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Archer Family tree up to 2000, (pre Helen, Pip & Tom’s off-spring)
Life in Ambridge
Let’s hope Fallon’s plan is up to snuff.
ArcherphileApril 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM
ReplyDeleteBelated birthday wishes to you Mrs P. I hope you had a lovely day yesterday and enjoyed your roast dinner at Porlock. What a good way to spend the day..
We also had an anniversary at the weekend, I didn’t know it beforehand, but it was apparently our ‘Emerald’ Anniversary, that is 55 years. Afraid we didn’t do anything special but are pleased we have stayed married as long as my Mum and Dad did. We married on their 50th Wedding Anniversary, so it was a double celebration.
REPLYDELETE
AmbridgesMrsPApril 15, 2025 at 2:49 PM
How lovely that special day must have been for your parents ARCHERPHILE
Congratulations on your Emerald Anniversary.
Cheshire CheeseApril 15, 2025 at 3:32 PM
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to you and Mr A Archerfile.
DELETE
Lady RApril 15, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Absolutely Archerphile belated Congratulations and how special to spend some quiet time together with so many wonderful memories to relive. 💐🎊🥂
MiriamApril 15, 2025 at 5:43 PM
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to read about events, which sadly I've also missed.
A birthday- Mrs P.
An Emerald anniversary - AP + Mr.AP
Belated and heartfelt Wishes.💐 🎉
I’ve left a message for SOZ towards the end of the previous blog.
ReplyDeleteNot very important !
I've never heard of flat weaving. The silks and colour scheme sound lovely. I'm trying to visualise it. Maybe if you keep it small you would finish it, and then could put it on here as your picture.
DeleteThank you Mrs P The colours sound very rich and autumnal.
DeleteI agree that it is often the anticipation and the process which gives the most pleasure. However I am speaking from the point of view of someone who is not very coordinated and pretty useless at needlework and other crafts. So my finished product would not resemble the beautiful idea I might visualise in my head.
I’ve been operating as a craft maker throughout my life, but only in recent years come to accept that at heart I am a designer and really need to pass my design to ‘ an other ‘ to create my visualisation Soz.
DeleteHaving said that, when I make I am meticulous in my technical ability.
My secret dovetails won every prize available.
But of course at heart the beautiful visualisation in your head is the gift that keeps on giving.
Soz according to your post we must be twins 🤣 🫢 😂
DeleteOMiaS did woodwork at school. After several failed attempts he was excused dovetail joints!
DeleteArcherfile can't find an icon for an Emerald but here are some flowers instead 💐
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you Janice! I couldn't find one either but seeing as I didn’t even know there was such a thing as an emerald anniversary, I much prefer the flowers! ☺️
DeleteARCHERPHILE - if I knew how to put up a picture I would choose IRISH BELLS for your Emerald Anniversary
DeleteAs we are talking of green things I will just mention we have been out picking wild garlic and have had our first wild garlic and potato soup of the year ( just use a potato and leek recipe). It is a rather pretty green colour. For those of you who sometime back said 3 cornered leek was taking over your gardens you can use that as a substitute for the wild garlic. I chop up the 3 cornered leek leaves and add them to salads and things like mashed potatoes.
ReplyDeleteNow going to take Bella cat for an amble round the garden as she is getting fed up with being indoors!
And decorate soup or salads with the flowerheads if you don't want them going to seed and spreading even more.
DeleteA Georgian house Pencarrow that we sometimes visit as it has a lovely Spring garden not only has a Snowdrop Sunday for charity but also a come and pick wild garlic weekend, which I guess is their way of keeping on top of it.
DeleteI tried to grow wild garlic in my garden a few years ago. I even managed to kill that off!! 😂
DeleteTo add, neither my garden snowdrops nor my bulbs in general, did well this year. My normal colourful spring garden, just wasn't there this year.
DeleteHowever, I can't believe how the weeds have suddenly appeared. My borders are lovely + yellow - but with dandelions! This is the one + only time I'll use a chemical weedkiller, to kill down to the roots.
I'm the opposite of you Miriam regarding dandelions. I don't mind them in the garden as they are good for pollinators, but they don't seem to come in or thrive when they do.
DeleteMy bulbs have done quite well this year especially the tulips. However, today's windy weather has damaged a lot of them.
We went for a walk in our local wood yesterday and the bluebells were a lovely sight to behold, it's something that I look forward to every year.
My lovely neighbours, a male couple, are away on holiday. Their front lawn is now just a full dandelion flower bed,
DeleteObviously our soil type is suitable.
I've had rain overnight + today, but nothing like what was forecast with a warning.
But so cold! At 11.00am this morning it was still just 10C.
Our snowdrops which normally smother the bank were not as good either this year or last. I wonder if winters are becoming too warm for them.
DeleteDandelions make a lovely warming wine for winter, although I haven't made it recently.
This has been a very good year for primroses. There seem to be whole banks of pale yellow that I haven’t noticed before. I think Mrs P mentioned that their abundance maybe due to a wet winter.
DeleteI enjoy dandelions in someone else’s garden but not so much in mine. They have very long roots and they spread! Dandelion wine sounds nice.
Bargains today - a 1kg bag of carrots plus a 2kg bag of pots, both for 15p each..
ReplyDeleteI also did well on Pusscat's dry food, as all cat food was 4 for price of 3.
It took ages to work the savings out as I was only using my fingers, as couldn't take my socks off and use my toes!
I got a big saving, by buying 4 small bags, but only paying for 3.
It all helps. 😀
There's always the calculator on your phone Miriam.
DeleteI must add - there is a lovely male mallard duck, who for some reason loves my drive + front lawn!
ReplyDeleteHe keeps appearing and poddles around - but why?
The stream + pond are very close-by, but he likes my front garden - mind you my pusscat wouldn't catch him! 🐈⬛ vs🦆
We have blackbirds who have forgotten how to fly and love to dice with death in our garden. They run and hop by the cats as though they’re not there. They run into the kitchen and eat any cat food they may find.
DeleteI’ve a pair of pigeons who inhabit the area that I see from my kitchen window. For the last week or so they have been in mating mode. Lots of chasing from one perch on top of a fence to another, then into the tree.
DeleteWhen I think about it tho’ there’s been a lot less of the incessant cooing.
Perhaps the cooing is the pre nup !
( not sure that’s the correct term )
I've got ducks doing their courtship again today! It's fascinating to watch, but why in my little cul-de-sac, and sit on the roofs?
DeleteIt's bizarre.
And I'm back to leaving the garage door a little bit open so the newly back swallows can get in and out. Must remember to put plastic over the car roof and to park closer to the side they don't nest.
DeleteI’ve noticed the swallows this week. For the first time our bird feeders are attracting rats, loads of them. Sadly my little cat who was a highly successful hunter died last week and the other pet cats rely solely on our feeding them; so apart from clearing the bird feeders, we will probably put some poison down for the rats and try to get things under control.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your little cat. They are like family.
DeleteWe don't have so many rats now, probably because my brother has retired (sort of ! he still keeps some sheep) and corn is no longer kept in the nearby barn. The bird feeder was at one time propped up against the washing line and I was surprised to see that rats could tightrope walk the line to the feeders.
Naughty glider alert!!!!
