General Chat

O what a race it was Mandy. Not saying anything as I know Gill watches it later with her oh. If I could download my camera I would take a pic of them to send to you. Shall have to see if I can get oh to do it for me.

Did.nt get the bantams done as we watched the race thne it wa stime to corn them and put them to bed.

Oh has just got the chesnuts out so I think we are going to have a few of those now. He will do them in the micro.

Afternoon all,

It's been dull here all day but not so cold , we have had a couple of busy days sorting out the outside christmas lights ,we thought we would get them up before it turns colder so they are all sorted and ready to go on in a week or so .

Ann i think i've seen the van for the Wiltshire Farm Ready Meals go to the oldies near us ,not sure what size the potions are but they might do different size meals or you could just add a few more veg to the meal .
Hope you enjoyed the felting class this afternoon ,i suppose it better to watch and then have a go later as if you try and do it as they go along it's a job to keep up with them .

AnnG your daughter is a wonder woman doing jobs like that, seven foot up a ladder ,putting shelves up and decorating is not some thing many ladies can do well done to her .
Sounds as if you've had a cold walk out today .

Mel those fingerless mittens sound good wouldn't mind seeing the pattern for them please .
Bet your watching the race ,sounds as if its been a good / bad one :-0

Mel lucky you to see the sun. I did walk to the post box about three quarters of a mile there and back but it was very raw out, not nice.

Frank all smart for Ros them. I envy you your lamb it is my favourite.

Annx I think I worry more about him being on his own than he dies, he is not a great people person. I think what concerns him is the not bothered attitude of the staff on this ward. His other ward was nice.

I have just wrapped a few odd presents .
Had a chuckle at an email from daughter. She has been married three times now and none of her husbands lovely as they have all been, are any good at DIY she has just been seven foot up a ladder putting up an outside light. Her OH’s job was to hand her things and hold the ladder. She had to drill and put in real plugs. She has been well trained by her Dad. She puts up shelves and decorates not like me, DIY is not one of my interests.

Iv'e now done the chickens and they have all gone in the house for a good scratch and fluff their feathers up. Bantams this afternoon after we,ve had some lunch. scrambled eggs toast and toms and a little bit of bacon. I had another one of my BIG eggs yesterday so that will do me today but I am going to fry mine as I don't want to scramble up two yolks if I have them.

Afternoon All,

Dull and miserable outside but a bit warmer. Lunch is nearly ready, ham hocks today with cauli cheese, brussels, carrots and roast parsnips.

You seem to have worked out a good way to see the family over Christmas Vera. They say where there's a will there's a way don't they. Is your lounge all echoey now with the furniture moved out? Thanks for your input on the ready meals. I was a bit unsure about portion sizes too with OH's appetite! Best to try a few first I think.

Mel, I would get the chickens done while it's warmer. It's not a nice job in the cold as you say. I always had the job of cleaning out mum and dad's chickens. The manure grew some huge, football sized Cos lettuce!

I am doing a free online felting class this afternoon. I will probably just watch to see if I want to make the reindeer head afterwards. Then I will watch Terry on youtube.

AnnG I really feel for you with the situation with T. It must be quite lonely for him and with being with staff he hardly knows.

Lunch is ready so better go!

Good morning all,

All showered and shaved, and dressed in clean shirt and trousers. All dressed up with NO WHERE TO GO. :-0 :-0 :-0

I have prepared all the Veg for dinner. Roast lamb. To save me making a Yorkshire, Ros bough a pack from Morrison's, we have had them before and are quite nice.

VERY MISTY here, trust you to have the sunshine Mel, enjoy it while you can.

Neither of us had a good night. Ros's feet were tingling and kept waking her up. Every time I turned my ribs gave me what for. It's about time they were healed up, I'm getting fed up with them now.

Ordered a beautiful CUT GLASS FRUIT BOWL from Ebay, It arrived yesterday afternoon. Ros gave it a good wash and polish, and it shines like new. It now sits on the coffee table full of ORANGES, not that I will eat them, as I don't eat fruit.

I hope you all have a pleasant day, and you enjoy your lunch. Take care and stay safe. xxxx

Morning Vera and Anng and all,

Iv.e not been up long as I had a lie in. I,m sorry to tell you both that at the moment we have sunshine and blue sky something we hav'nt seen a lot of lately. Its definately not os cold either. Should take this time to clean the chickens out as its not a pleasent task when its windy and raining.

Anng do you think you will get your village out this year with all thats going on ?

We shall be watching the Grand Prix today.

Hope you all slept well even if you were up early and hope too that Frank feels a bit better this mroning. Ribs take such a long time to heal.

Sadly Vera, one day is much like another here at the moment so it doesn't make any difference if it is Sunday.

