Soop's warmly welcoming kitchen

ann I would write down a list of your problems, including your age and incapacity, make an appointment to see your GP and either explain or present the list to him telling him that you cannot cope. A bit harsh but we do not want you having a breakdown

ann, please don't kid yourself that you can cope all on your own. The advice to find a private care agency is good. It may in fact be an agency that contracts carers to Social Services, but if their contract is directly with you, you have control over their coming and going. I'm so glad to hear that your DGD will be with you to take some of the weight off you for a while but you need regular care. And I mean YOU need care.

Maw Hattie has more sense- there is no way she would consume a hook when there is so much outdoors that she can steal. I wonder what the indoor menu is like if she has resorted to stealing from the birds?

Here in London it is now a case of snow- what snow? Everything has melted so I am going to make my way to Waitrose if I can encourage my car to start.

Tara appears to be staying indoors again today which does surprise me but she has worked out that she can get cuddles on tap. Also she is no longer spending hours on my bed- she is with or close to me so the nasty weather has been good for this household.

Goodness maw, time to give Hattie a stern talk on not scaring you witless, especially as she doubtlessly had a very good nights sleep. Pleased all is well. I can imagine your relief. Phew.

Oh what a night.
I put out some strips of beef suet for the birds on Friday, two hung from string and one from an S shaped hook (the sort I hang spoons, ladles on the rail round the cooker hood)
Guess who got up on her back legs late last night and snarfed one the one hanging from the hook and despite hunting in the snow armed with a torch and wellies I was unable to find the hook
Afraid she had swallowed it in an attempt to swallow the suet before I could get it off her, I have tossed and turned ALL NIGHT imagining the worst until a few minutes ago when Hattie went out and made a beeline for where the suet had hung, snuffled round in the snow and there it was.
I knew I would be in deep doo doo with Tara and Sam, and their mums in the kitchen, but I was also seriously rightened of internal damage.
Dogs eh (especially greedy ones) !

ann wise advice here from those with experience, I won’t add to it, just send love and a wish for strength.

Not flu. No temp. Just cough+++++ and can’t breathe.
Very similar to what I had at Xmas but not so bad.
Like Maw I have freezers full of food, but the problem is I cba to cook it and I’m not hungry.
I’m still overweight so it won’t hurt me to fast for a month or two.

Anne
You need better and more help than this.
Do consider going private, they are more reliable.
I know from personal experience

Ann
It is so hard for you. Good your DGD is coming. Hope it takes the pressure off a little. You need more help. Contact your GP to see if they can provide more support. You must look after yourself too.
Hugs. I think of you often.

Ann, my heart goes out to you- you sound so very down. Galen - look after yourself. We have been told that “the cold” is flu, only partly ameliorated by a partly successful vaccine. That would explain lots.
Thought of you when I watched the Campbelltown couple Soop!
Keep warm everyone - nearly there.

Annsixty you deserve a medal, but you know you won’t get it from anybody except us ??
The frustration and exhaustion are coming through with every word you write.
We put an armchair in Paws bedroom so that if he wanted to get up put on a warm dressing gown and sit more comfortably but I always waited for the carer to get him washed and dressed. They usually came about 11 so that they went on to their lunchtime calls starting about 12.
When or if you decide to go private you may have more control over timing, but I expect a combination of weekend staff and the roads have contributed to today’s disorganisation.
I do hope it settles down for you because you need this support.
Time to have a word with the family too and tell them it is time they pulled their weight.

I must have a vent.
The carer came at 11:45 today.
H had been up since 6 :30 so therefore so had I.
I cancelled tonight and all day to morrow.
I am better on my own.
I cooked tonight with 1/4 eaten. Half way through H asked me to put him to bed, this was 6:30pm.
I knew it would-be hard, it certainly is.
Neither my D or S have been in touch today.
My lovely GD has as she does everyday and she is coming tomorrow and staying overnight.
I thank God for her.
I am in bed myself feeling very sorry for myself.
Tomorrow is another day,I pray it is better.

Started snowing again here. Forecast is for a thaw. Hope it’s right.

I’m hoping your son gets to his preferred consultant morethan, it must be so hard not to be concerned for his future. Sadly nothing to be done to change the past. For very different and really less serious reasons I’m losing sleep about both of ours at the moment. Sometimes I wish they were two again.

I also removed ice from the bird bath and replaced it with warm water. Little blighters didn’t go near it. Know what I did wrong now greyd, should have tested the temperature with my elbow.

Definitely sounds like flu galen, please stay home in the warm, twice as hard on your own. If the weather allows can you summon the cavalry? Please look after yourself.

Really do need the current inertia to leave me. Maybe it will go with the snow.

My ma in law was known for starching inappropriate items. Do tell n&g, why did you feel the need?

My next door neighbour’s gentleman friend ( ) has very kindly offered to run Hattie to the kennels in his posh Range Rover tomorrow if the roads through Salcey Forest are still dangerous. I know that I should be fine going to Stratford on the motorway, but the kennels are deep in the Forest, down little used country roads. I totally chickened out today and worried that tomorrow’s rain might not come in time.
An unnecessary stress!

