More Money than Sense?

 What do you do when you can't sleep? I read, I'm on my 76th book, which is more or less the norm for me, so by the end of the year I'll have read about 86 to 90! I am not awake for hours now, but am waking at the times I used to wake to wee! 1:30am and 3:45am so I get out of bed, no easy feat as the tubing for the night catheter is quite long, and is in an old washing bowl along side our bed, I thought I might trip over a stand, so hence the bowl.  I have a drink  of water when I'm out, tidy my pillows and get back into bed and go off to sleep right away! Dh usually wakes too and helps me with the duvet. But apart for that, I am now coping with this!

I had arranged to miss Slimming World yesterday morning, but I did weigh at home, and ugh I've gained weight, which was to be expected, as I had some days way off the food plan, but hey ho it is what it is, and we are now back on plan, so no extras when we go out for a coffee. 

Which we really enjoy, our town 'Costa' has a lovely ambiance and the girls there, know us. Going out is a break from the house and also rests my credit card! This week I've bought 2 enamel dishes, because we both fancied Bread and Butter pudding on Boxing Day and we don't have any of these.

a 4.7l steel oven safe pot, because I watched  a Delia Smith video of cooking for Christmas and she cooked her Spiced Red Cabbage in one of these in the oven, so we had to have one!

and another jigsaw, instead of the Advent one I bought last year, which I hardly did, because I didn't like it!

Isn't this one pretty?

Having bought these things I could hear my aunts voice in my ear

'More money than sense!'

And a totally different genre, a book by Ann O'Loughlin

Which I read in no time, another new to me author,  along with Jo Spain and Andrea Mara, who write suspense novels; Barbara O'Neal, romantic novel writer and now this one Ann O' Loughlin. Her books are the sort, where it's the relationship between the characters and it sort of just goes along with events happening, but nothing too startling! However it did get me thinking, what would I have done.

Cora is a successful artist living in Long Island New York who learns that, her long time partner Jack of 12 years, has been killed in a car accident in Ireland and the other person killed with him was his wife of 3 years! She travels to Ireland, as he has left everything to her, including the house, where he lived with his wife! She gets very involved with the other people living in De Courcy Square and so the story unravels. 

Would I have done what she did, go to Ireland to try to find out about his other life? To right I would have, what a cheat he was..... she finds out a lot more than she bargained for. It was a good read and not the type of book I usually read, but I really enjoyed it.

I have read books by other authors I'd not read before too, but I probably won't read another by them. 

I'm looking forward to Christmas and we will make some sort of cake but not our usual fruit one. We have ready bought some Christmas bits which are in the freezer so we'll buy our tree this weekend..so even though its only Dh and myself we enjoy ourselves!

Chrisxx 

Normal?

 I was dreading getting an appointment with a Dr, can't say my Dr because you see a different one each time and getting through is difficult. But yesterday morning I got through right away and got an appointment with a Dr I'd seen before.  A sympathetic female Dr. She was lovely, kind understanding and gave me a whole lot of medication, a carrier bag full!

This all goes with a huge box of supplies that arrived the day before, all ordered by the District Nurse.. 60 night collection bags because the day bags can be emptied but the night ones have to be changed, I don't know why and loads of other stuff. 

My Dr's appointment was 9:40am so we were up showered before I was awake!  After it, we went to town for a coffee.. so nice to be out and it was a lovely morning, calm and sunny and didn't feel cold, but I was wearing layers.. We drove home round the front prom, so different to Monday the sea was like a mill pond!

After lunch we went out to the garden and sorted out the last flower pot; gone are the dead cosmos and daff bulbs planted in their place.

 Dh's made marmalade with the tinned concentrated oranges you can buy and we have 9 pots!

The Christmas puddings are cooked in the slow cooker as well, so we feel we're back to normal, well what ever normal is!

It feels good and I feel I am coping better.

It was only a week ago when I went to A&E,  but feels longer. 

I am grateful for all the treatment I'm getting but rather I wasn't in this situation.

Chrisxx

First Outing!

I used to get up for the loo every two hours so three times each  night! Now with a catheter obviously I don't have to. However I can't stay in bed all night, I'm waking and can't get back to sleep, so I read. Dh woke as well the night before last, so we had a cup of tea and we both read for a while. It means I'm very tired and am a bit wobbly, also I haven't been out since last Wednesday. 

Today I was determined to go to the U3a Gardening Group Christmas 'do.' Dh attached the collection bag right up high on my leg and my pop sock came up over the end. 

It was such fun and the bring and share meal was very tasty. I was so glad I went, altho the wind whooshing down the main street from the sea front, was so strong it was pushing my wheels to one side. Lots of chatting and laughing and a group singing of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas,' had us laughing so much, I was glad I had a catheter!