ReplyDeleteNot far from York, a member of the Wolds gliding club. Tsk tsk!
Dear me - two more in Belgium, one in Italy and another in Spain. Shocking!!!
DeleteAre there strict rules for gliders? I suppose perhaps they are not supposed to go near towns. I wonder if Mr Archerfile was ever a naughty glider person.
DeleteNot as far as I know Janice - or at least, not that he’s told me!
DeleteNot quite sure why Sarnia is reporting ‘naughty gliders’. I should be interested to know why she thinks they are misbehaving. There are few rules, apart from keeping out of airspace near airports and designated no-fly areas. These might be places like Royal palaces or sensitive areas such as Aldermaston. There has been a fairly recent extension of the area near Farnborough which affects gliders from Lasham.
Good to know you are on their cases Sarnia you tell’em! Mr AP a naughty glider umm I wonder but surely not 🫢
DeleteSOZ I am also sorry to hear you have lost your dear little cat we all know it will happen but a loss all the same 🥰
Archerphile how are you and Mr AP these days no update for awhile? How is your garden now after the work you had to have done near to your cottage? Any more thoughts on a move did the family discussion help (if it went ahead). What a lot of questions 🙃
ReplyDeleteWe still have difficult days where Mr R memory gets muddled always regarding living quarters and if
certain people who lived in them are still around, only since those hospital stays still waiting for a home assessment regarding Post Hospital Delirium! When things like any changed medication will be one thing discussed. Still ok on sport etc and reads daily paper and we talk of my family and neighbours etc even so it can be emotionally draining and not many people really want to get involved so that is why the blog is such a lifeline I love to hear about you all be it hopefully good news, funny happenings or sharing your own trials and tribulations.
“ Happy Easter Wishes” to you all 🐣💐🐣
AP I was under the impression that it was illegal to engage in gliding iñ the dark. Perhaps I was mistaken. These mentioned were all up after midnight.
ReplyDeleteAh I see. Hadn't noticed the time you were posting and hadn't realised they were up in the dark. I bet if it was a moonlight night it would be a meditative/mystical experience being up there. I have only once been up in a glider (as a treat, supposed to be a lesson but I was happy to let the instructor fly it and let me look at everything) and found it a remarkably peaceful experience.
DeleteThis morning heard my first cuckoo of the year.
ReplyDeleteNow to make up an Easter basket for tomorrow. Lots of coloured tissues and easter themed serviettes with the eggs waiting to be found amongst them. I always did one for my children and it somehow magically appeared in the garden from the Easter Bunny for them to find after church. I am under instructions not to make too big a basket as Max's mum is following our tradition and doing a basket for him as well! My daughter has sensibly got him an egg not made from chocolate and it has a variety of toy dinosaurs inside.
I also need to do a little something for our neighbour down the road's grandson who is 12. His grandma persuaded him some time ago to give some of his younger age toys to Max including the biggest bear I have ever seen. Since then Bear receives a little present from his past owner at Christmas and Bear reciprocates and with a card saying although he still loves him his new owner is kind to him and he is doing fine here. I wasn't expecting to return home yesterday to find an egg for Bear on the doorstep though. So grandson must be staying with his grandparents for Easter. Our local two shops don't have any bear shaped chocolate which is a pity so a bunny will have to do!
I'm just back from a wonderful meet-up with Big Sis with hubbie, two nieces, two great nieces and a great nephew. There was lots of laughter, fun and general chit-chats and it was wonderful that on arriving, the OZ niece was on a video call at the time!
ReplyDeleteWhat always amazes me, is just how well we all bond together, no matter with whom, when + where.
I feel so blessed.
Lunch was perfect - fish finger butties (salad cream on mine), followed my a delicious cheese-cake made by eldest great niece, nearly 14yrs mow.
It was a chocolate oreo biscuit base, the cream cheese filling + topped with a strawberry compote, also made from scratch with fresh strawberries. She certainly can cook and is showing a talent for it.
The rest of the weekend is quiet, but:-
Happy Easter to You All.
🐰🥚💐
What a wonderful day Miriam and your great niece has without a doubt inherited your talent and love of cooking her cheesecake sounds mouth watering - and I want some right now! 🫢
DeleteMy Easter Bunny was a letter from the hospital confirming the date for my surgery, which was given to me in a telephone call ten days ago.
ReplyDeleteI have to be at the hospital 25 miles from home at 7 am on Tuesday May 6th.
I have managed to get patient transport already organised, but since I’m currently getting to sleep sometime between four and six am I don’t think I shall be going to bed at all on the night of the 5th, because the transport will be picking me up at 5am.
I hope that all goes ahead as planned for you MrsP 🤞
DeleteGosh that is early Mrs P. Nice to get it done though and then have the summer and walks with Lady ahead of you.
DeleteHappy Easter everyone. 🐣
ReplyDelete🤞all goes to plan Mrs P with the surgery.
My excitement for Easter is I’m going to weed and feed the lawn today. I know how to live! Lol
All the best Mrs P be good to get that surgery done and out the way. Op day is usually a 7 - 7.15am check in but for the hospital to be 25 miles away is a right bummer I have to say 😱and like you plan to do I would stay up and just doze!
ReplyDeleteYes Happy Easter to you all, silent companions as well. 🎉 🐇🥚🐣🐥🌻
ReplyDeleteNo church today because we don't have a vicar at present, and our lovely 78 year old retired vicar who helps out is trying to keep 12 little village churches going, which is impossible.
We have decided the Easter Bunny had better not leave the basket in the garden until after dinner or someone won't eat any dinner!
We have sun on a Bank Holiday weekend - wheheee !
ReplyDeleteA happy Easter to all contributors to this blog, known or silent readers.
Many thanks for good wishes for my surgical date.
It will be interesting to report on my progress during the six weeks of recovery which I anticipate will be entirely housebound due to the difficult terrain around my home.
I might need some cheering up !
All three daughters are away on holiday with their families for Easter so we are having a quiet one at home away from the crowds. I'm making the most of the beautiful weather today to get some gardening done but still hoping for some proper rain in the near future as we've only had dribs and drabs recently. My plants are now struggling as I am with the watering.
ReplyDeleteMt's P. What wonderful news to read that you op. is all booked in, at last.
ReplyDeleteYou now have the time to sort out your care for afterwards - shopping, Lady + puss cat etc. plus help with the simplistic of things, such as cleaning, washing, ironing, and changing the bed!
I bet you'll soon get it all arranged.
Thanks Miriam.
DeleteI don’t have a cleaner, I’m pretty sure I will manage the washing, ironing as necessary, but changing the bed is already a challenge. My neighbour will do shopping and feed Puss while I’m in hospital and I think she would probably help with changing bed linen.
I have every expectation of mostly doing for myself as I’ve done for most of my life.
Not good at asking !
Good for you + the wonderful positive attitude, even if on crutches for awhile.
DeleteYou are in control.
Thank you ma’am
DeleteApologies Mrs P.
DeleteWhy the apology Miriam ?
DeleteMy ‘Thank you ‘ was in response to your compliment.
And it was genuine not sarcastic.
DeleteTBH. I did read it as sarcastic, hence my reply.