Very grey here 7 degrees and dry. Yes I have been up about the same amount of time as you. Trouble here is nobody to make a mess so once dusted it stays ok for a week. Same with the bathroom. I seem to spend all my time waiting for the phone to ring as it is as and when he feels like ringing and when he is not sleeping. I think he does a lot of the latter because there is nothing else to do especially at weekends when there doesn't seem to be any treatments etc. He sounded very down last night and again this morning, I think it is because the staff in that ward have not been with him from the start as it is the isolation ward for those who may have had contact with Covid. Should only be for a few more days so who knows what the coming week will bring. I seem to spend much of my time with the same feeling I get going to the dentist etc. Not knowing what to expect. He also was not speaking clearly, a sign that he had a very dry mouth and needed to have a drink. Dry mouth is one of the signs of dehydration.

Good morning AnnG and all

No, Ann, not still abed; I’ve been up since 7.30 but don’t seem to have done much yet. It’s the same old weather, grey and damp.

OH is cleaning bathrooms for me and I need to get on and do some cooking. We’re not having our usual roast today. I’m doing a stew and I'll make enough for a couple of days. I’ve also got Tesco this afternoon. I hate having a delivery on a Sunday and would normally have it tomorrow but I don’t want a delivery when the flooring people are here.

Better get on. Might bbl

Good morning all are you all still in bed. I have a Tesco delivery today 11=12 but last week he was half hour early.

Just waving to our mate Elizabeth ~~~~~~~~ I hope you are having a good weekend.

AnnG, it’s good that your daughter is able to give you some support. I do hope OH’s stomach pain has been relieved now. What a time you are having!

Aren’t these Christmas “bubbles” a pain Frank? I hope you get your Christmas sorted out more easily than we are. The rules sound good but it’s quite difficult to work out, particularly if people live some distance apart. I think a lot of people will break the law, many without realising it. We are in a bit of a quandary. If our 3 household bubble is our house, my daughter’s and my brother’s, then my daughter can’t see her son who lives elsewhere; or we include her son and I can’t see my brother. To add to the mix, my son rang today and said he is driving to someone in his bubble on Boxing Day and back the next day. He will only be an hour from us and said he can’t go all the way back to Yorkshire and not see us, so he has suggested that he and dil call in for an hour on his way back for coffee in the garden. We could even take a flask down to the recreation ground at the end of our Close. I think that’s permitted. If it’s raining he suggested that they sit in the conservatory with windows or the door open and we stay in the kitchen and we can shout to each other. Having not seen him for well over a year I can’t miss out on this opportunity and it will only be the two of them, not the whole family.

Ann, my neighbour at our old house used to have the Wiltshire Farm meals and always seemed happy with them. I’ve no idea what the portion sizes are like. Does your OH have a big appetite? It might be worth trying them.

My back is aching a bit at the moment and I think I have been putting weight on my foot for too long as that aches, but I have done quite a lot today. I’ve at last finished sorting out the geraniums (pelargoniums). I didn’t realise I had so many and they are mostly white. I’m not really all that keen on them but they are so reliable and fill gaps and bloom all summer. I also gave the bird bath a good scrub and clean - not before time! I’ve done several small jobs indoors and finished my online Christmas shopping and now I’m cooking our dinner. There’s a pork casserole and roasties in the oven and some extra veg in the steamer which I’ll put on shortly.

I hope everyone sleeps well tonight. A good night’s sleep seems to make all the difference doesn’t it?

Mel they have a back log of prostate ops and are concentrating on those with cancer. Yes he always, or nearly always asks how I am and if I have any problems, he is very caring considering it is him that is unwell.

Annx yes daughter is a great help getting the information. They sorted the constipation with enemas and medicine and for a while it went the other way. His pain is I think a build up of urine blocked by the prostate. They have to draw it off. Which will give him some relief but not a lot happens at the weekends.

Afternoon All,

Late lunch today as I was having a duvet day! :-D Then OH reminded me he has an on- line seminar at 2.00pm so I had to stir my stumps and find something to stick in the oven. I woke with my tongue against a crown on a tooth and the line where the crown joins the tooth. I had been dreaming there was a crack there and that the crown had come loose. I wonder how much we move about to enact our dreams while we are asleep?

That's good your daughter is doing the phoning of the hospital AnnG. You are more closely and emotionally involved with your head all over the place at the moment so it would be harder for you to remember everything. That sounds a good idea to have some help when T comes home. I remember when OH had his hernia done, he needed help getting around for the first few days and he was fit and strong otherwise at that time. He took a week of his holiday, then worked from home for a week. Now he thinks he has a hernia the other side! His dad was the same so there must be a family weakness!! It's a shame T has stomach pain as well this morning. Hopefully they can sort him out if it is constipation with being less mobile and maybe less hydrated than he should be.

Has anyone ever tried the Wiltshire Farm Ready Meals that are delivered to you? They have a wide selection, some low fat, others low salt and they look nice with a reasonable amount of veg. I might try some once we have the new freezer as it would give me more free time out of the kitchen!

How is the toe that the nail came off now Mel? I could imagine it being a bit tender with a shoe on. I imagine the new nail will get straighter as it grows now the old nail isn't on top of it. How is Emma's OH doing now since his accident?