And we all bring something for the raffle, so every body gets a prize. We got a tin (very pretty) of short bread and a huge selection packet of biscuits, so that's sorted us for Christmas! 

I had so many 'what ifs' I nearly didn't go, but I'm so glad I did.

So I'm ok going out and will go out again!

Chrisxx

Struggling a bit!

 Having a catheter in situ is a bit of a faff.  The District Nurse came yesterday morning, just after 9, we'd only been up a few minutes and were drinking our first cup of tea. We were up in the night drinking tea, my fault. I am not comfortable and I haven't spent 8 hours in bed in one stretch for years!

She was very good and allayed some of my fears. She checked me all over and all ok. She brought extra wee bags, the day ones can  be emptied, but I have to have a new one each night, I don't know why.

She empathised with my feeling of being uncomfortable, and knew how I felt because she had had a catheter once too. She was here over two hours!

I'm hating the whole thing. I'm not sure how I'll manage going out as the collection bag is on my leg and I haven't got a dress that long. so I've order one from Seasalt. I don't wear slacks.

Dh is very supportive and helps me empty the bags.

I'm only just coping but hating it!

Chrisxx

A Rollercoaster Three Days!

 We've had a roller coaster few days, hard to believe, but it did happen.

We decided on the hop to go to see the new baby, because I've been really well and had some antibiotics for my never ending wee problem. We went Saturday and had a lovely time on Sunday with the new baby and her parents of course, but it was the baby we went to see! She is so pretty the photos didn't do her justice. She is absolutely gorgeous, we were delighted. It was also her mum and twin sister's birthday, so good to give them their presents. We ate a lot of cake!

We only stayed the day with them and went back to our hotel ready to drive home Monday. We were woken at 11:45 by the fire alarm!! I thought I was dreaming, but we assembled with the other guests in the lobby, only to be told it was a false alarm! I saw old men  in their jim-jams and women with bed hair worse than mine! I did go back to sleep, but then it happened again at 5:45!! Although we guessed it was another false alarm, we got out of our room like every one else.. We decided no point going back to bed and had a cuppa watching the early morning news.

Our journey home 145 miles was uneventful and with each mile nearer home, we said a thankful prayer, as Dh hasn't driven along busy motor ways for a couple of years. And we were so pleased when we drove up onto our drive, desperate for a cuppa and me the loo.

Inside Dh switched on the heating and 'nada' It didn't come on! I have a plumber's details in my phone, so contacted him and he came after he had finished his day's work.. We were ok as we have an oil filled electric radiator, which we used in our summer house and the electric fire in the lounge is fan assisted, so we weren't cold, but no hot water.

He said he'd thought it was the ??? can't remember what, but our boiler was 17 years old, so we decided to have a new one. We've always bad a bank account called 'emergencies' so it wasn't a problem. He could come the next day. whew, we were so grateful. We were boiling kettles of water to wash as no shower and then right in front of us, it went bang and that was the end of that! We went out and bought another right away. I said to Dh, Do not say, that's 2 what else can wrong to make it 3!!

That night (Tuesday)I had that awful thing where I couldn't wee again. The pain is horrendous, so at 4:00am, we were off to the hospital about 10 miles. The temps were -2 and the car was frozen up.. We got there me groaning but there were only one couple there and having said what the problem was and me groaning even louder by now, I was seen to right away. 

The insertion of the catheter was hell, evidently my urethra was inflamed and swollen, so stopping the flow of urine, but as soon as my bladder started to empty the pain reduced.  I had pain relief as well and checks for infections, so by 8 o'clock I was feeling much better. However it seems that as I've had this before, but never went to A&E, the Dt suggested I keep the catheter for 12 weeks!!! 

A nurse is to come from my own Surgery to check me etc,,It wasn't easy last night, but I did sleep for longer than I have for two and a half years! This wasn't something I was expecting and although it has relieved my symptoms, it's not an easy thing to cope with. But I am and so is Dh helping me to empty the bag. He is a true love!

And the plumber came and we have heating and hot water.

What a few days we've had so hopefully now all the 'excitement' is over! Difficult to think all this has happened to us, but we have risen to each one and coped!

Chrisxx

When life throws you lemons....

 You drive to the front prom, sit on a bench, gaze at the calm sea and eat ice cream! 

I'm sleep deprived, as was in the wide awake club again last night, so very tired today.. and everything has annoyed me, or at least I've allowed things to annoy me!

1. A dispute with a firm who insists I received the goods and I didn't!  Turns out we were talking about different dates! 

