General Chat

We often went away in May or early June as well. May was always a favourite month but not this year. We've had days here and there when it has been lovely but most of the month seems to have been rain, rain and more rain. I always liked September as well so maybe that will be a good month this year.

What a shame you had to drag out in the rain for your blood test Mandy, only to find it wasn't needed. Someone else would have been glad of that appointment. I had that experience of OH not being able to come in the clinic with me a while back. I used to have to go regularly every 2 years for various procedures and scans and they were always done at the West Suffolk Hospital where OH could be in the waiting room or get himself a coffee while I was being "done". Last time, trying to clear some of the backlog, the hospital booked me in to a private clinic at Ipswich but OH wasn't allowed in with me. This place didn't even have a car park but I had to have a driver with me because I was sedated. So OH had to drop me at the door, find a public car park and sit in the car for a couple of hours till I rang and told him to come back and pick me up. What a palaver. To add insult to injury this clinic bodged the job and it had to be done again at the hospital anyway. Don't worry Mandy, I am sure that won't happen to you and your scan will be fine.

I expect your neighbour was pleased when you phoned about his parcel, Mel. He must have been wondering where on earth it was.

I think we're all looking forward to seeing some pictures Annx.. I always show OH as well and he is always very impressed by your talent.

We were lucky at the tip as it actually stopped raining just before we arrived so we didn't get soaked but we did have to be careful on the metal steps going up to the containers as they were very slippy. We had lunch as soon as we got back and then I carried on with getting my bedroom decluttered and cleaned. The sorting out of all the book shelves and cupboards is completed, everywhere is dusted and where necessary the paintwork has been washed though it looked pretty much OK. This afternoon I've cleaned the windows in the bedroom, the skylight in the ensuite and all the mirrors. OH came upstairs at one point and said he felt guilty reading while I was doing all this work so has offered to make a start on the kitchen in the morning. He's going to get everything out of 2 awkward floor level corner cupboards that I find difficult and give them a thorough clean. He'll probably have to lay on his stomach on the floor to reach into the far corners and it will be underneath a basket arrangement that swings out on hinges and pivots. It must have been designed by a man as it's a brilliant use of space but really difficult to clean. I'm very glad of OH's offer to at least do those cupboards for me.

I think it's about time for a cuppa (and shhh!, maybe a biscuit or two) so I'm off to put the kettle on..

All toenails trimmed nicely now and he even cut my long thumbnail off for me as its so hard I can't cut it even with my supersonic clippers.

Its good you have got on the course so we can see some more of your lovely paintings I'm so looking forward to them. Oh loved to see your pictures as well as Mandy's Colin. Fed the mowing man with rolls and orange juice and he's back on the mower again. Mid may is a good time to go away as the leaves are usually coming out by then and the Hawthorne blossom and the bluebells and primmyroses.

While I was out a parcel was delivered to me and it was huge and I knew I had'nt ordered anything so looked for the address and it was in such tiny little letters I had to get right up close to read it and it was for my new neighbours who I had just been speaking to up the top on the way in. I had to ring them and Simon came down in his van and collected it. He said he had an email to say it had been delivered and wondered where it was. You could'nt miss it it was at least 5' x 2'6". Aparantly it was shelving brackets.

Afternoon All,

We had rain earlier, then sun, but dull and dry since. The forecast now says to expect gusty winds in an hour! I shan't bother washing the towels today.

What a waste all round then Mandy and, as you say, you'd have thought they would have let you know to save a wasted journey and an appointment someone ese could have had. A soaking too that you needn't have had. They used to ring me the night before when they thought my blood sugar tests weren't needed. (they were). I don't know whether the hospitals are continuing with some of the covid practices, but OH had to go on his own for his hernia operation last year and they wheeled him outside for me to collect him. Maybe the clinic doesn't have much seating space? It's good you have a scan appointment sorted now though.

I think I would have had a moment's panic with hearing your OH get the car out for going to the tip to Vera. I expect you will be very alert to what he's doing for a day or two after what happened. I wouldn't have that trouble as OH tells me everything he is going to do and I mean EVERYTHING! lol. It's very disruptive to my own thinking process.

