🦞 Locked down no longer but still firm friends 🦞

Bad girl Aoife.
Perhaps I should get a dog. Then I could stop blaming the slugs, pigeons, deer and squirrels for destroying all my plants 🤣😂

Roofer has just been and found yet another loose tile. He says it now won't rain until Thursday so I won't know if he's repaired it until then.

We are all down aren't we!
My cough is a lot better. It's worse at night and if I'm watching a film or at a concert.😟
I'm about to go to the theatre so that will bring it on!

I am glad you are home Doodle
Good luck for DH tomorrow.
I'll be thinking of you

Just peeping my head round the San door, whilst Jeeves distracts Matron with his offerings, to say how sorry I am for so many poorly Lobstars. Recent weather belies the belief that Spring is just around the corner.

I do hope Mr. D gets his op tomorrow, you've both had more than your fair share of setbacks these days.

Mr. I, too, has been 'invited' for his Covid jab. I pointed out that I would rather forfeit the jab and give thanks that I was under 75.

Sorry for all the poorly lobstars. Like Ixion I’m only poking my head round the door as I don’t want to catch anything now.
We are all packed ready for tomorrow (I take less stuff on a fortnights cruise 😱)
We have a really early start. In fact it’s hardly worth going to sleep but will probably still be hanging around in the hospital for hours before we find out what’s going to happen.
We are both a bit nervous and apprehensive but at the same time want the op to go ahead
i will let you know how we get on at some point but I will be without wifi a lot.
Take care all and thank you for your kind thoughts,x

🙏 Doodle - all the best for tomorrow.
🤞

I so hope Mr D's operation goes ahead Doodle. I also hope you both get some sleep as some will be better than none. I will be thinking of you both x

Good to hear that your cough is a lot better Grammaretto, at least in the daytime. I hope you enjoy the theatre performance

I see you and Ray enjoyed a quickie Kaimoana 😱 🤣. It was good of the Marae to send down some food after their meeting. Thanks for the lovely pictures 😊.

I hope by now that dear MrD has had his op and all went well. From now on it's rest and recovery and perhaps the fun of planning a late summer trip to really buck you up.

Do you know, I used to be very much a 'glass half full' sort of person; coping with pretty much all life chucked my way with fortitude and good humoured optimism.

Now I'm a miserable, critical old bat who'd be quite happen to batten down the hatched and see no one. Forever.

You were quite right Grammaretto I certainly wouldn't like your half-baked roofer. I'd be demanding photographic proof of his work and demanding his first born if it leaked again (the roof, not the first born......although )

Artoa (who is actually Aatoa but until today I never saw the name written) had a happy 2 hours. We collected the supermarket order and some bakery *goodies and came home to a relaxing and delicious lunch.
She's Sil to world champion shot putter Beatrice Faumuina.

My extra wide shoes arrived so I offered her my other pair, still new and held together by their elastic.

I've also applied for a voucher which will entitle her to free eye test and spectables courtesy of OneSight.
She is entitled to petrol money each week but will never take it, so this is just one tiny way I can help.

*Once every few weeks, depending how I feel, I allow myself to stray from the straight and narrow and purchase a small fresh cream cake. Usually an eclair or a Napoleon (see pic) I remove the sickly sweet pink icing and cut the rest into 3 and have a piece each day. if I remember

The first piece is always yummy, the 2nd okay and by the 3rd day, I'm sick of it

Today, Aatoa bought an individual chocolate mud cake with fresh cream. So far, the first bit was delish.

Ooh, Kaimoana, I thought.
New dentures?
(Then I put my glasses on) ...

Can't linger at the mo (house guest presence) but hoping to read good news from the Doodles.

Any news from the Doodles? I expect we'll need to wait a while. Sending hugs and healing thoughts. xxx

I joined the Glesga Grans for lunch today. It was lovely. Everyone is so interesting. One had also been in NZ at the same time as me. We had thought of meeting there but it wasn't possible.

No water in the buckets when I came home despite more rain. 🤞

You look after your helpers so well Kaimoana. I hope they realise how lucky they are. 🙂

Ixion are you still hosting the joyous cousins? I hope it's going well.

The play was great BTW.

Thanks for the jasmine tea Jeeves. It was most welcome.

ixion Yes, I popped in to hopefully read good news from Doodle.

Almost full set of gnashers here, no need for dentures.
Blind as a bat though and beyond the help of specs

I think Doodle may be worn out! I'm sure I would be.

Thinking of you and Mr D

Hello all. Just to let you know DH has had his op. They have him in recovery ward and he’s not allowed visitors but a kindly nurse let me in for 5 minutes just for a quick chat. He’s ok so far but neither of us have any idea how the op went or if it has helped. We will have to wait for the consultant round tomorrow. In the meantime he has a mug of coffee to warm him up and a very nice nurse hovering around keeping an eye on him. I’m going to try and sleep now. Take care all x

So pleased to hear this, Doodle and hope that the ward round will bring positive news

Thank you for finding the time to let us know - you must be even more exhausted.
Try to sleep x

Thank you Doodle good news I think. Hope they look after his heels as well.

I hope you are getting a good sleep now Doodle. It must have been such a long wait for you.

Glad to hear that nice nurses are attending to DH and let's hope he's better for the op.

