Life outside Ambridge
Kitchen window sill is getting squashed!
Lif in Ambridge
Archer Family tree up to 2000, (pre Helen, Pip & Tom’s off-spring)
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Life in Ambridge
An upcoming storyline methinks!
Life in Ambridge
Let’s hope Fallon’s plan is up to snuff.
A couple of years ago my daughter saved and dried a load of different squash seeds from our veg box. This is the third attempt & first success, a combination of finding a good spot & having the right weather. Fortunately we like squash soup/risotto/pumpkin pie…
ReplyDeleteArcherphileAugust 22, 2025 at 5:32 PM
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for your Birthday greetings, and yes, it was the big 8 -0!
Had a wonderful day, almost entirely arranged (secretly) by my daughter Michelle. She even ordered and wrapped presents for Gerald to give me because he hasn’t got a clue about using Amazon. Lunch for whole family at a very nice pub with superb food. Afternoon tea in garden with neighbours coming in too. A lovely cake, again made by Michelle, grandsons acting as waiters and a very happy atmosphere.
I have to say, not too smugly, I hope that everything was perfect ….as I hope it was for you too, PtbY!
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Lady RAugust 22, 2025 at 7:05 PM
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 just what I had hoped to hear AP. 🥰
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Cheshire CheeseAugust 22, 2025 at 8:54 PM
How lovely to be able to celebrate your big day with your family like that Archerfile 😊
EssceeAugust 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
ReplyDeleteI’m a bit late to the party but very many happy returns and congratulations to all Archerfans who are celebrating.
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MiriamAugust 23, 2025 at 4:34 PM
AP what a wonderful way to celebrate 80yrs young, and with what style along with your amazing family all around.
Hope that plenty of photos were taken and these will now be made into a photo-book for you to keep.
It's worth a hint to someone 😉
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AmbridgesMrsPAugust 24, 2025 at 1:57 PM
AP - your birthday bash sounds pretty perfect to me.
I wish you well as you enter your eighties, and if you do decide to move then I hope you find what suits you best wherever in Hampshire you settle upon.
A nice set of squashes there KP. One of the reasons I like getting a veg box is that we eat more seasonally now as well as the food being fresher and tastier.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely day today - hot, sunny and a lovely roast pork lunch with good company. I lost my bet, no plum crumble instead a fabulous lemon meringue pie.
ReplyDeleteI've come home with 3lb damsons, so it'll be jam making for me in the next couple of days.
I'll reap the benefit in the winter, hot buttered crumpets or perhaps scotch pancakes, with damson jam 😋
Some impressive squashes there! My daughter makes pumpkin soup at Halloween, and we spend the evening carving some and then putting them out to be seen from the lane. We go to the pumpkin farm though. I did plant squashes this year and they are flowering well but not a squash in sight yet.
ReplyDeleteWe picked up our middle daughter's children today, an 11yr old boy and 6 yr old girl. Hopefully the coming change in the weather won't spoil our plans too much 🤞
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely time with your grandchildren CC.
DeleteLucky you !
Janice I’ve had mixed success with squashes. I think they need to be in the ground as early as possible as they take a long time to ripen. Also the richer the feed the better. This year we put ours on a muck heap and I can see an awful lot of squashes growing .
ReplyDeleteKP those squashes are impressive.
Summer squashes are worth growing: Patti pans look like yellow flying saucers. I fry them with some garlic and lemon juice, topped with with feta cheese they are yummy.
That does sound tasty Soz
DeleteWe watched the 75th anniversary Edinburgh Tattoo this evening and caught the few fleeting glances of our son-in-law who is playing in the massed bands and pipers again this year.
ReplyDeleteWe let our old girl Mabel go last Friday. She was 16. A very good age for a labradoodle. The vet came to the house so she didn’t have to get distressed in the car. For the last month we have had a big dog push chair borrowed. It was brilliant. I let her walk up our road and towards town for a bit then put her in the pushchair to complete the journey. A nice change of scene for her. Last Thursday I took her down town to a local cafe and then on to the park for a last walk and sniff. She had a lovely time.
