Good Morning Thursday 9th November 2023

Good morning everyone from sunny Málaga. It’s our last day here. This mini visit has been nigh on perfect. Himself has thoroughly enjoyed the change of scenery and chatting to friends and neighbours has been a real pleasure for him, although I’ve found it quite emotional at times.

We plan a pottering day in, will put a wash load on it will soon dry. Actually I think coffee at Juan’s would be nice to say ‘cheerio’ and hope to see them in February. Then at teatime we plan to get a taxi down to the marina for a cocktail (me) then a steak dinner at the Metro bar & restaurant our favourite place, courtesy of my stepfather who wants to treat us on our last evening. He is a kind man.

Wonderful news about your sister WWave a real boost for you all. I’m so pleased for you. I know you’ve been very anxious.

Here’s Matt.
x

Good morning all. Blue skies and a rosy sunrise on the Angus coast, but cold at only 3° at the moment. Much better than rain!
That perfume shop is opulent holly - how the other half lives!
So glad to hear your news of your sister Whitewave.
Grammaretto glad your cataract op went well. I remember being utterly astonished by the 'blueness' of everything after mine - particularly the distant hills. It's said that Monet threw away all the paintings he had done during his pre-op days because the colours were so dull and uninspiring.
A night of very little sleep last night. I have no idea why, but I was still eyes wide open long after 3am. So I doubt much will be achieved today, although tai chi and shopping are once more on the agenda.
Enjoy your day everyone x

Good morning from a bright W Kent. Art group this morning and then DH has decided we will have lunch out.
glammagran so sorry to read of your dreadful experience.
Whitewave good news about your sister
Best wishes for today

So glad your little holiday has been such a success Urms.

Glammagran that sounds absolutely horrendous.

Good morning from a damp looking Suffolk where more rain is forecast today.

I got to my keep fit class just in time yesterday and then enjoyed a 3+ hours lunch with a friend who I hadn’t seen since my return from holiday…lots to catch up on and putting the world to rights as usual….oh that we could!

Off to my stretch class this morning and a pedicure later interspersed with reading I hope. I hope all have a peaceful day in spite of the less than calm predicted weather.

Good morning all from wet Harrogate- at least you have DD to stay with when necessary Grandmattie. Hope it’s not too much longer til it’s finished!
The perfume shop is beautiful Hollysteers. Hope you are enjoying your trip. So glad your DSis is ‘out of the woods’ Wwm.
Today it’s shopping delivery, a surveyor measuring up for a new door, servicing the heat pump, someone coming to see where energy is escaping from the house, DD1 and DDGD popping round and finally this evening a Zoom call to my D sisters! All I wanted was to go into town for some shopping!!
Have the best day possible folks

glammagran I read all about that and did wonder as to the sanity of the decision to venture out into the Bay in that storm. So glad you stayed safe, but it must have been unbelievably frightening.

Morning all from West Oxfordshire. I must get up soon . OH is taking his car for a service and MOT so I will drive him back.
Yesterday was a bit of a curate’s egg sort of a day. It was good to get the house clean and dust free. I finished off baking the Barmbrack - OH’s favourite cake and decorated the Italian chocolate torte. Later I attended the Local History Society’s talk on our nearby market town. I am afraid it was absolutely dire. The speakers usually talk for around three quarters of an hour before questions. This guy spoke for one and a half hours without drawing breath. A haphazard badly planned talk and to cap it all the sound system was appalling. Oh dear. You could almost taste the despair in the room. Oh well.
My sister was in touch with some lovely photos of my niece’s Sydney celebration of her wedding. Sadly my brother, who is awaiting heart surgery, was too ill to travel. Then just a few minutes after reading her message, she messaged again to say she had just heard that one of her oldest friends (who lives in Norway) had died. She last saw her in London when she was over for my 70th.
So today, younger son will arrive at some point and is staying until Sunday. We saw him at the wedding in France, but he hasn’t been home for ages.
I will be visiting friends this evening, with the chocolate cake!
Urns, it is wonderful that your break has been so good. Roll on your next visit.
Have a good day everyone.

Good morning all from a cloudy Glasgow, where it is currently 6°C.

