General Chat

Bliss, a lovely cool day.

Thanks for the advice Bridget I will pass it on to my brother.

I remember when your son was going through a bad time and am really happy that he is feeling so much better. It is really a worry when our children have problems if they are not happy we are not happy.

I sometimes watch the sunrise in the mornings - a beautiful sight.


Val.

Val
I wonder if it is worth you aor your brother could mention something which works incredibly well here in the UK. most care homes which cover everything for rehab to end of life care employ someone who will come into the home and pprovide social occassions such as walking around the garden, painting, playing music and do exercises even people confinde to a wheel chair or special chair can join in,. I could send you more details if it would help,
This first started in the late 1960s and now is almost a requirement..it is truly amazing the effect that iit has made to so many people.
The joy of this is that it does not need to be a physio just someone who has time, patience, and can think sideways not just "in the box"

OOps, so sorry i had to answer the Phone and it was son in Wales. He has been down recently and last year not far off christmas he had a very bad time, and to say I was worried is understated. Well now he is feeling much better has decided to move back into his lovely little house in Swansea. It will mean that one of his tenants will leave but it doesn't make sense for him to be paying someone else when hw has his own home.
He sounded like my son again this afternoon and couldn't stop chatting.
Whilst I was talking to him I was looking out of my bedroom window and the scene was wonderful the sun was a complete circle which was bright red and a beautiful blue sky. It didn't last long but I am glad that I saw it

Another scorcher of a day. I think the heat and the travelling is my problem. I am used to our car which has airconditioning which my brother's does not have, but I guess it could be worse. The temperature yesterday was 30C I think to-day is much hotter.

Glad you enjoyed lunch, the caramel custard sounds divine.

Thanks Bridget that would be so kind of you to include my SIL in your daily special thoughts. Both the physiotherapist and the speech therapist are very pleased with her progress. The frail care have hoist setc. but there is no physiotherapy or occupational therapy which is really a pity as the patients just sit there all day. My brother does have a Medical Aid but that only provides for about 12 physiotherapy sessions and then after that he must pay out of his pocket. The state institutions are even worse.

Bye.


Val.

Off to a meeting this morning so wont be on here at all. A lovely morning here but there was a very hard frost so I am hoping there wont be any black ice on the country roads.

Nudge

Val. Thank you for your message, it is so ggod to look on here and see that others are also posting and not just me. Yes i have been very busy but I had a break today and the person who was my deputy and who was a great support came to see me at 11 am , we had coffee, mulled a few things over, and then I took her out for lunch. We went to a place called Battle, which has a splendid History, mooched around and I bought some birthday cards, just to have to hand when I go home, and then I treated us both to lunch. We both chose the same two courses which was strange and we had Pasta wth chicken and then Caramel Custard and it was absolutely delicious.

After that I had to see the letting Agent who tells me that there is a £600 deposit but he wants me to find out if this was from my employer or from me.....i hope it was me!!!

Later this evening i shall do some more packing I tried to buy a well known brand of bags which you can put clothes etc into and then use a vacumm to take the air out but I could not find any. Then I went into the supermarket and low and behold they had some although an own brand. So I have jsut made a mug of coffee and hen I will see if they work!

Val, how sad that the I am so surprised that the centre your sister in law has to go back to does not have the equipment available,
here in the UK Residential Homes, as we call them, have by law to have certain support mecchanismas including Hoists, special chairs, etc. The phsiotherapy in the UK should also be free as part of the Health Service,,,perhaps Brits do not always appreciate what an excellent Health service they have. Spain also has an excellent service BUT the famil of frinds have to help every day with helping the patient wash, dress and tp help with feeding as well, including briging in a ny food that they would like to have. If there are no friends and relatives then the Nuns help and so do Volunteers.

I will add your sister in law to my daily special thoughts, if that is OK with you.

My goodness what was the temperatre that it caused you to be so hot and tired or was it a combination of heat and travel, I love the idea of having fruit salad for supper,

well I have to get going now doing the new Bage packing
So take care everyone,

Bridget

Ann, I am thinking of starting small with a couple of pages of a particular event and see how it goes.

Unfortunately my brother cannot look after my SIL on his own, the centre has done wonders for her, he will organise for a physiotherapist but because of the cost that will only be once or twice a week. I suggested that he ask the Matron if the carers couldn't assist her by walking with her a little distance each day, that at least would be a help and who knows she may get strong enough to walk on her own in time .

Gosh, I was so hot and tired when we got back to-day that I actually felt sick, however after sitting in front of the fan and having the air-conditioner on I soon recovered! It is now almost 6p.m. and still jolly hot so I have decided that supper will be fruit salad.


Val.

Val, can I say that you can do a scrap book without being particularly creative if you see it as an extension of a photo album and just pretty the page up a bit.

What a shame that you SiL will be returning to the care centre with no therapy as that is obviously what has improved her condition.

Bridget, reading all that you have been doing I am not surprised that you had to take a break!!!

Good to hear that you are feeling better Bridget, and boy so busy!
My SIL is on various medications and after the last episode her doctor said she should go into frail care where she spent 3 weeks before my brother insisted that she should go to the Rehab Centre where she would get intensive therapy as she was unable to do anything for herself. Yesterday with the aid of the physiotherapist she was able to walk a short distance which was encouraging. She will be returning to the frail care centre at the weekend, where unfortunately, there is no therapy.

Another scorchig hot day for us expected temperature 30 C.