ReplyDeleteHouse now seems strange without her. Other 2 young uns don’t seem to have noticed she’s gone.
Much sympathy PtbY. She will have had a good life with you.
DeleteOur squash harvest continues to grow. My daughter refers to them as her children
ReplyDeleteI can see some more growing under their big leaves in your garden KP!! I haven’t harvested any yet as I’ve been away for 10 days. I’m just going to see how many miles they’ve rambled.
DeleteReally sorry to hear about Mabel. Give not your heart to dog to tear. I lost my beloved Sorcha, a collie mix, last April and I am still grieving even though l still have Meabh , a brown labrador.
ReplyDeleteAh ! Really sorry to hear that Mabel has gone PtbY.
ReplyDeleteSo hard for you and your partner.
But a good life she had and a kind and gentle death.
PtbY you gave Mabel all the love and care she needed ‘til the very end. I have just been house and pet sitting for a labradoodle. I had not realised how like humans they can be. The one I was looking after was extremely needy and would not leave your side. He would sit next to you on the sofa to watch tv and put a paw on your shoulder as your best friend might. Hard to come to terms with. I do sympathise.
ReplyDeletePTBY, so sorry, such a horrible decision to make, but it sounds as though you made her life so happy, as she made yours. How has Daphne taken it?
ReplyDeleteDaphne and Audrey have not even noticed she’s gone. I let them both in to see her but I think they thought she was just asleep and weren’t bothered. The two young uns left her alone and just played together anyway so it’s not been a problem.
DeleteThank you everyone for your kind comments. It means a lot. Xx.
I've just caught up with the blog after a few busy days.
ReplyDeleteI'm also sorry to hear about your sad loss of Mabel PtbY, a difficult time for you.
I want to add my sympathy for the loss of Mabel PtBy. We have 2 rescue dogs that are 6 and 2.
ReplyDeleteI’ll be very interested to hear more about your new vicar Janice. I wonder how he might use his skills as a magician to interpret Christian philosophy.
ReplyDeleteReplied then lost it, so will do this in bits!.
DeleteIt is going to be an interesting one I think Soz. I hope my preferred quiet meditative bells and candles type service doesn't vanish entirely, but who knows. Will know more Monday morning. He starts work then and is holding his first serice then, at a neighbouring church but we are all supposed to attend to show support ( 12 little village churches, how anyone is supposed to manage them all I don't know).
After the inauguration service the churchwarden of Boscastle church came up to me and he seemed to be in a quandary. He said he had asked the new rector if he wanted him to put out the usual candles etc on Monday and was told he could if he wanted to, and when he asked about the service sheets he was told he could put them out but he doubted if he would use them. I think I might go along just to see what happens!
DeleteEarly 50's, long hair tied back in a ponytail, 3 children 2 at university I think, and a wife who seems nice, and from a lively group ministry in Milton Keynes. Someone on the interviewing committee told me they had whittled down the applicants to two, both good, one who would have kept us going in the traditional way and this one who is expected to shake us all up. I suspect they are hoping he will attract more young people as we are predominantly elderly. Time will tell.
DeleteAsking for some tips about bed linen!
ReplyDeleteI recently bought new fitted sheets for our King size bed. They have extra deep sides because our new mattress is much thicker.
But, they are such a pain to fold up after washing and ironing. There is so much material and strong elastic all round the edges that it is impossible to just fold them in half, then quarters to put away in the airing cupboard. How does anyone else cope?
And please don tell me not to iron them - I can’t bear crumpled sheets!
Another one here who can't bear crumpled sheets. I have flat sheets, 100% cotton hotel ones which take ages to iron, but so worth the effort.
DeleteSorry Archerfile, we don't iron sheets. Mr CC does the folding as he doesn't like the way I do it. A good reason for me not to change the way I do it.
