General Chat

Phil still wanted to come home with us, but much easier with 3 of us saying not yet.

My sleep pattern is very disrupted. I wake just after midnight each night and cant get back to sleep. It is now just after 3 am and I have just taken half a sleeping tab and will see if I can get another 4 or 5 hours sleep. Night night (from me).

Huia.

Huia,
So glad that your visit to Phil went well. It must be lovely having your daughter-in-law for support. You made me smile when you said that they had found Phil's false teeth in one of his socks in a drawer.
Hope he has settled in, and not fretting to go home. It makes it so much easier fo you when you leave him at the hospital.

I hope you are feeling better Huia, and caught up on your sleep.

Jennie and Michael are coming for dinner today, so I'd better go and start cooking it or it won't be ready for when they arrive.

Speak to you all later. Hope everyone is alright!

Love, Sallie.xx

Hi all.

Liz I cant remember what I said in my email to you but mutton is still mutton :((( but we had a lovely visit to Phil.

With sons wife chatting to Phil I grabbed a chance to talk to the charge nurse. D.i.l's mother has alzheimers much worse so D.i.l. knows what it is all about. She has been a rock.

The hospital found Phils false teeth which had been missing for 4 days. They were in one of his socks in the drawer in his room. He is now complaining that the top plate wont stay in place. No more broken windows though as far as I know.

Huia.

Hi all,

Had a longer sleep on Saturday so felt a bit better, got up and o.h. had gone out, I do remember him bringing me a cuppa and touching me on the shoulder, but it didn't disturb me too badly. He told me later that yet another truck came in the close, a low loader to take away a friend's brother's Jag that had been living in her garage for a while. I don't recall hearing it and the Muppets next door either cleaned their cars very quietly or I was dead to the world and heard nothing. I had closed the window more than this past week as it has become a lot cooler during the nights now.
Ann, I just cannot sleep next to o.h. any more. He snores so much and is so restless, talks in his sleep or shouts out that it is a nightmare for me, and because I have lots of worries, if I can't get to sleep or back to sleep and can't read to take my mind off things, I lay there and worry and fret and get upset which is why I have developed this pattern of sleeping. Next week I will go up when he gets up for work at 5am and then I can sleep while he is at work, so long as there isn't too much noise outside. Hope the new neighbour has all his building supplies now.
By the time I go up tonight (well this morning) I am tired enough to go off to sleep more or less straightaway unless o.h. wakes and starts talking to me! There is no spare bed for me to use unfortunately, only one of his son's cabin bed in the tiny room next door to the main bedroom and it's a child's short one, and covered with o.h.'s clothes as he uses it as a dressingroom so he doesn't disturb me when he gets up for work etc
That's why I insist on seperate rooms on holiday lol so I can read myself to sleep and not get disturbed by the snoring, with no computer when I am away there is nothing else to do at night but sleep, so if I can do that at normal times, I can get up earlier and enjoy a full day of light

Debbie, hope your Dad will soon find out why he is so poorly and the doctors can help him feel lots better.

My son is 27 and is going with a large crowd of friends to Reading. Some of you might remember last year, when he didn't have a ticket and thought he could get one when he got there, it turned out to be not the case, they were extortionate prices and it was cheaper for him to come back on the train, £48 return ticket, and get one on the internet from a girl locally, altho even then the original pick up arrangement went pearshaped when she had to work so he had to take another train to Cromer to pick it up and then use his return ticket back to Reading to attend the concert. He also found his friend who should have taken his tent for him in the car, had forgotten it and it was locked up in his house so son had to buy another tent quickly to take with him. He now has three tents as he found one left by some people at the end of last year's festival so he is well equipped and has already made a list of what he needs this year, the ticket he and his mate got includes coach travel there so he will carry everything with him, and not trust his friend to take things in the car, in which a lot of his friends are travelling in. It will be his only holiday this year so I hope he has a good time. Last year he had a week in Newquay camping with friends too, but this year he hasn't been able to afford two holidays. You can't help but worry tho can you? When he was in Newquay I kept ringing on different pretexts, what was the weather like, did he know where I could buy such and such, just to be sure he was ok, of course he cottoned on and said I had to stop worrying cos he was grown up now lol

Huia, hope your son arrived safely and worked his magic with the camera, altho that pic you sent looked fine to me. Hope you found Phil doing ok and not breaking any more glass and that you enjoyed spending time with your son and his partner.

take care all,
I keep hopping up and down to see if my hedgehogs are back, two came together to eat earlier before I had put out much food and altho I put out more later, I don't think any of them have been back for seconds.

