Black Dog Gang 7

Scardycat glad you had a better night, for you exersise and fresh air appears to work.

Joce that is rubbish, I would expect teachers to have more sense. When we took our GC out we gave them sized masks to wear in the car, I think that would cover it. Yesterday I took someone for a medical appointment and we both wore masks in the car. While she was in there I took my mask off (specs steamed up and I was reading!) so I sat there with the door open to let in fresh air. I think we now have to work it all out for ourselves and do what we think is best.

Doodle different here, no appointments for blood tests, just turn up and queue and then they tell you not to follow the signs they put up telling you what to do! Actually the wait wasn't that long.

Hope you sort out you IT Annie

Sorry all, nothing positive to say. Family have decided we should go back into lockdown because things are quickly getting worse. I need something to look forward to, to plan for, I need a hug and a conversation with my family which isn't online and is simply whatever comes up rather than specific. Had to take something back to M & S before locking down again and was too depressed to walk in, got DH to drive me and wait for me.

I've tried to be positive, kept myself and others going, been supportive and now feel so helpless and cross that I can't feel better. I have a good life, wonderful family, great friends, nice garden etc.

Oh and a neighbour came yesterday to tell me the lady down the road died and her sons had asked her to tell me and thank me for my kindness. I felt sad because I hadn't done much but she had really appreciated it, wish I had done more. Apparently she had a great death, daughter was with her and she just faded away. She would have been 99 in two weeks and was still fit and great fun. Obviously can't go to funeral but will stand outside and show respect on the day.

Sorry for the long grumble.

Just popping in to wish everyone a good night sleep and a better day tomorrow.
Everyone seems to have lots going on at the moment. Some good things and some not so good at the moment. It is such a difficult time. I have been bit downheartened today thinking about lots of things and missing some hearty laughs and fun.
Night night and God Bless all

Evening everyone
Annie hope your iPad is sorted out soon
Joce that is worrying for a teacher to be telling parents that they should leave their other children in the car. Would it be possible for one parent to collect their child and another parent’s child while the other parent waited by 2 cars to make sure that the children in the cars were safe? I don’t think I’ve worded that too well, sorry.
Doodle Glad that the hospital went ok for your DH.
Felt a bit low today, the weather didn’t help. Heavy rain and dark early tonight.
Sleep well everyone x

I’ve already had my usual half an hour nap, so good night all x

Bluesky my DH has had a few investigations but not H Pylori either. I too thought that was the starting point, Hope you get some answers. Glad your feeling a bit better today.
Nonnie no not in Surrey but in the south east. Apparently the south east has lots of parakeets but a high percentage in the London parks.
So pleased you enjoyed your lunch. Sounds like you had good fun.
Chrissy how have you been today. We had a quick trip to the hospital for DHs blood test. He was in and out in no time. That’s one thing that is better in COVID. Usually long queues for blood tests but now you have a fixed time appointment,
Scaredycat glad you enjoyed your walk yesterday. A picnic in a country park sounds good. All designed to help you sleep better.
Joce that is worrying. I have read of some cases like this recently. I hope the person they have arrested is the one. It’s all very difficult. Perhaps the teacher could bring the children out to the car or could a friend help.
Annie sorry you are out of action with your iPad. Hope you are ok and it’s fixed soon.
Take care all and sleep well. x

This may not be the right place to be asking, I’m just so worried not only for my grandkids but for my daughters as well ...

So many people have not thought through all the implications have they?
I wish I knew the answer but teachers are mostly parents too - they need to be aware of the real world outside as well as inside their schools.

Hello every.. hope everyones doing ok... I’m plodding on but worrying now..
just wanted to get your view on this.. my daughter has had a phone call from school to go and pick her daughter up, she has been in contact with a child that has tested positive.. when she got to school a parent that has more than one child, same has my daughter.. asked what are we supposed to do with our child when picking up other children.... answer was leave them in the car ???? They have just arrested a man for trying to get children in his car in the same area... my daughter did pull her up on this and said, you are a senior member of staff and these parents hang on to every word you say, you are telling them to leave there children in the car???? She didn’t answer walk off...

Good afternoon hope you are all ok.
Luceyanne - so glad you now have a fully working boiler again. It must have been so difficult for you. No wonder it feels like Xmas!! Yes we had a nice walk yesterday and a picnic in a country park nearby - so slept better thank you.
Doodle lucky you tohave those lovely Parakeet visitors they are so pretty. We love watching the birds and pleased if even sparrows come in the bird bath!!! We did once have a Sparrowhawk land on our grass but he didn,t stay long. Hope all goes well at hospital
Nonnie I don,t have one of those blankets but thought it might be something that would help maybe. I do like the sound of them though. Glad your DH is on the list for his knee and hope he doesn,t have to wait too long. Your lunch sounds such fun - as you say it’s a rare commodity these days.
Bluesky glad you had a restful night - maybe coffee is the answer!! Do you have Decaff?
Have an enjoyable evening all xxxx

Hi all x

iPad problems !