DeleteI've always used flat sheets so that I can get them taught + flat on the bed. I learnt how to make beds "properly" in brownies. Our Brown Owl had been a nurse so it was hospital corners and then the "ping-pong" test.
DeleteThat was one thing mum never taught us. Sadly our sheets would get a bit thin at times so if tugged them too hard, they could rip.
Any-one else remember sheets being sewn outside-in, so there was a seam down the middle?
Yes I remember sides to middle sheets Miriam.
DeleteThis is probably not at all helpful Archerfile but it might still be on youtube or somewhere. A young man at the Edinburgh festival was in the street entertaining people by how well he could fold fitted sheets. It was almost like magic, you had to watch very carefully how he did it.
ReplyDeleteMy son in law was amazed by my ability to fold fitted sheets. Asked me to teach him.
ReplyDeleteI’ve recently worn through two fitted sheets and with limited shopping opportunities in Minehead resorted to buying an undersheet from Tesco.
Unlike my previous experience of fitted sheets with elastic corners, this one is elasticated on all four sides. It’s a nightmare, doesn’t fit properly and cannot be folded well.
AP if your fitted sheet is elasticated at the corners only : tuck one corner into the opposite corner so that they are snug. Repeat at other end of sheet. Now take one double corner and fit that into the other double corner. Hold these four corners tight and shake the sheet, then lay it on a flat surface. Now smooth it all out folding over what are essentially the sides of the sheet. The folded over section will be about one third of the whole. Take the two thirds of the major part of the sheet and fold the edges to the middle, then bring the sides over to cover. You should now have a long length of sheet bulky at one end fold that bulk down into the body of the length and the rest of the length twice to match the first fold. Hopefully you now have a square folded fitted sheet.
When I iron, if I do, I iron each section after the initial gathering together of the sides.
If your new sheets have elastic all the way round then your as up the creek as I am.
I’m considering going back to lovely old flat sheets in the back of my linen cupboard
following Miriam’s example.
I've a mammoth task to do this afternoon, removing all the stones from the 31b of damsons just stewed ready to be made into jam.
ReplyDeleteI just hope I've the patience...
Don’t forget to put them in the muslin to include them in the jam making Miriam.
DeleteMrsP - I'm intrigued, you put the stones in separately to enhance the flavour?
DeleteI think it might be something to do with releasing more pectin into the jam for setting purposes.
DeletePTBY - Yes, my sister told me that the citrus pips provide pectin, but wasn't aware that plum stones do as well.
DeleteWe took the grandchildren home on Friday and stayed for the weekend. We haven't got a Netflix account but my daughter has and she suggested that we watch the film of the Thursday Murder Club. After all the hype about it we thought we'd give it a go.
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoyed it apart from the casting of Pierce Brosnan as Ron.
I thought the film of The Thursday Murder Club was better than the book. I noticed that the comedian Katy Brand was a co-script writer. I agree that Pierce Brosnan was miscast.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I did reply to Janice and Mrs P regarding sheep folding, and thanked them for the advice - but for some reason, my post wasn’t published, which looks very rude. So once again, I shall look for the YouTube film which could be very helpful - and Mrs P, I’m in the same boat as you - elastic all round!
ReplyDeleteAnrol, did you see the Thursday Murder Club film on television? I should love to watch but we don’t have Netflix which I think is the Channel it is shown on. This is such a pity as many people will miss it. I imagine it was too expensive for the BBC to produce! But thinking about it, I have my own pictures of the characters in my head and seeing stars in the rôles would spoil them!
Thank you auto-correct, for changing my sheets into sheep 🙄
DeleteSheep folding sounds far more interesting!
Delete😂😂😂
DeleteI think there is such a thing as sheep folding.
DeleteIsn’t it when they are - the sheep - being herded by the dog into a pen ?
Memories of the sheep trials in Hyde Park, regularly visited by us as a family annually when a child.