Sorry your leg played up lying down so you didn't sleep well AnnG. My knees have been different to usual in bed recently and ache after a few minutes when my legs are straight. They are usually ok like that and I wondered if the damper weather was causing it. I've slept much better just lately though but still lack get up and go! I'm looking forward to seeing your garden when the flowers you are buying are all in flower. I need to start sorting my pots out.

I think May is one of my favourite months as well Mel and we always used to go to Cornwall mid May. The rain and dull days can get a bit depressing, but I prefer that to the unbearable heat we have had in recent years. Thyroid issues make it harder to control body temperature and can make me feel ill. If I get too hot I can't cool down easily, so have to do anything outside really early when it's hot weather.

I managed to book the course, but the morning one was booked up, so I booked the afternoon one which finishes at 3.00pm, so early enough for my vision to be still ok I think. It's an awful site to log into, needing two areas to log in and not easy to find what you need like where to log into the meetings. Because it is govt funded there are reams of questions to answer before, during and after each lesson as well and they have updated the site since I last used it and I still haven't sussed where to load your pictures to send after each lesson, as they have changed it all! Why do they do these non improvements all the time? Hopefully the teacher will run through things like that on the first lesson.

Better do some admin the post has brought today next!

BIL is here and mowing. Clean the fish filter out and now ready to go to the foot doc.

How silly is that then Mandy as you said soemone else could have had that appointment. Hope Colin get on ok with his covid jab. Coming back to the ultra sound appointment thats a bit stupid not letting anyone come with you but when I come to thinjk of it when I had to go and have a checkup in the hospital oh had to wait out in the car but that was nearer the time of covid.

Got the foot doc at 2pm so I better get on I'm all showered and ready to go but I am hungry so I thinkj I will eat now.

Morning all,

Cold wet and soggy here to Vera ,I'd like some sun too please .

Had a blood test booked for half nine so out in the wet we go got there had a little wait then she called me in and said I think you've had a wasted journey as the blood test you had on the 20th which is when I had my gall stone pain was tested for the kidneys too which is what the blood test today was for ,why didn't they check before I went somebody else could have had that appointment, anyway the blood test was OK so that was good .
When I got home my appointment for my ultra sound came in the post thats for the 24th June its not at the Norfolk and Norwich it's for a clinic just before you get to the hospital and it says to come on your own and if anyone comes with you they will be turned away never heard that before .

Colin has his covid jab at half one today so it's out in the rain again .

Morning all

Could one of you ladies with sun send a bit this way please. It's been bucketing down for hours and to make it worse it is very windy. One weather app is telling me it's drizzling and another is telling me to expect light rain around 2 pm! I think I must be living on a different planet. They do agree that it's 12 degrees and windy and one says the wind is making it feel like 6 degrees which sounds about right. I've had to put a fleece on over my shirt and jumper. I can't believe this is supposed to be the driest region in the country - well, it definitely isn't this year!

To make matters worse we have a car full of waste to take to the tip. As we have an appointments system here we will have to go or lose our slot. We can't just turn up when it's nice and dry. So we're obviously in for a soaking in a while.

That's enough of the miserable things. We've got a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and OH is completely back to normal so things aren't that bad.

Safe journey back for your daughter and sil AnnG. You are bound to miss them for a day or two but keep yourself occupied and you'll soon adapt to being on your own again. Hope your leg is easier this morning.

Bye for now from a cold and soggy Suffolk.

Morning all,

Sunny here at the moment and it 15 degrees and pc says partly sunny.

Think I will strip the bed today too Anng and get that out of the way as it looks promissing to getit dry.

WEll that one of my favorite months gone by so quickly did'nt realise and I supose the next month is going to be the same. I truely love May and June when there's all the fresh leaves onthe trees and the flowers start to bloom.

O well you can't stop time passing.

Good morning all. daughter and SiL left here at 0730 this morning and should be well on their way now.