Delete❤️
For Sarnia, re naughty gliders. Mr H says it is a requirement, in the UK, that all gliders are on the ground at sundown, as determined by the official sunset time for the day. So if a glider really was in the air after sundown in Yorkshire it was ‘ilegal’
ReplyDeleteIt may well be different in other countries, where it has been known for glider endurance trials to continue after dark. There could be a time difference affecting that too.
Anyway, he says, no responsible pilot would want to be gliding after dark, particularly too dangerous trying to land.
Thank you for the clarification, AP. The Yorkshire one was logged at about 12.20 am and the continental ones in countries keeping UTC+2hrs, so all either illegal or daft.
DeleteJanice suggested a full moon, which according to my diary looks unlikely
What a tremendous hail storm today. It was one of those when all went white, and so quickly.
ReplyDeleteI posted a birthday card to my OZ niece today, but the cost of the postage was more than the cost of the card!
At least she'll get something through her letter box, personally sent from me, which is so important.
I agree Miriam for very special family and friends it is still a must (but must be a struggle for some now and will be at Christmas time!)
DeleteMy latest combined gas/electricity bill appeared in my in-box today. I downloaded it + opened it, with trepidation.
ReplyDeleteWhat a surprise as I'm still in credit by £20. As such my monthly payments will stay the same.
I'm so glad I wasn't tempted by the many offers of fixed rate tariffs, as the payments would now be more than by current one.
For once, my calculations worked out to my advantage. I have up-to-date smart meters, and the gizmo which "communicates" with these, gives me costs on weekly, monthly basis. I'm 😃
Recently looking closely at my combined E/G bill, I realised that with my fixed monthly payments the company was holding £600 or so of my money. I requested £300 to be returned.
DeleteAnd it was.
I conclude from this ( I am innumerate, so I understand the absolute minimum ) that their expectation of my usage is somewhat out of kilter.
We, and the whole village have no gas supply (almost unbelievable considering we are equidistant from 3 large towns/city in the south) so our only bills are for electricity, water and heating oil. We are always in excess for electricity and our monthly water bill payment has been reduced because apparently, we use so little! We get no charge for sewage disposal as we do not have mains drainage and use a septic tank. Fortunately, the price of oil is very low at the moment so our heating/hot water is surprisingly inexpensive. Though when the oil price was very high a couple of years ago it was a big expense. So, all in all, I think we are doing very well at the moment and I have no complaints.
DeleteThis year I did differently, in that the CH went on at 6.30am and off at 8.00pm, at an ambient temperature all day. If needed, the heat was boosted up for a short time. This actually worked out well + more cost effective. Yes, there were times I felt cold, but never for too long.
DeleteThere seems to have always been mixed opinions on that way of using CH Miriam.
DeleteI remember deep discussions upon the subject way back in the seventies.
I currently use my CH on manual demand, an hour or so in the morning, sometimes an hours boost around the middle of the afternoon, and then on in the evening.
When the sun is out it pours through my windows and internal glazing and is very hot, but the rear of the flat never gets sun so is always chilly.
I’ve not required the heating to be on all day since I’ve been here.
Mine was programmed to be on all day, but this doesn't mean it was actually on. It just meant it would keep my home at a constant temp. of 19C without having to put the fire on.
DeleteIt worked for me.
We've had some proper rain at last! The garden is looking much perkier but it wasn't enough to fill up the water buts much. My pelargonium cuttings in the conservatory are growing like mad now but can't go out for another few weeks. The pots are drying out very quickly, I'm hoping to get away without having to repot them 🤞
ReplyDeleteI’m preparing for a no-electricity day tomorrow. We have been warned by letter and phone call that our supply will be cut off from 8am to 6pm because new lines are to be connected cross country.
ReplyDeleteSo have fully charged up iPad & phone, got out anything we may need from the freezer (shouldn’t open it all day), put new batteries in our old radio for some entertainment and hope it will be a warm day so we can do without hot drinks and heating. Makes you realise how much we take electricity for granted!
You appear to be as organised as possible AP but oh dear 10hrs is a long time without one of life’s essentials. So many jobs or even leisure activities require electricity, household machines, TV, tech and of course heating. Keep a couple of throws to hand for warmth but it’s the no hot drinks that will be so awful to bear. Pity a snack/ drinks van has not been put in place. A long time ago we had a similar cut (even longer) and unexpected and a van was arranged with a hot meal we did not realise this had been put in place and went out for a meal at Weatherspoons!
DeleteI have a litre thermos flask, which if I know about an electricity cut, I fill will boiling water - at least I can get my coffee + tea fix...
DeleteArcherphile with your family’s scouting background, you should be rubbing two sticks together and heating a billy can over an open fire😉 (maybe not) . Fortunately the weather looks reasonable for the weekend but I agree, we don’t realise how dependent we are on electricity. On the farm we have a small generator in the milking parlour which takes over when there’s a cut.
DeleteHow are you getting on with your electric car CC?
I love the electric car Soz. We're having a smart meter fitted on13th May so are currently exploring the options for electric car tariffs, another complicated area it seems. The solar panels are providing most of the charge at the moment, but that won't be the case in winter.
DeleteI've just employed a gardener, to come and almost completely clear out + revamp my borders/flower beds in my back garden. This needs a big sort out, due to the dandelions, weeds, grass etc. which have now almost completely taken over.
ReplyDeleteCostly yes - but it will be worth to have it professionally done + cleared.
I can't wait to replan + replant it.
I found this local person on my local community f/b site, who has great recommendations. I think I might be paying too much, but I was happy with the person who understood exactly what I wanted done and will do as said.
As such, I don't care about the cost, as I just want to get my garden back to how it was last year.
I will still be doing what I can in the meantime to try to clear things.
“You get what you pay for” or so the saying goes Miriam, and therefore I am with you all the way and wish you joy in planning and planting your new garden 🌷🌸🌺🌻
DeleteAP: I can confirm that night gliding is illegal for in both France and Belgium, so the idiot who has been up around Grenoble for the last two hours (2am-4am their time) is definitely out of order!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor those who wish to know how the other half live:
ReplyDeleteA Spanish glider pilot has just spent ALL NIGHT creeping around at a speed of 4kts, 1,400ft above Málaga. How cold must that be!
The French one at 800ft over Grenoble, also all night, doesn't seem to manage more than a majestic 1kt, ie little more than hanging around motionless. Perhaps that's less boring when you're 800ft up
I simply don’t understand this at all Sarnia! I can’t help wondering if there is a problem with Flight Radar showing activity inaccurately. Why should any glider pilot want to spend all night flying in the dark and cold, constantly alert and having to concentrate on flying a glider which needs concentration at all times, monitoring air pressure, wind direction etc etc. You can’t just sit in the cockpit and let the thing fly itself with the automatic controls a small plane might have.
DeleteMay I suggest a query to Flight Radar about these sightings to find out if they are accurate or could be a technical error showing data left over from a flight going on in the daytime?
There is one other possibility and that is chart information collection. If you ever notice a flight trail going back and forth over the same area for several hours it may be a flight that is collecting topographical information for the authorities that issue flight charts and for the location of such things as radar equipment.
Apart from that, we are mystified. Good luck with your continued research, we shall be very interested to find the answer.
I was interested so looked up night flying gliders, and it might be either something called an Arcus J or a Bocian.