Yes you are right Mrs P. We used to be regular viewers of One Man and his Dog and the most difficult task was usually getting all the sheep into the pen (fold) without any escaping.
DeleteWe didn’t have those problems on our farm; we only had one sheep, a Welsh Black ram who just wandered wherever he liked. Our children thought the rhyme “Baa Baa Black Sheep” was all about him!
AP I did watch The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix. Although Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie) looked different from my mind’s eye version from the book, they definitely matched the character and characteristics of the book but Pierce Brosnan matched neither as Ron.
ReplyDeleteI went to the cinema to see The Roses with Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbach a remake of The War of the Roses with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. There was far too much swearing but occasional quick witted repartee which made me chuckle. However the most interesting fact I discovered was that part was set on the North Californian coast with high steep cliffs, high waves splashing over them as well as sunshine but it was actually filmed in parts of Salcombe in Devon. I was fooled.
As I was reading 'The Man Who Died Twice' last week, I realised Elizabeth's alter ego - she is Caroline from Cabin Pressure. Coincidentally, Douglas is probably his namesake, also from Cabin Pressure.
DeleteAnyone else playing them on Netflix are clearly imposters 😂
Janice Did you go to the service at a neighbouring church yesterday? Any surprises??
ReplyDeleteWell it was more of an introduction to him really. Instead of sitting in pews 25 of us sat in a sort of circle, had coffee/tea and crumpets together, which he called breaking bread/communion, a couple of readings which he wanted us to think about, and then a couple of prayers from him, then silence when he said anyone who wanted to could say something. But it seemed to be mainly a chance for him to tell us about his past work and to find out what we hoped for from him, and what he expected from us. He asked if anyone had any questions - dead silence!
DeleteSo I started the ball rolling by asking him if he incorporated any of his circus skills in his services. (He has done a lot of youth work in the past) He said only if it was relevant and that he saw it as being one part of his storytelling, and gave as an example that if talking about David and Goliath, he uses stilt walking to illustrate the height of Goliath. Some one else then asked if he could turn water into wine. He said he could but you wouldn't want to drink it afterwards!
DeleteThere is a hope that he will appeal to youngsters, but our lovely retired 78 year old vicar who has, with some help from a retired vicar of 84, kept 12 village churches going (and exhausted himself) did point out to him that he did need to retain us older ones who like a more traditional service as well as offering a different approach for younger people. His idea seems to be that services can take very different forms and don't have to be in churches but can be out in the community. I was left somewhat bemused by it all. He is adhd, has lots of energy, and wants the church to be welcoming to neurodivergent young people. I shall wait to see how he conducts a Sunday service, and am rather hoping our retired vicar will go on looking after our little church. His name is Simon Faulks and my daughter found a bit about him online.
ReplyDeleteI suspect peacefully dosing in a pew is a thing of the past!
I don't know if that answers your question Soz, but I haven't quite made him out yet.
If you look him up he does go by the name Rev Simo, as well as his proper one.
DeleteI seen to remember that Jesus originally pioneered the idea of services held out in the community. Perhaps your Simon is trying to get back to basics!
DeleteIt's that day of the year again - back to school photos.
ReplyDeleteThe youngest 5yrs into Year 1, the 11yr old into Year 7 and first day at "big" school and the 14yr old into Year 11 and starting GCSE's. They are growing up and changing so quickly.
Yes I drove past the school yesterday and saw some of the children ‘ going back ‘.
DeleteHere in Minehead many children traumatised by the recent coach accident have become terrified of getting into cars I’ve been told.
That's so sad MrsP, I hope that they are getting professional help.
DeleteWe've got two grandsons starting senior school and one granddaughter starting infants this September. It doesn't seem 5 minutes since they were babies!
I've just got back from a supermarket trip and what was the 1st thing I saw right at the front of the store - a huge great stand of mince pies in Christmas boxes! 😵
ReplyDeleteI saw the same when in the supermarket this morning and thought that it was a bit much Miriam.