The sun is shining and it is 13 degrees so hopefully I can do a bit more tidying in the garden.
I didn't sleep well last night as my leg played up. It was fine when walking around but hurt as soon as I lay down.

Second lot of washing in, one lot was done yesterday. Then there is the bedding off the spare bed to do.

Hello all, we have been busy today plus having a visit to the local garden centre for plants as I am all behind and they needed extra.
Next step will be to plant the. All, that will hopefully be over the weekend.
It is a nice day here today, a lot of sun and quite warm so the lawn was cut by SiL. Lots of small garden jobs done by daughter so that is a big help.
Leg is still very stiff and painful but is definitely better today. Head still a bit. Muzzy but I slept ok. And not had many dizzy spells through bending down. Used my stick and a trolley in The garden centre which helped. But have not used my stick in the garden or house this afternoon.

Vera that was frightening for you both. I mentioned it to daughter and she had heard of it. She did cheer me up (not) by pointing out it would be scary too for someone on their own. However I pointed out it was likely I would not know I was confused.

Ann we all look forward to new paintings by you although any figures you have done have always seemed good to me.

Mandy, it is good to see that you have your energy back but don’t overdo it.

Mel, as Ann has said, check there is not a thorn in that finger.

Afternoon Everyone,

What a horrid, frightening experience you both had Vera. Thank goodness your friend asked to speak to you and didn't just assume your OH had drunk a bit too much wine! I wonder if he thought he was asking you for your date of birth in his confusion. It's good the medics acted quickly and established it was nothing serious and may never happen again which must have been reassuring for you both.

Yes I think the course (only three lessons) will be good as it covers things like peoples' posture and the way clothes hang in different positions which will hopefully help me improve a bit more Vera. I'm hoping there are still a few places left Mandy when I try to book up next. It's just 3 lessons and in the mornings which is when my eyes are best to see. I will no doubt want to try a painting afterwards, so Colin will get to see it if I do and it's ok! :-) Yes it's odd about the Pigeon liking to use that particular plant. No sign of him today, so I'll leave the cover on a couple of days and take it off and see what happens then! You have been busy with dusting, hoovering and window cleaning. I can never understand where all the dust comes from. I daren't look under the bed!

I hope AnnG's leg is getting better, also that there's been no vertigo. The two together are not ideal for keeping your balance. Hopefully her weather has been drier than ours so that SIL could mow the lawn.

Mel I wonder what has happened with your finger. Is there a thorn in it anywhere? Mum used to buy Nemesia plants when I was a little girl and plant them in a raised bed that was level with my chin then. I seem to remember they had a nice scent as well.

Afternoon Everyone,

What a horrid, frightening experience you both had Vera. Thank goodness your friend asked to speak to you and didn't just assume your OH had drunk a bit too much wine! I wonder if he thought he was asking you for your date of birth in his confusion. It's good the medics acted quickly and established it was nothing serious and may never happen again which must have been reassuring for you both.

Yes I think the course (only three lessons) will be good as it covers things like peoples' posture and the way clothes hang in different positions which will hopefully help me improve a bit more Vera. I'm hoping there are still a few places left Mandy when I try to book up next. It's just 3 lessons and in the mornings which is when my eyes are best to see. I will no doubt want to try a painting afterwards, so Colin will get to see it if I do and it's ok! :-) Yes it's odd about the Pigeon liking to use that particular plant. No sign of him today, so I'll leave the cover on a couple of days and take it off and see what happens then! You have been busy with dusting, hoovering and window cleaning. I can never understand where all the dust comes from. I daren't look under the bed!

I hope AnnG's leg is getting better, also that there's been no vertigo. The two together are not ideal for keeping your balance. Hopefully her weather has been drier than ours so that SIL could mow the lawn.

Mel I wonder what has happened with your finger. Is there a thorn in it anywhere? Mum used to buy Nemesia plants when I was a little girl and plant them in a raised bed that was level with my chin then. I seem to remember they had a nice scent as well.

I'm pleased you are finding a bit more energy now Mandy. You have had a rough time and it's good to know you're feeling a bit better.