Many thanks for letting us know Doodle. I hope that the consultant can shed more light on the outcome and that Mr D will be much improved because of this. I hope you managed to get some much needed sleep last night x

Had a good sleep last night. DH still in the recovery ward so no visiting but he seems ok. He might be moved to a ward later. Seen the recovery ward doctor who said the consultant said the op went well which is good but we don’t have any idea of how successful it was or will be. If DH well enough to be moved to a ward later I will pop in and see him. xx

Thanks for the update The anaesthetic takes ages to wear off.
I hope you can see him soon and that he has a smooth recovery.

You are still recovering yourself ofcourse.
Xx

Hi Everyone. Sorry I haven’t been posting but the days just pass in a whirl of wonderful dinner parties exciting theatre trips and alcoholic evenings - and don’t believe a word of that!! No idea where the weeks go but it’s very scary to think that it won’t be long before we are half way through 2024. We did go out for lunch today at a local pub - such excitement but there is more - we are out to lunch tomorrow too!!!
Great news that Mr D has had his op. Fingers crossed it’s been 100% successful and also that our Doodle is feeling a lot better too. Hope it won’t be long before you are both home again xx.
Yesterday I drove around 2 miles to see a friend. Got myself successfully out of my car and into friends bungalow and then drove one again. Before you all think “so what” can I explain that since my stroke although I have been driving again for several months this was the first time I had taken the car out on my own without DH sitting beside me and also the first time I had visited someone by myself! Small steps - not easy for someone as impatient as me!
Really fed up with this weather. Been a nice day but then this afternoon the clouds rolled in and it’s raining again!
Sorry about all our poorly friends and hope the coughs have improved. Mamissimo poor Aoife having her glands emptied. Remember taking our dog to have that done but pointedly looking over the vet’s shoulder and not at what was happening at Jake’s rear end!!

Thank you for updating us Doodle. A good 24 hours or more in the peace and quiet of the recovery ward where Mr D will be/have been looked after closely post anaesthesia is to be welcomed I think. I hope it's not too long before you can visit him. I'm pleased that you slept well, you haven't long had your surgery and you need to look after yourself too.

Sorry, I don't mean to ignore the rest of my lobStar friends - dratted seizures making me groggy 🙄.

Finally we'll enough to go for a swim today. Hooray!

I'd cheer louder if I wasn't so exhausted!

*WELL enough 🙄

NotS -- I envy you.

Jan that's tremedous, not just for the technical issues in drivingt and being alert for other road users and idiots but having confidence to do it after all this time.
Here's to you, well done!

Oh Cherry not another bout what a bummer - sending love xxx

Your Glesca Grannies sound fun Grammaretto and the play looks fun too.
Glad to hear your leak is fixed.

I now have a set of smart, charcoal blinds at all my windows, replacing the 15 year old curtains which were impossible to take down and clean.

I elected to have blinds rather than curtains so I could pull them partway to avoid the low, morning sun in my eyes and yet still see the beautiful bush and birds through the lower half of the windows.

Heroic Doodle still valiantly battling on and even with all you have to bear, keeping us in touch. You are wonderful. Thank you.

After a long delay, it seems I am finally going to get my new chest (settle down you lot on the back row!! ) matching bedside drawers, toaster and electric blanket.

Jaimee, my new Kaimahi popped in as I was doing another stint in the garage (gorgeous, warm and sunny day so the door was up) just as I was wondering how to move a heavy box.

She lifted it as if t'were feather light. The garage is now 98% finished, a great relief and with a slight sense of dunc dimitis as I sit gasping with effort after even the tiniest exertion.

Dear Mepa took me to get some 5-HTP, so I am optimistic it will change me to a 'glass half full' old wumman who can sleep, instead of a crabby, carping one who llies awak most of the night.

I love April & May (sounds like a vaudeville due doesn't it?). Coldish mornings turn into gloriously soft, bright days and warm afternoons. I can remember sitting on my deck in Waitakere, nursing my new born grand-daughter and thinking how very lucky I was. 32 years ago.

Is the photo your DGD Kaimoana? She's beautiful 😍

Keep these upbeat stories coming Lobstars! It does sound as though we've turned a corner.
The Doodles have had their ops.

Jan is driving again. Well done!

--I had to do some apostrophe removal NotSpag--

The water has stopped plopping and I may even remove the buckets as df is coming for dinner tonight. I've not seen him for weeks as he spends half his time in the south of England.
I was at DGS school concert last night.
I sat in the playground/carpark to wait beforehand and a lad cycled past me at speed and said hi!
"Is that you?" I have become that awful relative who says "look how you've grown!" He's taller than his dad now.
The concert was jazz and rock bands with the teachers joining in. Very loud but unstuffy.

I hope Doodle has had a good night's sleep.

Went to visit DH in recovery yesterday and poor man was not well. High temperature and shallow breathing. They think due to infection somewhere. Still poorly overnight but this morning temperature has returned to normal and he is feeling better. He has had such attention. 3 nurses most of the time and then several other who come and take blood and generally adjust things or just onlookers but caring. They were all so kind to me.
Today, if he’s allowed to leave recovery they have said he will be moved to another dependency unit where he will continue to be monitored closely. I won’t visit until later.