Soop's pleasant (if boring) kitchen for friendly folk and precious pets.

Maw I know what you mean about the conversation. My DH and I did the "head in the sand thing" for so long. After five episodes of cancer in 40 years, a lung removed, gall bladder problems, failing kidneys and awaiting heart surgery, I had the conversation with DH during the last emergency. My BIL is like Lazarus, but I feel he is now failing. The last time we sat in A&E at two in the morning, I told my DH he had to prepare himself.
We now take each day at a time and enjoy what happens, but are prepared for the worst. It is always lurking at the back of our mind. In saying that, BIL turned up at our home unexpectedly last week to see us on a non dialysis day, as he was desperate to see our baby granddaughter, on whom he dotes. Just like Paw he is a remarkable man.
I think you are amazing Maw

Haven't doe POA kitty
Still to complete AA form too again.
Too in denial independent up to now.
<sigh>
You are right to back out of an over commitment of your time.
There was a thread wasn't there about how to fill ones time after retiring I wondered then why we have this compulsionto be busy all the time.
Not denigrating volunteering, the world only goes round with the help of volunteers, but flexibility and free time whether for yourself or your family must be factored in.
I hear people saying how they don't have a minute but "might manage a coffee three weeks on Tuesday blah blah. " And I want to shout "Slow down, stop, smell the roses! "
Is it our Protestant work ethic? Or a fear of fading away? More likely to disappear up their own fundament going round in ever decreasing circles

Marydoll you and I have definitely been singing from the same hymn sheet.
9 years ago I was summoned to MK hospital where Paw was to have emergency surgery for a perforated bowel and on the way over I wondered if this was it. I caught him just before and sort of asked, "worst case scenarios what is your computer password? "
He hesitated (a bit groggy) and before he could say anything they wheeled him away.
So I thought, you'd better come through this mate!

I think these things are better done sooner rather than later but that is with hindsight.
My friend who was widowed recently had to get someone in to help with passwords.
Her H had a complicated financial system, known only to him. It will take ages to sort out. The upside is that she will be a rather wealthy widow.

I have no family in this country, a few cousins in Ireland and as far as I am concerned they can stay there. I have sorted out my will and POA very recently, so I am sorted for financial as well as health matters. It is something to consider.

It appears to be C card time again, I was offered very nice ones but for me it is a tad early although I may buy a diary because I liked the colour, layout and it was quite cheap.

Good morning to you all. I've been responding to your recent messages and...true to form, I hit the wrong button and cleared the entire response. BUGGERATION!

Marydoll and Maw You have much in common. I admire your fortitude. I wish that I had real to give you.

Hattie is doing remarkably well all things considered. Bless her paddy paws. Us lot feel that she is settling nicely into her new home. Please may she continue to enjoy the privileges that Grace was accustomed to.

Ann Since your recent birthday, you seem very much brighter in spirit.

kitty You have earned the right to enjoy time spent doing whatever it is that pleases and delights you.

Charleyg A friend in the village had an awful time following her husband's sudden death. She had never used the computer. She had no idea how to access the banking details and such. Such confusion presented itself at a the very worst time.

Another thing to do is to register with your GP as a Carer - you should then get special treatment! If you send the AA forms in Maw, you should get paid from the date they were posted to you. Do get AgeUk or someone like that to help you as they know the buzz words to use on the form.

You can also get a thing called 'Message in a bottle' or something like that from a pharmacy or local Lions Club. You put all your and/or DH's info inside (emergency contacts, medications etc) and put it in the fridge. Should the emergency services need to be called then they will know to look for the bottle, in the fridge. A brilliant idea IMO and I think it's nationwide.

Marydoll and Maw, you both deserve medals, as does everyone else living on a knife edge.

Nanaand grampy, thank you for the warm welcome. I am so sorry for all of you going through tough times lately, but know that you all get support from your kitchen friends. As a bit of an add on, Herbert is also a grandad, and our DS2, who came along late, was known as Little Bit, or all together as Three bags full. Daft how these memories come back after a bit of auto suggestion. On another note. We went into town this morning, for coffee and to collect an order. In our town M&S has just closed , and we used to walk through the store to get to the Church coffee shop. Well now, we can go through a narrow passage way, beside Oxfam instead. DH said "It's too narrow" but we went anyway. When we got to the end he exclaimed " well I never" . Not realising where we had come out. We will have lived in this town for 50 years next year!!. Apologies for the rambling, but I may have some sympathisers in the kitchen.

I wanted to pop into my small but local Boots yesterday to discover that it has closed down. The larger names seem to be culling it would appear. Austerity is hitting us all.