love
Lizxxx

~~~~~~ to all.

Our son is coming up from Rotorua (3 hours drive) to visit his dad (another 40-50 mins). I might go with him and his 'wife'. I wasnt going to go today but I might give tomorrow a miss instead.

Better get dished washed and get properly dressed. Son might be able to take a better photo of me with my calendar than the 10 that were taken by a neighbour yesterday. It is for our local paper which is doing an article! Of couse I dont know if son will be any better at turning mutton into lamb. But he can try, cant he.

Huia (baaaah)(that is the mutton talking)

Talking about fish reminded me of a story from my past.

I used to live in Lydney on the edge of the Forest of Dean and near the River Severn. You probably know that Salmon were/are caught in the Severn (I am talking the 70s now), sometimes legally sometimes not. I used to have a part time job in the WRVS office and we had a lovely van driver, a real Forester. We used to chat about things when he came in and I must have mentioned that we liked Salmon.
One evening we went over to Bristol to dinner with colleagues connected to OH's work, it was in the days when you dressed for dinner in smart places and I had a long dress on.

We got home about midnight full of the joys, as you used to pre drink drive laws. Opened the door and went in and there on the kitchen work top where daughter had laid it was a whole salmon, and no it was not gutted/cleaned. Fortunately a few weeks before on holiday in Cornwall a friend had demonstrated how to gut and clean a fish. Husband denied all knowledge so there I am at 12.30am in a long dress gutting and cleaning this huge salmon which had been left on the doorstep (no questions asked) and cutting it up to put in the freezer.
Lovely it was too.

Hi Everyone,

We've been out this afternoon, we were only going to Jennie's to start with, and the four of us ended up going to East Midlands Designer outlet, just one junction up the M1. So I had to go in the Paper Mill just to see what they had, and ended up spending more than I intended on craft stuff.

Debbie, hope your Dad is alright, and that they have been able to find out what the problem is. Did your OH and the boys manage to catch anything today? Do you have to clean the fish or will your OH do it. I wouldn't be able to clean it, if I did it would put me off eating it.

Liz, my son and some of his friends use to go to the Reading Festival--he loved going to it--although he hasn't been for a few years now. They also went to a music festival at Camber Sands, but that was ten years ago.
I know how you feel though, I always worried about him until he was home. Hope you have managed to get some sleep now Liz.

Huia, I hope that Phil was alright when you visited him. I'm sure he must have been pleased to see you as you were to see him. Hope you are feeling better.

Mo, how are you and Roly? Hope you are both okay. I also hope that your daughter is a lot better now.

Jean and Ann, now I've bought all this paper and some more embellishments today, I'm having a problem on what to use for a couple of my scrap pages. My trouble is I can never decide what to buy so I usually end up buying all the ones I like, and the ones I think that I might need.

Jean, I hope you are feeling a lot better today. Hope both J and your daughter are alright.

Thinking of Sue, Marie, Grace and Marilyn.

Speak to you all soon.

Best wishes to you all.

Love, Sallie.xx

Debbie,I do hope that your dad will be o.k. Are they doing tests for anaemia,as well.
We are all here for you love,if you need an ear to bash,I am sure we will all lend you ours.
Thank you for explaining about the shrimps come prawns.
I hope the boys are successful on their fishing trip. They will enjoy it wether they catch anything or not.
How old is your son Liz?. I bet he had a whale of a time last year at the festival.
It's shows they are growing up,when they are prepared to pay people back
for things they have had done for them.
And you must have bought him up well,for him to be doing that.
I think it sounds like you need a bedroom of your own. Roly and I have seperate rooms,as he snores like a steam train. And I am such a light sleeper,I could hear a pin drop in the room.
I think we can all be saddled with inconsiderate neighbours. I know we are. They cannot shut a door without slamming it. And their car is only a four door car,but it sounds like it has at least ten,when they get into it.
Huia I hope when you visit Phil,he is in good health,and is pleased to see you,as I am sure you will be to see him.
It sounds like your calender,is going to be a great success. Well done you clever thing you.
A big hello to Jeanxxx Marie,Sue,Ann and Grace if you are looking in.
Best wishes to you all. Love Mo xxx

Deborah, hope your Dad is OK when you see him.

Liz, I guess there will always be noise during the daytime, people don't realise that you are sleeping. Can you not train yourself to sleep at normal times? You might stand a chance of getting a full nights sleep then.

Ann x

Hi everyone, hope you are all ok. Mo, the prawns were rather small so more like shrimps, but the are translucent when caught and you have to boil them for a few minutes in hot water and then they turn pink. Though the boys experimented yesterday and fried them whole in butter and seasoning. They tasted ok that way as well with a dribble of lemon on them.

Not sure what we will end up with today as the 2 big ones have gone with O.H. on the boat. They hope to catch something and bring it home for me to cook. We usually try to cook everything that they bring home, then we can taste different fish. They won't be back til later thisafternoon. I have just returned from taking the younger 2 to the pier at the harbour where we managed to lose some hooks and not catch a thing. But the weather is glorious and it was a very pleasant way to spend the mornng.

