Sorted!!

 Yeh, our handy man can do what I want and just like you suggested Maggie I'm having it on the side along the bungalow wall.. with a grab bar on the wall and a hand rail on the steps. It can be extended right down a further two steps onto the patio, so I am really relieved  and happy.

There's a variety of these hand rails on line. so we'll talk it over with Chris, our handy man and what batons and decking we need. and he can do it when he's finished the job he's doing now. I feel so happy and can sleep tonight as its been a worry.

Thank you for the comments, it is difficult with trades men, they're thinking safety and the look of something, but if its not suitable what's the point. When the steps were first done, when we moved here, they were ok for while, but I've not been properly well for the last two years and I think I've lost confidence and my balance isn't as good, but I'm doing exercises for that . Also my increased weight hasn't helped.. but that's going down at last!

Chrisxx

Workmen...Such a headache!!!

 This what was here when  we moved in,  Straight away I could see I would need a hand rail and the bottom step was much too deep.

It was the tail end of lockdown and trying to get a builder, wasn't easy. But I found one who could come that weekend, we'd only been here a week. Great I thought and we went ahead accepting his quote of £1750 to build new steps.

And this is what they did.. looks good doesn't it? They were professional, experienced and knew what they were doing, but....they didn't listen and I got talked into some super looking steps, which are too deep. I kept saying they were too deep and I needed another step and rail the other side. The owner of the firm kept saying we'd lose patio if they made them any shallower and build another step out.  So I decided ok,  they're ok, I can use them although they are a bit awkward. I put up with them for a while, then Dh and I put planks of wood on them to make them not as deep.

Then when we were having the patio laid last summer, the workmen said they could make them better and permanent, so safer.

And we ended up with these 'add ons'.. they're ok, but because they're not the full length of each step I am nervous using them incase I miss the step and still no handrail the other side!

So what to do, I want steps with a handrail each side and the increased height the full length of each step

So we've had a builder to look at them, grrrrr      

I've said to Dh I am not going to let a builder tell me what I need! Once again I was given the argument we'd lose patio??? No point having one if I can't get down to it! And the patio is a lot bigger and wider since we had the hedge out and the fence put up. He also waved a 'red flag' at me by saying, if I said yes there and then, he could do it for less, so he was a 'no no' in my eyes!

So?? What can be done? Dh says he 'll have a go, but there's no need for him, we can afford to pay someone. Dh isn't a DIY man, that's not his strength and I don't want him to worry about it.. so we are in a quandary, what to do?

We do know a handy man, so we'll try him next, otherwise I will not be going out into the garden down these steps, but out through the front door and walking around the outside of the bungalow!

Chrisxx

Perhaps our NHS isn't so bad!

 I've read Andrews blog as he has listed what happened to his partner Ray. It seems he had a weak area in his aorta, which burst.

The thing is, here in UK men are offered a scan at 65 years to check for this and Dh and I remembered his well, because we nearly missed it. 

It was a couple of months after I broke my arm and Dh had been given an appointment for an aorta scan. We'd never heard of it, but all men are offered it at 65 years. It was booked for 4:30pm, in a clinic in Wickford. I was still having an afternoon nap after lunch. as I was still having bad nights with my arm. Suddenly I woke and could hear Dh in the kitchen making an afternoon cuppa. I looked at the clock, it was 4:05! I had slept and he had forgotten! We drove the 5 miles as fast as the speed limit allowed and arrived just after 4:30.. there wasn't a problem, as there was a wait, because the room had several pregnant women there, Dh was the only man! 

His scan was fine, and to be honest, we've never really thought about it till now. So thinking about that, we realised we do have a lot of preventive checks here in UK. 

At 60, we had a sort of MOT, which is when Dh's blood test showed he needed treatment for high cholesterol and high BP.. Me?? being over weight I was fine!  

