🦞🦂 *What are we up to?*🦂🦞

Kaimoana i used to do the opposite. Cut the ends of the sausage off and squeeze the insides out for my mum to make sausage rolls. 🤣

I could do with Epsom salts, hot water bottle, liniment and a large brandy. I went on a bus ride this morning with a friend. Unfortunately the bus stop was blocked by roadworks so we had to walk to the next one. Not normally a problem but we had to walk really quickly in time to get there before the bus. I now ache all over. I’m in bed and hoping things have improved by the time I go to sit fit tomorrow.

NN I hope everything goes well for you. I will join ixion in wishing you all the best and we will be there with our new routine to cheer you on.

Grammaretto what a lovely photo. Impressive building in the background.

Lots of roadworks at the moment. Councils are busy spending their budgets before the end of the tax year. Sorry you had a replacement walk! Doodle

The building behind the flowering tree in my photo is the HQ of the Bank of Scotland on the Mound.

Thanks for the link to NZ haggis. Kaimoana. I think DS and DDiL will have tried everywhere.

DD is unwell with a vomiting bug and has to photograph a wedding on Thursday. She does have a stressful job.

I hope the operation goes well NN on Wednesday. Good to know you have Doodle and Ixion and probably. Cherry to cheer you on ❤️

Jeeves will be round with healing drinks and nourishment.

Just popping in to wish NN the very best for tomorrow- in the sincere hope that both she - and the surgical team- can battle the elements and get to hospital safely.🌻

Bit unsettled here as Barney 🐈 has been missing since this time last night.
WhatApp group on alert and hourly patrols in progress.

It's so cold, windy and wet😢

I hope Barney is sheltering safely with a kind person who rescued him from the cruel elements.

Thinking of NN - may it all go well.

I've been practicing on the new routine Naughtyneine and I'll definitely be cheering you on tomorrow and in the days after 🌻 X

Poor you Doodle, I hope the any liniments you had available and a brandy last night helped you. I hope, too, that you have been taking it easy today xx

I hope your dd's 🤮 bug is short lived Grammaretto, it's a very unpleasant bug like the one that causes diarrhoea , I call it the dreaded lurgy. I wish her a speedy recovery.
I've been wondering about Nfk too, it would be wonderful to know how she is doing.
If you're reading, Nfk, it would be lovely to hear from you 😊.

Kaimoana, I've been thinking about you and the fact that it's hard for you to contact people without a phone. I know you've had contact with Blind Low Vision NZ in the past, can you n9t contact them again to see what help there could be available for you to obtain a phone, whether there's a way you might be able to get one at low cost or even free. I do know there are advocacy groups for the blind in NZ perhaps they could help with that side of the equation. Thinking of you xx

How are you bearing up NotSpaghetti?

I've had the results back from the worrying medical tests I had. Yay, everything is fine on that front anyway.

Oh Ixion i do Hope Barney gets home safely soon. What a worry.

Cherry my friend lovely to hear from you. Far from taking it easy I have been to sit fit today, I have marched up and down swinging my arms, touched my toes (well almost) pumped iron (well a small hand held weight) and rocked my pelvis side to side and up and down. Shirley Bassey’s got nothing on me when I get going. 🤣. Finished off with lunch with friends so probably more calories on than off.

Hurrah 🙌 well done on the medical tests that’s good news.
NN hope all goes well tomorrow. We will be thinking of you
.
Grammaretto hope your DD gets better soon.

Kaimoana hugs for you lovely lady.

More well wishes for tomorrow Naughtyneine

The b awful weather has been relentless. My brolly kept blowing inside out.
I managed none-the-less to have my feet done, make some bowls, have lunch with friends at the community café, go to the exercise class and drive to Gaelic on semi flooded roads!

I'm now drinking a glass of wine and snacking on dates and pine nuts.

DD tells me she's a bit better and has eaten a banana and slept a lot.

Super news Cherry that really is. 😄

Well done Doodle but with all that pumping iron, we may not recognise you when you have huge muscles.😔💪

I hope NotSpaghetti. is bearing up.