DeleteI wonder if glider nightflying has similar relaxing meditative effects to a flotation tank, cutting out a lot of the sensory stimulation of being in daylight, although presumably the pilot would still have to stay alert enough to fly the thing.
DeleteFor the first time in decades I lost my keys yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI took lady to her temporary carers, came home to pack and was ready to leave to drive to Bath at around three. It was five before I finally sat behind the wheel, able to set off.
I searched the house, the drawer where I keep keys, unpacked every bag, and the interior of the car, each place thoroughly and twice.
Finally siting down and tracking my movements from the time I arrived home from leaving Lady, I found them on a shelf near the back gate, where I must have put them down when I put poo bags there for a friend to collect.
Then on the journey which is a long wriggle through the county from far south west to north east I got lost three times, due to road works and new buildings and the loss of familiar landmarks.
I wound up arriving at daughters at well past eight, where SIL, jet lagged from an overnight flight from his office in Washington, kindly cooked a meal for me, daughter being out at a supper club evening.
I really felt a loss of confidence by the time I arrived.
I'm sorry to hear about your fraught experience MrsP. Road works are a pain and they seem to be everywhere these days. I hope that you aren't put off driving by what happened.
ReplyDeleteA ⭐️ for even attempting the drive Mrs P although you do appear to be quite an intrepid motorist 😄
DeleteMrs P. No wonder you felt like you did. I expect many of us would feel exactly the same after such a journey.
ReplyDeletePut it down to just a hiccup. Most importantly, enjoy your stay with family and relax.
My story of lost keys, which I think I must have told before, but it's not recent.
ReplyDeleteI had an appointment at the hospital. eye clinic and always use taxis, as never know if eyes will be dilated.
On sitting in the taxi returning home, I went into my bag to get my house keys out + ready - None!
I knew that they weren't at eye clinic, so must have been left in the previous taxi. Long story short, they were in the taxi office and I paid for a taxi to deliver them to me, whilst I waited. As my car is keyless, my car key card was in a separate RFID "wallet" in my bag, so I could sit in my car..
One of these days, I'll get a keysafe put somewhere, with spare keys for the house doors.
I think this is sensible, so all it'll need is to give someone the code, rather than having spare keys spread around.
May I add another post...
ReplyDeleteAs you all know, I see the Beluga XL very often as to where I live.
On going to get into the car on Friday, I heard it (it's quite distinctive), looked up + WOW! It flew directly over my home and was so low I felt I could reach up + touch it.
It was a magnificent sight. I immediatly though of both AP + Sarnia.
I've seen this strange plane so many times, but this was so very different.
The Caission Garden we visited this afternoon was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteDifferent to The Newt CC.
Very natural planting and the eye of a designer in every way, but with natural rather than formalised techniques.
Masses of white tulips in some formal beds but lots too in grass.
I particularly loved the tall camassias in long grass. So effective.
And the canals and locks, a very special rill, as well as a pond with literally thousands of tadpoles.
The couple Phil and Amanda have worked so hard to create this wonderland and were very hands on in sharing with their visitors.
I highly recommend any one near enough to visit, in Combe Hay just south of Bath.
This was a booked event but they also open for the National Garden Scheme.
I shall bear that in mind MrsP when I visit my daughter who lives near Bath.
DeleteThis morning I had a visit from a very creaky gentleman who came shuffling in on his walking frame. He said, Hello' very shyly, presented me with a plastic rose half-inched from an arrangement in the dining room and shuffled out again.
ReplyDeleteApparently this is Fred, who periodically takes a flower from the dining room and presents it to the lady of his choice. Today it was my turn!
As I never leave my room (airline not long enough) I wondered how he knew I was here.
What a lovely man. He would have been a good husband I think.
DeleteWho knows what he might have been like before the dementia got to work.
DeleteSarnia have you seen the film Quartet with Maggie Smith and Pauline Collins? It’s set in a Nursing home for musicians, some with dementia of varying degrees. Your morning visit from creaky gentleman with flower reminded me of the film. Worth watching.
DeleteIt's good viewing with a magnificent cast.
DeleteSarnia - Have you asked if there is a longer air-line available?
DeleteOh, Miriam, if only you knew! I already have nine yards of line curling round all over the place to get my wheelchair to my bathroom. It wraps itself round the carers' ankles, gets tangled up with the wheels of the tables and sometimes gets jammed in the mechanism of the reclining chair. That cuts off the air supply and causes the pump to start shrieking, which sounds a lot like the fire alarm...
DeleteMrs P is it worth you buying a key finder to attach to your car keys? Someone gave my daughter one. If you whistle it beeps. Admittedly it has to be within hearing range of your whistle as you wander around looking, but it might be useful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion Janice, but as I think I said, it’s the first time in decades that I’ve lost any keys.
DeleteI’m usually very disciplined in putting them where they should be.
As a child I frequently lost things to my mothers ire !
I taught myself during my teenage years to be a lot more disciplined in that department and have been ever since.
Janice/Sarnia - my gliding insider tells me an Arcus J is a type of glider but also has a jet engine so would be able to use that to assist flying. However a Bocian is a Polish two-seater training glider and highly unlikely to be flown at night. There is one at Lasham which is rarely used nowadays.
ReplyDeleteAnd for Miriam…..today is the 20th Anniversay of the first flight of the A380! Amazing for us to remember that our son was there on that day as we watched on TV. He was then in the team that flew around the world, demonstrating the plane and gaining sales. I cannot believe that was 20 year ago!
ReplyDeleteWOW! What an amazing memory and you must be so proud of your son, both then + now.
DeleteI saw one on a very low flight on it's way to Aerospace Broughton, to do a flight pass. It couldn't land as the runway is far too small.
We had three trips to Singapore when our daughter lived there, all of them on an A380. I'm not a fan of flying especially long haul, but the comfortable A380 made it more tolerable for me. I'm glad that we only have to go to Oxfordshire to visit her now!
DeleteWhatever we say about GP surgeries + appointments, I've had fantastic service today.
ReplyDeleteLast week - normal blood tests.
Today - normal yearly hypertension check - but no. More repeat blood tests and message to book hypertension check plus a GP face-to- face appointment to discuss these 2nd blood test results.
The person came with me to reception to book these in.
The hypertension check was done just 90mins later, and all totally OK.
A GP appointment as to these 2nd blood tests - Friday afternoon.
It shows what can be done!
I'm not too worried, as it is seems my blood is too thick, plus higher levels than expected of iron and vit. B12. At least it'll get addressed in whatever way and it shows GP surgery is doing their job. Everything else was absolutely normal..so it's wait + see.
I couldn't fault my recent experience with the NHS. I had a problem over the Easter weekend so phoned the GP on Tuesday morning. I was given an appointment at 10.15 am that day and had an urgent referral to a specialist clinic. I was seen in that clinic on the Friday of the same week. I had tests done and was reassured that all was OK on the same day.
DeleteAfter living here for almost three years now, I finally made it up to the folly at Dunster yesterday.
DeleteI’ve managed about one third a few months ago, but yesterday after my B12 injection and some bloods taken ( yet again ! ) I decided that a (very) slow walks in the woods would be a good idea.
I took the massive hill very slowly with small steps and Lady waited patiently for me each time I had to stop, but we made it to the top in about 45 minutes.