Have to go to hospital at 3pm today. My dad was taken in yesterday for tests, and we are all rather worried. He had a stroke in January and since then his blood levels have dropped through the floor. He had 2 transfusions whilst originally in hosp and has had 3 more since. They were due to give him another one last night and a follow up one today. His blood readings should be between 11 & 17 and his is only 5. They can't find out what is causing it as there is no sign of any blood loss either internally or externally. Yesterday the Haematologist took some Bone Marrow to test, not sure what for, I wonder if that always means suspected Leukaemia or if other things can be looked for at the same time (?). Hopefully I shall find out more once I have been to see him.

Enough for now. Got to get lunch sorted. Have a lovely day everyone.

DEBBIE

Oh my friend, if only! I would have to drag my son with me tho, am already getting nervous about him going to the Reading festival next week (remember last year's fiasco with not having a ticket - no worries this year, he has ticket and travel arrangements all sorted and all paid for, his friend's Mum paid for him and her son and they have both been paying her back)
Imagine how I would worry with being so far away as NZ lol

One day maybe, if those lottery tickets come up trumps......

off to bed now, I guess I would fit in with the sleeping as would be the right way round lol

night love
Lizxxx

Liz, it is high time you considered emigrating to NZ. You know there is a bed here if you want one. I would be very happy with the company. We get on well on the internet, so I imagine/hope it would be the same in real life.

Huia.

Evening all, well the bed was ok but yet again my sleep was disturbed. It's been difficult all week. Last weekend someone new moved into a bungalow a couple of plots along from here, this house is at the end of the cul de sac and there are little driveways to three bungalows at one side and more houses the other. Everything big stops outside us and under the bedroom window, there are no gardens in front of the houses, only about a metre of grass, open plan. Really bad Feng Shui, as the headlights (poison arrows) shine at the house every time anyone drives down here to visit or come home etc, then they have to turn and reverse to get into their driveways so always a bit noisy. Monday the new bloke had some deliveries done, so lorry reversing noise, driver shouting (why do people think it is ok to shout in a street?) etc etc Tuesday the same and I heard the milkman stop and sit and chat on his mobile phone, he comes around 11 am, Wednesday was bin day, well the wheelie bins rumble and then crash as they are tipped into the lorry, then it reverses up the street, all the time the men shout to one another! Not long after that I got woken by the Red Arrows zooming over after they had displayed at Cromer Carnival!
Yesterday the new bloke had some more stuff delivered by a truck with a crane on! More shouting as he offloaded some wood, don't know what the chap is doing, it's only a little bungalow with a tiny garden, so no room to do a lot and there is already a shed and conservatory.
Oh for some uninterrupted sleep, oh and the last few days the farmer has been harvesting the potatoes in the field at the end of the garden so his tractor was noisy too, he will be out there today I expect and today, Sat, the bloke next door and his dad who is round every day, will be outside under the bedroom window cleaning their cars, and shouting at the dogs who they let roam round the close tiddling in everyone's garden!
Earplugs don't work so I suppose I will just have to hope I go into a really good sleep and don't hear them, will close the window in case, as it is cooler now and I won't melt!

Happy days, hope you all have a good weekend, and not too many major disasters.

love
Lizxxxxx

Sallie, you are not being mean, just frugal. And thoughtful not all turning up to visit at the same time. Much nicer to have only 1 or 2 visitors at a time.

Must get ready, havent visited Phil the past 2 days so will go this morning. Have finished breakfast, had my photo taken (holding my 'baby') by a friend for the local paper who are doing an article on my calendar. Have made a couple of phone calls. The dishes will wait until tonight, I have plenty more clean ones in the cupboard.

Huia.

Hi Everyone,

Just popped on to see how you all are.

Huia, so pleased that you have treated yourself to new glasses, I know you need them but it's nice to be able to splash out a bit more money and buy the ones that you really like and that suit you the best. Hope you are feeling better today and not worrying so much. Have you seen Phil over the last day or two? I hope he has settled down at the hospital now. I'm sure everthing will work out for the best. Take care of yourself!

Ann, my sister-in-law had to wait three months to see a dermatologist, I was more concerned than she was, having to wait so long before seeing anyone She had her rodent ulcer removed under a local, so she was home on the same day.
I'm amazed that yours started as a patch from an alergic reaction from washing powder all those years ago. As long as it's alright now, that's the main thing. Have you had an appointment come through yet? Let's hope it won't be too long before you see someone and that you will be able to have it removed under a local.