Scrapbooking is very nice , we have a very large Scrapbooking shop in
JBay. I have a friend who does it and she is doing albums for each of her three grandchildren, she has also done one of her family history whichn is really very interesting. However, I think one needs to be creative which I am not!!

Look after yourself.


Val.

Hello AnninGlos

I am going to stay with some old friends in Attleborough Norfolk for a few days and i will drive there,. OH is driving over with a excellent condition but older Toyota and my son who lives in Barcalona wil go with him to keep him company.This son will fly back the next day.

After a few days with our friends we will both drive to Amsterdam where OHs eldest son will meet us and in convoy we will drive at his new house and we wil spend the night with him, wife and baby then we give the car, (the one OH has been driving) and we go home in the newer car!!, I think I shall be exhausted. It is driving in Amsterdam thatreally worries me although OH says it is only 40 mins to their home. Um I wonder if we could leave my car somwhere safe,,,,we will be on the ferry from Dover to Holland.

I have been cleaning and sorting today but still have to take break now is that because I am getting older or is it because I have been unwell. I have managed to clean all the cupboards in the kitchen , sorted out everything in the bathroom and airing cupoard, sorted out some clothes and packed on suit case, and been decidinh =g what clothing can go to the recycle bin locally. I cannot believe how many shampoo bottles, toilet rolls, New dish cloths not ever opened, etcetra.

W ell just having a break for a glass of water and two slices of toast and then I need to get my bedroom ready for me to go to bed.

Take care

Good job you are not flying home then Bridget. If you drop the car off in Amserdam how do you get home? Or do you mean you will have two cars here?

no local argos has these bags in stock...so I will have to buy some cheaper ones, I cannot believe what I have gathered whilst here, however bedding is so much cheaper here especially in the supermarkets and I am recycling some of the clothes I no longer needs, but if anyone remembers Imelda Marcos, she who had so many pairs of shoes, well I have been having a b...dy good try at matching her.I will need a large bag just for the shoes!!
Enough for now as I finish my cup of tea and have to pack the bedding into some bags just to makeit tidy.

I must be getting better as I have the energy to do some of this even if I have to take some time out after an hour or so

now i shall know what everyone is talking about.

I am going to search Argos in a minute as I have been told that the quality of these clothes/ bedding etc bags a very tough and last a long time. i will let you know what I find.

Hi Bridget, enjoy your lunch with your friend and good to be able toe arn a bit more without going to work.

the clothes bags I have seen in the pound shop, various sizes.

Scrap books that we do now started in America. They can be various sizes but I use either 12 x 12 or 8 x 8 (inches) We use a backing paper and a photo or photos then decorate the pages. They look very attractive and make nice memory books.

How lovely to hear from you all and now I feel a bit guilty for sounding so peevish, I apologise, You ahe=ve all been busy one way or another,
Mary in Spain how i look forward to doing much the same when I finally get home which I think will be in about 12 days time, just to sit,relax, read with music in the back ground and Jet and Joealways ooking after us/

Val so sorry to hear about your sister in law, and I hope that she makes a good recovery, is she being well monitored when at home and is she on any medications?

AnninGlos. Well I am not quite sure what the srap books are. i mean I used to keep scrap books which had postcards in of every place I went on holidy to and I used to write something about the holday as well....I wonder where they are now???

Books and yet more books. I seem to have gathered a lot of books since I arrived here and I will have to take them home as some were Christmas presents , birthday Presents etc

Tomorrow I am going into Battle I mean the place battle not that I am going into Battle!! A friend I have made whilst working here is coming out to lunch with me and we have been asked if we would write Policies and Procedures fo a family who need to update those they already have, Now this is NOT going back to work because we can do these from home email them and discuss any changes that the family may want...pays quite well.....
However we do not have to do it if we do not want too.


I now have to go and see what clothes I want to f=take back with me and then put them away. I need to buy some of those magic clothes containers which you can let the air out fro them and they become very flat...I hope someone knows what I mean..I think Argos sell them so going to have a look.

Finally I must ne feeling better because I had some pasta with real tomato sauce which was delicious and I have been fine so maybe just maybe I am over that awful flu!!

Bye fo now and take care

Hello Bridget,
Sorry I missed posting on here yesterday, was sorting out a few bits and pieces and did a couple of very simple sccrap book pages of the older Grandsons, then watched TV most of the evening, dancing on ice and Countryfile, part of Antiques Roadshow.

This morning I took another couple of carrier bags full of books to two charity shops in town (went on the bus while OH was at golf). Once I have got the books down to a more manageable level I can start on a couple of cupboards and the sideboard.

Hello,

Things have been rather hectic for me for the past week or so. I have been accompanying my brother to Port Elizabeth every day where his wife is in The Rehab Centre again having suffered another stroke. She is much better but will not recover to the extent she was.

The last three days have been very, very hot indeed and I have been absolutely exhausted when I arrive back home. To-day is a bit cooler thank goodness. Have just had lunch so must be off to do the dishes and then the patient's laundry.




Val.

Good morning Bridget - or should I say afternoon
Been doing some housework and washing this morning hence my absence and yesterday me and hubby did absolutely nothing - did not even unlock the front door. Spent the day listening to cd's, reading and watching a little tv. Perhaps that was why I had another sleepless night.

Glad to hear your hubby and son will be with you this week and that you will soon be back home in Spain. Bet you can't wait.

Enjoy your lunch.

Take care
Love Mary xx

where is everyone? I am beginning to think that I must lead a sad life at the moment as I seem to be the only one posting but I know you will all be back so fingers crossed I shall be back this afternoon.