A climb I shall not repeat, but feel good about achieving once.
And I heard a cuckoo on the way down.
Trying now to get lots of small jobs done in the run up to my six weeks of inactivity after my surgery. I also have to use a body wash for five days starting tonight with clean clothes daily and bedding washed as well three days in as well as clean bedding tonight.
Thank goodness for this fantastic weather.
Well stocked up with pet food as neighbour, although willing to get pet food, nearly always manages to get the wrong stuff.
That seems a lot of organising, and for the changing of bedding + what about the changing of towels?
DeleteIt will be so worth it.
Remind me, what date is your op?
Luckily you are so fit, you can do all this yourself, tedious though it might be!!
Wow Mrs P I am worn out just reading your post on both counts! How you managed that climb with your bad ankle I do not know! As for all the changing of bedding some older people would not be able to manage that especially if bad weather and no dryer…..
Deletebut it has to be done so onwards and upwards 👏🏻
PS you have lived in your abode for 3 yrs now! Unbelievable only seems about a year to 18 myhs max to me!
ReplyDeleteOh yes !
DeleteTowels as well Miriam.
It’s all to do with infection control.
Next Tuesday 6 th
Lady R.
I couldn’t live here and never climb up to Coniger Tower. That would be shameful, and yes changing the bedding is a challenge, but has to be done.
But I do it in stages now, with rests in between each stage.
I so agree with Lady R, as to 3yrs. Like Her Ladyship 😄, I also would have said it wouldn't be more than 2yrs.
DeleteNow who was it who moved after you, into her ideal property, after a long wait?
Well done Mrs P.
DeleteI hope that all goes well with your preparations for surgery MrsP.
It was Mistral Miriam.
DeleteOff Topic
ReplyDeleteAre there any VE day celebrations happening, where all you loving people live?.
I so remember the 75th, 5 yrs ago as it was still in the Pandemic lockdown and all were isolated. It was done with neighbours, waving at all + eating our own individual food. There were 🇬🇧 on properties, but then this might have been to do with the situation we were all in at the time.
This 80th one seems so low key in comparison, which is a shame.
Don't forget the extra TA listens, based on the 3rd book about Ambridge at that time.
The first episode is on Sunday at 3.00pm with the 2nd one a week later. I believe though, that the 2nd episode will be available on Sounds, as soon as the 1st has been broadcast. I'm looking forward to hear what current actors play. Don't quote me, but I think David plays Dan..
Search for:-
DeleteBBC Media The Archers VE day.
There's a good article on this, if it's of interest that is.
Celebrations for VE day, organised by the town council, are happening. There's nothing unofficial happening in our neighborhood Miriam.
DeleteGood luck with your op Mrs.P. I imagine you will find it difficult keeping still for six eeks afterwards...
ReplyDeleteMiriam, I moved to Devon from Durham last June, almost a year here, unbelievable.
No street parties that I know of though.
I heard the cuckoo, which comes every year this week. I always have mixed feelings when I hear it as I read that the cuckoo ejects the eggs of the bird in the nest in order to put its own. On the other hand it also means that spring has arrived.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing the swifts again. We watch them swooping around when we're sitting in the conservatory.
ReplyDeleteThe swallows are here. I haven’t seen any swifts yet but they may be here, I’ll ask those who are outside nearly 24 hours this time of year. Tractors are everywhere at the moment doing a first cut.
ReplyDeleteMrs P I’m so glad you’ve made it up to Coniger Tower. I can walk a fair way if I use my 3 wheeler to push; it has a seat if you feel tired. A few weeks ago I was determined to go out to Swyre Head in Dorset. It was late in the day and there was a cold wind - not very pleasant but I thought Mrs P would make it and , with much shouting at myself, I did it. The return with the wind at my back, was sweet.
Happy Mayday everyone! I am off to Padstow where the maypole will be decorated , the streets criss crossed with flags, and the drums and dancing teams will be going all day and evening. I haven't the energy to jig along all day as I did when young though!
ReplyDeleteMy friend here is with the Morris team and today at dawn they would have done a circular parade, passing by me. I heard the drums practicing while I was gardening last evening and hoped I would wake as they came down the hill this morning.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t !
Singing with choir on the beach this evening.
Soz :
I’m very happy to inspire you.
Thank you for telling us.
I will look up Swyre Head and see if I ever walked there when I was living at Furzebrook.
Swyre Head is between Kimmeridge and Chapmans Pool. I walk from Kingston. When I was fit I would do the round walk from Kingston including all three.
DeleteYes I’ve looked it up but think I never did it.
DeleteI’m pleased for you Soz that you were able to revisit your walk however much of a challenge it was.
We met up with friends today for lunch and a walk. They have swallows nesting in their barn again this year and we saw them flying in and out this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone watching the new series of Race Round the World?
ReplyDeleteI can’t say I have particularly taken to any of the couples yet but they certainly have a very difficult route to cover. Through China, Nepal and India - the language problems must make things very difficult apart from everything else they face.
Yes, we are watching this. Amazing scenery. The difference between rural and cities is unbelievable. Love seeing it on tv but wouldn’t want to go there.
Delete(Have just altered picture to show top of the Padstow maypole with its miniature hobby hoss on the top)
ReplyDeleteIf anyone ever comes to Padstow it is worth the climb up the hill to visit Prideaux Place. The Mayday dancing teams dance through and in the grounds, and sitting on the grass bank in the sunshine there was lovely. On Mayday you can wander around the gardens without having to pay. Lots of bluebells, a camellia hedge, and an ongoing restoration of the gardens with follies, an ancient dairy, and a lime avenue, and the more unusual yellow honeysuckle azaleas, and friendly gardeners plus a deer park.
DeleteGorgeous pic Janice such a pretty Maypole and perfect weather too 😄
DeletePerhaps not many cinema goers on this thread, but if any are planning to go to see The Salt Path - in cinemas from this week - just a reminder that the Coastal Path being walked - the thrust of the story - starts here in Minehead and features many of my regular walks.
ReplyDeleteThe film is projected to increase tourism in the area of West Somerset and North Devon, as the book has already achieved.
Having read the book I would like to see it.
DeleteI wonder Janice if the film will show your area of the path too ?
DeleteIncidentally while the official path starts here in Minehead, the official halfway mark with a large board showing a local poem, is at my daughters local beach on The Lizard peninsula.
I think it’s Porthallow.
I’m afraid I do get those Cornish names very mixed up.
What an Antiques Road show tonight. It so interested me but at the same time, gave me chills and not in a good way.
ReplyDeleteI was very moved.
ReplyDeleteWe have had our usual visit from the cuckoo this week. I always feel sorry for the poor bird that has to bring it up.
80 years ago this week I was being carried on my mothers hip outside Buckingham Palace.
ReplyDeleteI don’t remember that, but I do remember the street party and the line of tables all down the middle of Killearn Road in Catford SE6.
I think I was rather bemused by it all at three years of age.
Mt's. P. Everything will go well tomorrow and at last it is finally being done.
ReplyDeleteTake Care + do as you're told!
Yes Ma am !
DeleteDitto Mrs P 😉
DeleteThinking of you and good luck Mrs P.
