Sleeping Ski

Yesterday’s full moon ... beautiful ...

A busy day today!  Hannah has all been clipped and groomed - she will feel so much more comfortable, now that she has had lots of fur chopped off.  I tried to bribe her with (dog) biscuits, so that she would let me take a lovely photo of her all clean and pretty.  The clever girl kept taking the biscuits and disappearing - I will try again tomorrow.

Next, I had an appointment at The Great Western Hospital with an oral consultant, a new one to me.  Mr Allen who was such a lovely man, retired a few months ago, so this must be one of his replacements.  He was very nice and very informative and answered some questions that I was much braver this time to ask about.  I have to go back in 4 months, which was a bit of a surprise but I am aware my mouth feels very sore to my tongue but thankfully because of the steroids I take, I cant actually feel much.

Poppy, is my chauffeur today!  We then zoomed between J15 - J16 of the M4, to collected Hannah from the groomers.  We also bought dog food and cat litter, a very important combo.

We then dropped Hannah off at home and went back to Wyevale, which is where the pet shop and groomers is based.  I wanted to go to the quilting shop - oh my goodness I fell in LOVE with two lots of fat quarters.  I have forgotten to take photos and I am up stairs in bed now - so I will take some pictures tomorrow.

Then we dropped into Barclays Bank, I had £44.00 of old £10, £5 notes and £4 worth of old pound coins, which got paid into my bank account - which helped to go towards all the fabric I had just purchased!!

Then the treat of the day, Poppy drove us to Old Town (Swindon) to the Baguette Bar, where we both a very scrumptious coronation chicken and tomato baguette each,

Home to eat our lunch and then we sat down and watched the first episode of the second series of The Handmaiden Tales drama on I have recorded.

At this point Poppy went off to work and I got equipment and techniques ready to teach.

A bit of a full on day for me - extremely tired but not quite in the same amount of pain having had 10ml of morphine!!

A very tired but chilled Ski ...

This made my day

Our local Parish Council has a Facebook presence.  Yesterday I noticed a post; asking for submissions of photographs, so that the parish council administration team could up date the Facebook cover photo.  A very serious and incredibly talented photographer submitted two very good photos.  One I thought was maybe a little bit busy but the other photo I believed was spot on.  However, I decided to chance my luck!  My photo was taken on my phone, while Noel was driving at approximately 50 mph along the A4361. We had come up the hill and out of the village, travelling towards Avebury, just past the Broad Hinton turn off - when the yellow of the Rape Seed Oil fields just ‘sung’ out against the hazy blue sky.  And yes you have guessed correctly my photo was picked.  It will be upload tomorrow, while also giving me the credit.  Now - picture me with the biggest smile possible.  

Down Hill Racing!

It has been a warm day and we are due to have a warm week.  It is lovely except we just aren’t given the time to get adjusted to the heat before it all changes again!  However, lets make hay while the sun shines - as they say.

And talking of hay or probley better to say crops - we have a new crop circle.

And the down hill racing - well it definitely is not me!!  This is my son; Toby racing at Bala, Wales over the weekend.  He has been doing all sorts of cycling; mountain bike, down hill, road racing since his teenage years.  If I am well enough, Noel and I are going to try and watch him race this weekend near Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

Enjoy the sunshine and remember to look after yourselves in this weather xx

Sew Sunday

Beautiful weather we are having - I enjoyed sitting in my garden in my pyjamas - well that is resting, isn’t it?

I decided to do lots of different crafts, that needed to be done; I have sandwiched a play mat together, the darker green fabric is the bottom and the farm animals are the top layer, with 4oz wadding in the middle - now just a simple quilting pattern before using a (I think) yellow bias binding.  The fabrics were picked by Noel, when he went with a ‘Jacky’ shopping list and a 20% off voucher to Hobbycraft.  The fabrics were not on the list but didn’t he do well?

I sewed the ends into my finished knitting - Hitchhiker Shawl

Made five more stitch markers - I didn’t quite have enough for another knitting project I am working on.  I wound the sterling silver wire around a metal die (that Noel made for me, to my specifications!), so that I could then cut my own jump rings. I cover the join in the jump ring, with a bead, using a drop of super glue.