Glammagran, I thought the name of the ship rang a bell. I hope you have recovered from that terrible experience. I once had a bad experience on the Bay of Biscay, but not as awful as yours. I was terrified!
Better news about your sister, WWM, I hope she starts to feel better soon.
GM, I grew up in a Victorian tenement, with an outside toilet, shared with two families. It was normal to have a large porcelain chanty (potty) under the bed!

Thanks GG for your kind words.
Yesterday, for the first time in five weeks, I felt an improvement. I can't put my finger on it, but I felt different.
At the request of my GP after her phone call the previous day, I called the RA clinical advice line to update my consultant.
The recorded message stated that they were overwhelmed and return calls were taking longer than the usual two days.
An hour later, while raking in that cupboard, where I store all the many presents, my new RA consultant phoned.
You could have knocked me down with a feather, (and there is a lot of me!) It is nigh on impossible to see him. My next appointment has been cancelled twice.

After a discussion and some trick questions, to confirm that the biologics were the cause, he accepted that they were probably the reason for my recent incapacity. He stated it was unusual, but did happen and hadn't realised for how long, how ill I was and that it had been so difficult to get help.
The upshot is that in the meantime, I need to get the medication out of my system and he will write to both myself my GP with a new treatment plan.
I wept with relief that at last someone cared! I am so grateful to the GP, who persisted, until I received help.
In the middle of the call, the plastic storage boxes, which I had piled up on the bed, fell. The poor man (and I) got the fright of our lives.

I wish you all a pleasant day. I am off to the surgery to pick up my new anti nausea medication ( life can only get better) and will be driving myself! A huge step forward.
We were supposed to be visiting Babydoll today, but she is busy! She has a better social life than us!

Prayers continue for all those who are poorly.

Good morning from South Lanarkshire where the sun is trying to shine through a watery sky.

Thank you so much for your kind wishes for my brother in law. He is off the ventilator now and stable so we are cautiously optimistic that he will continue to improve.

Good to hear the news about your sister Whitewave.

Glamma, what a horrendous experience you’ve been through. Just awful.

Safe trip home Urms, I actually welled up reading your post.

We’re taking daft dug over to DD’s today, hopefully she will tolerate the antics of their pup.

Thinking of all with troubles to bear.

Have the best day possible everyone.

Good morning everyone.
Pleased to hear about your sisterWW and hope your new medicine works Marydoll.
Glammagran glad you are safe after a bad experience. A good few years ago we spent 10 hours riding out a storm on the Calais to Dover ferry. Not an experience I would like to repeat.
Today we are meeting DD1 at a large retail depot.
This afternoon I have a craft group meeting. We are then babysitting DGSs 2&3.
Wishing all a day with a smile along the way.

What a wonderful post, Marydoll, at long last some hope that things will improve. A GP who actually listens is indeed a treasure.

House back to a rather smarter normal and I am delighted with the new hall floor which looks excellent and will be very easy to keep smart - just a light touch with a damp (not wet) mop. Worth the upheaval as with gMattie’s new bathroom, a much bigger job.

Am awaiting a visit from Ovo’s “meter team” to see why they can’t seem to sort out what is going on. Am not holding my breath.

Frost on the ground this morning here in the Scottish Borders.
I can see clearly now as the song goes 😊

What a terrifying experience Glammagran. I hope you aren't too traumatised.
When the story was reported I wondered if a GNetter was there and it was you.

I would not like to be without a loo gMattie even for one night.
I hope your bathroom is soon completed.
I am quite enjoying doing very little whilst my eye heals. A couple of phone calls to make and order wool for a knitting project. No yoga or dancing today. I'm trying not to notice the dust.

Enjoy your last day in Málaga Urms
It sounds perfect.
Have the best day you can everyone.

Good morning everyone from a bright Northampton, 5°C outside, and showers forecast later.
Sainsbury's delivery this morning, then an early lunch, followed by two dance classes. When I get home I shall probably continue reading my book club tome (Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson).
Must get my skates on, ready for Sainsbury's.