DeleteYou’ve been waiting so patiently for this Mrs P. Enjoy being waited on while you’re in hospital and here’s to a comfortable and problem free convalescence.
DeleteMrs. P, hope it all goes well for tomorrow, and that you manage to get some sleep whilst you are in hospital - their routines are very different time-wise to yours! Good luck and take care.
DeleteCalling all jam and pickle makers how long do they last? I am talking Damson Jam, Marmalade, Tomato Chutney and Spiced pickled runner beans all bequeathed to me by a friend with a big veg garden and a love of cooking but still have some in the cupboard 🤔
ReplyDeleteNow that is the kind of friend to have!
DeleteWell my mum's blackberry jam stored on top of the kitchen cabinet had some jars right at the back that was edible after several years. You scraped off the top where the sugar had crystallised, and the occasional bit of mould and it tasted fine and myself and my brother didn't seem to come to any harm. BUT I should wait until someone else more health and safety conscious gives you advice. Sugar and vinegar are both natural preservatives.
Lady R, I am getting through some National Trust fruit curd that has a Best Before End of May 2022. As long as things look and smell o.k. I will eat them. I am more careful with Use By dates on fish though.
ReplyDeleteLady R
ReplyDeleteIf you have not opened some of the jars just store them until your ready to consume them. They will be fine.
The ones you have opened will need to be used up, but you don’t need to be in a hurry. They are unlikely to go off. Most home jam/ pickle makers will be using more than enough sugar - jam and vinegar- pickles to ensure that the fruit or vegetable is well and truly preserved.
About fifteen years ago I found some damson jam that I had made in the mid seventies. It was delicious !
As for Janice scraping off the crystallised top ?
Are you mad Janice - that’s the best part !
Just realised I’ve got half a jar of something in my larder that is crystallised.
I’ll have a look….. a hand written label - made July 2017.
Incidentally, if any of the jams or marmalade do crystallise then I use it up in casseroles. And I always keep the empty jars of anything and then add them to any casserole. Just pour boiling water into the jar to rinse it round and use the juice.
Mrs P to borrow your quote to Janice “are you mad Mrs P” use in casseroles as I recall yourself Lanjan and moi are not favourites of the kitchen stove 🤣😂🥲
DeleteThank you each and every one for your good wishes for tomorrow……. Oh no, today.
ReplyDeleteIt’s 4 o’clock now and the driver is coming at five forty five to take me to hospital.
As predicted I have not been to bed. Everything is packed and my home is in good order - well, as ordered as it’s ever likely to be. Lady is with her lovely friend who she adores, and instructions have been written for feeding the cat. I’ve had mushrooms on toast and I’m drinking my final cup of tea.
I hope to sleep in the car.
I will post that I’m still alive sometime tomorrow.
We shall all look forward to celebrating your renewal of life and a successful operation 😄
DeleteThank you all for your jam and pickles advice I knew I could count on you all👏🏻
ReplyDeleteI’ve died and come to HEAVEN !
ReplyDeleteExplanation later.
Unless you are contacting us from the other side it sounds like you are safely through the op. Well done you and hope you are able to get some sleep.
ReplyDeleteWhat's it like, Mrs P? I have a vested interest in this!
ReplyDelete😀 your wit has not deserted you Sarnia.
ReplyDeleteSarnia
ReplyDeleteI think you might already have the version of heaven I’m referring to.
I’m in the private wing, in a large room with a large window and a tree outside - I can see birds hopping in and out - served perfect tuna sandwiches - NOT mashed with mayonnaise - and a small side salad, and most importantly a quiet calm environment.
There wasn’t a vacant bed on the orthopaedic ward !
Your wit must be sustaining you I think, and I’m thrilled each time I see you post.
Mrs P
I'm probably in the second circle of heaven: the tuna IS mixed with mayonnaise and I'm not sure the birds get side salad as well.
ReplyDeleteI think we have the ingredients for a play(radio or visual)/film. Feel like writing a script Sarnia?
ReplyDeleteYou want surreal?
DeleteCould work Sarnia
DeleteNot a chance! Too busy editing the second draft, juggling poems and pictures to fit the required pagination - and getting the right ones in the right chapter, which then upsets the whole applecart again.
DeleteSounds as though you have more than enough to do at the moment. It was just a throw away comment really but I do think your sharp wit could lead to some very funny dialogue.
DeleteIt’s so good to hear that you are well on the way towards publication - this may well be the best one yet.
Any chance of an ‘About the Author’ page possibly including photo? (Not being demanding or anything!) 🙂
DeleteHello, Maryellen, fancy seeing you here!
DeleteIt's good to hear from you MrsP now you're out on the other side of your operatioin and in such lovely surroundings.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your stay Mrs P . Is it like a hip which has to be used straight away or do you have to take it slowly and very gradually put weight on it?
ReplyDeleteNo weight bearing for two weeks.
DeleteA break cast until local anaesthetic ( in addition to GA ) wears off, then full cast for the two weeks.
That has been done this morning.
Physios and OT want me up and home today, but medical team assure me I will not be discharged until safe to do so. Probably tomorrow.
Although an NHS patient I’m on a private wing and I’m very comfortable.
I worked hard with the gutter frame yesterday and as a result my shoulders and core very sore today. But also managed three trips to the lavatory independently in the night. I’m also cutting back already on pain relief, but assured I will be able to take home opioid for a few days relief.
No worries tho’ I’ve never taken to drugs !
In two weeks back to clinic to have cast removed, sutures out and a boot fitted for four weeks weight bearing recovery time.
Good news : they have now developed a tablet form of blood thinners to avoid the awful stabbing oneself in the stomach, who’s I found horrendous when I had my knee op.
I do hope you are safely back home and coping Mrs P.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you can now take a tablet instead of injecting yourself; I soon found it difficult to find an unpunctured spot on my tummy.
The hawthorn has been spectacular this year, as has wisteria. In my garden the roses are covered in buds and should be a mass of blooms by June.(I have 25 roses altogether, many of them well over 20 years old - I was trying to create another Mottisfont in a small space!). I am trying to keep on top of the weeds. Bind weed is a pest as it smothers other plants so you only see the bind weed. You only have to leave a tiny piece in the ground for it to survive.
We were at RHS Bridgewater yesterday and I noticed that the hawthorn there had masses of blooms on them. I really like hawthorn trees of which there are a lot on our local riverside walk.
DeleteI’m going to RHS Bridgewater this next Tuesday for the first time.
ReplyDeleteAny advice Cheshire cheese on must see bits or what to have in the cafe!
Where to start? The welcome garden is looking good. The candelabra primulas in the Chinese Streamside Garden are just coming into their best. The Paradise garden is at an in between stage and suffering from the lack of water in the lily pool and rills, but worth a look just for the sheer magnificence of an 11 acre walled garden.
DeleteFood wise it depends on what you want. There is plenty to choose from in the main cafe and the wooden roof in there is a sight to behold! There is also a pizza place in the stables cafe within the garden.
I hope that you have a lovely day.
It’s white Hawthorn outside my window here, and yes I’m still in hospital.
ReplyDeleteAgree hawthorn is spectacular this year.
It was Hawthorne that my daughter and I identified as the underplanting at the Cassion Garden. So effective, and presumably clipped to keep low growing, and very pretty.
Your roses sound wonderfully Soz.
