outside, his cheeks and Karen's a perfect match. He laughed out loud.
We left on a high note knowing he's pleased to see Ju doing so well despite not being able to offer treatment or hope. I dare say after the afternoon's revelations he's booked a seat back to his home Country for Christmas and will be relieved he got away unscathed. As we exited the Hospital the girls were laughing together, "Perhaps if we...............she'll need to see him soon" I heard. If I were Julia I'd start to worry.
Changes to sleeping helps.
Yesterday Tuesday 6th November was our latest visit to see Dr.G whom the girls refer to as Dr.McSexy or variations on the theme. The appt was changed to a Tuesday and was later in the day than usual which had it’s good points and it’s bad. The good points- Ju was uncomfortable and in pain and was able to describe the feelings to him directly. The Bad Points- Ju was uncomfortable and in pain.
Attending yesterday were my daughter and her new husband who took us for lunch on the way after which we stopped and had coffee at garden centre where Yvonne and Julia were able to drool over the beautiful ( and very expensive ) Christmas decorations. When we arrived one of my nieces was waiting for us. I have to say that the whole family has been marvelous about Julia’s illness, either wanting to be kept informed or actually attending the appointments. My niece Karen rarely misses any though whether it’s for Ju or not or to ogle the oncologist remains to be seen. At least my daughter wasn’t going to be saying “Phwar” with her husband in such close proximity.
While we waited to be called in I found myself remembering last month’s argument because I wanted to get a more up to date picture. I can understand the point of view of those in opposition but as I spend all my time with Julia, knowing how things stand would give my brain facts to work on and I’d know how far to push and /or encourage Ju in various things. Eating, sleeping and going out. Anyway Ju’s name was called and I suddenly found myself not wanting to go in with them. Ju had promised me she’d be honest in telling him how she felt rather than the automatic “Fine Thanks” when asked how she is. Everyone went in while I the coward dashed to the loo to settle my now churning stomach.
I came out and decided a cigarette might be a good idea to calm me while they were all inside. I just finished it in time to see them all trooping out. Dr.G had asked Ju if the MacMillan nurse had been in touch to which we were able to answer no. We know he’d requested it a month ago. He left the room. Reports say that after a short absence Karen was heard to say, ” Boring without Dr McHottie isn’t it”. He’s also checked why the pain management clinic hadn’t yet responded with an appointment and chase it up. We are to give it to the end of this week before reporting back if there has been no action.
I sleep for roughly four hours a night. In recent months Ju has been going to bed for comfort at about 6pm then watching TV till about 1 am before sleeping. Then I have to rouse her at 8am to deal with the pets ( a playtime they all look forward to with her). On a Friday it’s usually 6 am for shopping. He asked about the pain and about her sleeping before prescribing a new medication which helps with sleep and pain. Last night I went in at 10.30 and she was spark out until I woke her at 8 am today. She was also much more comfortable and we were able to go out for coffee this morning. I think the medication also plays tricks on memory since when time to pay came she remembered she’s left her bag in the car. It’s funny, but this particular medication has been working for months before it was prescribed.
Her weight was the last subject for discussion. Ju is happy that she hasn’t lost any weight in the last month whereas I’m unhappy that she hasn’t gained any despite my hard work. She’s shrunk from a size 14 to a size 8 which is ridiculous. Anyway Dr McBrownEyes has doubled the dose of appetite increasers and suggested ( with some force) that Ju tries grazing continuously throughout the day. This mornings expedition that led to coffee was to a supermarket to find lots of things which she likes the taste of so she’ll be encouraged to eat. The fridge is now full of yoghurts and rice puddings with a large packet of milk chocolate digestives- for the sake of balance I made sure we got a large packet of dark chocolate digestives too.
So now it’s back to the drawing board. No scan means we ( I ) don’t know how things stand but things are going to be great if the sleeping pills/pain relief continue to work and give her pain free nights. They will be great if we can have a lot of much more comfortable days too. Things will be magnificent if when we see Dr McDon’t it make your Brown EyesBlue, I can report that Ju’s memory has improved and she remembers her purse when it’s her turn to pay. I need her help to choose Christmas presents so she has to buck up. I’m almost done but my brother in law is proving difficult and Yvonne is giving me no idea this year apart from a coat for her birthday. I wanted her to take it now since she was shivering in our arctic blasts of yesterday , but no, she said blue suits her.
Thanks every one for letting me blow off steam like this and indulging me. I love my wife dearly ( and I mean expensively)and there are times I don’t know which way to turn. Am I doing the right thing? Who do I talk to? What can I do next? Talking to you all helps me considerably and I do appreciate those who follow the blog and comment.
Attending yesterday were my daughter and her new husband who took us for lunch on the way after which we stopped and had coffee at garden centre where Yvonne and Julia were able to drool over the beautiful ( and very expensive ) Christmas decorations. When we arrived one of my nieces was waiting for us. I have to say that the whole family has been marvelous about Julia’s illness, either wanting to be kept informed or actually attending the appointments. My niece Karen rarely misses any though whether it’s for Ju or not or to ogle the oncologist remains to be seen. At least my daughter wasn’t going to be saying “Phwar” with her husband in such close proximity.
While we waited to be called in I found myself remembering last month’s argument because I wanted to get a more up to date picture. I can understand the point of view of those in opposition but as I spend all my time with Julia, knowing how things stand would give my brain facts to work on and I’d know how far to push and /or encourage Ju in various things. Eating, sleeping and going out. Anyway Ju’s name was called and I suddenly found myself not wanting to go in with them. Ju had promised me she’d be honest in telling him how she felt rather than the automatic “Fine Thanks” when asked how she is. Everyone went in while I the coward dashed to the loo to settle my now churning stomach.
I came out and decided a cigarette might be a good idea to calm me while they were all inside. I just finished it in time to see them all trooping out. Dr.G had asked Ju if the MacMillan nurse had been in touch to which we were able to answer no. We know he’d requested it a month ago. He left the room. Reports say that after a short absence Karen was heard to say, ” Boring without Dr McHottie isn’t it”. He’s also checked why the pain management clinic hadn’t yet responded with an appointment and chase it up. We are to give it to the end of this week before reporting back if there has been no action.
I sleep for roughly four hours a night. In recent months Ju has been going to bed for comfort at about 6pm then watching TV till about 1 am before sleeping. Then I have to rouse her at 8am to deal with the pets ( a playtime they all look forward to with her). On a Friday it’s usually 6 am for shopping. He asked about the pain and about her sleeping before prescribing a new medication which helps with sleep and pain. Last night I went in at 10.30 and she was spark out until I woke her at 8 am today. She was also much more comfortable and we were able to go out for coffee this morning. I think the medication also plays tricks on memory since when time to pay came she remembered she’s left her bag in the car. It’s funny, but this particular medication has been working for months before it was prescribed.
Her weight was the last subject for discussion. Ju is happy that she hasn’t lost any weight in the last month whereas I’m unhappy that she hasn’t gained any despite my hard work. She’s shrunk from a size 14 to a size 8 which is ridiculous. Anyway Dr McBrownEyes has doubled the dose of appetite increasers and suggested ( with some force) that Ju tries grazing continuously throughout the day. This mornings expedition that led to coffee was to a supermarket to find lots of things which she likes the taste of so she’ll be encouraged to eat. The fridge is now full of yoghurts and rice puddings with a large packet of milk chocolate digestives- for the sake of balance I made sure we got a large packet of dark chocolate digestives too.
So now it’s back to the drawing board. No scan means we ( I ) don’t know how things stand but things are going to be great if the sleeping pills/pain relief continue to work and give her pain free nights. They will be great if we can have a lot of much more comfortable days too. Things will be magnificent if when we see Dr McDon’t it make your Brown EyesBlue, I can report that Ju’s memory has improved and she remembers her purse when it’s her turn to pay. I need her help to choose Christmas presents so she has to buck up. I’m almost done but my brother in law is proving difficult and Yvonne is giving me no idea this year apart from a coat for her birthday. I wanted her to take it now since she was shivering in our arctic blasts of yesterday , but no, she said blue suits her.
Thanks every one for letting me blow off steam like this and indulging me. I love my wife dearly ( and I mean expensively)and there are times I don’t know which way to turn. Am I doing the right thing? Who do I talk to? What can I do next? Talking to you all helps me considerably and I do appreciate those who follow the blog and comment.
A Day to Face Facts
I never thought of myself as someone who wouldn't face facts before, or see the truth and accept it. I'm usually the pedantic one in the family making sure the facts are straight. Today we visited he oncologist. Since Julia is experiencing breakthrough pain and has had to increase her morphine (substitute) dose, it was time to get an update. Now the wedding is out of the way Ju wanted to consider the option mentioned previously of taking a chemo tablet.
The nurse attached to the 'dishy' oncologist went to some trouble to explain that a chemo tablet is not just one tablet. It may be a combination of three, taken twice a day for 14 days on, 14 days off. Since my daughter is now married, perhaps she didn't lust after Dr.Dreamy any more, and as my niece is in a relationship, perhaps it caused a hiccup with her libido too, but both of them listened to the facts that the chemo may still affect Ju as the other did and damage her lungs. It probably will cause great tiredness, nausea and probably hair loss, not just for the day like the previous chemo did but for the full 14 days of taking it.
I was interested in finding out how far the tumour had grown since the last scan to gauge it's rate of growth. I also wanted to find out, since Ju had mentioned it, whether the tumour had been the cause of the blockage in the bile duct that caused the yellow jaundice last month. If not, could the pain be down to the stent she had fitted rather than the cancer. I was told it didn't matter over much since the tumour has grown and is growing and is the cause of the problems. Julia made a decision threre and then to go for quality of life over quantity. I think we all understood and applauded that choice though Dr. Dreamboat made sure he told her we needn't rule the chemo tablet out just yet.
We all left the room and Julia was whisked away to complete a questionnaire so the rest of us went to sit in the tea bar and wait. Yvonne has often said that we each seem to hear a different thing when we're in with the good Doc and come out with different thoughts. She was of the opinion that the Doc had been great and told Ju the truth and that the cancer had spread. I differed, not thinking he'd actually told her that in so many words and I was disappointed that there wasn't going to be a new scan to show where the tumour was as Ju and I had talked about before. I'd hoped maybe if it was the cancer causing the pain we might get some more pain carrying nerves cut. I shouldn't want to know that. My niece ( The wonderful Karen ) thought maybe I was looking for a timescale to work to, which I suppose it may have sounded like. Things got heated and for the first time in many a year I lost my temper, I can't remember the last time I shouted at Yvonne, though I didn't technically shout ( there's me being pedantic again).
Julia is dying. I don't want to face that fact but being the anal person I am, I wanted things neatly tied up in a bow. I like facts as they help me think things through. But maybe the girls are right and Julia and I don't need to know where the cancer is now, how far it spread in 3 months or whatever and at what rate is it growing. I'm pretty sure she couldn't have another operation to cut nerve endings, and if we saw a large tumour there's always the thought that Julia cold panic and just give in. I just need to accept I've got her as long as I've got her and keep her as positive as possible mentally. Maybe we can keep creating targets like we did with the wedding. I'll have to speak to Yvonne about getting pregnant........
The nurse attached to the 'dishy' oncologist went to some trouble to explain that a chemo tablet is not just one tablet. It may be a combination of three, taken twice a day for 14 days on, 14 days off. Since my daughter is now married, perhaps she didn't lust after Dr.Dreamy any more, and as my niece is in a relationship, perhaps it caused a hiccup with her libido too, but both of them listened to the facts that the chemo may still affect Ju as the other did and damage her lungs. It probably will cause great tiredness, nausea and probably hair loss, not just for the day like the previous chemo did but for the full 14 days of taking it.
I was interested in finding out how far the tumour had grown since the last scan to gauge it's rate of growth. I also wanted to find out, since Ju had mentioned it, whether the tumour had been the cause of the blockage in the bile duct that caused the yellow jaundice last month. If not, could the pain be down to the stent she had fitted rather than the cancer. I was told it didn't matter over much since the tumour has grown and is growing and is the cause of the problems. Julia made a decision threre and then to go for quality of life over quantity. I think we all understood and applauded that choice though Dr. Dreamboat made sure he told her we needn't rule the chemo tablet out just yet.
We all left the room and Julia was whisked away to complete a questionnaire so the rest of us went to sit in the tea bar and wait. Yvonne has often said that we each seem to hear a different thing when we're in with the good Doc and come out with different thoughts. She was of the opinion that the Doc had been great and told Ju the truth and that the cancer had spread. I differed, not thinking he'd actually told her that in so many words and I was disappointed that there wasn't going to be a new scan to show where the tumour was as Ju and I had talked about before. I'd hoped maybe if it was the cancer causing the pain we might get some more pain carrying nerves cut. I shouldn't want to know that. My niece ( The wonderful Karen ) thought maybe I was looking for a timescale to work to, which I suppose it may have sounded like. Things got heated and for the first time in many a year I lost my temper, I can't remember the last time I shouted at Yvonne, though I didn't technically shout ( there's me being pedantic again).
Julia is dying. I don't want to face that fact but being the anal person I am, I wanted things neatly tied up in a bow. I like facts as they help me think things through. But maybe the girls are right and Julia and I don't need to know where the cancer is now, how far it spread in 3 months or whatever and at what rate is it growing. I'm pretty sure she couldn't have another operation to cut nerve endings, and if we saw a large tumour there's always the thought that Julia cold panic and just give in. I just need to accept I've got her as long as I've got her and keep her as positive as possible mentally. Maybe we can keep creating targets like we did with the wedding. I'll have to speak to Yvonne about getting pregnant........
Lies, Lates and Where is it's.
We set off at 7.15 am to cover the 15 miles or so to Chester. We'd never been to this particular venue before so I suggested Lady J used her sat-nag. Things did not go well. The Transylvanian voiced minx inside the box was having an off day.
When we go to Chester we start the journey by turning right and heading for the expressway. Ms Dracul asked us to turn left instead and head for the Coast Road.
Much to Julia's chagrin I suggested she obey instructions as I had no idea which part of Chester the hotel was in. We were due to arrive by 8'am so the ladies could go to the hairdressers.
By 7.40 we had reached a point where the back road into Chester was close and I suggested we prepare, but no, the beguiling voice sent us left onto the motorway. As there is an alternate route into Chester I wasn't worried until Vladina told Julia to go round the roundabout and take the third exit. Panic set in because there was a new roundabout ahead and the third exit took us onto the main motorway to Manchester. Strange mumblings came from Julia's mouth as she took the road before I was able to shout "Ignore the wench, she's playing with you." We had got a few hundred yards when the voice with a throaty chuckle told us to "Turn round when possible". We took the next exit( miles away) and out friend directed us back onto the opposite side of the motorway to retrace our steps. It's now 8.15 and I'm having trouble keeping calm.
Back to where we were the disembodied idiot told us to turn right and approach the roundabout taking the third exit again. I knew it was wrong as I could see the Chester Road close by on the left but by now we were in her thrall. Right it was and the third exit loomed. Hoylake said the sign. We both knew that's on the Wirral peninsula but we carried on until the fiend said "In one hundred yards you have reached your destination, you have reached your destination." It was a lay-by near to a huge brick wall which somehow didn't seem right. Reaching over Julia I gripped the sat-nag with the intention of throwing her out of the window but knowing the litter laws and the fact that police cars can hide behind an autumn leaf I just turned her off and suggested we turn the car round and I'd navigate. Ten minutes later at 8.30 we dew up at the hotel. Within 5 minutes I was esconced in our daughters room as they departed for hair-do's and nail buffings.
All Wedding days have hiccups, so glad that ours were over I sat on the chaise longue and nodded off. Soon enough the distractions returned and I headed down to the bar for coffee. It wouldn't take Julia long to change so she joined me for a cuppa and we laughed about the mornings events until it was time to get dressed. Back in the room the cameras were flashing as each new person appeared in their finery. Without noticing the time arrived for the bridesmaids and Julia to depart. Half an hour later the phone rang to say our car had arrived.A Rolls Royce no less.
The driver suggested taking a slightly longer route so we could pull up outside the church on the slide Yvonne would alight. We were pulling up outside the church when there was a lot of frantic waving for us to go round the block again. I saw sheer panic on Yvonne's face for a moment that Ugo hadn't turned up bu she knew that couldn't be the case so rolled down her window. It transpired Ugo was patiently waiting our arrival but his mother journeying from London hadn't arrived. Back up went the window and e set off to go round the block when Yvonne realised she didn't have her bouquet. We dashed back to the hotel where I ran ( or limped) inside and shot upstairs shouting " I couldn't do it, I changed my mind" at the reception staff. The electronic key wouldn't work. Back down, key registered and back up again for the flowers. Another dash back to the car to arrive at the church at 3.20 for the 3.00pm marriage. Word came that Mum was on the way so we'd give her till half past then we'd have to start. I used the time wisely, I stood beside the car and had a calming smoke.
At 3.30 we went in. Yvonne on my arm looking a dream. Mum hadn't arrived but we couldn't hold the queue up any longer or we''d be having joint weddings with the next couple. Even worse was he Best Man was now missing as he's gone to find his mother and bring her. The ceremony was just drawing to and end as they appeared. " Don't worry Dad" said Yvonne, "It's just African time, it's much more relaxed than ours."
It transpired that the car she was travelling i got lost and the best man went out to guide them in. For some strange reason they'd taken time to park their car and travel with the best man. Later as we went for the wedding breakfast there were spaces at the table as they'd decided to go and collect the car they'd abandoned. They arrived back just a we were finishing our main course and had to catch up.
The day itself was wonderful. The weather had saved it's best for us and the wedding party all looked great in their assorted finery.I confess that Julia and I were both glad to change into easy flowing African outfits made for us when the dancing started.
When we go to Chester we start the journey by turning right and heading for the expressway. Ms Dracul asked us to turn left instead and head for the Coast Road.
Much to Julia's chagrin I suggested she obey instructions as I had no idea which part of Chester the hotel was in. We were due to arrive by 8'am so the ladies could go to the hairdressers.
By 7.40 we had reached a point where the back road into Chester was close and I suggested we prepare, but no, the beguiling voice sent us left onto the motorway. As there is an alternate route into Chester I wasn't worried until Vladina told Julia to go round the roundabout and take the third exit. Panic set in because there was a new roundabout ahead and the third exit took us onto the main motorway to Manchester. Strange mumblings came from Julia's mouth as she took the road before I was able to shout "Ignore the wench, she's playing with you." We had got a few hundred yards when the voice with a throaty chuckle told us to "Turn round when possible". We took the next exit( miles away) and out friend directed us back onto the opposite side of the motorway to retrace our steps. It's now 8.15 and I'm having trouble keeping calm.
Back to where we were the disembodied idiot told us to turn right and approach the roundabout taking the third exit again. I knew it was wrong as I could see the Chester Road close by on the left but by now we were in her thrall. Right it was and the third exit loomed. Hoylake said the sign. We both knew that's on the Wirral peninsula but we carried on until the fiend said "In one hundred yards you have reached your destination, you have reached your destination." It was a lay-by near to a huge brick wall which somehow didn't seem right. Reaching over Julia I gripped the sat-nag with the intention of throwing her out of the window but knowing the litter laws and the fact that police cars can hide behind an autumn leaf I just turned her off and suggested we turn the car round and I'd navigate. Ten minutes later at 8.30 we dew up at the hotel. Within 5 minutes I was esconced in our daughters room as they departed for hair-do's and nail buffings.