Auntiflo welcome to the kitchen! Last year I visited the nearest 'shops' to the village I spent my childhood in, and which I had visited many times since until about 20 years ago. Some of the road layouts had changed and several times I found myself saying 'Well I never knew that linked up there' or 'I've never been along here before'. It all seemed so much smaller and quieter than I remember too

Dearest Maw please do get POA and AA sorted now. kitty is right to suggest CAB to help with the form filling, or the hospital social worker, as using the correct 'buzz' words is half the difficulty. The other half is to describe worst case scenarios not what Paw can manage on a good day. Do you know all his computer passwords too? I would suggest doing all this now, and registering yourself as a Carer at the GP surgery, before Paw comes home as I'm sure you will have less time and energy then, till you all (including beautiful Hattie) settle into a new routine. and for you x

Auntieflo My husband, MacSporran is very fond of saying...Well, I never! Especially when I remind him for the umpteenth time that I have already told him something boring important.

Swanny Your advice is sound. I think that computer passwords are a nightmare. Mac has written ours down somewhere. Only trouble is, he can't remember where.

The ironing has mounted into a teetering heap. I've been procrastinating for the best part of the day. I may be gone for some time.

I keep mine in a small address book, the sort with a-z on rhs, and file accordingly.

However some of my passwords are quite simple and some sites like a capitol. number and caps letter.

Whats a poor old dame to do!

On the subject of living somewhere and then returning - I grew up in Derby, only moving away when I was 21. I had no reason to return but DD moved there about 10 years ago. As part of my duties as childminder, I have to take the children to after school things and often find myself really confused as I swear 'they' have moved things around since I lived there.

My grandparents owned a 'commercial hotel' fairly near the centre of Derby and I recently spent ages looking for it to show DH before it dawned on me that it is a now an underpass which I use regularly.

My passwords are in a special book and DH's passwords are in the safe - now, what is the code for the safe?

Maw I've pm-d you.
You know who the expert on DWP forms is in this kitchen. I don't just specialise in pearls

jollyg
I think some require a unicorns hair, an Egyptian hieroglyph, seven upper case and six lower case letters, 12 numbers ( non repeated) under 10 and the blood of a virgin!

I use the radio call sign for,my,old boat which is impossible to trace.

Afternoon my lovelies !!

Loved that cheeky little face Maw- and what's a little water ( or dirt) between friends ?

Had a quiet visit yesterday with Herbert and Sherbet. They seemed quite bright but croaky and not as raucous as usual. I took books and Lego and sweets and a measure of their sore throats was that both put the sweets in the fridge for later. So all in all, they will be fine ( but already a little bored being home alone).

Nonna what a lovely thought. The saxophone is so soulful. Our eldest daughter plays a tenor sax and its quite beautiful.

Grey !!!! No you cannot chuck DHs dinner out in the garden LOL !! The very thought

soop how is Rorys limp? And Tizliz how is Anlon?

Glad to hear Paw was rallying Maw . I firmly believe head in the sand is a viable way to go. You know, he knows, you both know the other knows...so now you can get on with every day. In light of planning for our move we finally got new wills, listed all important stuff, passwords etc and now its all in the diary to be checked and updated 3 monthly. More to do I know but its a start.

Wise move Kitty down time is as valuable as work time I think. Not enough of r & r is not good !

I actually made my first C Card today Charley !! But my excuse is my sister and her Dh leave for Spain for a year in 4 weeks and the postal system is not the best , so she will be taking the card plus birthday and anniversary cards too {smile]

I briefly saw Jackson and Cooper yesterday - they had been for a short break at LEGOLAND and then to Beaulieu to see the cars ! Joy of joys there was a driving track at LEGOLAND and that is where Jackson passed most of his day . He was mightily put out that a young lady driver ( aged about 6) went round the corner, ignoring both the traffic light and the side of the road. As he explained to me - where ARE the policemen when you need them ??

Have a peaceful weekend one and all x

Afternoon Nana&G. LEGOLAND! Every boy's idea of heaven on earth. Jackson's comment made me smile.
You ask after Rory. To be truthful (a difficult thing to be where a beloved pet's declining health is concerned,) he's not the feisty feline of recent times. I awake to ask MacSporran - how is Rory? We talk about his failing mobility. Discuss whether or not he ate a decent breakfast. Comment on his low-level interest in anything beyond sleep and food. We both know that he is fading fast. All we hope is that he'll not be in pain. I'm sure that we know if that were so.

Galen

Soop sorry to hear Rory is fading, our older dog is getting tired and now food is more important than walks.

nanaandgrampy Anlon seems a bit happier, we didn't realise he was in pain and now the pain killers must be starting to work. Sorry if it is tmi, he hasn't been sick for two days so that is a big improvement. Thanks for asking

My ironing is being ignored. I did fold a few things up, but that was the limit of my enthusiasm.

My computer passwords are all a variant of a theme with various capital letters and numbers and lots of !!!! when I get fed up with the demands for unicorn blood.

The Worldpay site is the worse. I go there once a year to do our compliance and once a year the password has to be changed I.e every time I go there. Compliance is just confirming that when I take credit card payments I store them securely and no-one knows my password and I never allow customers to send card numbers via email etc, and tens of questions I just say yes to without reading.

@ galen , one of mine is the first Morris Minors number!