There are regular checks for:- Bowel cancer, Breast scans, (ouch!) Prostate checks, and a variety of jabs given to older people to prevent them getting the diseases. We've had jabs for pneumonia, shingles, flu, plus all the covid jabs, I have one booked for next week, which will be my eighth. So perhaps our NHS isn't so bad after all. 

Life can be gone in a flash.. so get your checks and take your tablets, most mornings I ask Dh if he has taken his tablets just incase he's forgotten, he rarely has, but I asked all the same!

Chrisxx

Dark thoughts

 I should have thought this yesterday, and I shouldn't have let the shopping experience drag me down! I knew I was being grumpy but couldn't shake it off.

But our evening steak meal was very nice and Dh cooked it beautifully, so I was grateful for that. 

I had a bad night I was awake for hours and got up to read, because I just couldn't get comfortable in bed, even though Dh woke and helped me with the duvet, so I was covered. I can't pull it over me with my right duff arm. Then wouldn't you know I needed the loo again! So I grabbed my kindle and dressing gown to read in the lounge. Usually in my arm chair I can sleep with my feet up on a stool. But I was in the wide awake club with thoughts whizzing through my mind. I read a little but couldn't even settle there, then I felt cold. The temps dropped quite considerably last night and being hypothyroid my hands and feet get really cold. So I thought I'd try to sleep in the bed again. 

Dh was sleeping quietly, I could see the duvet moving as he breathed. And I think that was the cause of my sleeplessness, some one in a FB gardening group I follow, had reached out to the group that day, to say, his wife had failed to wake that morning and he was distraught. Poor man, what a sad thing to happen. You go to bed together and one of you doesn't wake up; what do you do next?

Then I read Andrews blog that his partner of 44 years had died, presumably suddenly as he hadn't said his partner was ill. 

It all preyed on my mind and the thoughts of death brought back that several of my friends have died in the last few years. 

So no wonder I couldn't sleep with such dark thoughts.. 

As I was wriggling back into bed Dh stirred and asked if I was alright, he knew I'd not been in the bed for a couple of hours. So I just mumbled I was a bit cold, so as he is the lovely man he is, he curled up behind me to warm me up. It was still a while before I could get to sleep, but I took comfort in his warm loving cuddle and eventually my eyes closed. When I woke Dh was in the kitchen I could hear the click of the kettle lid, so a cup of tea was on the way. 

I got up, weary but determined to smile and be in a positive mood.

Thank you my love for being there, day and night and I am grateful for everything, my life, still going at 81, even with this duff arm. I've survived the ops, the inconvenience, the pain and the limited life I have now; not the life I had before breaking my arm, I miss driving but most of all I miss playing the piano, but I have a comfortable life which is as happy as I want to choose it to be!

Chrisxx

Never again!

Dh asked could we pop to Tesco yesterday afternoon, a Saturday? It might be busy he said, but then it might not! Why did he want to go? The steak he had ordered wasn't available, so we didn't get it when we had the delivery on Thursday, and he really fancied it for our evening meal.

We went and yes it was busy,  but not too bad, so he kept saying?  As we only had a few other bits with the steak, we decided to use one of the self service tills. Right away it was a bad idea; we needed a shop assistant, it didn't like our own bags!  We waited and waited while she ok-ed some ones alcohol. Why did we think we could sail through the self check out? Then, because we had some paracetamol we needed her again! We always said we'd never use a self check out on principle, and because they always seem to go wrong as soon as they see us! So annoying and to my way of thinking, it doesn't save time.

Then in the very large entrance there were about 7 young lads bouncing around as though on a rubber bouncy castle. Shaking their collection buckets and making racket, exciting squeals and shouting. I was afraid one would bounce into me, it doesn't take much to over balance me.  The adults with them seemed unaware of their noise. I expect it was just me, old and out of the stream of the joys of youngsters enthusiasm, that found them out of order. So annoying I thought, what were they collecting for? It wasn't clear, but it was a boys football club.

Saturday shopping?? Never again! But the steak was very tasty and we had English strawberries from Kent, delicious!