All Wedding days have hiccups, so glad that ours were over I sat on the chaise longue and nodded off. Soon enough the distractions returned and I headed down to the bar for coffee. It wouldn't take Julia long to change so she joined me for a cuppa and we laughed about the mornings events until it was time to get dressed. Back in the room the cameras were flashing as each new person appeared in their finery. Without noticing the time arrived for the bridesmaids and Julia to depart. Half an hour later the phone rang to say our car had arrived.A Rolls Royce no less.
The driver suggested taking a slightly longer route so we could pull up outside the church on the slide Yvonne would alight. We were pulling up outside the church when there was a lot of frantic waving for us to go round the block again. I saw sheer panic on Yvonne's face for a moment that Ugo hadn't turned up bu she knew that couldn't be the case so rolled down her window. It transpired Ugo was patiently waiting our arrival but his mother journeying from London hadn't arrived. Back up went the window and e set off to go round the block when Yvonne realised she didn't have her bouquet. We dashed back to the hotel where I ran ( or limped) inside and shot upstairs shouting " I couldn't do it, I changed my mind" at the reception staff. The electronic key wouldn't work. Back down, key registered and back up again for the flowers. Another dash back to the car to arrive at the church at 3.20 for the 3.00pm marriage. Word came that Mum was on the way so we'd give her till half past then we'd have to start. I used the time wisely, I stood beside the car and had a calming smoke.
At 3.30 we went in. Yvonne on my arm looking a dream. Mum hadn't arrived but we couldn't hold the queue up any longer or we''d be having joint weddings with the next couple. Even worse was he Best Man was now missing as he's gone to find his mother and bring her. The ceremony was just drawing to and end as they appeared. " Don't worry Dad" said Yvonne, "It's just African time, it's much more relaxed than ours."
It transpired that the car she was travelling i got lost and the best man went out to guide them in. For some strange reason they'd taken time to park their car and travel with the best man. Later as we went for the wedding breakfast there were spaces at the table as they'd decided to go and collect the car they'd abandoned. They arrived back just a we were finishing our main course and had to catch up.
The day itself was wonderful. The weather had saved it's best for us and the wedding party all looked great in their assorted finery.I confess that Julia and I were both glad to change into easy flowing African outfits made for us when the dancing started.
Proud as Punch
Today I’m as proud as punch. No, not because I’ve been in my first ever jacuzzi with my wife, the bride to be and her matron of honour but because when Julia and I got home the proof copy of her book had arrived. You might think I’d be blase about proofs by now but the truth is I’m not. Also this is the first time I’d seen or read the book as I didn’t want to seem interfering. I had to let Julia handle the writing of this as she wanted even if it was badly written as it would at least be badly written from the heart. I was in no position to tell her how she actually felt at the news of her cancer nor how she felt when told it was inoperable. Though I’ve tried to be with her every step of the was and be as supportive as possible ( no more so than Yvonne and our nieces Karen and Joanne) at no time could I put myself in her shoes. Probably I’ve had times where I’ve been selfish and looked at things from the viewpoint of how I’ll cope without her.
Ju has been keeping a journal of sorts at all the major stumbling blocks and had made them into an ongoing blog. My sole involvement was to suggest perhaps she made a book that we could always refer to. When the idea of promoting a new Riding school for the disabled in our area was mooted I thought maybe she could sell a few copies to help raise funds. She jumped at the idea and with the help of a friend in the U.S. who is herself a writer, the book was put on Lulu. Having agreed the proof copy it has now gone on sale. The book is called Hello, My name is Cancer. This title was chosen because Ju felt that after the diagnosis people looked at her as the illness and not the person. Since we’re currently beating the prognosis by quite a way we’ve proved the person is still there, As strong and as brave as ever. Currently Ju is back in some breakthrough pain again and we’ll have to arrange to have her medication reviewed. The MST ( morphine) is now inadequate.But tomorrow with the wedding of ouur daughter Ju has achieved her most important bucket list wish.
The link to the book is http://www.lulu.com/shop/julia-prosser/hellomy-name-is-cancer/paperback/product-20380013.html and it’s available now at £5.98 per copy with all profits going to the Pennant Park Wishes fund.
The author (Ilil Arbel) who helped Julia edit the book and put it on Lulu wrote this for the back cover…
Hello My Name is Cancer is a most unusual book. It was written to encourage cancer patients on their difficult road, but it is much, much more. The book tells about the author’s relationship to her beloved horses, to family, to friends; it shows how life should be lived no matter how much time we think we have or not have. It is a story of pain, courage, loyalty, and the way to self knowledge. This book must be read by anyone who is undergoing difficult times – which happens to almost everyone – because no matter what the trouble is, the story would help the reader regain balance and perspective.
If you buy it I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you as the author does me.
Ju has been keeping a journal of sorts at all the major stumbling blocks and had made them into an ongoing blog. My sole involvement was to suggest perhaps she made a book that we could always refer to. When the idea of promoting a new Riding school for the disabled in our area was mooted I thought maybe she could sell a few copies to help raise funds. She jumped at the idea and with the help of a friend in the U.S. who is herself a writer, the book was put on Lulu. Having agreed the proof copy it has now gone on sale. The book is called Hello, My name is Cancer. This title was chosen because Ju felt that after the diagnosis people looked at her as the illness and not the person. Since we’re currently beating the prognosis by quite a way we’ve proved the person is still there, As strong and as brave as ever. Currently Ju is back in some breakthrough pain again and we’ll have to arrange to have her medication reviewed. The MST ( morphine) is now inadequate.But tomorrow with the wedding of ouur daughter Ju has achieved her most important bucket list wish.
The link to the book is http://www.lulu.com/shop/julia-prosser/hellomy-name-is-cancer/paperback/product-20380013.html and it’s available now at £5.98 per copy with all profits going to the Pennant Park Wishes fund.
The author (Ilil Arbel) who helped Julia edit the book and put it on Lulu wrote this for the back cover…
Hello My Name is Cancer is a most unusual book. It was written to encourage cancer patients on their difficult road, but it is much, much more. The book tells about the author’s relationship to her beloved horses, to family, to friends; it shows how life should be lived no matter how much time we think we have or not have. It is a story of pain, courage, loyalty, and the way to self knowledge. This book must be read by anyone who is undergoing difficult times – which happens to almost everyone – because no matter what the trouble is, the story would help the reader regain balance and perspective.
If you buy it I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you as the author does me.
And The Winner is..........
I suspect that many people thought like me that the Olympics was over for 2012 with the closing ceremony of the Paralympics. Well it seems we were wrong from my observations today.
As many of you know I have a routine in the morning when I get up.
I collect Oscar's dishes and take them through to the kitchen.
I give the girls a chocolate drop each, except the degu's who because of diabetes risks get yoghurt drops
I feed the fish, fill the kettle, grab a handful of cornflakes to feed the girls before going back to scald Oscar's dishes and refill them with fresh food and water. Then I go on to take my meds and make drinks for myself and Ju.
This morning I didn't get as far as the girls treats before panic set in. Amy came for hers, Penny was there and so was Priya but why wasn't Bernie coming for hers? I could see she wasn't in their favourite tube at the top of the cage. They've eaten so much of it there's no place to hide. I couldn't see her on the mid-level anywhere which only left the ground floor. There are two long flexi- tubes there which they occasionally nap in. Calling her name constantly I prodded the tubes through the bars to try and wake her. I confess that Bernie is my favourite ( though Priya is a very close second) and I was scared by now that something was wrong with her. That is until I turned round. There on the settee, looking up at me as though saying "I'm here daddy, you called me"? I was overjoyed though a little puzzled and worried when she didn't seem to want her chocolate drop, I can see why now however.
Bernie had found a flaw in the catch at the top of the cage and after applying a little pressure had forced her way out. None of the others had managed this. The 1st Rat Olympiad was to have just one competitor. so...
Manipulation through a small space goes to.....Bernie
Rappelling down two stories to a convenient surface goes to.....Bernie.
The Long Jump to the coffee Table goes to......Bernie
The Marathon from coffee table via floor to settee goes to.....Bernie.
Then came the event I didn't ever expect to see become an Olympic event because of health issues. Number One because it could make you fat and Number 2 because My wife could chop off your tail when she finds out.
Bernie had found Julia's stash. She'd obviously enjoyed the mint chocolate aero since she'd made quite a dent in it. The coffee biscuit wrapper didn't stand in her way for long and that was left a pile of crumbs but the most dangerous of all...... the lollipops....ah what an error, 4 of those she bit into and one of the sticks was chewed through, not even I could cover that one up. So, I did the only thing I could, made Julia a cup of tea and got her up telling her all about Bernie as I did so. When she came through she was almost forgiving.
The girls are got out two at a time in the mornings to play for half an hour so as Bernie was already out Priya was allowed out to join her. I noticed a strange reluctance on Julia's part to allow Bernie into her robe or to kiss her, and she didn't seem to regret putting the Olympic Star back in the cage after half an hour. Personally I don't bear grudges ( well, they weren't my sweets) so I'll quietly celebrate her achievements. Penny and Amy have had their break now and it's the turn of the degus, mother and daughters rolling around in three separate balls. I wonder if that will be part of the competition in four years time.
A date for the Op.
Huzzah. Today we’re told that they’ll perform the operation next Tuesday 4th September. They’ll keep Julia in overnight as she’ll be sedated during the operation. That was a job I offered to do ‘on the cheap’ but to my surprise both Julia and the hospital refused. We have to phone on Tuesday morning to ensure there’s still a bed. Perhaps any empty ones are taken away and sold by the porters during the night? I hope having this operation now leaves enough time for Julia to revert to a normal colour.
Last night was a poor night for me. I managed little sleep with my chest. It was quite difficult to breathe and I was having loud coughing fits- mainly with the intent of keeping the neighbourhood awake with me. I was getting no relief from the sprays I use. I got up at 3.30 anyway to start my emails but found it hard to concentrate. At 6.00am I went through to feed the creatures and put the kettle on. I woke Julia and told her tea wouldn’t be long. The rats and the degu(s) each had an appropriate treat then some loose cornflakes which they love until Julia came through to give them their morning exercise. Saffy into her ankle crunching ball and Bernie plus Priya to play on the settee. I fed Oscar after cleaning his dishes and then took my meds. For one I wasn’t able to let the girls climb through my dressing gown and kiss me. ( Bernie’s a devil for giving me tongue). I could’t face breakfast. After half an hour Julia put Bernie and Priya back in their cage and bribed Saffy to return to her noisy children. It was time for Amy and Penny to take centre stage. Penny loves to pull the rim of your cup down and delicately scoop tea/coffee into her waiting mouth.
By 7.30 the girls were away and we were getting ready to go out for our main weekly shopping expedition. We have to go early before the shops get crowded.It’s a Jack Sprat thing, Ju can’t do the shopping on her own and I can’t face the people. It was hard today as my breathing was so bad. The shopping trolley was more there to support me than bear the packets of yoghurts, bacon and the bread and milk. We got home about 9.30 and unpacked. I did a little more mail then lay down and slept for a while until Julia woke me to tel me she was worried about my breathing. I suggested lack of breathing is more the thing to worry about. Anyway, she went horse riding at about i.pm and returned by 3.pm to find me asleep again and had a problem waking me. We had to go to hospital to have some bloodwork taken for next Tuesday and the time out of the house was actually beneficial. We’re back and I decided to come through to deal with messages at 6.pm so this will be the first time I’ve not been to give the girls a treat and to talk to them all.
Time to try opening a window I think and see whether that will help me breathe a little better tonight. I want to be OK tomorrow as our nieces are coming and If I’m not well it will be lecture time. We’re looking forward to seeing them since they’re both very entertaining and could tell tall tales as an Olympic event.
I’m delighted we have the date for Julia’s operation and look forward to a clear run now up to the wedding.
Last night was a poor night for me. I managed little sleep with my chest. It was quite difficult to breathe and I was having loud coughing fits- mainly with the intent of keeping the neighbourhood awake with me. I was getting no relief from the sprays I use. I got up at 3.30 anyway to start my emails but found it hard to concentrate. At 6.00am I went through to feed the creatures and put the kettle on. I woke Julia and told her tea wouldn’t be long. The rats and the degu(s) each had an appropriate treat then some loose cornflakes which they love until Julia came through to give them their morning exercise. Saffy into her ankle crunching ball and Bernie plus Priya to play on the settee. I fed Oscar after cleaning his dishes and then took my meds. For one I wasn’t able to let the girls climb through my dressing gown and kiss me. ( Bernie’s a devil for giving me tongue). I could’t face breakfast. After half an hour Julia put Bernie and Priya back in their cage and bribed Saffy to return to her noisy children. It was time for Amy and Penny to take centre stage. Penny loves to pull the rim of your cup down and delicately scoop tea/coffee into her waiting mouth.
By 7.30 the girls were away and we were getting ready to go out for our main weekly shopping expedition. We have to go early before the shops get crowded.It’s a Jack Sprat thing, Ju can’t do the shopping on her own and I can’t face the people. It was hard today as my breathing was so bad. The shopping trolley was more there to support me than bear the packets of yoghurts, bacon and the bread and milk. We got home about 9.30 and unpacked. I did a little more mail then lay down and slept for a while until Julia woke me to tel me she was worried about my breathing. I suggested lack of breathing is more the thing to worry about. Anyway, she went horse riding at about i.pm and returned by 3.pm to find me asleep again and had a problem waking me. We had to go to hospital to have some bloodwork taken for next Tuesday and the time out of the house was actually beneficial. We’re back and I decided to come through to deal with messages at 6.pm so this will be the first time I’ve not been to give the girls a treat and to talk to them all.
Time to try opening a window I think and see whether that will help me breathe a little better tonight. I want to be OK tomorrow as our nieces are coming and If I’m not well it will be lecture time. We’re looking forward to seeing them since they’re both very entertaining and could tell tall tales as an Olympic event.
I’m delighted we have the date for Julia’s operation and look forward to a clear run now up to the wedding.
The Story up to Date
This week Julia has contracted yellow jaundice and we find it's another of the little treats pancreatic cancer comes with. On top of that she's suffered some distress with her digestion that's had her going to the toilet as a matter of urgency. It really gets her down and at times like this she can't travel far in case she needs the loo.
We saw the oncologist on Thursday and I'm sure he was disappointed that there were just three of us there. His fan club weren't able to make it because of work. He explained that the tummy problem was exacerbated by the jaundice and was to be expected, but to Julia's dismay he also pointed out her weight hasn't increased and she needs to start trying to eat FOUR times a day and taking the tablets with the digestive enzyme. During this next week he'll arrange for her to be admitted for minor surgery to place a stent in her bile duct to relieve the jaundice.
All of this concentrated my mind on the problem of Pennant Park. We really do need to try and get the arena enclosed and a hoist fitted. Once done they can apply for RDA accreditation and Julia will only have a small distance to travel while she still can, but the place can bring pleasure to untold numbers of disabled people as well.Maybe they'll be able to train riders for the next Paralympics in 2016. Since there are so few RDA stables in North Wales it will be ideal for riders to get here. It's going to cost around £20,000.00 but a start has been mad with the first £60.00 given on Friday. I've now written to some of the local Supermarkets looking for sponsorship and designed a few small posters to go up at the stables and in a few factories and shops locally.It was lucky that a piece I wrote for the local paper was taken up and Julia was photographed last week. She found it quite a shock to walk into a store and see her picture plastered all round a news stand. From that came a request for a radio interview which she did last Wednesday though we don't know when it will be aired yet.
I don't know how long I have Julia for but I'm determined to make every moment count for her in bringing her 'bucket list' to fruition. Any bright ideas welcomed. Her Number 1 was to see our daughter married which takes place in September, and her 2nd was to take part in a dressage competition which she has...and Won! A new RDA closer to home is her third and the hardest.I'm determined not to be beaten.
We saw the oncologist on Thursday and I'm sure he was disappointed that there were just three of us there. His fan club weren't able to make it because of work. He explained that the tummy problem was exacerbated by the jaundice and was to be expected, but to Julia's dismay he also pointed out her weight hasn't increased and she needs to start trying to eat FOUR times a day and taking the tablets with the digestive enzyme. During this next week he'll arrange for her to be admitted for minor surgery to place a stent in her bile duct to relieve the jaundice.
All of this concentrated my mind on the problem of Pennant Park. We really do need to try and get the arena enclosed and a hoist fitted. Once done they can apply for RDA accreditation and Julia will only have a small distance to travel while she still can, but the place can bring pleasure to untold numbers of disabled people as well.Maybe they'll be able to train riders for the next Paralympics in 2016. Since there are so few RDA stables in North Wales it will be ideal for riders to get here. It's going to cost around £20,000.00 but a start has been mad with the first £60.00 given on Friday. I've now written to some of the local Supermarkets looking for sponsorship and designed a few small posters to go up at the stables and in a few factories and shops locally.It was lucky that a piece I wrote for the local paper was taken up and Julia was photographed last week. She found it quite a shock to walk into a store and see her picture plastered all round a news stand. From that came a request for a radio interview which she did last Wednesday though we don't know when it will be aired yet.
I don't know how long I have Julia for but I'm determined to make every moment count for her in bringing her 'bucket list' to fruition. Any bright ideas welcomed. Her Number 1 was to see our daughter married which takes place in September, and her 2nd was to take part in a dressage competition which she has...and Won! A new RDA closer to home is her third and the hardest.I'm determined not to be beaten.
Unexpected arrivals.
It's been about a month now since Julia grovelled at my feet in the shop and told me "But David, I Neeeeed to have her", her being Daffy, a degu up for rescue in a pet shop. Steely eyed I refused and pointed out that with 4 rats we certainly didn't need another rodent in the house. At the same time of course I was extracting my wallet and signing on the dotted line. Because rescue pets are a donation to charity I couldn't really refuse to give less than one would have cost. She was a sweet looking little thing and I was told about 6 weeks old. She'd been brought in with some males for sale and had to be separated.
The wallet was getting lighter and lighter as I viewed the articles on display for degus. We had to be careful of the food and treats as they're prone to diabetes.
I bought a new cage which was a very tall bird cage but which could easily be converted into a three storey degu cage with plenty of levels for her to jump about on. Last week I finally had to admit defeat when the hole she'd chewed in the plastic base was big enough for an escapee from Colditz Castle. Out came two older cages where the metal wires ran as deep as the base to prevent her getting at the plastic. One Heath Robinson job later and the two cages were now one multi storey one which you have to be a contortionist to get your arm into to replenish the food.
Saffy as we renamed her since Daffy reminded me of the duck is sweet. She loves to be handled and she loves to trundle round the floor clipping ankles in her ball. She especially loves breaking the ball open and going for a casual stroll.
Part of my daily routine is to give her a treat when I first get up and feed cornflakes to the rats. This morning as I entered the room it was like being in Gremlins. I could hear this singing sound and thought Saffy was talking to me as she often does to Julia, though I don't normally hear it very well. It was a really lovely sound. Julia has accused me of over feeding Saffy treats as since she's been growing older she's become rather rotund. Anyway, as soon as I rustled the treats bag for the girls, Saffy appeared in her cage. No way was I going to refuse her after the tune so I gave her a yoghurt drop and she retreated.
I mentioned the singing to Julia when I took her cuppa through and she reminded me that she's asked the pet shop to let us know if any more female degus come in as they're very gregarious animals and love company. I said as my memory is marginally better than hers I remembered then got out while I still could. As Julia came through the singing started again which was good as she'd now realise I was neither hearing things not hallucinating. She brought Saffy's ball up to the cage door and Saffy climbed aboard and took off. " How fat she's getting David. You have to stop the treats" she said. "Maybe she's pregnant" I said jokingly. Then the singing started again and it was still coming from Saffy's cage though she wasn't there. Julia leaned over and the little section f the cage where Saffy had made a nest of a rope she's disintegrated was heaving.
"She's had babies" I heard.