DeleteThey did look tasty though as it was the one's with brandy in the mincemeat 😋. It'll be at least 3 months until I get tempted though.
DeleteI'll probably have my first one when we go to the glow event at RHS Bridgewater like I did last year, that's when I'll start to feel Christmassy.
DeleteI’ve never felt Christmassy in my life.
DeleteI’ve had a disappointment today.
ReplyDeleteI logged onto the local coach company’s website to check out day excursions for /26, to find that they have cancelled all their day trips from the end of August.
I had hoped to be able to book for the next trip to Tintagel to see the new bridge and possibly meet up with Janice.
The final excursion they did was last week to Tintagel , but although I’m healing well and able to walk about, I couldn’t possibly manage a whole day at this stage.
I am assuming this move has something to do with the accident but do wonder what will happen to the school run as this coach company brings children in to the schools here from all the surrounding villages and small towns.
There is another company in Taunton and they do have a feeder coach into their start point for day trips, but it would mean much earlier starts and later finishes.
I've just found out that the autumn covid vaccination is now for 75yrs and over only, unless have a weakened immune system, ie 65-74yr olds will not be eligible.
ReplyDeleteNot sure how I feel about this.
Still eligible for the 'flu vaccine so I just can't understand the difference as to why one, but not the other 🤷♀️
DeleteSo much for the forecast of torrential rain + storms. All I've had today has been a short sharp shower, which lasted about 40mins.
ReplyDeleteSo far I've had so very little rain that, what was my lovely garden, is still like concrete and virtually all my plants, old + new, have died. Even the weeds have succumbed. I've been watering all summer but it obviously has not been enough.
Oh well - whilst in the supermarket yesterday I did get tempted with some packs of bulbs. At least come next Spring I might actually have something flowering to brighten my garden up.
The only thing which has done well and still flowering, is a beautiful shocking pink coloured penstemon, plus my new hibiscus looks like it's OK but it's still very much 🫰to be established enough to survive the winter
Normally I always get a lot of rain but not at the moment - in fact it's been a lovely, sunny and very warm afternoon.
We've had a couple of very heavy downpours here today Miriam which has helped a lot, that's the nature of showers.
DeleteTorrential rain here too. Our water butt must be full to the brim. Shall I blow the next set of rain clouds your way, Miriam?
DeleteAnother two days without any ‘ chatter ‘ !
DeleteI’ve had a lazy day so far, tho’ not without some productivity.
After a night of constant dozing but without one single proper sleep cycle, I’ve been sitting in my sun soaked window sewing.
I recently found a much loved cotton top bought with my first pay packet at just fifteen and worn well into my twenties.
So a fifties garment and typical of its era.
At some point it was got at by moths, but not too badly.
I’ve shown it to my 25 year old Gdaughter who liked it, so I’m doing some invisible mending so that it’s fit for her to have and wear.
I shall be delighted to be able to pass it on.
In previous years another much loved top bought by me in a jumble sale in the early seventies, and was again a machine knitted top this one from the thirties, was purloined by my daughter and worn by her for several years, then passed again to the same Gdaughter who also wore it for several years and it is still part of her wardrobe.
It pleases me enormously that my love and appreciation of well made and well designed vintage clothes is carried onto the next two generations.
Reuse not replace !
I sat and watched this morning, a video of the youngest 5yr old, in her ballet show. So cute and it was quite surprising how well they nearly all remembered their steps to the music. The teachers did step in a couple of times, to make sure they all moved together at the same time.
ReplyDeleteLittle one was so easy to spot as she is tiny and so much shorter than the others. Mind you her Mum is, who loves cropped trousers as they are nearly full length on her and a midi dress is full length!
The ballet school hires the costumes so these were very glitzy + glamorous as the theme of her class performance was "Movie Night".
Lovely to watch, admire + enjoy.