Chrisxx

A pleasant day in our life.

 At Slimming World the scales said I hadn't kept to the food plan, but truth be told my gain could have been greater! But its a new week so I'd better not suggest a coffee in town, as I have tasted a Costa's Tiffin, wooooo it was loverly! I remember making something like it when my children were little for their birthday parties. 

The recipe is really easy, Rich Tea biscuits, broken up, chocolate, syrup, soft brown sugar, glace cherries, raisins and cocoa powder. It is very calorific, but worth it, but I won't be making it!

When we came home the decorator said he would be finished in the afternoon and he was; it looks absolutely super and very white with red tile paint windowsills. The tile windowsills were here when we moved here and although not my choice, they look ok. So now we need to paint our bench and we are going to buy a new door mat.

 We love that bench and in the summer we sit there and say 'hello' to people who pass and most stop and chat. Dh used to sit on the outside wall, when we lived in Leiston, not that many people passed by, but the farmers in the tractors waved as they drove passed. 

This is our bench when Dh put in new wooden planks and painted it. At present it looks a bit faded but won't take a lot to get it looking like new again.
So the decorator has done a very good job of painting our bungalow, we are very pleased and we'd have him again, so we may have our bedroom painted next.

The decorator was admiring our seedlings and veg patch and said our garden looked lovely, and thought it all looked as though we knew what we were doing. We did say we'd been gardening for a 'few' years! He is a budding enthusiastic new gardener. 

Later on my potted on my Alicante tomato plants, all looking good. I'll do some more potting on at the weekend; hope the rain stays away.

And that was our Friday, not exciting but very satisfying and would have been even better if the hedge cutter had turned up at 4 to give us a quote, but 'dim problem,'  I have another one coming tomorrow morning. How was your day?

Chrisxx

Three early visitors!

 Dh and I are usually up, drinking tea at about 8:30 am most mornings, unless we have an early appointment or agree to meet someone or SW. So someone knocking on our front door earlier yesterday morning was a surprise. It was some one looking for an Ann Cooper? We didn't know anyone of that name.. so Dh came back into the lounge to drink his tea.. then knock, knock again. I could hear the man saying, 'I'm the decorator come to paint the outside walls' I nearly choked on my tea! I've had that decorator book since the beginning of the month, he was to let us know when he could start. 

He said he'd sent a text to me? I quickly got my phone. I only look at it to use as a phone, I don't use it for the internet so I don't look at it all that often. He had sent  a text at 8:10 am to say I can start today!!LOL

We were still in bed then, anyway as it was all outside painting, he and his crew started while we carried on in our dressings gowns, with another cup of tea, as that first one was cold! I can cope with cold tea, but not my first morning cuppa! 

Dh said we might as well carry on and have our breakfast, so we did, inside the lounge with the curtains closed. As we started to eat, knock, knock again! It was our grocery order from Tesco being delivered early!

Once we had showered and dressed later, we sat with our coffees and Dh said.. hope we can drink this in peace!!

Chrisxx

Living for 'Manna'

 I did not sleep well and was awake for a couple of hours on Tuesday night,  ugh! So when Dh gave me a little tap to say it was already 8:30 am, I did not want to leave my comfy bed.. I'd got back to sleep about 5 and woke again for the loo at 7, so it seemed as though I'd only just gone to sleep. Why did he wake me? Because we'd arranged to go for a coffee with an old school friend.

We meet her now and then, because she lives alone, and her son died 18 years ago, so I do feel sorry for her, but we don't really have anything in common. She spent a long time recounting her story of her part time job. She had been offered extra days, because some one was taking extra holiday time. She was complaining about the extra time, and when I said 'well you'll have the extra money,' she was quick to say, 'it wasn't worth it because she'd be taxed! And didn't like to say 'no''.

