What I did today

Oh dear, some folk are so angry and rude.
We could try to justify and think they are just unhappy but there really is no excuse for bad manners and rudeness.
I hope you feel better soon.
My carpet man has been and I have chosen.

BradfordLass72 - sorry to hear about your friend and, as requested, prayed for her just now.

Today I attended my weekly 10.30am doctors appointment. Unfortunately the surgery was packed, the doctors were running late and I ended up waiting an hour and five minutes before I was called in. I didn't mind waiting at all as my local surgery is staffed with wonderful people doing the best job they can, but by the time I got in to see my doctor I was feeling very unwell.

Amongst other things I have a dreadful, hacking cough and I'm very conscious that sick people do not want to be close enough to catch it, so I sat as far away from other people as I could and fully sympathised with the two people who apologised for moving away from me after explaining that they (like me) have compromised immunity systems. (I should say that I had a fistful of tissues and always cover my mouth when I cough and make good use of use hand gel.)

After leaving the surgery I went to the local pharmacy to pick up my prescription, they are always very kind and pop me in the little side room and bring me water whilst I wait. Several kindly people there commented on how ill I seemed to be and offered advice for dealing with my cough.

And then...........

I walked towards the bus stop and had a really bad coughing fit where I actually felt quite faint and had to lean against a wall for support. Then a woman, a complete stranger, approached me and literally shouted in my face, "you should be ashamed to be out and about with that cough where people can catch it off you - get indoors!" And she marched off.

I was so upset - and I still am. I keep replaying it in my mind and although it probably lasted only about ten seconds in reality it felt like time stood still, I really can't describe how dreadful it was. It was said with real venom and she actually had to cross the pavement diagonally to reach me, so it's not even as if she was close by. I actually teared up and a couple of passers-by were very kind to me, but I did feel like scurrying home and never leaving the house again.

Fat finger there.
Took the curtains down and washed them but nothing else, was going to have an early night and then the absent carpet man rang to say he will be here at 8pm to measure up, but the good news is he will be able to fit it before Sunday when my visitors arrive.

A quiet day as I was feeling very tired and achy today.
I took the curtains down I the bedroom

My house was draped with drying washing on radiators and clothes horses and a neighbour called to show me photos of his son's posh wedding in an expensive hotel.

Today DH has been totally confused about what is happening this week despite the kitchen diary showing clearly what is happening every day. He is convinced that his Latin group on Wednesday and Jazz Appreciation on Thursday will somehow run into one another and I am being driven scatty trying to find new ways to explain the same thing again and again.

I have decided that the skills needed for dealing with the very young are the ones needed for dealing with the elderly who are losing the plot. I wasn’t very good at the very young, either!

How I wish for the gift of patience.

Luckygirl
when I was young people didn't mention it. It was as taboo as VD. The difference now is most people survive cancer and are generally more open.

That is sad news - poor lady. So many women going through all this - it feels like an epidemic.

The lady who has been one of my homecare workers for the past 3 years and is now a dear friend, was diagnosed with breast cancer in September.
She had a mastectomy but now they want her to start chemo.

She is, as you may imagine, dreading it.
So we went to a local cafe to cheer ourselves up and had spinach and feta muffins and hot chocolate and talked and cried a little.
She'll be off work for at least 5 months.

Her wage, of course, has stopped and now she is on State benefit, which with two teenage girls to look after alone, will not be easy.

She jokes that she'll save on food and hairdressing as she won't feel like eating and her lovely long, auburn hair will fall out.

It's made me very sad because she is such a bright spark and we've always got along so well.

I came home and did some laundry, as it was a gorgeous Spring day - until I pegged it all out - then it rained.

Made myself a cuppa and a slice of GF toast with cream cheese but it felt like straw going down.

If you believe in prayer, please remember my lovely friend.

A very busy few days for me.
We have been organising my GD's bedroom so therefore the whole upstairs is a tip.
Her room is now painted a lovely silver grey but the man who was coming over the weekend to give me a price for a carpet was a no show .
The carpet that was in there has gone to the tip so it is bare floorboards, most of the furniture is is my room so I can't get round without stubbing my toe or bumping into something.
My D and GD are coming on Sunday for 4 days so I am panicking as GD1 is sleeping in their room.
Ah well, worst things happen.