We've been taking it easy this week, gradually getting back to normal after a full on week of having grandchildren to stay, then driving them home. We had intended to come back home first thing last Sunday but were persuaded to go and watch them doing the junior Park Run. It turned out there was an event in the park so it had been cancelled. Grandson and his dad decided to do the run anyway but 6yr old granddaughter was having none of it as the distance wouldn't count towards her half marathon tally! We ended up having coffee and pastries in the cafe, less healthy but more enjoyable than running which I've never liked doing.
ReplyDeleteHow do you get on with the electric car on long journeys? Do you have to stop + charge?
DeleteIt's got a range of about 300 miles so we might have to charge on a very long journey but it will do no 2 daughter's in one go.
DeleteThanks CC I was interested as a niece and family went from Suffolk to S.Wales recently. They thought they'd be OK but they did have to stop + recharge. On the way back, granted it was August Bank Holiday Monday, traffic was awful and they had to stop again with a wait for a charging point to become free due to the number of vehicles doing the same. Their journey took over 9 hours and the boys 6+8yrs, were restless and bored, as you can imagine.
DeleteThankfully we don't often travel with young children these days and were lucky with traffic on our journey.
DeleteThank-you every-one who sent their rain my way today. At last. It poured all morning and for the first time for months, I needed a rain jacket, windscreen wipers on in the car, there was rain streaming down the road (literally) + puddles everywhere!
ReplyDeleteMy flower beds are deep brown again but I doubt the rain has soaked in deeply but it's a good start.
Thank you Janice for all the info on your new vicar. I am curious to see what , if anything, will encourage younger generations into our churches. Maybe services outside the confines of often ancient stone buildings would help, with activities that may seem more relevant to the 21st century. However I do hope he doesn’t ignore the wishes of the older congregation he’s inherited. When planning my father’s funeral, I was careful to use the King James prayer book which he preferred.
ReplyDeleteI will let you know as time goes by Soz. Apparently the new schedule won't be in place until October. Today was a service in a village hall with a picnic outside afterwards for all the churches. Some of Miriam's heavy rain headed this way so it had to be an inside picnic! I think he is trying to show us services don't have to be in churches. I won't go on talking a lot about it as I realise others won't be interested in church happenings, but if anything interesting transpires I will let you know.
DeleteI rarely go to Church.
DeleteNevertheless I am very interested in church happenings.
At the very least churches, of all denominations, are cultural institutions, and as such of interest.
Please continue your church conversations.
In a telephone call with my daughter today, I learned that my granddaughter who is doing marine science at Newcastle, is currently on a placement in Mexico doing something with Crocodiles.
ReplyDeleteWhat an experience !
Keep safe Tilda.
That does sound interesting MrsP.
DeleteOur youngest worked in Mexico for a few years after graduating and travelled all over South and Central America while she was out there. I was very relieved when she returned to the UK safe snd sound.
They will have such amazing memories to look back on. I like that saying about the mind once being stretched by a new idea/experience never going back to its original dimensions, and being in a different country with a very different culture must do that.
DeleteApologies for the repetition, senior moment!
DeleteWe were over your way today Miriam, visiting Chester Zoo. I wanted to see the new Heart of Africa zone but decided to wait until term time as it wouldn't be as busy.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, this month's RHS Garden magazine has an article on Zoo horticulture which is becoming as important as the animals and Chester Zoo is at the forefront of it. Gone are the sterile cages and enclosures of old as well as all the bedding displays. They are trying to recreate habitat for the animals thus providing shelter and food whilst still trying to make the animals visible.
It was very noticeable in the Africa zone which used to have big open fields and is now planted with a lot more vegetation.
I haven't been since the Heart of Africa opened. I need to visit as I also want to try + see the snow leopard cub whilst still small.
DeleteWe had one amusing moment at the zoo. We were exiting the chimpanzee area when a keeper told everyone to stand back and not move until what was coming was well away. A small van trundled past, perplexed we asked what was in it. She replied that it was the vet's van and the chimpanzees throw things at it when they see it!