It made me realise how really blessed I am and was, because in the last six years of my teaching job, I worked three days a week and when I was asked to do an extra day, I nearly always said no, because I didn't need the money. Not that I had loads, but I enjoyed my four days at home and what money I earned was good. I tried to explain to the secretary of the school, who used to ask me to work extra, that I was working for 'manna' like the Israelites, who only were given food for that day, except for the Sabbath.. So I only needed enough money to live, so no need for extras. When I did work the extra days, it was when the Head Teacher asked me. She was very good to me and so  it was hard to say no to her. 

Does that seem odd to you? I had sold my big house I bought after my divorce and down sized to get rid of my mortgage. and the house I bought, needed to have quite a lot done to it, well actually a lot! 

I never went without and had jobs done on my house as and when I earned the money. The front windows were replaced in the lounge first, then French doors in the dining room.. and so I had things done every now and then. I did have my youngest son move in with me in my second year there. He had a bit of an upset in his life, and he did all the electrics, as he was doing a college course. That was an enormous help and I'll always be grateful to him for all his help. (He's the son who no longer speaks to anyone in the family) He lived with me for just over 18mths.

Then when all of downstairs was more or less done, (not the kitchen) I had a real 'Billy bonus' A tax rebate and I bought something I'd always wanted, a raspberry pink carpet through out the lounge/ dining room and the hall, stairs and landing from Alders, an expensive quality store! I loved that carpet and it always looked good. It was still there looking good when I sold the house 14 years later. And amazingly all I'd had done to that house increased its value and when it sold, it went for three times what I had paid for it!!

So having seen my friend, we won't again for a while, she has some days booked out with work colleagues in the next few weeks, so she's happy.. and we had a lovely coffee!

Chrisxx

A Beautiful Grand daughter.

 My beautiful grand daughter spent last month in India working for her firm. I look at her and can't believe she is 30 this year, a qualified Chartered Accountant and a very confident young lady. 

I remember her being born, my daughter had asked me to go to her when she was in labour, as her husband was making too much fuss! I drove the 65 miles as fast as was allowed.. and stayed with my daughter rubbing her back, till late at night, when a midwife suggested I should leave as it was 10:00pm and all the husbands had left at 8:30pm!

My daughter was very tired and had agreed to have an epidural, so knowing she would be ok I left.. drove home and my grand daughter was born 6:20am.. I drove back right away and was delighted to see my grand daughter, a bit red in the face as they are, but beautiful.. and name?? Saskia Christine Amelia!

She is such a beautiful  young woman, and a very lovely.

Chrisxx

What is a weed?

Where ever we've lived we have had a particular difficult weed. Here in Porthcawl, it's this, ' Cuckoo Pint' It pops up under our hedges and in our flower beds. It is really difficult to dig up, as the stems are quite delicate, so when you yank them out, the little bulb is left behind. So careful digging and wiggling of your trowel to get them right up!

It develops into these.. bright red and poisonous, we've dig a few up this afternoon.. but I'm sure there will soon be more.

These we had in Billericay,  but as we drive around we see them everywhere.. 'Three Cornered Leek' We're keeping a watchful eye out for any in our garden,  because they are very difficult to eradicate.

The RHS gardens at Hyde Hall, Essex, had dug out a flower bed down to sub-soil and left it fallow for three years plus, in an effort to get rid of it. It's a plant that is against the country side law to plant in the county side.. called Three Cornered Leek because the leaves have three edges! Pretty? Yes but smells like an  onion and is a thug./

And here is Alkanet, which we had in our Suffolk garden. The previous owners thought it pretty and had allowed it to grow. It had underground runners, so a horrid one to get rid of, I dug it up as fast as I saw it, but it wasn't easy.

And of course there's the dandelion, here it is rife in our lawns. But reduced in the front after a weed and feed treatment.. once it seeds they blow every where and the long tap root snaps to allow a new plant to grow before you've turned around! I know people say they are food for the bees rousing from winter. So they can be, but in someone else's garden!

Of course we  have daises in our grass as well, but they show where Dh has missed when he's cutting the grass!

So flowers in the wrong place or a weed, what do you think?

Chrisxx