Saturday - on the way to Rye with DD3 and family, where we are staying for half term hols, we stopped off to scatter my late Aunt’s ashes in a beautiful ‘secret’ spot near her home. We chose a sycamore tree on a path leading down to the cliffs with a beautiful view of the sea. I think she’d approve. Now ensconced in an ancient cottage with 2 squabbling GCs. Their Daddy took them to the old fashioned sweety shop yesterday (?) so a case of sugar overload. Today we are going to Dungeness for a walk on the beach in the shadow of the nuclear power station (another?). DD is obsessed with the area particularly as Derek Jarman lived there in an old wooden shack on the beach! She yearns to do the same (yet another ?). The rain is tipping down on the roof above my attic room, which is why I am awake at stupid o’ clock so should be fun on the beach! I hope you all had a good weekend.

I also will tell if the last two days, not exciting but busy.
On Monday my neighbour asked me if I would go to Matalan with her, she didn't know where it was ,so we had a couple of hours browsing.
I lost my walking stick but the staff very kindly found it, I had left it by the changing rooms while my neighbour tried a couple of things on.
We then had some lunch and she wanted to visit the new Range store but I was shattered by then , it is huge, so we went to buy her C.......s cards at a card shop.
It was nearly 4pm by the time I got home, very tired and achy.
I had a cup of tea then made soup which my GD likes to take for her lunch. Cooked a dinner and was in bed very early.
Yesterday I had coffee out with a friend, made a casserole , enough for 3 meals, did some washing and made stock from Sunday's roast chicken carcass.
Today will be a lazy day, although I am going for a meal later with my GD and her friend who will come back and stay for the night.
My life has certainly livened up since my GD came here to live.
Is it keeping me young or wearing me out?

Oh Lucky I hope you feel better very soon.
I spent 5 hours at a crochet workshop yesterday. It was exhausting and I don’t think I’ll be pursuing this in future!! At least I can now tick it off my list of ‘To Do’. My fingers are aching not to mention my brain. Maybe I’ll take up knitting instead .....

Please may I talk about yesterda?
Slightly more interesting than today during which I did nothing but sit at my PC, didn't even get dressed. Tummy upset too

Flew back from Christchurch yesteday. After having written on GN that I was saving the planet by never flying, within hours I'd been offered a trip to the South iskand!

Plane slightly late at 7:30pm. My son went to get the car and the battery was flat.
Rang the AA. Two hours later, very sweet man turned up, jumped the battery and drove away.

We exited the airport environs (by this time it was almost 10pm) and the car stalled at a very busy junction.

AA man very kindly came back at son's call and tried again but under the bright LED light he brought with him, saw the old battery was actually leaking.

$225 later, new battery was fitted and my son drove me home saying he was so glad I'd been with him as the hassle and the long wait would have been far worse had he been alone.

He'd been up since 3am to catch the early morning flight to Christchurch for his job, so by the time he got me home it was 11pm and he had 45 min drive home and up again at 5am to go to work.

I was so hyper after the anxious time with the car that I couldn't sleep and was awake most of the night, some of it here, catching up on what GN had been doing whilst I'd been away for 4 days.

Hence my totally do-nowt day today.

Had a salmon portion with winter salad for lunch (hadn't felt like breakfast) but gurgling tummy has kept me on water the rest of the time.

Tomorrow is the AGM of my elder's group, so it'll be nice to catch up as I haven't been able to participate since 24th September.

Anyone who has trouble sleeping, get some dried lime flowers (Linden tree) and make a tea. They are the best soporific I know.

I spent the day emptying cupboards and packing them into cardboard boxes at my second home. I did not realise I had so many pans and baking tins. I spent several hours wiping down shelves and pouring booze down the sink, no way was I carrying half full bottles home.
The heating had tripped out and we got that going again but was cross to find that the last person who had visited left the lights on and nobody has been in the last week.

An early start with a trip to the next town for cat litter for my daughter who lives 40 minutes away,then pick up her christmas cards from the printer before we went over to help with housework and finish decorating her hall .Changed 4 beds,1 super king size ,1 double and 2 singles while her dad made up wallpaper paste to get the job done.that why it was left unfinished ,we ran out of paste .Tidied the girls bedrooms and warned them that christmas isn't far away and I would prefer not to have that jumble sale look in the room next time I come to help ..threats and bribery sometimes work they are 8 and 10.
Home to discover the couple who offered on our house have issues with their mortgage ..just when we thought it was all going smoothly .Husband went out for a 7 mile walk while I organised dinner.Watched Holby City and have really just vegged out the rest of the evening.Hope tomorrow brings some positive news about the house .Sleep well ladies ,I intend to

I went for a mammogram today, always a bit iffy re waiting for the results. I waited a good half hour before being taken and there were four other ladies in front of me! Its usually not that busy. After that went for a cuppa tea which I really needed, did some shopping then went home. At the moment Im getting books ready to take to the library tomorrow and I am going to treat myself to an early breakfast at a nice cafe I go to tomorrow morning. Im feeling a bit sore, so off to bed. Goodnight all.