Julia rapidly got Saffy out of her ball and back into the cage to her babies. So far today we've counted four but I don't know if that's all. I'm just hoping it's not the twelve they can have.
As they become sexually active at six to seven weeks and gestate for 90 days she must have been made pregnant very quickly between becoming active and being separated from the boys. We now have to wait till they're about 4 weeks old to sex them so we can get the boys out and find them homes. Julia wants to keep at least one female ( if there are any) to keep Saffy company. So today I've had to order a new cage- all metal- ready for the new family. Oscar is going to hate this since Saffy hisses at him but shows no fear if he's close and maybe her daughters will be the same.
I think I need to move out.
The wallet was getting lighter and lighter as I viewed the articles on display for degus. We had to be careful of the food and treats as they're prone to diabetes.
I bought a new cage which was a very tall bird cage but which could easily be converted into a three storey degu cage with plenty of levels for her to jump about on. Last week I finally had to admit defeat when the hole she'd chewed in the plastic base was big enough for an escapee from Colditz Castle. Out came two older cages where the metal wires ran as deep as the base to prevent her getting at the plastic. One Heath Robinson job later and the two cages were now one multi storey one which you have to be a contortionist to get your arm into to replenish the food.
Saffy as we renamed her since Daffy reminded me of the duck is sweet. She loves to be handled and she loves to trundle round the floor clipping ankles in her ball. She especially loves breaking the ball open and going for a casual stroll.
Part of my daily routine is to give her a treat when I first get up and feed cornflakes to the rats. This morning as I entered the room it was like being in Gremlins. I could hear this singing sound and thought Saffy was talking to me as she often does to Julia, though I don't normally hear it very well. It was a really lovely sound. Julia has accused me of over feeding Saffy treats as since she's been growing older she's become rather rotund. Anyway, as soon as I rustled the treats bag for the girls, Saffy appeared in her cage. No way was I going to refuse her after the tune so I gave her a yoghurt drop and she retreated.
I mentioned the singing to Julia when I took her cuppa through and she reminded me that she's asked the pet shop to let us know if any more female degus come in as they're very gregarious animals and love company. I said as my memory is marginally better than hers I remembered then got out while I still could. As Julia came through the singing started again which was good as she'd now realise I was neither hearing things not hallucinating. She brought Saffy's ball up to the cage door and Saffy climbed aboard and took off. " How fat she's getting David. You have to stop the treats" she said. "Maybe she's pregnant" I said jokingly. Then the singing started again and it was still coming from Saffy's cage though she wasn't there. Julia leaned over and the little section f the cage where Saffy had made a nest of a rope she's disintegrated was heaving.
"She's had babies" I heard.
Julia rapidly got Saffy out of her ball and back into the cage to her babies. So far today we've counted four but I don't know if that's all. I'm just hoping it's not the twelve they can have.
As they become sexually active at six to seven weeks and gestate for 90 days she must have been made pregnant very quickly between becoming active and being separated from the boys. We now have to wait till they're about 4 weeks old to sex them so we can get the boys out and find them homes. Julia wants to keep at least one female ( if there are any) to keep Saffy company. So today I've had to order a new cage- all metal- ready for the new family. Oscar is going to hate this since Saffy hisses at him but shows no fear if he's close and maybe her daughters will be the same.
I think I need to move out.
Maybe Blondes do have more fun.
Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with that expensive double-pane energy efficient kind, and today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them. He was complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I still hadn't paid for them.
Hellloooo,............just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves! Helllooooo? It's been a year! I told him. There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up. He never called back. I bet he felt like an idiot.
Hellloooo,............just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves! Helllooooo? It's been a year! I told him. There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up. He never called back. I bet he felt like an idiot.
Pennant Park Wishes.
I know that I have previously made mention of Pennant Park Riding Centre where Julia visits. She being the one who loves horses and me being the bystander who goes along for her sake you wouldn’t expect me to wax lyrical on the subject. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t but circumstances are not normal these day are they ?
The owner of Pennant Park is Carl Crofts. He’s a nice person, a highly skilled riding instructor with a very pleasant manner and huge dreams. Pennant is a lovely property as you can see from the link http://www.pennantparkridingcentre.com/ . There are good grounds, and plenty of nice hacks in the area. For newcomers or for those who want to learn dressage there is a good arena. The problem is when the weather is bad ( and bear in mind this is the UK so more bad than good) the arena can’t be used. Because the arena is uncovered Carl is limited as to the people he can train there and of course the income goes down when the open arena is out of use.
Julia does her riding/training at an RDA ( Riding for the Disabled) stables about twenty five miles away. Carl and his wife Storm would love to be RDA approved so that he could help the disabled youngsters in the area learn to be comfortable around horses and help them, along with disabled adults to get pleasure from riding that often helps with other problems as well, like people with mental health problems and soldiers returning from action with stress have been shown to benefit from interaction with horses too.
I’d love to see this happen since obviously it would mean not having to travel so far for Julia to ride. In order to become approved for RDA there must be a covered arena with a lift to help get the disabled onto their horses. Herein lies the problem as Carl cannot raise such funding when he loses so much income due to the vagaries of our weather. What’s needed is an influx of goodwill from businesses, maybe corporate sponsorship. After all. it can’t do any harm to have a little board ‘Sponsored By….’ somewhere around an arena to be seen by visiting parents etc.
So, if you have a business or know of a business who’d be prepared to help by putting some sort of building around the arena, or providing a small lift that takes people up to the height of a horses back…… Don’t be shy. If you’re part of a group of businesses on a trading estate perhaps you could get everyone together to bring this dream to fruition not just for Carl but for generations of disabled and able bodied children who could use these facilities. You’ll find contact details on the link.
The owner of Pennant Park is Carl Crofts. He’s a nice person, a highly skilled riding instructor with a very pleasant manner and huge dreams. Pennant is a lovely property as you can see from the link http://www.pennantparkridingcentre.com/ . There are good grounds, and plenty of nice hacks in the area. For newcomers or for those who want to learn dressage there is a good arena. The problem is when the weather is bad ( and bear in mind this is the UK so more bad than good) the arena can’t be used. Because the arena is uncovered Carl is limited as to the people he can train there and of course the income goes down when the open arena is out of use.
Julia does her riding/training at an RDA ( Riding for the Disabled) stables about twenty five miles away. Carl and his wife Storm would love to be RDA approved so that he could help the disabled youngsters in the area learn to be comfortable around horses and help them, along with disabled adults to get pleasure from riding that often helps with other problems as well, like people with mental health problems and soldiers returning from action with stress have been shown to benefit from interaction with horses too.
I’d love to see this happen since obviously it would mean not having to travel so far for Julia to ride. In order to become approved for RDA there must be a covered arena with a lift to help get the disabled onto their horses. Herein lies the problem as Carl cannot raise such funding when he loses so much income due to the vagaries of our weather. What’s needed is an influx of goodwill from businesses, maybe corporate sponsorship. After all. it can’t do any harm to have a little board ‘Sponsored By….’ somewhere around an arena to be seen by visiting parents etc.
So, if you have a business or know of a business who’d be prepared to help by putting some sort of building around the arena, or providing a small lift that takes people up to the height of a horses back…… Don’t be shy. If you’re part of a group of businesses on a trading estate perhaps you could get everyone together to bring this dream to fruition not just for Carl but for generations of disabled and able bodied children who could use these facilities. You’ll find contact details on the link.
Awards
Wow, Oscar came to me this morning looking most unhappy. It seems a beautiful lady had asked him to pass a message to me. 'The Wanderlust Gene
( https://thewanderlustgene.wordpress.com/ ) has nominated me for an award while apologising to him for passing him by this time. I can see the message was passed with some reluctance but being the good sport he is Oscar only accidentally had his claws out to shake my hand. I'm sure it will soon heal.
I believe this is the first award this blog has ever been nominated for since most people seem to find my other blog the more rewarding. I'm sure Oscar would have preferred it remain so though I'm not sure he knows of the awards there and I might just have made a bad situation worse. For anyone who's interested my other blog ( No Oscar there) is http://barsetshirediaries.wordpress.com .
In accordance with these awards I have to give you the readers 7 facts about myself and also nominate 7 blogs I would nominate in my turn. So with great thanks to my benefactor, here we go.....
1. My Christian name is David but close friends and family always call me Mike so as not to confuse me with my father.
2. I am an addict ! The finest pork pies in the World are made by Titterton's of Stockport and I can't get enough.( Please note
I was not sponsored by Titterton's for placing the ad but if the thought of pies in the post should cross their minds)........
3. I have been awarded a Doctor of Divinity title from a seminary.
4. I am a staunch supporter and a member of The Order of St.Lazarus of Jerusalem.
5. History was always a passion and one day I would love to visit the Carcassonne to see where the Cathars lived.
6. Along with a close friend I have a website dedicated to getting rid of the sellers of Fake Titles to the unwary.
7. My idea of heaven would be to have the Buthidars take off and bring hugging to the world.
The 7 Bloggers and Blogs I would nominate are as follows.
1. https://thewanderlustgene.wordpress.com/ Not for her nomination but because her blog displays some fantastic
photographs and details of her travels.
2. http://barryparham.wordpress.com/ The man has an amazing sense of humour and can curl me up laughing.
3. http://acflory.wordpress.com/ Meeka’s Mind . A very entertaining writer who also reviews books and comments on the things we need to know.
4. http://sheilahurst.wordpress.com/ A new Blog to me but what a great writer and photographer.
5. http://raptorsclaw.wordpress.com/ Rodney C Johnson. A young man we’ll be hearing a lot of as a Science Fiction/Fantasy writer.
6. http://www.theunwantedtrilogy.com/ A writer who doesn't revert to swearing, unnecessary violence or sex to make a story exciting and fun.
7. http://loveahappyending.com/ Talent will out. Well written blog that also has a cause dear to it’s heart and I applaud. Excellent reviews.I would just like to reiterate my thanks to Meredith Maisonneuve for the honour she does me with her nomination.
( https://thewanderlustgene.wordpress.com/ ) has nominated me for an award while apologising to him for passing him by this time. I can see the message was passed with some reluctance but being the good sport he is Oscar only accidentally had his claws out to shake my hand. I'm sure it will soon heal.
I believe this is the first award this blog has ever been nominated for since most people seem to find my other blog the more rewarding. I'm sure Oscar would have preferred it remain so though I'm not sure he knows of the awards there and I might just have made a bad situation worse. For anyone who's interested my other blog ( No Oscar there) is http://barsetshirediaries.wordpress.com .
In accordance with these awards I have to give you the readers 7 facts about myself and also nominate 7 blogs I would nominate in my turn. So with great thanks to my benefactor, here we go.....
1. My Christian name is David but close friends and family always call me Mike so as not to confuse me with my father.
2. I am an addict ! The finest pork pies in the World are made by Titterton's of Stockport and I can't get enough.( Please note
I was not sponsored by Titterton's for placing the ad but if the thought of pies in the post should cross their minds)........
3. I have been awarded a Doctor of Divinity title from a seminary.
4. I am a staunch supporter and a member of The Order of St.Lazarus of Jerusalem.
5. History was always a passion and one day I would love to visit the Carcassonne to see where the Cathars lived.
6. Along with a close friend I have a website dedicated to getting rid of the sellers of Fake Titles to the unwary.
7. My idea of heaven would be to have the Buthidars take off and bring hugging to the world.
The 7 Bloggers and Blogs I would nominate are as follows.
1. https://thewanderlustgene.wordpress.com/ Not for her nomination but because her blog displays some fantastic
photographs and details of her travels.
2. http://barryparham.wordpress.com/ The man has an amazing sense of humour and can curl me up laughing.
3. http://acflory.wordpress.com/ Meeka’s Mind . A very entertaining writer who also reviews books and comments on the things we need to know.
4. http://sheilahurst.wordpress.com/ A new Blog to me but what a great writer and photographer.
5. http://raptorsclaw.wordpress.com/ Rodney C Johnson. A young man we’ll be hearing a lot of as a Science Fiction/Fantasy writer.
6. http://www.theunwantedtrilogy.com/ A writer who doesn't revert to swearing, unnecessary violence or sex to make a story exciting and fun.
7. http://loveahappyending.com/ Talent will out. Well written blog that also has a cause dear to it’s heart and I applaud. Excellent reviews.I would just like to reiterate my thanks to Meredith Maisonneuve for the honour she does me with her nomination.
Local Elections
Well the day of the local elections has arrived. I'm happy to say I have a postal vote because today I'm stuck indoors waiting for a plumber who a few days ago would make an urgent visit within the next couple of days. When I was at school a couple of days meant two but maybe that's why I'm voting in the elections in the hope of improving local education.
To be honest I'm smiling to myself. A few minutes ago I caught the sounds of a van and glimpsed it flying past. The broken refrain was 'Things can only get better' which for all our non-UK friends was the theme tune of the Labour Party during the Tony Blair days.
It sounded as though the van and the pa system were as knackered as the rhetoric of the Blair days too, and the van wasn't stopping for questions. Mind you, it might have been worried that if it did stop it might not start again. Pretty much like Labour itself I think. Since Blair we've had Brown a non-elected Prime Minister whose time was mercifully short since he was bankrupting the country. Then came......I know I'll remember the name eventually. A total non-person with no charisma or leadership qualities. No problem to me since I wouldn't vote Labour anyway.
But back to today and the local elections. Since these should primarily be held on local issues I'm hoping we get an influx of Independents to both our Town Council and the County Council since they would not be obliged to toe a party line. And the party line these days with the three main parties is pretty much pro-Europe on everything despite what the electorate seem to wish. Maybe a beating in local elections will make them think again. Sorry, I'm laughing at the thought of that. A politician listening? I'm still waiting for one to keep a promise.
At the end of the day it will always be a case of to the victor the spoils. I just hope that this time the spoils aren't picking up a mess left by the previous incumbent so that they can concentrate on getting the UK back on track. Good Luck on that then !
By the way, the leader of the Labour party is one Ed Miliband who beat his brother ( a slightly more charismatic man) for the post.
To be honest I'm smiling to myself. A few minutes ago I caught the sounds of a van and glimpsed it flying past. The broken refrain was 'Things can only get better' which for all our non-UK friends was the theme tune of the Labour Party during the Tony Blair days.
It sounded as though the van and the pa system were as knackered as the rhetoric of the Blair days too, and the van wasn't stopping for questions. Mind you, it might have been worried that if it did stop it might not start again. Pretty much like Labour itself I think. Since Blair we've had Brown a non-elected Prime Minister whose time was mercifully short since he was bankrupting the country. Then came......I know I'll remember the name eventually. A total non-person with no charisma or leadership qualities. No problem to me since I wouldn't vote Labour anyway.
But back to today and the local elections. Since these should primarily be held on local issues I'm hoping we get an influx of Independents to both our Town Council and the County Council since they would not be obliged to toe a party line. And the party line these days with the three main parties is pretty much pro-Europe on everything despite what the electorate seem to wish. Maybe a beating in local elections will make them think again. Sorry, I'm laughing at the thought of that. A politician listening? I'm still waiting for one to keep a promise.
At the end of the day it will always be a case of to the victor the spoils. I just hope that this time the spoils aren't picking up a mess left by the previous incumbent so that they can concentrate on getting the UK back on track. Good Luck on that then !
By the way, the leader of the Labour party is one Ed Miliband who beat his brother ( a slightly more charismatic man) for the post.
April out and Scan results in.
Yesterday we returned to the hospital to see the oncologist and get the results of the scan Julia had back in March. Our daughter and nieces accompanied us again but that was probably in the hopes of seeing Dr. Drop Dead Gorgeous. They were to be disappointed since we saw the lady from our last visit. Though she is honest in where we stand she always tries to temper that with some enthusiastically given 'Good News'.
Today we were told that the tumour has grown back to the size it was when Julia was first diagnosed and before the chemotherapy shrunk it so much. This was said with the speed of a machine gun spitting out bullets so that it had just hit home when the speech slowed slightly for the good news. "But" she said " it hasn't spread to any other organ, and since you're not currently uncomfortable ( in pain), and you're currently trying to live as normal a life as possible, we've decided to continue on the path of no treatment. To offer something now could exacerbate the growth and reduce your quality of life. We need to reserve treatment for a time when you start to feel the effects of the tumour again."
Everyone seemed delighted with the news that the other organs were currently clear and that no treatment was currently needed. I held myself in check asking just a couple of questions, the main one of which was to see if chemotherapy could be restarted at a lower dose of the gemcitobene if needed as the other treatment option is to take tablets daily which have only a 10% success rate. The prevaricating answer is that they could look at the option. I thought Julia was happy with the news too until we got home. She told me she's scared that the tumour is back at the size it is and she worries now if she'll survive to see our daughter married or if she'll hold a grandchild of that wonderful union. I did all I could to stay positive and remind her she's still riding and relatively pain free.
My own worries though aren't so easily dispersed since I'm wondering if the scan was six weeks ago, how much growth has there been since then? Will it grow beyond the limits of the splanchnicectomy and cause the pain to return which can only be controlled with large doses of morphine ? I don't even know how fast the growth is. It could have started growing slowly in December when the chemotherapy stopped and taken till March to reach this size, or it may have only started growing a week before the scan and got to this size quickly. This again leaves me wondering where we are size-wise now.
We return to the hospital in 6 weeks unless Julia feels any discomfort in which case we go back straight away. But, if we manage the six weeks I shall feel I have to ask for a new scan to give me a better idea of how we stand. I will worry though that Julia and the girls will see this as a sign of desperation on my part and start to feel the same way. At the moment all I can do is hope Julia continues to enjoy the horse riding and doesn't start to feel enough discomfort to lessen her quality of life.
Friday addendum. It seems I was wrong as Julia has told me today how upset she is that the tumour has grown back to it's previous size. She's wondering now if this is the beginning of the end. Staying upbeat and keeping her positive is that little bit harder now. But, as I pointed out, great strides are being made every day and by next Friday she could be cured and driving me to drink.
Ssssh, It's a Secret
Sometimes you know it's going to be one of those days. Things had started well. Yvonne and her boyfriend Ugo had arrived on Friday morning to pick us up for our weekend away. OK, we weren't going to what might seem to be the most exotic location in the world- Bradford- but 'Wowcher' had been generous with the price and the pictures of the hotel looked promising. It's the first time in years I've managed to get Lady J away and with her health issues we needed a family break before seeing the oncologist next week.
Anyway they arrived and we set off. Since Ugo considers eating an Olympic sport and he's constantly in training we decided to stop off for a late breakfast on the M62 just North of Manchester. Afetr facing a meal with real fortitude it was time to resume the journey. I had been outside having a cigarette when my three amigos came out and we started to head back to the car.
Being on my crutches I'm slower to move off than most but I'd also paid a visit to the service station shop to buy little holiday gifts for everyone.For Ugo I'd chosen a watch. He held back with me as he put it on and the women walked ahead. Ugo had just said to me " I need to have a word please, you know how much I love Yvonne" when the converstaion was broken up as a car window lowered and someone gestured to us and called out " Scusi, scusi, una momento por favore." Ugo, being a kind hearted eating machine thought that directions might be needed and walked over. Less sure of the purpose, I followed behind.
"I am Cosi fan tutti" said the gesturing arm " I work for D & G in Milano and I over here in Manchester for big conference. I have a watch left over worth foura hundreda pounds, is yours for sixty eh." The car was parked beneath a notice warning people to be careful of unlicensed traders in the car parks and so Ugo politely declined and the gesturing arm withdrew.
He carried on talking to me as though there had been no interuption. " Well, I'd like your permission to ask her to marry me."
I judged it unseemly to kiss him and then cheer so I responded that it was a lovely idea and I approved.