2. I'd bought a pretty little sleep suit for my new step grand daughter and then realised it was the wrong size, so wanted to exchange it, but couldn't find the receipt. I looked high and low, got myself in a sweat then Dh found it in the recycling bag.. then we went to the shop and they didn't need the receipt!

3. Email from the library to say books needed to be renewed, but we haven't got time to go to the library this weekend, so phoned and I'd read the email wrongly, they had been automatically renewed! But I did practise my Welsh as they 'siarad cymraeg yno,' (speak Welsh there.)

4. I've allowed someone, who acts very superior to get under my skin, so emailed her a curt answer and now I look shit to the others in the Chit Chat group!

5. And worse of all I've cried myself silly over it all and none of it really matters!

Dh has been lovely and given me a cwtch and honestly I've worked myself up over nothing, well it didn't seem like nothing to me at the time! And I still don't like that person!

It was very calming looking out to sea and the ice cream was delicious. Just a day in my life.

'There's a great big, beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day, thank goodness because I've had a horrible day'

Chrisxx

Paw print.

Dh and I are not Sunday morning car washers or any time to be honest, we go to one of those car wash places, where big rotating brushes with foaming suds swamp your car and then hot air blows over it to dry it. You can have someone to polish it dry, but we don't usually, we like our car,  but being shiny clean is not important to us. We leave it on the drive, as the garage has loads in it, so when it rains we think that's enough to clean the car!

But a friend said, why didn't we use the hand car wash in the garage just a short distance from where we live.

So Dh took it there yesterday afternoon. Wow! Its clean and shiny and looks new.. when the young man came to soap the doors, Dh was telling me, he gave him a look and pointed at the moss growing in the window groves! Dh told him we don't clean it ourselves and the young man laughed saying,  'I can see that!'

Anyway it is amazing and shiny and we had inside cleaned too, except he cleaned away the last signs of our back seat passenger, Nell. There was one faint, sandy paw print still there on the upholstery, squashed into the pile, as she walked onto her blanket.. Well it wasn't a paw print any more, just some sand, but it used to be. I felt really sad, as I used to notice it when I put my handbag behind my seat and I watched as it got less and less.

But now gone...... gone for ever.. I admit I did have just a little weep,, still miss her dreadfully.

Chrisxx

CAROLS.

 Isn't it lovely to see our beautiful Princess of Wales looking so happy to be back in the role as a working Royal. Here she is getting things organised for her 'Together At Christmas,' carol service. It's scheduled to take place at Westminster Abby on December 6th. 

On her X account there is a video of the invitations being printed. Set to the back ground of Jingle Bells, there is a montage of gears and machinery whirring into motion, as they stamp out the Princesses gilded gold royal cypher; a cursive C for Catherine, placed underneath the crown.

'Something exciting is coming,' the post caption reads, the invitations are hot off the press for this years 'Together at Christmas'

It's to be shown on ITV Christmas Eve..We will be watching it.

When we lived in Essex we went to a different Carol Concert in London every year.. there is one here but these days we choose to watch them on TV and attend an afternoon Carol Service, which we love,,...roll on Christmas, we love everything about it.

Chrisxx

Thank you everyone for your kind comments, I'm more or less ok,  still a bit wobbly as a sleep deprived

A bit fragile

 I don't know if I need a week but do need a few days rest, not well.

Same o same o problem, but seen a Dr so on the mend but still a bit wobbly.

I've put my order to Dh for the snacks to be ice cream!

Chrisxx

We Will Remember Them

 

Such a waste of lives and there are still wars today in our troubled world.

Chrisxx

A life changing brief moment.

 Isn't strange how our memories can hop around and suddenly you're back there, living it all over again. That was me a few days ago, all because some one asked me why I walked with my 'Rhet Butler' my wheels! And I was back the memory of nearly over balancing 5 years ago in lockdown, while we were living in Suffolk. And I bought my Rollator. I can walk on even ground without it, but still using a walking stick.. all because of a broken arm. 

It all happened just like that, so simply... we'd had our Italian Evening class and were leaving the college, hand in hand as you do, and at the exit doors the group of people in front of us, stopped just outside to light up their cigs.  Dh and I let go our hands and as I went to step aside to go round them, the next thing I knew I was pitching forward and put out my hand and that was it, my right humerus broke!

I spent over an hour on the ground and when eventually an ambulance arrived and tried in vane to put a needle in a vein; I was then taken to Colchester hospital. It was a night mare, they wanted to keep me over night and I was worried about the dog at home. Dh left about 11 and I spent a very uncomfortable night in the ER on a trolley. They had cut open my beautiful cerise coloured jumper, which really upset me. The pain was controlled and I did doze, but I was very unhappy.