Morning everyone
Annie I’m glad that you have things to keep you occupied and I love how you manage to look on the bright side despite having lots to cope with.
lucyanne thank goodness you now have heat & hot water. You’re right, having to wait until the afternoon for medical appointments is terrible, I’m usually beside myself by the time I get in there. I’ve never had eating problems since, it was just during that breakdown.
Doodle how lovely to have the parakeets in your garden. Hope all goes well with your DH at the hospital.
BlueSky That’s good that you had a restful night. I hope that they can find the problem with your stomach and get you on the road to recovery.
Nonnie Hope your DH doesn’t have to wait too long for a new knee. Happy that you had a lovely lunch with your friend yesterday.
Hope everyone’s day is good x

Meryl & Scaredy there is hope for self harmers because a friend's daughter used to do it but no longer does. I don't know the details

Scaredycat if the blanket works please tell us all, I think we have a lot of insomniacs in the club.

Leaflets in meds are a mixed blessing. They can scare you but also can stop you getting it wrong. I was taking 2 different ones at the same time until I reread the leaflets and discovered there should be a couple of hours between them.

lucyanne good that the boiler is done, one less thing to think about.

Was that a typo 'G.G.C'? Haven't got any of those yet, GC are too young!

The trouble with my trying crafting other than my knitting is that I am so bad at it that it makes me feel even more inadequate. I have been given a voucher for a Wedgwood Experience which includes making a pot, wondering if I can exchange it for the afternoon tea thing instead!

How lovely Doodle do you live in Surrey? Used to see them a lot in Richmond Park area. Don't answer that if you want to remain anonymous.

Bluesky That sounds pretty 'complex' to me, hope it sorts out the issue and that it can be treated easily.

DH had a call from the doc this morning, now on the list for a new knee which is positive.

Thanks for all the good wishes, yes we had a lovely 4 hour lunch and rather a lot of cocktails. The sun shone and we sat outside with no need to wear the jacket I had taken with me. After a while I got several messages from family winding me up about 'going on the lash' and 'shouting at traffic from Weatherspons' doorway' which added to the fun. Yes, fun, don't get a lot of that this year. My lovely friend had embroidered labels to sew into the throw. Yes, I have some great friends and so glad we got it in before the next expected lockdown.

Today I am driving another friend to a medical appointment and just pottering.

Morning all x Good restful sleep for a change and believe it or not I had a coffee last night instead of my usual cup of tea! So yes feeling more blue than grey even if outside it’s decidedly grey! My investigations will start in a couple of week with an ultrasound, depending on that they’ll procede with an endoscopy or maybe at the moment a CT, but I’m surprised the GP hasn’t tested me for H Pylori as I was told this test is done before other investigations. Never mind will see. I know a lot of you have much more complex problems and you are still caring enough to ask about my ailments! Have a peaceful day x

Morning all.
I had a wonderful treat this morning. I watched 3 green parakeets flying in front of my window for several minutes.
So close I could almost touch them . Beautiful lime green.
Nice start to the day. Of to the hospital with DH today but only for blood tests. His consultant usually phones him now once she has the results, instead of us having an appointment.

lucyanne I am a cold bod. I love my heating. Glad you are set up for a cosy winter.
I use Pinterest a lot. Not heard of craft world. I will look it up. Not heard of zentangling before. I’m not much one for drawing or doodling in fact. I have little talent in that direction so I prefer copying the designs or paintings of those with much more skill.?
Diamond painting (as far as I am concerned) is painting by numbers. Nothing like the kits we used to have as children. Far more complex and time consuming (which is the point ?)
lavender hope you are feeling better.
Have a good day everyone. I will be back later x

Good morning all another new day.

My boiler fitted. They put all the radiators on full it was like a sauna when I went to bed. So wonderful to have hot water after 4 months. I feel like a child at Christmas.