"I'll ask her tonight at dinner then when I find the best time. Will you look after the ring for me please until I ask for it." I agreed.
We arrived in Bradford and pulled into the hotel car park just as a police van pulled to a halt sirens blaring outside the wall, next to a bus that didn't seem to be going anywhere. It didn't seem to bode well for the stay but we decided to go in anyway. I'm going to be honest and say it wasn't the most appealing exterior I'd seen. But inside it's a four star hotel with a five star staff.
We spent the afternoon walking through the local park, round the boating lake, looking at the art exhibition in Cartwright Hall and having a nice coffee. As we walked round we spied out the land and looked for the sister hotel to our own where the evening meals are available. Finding it wasn't too far away but from the outside just looking like a normal home we decided to risk it and when we got back to our hotel asked them to book us in.
Seven o'clock and two episodes of Big Bang Theory later we're all ready to go. The taxi arrives and we pile in arriving at the Lister hotel about 10 seconds after we left the Cartwright Hotel. What a difference the inside of the Lister brings. It's spotless and what seems like a professsaional maitre D leads us to seats. Is Ugo sweating?
We order the drinks and then I nip to the gents closely followed by Ugo who wants to know when is the best time to do the deed. "Perhaps after the main course and before the sweet" I tell him."I'll give you the ring then."
Wonderful starters, tremendous first course and Ugo excuses himself to go to the loo. " I won't waste the opportunity" I say and Lady J looks askance at me and suggests I cut down on my drinking as though lime and lemonade has a lot to answer for. I depart , pass Ugo the ring and leave a brief pause before following him back to the table.
We order dessert and somewhere the angels are gawping in disbelief because Lady J has declined.
Ugo turned to Yvonne his heart in his mouth which doesn't leave much room for his tongue and starts to tell her how much he loves her. His hand reaches for the box holding the ring and Yvonne starts to shake. "Will you do me the honour" he says as Yvonne shakes some more and repeats her new mantra of " You can't be asking me that, oh Dear, not now, oh he's on his knee, get up Ugo" and promptly turns to face the wall covering her mouth with her hand as she cries with what I pray is joy. I grab Yvonne's free hand and ask her to turn round as everything is alright. Lady J holds the other hand away from Yvonne's face gently and turning to me says
"You knew and didn't tell me?"
"That's what secret means Dear" I answer edging away from the fists."Come on Yvonne, this is lovely." Whereupon Yvonne finally turned round and accepted the ring from Ugo with a resounding yes. Sighs of relief from the truly helpful staff who were now able to serve the dessert.
We returned to our hotel where they had heard the good news. The Bradford jungle telegraph seeemingly works even faster than our local Mothers Union. We were even bought a round of drinks which was a great gesture even though my stomach lining may never be the same again.
Today we have made sure BT's profit for the next quarter is assured, I have been forgiven for not warning everyone of Ugo's intent and we spent a great time at Skipton Castle and the town market. Yvonne has finally stopped shaking but is walking round with one arm displayed in front of herself so she can see the ring and accidentally prod others to make sure they don't miss it to.
Tonight three of us had a drink in the bar while Julia rested. We head home tomorrow morning after breakfast. This has been a great experience and will no doubt end up in a book somewhere when I start writing again.
I would like to thank Ruth who took so much time to download information on local activities for us. The young lady at the bar in the Lister Hotel was helpful too. The staff behind the bar at the Cartwright Hotel have also been kind including I'm told Ruth's better half.
The owner of these two hotels has put a lot of time , effort and capital into creating an understated but perfect atmosphere in both. The comfort and cleanliness is second to none.
If Bradford's your destination then bear these places in mind.
2
Anyway they arrived and we set off. Since Ugo considers eating an Olympic sport and he's constantly in training we decided to stop off for a late breakfast on the M62 just North of Manchester. Afetr facing a meal with real fortitude it was time to resume the journey. I had been outside having a cigarette when my three amigos came out and we started to head back to the car.
Being on my crutches I'm slower to move off than most but I'd also paid a visit to the service station shop to buy little holiday gifts for everyone.For Ugo I'd chosen a watch. He held back with me as he put it on and the women walked ahead. Ugo had just said to me " I need to have a word please, you know how much I love Yvonne" when the converstaion was broken up as a car window lowered and someone gestured to us and called out " Scusi, scusi, una momento por favore." Ugo, being a kind hearted eating machine thought that directions might be needed and walked over. Less sure of the purpose, I followed behind.
"I am Cosi fan tutti" said the gesturing arm " I work for D & G in Milano and I over here in Manchester for big conference. I have a watch left over worth foura hundreda pounds, is yours for sixty eh." The car was parked beneath a notice warning people to be careful of unlicensed traders in the car parks and so Ugo politely declined and the gesturing arm withdrew.
He carried on talking to me as though there had been no interuption. " Well, I'd like your permission to ask her to marry me."
I judged it unseemly to kiss him and then cheer so I responded that it was a lovely idea and I approved.
"I'll ask her tonight at dinner then when I find the best time. Will you look after the ring for me please until I ask for it." I agreed.
We arrived in Bradford and pulled into the hotel car park just as a police van pulled to a halt sirens blaring outside the wall, next to a bus that didn't seem to be going anywhere. It didn't seem to bode well for the stay but we decided to go in anyway. I'm going to be honest and say it wasn't the most appealing exterior I'd seen. But inside it's a four star hotel with a five star staff.
We spent the afternoon walking through the local park, round the boating lake, looking at the art exhibition in Cartwright Hall and having a nice coffee. As we walked round we spied out the land and looked for the sister hotel to our own where the evening meals are available. Finding it wasn't too far away but from the outside just looking like a normal home we decided to risk it and when we got back to our hotel asked them to book us in.
Seven o'clock and two episodes of Big Bang Theory later we're all ready to go. The taxi arrives and we pile in arriving at the Lister hotel about 10 seconds after we left the Cartwright Hotel. What a difference the inside of the Lister brings. It's spotless and what seems like a professsaional maitre D leads us to seats. Is Ugo sweating?
We order the drinks and then I nip to the gents closely followed by Ugo who wants to know when is the best time to do the deed. "Perhaps after the main course and before the sweet" I tell him."I'll give you the ring then."
Wonderful starters, tremendous first course and Ugo excuses himself to go to the loo. " I won't waste the opportunity" I say and Lady J looks askance at me and suggests I cut down on my drinking as though lime and lemonade has a lot to answer for. I depart , pass Ugo the ring and leave a brief pause before following him back to the table.
We order dessert and somewhere the angels are gawping in disbelief because Lady J has declined.
Ugo turned to Yvonne his heart in his mouth which doesn't leave much room for his tongue and starts to tell her how much he loves her. His hand reaches for the box holding the ring and Yvonne starts to shake. "Will you do me the honour" he says as Yvonne shakes some more and repeats her new mantra of " You can't be asking me that, oh Dear, not now, oh he's on his knee, get up Ugo" and promptly turns to face the wall covering her mouth with her hand as she cries with what I pray is joy. I grab Yvonne's free hand and ask her to turn round as everything is alright. Lady J holds the other hand away from Yvonne's face gently and turning to me says
"You knew and didn't tell me?"
"That's what secret means Dear" I answer edging away from the fists."Come on Yvonne, this is lovely." Whereupon Yvonne finally turned round and accepted the ring from Ugo with a resounding yes. Sighs of relief from the truly helpful staff who were now able to serve the dessert.
We returned to our hotel where they had heard the good news. The Bradford jungle telegraph seeemingly works even faster than our local Mothers Union. We were even bought a round of drinks which was a great gesture even though my stomach lining may never be the same again.
Today we have made sure BT's profit for the next quarter is assured, I have been forgiven for not warning everyone of Ugo's intent and we spent a great time at Skipton Castle and the town market. Yvonne has finally stopped shaking but is walking round with one arm displayed in front of herself so she can see the ring and accidentally prod others to make sure they don't miss it to.
Tonight three of us had a drink in the bar while Julia rested. We head home tomorrow morning after breakfast. This has been a great experience and will no doubt end up in a book somewhere when I start writing again.
I would like to thank Ruth who took so much time to download information on local activities for us. The young lady at the bar in the Lister Hotel was helpful too. The staff behind the bar at the Cartwright Hotel have also been kind including I'm told Ruth's better half.
The owner of these two hotels has put a lot of time , effort and capital into creating an understated but perfect atmosphere in both. The comfort and cleanliness is second to none.
If Bradford's your destination then bear these places in mind.
2
Clarity and Truth
Today we went back to the Oncologist to see if there was any news on alternative treatments for Julia or a restart of the treatment that finished in December when her lungs reacted badly to the drugs. To be honest I was prepared not to go in with Julia, my daughter and my niece because they drool all over poor Dr Garcia and having me there is an obvious distraction being the upstanding citizen I am. My niece had an appointment of her own and wasn’t able to join us so I felt perhaps I could go in and keep my two in order. As it happened I didn’t have to. When Julia’s name was called we took her to be weighed…8st 4 lb including her riding boots etc. I’m quite pleased. Then we were led to a room I haven’t visited before.
Once there we were introduced to Dr. Smith, a very attractive lady of indeterminate accent ( though just possibly S’African or New Zealand). She explained that though she hadn’t met us before she knew Julia very well as she’s responsible for brewing all the concoctions Julia has had to take. She started to go through the notes with us to make sure we were aware f the current situation and left herself open for questions if there were any. There certainly were !! We have had explanations previously as to why Julia could not be operated on the main one being that the tumour being so badly placed that it had enclosed a series of arteries that would make an operation difficult. We asked about the possibility of replacing the pancreas with a manufactured one which had been suggested by an avid fund raiser who wanted Julia to be the first to undergo this operation in the US. We were informed this couldn’t happen as the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes and any operation to replace the pancreas wouldn’t solve that problem and may even exacerbate it. We hadn’t been told this before. Why? Possibly because Dr. Garcia wanted to sugar coat any news rather than cause more worry for Julia. So now we have to adjust ourselves to that news. We were also told that there is the possibility of a different chemo which wasn’t mentioned before either or maybe even the same chemo at a reduced dose. First things first though, let’s arrange a new scan in about 5/6 weeks to see how things actually stand. It’s probable that we’ll see an increase in the tumour size again since it’s been 3 months without treatment of any kind. But, said Dr. Smith, Julia’s positivity is obviously making a great deal of difference to her and it may be best to leave any treatment alone until any symptoms start showing again. Pain or discomfort will be a good reason to revisit the situation but since we don’t want to disturb the lymph nodes if they are quiescent lets leave well enough alone for now.
So there we have it. The new Doctor is pretty and pretty smart too. Didn’t treat us as children unable to take bad news and accepted we’re adults. She was actually amazed at Julia going horse riding and has not had a pancreatic patient present herself looking as well as this at this stage. It certainly pays not to roll over and say die when the ‘C’ word is mentioned. I’m very proud of my wife and the fight she’s putting up. I hope sometime it may just give someone else a little hope.
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MARCH 6, 2012 | EDITLord Daud has entered the building!Lord Daud has entered the building!. A new and Fun interview.
http://acflory.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/lord-daud-has-entered-the-building/
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MARCH 6, 2012 | EDITMarch and the Girl’s Palace. The Girls now live in their new 3 storey palace. Penny (above) is still the boisterous little madam she’s always been and doesn’t think twice about raiding Amy’s quarters for food or just for the hell of it. Amy (left and the darker fur) is learning to stick up for herself a little but is still far too polite to complain when her food goes rushing down two storeys in the mouth of her sister to be hidden for later.
Amy is quite happy to sleep alone and commandeered the little red roofed house for herself. Penny on the other hand thinks Amy makes a great mattress and is inclined to sleep on her any chance she gets. This usually results in the roof going for a burton and both snuggle up after Amy’s resistance is broken. Yesterday we bought a place for Penny to nest in the hopes Amy might get a restful night but Amy removed the bedding and moved herself in. Of course Penny followed suit for a while, still ignoring the extra space and using her sister as a mattress. This morning however I got up to find Amy still in the nest and Penny now sleeping in her expandable tunnel.
The girls need exercise, treats and also food which challenges their teeth and ingenuity. For exercise you can see we’ve installed tunnels, climbing ropes and ramps. To give them something to chew on I bought some nuts though they’re currently very hard to find with shells on. The supermarkets seem to keep them as part of the home baking section so eyebrows are raised when I’m asked ” Making a cake are we?” to which I respond “No, just feeding the rats.”
Getting the girls used to our hands isn’t easy as they seem to associate hands with food and that means the hands could quite easily be the food at that time. Knowing the girls have very sharp teeth, that doesn’t really appeal so being the Gentleman I am I always let Julia have first go while I stand by with antiseptic cream and dressings. They are pure entertainment though and I’m hoping to persuade Yvonne to try and imagine them without tails so she smiles at them instead of shuddering at the thought of them.
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FEBRUARY 28, 2012 | EDITFebruary Ends.Well, for a short month February hasn’t been without consequence. Many of you will know that the pancreas is part of the digestive system, and as a result of having the cancer and also of having the splanchnicectomy ( yes, I’m just showing off that I remember what it was called) Julia’s digestion has been somewhat erratic to say the least.
There have been days of pain with constipation followed by the relief of her meds working to relieve the problem. There have been periods of great distress where the bowels have been working overtime and often without warning. This has also meant some pain, often for me when she screams down my ears “Not again”!!!!!!!!!!! The letter part of last week and the weekend were like that and her mood was very low. She becomes quite maudlin about her parents though she doesn’t want to leave us yet. To brighten her mood I decided to treat her to a hairdo (Thanks Groupon). I was just praying she’s be OK on the day.
The day arrived yesterday and with fingers crossed( and legs) we left the house to do a little shopping for an ‘Urgent ‘ Christening dress ( due in May), a new hat, lunch out and the hair ! Everything was going swimmingly and the weather was nice. Dress and hat nicely bagged ( though we we’re still in Wales and had to pay for the carrier bags) we set out for lunch. Crossing the car park to the pub we’d chosen I heard a sound like a frantic sewing machine approaching at speed. Almost diving out of the way in case a young learner had lost control of a moped I looked round but the only person in sight was Ju who was reddening by the second. It seems some trapped wind had just been released. The meal was nice and we got to the salon in plenty of time for her 3.00 pm appointment. Taking a seat I noticed they also cut men’s hair when they have free time so I took the opportunity to get a crop of my Santa white beard leftover from Winter and a grade 3 haircut. I couldn’t believe how much was coming off. While I was in the chair listening to the young lady tell me all about her father ( probably younger than me but at least it was better than football and politics at the barbers) Julia took her place on the chair close by. We’d been expecting a three quarters of an hour treatment for ‘lowlights’ and a cut to get rid of some of the hair weight that was causing her hair to come out. We left the salon at 6.10 pm and found she’d been given a full colour with lowlights. ( If it sounds like I know what I’m talking about with these technical terms forget it. I learned them parrot fashion). She looked wonderful and her mood was going up off the scale. Brilliant.
Today we had the opticians and learned we both needed new glasses. ( I’d like a pint of bitter in mine please). Varifocals for me and bi-focals for Ju. We were leaving the shop when I noticed that in order to try and fit the new frames the staff had moved her hair. I was left with a dilemma. Did I tell her that she had a very red ear as a result of the dye or did I leave well alone. I decided to mention it…” I didn’t realise that the colouring yesterday included your ears as well as your hair Sweetie” I said. It was suddenly my fault that I hadn’t noticed earlier and warned her before the staff had seen it. That mistake cost me another lunch out.
Recently Julia decided to change the colour scheme in the kitchen. Red kettle, red toaster etc. If she goes in there later I’ll lose her with her hair that colour now.
We see the oncologist on March 8th so I’ll keep you up to date with any news then as to whether there’s any more treatment on offer.
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FEBRUARY 15, 2012 | EDITFebruary ContinuedJulia hasn’t been well these last two days so we’ve been in a lot and watching the characters of Penny and Amy develop.Penny is larger and has a pale grey stripe running down the length of her back. Amy is a much darker grey and much less boisterous than her sister. On Monday they seemed to be fighting and because of the disparity in size I thought it best to separate them. So, when Ju was cleaning the cages we put then girls back differently. Penny was put in the bottom cage and Amy the top. Penny was given an igloo to sleep in though so far she has preferred to drag everything she can into a play tunnel and sleep there. Amy was given the little house they had both used previously and this was put on a higher shelf in the top cage. The only show of disgust we’ve seen from Amy happened then…she didn’t like the bedding material we placed on the floor of the house and promptly kicked it all outside the front door before dragging in some tissue and gong to sleep.
So as not to restrict the girls, access between the cages has been left open and there are ramps and ladders connecting the levels.
I hope the picture will give you an idea what I mean. On Tuesday morning Penny came out full of the joys of spring…I must turn the heating down a bit. She made a huge run up her ramp, through the roof door of the bottom cage, up the hole in the first level of the upper cage (light green), across the wooden footbridge, picked a piece of food from Amy’s food dish and scarpered back the way she’d come. Pretty good since she’d never tried it before unless of course she plotted the route out during the night. Amy didn’t twitch a hair, but having decided Penny shouldn’t be able to pinch Amy’s food at will I moved the dish up to the top layer where the house is.
Today I’m getting a much better idea of their nocturnal activity when I see that Amy has acquired some nice cotton wool bedding from somewhere . Since Penny had quite a bit and I haven’t seen the signs for a sale anywhere locally I have only been able to draw one conclusion. Small she might be but cowed she’s not. Both girls are a delight to watch and they’re definitely becoming less wary of hands since both are happy to accept treats from between our fingers. In fact both are very polite and ladylike in doing so. No snatching and no biting the hand that feeds them either. We’ve also found that when it’s time to clean cage, it’s easiest to put the girls in those big plastic balls that hamsters seem to love. I don’t think rats care for them in the same way since they both sit in their own balls looking puzzled and just rocking occasionally until it’s hometime again. Since spending all that time looking for Amy after ‘The Great Escape’ we’re not risking another runaway session. Maybe when the girls are a bit tamer we can just let them sit on a shoulder till we’re done or if they want to play with Oscar we’ll put them in a pen together so he can’t get away. ha ha22 Comments
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FEBRUARY 11, 2012 | EDITFebruaryWell the month has started slowly. Julia has been forced to sell her horse Tango which has hurt her terribly, but she is no longer able to groom her. Personally I’m glad though it may sound cruel but Tango is now away from the stables I didn’t like, where there were threats of what would happen to Tango if Julia could no longer continue to care for her, and she’s safe on a new farm. As it happens the new farm already had Tango’s best friend so they’re reunited happily.
Two nice things have happened so far this month. One is that after a long period of appeal the section that deals with Disability benefits has finally reinstated my allowance from last August. Second is that Julia was up on a horse again this week for the first time in a long time for a proper ride. It was so nice to see that I sat freezing to death at a picnic table in the rain to watch her. After counting my toes at the end to check none had fallen off with frostbite, I decided it was worth it to see Ju so happy again. Tango couldn’t be ridden since a previous owner had over-raced her and the damage to her tendons was immense. She was a rescue horse and just to be cared for when Ju had her.
Julia has bought two rats. Grey and white they are very pretty. They’ve been christened Penny and Amy after two of the characters on Big Bang Theory which is the funniest comedy on TV today. Penny is the more dominant one who leads Amy astray much as in the show. Penny was also the first to draw blood after Julia’s hand invaded Penny’s space. Amy tried it on me ( shhh, don’t tell Ju as I just told her I have the magic touch) without success as my skin is like the rhino’s. We now have a cage with various levels decorating the lounge but so far they don’t seem too adventurous. We also have to get them used to hands because they’ll be handled quite a lot. If anyone has any metal gauntlets going spare please contact…….
