Hi Col,
Can you believe the rate at which we're crashing through May? Baby Quayle is due any day now, (cousin's first baby,) Baba's Grandad's first anniversary was this week so I'm sure my cousin has lots of mixed emotions.
Interesting weekend, something usually happens to me, something fails like washing machine, car. I go into complete panic and stress mode, how much will it cost to fix? How will I cope without it? Everything turns out fine in the end but it takes me a good week or more to recover from the ordeal.
Last weekend, after my Sunday coffee, car had trouble starting but then revved into action. Friday morning, it happened again. Friday afternoon, phoned Dear Brother-in-law/AA Patrol; "Think battery may be starting to fail, can we test?" That evening, I head over with car to be tested and tell Jan, I'm sure it's not the battery and it'll be something mysterious and complicated and stressful and expensive. Fifteen minutes later, check is complete and I do indeed need a new battery. Saturday, and Dear BIL has left early for work to pick up my new battery, has completed his shift and is now home so I head over to have it fitted.
By virtue of a rapidly declining car battery, I luckily get to face time CJ and my adorable great niece as he phones home just before I leave. It's a few weeks since I've seen her and I can't believe that my heart actually aches for this tiny human who has no attachment to me and is yet to utter any derivative of my name, what can I say? I love her. The last time I saw her, her vocabulary consisted of; Dada, Mama, Nanna, Grandad and More. Now we have; Bubbles, Peas (please,) Woof, (doggie.) I love her so.
My doctor's appointment was this week, how quickly did that come around? (Being facetious, made the appointment six weeks ago to fit in with work.) I had a list but it was all what I would call non important stuff, for me anyway, like my Hay Fever, Raynaud's etc. Anyway, while I was there, my GP decided to check my blood pressure, it was high. I've just spent two years monitoring it, GP finally gave up and increased my meds, it was fine for six months and now... it's up. Disappointed isn't the word.
Anyway, the next day, I Google what can increase BP, and remember my GP gave me anti sickness meds so that I could take an anti inflammatory for my hip? Well an anti inflammatory can increase BP, so I'm really hoping that's the reason for the increase. Hip is still not great but is better than it was and I'm taking Turmeric too to reduce inflammation, so I'm going to stop with the anti inflammatory and see if my BP returns to normal, well, my normal.
I love you, hopefully back before June x
Sunday, 21 May 2017
Sunday, 14 May 2017
Clutter
I'd made a date with Bee to rock up at hers one Saturday morning to take a stab at de-cluttering and organising her garage. I arrived on time but as soon as she opened the door to me, she didn't look good, she's been suffering more than normal with her ears since January. Middle ear infection is starting to get under control but she hadn't had a good night.
I told her if she didn't feel up to it, it was fine, we could reschedule but she'd obviously geared herself up for it, had written on white rubbish bags with a black marker 'paper', 'rubbish', 'plastic' etc. so we jumped in for 95 minutes until the heavens opened and we had to scramble to get everything we'd taken out of the garage back in under cover.
This was probably pretty good timing, even though I was doing all the lifting and carrying, Bee still had to bend down and move around and with an ear infection, it's not the best is it? Anyway, she did well, she let go of more stuff than I expected, the items that I would have kept hold of over other stuff (like plastic plant pots) she wanted to get rid of, so I let her. I uncovered a Pifco hairdryer from the 60's... in it's box, a cylinder hoover from the 70's, Pomagne with 1974 on it and a bottle of white wine stamped 1986. Anyway, in an hour and a bit, we had a car full of rubbish to go to the tip, which is pretty good going. Rain stopped play but I'll go over again, my main aim is to get her organised, at the moment, she has a narrow pathway to just about get through sideways and I'm worried she may fall or bang into something.
The following weekend I call in for a coffee, weather is terrible so no sorting, and I casually ask if she's been to the tip yet with the rubbish from the clear out, fully expecting a 'no, not yet'. Instead, I get a 'yes' followed by; 'and on Tuesday I spent three hours in the garage sorting out....' It's a good job I was sitting down. Who is this person? She tells me in minute detail what she looked at, where it was and what she decided to do with it. Can't tell you how proud of her I was, and I told her so. Three hours sorting on her own is a huge achievement after more than a decade of procrastination. I feel like I flipped a little switch and gave her something resembling motivation.