50 years ago I had a half acre garden with a long front drive too. The roses and double mock orange in the bed on the drive were over 100 years old then.
Bliss !
Because of the fir trees overhanging my present garden the resulting acidic soil is suiting the roses very well, and at some point someone must have chosen some very exotic stripy varieties, which I’m delighted to have inherited.
Last year I collected and dried all the rose petals from my garden and dried them and I intend to do the same again this year. They are packed away to be used to scatter on my grave when I am buried.
I’ve been ready to go home for two days, but getting a home care plan in place is holding my discharge up.
I attempted to organise care at home weeks ago, but was told not to worry, that would all be done once I was in hospital. I’m worried that I’m bed blocking, but the senior nurse has just assured me that I’m not, and that this issue should not be my concern.
But it is !
Anyway, not going home today I’m told.
Just concentrate on getting well MrsP and let the people whose job it is worry about organising the home care.
DeleteMake the most of having your food cooked and being looked after.
ReplyDeleteIt is the concern of the government, and only when they truly take onboard the fact there aren't enough beds and that voters are getting cross will they attempt to do anything about it.
I have a hawthorn with double red flowers that was my mother's and it is lovely in spring.
Oh Janice I do envy you your double red hawthorn. On the farm we have a few pink ones but no red. We’ve just driven down to the south coast and back; many of the roads, minor and motorways, were lined with hawthorn - simple and beautiful.
DeleteI'm currently sitting in the conservatory being serenaded by a blackbird. It's very relaxing.
ReplyDeleteWell, 1.09am central European time and the French and German gliders are out in force. There are even several around Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to think that Janice might be right, and they're all up there howling at the moon!
Is my device malfunctioning or am I the only one left?
ReplyDeleteI’m a longtime lurker from BBC
DeleteArchers blog and have never responded before but I didn’t want to think you were the only one left. Sending best wishes and grateful thanks to you and all bloggers for such inspiring content over the years.
Wonderful to hear from you, Jande. Thank you for your encouragement and support.
DeleteYou are most welcome.
DeleteWelcome from me too Jande.
DeleteSarnia spoke for me too regarding lack of posts.
Being in hospital right now has meant that I’m frequently looking to talk to my friends on this blog to find that there are few if any posts.
Lady R in particular seems to have been silent for days and this indicates that she is overloaded with concerns and practicalities for Lord Rs health.
Know that I am thinking of you and sending warm and hopeful thoughts your way LadyR, as I’m sure many of us are.
ARCHERPHILE is possibly getting to grips with mastering Rightmove and the concerns that house hunting and downsizing brings in the wake of making THE decision.
Sarnia seems to be back to form posting more than might be expected given the publication of the new book and keeping her eyes on the goings on in the lower heavens of the UK and Europe in general.
Miriam is less evident than usual but CC is keeping us up to date with goings on around Cheshire.
We all still miss LanJan even after such a long time, but appreciate the updates via PtbY.
Even Soz and Janice have been a little quiet recently.
I imagine gardening has become of greater priority and preference in this balmy weather.
Forgive me for wittering on……. I’m stuck on top of a hospital bed bored out of my increasingly shrinking brain.
Thrilled to see your long post Mrs P and Sarnia too bless you both. Off to do Mr R’s ablutions but I will be back later. Your messages have meant so much lifted tired spirits
Delete🥰 I also miss Lanjan very much but welcome JANDE so thoughtful of you to keep Sarnia company 🙏🏼
Thank you all for your kind welcome comments. AmbridgeMrsP - I do love a good witter and hope your convalescence goes well 🌷
DeleteHello Jande. It is nice to hear of other people who are listening in, our silent companions. I silently read the blog for quite a while before joining in.
ReplyDeleteMrs P I think it is a jolly good job they are keeping you in because that way you will have to rest and I suspect if you were at home you would be trying to run before you could walk.
I have been busy, not working so much on my garden, although I have planted some broad beans and cabbages and outdoor tomatoes, but working on the garden of a little cottage that is normally rented out long term. Since 2019 when I was ill I have put it with a local letting agent but am still involved with things. Long saga but there was a disastrous choice of tenants by the agent ( very nice but newly started) a mother with teenage boys who didn't go to school, spent much time smoking in the bus shelter, and skateboarded indoors wrecking the floors, and with lots of complaints by the neighbours. Thankfully they then moved, and then there was a nice young man for four years but he became ill and moved back to be near his family leaving all his furniture as he intended to come back but then couldn't, so things have been a bit chaotic for a while. So the garden had got massively overgrown. I paid someone to come in and cut back the undergrowth and the mile a minute privet hedges, but have been tackling the borders and clearing the little pond myself. I originally had raised borders like my own put in for vegetable growing etc.
There is light at the end of the tunnel now. I have been much more proactive with the agent this time round saying I want to know all about any prospective tenant before they are accepted and there is someone moving in on friday who does like gardening. A mother with two girls 11 and 8 , by herself but with a supportive father who lives close by and with whom she runs the local linen/laundry service. They do the holiday park laundry so my daughter knows they are a nice family. Her mother died unexpectedly only a couple of months ago, and when she came with her dad to look at the cottage there was a robin on the hedge singing to them and she was convinced it was sent by her mum to say this was the right place!
ReplyDeleteAs for today, some friends are down on holiday in Cornwall and are coming for the afternoon so yesterday evening I was baking sausage rolls and a cherry cake and in a short while I shall be pushing a hoover round and desperately trying to tidy the front room and organise Max's toys into one corner instead of strewn everywhere. At least it is sunny so with luck I can persuade them up to the swing seat and bench in the field where there is a nice view down to the sea.
Mrs. P. Is heaven wearing thin? How are you feeling now? Do you know what your discharge plan is yet?
ReplyDeleteI had a consultation about cataracts last week, at a private clinic via the NHS. They declined to treat me as too high-risk, so I was shunted back onto the waiting-list again, which is annoying.
Also my car needs emergency treatment so I'm a bit uggghh at the moment
One good thing is that I have accidentally found my passport which had been displaced due to having the flat decorated, all my possessions now in one room, it's been like moving in all over again, and despite the mess and chaos I can only clear up in very short bursts. I think a prolonged period of rain would really help as I wouldn't be able to escape outside...oh well, this time next month it will all be a distant memory -I hope!
Lovely to hear from you Jande. I wonder how many more people there are who read but don't post.
ReplyDeleteI know that it gets frustrating and boring in hospital MrsP but do try and make the most of your enforced rest, it will help your recovery.
I'm struggling with keeping things watered in the garden. Our water company has asked us to conserve water as the reservoirs are getting low. My water in buts have been empty for 2 weeks so I've watering the vegetables and pelargonium cuttings to try and keep them going. The rest of the garden is looking very dry and withered but I will just have a review at the end of the season. What a difference from last year!
We had a frustrating morning. They came to put a smart meter in but, as they are three times the size of our existing one, it wouldn't fit in the electricity cupboard! Not sure where we go from here.
Hello again as promised here I am. Wondering how your day has been Mrs P? As has been said make the most of being fed and watered while you are there. I guess it will be the physios who will have a large say in when you can go home and safely manage by yourself.
ReplyDeleteSarnia any new flights noted? it is very interesting to read your findings and even more so for the likes of AP and Mr AP!