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JANUARY 26, 2012 | EDITJanuary.What a mixed month this is proving to be. Our niece gave birth to little baby boy on 5th, I celebrated my Hrumph birthday on 18th and then a young friend gave birth to a beautiful little girl on 19th. She wasn’t actually due then but no doubt I scare he into it by telling her what would happen if it wasn’t born before 20th and the start of Aquaries.We need all the Capricorns we can get. ( My daughter, amongst other things calls me the Crapicorn).
Today was the important day though 26th. This was the day we returned to see the dishy (not my description-but true nontheless) Oncologist Dr. Garcia to find out if Julia can restart her chemotherapy treatments which you may remember were suspended early December because of the toxicity in her lungs as a rare side effect of the chemo drug.
As her breathing has much improved, I was fully expecting to hear a new start date on a reduced dosage of the drug (Gemcitobine) but that didn’t happen. Ju’s weight has increased to eight and a half stone, she’s as cheerful as usual and breathing well. Dr Garcia told her ‘You’ll live longer without the chemo than with it’ meaning the lung problem will prove fatal faster than the cancer if we carry on. So he’s not starting a treatment at a reduced dose and not going for an alternative. At the moment he’s happy with her as she is and will review it again in another 6 weeks with perhaps a new scan in 2 months.
I suppose this news hits you dependent upon whether you’re a Cup Half Full Man or a Cup Half Empty Man. With Julia it’s left her more positive. With me I’m not sure as I have no idea what the tumor itself can do in 3 months of no treatment and can it be corrected if that’s bad. I’m writing to the US when a Doctor at the University of Pennsylvania has been getting great results with this particular cancer with a new treatment involving something called CD40 which can be used to fight the cancer cells. They have trials in America and also Ireland now. I want to see if they intend any in the UK. I don’t want to sit back and do nothing. Someone has even offered to raise funds to send Julia to the US by way of an auction if a suitable venue can be found…so if you have a Stately Pile anywhere in Europe or America do please let me know.
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JANUARY 7, 2012 | EDITTHE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD!THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD!.
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DECEMBER 2, 2011 | EDITDecember.Well here we are in December. Julia has been in hospital with an infection but was treated on the Cancer ward and was well looked after until she finally returned home on Tuesday night in advance of the Great Strike which affected transport on Wednesday. Though the chest infection seems to be clearing Julia seems to have lost the will to do much at the moment. No doubt one of the 5 stages of grief that comes with the knowledge that you have Cancer. However, today I’m going to see if I can persuade her to come shopping with me and see if that stimulates some interest in her……that’s if shopping for cat food can stimulate any interest. Maybe we can stop for coffee at one of the places we visit in my books ‘Cass E Dees’ or ‘Can I tempt you’ where there are old friends.
Anyway. On behalf of us both I want to wish you all well with your Christmas preparations and no matter what your faith I wish you a peaceful and happy season.
The shopping trip was a success. Julia stayed in the car while I shopped and bought his Highness the cat food he likes ( the dearest of course) and some cat litter. The latter was bought because after lying with Julia on Wednesday night until she was asleep I carefully slipped off the bed and donned my slippers. At least, I donned the left one, as when I started to put on the right foot I found my toes paddling in a pool. I had the dubious pleasure of hopping to the bathroom to empty the contents of the slipper down the loo while I stuck my right foot in the sink and washed it. Julia said Oscar did it because His litter tray was damp and it was my fault….not for using it but for not emptying it. I think it was spite because he wanted Julia all to himself.
Anyway, after shopping we took our usual box of sweets into the cafe for the staff who really made Julia feel at home again and it drew a wonderful smile that’s been missing recently.We sat and enjoyed a latte and caught up on news of the owners sons who are fantastic singers ( sometime I’ll find the youtube link) They are tenor and bass and sing wonderful operatic songs, show songs and even modern songs. Once they sang Somewhere from West Side Story and blew us both away.They are only 18 and 20 which is amazing. We were honored to be given one of their CD’s which we keep in the car.
So, she was tired afterwards but it was worth the effort and I’ll try again tomorrow. We’re due for Chemo om Monday and I’m hoping she’ll be well enough to go. On Thursday we have the results of a new scan to tell us how the chemo is doing and I have my fingers crossed.
Tuesday 6th December.
Julia seemed short of breath today when we shopped and it seemed likely the chest infection was still there. We called the Doctor who visited and after an examination announced it was likely there was a blood clot as there was no fluid sound in the lungs.
They tested her stats on the ambulance and found she was very low on oxygen saturation so started her on that. When we got to the hospital she was taken straight to the AMU ward and bloods taken. Sodium low, potassium low and oxygen saturation very low. It was confirmed that here was likely a blood clot on the lungs. So, she was put on an ECG monitor and given the equivalent of warfarin to thin the blood.
Wednesday 7th December
I’m told Julia will be going for an x-ray and a scan soon. Until then I remain as scared as Julia is and my daughter also though only Yvonne and I dare voice it to each other as we have to remain confident for Ju. She’s hoping that now they know what it is they’ll be able to give her some tablets and a supply of daily injections that she’ll have to have for 3 months then let her out. She’s desperate to be out to attend the meeting tomorrow to see the scan of the tumour and assess how the chemo has affected it. Yvonne has raised the thought that if there’s no visible progress is it worth continuing the chemo when it so reduces Julia’s immunity to infections. She’s quite right but it would be a difficult thing to say in front of Julia as it would be like taking away any hope at all.
Today’s visit has cheered me. The obstruction is dispersed and the oxygen levels are slightly up. They’re even going to try without oxygen tonight to see how she copes. There is still an infection present but we can manage that with antibiotics, the warfarin injections we can do at home but they’d like to see an increase in sodium and potassium levels too. Maybe I can convince her to chew bananas for a few days? Though not happy to be back in hospital so soon Julia was much improved tonight though her eyes were rolling with tiredness…or boredom, which Yvonne and I deny causing. We were happier leaving her than we were last night and know that the staff are trying to help us get her to the meeting with the oncologist tomorrow so we can see whether the chemo has had any positive results.
Personally I’m of the opinion that she’s staying in there to get out of Christmas shopping and gift wrapping in revenge for all the years she got lumbered with the job. Oh well, I hope people like teapots in humerous shapes or silver plated picture frames with pictures of Oscar in them !
Thursday 8th December.
Julia was released from hospital this afternoon so we could attend the meeting with the oncologist. They have diagnosed and treated for basal pneumonia and managed to get the oxygen saturation up a bit so we’ve got antibiotics to take now.
The meeting with the charming oncologist got off to a good start when Julia, Yvonne and my two nieces had stopped saying Corrrrr and drooling over him and his accent. He told us the tumor had responded well to the chemo and shrunk a bit. Before we were able to cheer there came a ‘BUT’
The two latest scans show anomalies on her lungs. There is the outside possibility that this is an infection but the most likely cause is a rare side effect from the chemotherapy itself. If that is the case then chemo will stop dead. Wonderful, the choices now are:- Stop chemo and allow the tumor to grow or keep chemo and damage the lungs beyond repair. A real Hobson’s Choice. He has suspended chemo for next Monday and pencilled in a provisional one for next Thursday following another meeting with him by which time he hopes to know what the lesions on the lungs are. There will be a round of blood tests on Tuesday but I have no idea if these are relevant to that question. We have to get Julia’s weight up again as she’s lost 3lb recently and must keep a close eye on her breathing and temperature in case the antibiotics don’t work and her O2 saturation levels drop again.
I really don’t want this to spoil Julia’s Christmas and I aim to do my best to keep her at home with the family rolling around to visit when they can. The weather’s not nice enough to take her out much and is it possible we’re heading for a White Christmas?
Thursday 15th December.
It was ‘Corrr’ day again as we went to see the oncologist. My wife, daughter and two nieces trooped in to what should have been a surgery and instead resembled a bus with the number of chairs out for us. Of course everyone was concentrating on Dr Garcia and I doubt anyone knew or cared I was in the room. His accent fixates them and it’s like being at the Dr Garcia fan club meeting.
He started to give me the news I was dreading. He’s 80% sure the toxicity in Julia’s lungs is as a result of the rare side effect from the chemo. Because of that he’s cancelled the chemo booked for tomorrow and said to give it a break. We can return in four weeks and he’ll review his decision and MAYBE start her on a new course of chemo at a lower dose. In the meantime I worry that the tumour can start to grow again in the four week break. It’s very hard, shrink the tumour and add more toxicity to the lungs ot save the lungs and……
Anyway, we’ll have Christmas safely at home and hopefully well. We both offer Compliments of the Season to you all and thank you for following this story.
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SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 | EDITThe Hospital that didn’t Care.Sept 9th 2011
The operation went well yesterday I think. An excellent surgeon Mr. Baker, performed a Splanchnicectomy. From there on things went downhill. They discharged Julia at about 1.30pm and her sister and husband brought her home. As she came in you could see she was unwell and I put her straight to bed. Neither her sister nor John her brother in law were happy at the discharge and neither was I when I learned she had been sick throughout the night and morning and had no bowel control. This was soon proved at home too and Julia was in real distress.
By 6.oopm we had got an ambulance and rushed her to the A& E dept of our own Local hospital where they did everything they could to make her comfortable, find out what was wrong and get her a bed. The latter didn’t happen until 11.00pm when she was admitted to the Acute Medical Ward. Some three days later there has been much illness, no eating or drinking and Julia has been on continuous drips until we find out she’s got gastro enteritis.
I’m VERY unhappy that someone on chemotherapy wasn’t isolated after the op to prevent being open to infection and VERY unhappy that an uncaring staff could discharge someone so obviously ill.
Sept 12th 2011
Julia seemed to have turned a little corner today and was a bit brighter. I’m relieved but this will not end here.
I heard from Julia that on the morning of the 9th she was brought some cereal. She wasn’t able to eat any and found that she wasn’t able to swallow the milk. It seems some members of staff found that quite funny. So they ridiculed someone who was sick and suffering and who was becoming dehydrated.The dehydration was very bad by the time we reached the local hospital that evening and there were multiple drips used to help her overcome this until today (Monday).
Sept 13th 2011
Whatever corner we turned yesterday led back to where we were before. Julia is skin and bones at the moment , she’s lost so much weight that she could ill afford to lose. The strain of the sickness and diarrhoea has left her in pain, weak and feeling so defeated that she is saying ” Enough. I give in.” Still unable to eat and drink her mood has become very low and it’s very hard to jolly her out of it or talk her out of it seriously. If only this was over I feel sure she’d be able to get back to the chemotherapy with a degree of acceptance and a determination to win. The nurses on duty on THAT ward on THAT day have no idea what they’ve done. I’m told today there was another cancer patient there also and when one member of staff arrived coughing and sneezing Julia mentioned quietly that she was meant to avoid infections the other woman agreed saying they were at risk because of the chemo. The ‘Nurse’s’ response was to snap and say ” What do you want me to do, go home? Who’d look after you then?” Which is not the attitude I expect from nurses as I don’t expect laughter when a patient complains of being unable to swallow. If a Nurse is so jaded with her job that this is her only reaction then she shouldn’t be in that job any longer. If more than one on duty feels that way then I would expect the health authority to replace them after reprimanding them. The staff on duty the day before were so different from that. I’m determined that this will not be dropped. I have written my complaint and expect the staff on duty that day to be reprimanded and I want an explanation of Julia’s early and cruel discharge that’s made her and all members of the family suffer like this. I suggest anyone who has suffered anything like this at all should not only complain and seek redress of some kind but make sure the local press hear of it as mine will soon.
Sept 19th 2011
Julia is finally home. She’s very weak and her muscle tone has all but gone as she had no spare fat to cope with the ravages of this illness. Now it’s time to start building her up again so we can get back to fighting the cancer. She’s missed two chemotherapy sessions so far and will no doubt miss next weeks too. That scares me as I have no idea if the tumour might have started growing again without the chemotherapy to stop it. We’re in unknown territory now.
Sept 23rd 2011
For the first time since the operation Julia has got dressed. She’s eaten some breakfast and also some of a late lunch. It’s real progress though I realise there’s a long way to go. Next week we see the oncologist and I’m hoping he’ll restart the chemo the following week. We have to build her up to fight and get her exercising. Though I’m grateful to the surgeon for the job he did I’m sorry that the hospital could not exercise more care and send her home well instead of in the state they did. Thank The Lord for the competence of the local hospital.
Sept 26th 2011
Visit from our daughter and her boyfriend yesterday couldn’t enthuse Julia. They came to help rearrange her bedroom and make more space. I’d hoped she would direct operations but it was too much effort for her. But, she did have a private word with Yvonne’s boyfriend Ugo and unusually for her joined him in prayer. This lasted quite a while giving Yvonne and I chance to see how we feel things are going and what to expect.
What a sea change today. Julia woke up when I took her a cup of tea at 8.15 am. She was bright, breezy and much more positive. After washing and dressing without prompting she suggested a walk to the corner shop together. Though her legs were a little wobbly on the return journey it was fantastic that she’s made such an effort. And people were glad to see her which must have helped her confidence. She was happy and smiling all day and stayed out of bed until almost 9.00pm which has been unheard of recently as she’s preferred bed to being in the lounge…despite the fact that I’ve showered this month. I have to hope this lasts as we’re due to see the oncologist on Thursday and I want her back on chemo as soon as possible. The odds are short with pancreatic cancer and I want all the help we can get. I despise the other hospital for causing this delay in treatment and leaving her so weak. I won’t let this drop.
October 11th 2011.
I wrote my letter of complaint in late September and received an acknowledgement of receipt when I complained that they had not done so within the two days they specify for same. I was reminded hat they could take up to 40 days to investigate. As the complaints team are at the same hospital I’m amazed. All they have to do is walk downstairs, verify Julia was on the ward when I say she was and look at her notes which must have recorded her condition? So we are on 11th October now with no further response and I shall wait the prescribed time before writing again. I’m no fan of the compensation culture but this has made me wonder whether something of that ilk isn’t called for to make the hoospital ensure their staff don’t allow anything similar to happen to vulnerable patients in the future. If a charity has to get a nice donation from this so be it.
Anyway, Julia restarted the full course of chemotherapy again yesterday . I was worried for a while as her while cell count was high from bloodtests last Thursday and higher again from bloodtests yesterday, then they mentioned that her steroids could be causing that. She has a great drug too called Creon which is an enzyme, replacing the one the cancer has dislodged, it helps her digest food which means she actually gets hungry again now and can eat. We’ve regained the weight lost since the gastro-enteritis and a little more to boot. Of course I’m bankrupt now as she’s eating every ice cream in the County.
One funny thing yesterday, Julia was going to lie on a bed for the treatment which can take up to 4 hours. The aide who took us started to lower the bed for her to get on. I saw some movement but after a couple of seconds I noticed the lower end wasn’t going down. There was an over-bed table jammed under a metal brace which holds hand disinfectant keeping th bed up, and instead of it going down the legs were coming up. The jammed table was starting to bow a bit so I took a step forward and pulled the table free. The result was the bed slammed to the floor startling everyone in the ward, including the aide who I’d not told to stop using the bed remote , and the table shot free sending the metal struts straight into my shins. I promise I did not swear (out loud). But I wanted to ask if there was another spare bed for a while.
October 20th.
Since the discovery of Julia’s pancreatic cancer life has been a series of ups and downs. The previous ‘up’ was coming through a splanchnicectomy to cut some nerves and rid her of pain. The ‘down’ was the illness she suffered after being discharged the day after the operation by one hospital and being admitted to another as an emergency. We we’re very close to losing her at that time.
The next ‘down’ was the prognosis by the oncologist and though Julia was free of pain she was still in some discomfort and had little appetite. Then through some superb detective work by my daughter the oncologist prescribed what I can only call a miracle drug called Creon. This provided her with the enzymes to digest her food that the cancer had removed. From being bad one day she went to glowing the very next day. Her appetite has increased, she’s put on more weight and she’s slowly bankrupting me with buying ice cream. There is now a huge shortage of ice cream throughout North Wales and it’s all down to her and I love it.
I’m so grateful for all the positive thoughts from friends and strangers alike. When people can work together like this it shows there’s hope for the world after all.
4th November 2011
Finally today I have received a letter from the Chief Exec of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board regarding my complaint over Julia’s treatment.
Julia has received an unreserved apology for the unsatisfactory treatment and the stress and anxiety to us both following her treatment at the WREXHAM MAELOR Hospital in Wrexham. It looks as though attention has been paid to most of the points I raised like a separate room for Cancer patients to recover in if they have reduced immunity due to chemotherapy. But the fact that they feel Julia was well enough to be discharged because no concerns were raised about the diarhhoea and nausea incenses me. That just means that a member of staff didn’t write notes on what was seen to happen. A member of the palliative care team was aware of the nausea and decided to change her medication to off set this, it didn’t work but was at least an attempt and was recognition that she was suffering . As I was aware of her condition and the fact that she was very dehydrated when she arrived home, you would expect the professionals who were monitoring here to notice too.
Julia being a more forgiving soul than me has accepted the apology but I decided that such treatment in my eyes warranted the hospital being named. This wasLister Ward at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. For the sake of any other patients being admitted with a low immunity from chemotherapy I hope things improve. I have been made aware that the ward sister hs spoken to the members of staff on duty that morning and impressed upon then the need to provide full and proper care and also to give respect to the patient rather than laughter at an inability to swallow. I’m grateful for this.
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Today we went back to the Oncologist to see if there was any news on alternative treatments for Julia or a restart of the treatment that finished in December when her lungs reacted badly to the drugs. To be honest I was prepared not to go in with Julia, my daughter and my niece because they drool all over poor Dr Garcia and having me there is an obvious distraction being the upstanding citizen I am. My niece had an appointment of her own and wasn’t able to join us so I felt perhaps I could go in and keep my two in order. As it happened I didn’t have to. When Julia’s name was called we took her to be weighed…8st 4 lb including her riding boots etc. I’m quite pleased. Then we were led to a room I haven’t visited before.
Once there we were introduced to Dr. Smith, a very attractive lady of indeterminate accent ( though just possibly S’African or New Zealand). She explained that though she hadn’t met us before she knew Julia very well as she’s responsible for brewing all the concoctions Julia has had to take. She started to go through the notes with us to make sure we were aware f the current situation and left herself open for questions if there were any. There certainly were !! We have had explanations previously as to why Julia could not be operated on the main one being that the tumour being so badly placed that it had enclosed a series of arteries that would make an operation difficult. We asked about the possibility of replacing the pancreas with a manufactured one which had been suggested by an avid fund raiser who wanted Julia to be the first to undergo this operation in the US. We were informed this couldn’t happen as the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes and any operation to replace the pancreas wouldn’t solve that problem and may even exacerbate it. We hadn’t been told this before. Why? Possibly because Dr. Garcia wanted to sugar coat any news rather than cause more worry for Julia. So now we have to adjust ourselves to that news. We were also told that there is the possibility of a different chemo which wasn’t mentioned before either or maybe even the same chemo at a reduced dose. First things first though, let’s arrange a new scan in about 5/6 weeks to see how things actually stand. It’s probable that we’ll see an increase in the tumour size again since it’s been 3 months without treatment of any kind. But, said Dr. Smith, Julia’s positivity is obviously making a great deal of difference to her and it may be best to leave any treatment alone until any symptoms start showing again. Pain or discomfort will be a good reason to revisit the situation but since we don’t want to disturb the lymph nodes if they are quiescent lets leave well enough alone for now.