Good morning from North Yorkshire. Bright and calm so far.
What a horrible time glamma. I hope your voices are heard.
Good to read some happy tales on here today.
Off for coffee with a friend then a zoom CPD thing later. My institute has decided that us retired accountants who volunteer in finance with small charities must complete a set number of hours a year to retain our designation. Oh well it might be interesting!
Have a good day everyone.

Good morning from a dry NE.
Yesterday my friend came and took me shopping, it was a bit confusing as Sainsbury's had changed all the aisles round and it took ages to find what I wanted.
The rest of the day was spent doing fiddly jobs like cleaning the radiators, they are stainless steel and are not solid so are dust traps.
I am waiting for the heating engineer to come to do my boiler maintenance, wasn't given a time just a note to say that he would ring thirty minutes before he attends.
My elder sister is off home to Germany today and will be at Newcastle airport by now. There are no direct flights to where she lives so has to fly via Frankfurt but has assistance at each airport and priority boarding so she manages.
Good to hear you got a prompt phone call Marydoll.
Enjoy your last day Urmston and safe journey home.
Terrible to read about the cruise experience, the Bay of Biscay is one of the reasons I would never take a cruise.

Glammagra what a dreadful experience I have followed you on your cruise and when this was on the news I did wonder if you were on the ship.
I have been unwell for nearly two weeks so haven’t posted. I picked up some bug/virus somewhere and have been left with tiredness and a cough. Tested for Covid several times but wasn’t that. Improving now but wouldn’t exactly say I have bounced back. Still no rush could be worse.
Brightening up here in Central Scotland may manage to Marks for a coffee and some treats. Hope Urms is having a good and a well deserved break and everyone has the best day they can.

I suspected that was the ship you were on glammagran. No wonder you haven’t posted lately…. I hope you get some compensation for a very frightening experience you don’t expect to get on a cruise ship.
Naturally, they didn’t want to stay down in the Canaries, it would have cost them money and disrupted future sailings. Never mind risking passenger safety!

Safe journey home Urms, glad all went so well.

Good morning all from a wet Majorca. It’s supposed to be dry around 1pm I certainly hope so.

So pleased Urms and Mr Urms have had a good break in Malaga. Safe journey home.
We are heading home tomorrow too. Mixed feelings about that. We have always felt we could live here but now 2 little ones at home have special places in our hearts too.

A late good morning from me here in Inverness where we’ve clear skies and sunshine
What an awful experience glammagran I had thought Saga were a good company until now.
I didn’t get chance to post earlier as we had DGD stay over last night and it was a bit of a rush this morning. Got her safely delivered to school ok on time though, with everything an 8 year old girl needs 🤣 I’m back home now and going to potter about in the garden soon
Hoping you feel better soon Scapa1 and hope you get out and about to M&S
So pleased your operation went so well grammaretto and you can see clearly now!
Thinking of everyone with worries and struggles, hope today is gentle and take care all whatever the day brings 💐

Good morning from Durham. Grey, but bright here, but low temperatures forecast.
Uplifting to see some good news from MaryD, Urms and WWM. Long may it continue.
We, too used potties gM with toilets across the back street, kept from freezing in Winter by miners’ lamps.
Off for coffee now with a friend, just back from a half term break in the sun with her grandchildren. The gardeners are due later, but I’ve plans to start a bit of Christmas shopping - just the requested vouchers, so might miss them. Last garden bin collection soon, so I hope they ram it full!
Best wishes to all. X

A dreadful experience, glammagran.
Urmstongran safe journey home.
Marydoll, glad you’re feeling better.
GrandMattie, I’m sure it’ll be worth it in the end.
I’m having a do nothing day. Hope everyone has a good day.

Good morning from a very damp West Sussex. It was briefly dry half an hour ago.

So glad to hear the good news about your sister, Whitewavemark.

Glammagran,, I had lost track of time as I was at my daughter’s looking after GCs when DD had Covid, but I did look back and found a couple of your earlier posts from the cruise. I thought maybe you were back and this was another one. I am so sorry you and your fellow passengers were put through such an ordeal. I would think your action group stands a good chance of getting a proper investigation and damage compensation.

So pleased who hear the Urmstons have had such a lovely time in Malaga.

Must go as have to help unload a pallet of hygiene products!