I cast on 198 chain stitches for the start of my Cupcake Stripe Blanket, by Lucy at Attic24.

And finally did some; pining, tacking and machine sewing on a jersey top I am making for myself.  There will be a ‘Show and Tell’, later in the week.

Noel cooked us a nice (Waitrose pizza) for tea and we made the most of the warm weather and ate alfresco.

And lastly I noticed this leaf - which I assure you is a mulberry bush leaf and not what it looks like and growing my own medication - LOL!

Enjoy your week xx

A Picnic - of sorts

I had big plans for today!  I wanted to go and see the ceramic poppy display at the Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson. Then take a drive to Weston Beach to collect some suitable pebbles for decorating and while we were at the beach - to take in the view and have a picnic.

Poppies Tour

Ha - well like all my big plans - it didn’t go to plan at all - NOT AT ALL!

I had a fidgety night, in pain and hot, cold and visa versa.  Woke up in a pickle, just not feeling great at all. Then I vomited, this was the last straw of lots of other little issues - something was going on with my heart and it wasn’t good.

I wanted to shower and put easy comfy clothes on before Noel took me to hospital.  I wasn’t particularly poorly at this point but I was so tired and I just kept feeling dizzy, with pins and needles down my left arm a pain in my back.  I was also aware of my heart - I couldn’t take it for granted and just ignore it like we all do for thousands of beats a day, every day.

I had to wait a little while in the waiting room.  I probably delayed my own admission because another lady was in so much pain she just didn’t know what to do with herself.  So I wheeled myself over to her and held her hand (not a sensible thing to do, taking my autoimmune issues into  account) but I couldn’t just sit and watch and listen to her in so much pain.  She was eventually sick over the floor and it was at this point she was taken into triage - quickly.  I went back to Noel and just rested my head on his shoulder and dozed.  It wasn’t to long a wait and I was then called into ‘Majors’.

Bloods taken, blood pressure, oxygen levels, respiratory rate, temperature and an ECG was performed.  My blood pressure was high and my ECG was not right!  I felt vindicated when, what I am feeling is shown to be true - silly I know.  But I would hate to think I was wasting time (and money) by being a hypochondriac.

The visit for me, was quick, just six hours - I needed repeat blood tests plus a chest x-ray before the ok to going home could be discussed.  My blood tests showed my potassium was slightly low - so I was given two fizzy, foul tasting potassium tablets - yuck!

So what the ECG was showing, was a blip - one of the ventricules was being squeezed while empty, due to the previous heart beat not having enough time for the blood to flow from the top, down to the bottom chamber.  This in turn was not sending blood out to the body, so my head would go dizzy and I just felt weird!  The doctors didn’t think I had a heart attack - there was no indication from any of the tests and x-ray to say I had.  Dr. Tim and I discussed the way forward; normally beta blockers would be prescribed however they have the opposite effect of salbutamol, so as a chronic asthmatic, this wasn’t going to work.  We therefore decided as I had been so poorly this last week, that we would see if the symptoms just went away! Instead of added medication on top of medication which can have lots of its own issues. I was then discharged home to rest - but let’s be honest I do an awful lot of resting!!

This sort of picnic was not in my plans for today!

A very rare sight - and only for a split second; no trolleys!

A very busy monitor ...

A mad Ski sat in my chair - photo xxx

On the mend

Because we all need princess pyjamas - even at 55!

Oh my goodness that was awful - I hate having autoimmune issues, which then trigger any number of issues; this time being my large intestines.  However because I have only been able to lay on my back, I know that I am now fighting a chest infection but honestly that is nothing - a walk in the park to what I have just had!  If things get any worse, I have antibiotics at home, ready for these kinds of instances.  So if I know full well that I have a ‘proper full on’ chest infection I can start the antibiotics, instead of waiting for a doctors appointment on Monday.

My family all upped their ‘Jacky’ sitting duties - what would I do with out my family and friends?