Annie I hope you are have a good day. When we moved to Shropshire I worked in M.H. as an art O.T. for 1 yr. loved it. ‘Craft world’ and ‘Pinterest’ are also great free sites for all types of crafts. ‘the devil finds work for idle hands’ so true. Mine end up red raw rubbing them with anxiety the only way I can stop it is to use them. Your cross stitch will be much appreciated I hope you put a date on it for future generations. x
Chrissy You must be proud you managed the dentist. I get nervous going to see doctor/hospital afternoon appointments not the best as it gives one longer to worry. Do you still have problems eating?
Thank you for sharing it takes courage.
Doodle Yes today making birthday and condolence cards. I always have a project on the go. Have you tried zentangling or doodling art? It is great for concentration and matches your username. Never done diamond painting sounds interesting.
Scardeycat It is interesting we all have such different weather depending on where we live. Was it fine enough for you to get out for a walk yesterday? The story of the war zone was inspiring. Let’s hope we can all readjust. Did you have a better nights sleep?
Bluesky Have you a date to be investigated? The waiting is often the hardest. Keep strong. Have you awakened refreshed?
Meryl It is vocation counselling and enlightening. Must have been hard a self -harmer on your first day. Are you a PWP/ PsyD? We are lucky to have you join us.
Nonnie A 52 page document sounds like hard work! I changed printer to a cannon, the cartridge so hard to change. Did you look stunning as a Caribbean and enjoy the day? You should try a craft something small for the G.G.C. Did you have a restful night without further nosebleeds?
Lavender I hope the arm is continuing to improve.
Flutter my thoughts are with you and the family. x

Bluesky the leaflets that come with medications have to spell out all the possible side effects. If you read the list of possible effects from some of the drugs my DH takes you would be horrified. But the thing is, they keep him alive.
Hope you feel a bit more blue than grey today ?
Joceglad you are still plodding along. Hopefully, without wobbles. It will get better.
scaredycat good to hear you are more up than down at present. That’s a positive. Hope you have a good night.
Chrissy no wonder you don’t like dentists. You did so well.
Annie hope you are getting on ok.
Sleep well all of you and I hope you all have a peaceful, restful night x

Nonnie yes a cure for insomnia would make millions I think ?. Hope you have a really nice time with your friend. The Caribbean look sounds fun.
Flutterby still got our fingers crossed for test 2 results,
I have had many flu jabs and not had a problem with any of them. Sometimes you can get a bit of a sore arm but I had my flu in one arm and my shingles in the other on the same day. I have been fine. Crafting is a good thing to take your mind off worries. You can try anything. It doesn’t have to be fantastic just something fun. Even doing jigsaw puzzles is a sort of craft. Look after yourself x

scaredycat yes the stitching keeps me occupied, as I live alone and the only person I see is my younger granddaughter if I didn’t stitch I would just sit , nothing to do , and that’s when unwanted thoughts and memories come to the mind. It
happens at night, so I don’t want the same through the day .
It’s good you are having more ups than downs, x

BlueSky no, you are not to blame my love, x

We all need to remind ourselves we are swamped in stress, the
country is, people who have never had to cope with anxiety
and depression are phoning mental health help lines .

Chrissy thank you, I’m still not good but still not too bad..
hope everyone has a peaceful night sleep ?

Good night all x

Evening everyone
Annie No, only me and hubby at home.
Doodle I’d never heard of diamond painting until I saw it at drop-in. I’ve done 4 so far but need to get back into it.
Nonnie I’m glad that you had a better night’s sleep. I have taken sleeping pills in the past but they never worked for me. It’s like the Amitriptyline I take at night. I think the usual dose is 25mg but they didn’t work for me until I got up to 150mg. I hope you had a lovely lunch with your friend.
Flutterby Thanks for the gold star ? A bad experience with the dentist when I was very young left me with a lifelong fear.
BlueSky I understand you not wanting to take anything, I wish I didn’t have to. I used to read the leaflets but stopped because I was worrying about what the pills might do to me.
Joce Hope you’re doing ok.
Scaredycat Yes it’s very hard to change the way we react to things. I agree that these are worrying times for us all.
Have a good evening everyone and sleep well x

Meryl Streep my niece is a self harmer - so sad and difficult for her family. It has left terrible scars. Yes it is very hard to understand .
Chrissy so happy for you that the dental appointment went well. I too get into a state like you and vow every time not to do it again but it’s not so easy to change is it.
Doodle thank you I,m just a bit up and down at the moment - more up than down though thank goodness. It’s just health anxiety and general concerns about the situation we are all in with Covid. Glad your finger is getting better.
Blue Sky hope your sleep improves soon - waking so early is my problem. There are some new blankets I have seen advertised called weighted blankets which are supposed to reall help you sleep and make you feel calmer. Perhaps if you Google Calming Blankets as I think they are called
Annie you will be so busy with all your lovely crafting you have lined up . I.m rubbish at any sewing or making things unlike my sister who is really talented. I love to draw though.
Can you Face Time your younger daughter? Being able to see my son every week has made such a difference to me as he lives abroad .
Nannie enjoy your Caribbean meal- your friend can always put her sunglasses on!!! Hope you have a better night tonight.
Flutterby it would be lovely to have just one day with the worry free mind of a child.
Hope everyone has a good evening and a peaceful night.XX

Hello everyone hope you are all doing ok

Thanks Chrissy but you see I don’t like taking anything I read the side effects and that’s it! I do take the BP medication because I know that otherwise my BP goes sky high. So I’ve only got myself to blame!

Chrissy
I have sent you a PM.