The people doing the courses that I have been joining are doing activities all Christmas Day so folk on their own can join in. I thought that was a great idea as there will be many more this Christmas.

Well I'd better go and clear some more shelf in the garage before I lose the will to do it! Then I have another cheque to send to my bank.

O Frank popped in before me.

Been and done the shop for the paper and some bits. They have lovely tangerines in at the mo so I bought another bag of those and some more milk, ham, mushrooms and oh's cigs and some biscuits and those teacake things with marshmellow and choc over the top with the biscuits bit on the bottom. Hav'nt had those for years and oh like those. Took me right back to when the baker used to call with a big basket full of cakes bread and biscuits. Loved to have a look and see what he had in that huge basket although I did'nt eat cake or chocolate back then.

Anng does T ever ask you how you are coping?? He must be getting fed up in there now with no definate diognosis or what they are going to do for him. Has there been no more mention of the test on the prostate?

OH phoned, he is in a lot of stomach pain today and was waiting for some team or other to come and check if it is the hernia causing the pain or retention of urine which, I assume would be caused by his enlarged prostate. He said once before they drew off a lot of urine and he was amazed how much there was. (lovely phone calls we have!)

Good afternoon Mel and Frank. Not a day to be out here still only 7 degrees, daughter says it is cold up there but a lovely day. My dahlias need lifting but I am not paddling around out there to do it. Maybe there will be one decent day next week.

Morning Anng and all,

Dull dismal and dark here too this morning but I think its warmer 10 degrees here.

Anng its good that daughter can communicate with the hospital on your behalf and probably get more out of them than you could. I wonder what today will bring although it is once again the weekend. I suppose too that the hernia can cause presure which could be the cause of his headaches too?

Gill I worry when I send things to you as they seem to take so long to get there if they arrive at all.

Good morning my dear friends,

Thanks Elizabeth for your kind message to us all, we do love them. xxxx

Ros has gone off to do bits and pieces shopping with Martine. Masks and VISOR at the ready. She won't be out too long. I did manage to clean all the car windows before she went off, so she will be able to see all around her as she drives.

Nothing sort of day here, I expect it's the same everywhere. Dump and misty. I doubt the cloud will lift much during the day. Once Ros is home, I will lock up and only open the door for the takeaway tonight. We are not expecting any visitors.


I have spoken to Harvey this morning. He is on his way down to London with the woman who he does all the work for, to set up the new T.V and sound system for her daughter.

I also rang Simon and Sally. I expect Simon in out walking the dogs, he walks them for a couple of hours every morning whatever the weather. Sally could be working. or out shopping.

As for the BUBLE. It's a case of falling in with what arrangements the rest of the family are doing. We will take every precaution with regards safety. J & C aren't going anywhere for Christmas Day, and we are not sure if they will come to us Boxing Day. If they do, again every precaution will be taken seriously.


I hope you are all well, and Keeping safe. My love to you all. xxxx

interesting Vera: I asked google if a hernia could cause back pain.

The short answer: Yes. A hernia will not go away by itself, and almost always gets worse the longer it's ignored. The tear gets bigger, and the bigger the tear, the bigger the surgery needed to fix it. What started as pressure or discomfort can turn into pain. The pain may not just be in the area of the hernia; it can radiate to your hip, back, leg – even to the genitals. As your hernia gets worse, many aspects of your life will get worse right along with it. Even if it isn't painful (yet), the sensation and pressure may cause you to avoid certain activities. Your job, your family, your weekends, and even your sex life can all suffer

Good morning all, no frost and 6 degrees but dark, damp and dismal here.

Annx Daughter does all the communication with doctors, nurses and OTs at the hospital. Besides being much better than me on the phone, she understand medical terminology and can meet them a bit on their own ground,partly from her late job (senior manager in insurance underwriting). and partly from going through similar when her late husband had cancer. She has asked all the questions but it is like the proverbial blood out of a stone. Of course, while shaky on his feet he has not fallen in hospital. The falls at home have been when negotiating difficult narrow places that you have in homes, bathroom, small rooms used as his office, narrow bits by beds etc. Can't be avoided in normal houses. narrow entrances and zimmers not that narrow. I think once he is being sent home (not to community hospital (if that actually does happen) then they might do an assessment. Unfortunately we did not choose the best of years for all this to happen. People are wary of going into houses.

She, and her husband are forming a support bubble with me (and T if he is home) so that they can come and stay and help sort out things for when he comes home. Although they have to travel to do so, that is not actually forbidden and there is nobody else for me. If T is going to be home they will stay in a local hotel. I do need somebody, it is hard doing it all on my own even though I am pretty strong and reasonably intelligent sometimes it needs more than one brain. She has done a lot from a distance. Son will step in if necessary but he is still working and she isn't.

Vera, the hernia has been dormant for about ten years but that is a thought about whether it causes back pain. The hospital only recently decided it was a problem (courtesy of the effects of constipation). So if they operate it will be interesting to see. I do think he needs to be a bit stronger before an operation though, Still they should know.

Sorry Mel, yes I did, it was lovely thank you xx