Noel had meetings at work this morning, so first sitting was Charlie - he was on breakfast duties. Then Poppy; she was on mid morning, showering, clean pyjamas and lunch duties and then Noel was able to get back just an hour after Poppy had gone to work.  However in that hour; Toby who was making his way to North Wales, chatted to me on the (hands free) phone a) to keep me company and b) making sure nothing was happening to me while I was on my own!  After a really lovely catch up of all that has been going on, Noel was on dinner duties and a very nice dinner it was ...

Home made beef and mushroom stroganoff 

Thr Longest Day

I had all sorts of plans to enjoy the longest day ...  sunrise this morning over the River Hamble .... 

However all I have managed to do is sleep all day!  I have also just managed to eat some soup - wish me luck please!!

Oh dear - two poorly ladies

Well I am sure by now you get the picture - that I am quite a poorly person.  I am told I am clinical complex but I am very good at controlling my illness(es) very well.  So when I get a flare up of diverticulitis, I get very upset with myself!  I just can not work out what part of my diet changes to then suffer with awful tummy cramps and diarrhoea.  Is it my diet or is it all the different medications I have to take on a daily basis - who knows?  But what I do know is that I feel so poorly and it hurts a lot.  Not made any the better because I am unable to curl up in a ball, like you naturally want to do with tummy ache.  I am still in the period of laying flat on my back, so that I do not dislocate my new right hip replacement. Laying on my back causes me more lungs issues; normally leading to bronchitis and now with my sore tummy - well let’s just say I am in a pickle and feeling quite sorry for myself.

But I also have another poorly lady in the house; Hannah, my beautiful dog. Hannah has a bladder infection and probably cystitis - so sore.  Even at 14 years and 8 months old, she is a pretty clean lady.  But this is the second time she has had a bladder infection and I missed the clues this time.  I know I am poorly but I feel so very guilty that I didn’t notice or think about what was happening.  She has just had to pee! She goes to the nearest door; front or back door and pee’s on the door mat. She does try to go out.  But if the back door isn’t open she can't cope with then finding me to say, “mum now, door NOW”. So we have had a couple of puddles in the last couple of mornings and then yesterday afternoon while I was in bed we had a couple more puddles.  I happen to text Poppy late yesterday evening and she came straight back with; I wonder if she has a ‘bladder infection’ - of course, why on earth did I not think. The last time she had it, I was so on ‘it’ that in fact I got her to the vets so quickly that she didn’t even have a temperature!  But this time - I failed her.  Anyway I rung the vets first thing this morning and got her a 10:30 appointment.  Poppy said I didn’t have to go to the surgery but I wanted to go, she is my old lady.  As I am still not driving, Poppy came and picked us both up, to take us to our vets but at a different surgery.  Me hobbling along on my walking sticks and Poppy having to lift Hannah into the back of the car - what a pair of ‘old’ ladies we are.  On the drive to Royal Wootton Bassett Poppy also said, having thought about how Hannah had been on her walks and with hind sight Poppy realised that she was crouching down in a slightly different position.  So she felt bad too.  What it is to be pet owners - all that guilt, when you don’t work things out quick enough!!  Anyways while waiting for Poppy to come and get us, I had managed to catch a tiny bit of urine to take to the vets and as soon as the vet saw the pee; she said, “guys I think you might be right”.  The urine was so cloudy and even I thought gosh this is bad. Hannah now has some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to make her feel better - hopefully.  As she has only just had blood tests done, the vet didn’t think they would be required unless of course the medication didn’t make her better in a few days.  I do have have to say Hannah has probably at most had the infection for three days but probably just two.  So it’s not as if she has been in pain for a long ‘long’ time.

This is all after having had a tiny two minute stroke, three weeks ago and her first (again) tiny stroke last December. We don’t think she has had anymore.  I am home with her a lot and both times she has come to find me, to show me what is happening.  It seems to be more distressing for us than her because her tail is still wagging all the while, even her gait is peculiar and she sits with her hanging to the left for that very short time!!  

But we are getting sad - it is not time yet.  And she is doing incredibly well for a Bearded Collie but we do all wonder just how long we have left with her ....