A quiet restful day again in Oldham. My aunt likes her lunch early (I made gammon, baked potato, broccoli and fried tomatoes from their greenhouse).

Then a complete afternoon of sitting chatting about times past within our family, a lot of television (The Chase, an hour of Emmerdale, Joanna Lumley in China about geishand very old repeats of Who Wants to be a Millonaire (says she in an Indian accent as per ‘Slumdog’).

A whiskey each.

Groundhog Day tomorrow. That sounds mean but isn’t meant to, it just reflects my aunt’s smaller down world now with agoraphobia and mobility issues. She hasn’t left her front door in 8 years, it’s so restrictive and sad. I don’t know how she keeps cheery.

That’s not good lucky, hope you feel so much better very soon.

Better day for me today. Most of the dark cloud has lifted. Some very needed cleaning this morning then after lunch a walk by the shore under a blue sky. Goodness, how did that happen? No sunny days here for what feels like forever.

That was about it other than a couple of phone calls. An unusually ‘ordinary’ but really decent day.

M0nica - hope your cold improves; and all those with the sniffles, and sniffly spouses.

I am totally wrecked this evening. I drove to nearby village to organise return/delivery of 90 library books in the community hall - van failed to turn up! Then a school governors' meeting, then went to look at a cottage for rent (not suitable), then to nursing home to see OH and play a bit of scrabble with him, then long drive to choral society where I felt quite poorly and giddy - just total exhaustion I think. I drove home very very slowly as I felt so grim, and am just warming the bedroom for me to go and have hopefully a good sleep.

GP took bloods yesterday as I have been feeling unwell and she could not get it to stop bleeding afterwards - I'm on an anti-coag. It even bled onto my lovely new handbag! Grrrr!

We were up at 4.30 this morning as hubby had to drive to Birmingham to his head office. He finally arrived home about 6'sh, full of cold and took straight to his bed.
I had an appointment at the doctors for some blood test results. Low potassium levels and some abnormal liver function, but the good news, my blood pressure was down. I have to have another blood test in two weeks.
Made a shepherds pie for dinner but DH didn't want to eat so will have it tomorrow. Hopefully he will feel better after a nights sleep.

My PT came this morning & put me through my paces. Much groaning and creaking but I always feel better for it and she talks all the time which is lovely after a silent weekend. This afternoon to my Monday art group where we had a class on use of acrylic inks. I froze, but eventually managed to execute a shell which looked more like Mt Vesuvious and was then persuaded to paint/ink a prawn which was frozen at 2pm but not at 3 when I started it. A bit whiffy but not half as whiffy as the whole sea bass my neighbour had in front of her ?. Home to a phone call from DD3 discussing next weekend. We are scattering my Aunt’s ashes en route to Rye where we are spending 4 days of half term with her DH & 2 GCs.
I’ve just watched a fascinating documentary on BBC4 about Boris Pasternak. Too late really so probably won’t be able to sleep now. Tomorrow I’m going on a day course (birthday present from DD last year) to learn how to crochet, which is on my ‘To Do before I Die’ list. Somehow I don’t think I’m going to be very good at it, but will do my best (I’m all fingers & thumbs).
Sleep well everyone ??

I helped with the village hall lunch club this morning and felt quite tired when I got home. There was typing etc. to do this afternoon, (agenda for WI meeting). DH made spag bol for tea. Choir tonight and now I've had the three ginger biscuits which my sister assures me will ensure a good night's sleep.

Early morning dental check up. Everything is fine I did not even need to see the hygienist. I then picked up a jumper in M&S and did a small Tesco shop. I went to the optician and chose some frames for glasses to use when I don’t wear my contacts.

Got home and put a load of washing in, dried it and then put it away.

After lunch cycled 5 miles on my exercise bike as I am trying to build strength.

My wonderful handyman arrived to measure up for a couple of shelves. He will also paint the new bathroom floor and ceiling and fix one of our doors.

Sorry to hear you’ve still got after effects from your ‘flu jab on Saturday WWmk2

I had mine then too, felt a bit ropey yesterday till lunchtime but fine since. Hope you feel more energetic tomorrow.
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