Dh came to get me the next morning and I was allowed home with a brace, not a cast and told there would be no need for an op. and it would heal in the next few months. It didn't and it hasn't really healed, That was 2015, the next year a different consultant operated on it twice and in 2017 I was referred to The Royal London Orthopedic Hospital,  where I had two more ops, including a shoulder replacement.. And all I can say is,  that one broken arm has changed my life completely. I don't have full use of my arm, so struggle to do loads of things.. but buying that Rollator was a good idea because it has taken the fear out of falling again and I walk really well with it. Yesterday I walked along the sea front, well wrapped up, although it wasn't that chilly!! And watched the sea, quite calm and gently rolling in.. lovely! For a short moment the clouds parted, but most of the time, it was a grey afternoon. But the fresh air was clear and I enjoyed the walk... still under a mile but I want to go a bit further each time to strengthen my legs and help with losing weight

Chrisxx

Memories.

 Sometimes when I'm feeling low I delve back into memories of my past. I've said before I didn't have the best of childhoods but my one Aunty, Aunty Glad did her very best for me.

She bought this for me every week and the Christmas annual too.

I absolutely loved it and while some of the stories revolved around Secret Societies, wrongly accused heroines, plucky girls getting caught up in some passing intrigue, ski trips, historical tales, it did occasionally stray into the supernatural tinged adventures. 

Strange thing is it was written with middle class girls in view and I was well down in the pecking order of wealthy families.. It never occurred to me that I was so very different to them, I just accepted the stories as being there. I loved the 'Silent Three,'  girls who got up to all sorts of scrapes.  They were in a boarding school which was well beyond my imagination.. little did I guess that, at 12 years of age I too, was in a boarding school, which I loved.. I loved everything about it.

I shared a room with four other girls, one with whom I'm still in contact. Such a very happy time in my life, all paid for by my Aunty Glad. Such a lot to thank her for.  When I was living in Essex and she was older, I used to visit her every third weekend, driving the 230 miles to see her. When she went through a bad state with arthritis in her knees I got a wheel chair from the Red Cross and we used to go to the prom for a delish ice cream, an escape from my gran for an hour or two and we drank coffee, probably Camp!   Great times.

What about you, what are your happy childhood memories?

Chrisxx

Baby Quilt

 This has been a real labour of love and a lot of tears of frustration, with my useless right arm. I could not get my arm up onto the machine plate to guide the stitching and did this mostly one handed.

But with tears and screams I've done it. They are the best corners on the binding I've ever done. I watched a 'you tube' quilter about 20 times, I was so determined to get them perfectly mitred. I've hand stitched around the figures and 'machined in the ditch' the seams.

It has not been easy and although I've cut enough squares to do another one for charity, I think I'll give it a rest for a few weeks.

But I did it,..... ta----da!

Chrisxx

Happy News

 We had very broken nights sleep Saturday night as Dh's daughter was in hospital expecting her first baby.. She had gone in, because it is an IVF baby and was being treated with kid gloves.. 

She didn't go to the maternity ward till late on the Saturday night so we were on tender hooks.. but nothing was happening.. we waited all day and had the phone call late yesterday ....a baby girl, 7lbs 3oz by caesarian section.. such happy news and a relief.. we both slept soundly last night!

Chrisxx

A Medicine?

 Things that go through my mind when I can't sleep. The other night one of my thoughts were...when did they start drinking tea in Britain? I remember studying about the spice trades and the journeys from the Asian continent and I remembered it was 1650's when it arrived in England.

When I looked it up I found that it is suggested that tea is the most popular beverage in the world after water. It's a simple preparation of pouring water over cured leaves of the Camellia Sinesis plant, and was first recorded in the 3rd Century AD

But then I thought I only drink de-caff these days, so what about that tea? I lie there awake.. then I want a cuppa, when it gets to about 6 to 7- ish, I whisper to Dh to check if he's awake,  'Do you want a cuppa?'  And the love he is, he gets up and makes the tea.  That first morning cuppa is like nectar! Each time I was in hospital having surgery on my arm, he used to bring me a de-caff from the Costa shop.

And of course it has to be a china cup!

When you really think about it, tea is like a medicine.

Feeling cold, cup of tea.

Feeling hot, cup of tea,

Feeling Sad, cup of tea.

Bad news, cup of tea.

Celebration, cup of tea.

Visitors, cup of  tea.

Feeling weary, cup of tea.

Its suggested that tea boosts the immune system

Fights inflammation,

Supports heart health,

Prevents certain cancers,

Provides antioxidants.

Wow! I knew there was a reason to be drinking tea all day!!

Do you?

Chrisxx