Mo and Ann, I use to buy quite a bit online-- one of the places I use to buy from was a company in Stoke-on-Trent. It turned out that the person who used my card details bought the computer online from a computer company in Stoke-on-Trent. I don't know if there was any connection, but it does seem a coincidence. So now I am always reluctant to use our debit cards to buy anything online. The trouble is there are some things for scrapbooking that I like that I can only seem to find on the internet.

Mo, you are right about the cost of parking at the hospitals--if you are there a few hours it costs quite a bit. I think that some people might have complained at the hospital that Jennie goes to, the hospital is now doing a weekly parking ticket which costs £10, with no time limit on the ticket and can be used by any car. So when Jennie has to stay in, we buy one of those, and then work the visiting between us so that we can all use the same ticket. Oh, we do look mean, don't we?

Jean, sorry you are having a rotten day, I hope you feel better later on today. I will get Alun to send the photo to you over the weekend, I promise.

Marilyn, hope you have had a lovely day with your granddaughter.I hope you are alright!

Liz, hope your side of the bed wasn't too crumpled when you got to bed.
Have you decided on where you are going to spend your holiday yet?

Thinking of Sue, Debbie, Grace and Marie, Hope all is well with you all and your families.

Best wishes to everyone.

Love, Sallie.xx

Evening all.
Debbie,will you eat the prawns that Daniel has caught. I know I must seem thick,but if you do,is there anything special you have to do,to eat them,or can you just wash and eat them.
The only ones I eat,come from my freezer,so I am a bit ignorant.
It sounds like you have been busy,getting things sorted out.
How's your day been Marilyn. I hope you enjoyed playing mums and dads.
I tend to get carried away when my grandchildren come. Roly is always
telling me to be quiet,and to calm down. But I am a child at heart.
Thank you Jean,for putting my mind at rest,about J. What have you got planned for the weekend,anything exciting,pray do tell us.
Huia you were so right about my daughter having a dire rear. Poor so and so,she does have a sore rear end now.
I hope you are o.k Ann,and that you get your appointment soon.
Sallie,I am glad that your Jennie is well. Is it this weekend you are of to Wales again. If you are,I hope you have a successful time in your search.
Right,now our Jean. What the heck are we going to do with you. I wish there was something we could suggest to help you,with these pains.
Have you tried Crampex tablets,they are supposed to be pretty good. But
if you are on other medication,you would need to ask the pharmacist if you can take them.
I do feel for you though my love.
Best wishes to Marie,Grace Liz and anyone I have forgotton.
Love to you all. Mo xxx

Hi Everyone, how are you all today? Huia, lovely to see success coming from all of your hard work. What a perfect time for you to have something else to concentrate on. Good luck with it all. Also, one of my boys has Dry Eyes, meaning that the Oil Glands that usually line the lower eye lid, don't secrete sufficient oils to naturally lubricate the eye, so he ends up with scratched eyes, which make it painful for him. Our optician just gave him a small bottle of drops which are artificial oils suitable for the eye. Hot, sunny weather usually makes things worse, but this year, fingers crosssed, he hasn't had any problems at all, so good luck with your treatment.

Mo, yes, we do camp in a tent, and sleep on the floor in sleeping bags. I am still trying to get all the washing and cleaning done. I like to have everything done properly at the end of a holiday to save having to do too much before we use it all again the next time. Just need to air everything then. Most of it is now done and back in the attic, we just need to get the tent up in the garden and give it a really good wash and airing.

A gorgeous day here again. Daniel has gone low water fishing and just rung to say he and his friend have picked up loads of prawns. We have some of the lowest low and the highest high tides of the year this weekend, so they make for lovely walks along the beaches to see stretches of sand that are often covered by sea. On the west coast there are the remains of a forest which can only be seen on a few days in the year.

Hope this finds you all fit and well.
DEBBIE

Hi Jean,

Glad you got them Hubby had to down size them as they took ages to come through, but they are lovely.

Sorry to hear about your poor achy legs.....just sit and do nothing ALL day .we wont say anything to anyone ! LOL

Hope everyone else is OK.
Looking after grand daughter today.....so a busy day playing Mums & Dads !!

Marilyn x

Hello, Marilyn thanks for the photos of Marie I had a couple of her,but not these, the little ones are lovely, Marie isnt to bad either !!!

You know its hard understanding why one day you feel great and the next rotten , well today is the next one, My pains are back in the legs ,so now I take the painkillers which dope me for the rest of day........

LOve to all ......Jean xx

Spent a fortune today. I am getting new glasses, one pair close/distant for driving and walking round and reading, the other pair close/medium for using the computer. I thought I deserved to treat myself. $1116.50 (gulp). Plus I was told I had dry eye. Must have run out of tears. Now have to massage the eyelids daily (when will I ever get anything done?) and use some more drops, but not with the ones for glaucoma.

Visited a local newspaper yesterday to show them my baby. The young girl reporter bought one, now she wants to have a photo of me holding it to go in the article she is doing, also wants to know where people can buy it. I hadnt thought that far ahead!

Huia.