Delete🤣🤣🤣🤣
DeleteMy daughter worked in Mexico for several years.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter lived in Cancun Mexico for several years and I went to visit her there. She arranged visits to the jungle for students from Great Britain.
She eventually returned to London and arranges the expeditions from there. I enjoyed my time there very much but was glad when she moved to London as the journey was very long.
S
S
S
Britain
g
S
She
Ooops!
DeleteHello Gianna-
ReplyDeleteperhaps your daughter arranged my g- daughter’s placement.
It’s a small world.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI did a wonderful trip to Mexico one year, travelling around visiting Mayan sites. Some of these were off the tourist routes. It was fascinating and went to one site dead on opening time of 9.00am. This was on the edge of a jungle which had originally been totally engulfed. It was found by chance, whilst searchers were trying to locate a small light aircraft which had sadly crashed in the area. They didn't find the plane just a Mayan city.
ReplyDeleteIt was early and the morning mist hadn't quite cleared away so there was mist swirling around the site.
It was quite magical and just a bit eerie.
I’m so enjoying these autumnal mornings. That slight chill in the air but still sunny.
ReplyDeleteWe had our first small fire last night to get a layer of ash in the log burner ready for winter. Oh to see flames, bliss.
On a different note….. anybody had their gall bladder removed? If so, have you had any problems with eating particular things and digestion.
Yes I have hall stones and am awaiting the op. My God, the pain. Now on a boring low fat diet ….oh I miss toast and butter. 😢
Why does it insist on putting hall stones! You’d think it would have learnt by now. Damn predictive text.
DeleteYes, PtbY, I can help you with gall stones and the op!
DeleteI had them in my 40’s and you are right, the pain is dreadful. Luckily I had private health insurance from my employers so could get an appointment quickly at our local private hospital.
The op was done via keyhole surgery OK and I was only in for 2 or 3 days. My unexpected problem was a pain in my right shoulder after the op which lasted several days - I was convinced I must have fallen off the table during the op. and broken my shoulder!
But it was explained that when you have keyhole surgery, they pump oxygen into your body cavity so they can see where the various organs are to manipulate the instruments to remove the gall bladder. After the op, the oxygen left pushes your diaphragm up and causes the shoulder pain. I have spoken to several people who have had the same experience. They were all mystified by shoulder pain until it was explained to them! It only lasted a few days , but far better that than having the old fashioned gall bladder op which left you with a long scar across your middle!
After the op I was just told to avoid fatty food and just eat a light diet for a few days. You can still have the toast but spread it with jam instead. You could try a low fat spread, I know it doesn’t taste the same but I find Clover low fat spread is the nearest in flavour. I still try to keep very fatty foods down, but that is good for diet anyway.
The relief from gall bladder pain was wonderful and I know I can never get gall stones again.
So don’t worry about it and I hope you can have the op as soon as possible.
Thank you for the info Archerphile. I’ll know what it is if I get shoulder pain.
DeleteI don’t eat jam. I only have butter on my toast. Guess I’ll have to spread very thinly!
I’ve not had an attack in a week now but before that I had it 6 days on the trot. Got some strong pain killers now if I do get another session.
MrNuts had hiss gall bladder removed a few years ago, He got sent home the same night, and advised to go easy on the fatty food for a while. Cheese makes a significant part of his diet (he doesn’t eat meat and we eat very little fried food) and has continued to do with no ill effects. The shoulder pain following keyhole surgery is common, and I am not sure how often people are waned. I had my appendix out as a keyhole procedure and certainly wasn’t warned, I would hope that as more surgery is carried out this way hospitals would be advising patients….
DeleteI suffered similar pain after my C sections and in those days no one would tell you anything, however many times you asked. Eventually when being opened up on the same scar for the third time, I was told that it was air in the cavity which caused the pain, and that it just had to slowly subside at its own slow rate.
DeleteAt least understanding helps even if it doesn’t eliminate the pain.
Good luck with your waiting period PtbY and hope it’s not too long.