So there we have it. The new Doctor is pretty and pretty smart too. Didn’t treat us as children unable to take bad news and accepted we’re adults. She was actually amazed at Julia going horse riding and has not had a pancreatic patient present herself looking as well as this at this stage. It certainly pays not to roll over and say die when the ‘C’ word is mentioned. I’m very proud of my wife and the fight she’s putting up. I hope sometime it may just give someone else a little hope.
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MARCH 6, 2012 | EDITLord Daud has entered the building!Lord Daud has entered the building!. A new and Fun interview.
http://acflory.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/lord-daud-has-entered-the-building/
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MARCH 6, 2012 | EDITMarch and the Girl’s Palace. The Girls now live in their new 3 storey palace. Penny (above) is still the boisterous little madam she’s always been and doesn’t think twice about raiding Amy’s quarters for food or just for the hell of it. Amy (left and the darker fur) is learning to stick up for herself a little but is still far too polite to complain when her food goes rushing down two storeys in the mouth of her sister to be hidden for later.
Amy is quite happy to sleep alone and commandeered the little red roofed house for herself. Penny on the other hand thinks Amy makes a great mattress and is inclined to sleep on her any chance she gets. This usually results in the roof going for a burton and both snuggle up after Amy’s resistance is broken. Yesterday we bought a place for Penny to nest in the hopes Amy might get a restful night but Amy removed the bedding and moved herself in. Of course Penny followed suit for a while, still ignoring the extra space and using her sister as a mattress. This morning however I got up to find Amy still in the nest and Penny now sleeping in her expandable tunnel.
The girls need exercise, treats and also food which challenges their teeth and ingenuity. For exercise you can see we’ve installed tunnels, climbing ropes and ramps. To give them something to chew on I bought some nuts though they’re currently very hard to find with shells on. The supermarkets seem to keep them as part of the home baking section so eyebrows are raised when I’m asked ” Making a cake are we?” to which I respond “No, just feeding the rats.”
Getting the girls used to our hands isn’t easy as they seem to associate hands with food and that means the hands could quite easily be the food at that time. Knowing the girls have very sharp teeth, that doesn’t really appeal so being the Gentleman I am I always let Julia have first go while I stand by with antiseptic cream and dressings. They are pure entertainment though and I’m hoping to persuade Yvonne to try and imagine them without tails so she smiles at them instead of shuddering at the thought of them.
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FEBRUARY 28, 2012 | EDITFebruary Ends.Well, for a short month February hasn’t been without consequence. Many of you will know that the pancreas is part of the digestive system, and as a result of having the cancer and also of having the splanchnicectomy ( yes, I’m just showing off that I remember what it was called) Julia’s digestion has been somewhat erratic to say the least.
There have been days of pain with constipation followed by the relief of her meds working to relieve the problem. There have been periods of great distress where the bowels have been working overtime and often without warning. This has also meant some pain, often for me when she screams down my ears “Not again”!!!!!!!!!!! The letter part of last week and the weekend were like that and her mood was very low. She becomes quite maudlin about her parents though she doesn’t want to leave us yet. To brighten her mood I decided to treat her to a hairdo (Thanks Groupon). I was just praying she’s be OK on the day.
The day arrived yesterday and with fingers crossed( and legs) we left the house to do a little shopping for an ‘Urgent ‘ Christening dress ( due in May), a new hat, lunch out and the hair ! Everything was going swimmingly and the weather was nice. Dress and hat nicely bagged ( though we we’re still in Wales and had to pay for the carrier bags) we set out for lunch. Crossing the car park to the pub we’d chosen I heard a sound like a frantic sewing machine approaching at speed. Almost diving out of the way in case a young learner had lost control of a moped I looked round but the only person in sight was Ju who was reddening by the second. It seems some trapped wind had just been released. The meal was nice and we got to the salon in plenty of time for her 3.00 pm appointment. Taking a seat I noticed they also cut men’s hair when they have free time so I took the opportunity to get a crop of my Santa white beard leftover from Winter and a grade 3 haircut. I couldn’t believe how much was coming off. While I was in the chair listening to the young lady tell me all about her father ( probably younger than me but at least it was better than football and politics at the barbers) Julia took her place on the chair close by. We’d been expecting a three quarters of an hour treatment for ‘lowlights’ and a cut to get rid of some of the hair weight that was causing her hair to come out. We left the salon at 6.10 pm and found she’d been given a full colour with lowlights. ( If it sounds like I know what I’m talking about with these technical terms forget it. I learned them parrot fashion). She looked wonderful and her mood was going up off the scale. Brilliant.
Today we had the opticians and learned we both needed new glasses. ( I’d like a pint of bitter in mine please). Varifocals for me and bi-focals for Ju. We were leaving the shop when I noticed that in order to try and fit the new frames the staff had moved her hair. I was left with a dilemma. Did I tell her that she had a very red ear as a result of the dye or did I leave well alone. I decided to mention it…” I didn’t realise that the colouring yesterday included your ears as well as your hair Sweetie” I said. It was suddenly my fault that I hadn’t noticed earlier and warned her before the staff had seen it. That mistake cost me another lunch out.
Recently Julia decided to change the colour scheme in the kitchen. Red kettle, red toaster etc. If she goes in there later I’ll lose her with her hair that colour now.
We see the oncologist on March 8th so I’ll keep you up to date with any news then as to whether there’s any more treatment on offer.
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FEBRUARY 15, 2012 | EDITFebruary ContinuedJulia hasn’t been well these last two days so we’ve been in a lot and watching the characters of Penny and Amy develop.Penny is larger and has a pale grey stripe running down the length of her back. Amy is a much darker grey and much less boisterous than her sister. On Monday they seemed to be fighting and because of the disparity in size I thought it best to separate them. So, when Ju was cleaning the cages we put then girls back differently. Penny was put in the bottom cage and Amy the top. Penny was given an igloo to sleep in though so far she has preferred to drag everything she can into a play tunnel and sleep there. Amy was given the little house they had both used previously and this was put on a higher shelf in the top cage. The only show of disgust we’ve seen from Amy happened then…she didn’t like the bedding material we placed on the floor of the house and promptly kicked it all outside the front door before dragging in some tissue and gong to sleep.
So as not to restrict the girls, access between the cages has been left open and there are ramps and ladders connecting the levels.
I hope the picture will give you an idea what I mean. On Tuesday morning Penny came out full of the joys of spring…I must turn the heating down a bit. She made a huge run up her ramp, through the roof door of the bottom cage, up the hole in the first level of the upper cage (light green), across the wooden footbridge, picked a piece of food from Amy’s food dish and scarpered back the way she’d come. Pretty good since she’d never tried it before unless of course she plotted the route out during the night. Amy didn’t twitch a hair, but having decided Penny shouldn’t be able to pinch Amy’s food at will I moved the dish up to the top layer where the house is.
Today I’m getting a much better idea of their nocturnal activity when I see that Amy has acquired some nice cotton wool bedding from somewhere . Since Penny had quite a bit and I haven’t seen the signs for a sale anywhere locally I have only been able to draw one conclusion. Small she might be but cowed she’s not. Both girls are a delight to watch and they’re definitely becoming less wary of hands since both are happy to accept treats from between our fingers. In fact both are very polite and ladylike in doing so. No snatching and no biting the hand that feeds them either. We’ve also found that when it’s time to clean cage, it’s easiest to put the girls in those big plastic balls that hamsters seem to love. I don’t think rats care for them in the same way since they both sit in their own balls looking puzzled and just rocking occasionally until it’s hometime again. Since spending all that time looking for Amy after ‘The Great Escape’ we’re not risking another runaway session. Maybe when the girls are a bit tamer we can just let them sit on a shoulder till we’re done or if they want to play with Oscar we’ll put them in a pen together so he can’t get away. ha ha22 Comments
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FEBRUARY 11, 2012 | EDITFebruaryWell the month has started slowly. Julia has been forced to sell her horse Tango which has hurt her terribly, but she is no longer able to groom her. Personally I’m glad though it may sound cruel but Tango is now away from the stables I didn’t like, where there were threats of what would happen to Tango if Julia could no longer continue to care for her, and she’s safe on a new farm. As it happens the new farm already had Tango’s best friend so they’re reunited happily.
Two nice things have happened so far this month. One is that after a long period of appeal the section that deals with Disability benefits has finally reinstated my allowance from last August. Second is that Julia was up on a horse again this week for the first time in a long time for a proper ride. It was so nice to see that I sat freezing to death at a picnic table in the rain to watch her. After counting my toes at the end to check none had fallen off with frostbite, I decided it was worth it to see Ju so happy again. Tango couldn’t be ridden since a previous owner had over-raced her and the damage to her tendons was immense. She was a rescue horse and just to be cared for when Ju had her.
Julia has bought two rats. Grey and white they are very pretty. They’ve been christened Penny and Amy after two of the characters on Big Bang Theory which is the funniest comedy on TV today. Penny is the more dominant one who leads Amy astray much as in the show. Penny was also the first to draw blood after Julia’s hand invaded Penny’s space. Amy tried it on me ( shhh, don’t tell Ju as I just told her I have the magic touch) without success as my skin is like the rhino’s. We now have a cage with various levels decorating the lounge but so far they don’t seem too adventurous. We also have to get them used to hands because they’ll be handled quite a lot. If anyone has any metal gauntlets going spare please contact…….
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JANUARY 26, 2012 | EDITJanuary.What a mixed month this is proving to be. Our niece gave birth to little baby boy on 5th, I celebrated my Hrumph birthday on 18th and then a young friend gave birth to a beautiful little girl on 19th. She wasn’t actually due then but no doubt I scare he into it by telling her what would happen if it wasn’t born before 20th and the start of Aquaries.We need all the Capricorns we can get. ( My daughter, amongst other things calls me the Crapicorn).
Today was the important day though 26th. This was the day we returned to see the dishy (not my description-but true nontheless) Oncologist Dr. Garcia to find out if Julia can restart her chemotherapy treatments which you may remember were suspended early December because of the toxicity in her lungs as a rare side effect of the chemo drug.
As her breathing has much improved, I was fully expecting to hear a new start date on a reduced dosage of the drug (Gemcitobine) but that didn’t happen. Ju’s weight has increased to eight and a half stone, she’s as cheerful as usual and breathing well. Dr Garcia told her ‘You’ll live longer without the chemo than with it’ meaning the lung problem will prove fatal faster than the cancer if we carry on. So he’s not starting a treatment at a reduced dose and not going for an alternative. At the moment he’s happy with her as she is and will review it again in another 6 weeks with perhaps a new scan in 2 months.
I suppose this news hits you dependent upon whether you’re a Cup Half Full Man or a Cup Half Empty Man. With Julia it’s left her more positive. With me I’m not sure as I have no idea what the tumor itself can do in 3 months of no treatment and can it be corrected if that’s bad. I’m writing to the US when a Doctor at the University of Pennsylvania has been getting great results with this particular cancer with a new treatment involving something called CD40 which can be used to fight the cancer cells. They have trials in America and also Ireland now. I want to see if they intend any in the UK. I don’t want to sit back and do nothing. Someone has even offered to raise funds to send Julia to the US by way of an auction if a suitable venue can be found…so if you have a Stately Pile anywhere in Europe or America do please let me know.
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JANUARY 7, 2012 | EDITTHE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD!THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD!.
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DECEMBER 2, 2011 | EDITDecember.Well here we are in December. Julia has been in hospital with an infection but was treated on the Cancer ward and was well looked after until she finally returned home on Tuesday night in advance of the Great Strike which affected transport on Wednesday. Though the chest infection seems to be clearing Julia seems to have lost the will to do much at the moment. No doubt one of the 5 stages of grief that comes with the knowledge that you have Cancer. However, today I’m going to see if I can persuade her to come shopping with me and see if that stimulates some interest in her……that’s if shopping for cat food can stimulate any interest. Maybe we can stop for coffee at one of the places we visit in my books ‘Cass E Dees’ or ‘Can I tempt you’ where there are old friends.
Anyway. On behalf of us both I want to wish you all well with your Christmas preparations and no matter what your faith I wish you a peaceful and happy season.
The shopping trip was a success. Julia stayed in the car while I shopped and bought his Highness the cat food he likes ( the dearest of course) and some cat litter. The latter was bought because after lying with Julia on Wednesday night until she was asleep I carefully slipped off the bed and donned my slippers. At least, I donned the left one, as when I started to put on the right foot I found my toes paddling in a pool. I had the dubious pleasure of hopping to the bathroom to empty the contents of the slipper down the loo while I stuck my right foot in the sink and washed it. Julia said Oscar did it because His litter tray was damp and it was my fault….not for using it but for not emptying it. I think it was spite because he wanted Julia all to himself.
Anyway, after shopping we took our usual box of sweets into the cafe for the staff who really made Julia feel at home again and it drew a wonderful smile that’s been missing recently.We sat and enjoyed a latte and caught up on news of the owners sons who are fantastic singers ( sometime I’ll find the youtube link) They are tenor and bass and sing wonderful operatic songs, show songs and even modern songs. Once they sang Somewhere from West Side Story and blew us both away.They are only 18 and 20 which is amazing. We were honored to be given one of their CD’s which we keep in the car.
So, she was tired afterwards but it was worth the effort and I’ll try again tomorrow. We’re due for Chemo om Monday and I’m hoping she’ll be well enough to go. On Thursday we have the results of a new scan to tell us how the chemo is doing and I have my fingers crossed.
Tuesday 6th December.
Julia seemed short of breath today when we shopped and it seemed likely the chest infection was still there. We called the Doctor who visited and after an examination announced it was likely there was a blood clot as there was no fluid sound in the lungs.
They tested her stats on the ambulance and found she was very low on oxygen saturation so started her on that. When we got to the hospital she was taken straight to the AMU ward and bloods taken. Sodium low, potassium low and oxygen saturation very low. It was confirmed that here was likely a blood clot on the lungs. So, she was put on an ECG monitor and given the equivalent of warfarin to thin the blood.
Wednesday 7th December
I’m told Julia will be going for an x-ray and a scan soon. Until then I remain as scared as Julia is and my daughter also though only Yvonne and I dare voice it to each other as we have to remain confident for Ju. She’s hoping that now they know what it is they’ll be able to give her some tablets and a supply of daily injections that she’ll have to have for 3 months then let her out. She’s desperate to be out to attend the meeting tomorrow to see the scan of the tumour and assess how the chemo has affected it. Yvonne has raised the thought that if there’s no visible progress is it worth continuing the chemo when it so reduces Julia’s immunity to infections. She’s quite right but it would be a difficult thing to say in front of Julia as it would be like taking away any hope at all.
Today’s visit has cheered me. The obstruction is dispersed and the oxygen levels are slightly up. They’re even going to try without oxygen tonight to see how she copes. There is still an infection present but we can manage that with antibiotics, the warfarin injections we can do at home but they’d like to see an increase in sodium and potassium levels too. Maybe I can convince her to chew bananas for a few days? Though not happy to be back in hospital so soon Julia was much improved tonight though her eyes were rolling with tiredness…or boredom, which Yvonne and I deny causing. We were happier leaving her than we were last night and know that the staff are trying to help us get her to the meeting with the oncologist tomorrow so we can see whether the chemo has had any positive results.
Personally I’m of the opinion that she’s staying in there to get out of Christmas shopping and gift wrapping in revenge for all the years she got lumbered with the job. Oh well, I hope people like teapots in humerous shapes or silver plated picture frames with pictures of Oscar in them !
Thursday 8th December.
Julia was released from hospital this afternoon so we could attend the meeting with the oncologist. They have diagnosed and treated for basal pneumonia and managed to get the oxygen saturation up a bit so we’ve got antibiotics to take now.
The meeting with the charming oncologist got off to a good start when Julia, Yvonne and my two nieces had stopped saying Corrrrr and drooling over him and his accent. He told us the tumor had responded well to the chemo and shrunk a bit. Before we were able to cheer there came a ‘BUT’
The two latest scans show anomalies on her lungs. There is the outside possibility that this is an infection but the most likely cause is a rare side effect from the chemotherapy itself. If that is the case then chemo will stop dead. Wonderful, the choices now are:- Stop chemo and allow the tumor to grow or keep chemo and damage the lungs beyond repair. A real Hobson’s Choice. He has suspended chemo for next Monday and pencilled in a provisional one for next Thursday following another meeting with him by which time he hopes to know what the lesions on the lungs are. There will be a round of blood tests on Tuesday but I have no idea if these are relevant to that question. We have to get Julia’s weight up again as she’s lost 3lb recently and must keep a close eye on her breathing and temperature in case the antibiotics don’t work and her O2 saturation levels drop again.
I really don’t want this to spoil Julia’s Christmas and I aim to do my best to keep her at home with the family rolling around to visit when they can. The weather’s not nice enough to take her out much and is it possible we’re heading for a White Christmas?
Thursday 15th December.
It was ‘Corrr’ day again as we went to see the oncologist. My wife, daughter and two nieces trooped in to what should have been a surgery and instead resembled a bus with the number of chairs out for us. Of course everyone was concentrating on Dr Garcia and I doubt anyone knew or cared I was in the room. His accent fixates them and it’s like being at the Dr Garcia fan club meeting.
He started to give me the news I was dreading. He’s 80% sure the toxicity in Julia’s lungs is as a result of the rare side effect from the chemo. Because of that he’s cancelled the chemo booked for tomorrow and said to give it a break. We can return in four weeks and he’ll review his decision and MAYBE start her on a new course of chemo at a lower dose. In the meantime I worry that the tumour can start to grow again in the four week break. It’s very hard, shrink the tumour and add more toxicity to the lungs ot save the lungs and……
Anyway, we’ll have Christmas safely at home and hopefully well. We both offer Compliments of the Season to you all and thank you for following this story.
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SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 | EDITThe Hospital that didn’t Care.Sept 9th 2011
The operation went well yesterday I think. An excellent surgeon Mr. Baker, performed a Splanchnicectomy. From there on things went downhill. They discharged Julia at about 1.30pm and her sister and husband brought her home. As she came in you could see she was unwell and I put her straight to bed. Neither her sister nor John her brother in law were happy at the discharge and neither was I when I learned she had been sick throughout the night and morning and had no bowel control. This was soon proved at home too and Julia was in real distress.
By 6.oopm we had got an ambulance and rushed her to the A& E dept of our own Local hospital where they did everything they could to make her comfortable, find out what was wrong and get her a bed. The latter didn’t happen until 11.00pm when she was admitted to the Acute Medical Ward. Some three days later there has been much illness, no eating or drinking and Julia has been on continuous drips until we find out she’s got gastro enteritis.
I’m VERY unhappy that someone on chemotherapy wasn’t isolated after the op to prevent being open to infection and VERY unhappy that an uncaring staff could discharge someone so obviously ill.
Sept 12th 2011
Julia seemed to have turned a little corner today and was a bit brighter. I’m relieved but this will not end here.
I heard from Julia that on the morning of the 9th she was brought some cereal. She wasn’t able to eat any and found that she wasn’t able to swallow the milk. It seems some members of staff found that quite funny. So they ridiculed someone who was sick and suffering and who was becoming dehydrated.The dehydration was very bad by the time we reached the local hospital that evening and there were multiple drips used to help her overcome this until today (Monday).