I've promised more time, as much as it takes to get her organised. Hopefully the weather will pick up soon and even if it doesn't, I have a week off in June so we should be able to find at least one dry day to have another bash at it rather than hope for some weekend sunshine, or at least a day free of rain.
You know that I'm not a naturally tidy person but the more I sort and organise, the more I want to sort and organise, and I feel so much lighter. Never in a million years did I believe that I would be like this. It's taken a very long time but I'm getting there.
I told her if she didn't feel up to it, it was fine, we could reschedule but she'd obviously geared herself up for it, had written on white rubbish bags with a black marker 'paper', 'rubbish', 'plastic' etc. so we jumped in for 95 minutes until the heavens opened and we had to scramble to get everything we'd taken out of the garage back in under cover.
This was probably pretty good timing, even though I was doing all the lifting and carrying, Bee still had to bend down and move around and with an ear infection, it's not the best is it? Anyway, she did well, she let go of more stuff than I expected, the items that I would have kept hold of over other stuff (like plastic plant pots) she wanted to get rid of, so I let her. I uncovered a Pifco hairdryer from the 60's... in it's box, a cylinder hoover from the 70's, Pomagne with 1974 on it and a bottle of white wine stamped 1986. Anyway, in an hour and a bit, we had a car full of rubbish to go to the tip, which is pretty good going. Rain stopped play but I'll go over again, my main aim is to get her organised, at the moment, she has a narrow pathway to just about get through sideways and I'm worried she may fall or bang into something.
The following weekend I call in for a coffee, weather is terrible so no sorting, and I casually ask if she's been to the tip yet with the rubbish from the clear out, fully expecting a 'no, not yet'. Instead, I get a 'yes' followed by; 'and on Tuesday I spent three hours in the garage sorting out....' It's a good job I was sitting down. Who is this person? She tells me in minute detail what she looked at, where it was and what she decided to do with it. Can't tell you how proud of her I was, and I told her so. Three hours sorting on her own is a huge achievement after more than a decade of procrastination. I feel like I flipped a little switch and gave her something resembling motivation.
I've promised more time, as much as it takes to get her organised. Hopefully the weather will pick up soon and even if it doesn't, I have a week off in June so we should be able to find at least one dry day to have another bash at it rather than hope for some weekend sunshine, or at least a day free of rain.
You know that I'm not a naturally tidy person but the more I sort and organise, the more I want to sort and organise, and I feel so much lighter. Never in a million years did I believe that I would be like this. It's taken a very long time but I'm getting there.
Saturday, 13 May 2017
Better than Therapy
I've had a roller coaster week emotionally and it was mostly work induced. I've cried myself to sleep, I've fought back tears in work, I've felt hopeful in work - supported even, (that was for about twenty minutes.) After a brief but refreshing Thursday afternoon, I thought a quiet Friday would be plain sailing. I was wrong. Won't go into detail but suffice to say that I ended up with a pounding, relentless headache and a neck that felt I had a steel rod running up the back of it into my skull.
Three glasses of wine to go with three episodes of Grey's Anatomy later, (I know, I've given up wine,) a bucket full of tears and a box of tissues later, my head and neck felt worse but in a way, I felt a bit better. Ms Rhimes' Greys is better than therapy, sometimes you just need a good cry.
Didn't sleep well on Friday night, woke up with head still pounding (could be the wine, definitely made the right decision to give it up.) Saturday is cloudy and gloomy all day, such a shame after Friday's brilliant sunshine but at least it matches my mood.
Sunday and we're back to glorious sunshine. Head is better but not 100%, neck is painful but stuck the microwaved wheat wrap on it at 6.30 when I got up. Decided that I need to do something about my emotions. Don't get me wrong, emotions are good, sobbing through Grey's Anatomy is good, crying at the end of Long Lost Family is good. Crying over some of the comments on the Country Heat infomercial is not normal. Crying at the end of Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang is not good, crying at the end of The Spy Next Door surely isn't necessary. I'm still upset over something that happened a year ago which still nags at me. With all of this in mind, I have invested in a huge bottle of industrial strength Evening Primrose Oil. Please God, let this work.