I hope that it won't be too long before you get your op PtbY and that you don't suffer too much in the meantime.
DeleteA low fat diet needed be bland. I eat this as normal now due to borderline high cholesterol, even though it's steading at 5.2. I do not want to take a higher dose statin unless absolutely needed.
DeleteI use a lot of turkey sausages which are lovely plus a lot of chicken, fish and 2% turkey mince. The trick is to use lots of herbs and mild spices. In fact I'm doing turkey meatballs tomorrow - with afore said turkey mince blitzed in food processor with onion, sage + thyme, made into balls which are lightly browned in fry pan with a dash of sunflower oil. These then go into a casserole dish with more softened onions, carrots swede, herbs, stock plus a tin of mixed beans in a mild chilli sauce (can hardly taste the chilli). At end of cooking in oven, I make the sauce into a gravy.
It sounds complicated, it's not but just makes a lot of washing up!
Sounds lovely Miriam. I recently cooked something our butcher recommended. He has several different varieties of packet stuffing, things like apricot and almond, and cranberry chestnut and orange, etc. Last christmas I made the cranberry and orange one then mixed it with the sausagemeat to go with the turkey. His recommendation the other day for making meatballs was to mix the stuffing dry into the sausagemeat just mixing it with wet hands and if not putting in a casserole then to cook them with a little water on the bottom of the tray. They were very nice, and he said they freeze well for future use.
DeleteSummer's over for me. Last Night of the Proms tonight and Strictly starting next week, along with having to close curtains + put lights on before 8.00pm.
ReplyDeleteI woke up in the night + was very chilly when dashing to the bathroom.
It is getting chilly, the summer dressing gowns have been put away now and warmer ones got out.
DeleteIn spite of all the showery weather that we have had my garden is very dry and I've had to do quite a bit of watering today. I know that rain is expected tomorrow but a lot of plants were wilting.
The majority of my plants are well beyond saving, sadly. It wasn't for trying though.
DeleteAt last the grass verges + lawns have suddenly gone green again in just a week.
My back lawn is a mess as it's being attacked by a flock of blackbirds who are literally tearing it up to get at something in the soil. I have no idea what they're after and it's the first time I've seen this.
Then to add insult to injury, I watched a squirrel digging away in the middle of said lawn, to suddenly sit upright with a nut between it's paws. No idea how they know just where to dig for their buried treasure.
That's nature I suppose.
Can't believe it's Strictly time again!
DeleteI saw a photo of the new Strictly contestants in our paper this morning. This year I have only heard of two of them! That’s a new low! I recognised one, an Actor in Neighbours the Australian soap which I used to enjoy. The other name is an English actress but I couldn’t recognise her. Not a very encouraging start…….
DeleteI don't mind not knowing them, I guess they have to try and cater for all the wide range of people who watch the programme. There have been people on that I have heard of and don't like and ones I've never heard of that I do like.
DeleteI do find it depressing to see Father Christmases appearing in Garden Centres. There is still plenty of colour in my garden - dahlias, asters and heleniums - and there are still tomatoes ripening in the greenhouse. Why ignore the beauty of Autumn to rush straight into Christmas madness?
DeleteThis weekend was our village’s Scarecrow event. It has been going for 25 years and has always been well supported although it is getting increasingly difficult to come up with something new. We had clog dancing ( average age 75 ) and live music in the street along with stalls selling all sorts. Fortunately the rain held off til 2.30.
I like autumn, and also still have a lot of green tomatoes in the greenhouse, and am hoping this promised good weather spell will ripen them. I don't want to see christmas things at least until after bonfire night on November 5th.
DeleteAutumn and Spring have been a different experience for my daughter in law because in the Philippines they just have two seasons, the wet one during our spring and summer and the dry one through autumn and winter. When first here she was puzzled by the fact that in summer there could be daylight until 9pm, because out there the day is much more evenly divided between day and night, and it is dark by 6pm.