The snow has thawed in my part of London and tomorrow it should vanish completely because there is to be a mini heatwave at 8C. I would like to think that the snow has gone for this year but it is a grey, snowy looking sky.

morethan so sorry to hear about your son and shocked to hear that those injuries were missed. Hedley Court has been around for more years than I can remember- it used to be a convalescent/rehab home for orthopaedic patients in the 60's and 70's until the money ran out and they were discharged home instead.

N&G, oh come on! You can't just titillate us by a casual mention of starched underpants and then just let it go! Come clean now, please or we shall die of curiosity - or speculation! Snow is disappearing gradually here, though I've just seen a forecast that there might be some more tonight. It either gets blown away or thaws gently when the temperature goes just above zero. Very grateful that I didn't have to dig the car out. I simply had to go out to do a bit of replenishing of stocks - and forgot to buy eggs which are such a useful standby.

Afternoon all.
Firstly, hugs to all who are sad or poorly, life certainly knows how to throw things at us, doesn`t it?
More snow last night, but it`s all gone from the yard now, although frozen impacted snow remains down the side passage, making sure I didn`t go into town this morning, too scared of falling.
N&G, please elaborate on the starched undies incident.
Soop, I hope your lack of snow isn`t holding onto it until we are there in 6 weeks time!
My daughter 3 came earlier, she brought a book from one of her clients for me to borrow. Terry Wogan`s autobiography, Mustn`t Grumble, looking forward to reading it, I was very fond of our Tel.

I'm about to take a spin on the exercise bike. Good for warming up the nether regions. I shall log off shortly. In the meantime, stay safe and warm.

www.thednrc.org.uk

A link to the new Hedley Court!

morethan, I too am sorry to hear about your son. If it helps (and I have no idea why it should) Hedley Court is moving to a lovely stately house not far from us. It's called Stanford Hall. They have spent (what seems like) years refurbishing it.

We used to go there to see one of our local amdram groups put on plays in the slightly run down theatre there and there was an outdoor swimming pool we could pay to use. It is in a lovely setting (and the natives are quite friendly!) I'll see if I can find a link.

That’s what ya get for jumping outa aeroplanes...silly boy

morethan The last thing that you need is a sharp kick up the backside. You are stressed and sad and deserve a gentle arm around your shoulder. Many of us would agree that you are a special lady who needs support. x

Mr Greyduster must be a kindly, gentle man. The birds are very lucky to have their own bath water testerer.

We have no snow. The peaks are also snow-free. I had better not boast. There is time for everything to turnabout.

Big hello to Galen hope your feeling a tad better. My son is back to hedley court this week N&g but he was there for 9months last time and there was no significant improvement. His injuries are not life threatening but they are complex and when he was first injured Something was missed ( they fixed the leg fracture but missed the ankle and back injury) so he wobbling about with a plaster resting on the ankle injury and of course that aggravated the spine injury) He’s pushing to see a specialist overseas that his regimental charity have occasionally paid for, so we’ll wait and see. Hedley court is about to relocate but I’m not sure were too. I’m just being a over protective mum. Looking on the bright side least he won’t be deployed anywhere a bit (or lot) iffy. I just feel a bit fed up,it’s been nothing but sickness, injury and death for the last four years. I so want somthing to celebrate or at least be happy about. That’s the way of things I suppose. I’m a lot better off than some. Sorry for the moan I need a sharp kick up the backside as I leave the kitchen . Thanks for listening. Snows melting here.

Maw that's sound advice you've given to our Galen. I think that she has flu. The best remedy is - stay in bed, plenty of fluids and keep well away from company for the time being. How do I know this...because Galen gave me the same advice when I was heading downhill with pneumonia.

Hello the kitchen! Well with all this talk about cancelled deliveries and lack of comestibles, I think I had better send over some of the scones I baked earlier before Himself snaffles them all. I only baked them because we had some cream left over and it seemed like a good combination.
Well, the winter weather is loosening and tightening its grip by turns here; more snow last night, but I think we are on the up. Soop there was a programme on tv yesterday about a couple from Campbelltown looking for an apartment so that they could spend the winter in Spain, away from the wind and the snow and the damp. I thought “Why on earth would you want to do that? If our Soop can put up with it, so should you!” They must have read my thoughts because I don’t think they went in the end! It must be slightly warmer here today - a succession of birds have been bathing since DH broke the ice on the bird bath and filled it up again. He uses warm water and sticks his elbow in to make sure the temperature is right for them .
Morethan it must be very disheartening for your son to have this haiatus in his chosen career. I hope there is a brighter prospect for him on the horizon.
We were going to try and have a walk this afternoon but it doesn’t look too inviting out there at the moment so we have wimped out! Hopefully it should be more conducive tommorrow!
I will look in later.