Anyone else had rain today? We had some this afternoon also a clap or two of thunder, but still sticky outside. Oh dear summertime due soon as everyone knows is not my favourite season pray not in the 30’s 😱
Still mixed days here for Mr R memory wise, can be clear as a bell or very confused which can last all day or for 2-3 hour spell, always to do with where currently living which reverts back to the hospital stays and much moving about whist coping with infections. We have a home health visitor coming here to see him on June 2nd to access and go through all medical issues and medication- often changed in hospital! When anyone pops in usually hard to tell the problem is there. Unfortunately even knowing it is currently an issue is enough for people to back off which can be hard and why popping in and reading the blog is such an important thing for me. Thank goodness for it KP!!!
Like you Mrs P I wonder how AP and Mr AP are faring sorting a house move alongside their own health issues must be exhausting that’s for sure. Well that’s the end of my wittering on as Mrs P would say 🤭 Bless you all.
Lady R I agree this blog is a lifeline at times when you need to escape from the reality of life around you and hear about other people’s lives - their highs and lows - it helps to give another perspective on our own problems. I do hope you manage to get a break sometimes. When I was helping my sister, who I loved totally and was definitely not a burden, but I was with her 24/7, the odd occasion when someone came and sat with her for an hour or two so I could go somewhere away from the cottage, made a big difference for me. I hope the home health visitor can help solve the medication issues.
Delete🙏🏼 thank you Soz your words are so right.
DeleteGood to hear from you Jande. It’s kind of comforting to think that this lifeboat is still bobbing along full of those who like to chat while some are happier dipping in occasionally , and some who just like to read the comments and be silent members of the crew. Thanks KP for keeping us afloat.
ReplyDeleteMrs P your brain is definitely not shrinking and I agree with Janice, if you were at home you probably would have been over ambitious and put extra strain on your ankle thus delaying your recovery.
ReplyDeleteThere are pros and cons to a private room in hospital. My experience was first of all the severe trauma unit which was so busy, noisy and a nightmare; then I was in a single room which was small and I felt lonely; I was then moved to a larger ward where I could chat and share stories with others. Finally I went to a small cottage hospital which was heaven. There were 4 of us in a light airy room and we got on very well - we looked out for each other and for me, that was the place where real progress was made.
I do hope you’ll be home soon. Is it because they are finding it impossible to arrange the right care for you once you’re home?
Mrs P if you are bored have you tried playing Mahjong solitaire online ( if you have brought something with you that can access the internet that is). I doubt very much if your brain is shrinking but there have been studies done showing that mahjong expands the brain, and generally improves brain health, memory etc. It can be quite strategic.
ReplyDeleteAfter yesterday's rearranging of the dust and then entertaining I played it to unwind.
There is another online game that is really daft, looking for cleverly hidden little cats in different landscapes that might appeal if really bored. Every time you find a cat it miaows and it really puzzled Tiger to begin with.
For anyone interested, a new series of Canal Boat Diaries starts on Monday 19th at 8.00pm on the U&Yesterday channel.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you for that info cc 👏🏻😄🛶
DeleteAlready set the recorder!!
DeleteThank you all for your messages and suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI do play ‘games ‘ on my IPad.
Sudoku - a ball game which is challenging and which I’ve become addicted to - puzzles, I screen shot any picture that appeals to me then use that as a puzzle - Wordle of course. And I read an awful lot of newspaper articles, news and current affairs, sociology, psychology, the list could go on, but I won’t.
I might slip into a split infinitive and get told off again by Sarnia 😉 tho with wit, of course !
The hold up is a D2A which I was advised to ask for by the friend who has been a in the care field in the past.
( that friend Simon is now way out of the picture, homeless again and living in his van after a couple of months respite with some kind people. I am still supporting him via message, as is my daughter, but I am fearful each day that he will choose to end his life, but as a firm believer in personal choice it is not a burden for me to continue to support when I can without excessive worry )
It transpires that the D2A takes time to complete its way through a system, but on Monday I was told about micro provision and followed through on information given to me, spending Monday evening writing formal emails with personal information. I had spoken briefly with a very confident Co ordinator “ oh yes we can do that for you in hours “ and she had given me a link to a “ fantastic “ social worker, who the next morning, very early, sent an email telling me that she was sorry but wasn’t able to operate in my area !
Eventually yesterday a hospital social worker came to see me and now the process has begun, six days after my initial request.
This convoluted system is what is leading to the bed blocking situation that we all know about, and which some of you have told me I should try to put aside from my thoughts.
However amongst all the hard work I’m doing, endless phone calls and texts and emails I’ve now managed to get arrangements for Lady to be transferred to another person who will look after her should I continue to be here until next week, and another woman has come on board volunteering to walk her a couple of times a week.
Of course all this activity is ensuring my brain is not shrinking, nevertheless I’m grateful for the confidence you all have in me that it’s not !
Janice - the one prominent Ukrainian woman here in Minehead Svetlana, who seems to have enough energy to keep her community alive in Minehead despite the stresses of working as a cleaner in Butlins - she is a lawyer! - and keeping her children going, while her husband is fighting back home - wanted to see Clovelly and Tintagel, so the couple who will be having Lady later this week took her for a brief trip, and of course she loved it.
Janice - I have not forgotten that my next foray to Cornwall must include Tintagel, I too very much want to walk across that bridge. Last time I stood up top on the woodland walk above Clovelly but accept that I am unlikely ever to be able to walk up or indeed down that steep cobbled hill, unless there is a donkey available to carry me. I would enjoy that experience.
Wittering again but with content I hope.
If you have…….. thanks for reading !
Oh and to Jande…. As you have read, many of us lurk long before we start to post regularly.
Now you have come out of the woodwork I hope you will choose to post again and bring new and different enthusiasm to our friendly blog.
Oh dear ….. that’s a very long post…. I’m sorry, just scroll on if it’s not what you want to read.
ReplyDeleteNo way read right through with interest ⭐️
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteHello everyone. Been a bit quiet here recently and now I have masses to read to catch up with everyone’s news.
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know our circumstances - we have found 2 good house cleaners (mother & daughter) to come and do basic cleaning for us. And even more useful, an excellent young gardener/handyman who will get the garden back in shape after the recent devastation caused by the digging of new soak away. He will do 2 or 3 whole days to work on various areas, then come regularly to maintain it as it used to be, before we became too unfit to manage.
On the moving front - constantly scanning all the websites, local estate agents etc but have not found anywhere suitable at a price we want to afford. So we have been considering a retirement village of which there are many around the country, and now have a a pile of brochures to go through. Some big decisions to be made - do we want to buy outright, go for shared rental or simply rent a property. Pros and cons for each option. There is one near Romsey that looks beautiful and another in Corsham , Wilts we like the look of. Also one near Newton Abbot where you can have your own little allotment of raised beds to grow salad stuff, strawberries etc. We could manage that! But even if you buy your own apartment, cottage, or bungalow outright there are the monthly maintenance/ service charges which can amount to over £1000 per month, so very careful financial planning is required. Some villages will buy your existing property from you thus saving a lot of hard and frustrating house selling activities.
But having the help where we are now is allowing us not to have to rush into a decision, we can go and look at places and find out where we should like to end up.