Three glasses of wine to go with three episodes of Grey's Anatomy later, (I know, I've given up wine,) a bucket full of tears and a box of tissues later, my head and neck felt worse but in a way, I felt a bit better. Ms Rhimes' Greys is better than therapy, sometimes you just need a good cry.
Didn't sleep well on Friday night, woke up with head still pounding (could be the wine, definitely made the right decision to give it up.) Saturday is cloudy and gloomy all day, such a shame after Friday's brilliant sunshine but at least it matches my mood.
Sunday and we're back to glorious sunshine. Head is better but not 100%, neck is painful but stuck the microwaved wheat wrap on it at 6.30 when I got up. Decided that I need to do something about my emotions. Don't get me wrong, emotions are good, sobbing through Grey's Anatomy is good, crying at the end of Long Lost Family is good. Crying over some of the comments on the Country Heat infomercial is not normal. Crying at the end of Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang is not good, crying at the end of The Spy Next Door surely isn't necessary. I'm still upset over something that happened a year ago which still nags at me. With all of this in mind, I have invested in a huge bottle of industrial strength Evening Primrose Oil. Please God, let this work.
Saturday, 6 May 2017
Ten Minutes
Jan has been slowly coming to terms with losing Mol, every day, I try to make her laugh a little and she is responding but then I'll get a text in work from her to say a member of staff from the Vets has phoned her in tears to say how sorry they all are and then a member of staff from the hospital whose care Mol was under, phones to say that there wasn't a dry eye in the house when the news spread. It's all heart breaking, all lovely, all valid and a reflection of just how lovely Molly was. She was a good dog, she is loved and she's somewhere now happy and feeling like she's a puppy again, I'm sure of that. Ten days after we lose Mol, Jan's Lupus spikes, this is expected, she'll be OK soon though.
Work was tough this week. I don't know if it's the hip thing which is wearing me down but just three days left me exhausted this week. Still, it's payday so I booked in with Mand to get waxed and with Steph to get my hair cut. The last time I paid this amount of attention to my appearance was January. I wasn't really in the mood for either appointment this weekend, but thought they may make me feel better... more human, and they did.
I laughed through the whole beautification experience with Mand, despite the process. We have a lot in common and we have always understood each other. Steph is very young and is refreshingly simplistic with her view on life, she always makes me think and I love how she cuts my hair.
Last Christmas, part of Bee's present was several 'gift cheques' the kind you can download from a website, fill in the recipient's name, what you owe them and then add your signature. Part joke, part an offer of support, I gave Bee cheques for decluttering the garage, sorting out her wardrobe and clearing her loft. She says she wants to be organised and to declutter, but in the ten years since she retired, she has never attempted to do anything on this list. I totally understand her reluctance and when you're faced with a mountain to climb, it's hard to get started.
Despite my ten minutes or ten items mantra, I've failed to get my sister going on her own but she's finally agreed for me to spend an hour or two sorting out her garage.
Work was tough this week. I don't know if it's the hip thing which is wearing me down but just three days left me exhausted this week. Still, it's payday so I booked in with Mand to get waxed and with Steph to get my hair cut. The last time I paid this amount of attention to my appearance was January. I wasn't really in the mood for either appointment this weekend, but thought they may make me feel better... more human, and they did.
I laughed through the whole beautification experience with Mand, despite the process. We have a lot in common and we have always understood each other. Steph is very young and is refreshingly simplistic with her view on life, she always makes me think and I love how she cuts my hair.
Last Christmas, part of Bee's present was several 'gift cheques' the kind you can download from a website, fill in the recipient's name, what you owe them and then add your signature. Part joke, part an offer of support, I gave Bee cheques for decluttering the garage, sorting out her wardrobe and clearing her loft. She says she wants to be organised and to declutter, but in the ten years since she retired, she has never attempted to do anything on this list. I totally understand her reluctance and when you're faced with a mountain to climb, it's hard to get started.
Despite my ten minutes or ten items mantra, I've failed to get my sister going on her own but she's finally agreed for me to spend an hour or two sorting out her garage.
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