Hannah 04/10/2004 - Present

Crop Circles

We have a new(ish - 09/06/18) crop circle near where I live; it’s at Hackpen, Wiltshire.  I love crop circles, when I was much younger I would have loved to have been part of a team making one!  To be let into the secrets of the designing, being part of all those geometric shapes and then going into the fields and transferring the design into a a real crop circle - not now though.  Today I just enjoy seeing them!

Hospitals!

Two hospital visits; one for me at The Great Western Hospital, Swindon - I have a routine 4 weekly appointment, with a specially trained respiratory nurse to look after me and 10 other patients.  We all have this very extreme form of asthma and are all on the same medical trial.  My results for this month are poor however when looking at the overall picture of how poorly I have been and the major operation I have had.  A) we (the nurse and myself) are not surprised at the results and B) we are in fact incredibly pleased that the results were not in the fail category.  I did come away with a new inhaler to replace a similar make of one I had but in an incorrect format - a certain nurse is going to have words with the consultant!!

Our (Noel and me) second hospital visit of the the day was at Southampton General Hospital, sadly Noel’s dad is very poorly.  However we made him laugh, I got the impression he hadn’t done that fo a while and I think I was also able to make him relax and understand that I could help to make him more comfortable. I am going to use all my hospital experiences to assist him in planning a care package.  A package that fits and works for him - the most important thing being his pain control.  I feel honoured that he (hopefull - not quite confirmed) will let me help him sort all this to the best of my ability.

This is where I find knitting comes into it’s own.  So smoothing, so meditative, so relaxing - while ‘crap’ is going on all around me!  I can still engage with the surrounding hullabaloo but also just nestle into my knitting; Slip 1, knit, 1, knit through back of look, knit 3 and so on ...

Fathers Day - The next Generation

In January we welcomed a brand new little human into our lives. I joined the Granny Club and probably fell in love with this little man, quicker than I did with his Daddy.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love my son with all my heart but back then in 1984, having just given birth to him, I looked at him and realised my life would never be the same again - ever.  It took a few hours of cuddling my baby before the rush of love came over me.  It really did come like a wave, a tsunami in fact.  So I never doubted my love for my son. But cuddling my new grandson; William for the first time, he was so much easier to love. Yes I would be always there for him, yes I would love him unconditionally however, I wasn’t going to be completely responsible for him, this made loving all that bit easier.

Today we had to revert to Plan B - typical English weather scuppered a trip to the Brean Beach to have a family BBQ and picnic. So we had a lovely roast dinner instead at our home. Noel and Charlie (not in these photos!) did the cooking - thank you guys you did an excellent job. The rest of us sat back or took turns as entertainment officer to the little man. 

William - 5 1/2 months old

A doting Grampy - 43 1/2 years old - lol 

A very proud Daddy - aged nearly 34!

Toby, William and Noel xxx

A little achievement

I set myself a little target last week. To write a blog post every day!  Make it small I thought, make it achievable - write about one important thing to me, that has happened on that particular day.  Try not to make to many links or post lots of photographs - keep it simple was my ethos.  I am so very pleased with myself; that it has worked - yes there may be a little bit of an artist element to the photos but actually even they are mostly relevant. Except today’s photograph of a family of cygnets being raised in Hamble Creek, River Hamble, Hampshire.

Photo by Paul Willis (I hope you don't mind?)

Fast Cars

The 3rd session of the Grand Tour is being filmed - I know this because I have been listening to all the cars being raced around the Eboladrome!!  It is exciting even when you are not watching, a very evocative sound; of big engines and wheel spins ...

My Fly Catcher

I would like to introduce you to my kitten - Ski.  She was born supposedly on the 13/10/18 - even though this date is quite disputable.  I had been thinking about getting a new cat for several months and periodically would look to see what kittens were for sale. And then I would talk myself out of the whole kitten scenario.  I have lived with cats most of my life, either my parents, grandparents or my own.  It has been quite a while; three plus years since my last cat passed away and several months since Seuss had moved out, when my daughter and partner got there own home. Seuss still comes to stay on holiday which is why I wanted to be sure I was ready!  Then suddenly on the 10th December 2017 - the first real snowy day of the winter - a Sunday, I just knew I was ready.  I was in bed and just decided there and then to look to see what cats were available.  And up popped 3 kittens.  A tortoiseshell, a tabby and a little tiny black kitten. The black one was for me, she was also half the price of the others!!! But the little black cat was the one I liked the look, no loved the look of....