Hello, the funeral for my mother-in-law was today. Four of my children spoke, two at the service and two at the graveside. My husband and his cousin spoke. We had family fly over from Norway, our son and wife from the Philippines and her (now retired) cleaner from Poland. Family in Sweden watched on a loop (is that the word) and it was largely a very good day and she would have approved.

Some tears, yes, but lots of laughter.
A beautiful English willow coffin and the flowers (and people) she most loved.

We had quite a "fancy" afternoon tea and toasted her with prosecco.
Thank you for thinking of us Cherry (and others)

Now I turn my eyes to Naughtyneine who has no doubt been scrubbing herself shiny clean these last few days. 🤞for you for tomorrow

X

The funeral sounds as though everything went well and your DMiL would have approved. NotSpaghetti
I am so glad.

I do hope you can concentrate on your own health now and look forward to yet another stage. with a bit less responsibility
As a friend said at his dad's funeral we're the old ones now

Naughtyneine I'm praying that nothing goes wrong this time and that you get the best surgeon and the best treatment.

So nice to see blue sky this morning. I hope you have the same.

What lovely people you all are... Such lovely messages. I'm gowned up all ready to go. It's been very full on since I got here at 12. Both consultants have been in...I think it's because I'm the first to be operated on under this procedure. I can't lie....scared doesn't come close but I'm a glass half full girl and hopefully this will be a new pain free me. Thank you for all your good wishes. Xxx

Just finalising our routine, NN.💃💃💃

It'll blow your surgical socks off😂.

Thoughts are with you xx

Notspaghetti that sounds a wonderful send off and celebration of life that your MIL would have been pleased with.
NN hope all is over now and you are starting the process of recovery. Hope you are comfortable and being well looked after,
ixion I have suggestions for our new routine. I saw the physio today and I have bursitis in my hip and bilateral hip and knee pain. She’s given me two pages of exercises which I think would make an eye opening routine for us to practice. Maybe we could get some sparkly knickers to liven it up.
Grammaretto you’ve certainly put a lot into the day today.
Please be careful with pine nuts. If you get a bad one it can damage your taste buds for a long time. I don’t usually scaremonger but it’s put me off them. I’ll see if I can find a link.

I hope you are recovering well or at least in a deep healing sleep Naughtyneine
😴

That's interesting about pine nuts and metallic mouth. Doodle.
Luckily it's bad ones you should avoid. I didn't eat any of those.

That's wretched to have bursitis. Do you have to have injections? Is it very painful? Will the exercises help?

After glazing the pots and packing and firing the kiln I have been quite lazy. Watched TV and played online games.

Night night friends xxx

Hope you are taking all the drugs so are coping well pain-wise... NN and getting plenty of rest
💤💤💤
🤞

Sweet of you to suggest Blind Low Vision again dear Cherry.
In general, the olny help they give has to be paid for.

Yes, they do have special phones for partially sighted and blind but they are not free. Even the most basic is well out of my budget.

When I used to go to the support group, again run by willing volunteers rather than BLV, one or two people had them but those people didn't live alone on a basic pension with no transport.
These factor limit so much that would help me.

We do have the equivalent of DHSS here but the hassle of finding tranport to get me there, make an appointment then get back to keep that apt to ask for funding is more than I can cope with right now.

A phone would be a blessing if I could see it, especially today when I have been asked to contact the hospital for cardio procedure - again by phone with no email option.
Am I the only partially sighted person in Auckland? It would be so easy to have an email address. If they cared.

I'm sorry that my presence has been fleeting this week, I do enjoy reading your news but don't know where the rest of the time goes.
Well, I do really - two hourly walkabouts looking for Barney and in the intervals, managing my socials as I have heard young people say😉. Rapid learning curve on joining up to both missing pets and local Facebook sites to post about our dear boy's absence. People are so kind.

I took the afternoon off for some retail therapy in view of Mr.I's forthcoming birthday. I also bought a posh Simnel cake, which went back some minutes after purchase in view of the fact that its expiry date was three weeks before Easter.
🤫 --I also purchased my Easter eggs-- 🤫

Enough of me.