Sept 13th 2011
Whatever corner we turned yesterday led back to where we were before. Julia is skin and bones at the moment , she’s lost so much weight that she could ill afford to lose. The strain of the sickness and diarrhoea has left her in pain, weak and feeling so defeated that she is saying ” Enough. I give in.” Still unable to eat and drink her mood has become very low and it’s very hard to jolly her out of it or talk her out of it seriously. If only this was over I feel sure she’d be able to get back to the chemotherapy with a degree of acceptance and a determination to win. The nurses on duty on THAT ward on THAT day have no idea what they’ve done. I’m told today there was another cancer patient there also and when one member of staff arrived coughing and sneezing Julia mentioned quietly that she was meant to avoid infections the other woman agreed saying they were at risk because of the chemo. The ‘Nurse’s’ response was to snap and say ” What do you want me to do, go home? Who’d look after you then?” Which is not the attitude I expect from nurses as I don’t expect laughter when a patient complains of being unable to swallow. If a Nurse is so jaded with her job that this is her only reaction then she shouldn’t be in that job any longer. If more than one on duty feels that way then I would expect the health authority to replace them after reprimanding them. The staff on duty the day before were so different from that. I’m determined that this will not be dropped. I have written my complaint and expect the staff on duty that day to be reprimanded and I want an explanation of Julia’s early and cruel discharge that’s made her and all members of the family suffer like this. I suggest anyone who has suffered anything like this at all should not only complain and seek redress of some kind but make sure the local press hear of it as mine will soon.
Sept 19th 2011
Julia is finally home. She’s very weak and her muscle tone has all but gone as she had no spare fat to cope with the ravages of this illness. Now it’s time to start building her up again so we can get back to fighting the cancer. She’s missed two chemotherapy sessions so far and will no doubt miss next weeks too. That scares me as I have no idea if the tumour might have started growing again without the chemotherapy to stop it. We’re in unknown territory now.
Sept 23rd 2011
For the first time since the operation Julia has got dressed. She’s eaten some breakfast and also some of a late lunch. It’s real progress though I realise there’s a long way to go. Next week we see the oncologist and I’m hoping he’ll restart the chemo the following week. We have to build her up to fight and get her exercising. Though I’m grateful to the surgeon for the job he did I’m sorry that the hospital could not exercise more care and send her home well instead of in the state they did. Thank The Lord for the competence of the local hospital.
Sept 26th 2011
Visit from our daughter and her boyfriend yesterday couldn’t enthuse Julia. They came to help rearrange her bedroom and make more space. I’d hoped she would direct operations but it was too much effort for her. But, she did have a private word with Yvonne’s boyfriend Ugo and unusually for her joined him in prayer. This lasted quite a while giving Yvonne and I chance to see how we feel things are going and what to expect.
What a sea change today. Julia woke up when I took her a cup of tea at 8.15 am. She was bright, breezy and much more positive. After washing and dressing without prompting she suggested a walk to the corner shop together. Though her legs were a little wobbly on the return journey it was fantastic that she’s made such an effort. And people were glad to see her which must have helped her confidence. She was happy and smiling all day and stayed out of bed until almost 9.00pm which has been unheard of recently as she’s preferred bed to being in the lounge…despite the fact that I’ve showered this month. I have to hope this lasts as we’re due to see the oncologist on Thursday and I want her back on chemo as soon as possible. The odds are short with pancreatic cancer and I want all the help we can get. I despise the other hospital for causing this delay in treatment and leaving her so weak. I won’t let this drop.
October 11th 2011.
I wrote my letter of complaint in late September and received an acknowledgement of receipt when I complained that they had not done so within the two days they specify for same. I was reminded hat they could take up to 40 days to investigate. As the complaints team are at the same hospital I’m amazed. All they have to do is walk downstairs, verify Julia was on the ward when I say she was and look at her notes which must have recorded her condition? So we are on 11th October now with no further response and I shall wait the prescribed time before writing again. I’m no fan of the compensation culture but this has made me wonder whether something of that ilk isn’t called for to make the hoospital ensure their staff don’t allow anything similar to happen to vulnerable patients in the future. If a charity has to get a nice donation from this so be it.
Anyway, Julia restarted the full course of chemotherapy again yesterday . I was worried for a while as her while cell count was high from bloodtests last Thursday and higher again from bloodtests yesterday, then they mentioned that her steroids could be causing that. She has a great drug too called Creon which is an enzyme, replacing the one the cancer has dislodged, it helps her digest food which means she actually gets hungry again now and can eat. We’ve regained the weight lost since the gastro-enteritis and a little more to boot. Of course I’m bankrupt now as she’s eating every ice cream in the County.
One funny thing yesterday, Julia was going to lie on a bed for the treatment which can take up to 4 hours. The aide who took us started to lower the bed for her to get on. I saw some movement but after a couple of seconds I noticed the lower end wasn’t going down. There was an over-bed table jammed under a metal brace which holds hand disinfectant keeping th bed up, and instead of it going down the legs were coming up. The jammed table was starting to bow a bit so I took a step forward and pulled the table free. The result was the bed slammed to the floor startling everyone in the ward, including the aide who I’d not told to stop using the bed remote , and the table shot free sending the metal struts straight into my shins. I promise I did not swear (out loud). But I wanted to ask if there was another spare bed for a while.
October 20th.
Since the discovery of Julia’s pancreatic cancer life has been a series of ups and downs. The previous ‘up’ was coming through a splanchnicectomy to cut some nerves and rid her of pain. The ‘down’ was the illness she suffered after being discharged the day after the operation by one hospital and being admitted to another as an emergency. We we’re very close to losing her at that time.
The next ‘down’ was the prognosis by the oncologist and though Julia was free of pain she was still in some discomfort and had little appetite. Then through some superb detective work by my daughter the oncologist prescribed what I can only call a miracle drug called Creon. This provided her with the enzymes to digest her food that the cancer had removed. From being bad one day she went to glowing the very next day. Her appetite has increased, she’s put on more weight and she’s slowly bankrupting me with buying ice cream. There is now a huge shortage of ice cream throughout North Wales and it’s all down to her and I love it.
I’m so grateful for all the positive thoughts from friends and strangers alike. When people can work together like this it shows there’s hope for the world after all.
4th November 2011
Finally today I have received a letter from the Chief Exec of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board regarding my complaint over Julia’s treatment.
Julia has received an unreserved apology for the unsatisfactory treatment and the stress and anxiety to us both following her treatment at the WREXHAM MAELOR Hospital in Wrexham. It looks as though attention has been paid to most of the points I raised like a separate room for Cancer patients to recover in if they have reduced immunity due to chemotherapy. But the fact that they feel Julia was well enough to be discharged because no concerns were raised about the diarhhoea and nausea incenses me. That just means that a member of staff didn’t write notes on what was seen to happen. A member of the palliative care team was aware of the nausea and decided to change her medication to off set this, it didn’t work but was at least an attempt and was recognition that she was suffering . As I was aware of her condition and the fact that she was very dehydrated when she arrived home, you would expect the professionals who were monitoring here to notice too.
Julia being a more forgiving soul than me has accepted the apology but I decided that such treatment in my eyes warranted the hospital being named. This wasLister Ward at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. For the sake of any other patients being admitted with a low immunity from chemotherapy I hope things improve. I have been made aware that the ward sister hs spoken to the members of staff on duty that morning and impressed upon then the need to provide full and proper care and also to give respect to the patient rather than laughter at an inability to swallow. I’m grateful for this.
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February ends.
Well, for a short month February hasn't been without consequence. Many of you will know that the pancreas is part of the digestive system, and as a result of having the cancer and also of having the splanchnicectomy ( yes, I'm just showing off that I remember what it was called) Julia's digestion has been somewhat erratic to say the least.
There have been days of pain with constipation followed by the relief of her meds working to relieve the problem. There have been periods of great distress where the bowels have been working overtime and often without warning. This has also meant some pain, often for me when she screams down my ears "Not again"!!!!!!!!!!! The letter part of last week and the weekend were like that and her mood was very low. She becomes quite maudlin about her parents though she doesn't want to leave us yet. To brighten her mood I decided to treat her to a hairdo (Thanks Groupon). I was just praying she's be OK on the day.
The day arrived yesterday and with fingers crossed( and legs) we left the house to do a little shopping for an 'Urgent ' Christening dress ( due in May), a new hat, lunch out and the hair ! Everything was going swimmingly and the weather was nice. Dress and hat nicely bagged ( though we we're still in Wales and had to pay for the carrier bags) we set out for lunch. Crossing the car park to the pub we'd chosen I heard a sound like a frantic sewing machine approaching at speed. Almost diving out of the way in case a young learner had lost control of a moped I looked round but the only person in sight was Ju who was reddening by the second. It seems some trapped wind had just been released. The meal was nice and we got to the salon in plenty of time for her 3.00 pm appointment. Taking a seat I noticed they also cut men's hair when they have free time so I took the opportunity to get a crop of my Santa white beard leftover from Winter and a grade 3 haircut. I couldn't believe how much was coming off. While I was in the chair listening to the young lady tell me all about her father ( probably younger than me but at least it was better than football and politics at the barbers) Julia took her place on the chair close by. We'd been expecting a three quarters of an hour treatment for 'lowlights' and a cut to get rid of some of the hair weight that was causing her hair to come out. We left the salon at 6.10 pm and found she'd been given a full colour with lowlights. ( If it sounds like I know what I'm talking about with these technical terms forget it. I learned them parrot fashion). She looked wonderful and her mood was going up off the scale. Brilliant.
Today we had the opticians and learned we both needed new glasses. ( I'd like a pint of bitter in mine please). Varifocals for me and bi-focals for Ju. We were leaving the shop when I noticed that in order to try and fit the new frames the staff had moved her hair. I was left with a dilemma. Did I tell her that she had a very red ear as a result of the dye or did I leave well alone. I decided to mention it..." I didn't realise that the colouring yesterday included your ears as well as your hair Sweetie" I said. It was suddenly my fault that I hadn't noticed earlier and warned her before the staff had seen it. That mistake cost me another lunch out.
Recently Julia decided to change the colour scheme in the kitchen. Red kettle, red toaster etc. If she goes in there later I'll lose her with her hair that colour now.
We see the oncologist on March 8th so I'll keep you up to date with any news then as to whether there's any more treatment on offer.
January
What a mixed month this is proving to be. Our niece gave birth to little baby boy on 5th, I celebrated my Hrumph birthday on 18th and then a young friend gave birth to a beautiful little girl on 19th. She wasn't actually due then but no doubt I scare he into it by telling her what would happen if it wasn't born before 20th and the start of Aquaries.We need all the Capricorns we can get. ( My daughter, amongst other things calls me the Crapicorn).Today was the important day though 26th. This was the day we returned to see the dishy (not my description-but true nontheless) Oncologist Dr. Garcia to find out if Julia can restart her chemotherapy treatments which you may remember were suspended early December because of the toxicity in her lungs as a rare side effect of the chemo drug.
As her breathing has much improved, I was fully expecting to hear a new start date on a reduced dosage of the drug (Gemcitobine) but that didn't happen. Ju's weight has increased to eight and a half stone, she's as cheerful as usual and breathing well. Dr Garcia told her 'You'll live longer without the chemo than with it' meaning the lung problem will prove fatal faster than the cancer if we carry on. So he's not starting a treatment at a reduced dose and not going for an alternative. At the moment he's happy with her as she is and will review it again in another 6 weeks with perhaps a new scan in 2 months.
I suppose this news hits you dependent upon whether you're a Cup Half Full Man or a Cup Half Empty Man. With Julia it's left her more positive. With me I'm not sure as I have no idea what the tumor itself can do in 3 months of no treatment and can it be corrected if that's bad. I'm writing to the US when a Doctor at the University of Pennsylvania has been getting great results with this particular cancer with a new treatment involving something called CD40 which can be used to fight the cancer cells. They have trials in America and also Ireland now. I want to see if they intend any in the UK. I don't want to sit back and do nothing. Someone has even offered to raise funds to send Julia to the US by way of an auction if a suitable venue can be found...so if you have a Stately Pile anywhere in Europe or America do please let me know.
The Versatile Blogger Award.
Many Thanks to Pete Denton for a nomination in 'The Versatile Blogger' award. It's quite a chest Puffing thing to be nominated for an award you wren't even aware of. Many thanks Pete. It especially nice from a man who has himself been nominated for the award and who fully deserves it for his writing. See for yourselves http://petedenton.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/the-versatile-blogger-award/
As part of this contest I'm supposed to mention 7 things about myself, so taking a chance on boring you, here they are.
1. I didn't actually wear jeans until I was about 30 and had to be persuaded (violently I might add) by my wife and daughter to join the 20th century.
2. I remember the start of Coronation Street and used to be able to name the cast members thanks to my grandmother growing up with Auntie Vi Carson aka Ena Sharples.
3. As a child at School I sang in a Church choir. You certainly wouldn't think it now.
4. I disliked Senior School thanks to the teacher who always made us create things from balsa wood. I used to play truant along the banks of the River Mersey in Stockport.
5. I'm an avid collector ( or hoarder my wife says) and have left behind collections every time we've moved. The last buyers got some good walking sticks and a forgotten coin/note collection.
6.I have been involved in charities for many years. Once when doing a treasure hunt (in cars) a clue asked us to bring back the Prince of Wales Feathers.In about 20 cars we denuded a garden of Pampas grass only to find out we should hsve been collecting 2p coins from a phone box.
7. I'm addicted to the Big Bang Theory which I think is the best comedy on TV in years, yes even better than Scrubs. I can't imagine learning the lines they have to for that show.
Sites I like for the Nomination.http://petedenton.wordpress.com
http://ililarbel.weebly.com Work in Progress.
Hello everyone, welcome to my blog/web pages.
Since I started another blog site dedicated to my books I have also starting interviewing other authors. They have provided interesting insights into themselves as well as their books. I'd like to invite you to visit http://barsetshirediaries.wordpress.com to meet these authors and to sample some of their work. You'll enjoy it.
A very kind and talented author created a site where we poor starving authors can receive a little exposure. She created one in my honour http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wix.com%2Fniamhclune%2Fdavidmichaelprosser&h=WAQD5xq2i if anyone would like to share. The talented Lady is called Niamh Clune and I suspect we'll be hearing a lot about her in the future.
Further interviews include....
Collette Scott - Author: A visit with Lord David Prosser of The Queen's Envoy collettescott.blogspot.com
Another gentleman created a new site - http://www.booksandnovelstoread.com New and aspiring authors are largely ignored by publishers because the industry wants a sure thing, an established author or some sort of celebrity. So, many authors go down the self-published route and then their problem is getting the book seen by the reading public. This website is to give FREE ADVERTISING to the many thousands of emerging authors. There are so many of good books out there that you wouldn't normally get the chance to read if it were not for the internet. Give it a try you will be pleasantly surprised.
A fun interview to share with you. http://paradox-theangelsarehere.blogspot.com/2011/10/interview-with-david-prosser-author-of.html
Sometimes life gets in the way.
There's an Old Jewish saying I heard recently Man plans, God laughs.
Recently my wife Julia had been complaining of stomach pains. Because her father was ill we put off any trip to the doctors except to get painkillers , putting the problem down to stress. Her father, lovingly known as the 'Squadron Leader' passed away and we got caught up in all the arrangements and the clearing up. This was a little worse than usual because he had died within 24 hours of an operation there was an autopsy and the coroner called for an inquest. The inquest won't take place until November and that will hurt everyone all over again as we have to attend to get a death certificate.
Anyway, we had the cremation service which we tried to make light by playing his favourite song, The Banana Boat Song, or Day, Oh, by Stan Freburg.
The following day there was no ignoring the pain which was by now more than uncomfortable and we had to call a doctor out. Ju was taken to hospital where we have since discovered she has pancreatic cancer. She's been an absolute star since she was first told. A little cry followed by the determination not to let the cancer win. We've been told that they cannot operate as the tumour has grown round the main blood vessels which run through the pancreas. This is a blow but we are resigned to having chemotherapy to shrink it. Then, knowing chemo is not enough to kill it we have to see if we can get radiation therapy.
Along with morphine to kill the pain there are other medicines to take to manage the pain and today we have to try and get steroids to see if we can enhance her appetite to counter the weight loss. Somehow I don't think this is a diet that will catch on. Then there will be a dietician to advise on what best to eat evn if Ju doesn't feel hungry as seems to be the case most of the time.
Next week we see the oncologist who will tell us when the chemo starts and where it will take place. We have our fingers crossed that it will be at our nearest main hospital and not in Liverpool so Ju does not feel too isolated. It's also a time to see if we can get her on a trial for a new radiation therapy. At least her age is in her favour here as she's not too old for that.
I'll update as we go along and when we get more news if anyone is interested. You can always leave a message on Oscar's Blog or message me on twitter @davidmfprosser.
23.Aug 2011.
Today is the day I've been waiting for when the chemotherapy starts. It's been a difficult time watching Julia suffer because every few days her body has adjusted to the morphine and the dose has had to be increased. We've had various methods of delivery too form under the tongue to the current arm patches with doses of liquid morphine as well. On Sept 8th a great gurgeon will operate to kill the nerve endings to the part of the pancreas where the tumour is. That should help the pain as long as the tumour doesn't grow, or hasn't grown since the last scans were taken.
Sept 9th 2011
The operation went well yesterday I think. An excellent surgeon Mr. Baker, performed a Splanchnicectomy. From there on things went downhill. They discharged Julia at about 1.30pm and her sister and husband brought her home. As she came in you could see she was unwell and I put her straight to bed. Neither her sister nor John her brother in law were happy at the discharge and neither was I when I learned she had been sick throughout the night and morning and had no bowel control. This was soon proved at home too and Julia was in real distress.
By 6.oopm we had got an ambulance and rushed her to the A& E dept of our own Local hospital where they did everything they could to make her comfortable, find out what was wrong and get her a bed. The latter didn't happen until 11.00pm when she was admitted to the Acute Medical Ward. Some three days later there has been much illness, no eating or drinking and Julia has been on continuous drips until we find out she's got gastro enteritis.
I'm VERY unhappy that someone on chemotherapy wasn't isolated after the op to prevent being open to infection and VERY unhappy that an uncaring staff could discharge someone so obviously ill.
Julia seemed to have turned a little corner today and was a bit brighter. I'm relieved but this will not end here.
Sept 19th 2011.
Finally I have Julia back out of hospital. She's very week and though the sickness has ended the gstric problem still remains. We have to wait for it to clear itself out of her system and start building her up. As she carried no reserves of fat when she went into hospital, the inability to eat or drink has left her weak and with poor muscle tone. We need to get that back in order so that we can get her back out there fighting the cancer.
Sept 24th 2011.
This is the first day since the operation that Julia has got dressed. She's eaaten some porridge for beakfast and also had a little lamb, mash and veg for lunch. Not much but it's progress. I've finally had an email to acknowledge receipt of my complaint against the first hospital and I'm told it's been passed to them to deal with. The delay was apparantly due to changes in dealing with issues. I hope it won't lead to a delay in the first hospital acknowledging receipt and acting upon it. If it does, then I shall name and shame the Hospital and the ward before then speaking to a solicitor.
Sept 25th 2011
Our daughter and her boyfriend visited today. The object was to help tidy up Ju's bedroom and remove unused things to the garage. This was meant to enthuse her but she was listless and left it to us more or less. The one thing that happened that surprised me was that Julia had a private converstaion with Ugo ( Yvonne's boyfriend) and joined him in prayers. Unusual because like me Julia does not hold to a specific faith. We usually tend to cherry pick the best of each and hope the world will change to keep to the nice bits of them all.
Sept 26th 2011
Today was a breakthrough day. I woke Julia with a cup of tea at 8.15 am and she was positively radiant. She even suggested taking a walk together to the papershop, which we did even though she finished it on wobbly legs. She ate a steak at lunch time and has stayed positive all day.