I texted the lady, selling the kittens; asked all the correct questions and yes, she had the mum there to see.  She was even quite funny and admitted she had no idea who the dad was - this did make me laugh.  She said that they had been wormed and flea’ed, her daughter was a veterinarian nurse and that they were lovely kittens.

I was so excited.  Noel agreed to drive me to Pewsey.  We made a mutually convenient time for that Sunday afternoon.  We were met at the door by Grandma; the lady selling the kittens and her granddaughter, dressed as an Elf - very sweet.

The little - actually a really tiny black kitten was put into my hands.  No other kittens to be seen, so I asked. The granddaughter came back into the living room with one of the other kittens.  To be fair the kittens were very relaxed.  Then the ‘mum’ cat walked in, I have to say she looked an amazing silver tabby and was beautiful.  I just hope she was the mum and we weren’t duped.

We bought ‘Ski’; £80.00 and remember she was half the price of the other kittens. When did the price of moggies become so expensive?  

Ski was supposedly 8 weeks old but weighed just 600g.  We had been sent home with some food but it became painfully obvious within a couple of days this little kitten was struggling. So we wormed her, we bathed her and deflea’ed her.  And got her to the vets - we had done all the correct things, we just needed to see if we could get her to put weight on.  This we did, with the most expensive kitten food available and with lots of love and diligence.

But my goodness didn’t that kitten repay us with love and endless cuddles and purring.  She would not leave my side, she stayed with me every hour of the day and night.  She was everything I needed and I/we were everything she needed.

Today she is still a tiny 8 month old cat but she is healthy and intelligent and still a little cuddle engine - who is incredibly quick at catching flies! So fast!!

And why Ski - well, remember it was snowy and it was a Sunday. So we came up with Ski - like you do xxx

Special Occasions

My neighbours have had a little flurry of special occasions.  I like to make presents for these moments in time - however with all my stays in hospital, I have had to result to buying presents. But let’s be honest, it is all about the giving and some very pretty wrapping too!

On the Menu

Most evenings Noel asks me what I would like for dinner.  There are lots of reasons why; but Noel actually does 99.9% of the cooking.  Most days I am very airy fairy about what I would like to have.  

However, today was different - I knew exactly what I wanted to eat!  

I asked if we could have: lamb chops, gratin dauphinois, french beans and my favorite vegetable of all time peas — Birds Eye Frozen peas.  Noel excelled himself and the dinner was fabulous ...

For dessert I chose fruit salad and vienetta ice-cream, again all freshly prepared and served immediately.  Thank you, I could not have enjoyed my meal more, if you had taken me to the poshest restaurant in the county xx

Sleeping with a Bell!

I can wake in the middle of the night; unable to sit myself up or to call for help.  Having an asthma attack and not being able to breathe is awful but even more scary for my husband.  He sometimes sits for hours watching me; making sure I am breathing properly.  Occupational Thearpy (Swindon, Wiltshire) has supplied me with a hospital bed, so that with a slight movement of my hand, I can press a button and the bed will sit me up.  However, this does not solve the problem of me being able to call Noel - so introducing a bright shiny bell, that I can ping!  I can sleep better knowing I am relatively safe and Noel can sleep deaper and longer knowing I can call him.  Very simple but simple works for us xx

A story when I am poorly

I have had a poorly day today.  Not able to get out of bed and far to hot!  I needed to sleep, with the aid of morphine and nebulisers.  I even struggled to listen to my audio book; Two Rings, a story of love and war.

One Thousand Origami Japanese Cranes

I have set myself a challenge to make 1000 origami paper cranes - tradition states that it is possible to recover from an illness, if I make them all within a year ... I have started.

I am using this and this origami paper and following these instructions.