How is your DD, Grammaretto?

And NN, I hope everything went well, that your pain is adequately controlled - are you moving about OK? Do you know how long you will in for? Mr NN and the dogs will be missing you - and vice versa!

Poor Kaimoana, your frustration and sadness is palpable. Is there no-one locally who might 'fight your corner'? Thinking of you.

It sounds like your DMIL's service was wonderful and I'm sure you did her justice, NS. So much preparation which sometimes can push emotions and grieving into a back seat while it lasts.
Have your son and DIL gone back yet? Do they have children left behind?

A steroid injection certainly helped my bursitis, Doodle and my wallet.
My three sessions of freebie NHS physio were coming to an end and it certainly helped minimise the private sessions which were looming large.

We did try the sparkly knickers a while back, but they were less than comfortable, tbh. That's why we have transferred them to sparkly crop tops. the sequins, not the knickers. Are you OK with those?

Cherry and I look forward to seeing your new moves. Can you be ready for Saturday when we are due to meet the big boys?
Any distraction will help.

Well, I must grab my thick coat, torch and rattle-y pack of cat treats and start my rounds.

It probably won't help but at least I am doing something...

Ixion, can you ask your physio for another course of 3?
Mine said they coild sign off a second batch if I felt it would help
...*worth asking*.

Raise your glass, be it wine, tea or beer
Kaimoana's in her 80th year!

I can't believe I've reached 79.

My family is planning a special roast pork meal for the weekend (cooked by my son) and I have a friend coming to spend the day with me today.

She's an ex student.
I began teaching her English (how to speak it) when she was 12 and newly arrived from Taiwan and her whole family have kept in touch over the last 20 years. Lovely people.

Ooh!
Happy birthday!
🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂

Oh Kaimoana happy, happy birthday.🎂 🎂🎂🎂🎂 (those are cakes with candles by the way in case you can’t see them)
I think you’re fibbing. You’re only 21 surely 🤣
Many happy returns.
Two lovely things to look forward to. A visit from your friend and a lovely party with your family. Brilliant. 🤣
ixion I’m so sorry about Barney. I do hope he’s found soon.what a worry.
I expect I can cope with a sparkly crop top if I can wear it over my thermal vest and leggings.
Is it Mr Is birthday soon?
NN hope you are progressing well.
Grammaretto the bursitis only seems to be really painful when I turn over at night or when I’m walking and even then it’s not too bad just enough to make me limp all the time. What with the knees as well if feel like I’m 90.

Happy Birthday!
🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈(balloons!)

Happy birthday Kaimoana! Have a wonderful time with your family and your friends 💖

It's my NZ DS birthday today too (tomorrow here)
I sent him a photo of the flat white I drank in his honour. He introduced us to flat whites in NZ many years ago.
He sent me a photo of my DGS who's going to be 14 soon and is getting tall.

I hope you are getting some decent weather now.

I was at the theatre tonight. Michael Rosen told us stories about his life with much wit and pathos.

Ixion and Doodle! You are very skilled to be able to cheerlead in sequinned crop tops whilst nursing painful hips and knees.

Has Barney gone missing? I am so sorry. I hope he turns up soon. Has he disappeared before?

I hope Barney turns up soon.

I was telling a friend that you were out looking for him and she said her cat went away to some private place when she sensed her end was coming. The vet had warned her it might happen.


"it's common for cats to "slink away" or hide when they're sick or dying, not because they know they're dying, but due to powerful survival instincts to find a quiet, safe place to protect themselves from predators while weak"

Nevertheless, extremely upsetting for you.

Sorry Kaimoana, a tad belated Happy Birthday from me 🎂 💐 💐. Sending love and cwtches Xx

Evening all. I’ve been out with walking group today. My and my doggy hips and knees are tired now. Both our sons are coming tomorrow to take me out to lunch. It will be lovely to see them both. Sleep well all
Hope Barney comes home soon. NN hope you are doing ok.