Grey puppy time (not quite grown into black dog)

Hula hooping- wow! I am speechesss

Big hugs gracesmum

biker you never fail to make me smile, your sense of humour is brilliant thank you.

biker - That's just fantastic! Good for you. I know it's not easy for you - and I admire your tenacity, humour and hoola-hoop-ness. x

gracesmum hope your grey puppy has now turned into the andrex puppy and your evening full of even though you DH is feeling poorly,I like the bit about not wasting a good mood on the ironingxx

You see, so many of you have much heavier crosses to bear if nobody minds the Christian analogy. Lovely poem, Ariadne and absolutely hit the spot. Ironing accomplished - no point wasting a good mood on ironing eh? Lots of time on GN, but now DH has had a couple of dizzy spells, feeling nauseous etc and he is recumbent on sofa being fed dry toast and tea. Ah well.

number can empathise with you,when you should be free to make plans,there are others to think of also that feeling of being hemmed in is horrible isn't it

petallus It's from Keats'"Ode to melancholy." Lovely, sad...

Still ((hugs)) gracesmum x

The Grey puppy visits me a couple of times a week, then I feel guilty and tell myself not to be selfish. It`s just that I thought years ago that when I/we got to this age, we`d be taking it easy and doing what we wanted, when we wanted to, but instead still have partly disabled elder daughter to consider all the time, especially if we want to go out, or on holiday.

ok well! I have had many "grey puppy " days this year, think prob due to being exhausted.... soooo I have now bought a " Hula hoop" yes! a Hula Hoop, lol...was in Asda last week, saw the Hula Hoops,, (thought hmm ! I could never do the Hula Hoop a school) so I bought one £2-50 if my memory serves me right."Is this for you" the lady at the till asked"? with a smile on her face... "yes" ! I replied and we both laughed...now this is no ordinary Hula! ohh nooo..this has beads inside the tube so when DH had gone to bed last night (well 6-30 actualy,) so more tea time than night time, I was at there twiddling my thumbs, flicking the tv about, staring out the window, and sensed that "the grey puppy" was lurking about some where! soo!!. spies my Hula Hoop propped up next to the wall!! ahaaaa ok .let's go girl! well!! after dropping it umpteenth time, the voice from upstairs shouted "what the heck you doing down there)?? with the speed I was thrusting and wiggling, well! the hoop bashed to the floor on every attempt ,and being full of beads, made a racket! tut!..... so there endeth my Hula Hoop Lesson.... (until next time ) now I expect you all! to be rushing out tomorrow and purchasing a Hula Hoop! by the time I had finished trying, I ahd forgton all about the "puppy"

Big hug from me too gm.Squeeze out every tear til you can't cry anymore, then force yourself to grin all the time.It looks very stupid but sometimes works

grace you have had a rough time lately and have been running along on adrenalin. Its only to be expected now that things are on an even keel again and you can sit back and relax it can bring on that peskey grey puppy.... but be kind to yourself. Sending you a big {{{hug}}}

gracesmum (((hugs))) take care of yourself. Luckily, the grey pup rarely visits me but it's usually for no good reason at all Hope doing the ironing made you feel better

I'm having a grey puppy day as well, gracesmum. It's the time of the year when I struggle to remain cheerful because I feel so left behind. DD1 is doing Route 66 with her partner, DD2 is going to Malta for two weeks and DS is going camping. My brother and his family are enjoying themselves in his French farmhouse. What am I doing? Same as usual. Looking out for two stroke victims which means I'm lucky if I get a day trip. I'm OK for the rest of the year but the beginning of the holiday season always plunges me into a deep gloom It's the only time of the year when resentment rears its ugly head. Whenever they need help I'm the first to jump in the car and fly to the rescue. I'm beginning to hate August!

Also love 'grey puppy' expression. I know what you mean, I've heard it being described as not unhappy, but an absence of happiness and thought, ah, that's how I feel. I've been a bit 'hang dog' myself lately, and put it down to having to hold all together whilst everyone else was/is losing it over the past year or so. Anyway, pottering around in the shopping centre the other day, I came across vitamins for the 50+ and bought some, started taking them, and miraculously, I feel better. So are they placebos? Who cares . Hope you feel better gracesmum.

Oh JessM I cry when they go back to Birmingham - just before collapsing with exhaustion - so I do feel for you,

I know the grey puppy feeling and the black dog; usually come along for no concrete reason. I agree a signal to slow down and take care of yourself.

Ariadne love the poem. Who wrote it?

I think you had a tough few months not so long ago, and it would be funny if you didn't have a few ups and downs, now things have settled a bit.
It will be me feeling sad next week - DS and grandkids flying back tomorrow night to Australia. It will be easter before I see them again - my lovely 4 year old GS will be a big school boy! They grow up so fast when you only see them every 9 months or so.
When the olympics is on, no one has to make excuses about watching on telly if they have any interest whatsoever. Not sure that i recommend the vino, alcohol does have a slightly depressing effect the following day.
Hope there is something to take your interest on TV.

".....when the melancholy fit shall fall
Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,
That fosters the droop headed flowers all,
And hides the green hill in an April shroud.."

Sums it up, doesn't it? Nellie is right, gracesmum -it is like a warning to look after yourself for a while. Take care (hugs)

Ahh gracesmum bless your heart....I have days with the grey pup too...have you been over doing it and got over tired..our resistance isn't as good as when were younger,I think the positive side of the grey pup is that she is telling you to slow down for a bit and pamper yourself so that you don't get the full black dog,don't put yourself under any pressure to do anything you dont feel like...meanwhile a big hug is coming [[[]]]]]] love nelliexxxx

Ella46 Lil's bar is where I go if I need to broaden my . Harmless/barmy fun!

Gracesmum I was weeping in the bathroom this morning for no real reason, came downstairs, got on GNET and was soon laughing in Lil's bar!

Some days it just washes over me, but take the grey puppy for a quick walk
and it's tail will soon be wagging again!

I remember my mum being weepy for no apparent reason some days when she was older. Maybe it's just this time of our lives, the last remnants of hormonal changes?

I have decided on ironing so that I can justify having the TV on and also because I don't enjoy ironing I always feel so much better when I have finished.

Brilliant expression, gracemum.
I'm sure most of us on here know days like these, and they do pass. Hang onto that - you'll bounce back soon.