October 11th 2011
The new round of chemotherapy started again yesterday..at last. I think we're both disappointed that it's had to start from scratch again. 7 weeks at one day a week, then 3 weeks out of every 4. It almost feels like the three treatments she had before the operation have been wasted. But since she came out of hospital she's been given steroids to help with appetite and some enzymes (Creon) which have been marvelous at helping digest her food which she couldn't do as that's what the cancer does to the pancreas. Since then we've regained the weight that was lost plus a little more. I'm guessing that's because she's currently trying to see if she can eat her way through every Cornetto in every County of Wales, and bankrupt me in the process. There was a little worry yesterday to when we found her white blood cell count is high. It was measured both last Thursday and yesterday from bloodtests. We hope it's just a side effect of the steroids.
She's practically pain free, she's bouncy and she's eating. I'm really pleased.
The hospital acknowledged my complaint and said it could take 40 days to investigate. That's a walk down to the ward, collecting notes to prove Julia was in for the op, checking that she exhibited the conditions I claim, seeing who was on duty that morning and writing to tell me what action they're taking. I'm being patient nontheless and waiting till the end of October. If I hear nothing by then it's the press and a solicitor who can talk for me. They need to be aware they have vulnerable people in there and can't treat them like this. When you go into hospital you expect care, you need care and that's what we pay staff to give, In fairness the staff are usually amazing and I must make a point of saying The Staff at Glan Clywd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, North Wales are brilliant. I can't thank them enough for the care I've had in the past and for sending Julia back to me this time so improved.
20th October 2011
I've been notified the investigation should be completed by 26th October. It looks like there were more stairs than I thought. I'll keep you all posted with their response.
2nd November 2011
It appears they changed their minds about Ju's chemotherapy and counted the first treatments as part of the current course, and they're counting the break as natural and as one treatment(~?) so this week she'd on a break. Yesterday, our Silver Wedding Anniversary we went to the pain clinic and were told that the meds she's on now are holding her so well that they're not going to change them. That's great as she's feeling no pain at all ( though boy is she windy) and feels pretty normal in herself, quite chipper in fact.
I heard that the investigation concluded late but that it's done and the person responsible is just waiting for agreement from upstairs on the letter. Then the chairman will sign it before it's sent out to me. I e.mailed straight back to ask whether a written apology would come to Julia as I requested but that received no response. So, now I wait for the letter before I decide whether to go to the papers, name and shame on my websites and take legal action for their
4th November 2011
Finally today I have received a letter from the Chief Exec of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
she seems a sincere and pleasant lady. Julia has received an unreserved apology for the unsatisfactory treatment and the stress and anxiety to us both following her treatment at the WREXHAM MAELOR Hospital in Wrexham. It looks as though attention has been paid to most of the points I raised but the fact that they feel Julia was well enough to be discharged because no concerns were raised about the diarhhoea incenses me. That just means that a member of staff didn't write notes on what was seen to happen. As I was aware of her condition and the fact that she was very dehydrated, you would expect the professionals who were monitoring here to notice too.
Julia being a more forgiving soul than me has accepted the apology but I decided that such treatment in my eyes warranted the hospital being named. This was Lister Ward at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. For the sake of any other patients being admitted with a low immunity from chemotherapy I hope things improve.
That the staff on duty that day have been spoken to by the Ward Sister with regards to their duty of care is a god sign. But, if we have nursing staff so jaded that they need reminding their patients deserve the best care possible, and they think of this as a job and a means to get paid rather than as a vocation then they're in the wrong job. There was a time that British hospitals were the best and Matrons ensured they remained so. I wonder if we've gone to far with restructuring and employing 'managers' to recapture that time?
Wednesday 23rd November.
Monday's chemotherapy seems to have had an adverse effect this week and Julia is not herself. On asking her to take her temperature this morning we find it's elevated and phone the hospital straight away. The Cancer Unit have sent out an ambulance straight away and they've admitted Julia with what appears to be a chest infection or, an infection that's gone to her chest. I can't help but wonder if it's from a little bite Oscar gave her on Tuesday morning.
Friday 25th November.
The infection has settled in well and Julia is on a variety of drips as she's not eating and drinking again. Antibiotics, saline and glucose drips are all attached. The infection has caused her previous stomach problems to return and she's sick from both ends. Blood samples are difficult to get as her veins are collapsing left, right and centre. I hate seeing her suffer like this and she has no will to smile .
Monday 28th November.
A slight improvement today and a little food has been taken. I'm pleased as maybe the scheduled scan can go ahead tomorrow now though Julia is none too pleased at the liquid she has to take in half a pint of water this morning, tonight and then an hour and a half before the scan tomorrow. At least the sickness has stopped and the temperature is down.
Tuesday 29th November.
What a performance. Julia went for the scan at 9.30 and was turned away as she hadn't drunk the required liquid...as her Oncologist told her yesterday she didn't need too as he could see what he needed on a scan without it. The scan staff told her to take another dose and return at 12.00am. She did and the scan was finally done. I had high hopes of her discharge today but it's not looking hopeful. Tomorrow is the day of the general strike which will make transport difficult if she's discharged then and I won't be able to get to see her.
Wednesday 30th November.
Well, with a lot of grovelling the staff let Julia come home at 9.00pm last night. My brother went out to pick her up and bring her home so not only was I delighted to have her home but I had the pleasure of seeing him too. She went to bed pretty much straight away and I took a cup of tea through and settled her.
Thursday 1st December.
Julia's chest still feels tight she says though her temperature is normal again. I expect it will take time.
I can tell she's not happy and our daughter has managed to find out that she's afraid this is the end in sight.
I don't agree. Julia has barely left the couch all day and shows no interest in going out. I need to motivate her somehow.
Friday 2nd December
Success ! This morning I reminded Julia that the cat was almost out off food and that we needed other things. She agreed to come shopping. She actually stayed in the car while I shopped but I don't mind. It was worth crippling myself under 93 bags and having to avoid talking to people in a shop just to get her out. Then another miracle. She agreed to stop for coffee at a cafe we use a lot. Brilliant move on the part of this genius husband. The staff were delighted to see her and I actually saw Julia smile for the first time in days. We enjoyed a latte and headed home where she was more animated than she has been. I still had to be the one who cooked the lunch and washed the pots though...she's risking her health again. Actually I think she's pushing her illness too far just to see me work for a change. Our daughter Yvonne came after lunch and managed to brighten Julia even further by helping get down the Christmas decorations and Julia started putting them up. Oh for the peace and quiet of hospital again.!!!!
Wednesday 7th December.
Julia had to go back into hospital as an emergency yesterday as she found it difficult to breathe. It turns out that she has a blood clot on her lungs. It never rains but it pours on her. Low sodium, low potassium and very low oxygen saturation. These was a warfarin injection given and that will have to continue daily for 3 months and there will no doubt be new antibiotics which I hope they give in tablet form as the IV drip often upsets her stomach. I'm scared and I know my daughter is so it's quite likely that poor Ju is too. She really wants to come home today so we can attend the meeting with the oncologist tomorrow and see what effect the chemo has had on the cancer.If it's little or none the question is do we continue knowing that it has a detrimental effect on Ju's immunity and leaves her open to infections?
Thursday 15th December.
It was ‘Corrr’ day again as we went to see the oncologist. My wife, daughter and two nieces trooped in to what should have been a surgery and instead resembled a bus with the number of chairs out for us. Of course everyone was concentrating on Dr Garcia and I doubt anyone knew or cared I was in the room. His accent fixates them and it’s like being at the Dr Garcia fan club meeting.
He started to give me the news I was dreading. He’s 80% sure the toxicity in Julia’s lungs is as a result of the rare side effect from the chemo. Because of that he’s cancelled the chemo booked for tomorrow and said to give it a break. We can return in four weeks and he’ll review his decision and MAYBE start her on a new course of chemo at a lower dose. In the meantime I worry that the tumour can start to grow again in the four week break. It’s very hard, shrink the tumour and add more toxicity to the lungs ot save the lungs and……
Anyway, we’ll have Christmas safely at home and hopefully well. We both offer Compliments of the Season to you all and thank you for following this story.
IMPORTANT
A young friend who has just written her first book 'Antiserum' is donating part of the profit to a burns unit that treated her sister successfully for third degree burns. If you want to buy the book to help the cause or just donate to an excellent cause then please go to http://patriciacarrigan.com/ The book is excellent !
And so to begin.....
I'm David and I thought it might be nice to share some things with you about my life. Not that I want to bore everyone to tears but because I thought it might be fun for some of you to find out that even at 60 it's not too late to embrace changes.
For instance, who'd have thought at this age I'd be creating a web page or writing my first book, or even my second or third for that matter?
The books came about by accident. A good friend who happens to be an author asked me one day to tell her about my day. I decided to turn it into a grossly exagerated , out of proportion day. This made her laugh and she asked to see more. As I was unwell and had the time I decided to make every day like that for a time and sent them too her. Soon my wife was asking for copies, then my daughter and her friends who loved the stories. My friend suggested they would make a book and so it happened. I didn't really have much faith in it but when it was published people began to write nice things and say how they'd laughed.
Out of this was born my second book which is due out shortly. A prequel that explains about my title and how after I got it I gave up work only to inherit the unofficial job of The Queen's Envoy which my late cousin had been doing. Here starts the adventures of someone out of his depth in foreign countries trying to solve problems for the Crown.
This web space will also tell about my wish to see the hate in the world replaced by a little more understanding, a lot less hate and a lot of Hugs. One other venture dear to my heart is the exposure of those who sell fake titles, not only defrauding the buyer but debasing the institution of the nobility entirely. In the UK, the most inspirational leads are the Earl of Bradford who deals with those titles claiming to be British, I have great admiration for Professor Frederick Trowman who does sterling work at disecting the family trees of supposed claimants to the names of great houses the world over. I, along with a great friend from South Carolina have concentrated on those sellers of titles who claim to be able to offer all degrees of nobility to defunct lands and houses and to offers of Knighthood in fake Orders, and would profit from the misery they cause. Our work can be seen on http://www.bigtent.com/group/buzz and http://duchyfrauds.ning.com/
My first book was published in early January. I've been very lucky in thst the readers have given it a great response but a little less lucky that it's been published in the US and is on amazon.com making it harder for my UK readers to get to. Fortunately this has changed and the book is now on Amazon.co.uk as well.
The book is called My Barsetshire Diary and here follows some information.
Old Kid on the Block. Proving there's still life in the Old Dog is the aim of many a new retiree. One of those ways is to write the book you always said you had in you. Here is one such book.
After taking early retirement due to health problems Lord David Prosser was determined to show there was still life in the Old Dog.
Just released is his first book in the form of diary cataloguing his daily life, which he maintains is lived in a daze.
Entitled My Barchester Diary this is written 60 years after Angela Thirkell last published her Barchester works which coincidentally was 60 years after Anthony Trollope published his.
This new book shows how David's life is ruled by Oscar the cat and how his wife and daughter maintain a stranglehold on his credit card.
A new author with a new style showing in his comical way that life begins at 60.
Copies of the book can be obtained from Amazon.com, Amazon .co.uk, or by going to this link:-
https://www.createspace.com/3532875
Published by Mediablvd.
# # #
About the author:
Lord David Prosser lives in a small village in Wales. He is surrounded by the characters from the book and of course has heavily disguised the cast's real names in order to avoid being sued. The cat, however, he's taken a chance on, as it doesn't have a solicitor. His wife and daughter obviously exist too and have promised to take no action against him in exchange for his credit card. Please Dear Reader venture into his world to keep him solvent.
I was lucky enough to be interviewed for the mediablvd site by Rachel Allenby. Anyone interested in reading it will find it from this link
http://www.mediablvd.com/magazine/the_news/current/my_barsetshire_diary%3a_interview_with_lord_david_prosser_201102202407.html
Reviews
Patti Waugh You will die laughing - I almost did... LOL
Pauline Yudowitz The book is as expected ..... brilliant.
Ilil Arbel. I don't know if you plan to write again at any time, nor do I wish to appear as if I am interfering with anything. However, if you do, there is a book that I recently discovered which I think you simply must look at. It is extraordinarily close to what you write, and it is a true masterpiece. As you will see from the link, you can have it for 1 penny. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobody-Wordsworth-Classics-George-Grossmith/dp/1853262013/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348539012&sr=1-1-spell
The book is called My Barsetshire Diary and here follows some information.
Old Kid on the Block. Proving there's still life in the Old Dog is the aim of many a new retiree. One of those ways is to write the book you always said you had in you. Here is one such book.
After taking early retirement due to health problems Lord David Prosser was determined to show there was still life in the Old Dog.
Just released is his first book in the form of diary cataloguing his daily life, which he maintains is lived in a daze.
Entitled My Barchester Diary this is written 60 years after Angela Thirkell last published her Barchester works which coincidentally was 60 years after Anthony Trollope published his.
This new book shows how David's life is ruled by Oscar the cat and how his wife and daughter maintain a stranglehold on his credit card.
A new author with a new style showing in his comical way that life begins at 60.
Copies of the book can be obtained from Amazon.com, Amazon .co.uk, or by going to this link:-
https://www.createspace.com/3532875
Published by Mediablvd.
# # #
About the author:
Lord David Prosser lives in a small village in Wales. He is surrounded by the characters from the book and of course has heavily disguised the cast's real names in order to avoid being sued. The cat, however, he's taken a chance on, as it doesn't have a solicitor. His wife and daughter obviously exist too and have promised to take no action against him in exchange for his credit card. Please Dear Reader venture into his world to keep him solvent.
I was lucky enough to be interviewed for the mediablvd site by Rachel Allenby. Anyone interested in reading it will find it from this link
http://www.mediablvd.com/magazine/the_news/current/my_barsetshire_diary%3a_interview_with_lord_david_prosser_201102202407.html
Reviews
Patti Waugh You will die laughing - I almost did... LOL
Pauline Yudowitz The book is as expected ..... brilliant.
Ilil Arbel. I don't know if you plan to write again at any time, nor do I wish to appear as if I am interfering with anything. However, if you do, there is a book that I recently discovered which I think you simply must look at. It is extraordinarily close to what you write, and it is a true masterpiece. As you will see from the link, you can have it for 1 penny. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobody-Wordsworth-Classics-George-Grossmith/dp/1853262013/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348539012&sr=1-1-spell
After inheriting his Title,Lord David little realised he would also inherit a job. After all, he'd just retired. But this job was as an unofficial envoy to HMG and could he turn it down? He's a fish out of water groping his way from situation to situation with a hint of desparation but with all the aplomb and stiff upper lip he can muster.Will he cope with all that life throws at him and all the women that seem intent on compromising him?
Currently available from Lulu.com, Amazon .com and .co.uk ' The Queen's Envoy'
ISBN number 978-1-4475-1181-6
If you would like to sample the book go to
http://bit.ly/hQnDYl
A really nice review.
At the top of my gift list this year is The Queen's Envoy by Lord David Prosser. The only book that has had me laughing out loud in years. I enjoyed it immensely. If you haven't read it yet, you simply must. I'm rushing to purchase his other book 'My
Barchester Diary NOW.
Rosellen Reisinger
San Francisco, CA USA
Kathy Alverson MullisJust had to write and tell you the " The Queen's Envoy" is MAGNIFICENT!!! I loved it; and was especially fond of "Christmas Day". !!! Two wonderful books in a row.......that is awesome......CONGRATULATIONS.....Looking forward to the next one. Kathy
Book Blogger.
The title really explains what this book is about. Lord David received his title when a relative passes away. He finds out that he also inherited his job. Lord David's life and job are described in this book in the form of journal entries. The book was labeled as humor when sent to me and I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. Just because the author thinks something is funny, doesn't mean the rest of us will. But this book lives up to the title (of humorous) and goes beyond. I laughed all the way through this book. I enjoy British humor and that was part of it, but I think this author could tell about taking out the garbage and make us laugh. This is Lord David's second book and I will certainly be purchasing the first one. This book is one of the books being given away on my blog. Make sure you enter to win. This book is certainly a keeper. I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
Currently available from Lulu.com, Amazon .com and .co.uk ' The Queen's Envoy'
ISBN number 978-1-4475-1181-6
If you would like to sample the book go to
http://bit.ly/hQnDYl
A really nice review.
At the top of my gift list this year is The Queen's Envoy by Lord David Prosser. The only book that has had me laughing out loud in years. I enjoyed it immensely. If you haven't read it yet, you simply must. I'm rushing to purchase his other book 'My
Barchester Diary NOW.
Rosellen Reisinger
San Francisco, CA USA
Kathy Alverson MullisJust had to write and tell you the " The Queen's Envoy" is MAGNIFICENT!!! I loved it; and was especially fond of "Christmas Day". !!! Two wonderful books in a row.......that is awesome......CONGRATULATIONS.....Looking forward to the next one. Kathy
Book Blogger.
The title really explains what this book is about. Lord David received his title when a relative passes away. He finds out that he also inherited his job. Lord David's life and job are described in this book in the form of journal entries. The book was labeled as humor when sent to me and I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. Just because the author thinks something is funny, doesn't mean the rest of us will. But this book lives up to the title (of humorous) and goes beyond. I laughed all the way through this book. I enjoy British humor and that was part of it, but I think this author could tell about taking out the garbage and make us laugh. This is Lord David's second book and I will certainly be purchasing the first one. This book is one of the books being given away on my blog. Make sure you enter to win. This book is certainly a keeper. I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
Another book in the Barsetshire Diaries series.
Lord David again introduces us to the characters from the first book and tries to help the Dreaded Edna with her campaign to become a Local Councillor following the promise Lady J made on his behalf. How will he cope with this as well as the new fundraising he has to do for Triple D. Diana the Dowager Duchess of Cheam wants her family home restored, Lady J has been given the job and guess whom she co-opted.
Lady J's father , the Squadron Leader (retd) tells us of the man with the big organ before escaping to tickle 'trout'. Come and meet all the usual suspects and a few new ones in this humerous book about the life of the Gentry.
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/more-barsetshire-diary/15921411
http://www.prlog.org/11527136-the-barsetshire-diaries-steamroller.html">
The Barsetshire Diaries steamroller</a> The Press release.
http://www.briefingwire.com/pr/barsetshire-revised-in-the-new-barsetshire-diaries-series-of-books.. <a href="
Lord David again introduces us to the characters from the first book and tries to help the Dreaded Edna with her campaign to become a Local Councillor following the promise Lady J made on his behalf. How will he cope with this as well as the new fundraising he has to do for Triple D. Diana the Dowager Duchess of Cheam wants her family home restored, Lady J has been given the job and guess whom she co-opted.
Lady J's father , the Squadron Leader (retd) tells us of the man with the big organ before escaping to tickle 'trout'. Come and meet all the usual suspects and a few new ones in this humerous book about the life of the Gentry.
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/more-barsetshire-diary/15921411
http://www.prlog.org/11527136-the-barsetshire-diaries-steamroller.html">
The Barsetshire Diaries steamroller</a> The Press release.
http://www.briefingwire.com/pr/barsetshire-revised-in-the-new-barsetshire-diaries-series-of-books.. <a href="
Allow me to introduce you to Oscar.
Because of a letter from his solicitor which suggested I used his name in my books without prior consultation, I have now been forced to allow certain concessions, one of which is that I allow him the opportunity to allow his fans to see his true self through the medium of a blog. Therefore, from today and with severe misgivings I have created a blog page for him which I have no say in.
Therefore, what you read will be his own work and if it offends you, though it is on my webpages,it's Oscar you need to confront.
David. 06.Apr.2011
Because of a letter from his solicitor which suggested I used his name in my books without prior consultation, I have now been forced to allow certain concessions, one of which is that I allow him the opportunity to allow his fans to see his true self through the medium of a blog. Therefore, from today and with severe misgivings I have created a blog page for him which I have no say in.
Therefore, what you read will be his own work and if it offends you, though it is on my webpages,it's Oscar you need to confront.
David. 06.Apr.2011