I love Nemesias Mel. I recently bought 2 packs of 6 plants which I've got in 2 troughs but I also have a pretty pink one in an old square stone planter which I've managed to keep going for a few years now. As for having a password book, all OH's passwords and a lot of mine are on an Excel spreadsheet on a USB which is locked in a safe if we are out of the house, but his mind yesterday wouldn't have allowed him to remember that. This Transient Global Amnesia is weird. The person affected knows his own identity and background, knows people he has dealings with regularly, can carry out normal tasks like driving or cooking but seems unable to remember recent events or make new memories. So, like someone with dementia, they may ask the same question over and over because they can't remember the answer you've given. In OH's case it wasn't so much asking me questions as keep going back to the issue of forgetting his password to open the computer. Apparently it usually resolves itself in 1-8 hours and never longer than 24. OH was pretty much back to normal in about 2 hours.

He did give me a fright a little while ago. I was near the front door when I heard him open the garage door and drive the car out. I was terrified that his mind had gone again and he was going to drive off somewhere so I rushed out to stop him. In fact his brain was working better than usual, lol. He had actually remembered that a week ago I booked an appointment to take a load of stuff down to the tip tomorrow and had got the car out to put the back seats down, clear the boot and load it up with all our waste.

I'm going to have a bit of a rest now. A combination of the stress, getting overheated in the hospital and missing a meal, a migraine trigger for me, meant I eventually went to bed at 1 am with a bad headache and didn't sleep well. I enjoyed my meat pie and veg at 1.30 but I am feeling droopy now.

Mandy you have been busy and it reminds me I have to do my windows as when the sun gets around to the front they look all misty and its not outside. You must be feeling better to get all that done.

It stopped raining this mroning after the first downpour but the wind is still up but the washing likes it. Sunshine and cloud now.

Afternoon all,

Oh gosh Vera that must have a real worry for you both, I'm glad he's back to normal now let's hope it never happens again ,as Mel said if your friend hadn't rung you might never have realised it had happened , sounds as if you were looked after well at the hospital with no waiting about and got home eventually in the taxi .

I've had a good morning I dusted and hoovered all the bedrooms and cleaned all the upstairs windows inside ,my goodness the bedrooms needed doing they were really dusty as I haven't done them for a week or two with having no energy .

Ann I wonder why the pigeon has decided he likes that plant ,I've had the birds pull out bits of the basket liners for their nests and they've scrapped soil out all over the slabs .
It will be good if you can get on the drawing course and then back to your paintings ,Colin keeps asking has Ann sent any of her paintings .

Anng hope your leg is getting easier and your cold too .

O Vera what a frightening thing to happen. Its just as well he answered the phone and then brought it to you to speak to your friend who informed you of what was going on with your oh. My first thought was that you may have put the pies in the oven and forgotten about them with all the worry and getting to the hospital. I do hope he is ok now and why hav'nt he got a book with all his passwords in? I have one cos I can never remember them all for the different places I need them. I have also told BIL where they are is case.........

It would happen when you have that nice holiday booked once again in Vienna. I do so hope he is ok and he is in my prayers.

Em came round for eggs and had 2 dozen so that was good as they have been building up and I can only eat so many eggs.

I ordered some (6) Nemesia plugs in three different colours and they arrived this morning in a plastic box all taped up with extremly sticky tape. It took me ages to get that off and then they had clips on the box too. Got them out eventually and they look good little plants so now the next job is to pot then up but first I am going to give 6 pots a good wash. They should be good as they cost me £14.99.

Hallo ladies

It's not very warm today and is grey and cloudy with rain expected in a while. I won't be gardening today. I hope the weather is OK where you are AnnG so your daughter and SIL can get the grass cut for you.

I wonder if you hurt your finger when you were tying up your rose or trying to sort out your greenhouse Mel. I hope it feels better soon.

That drawing course sounds right up your street Annx. I've missed seeing your paintings and hope you do some more soon.

Well, we had a worrying evening yesterday. Around 6 pm OH was upstairs on the computer and I was just getting our meat pies ready to go in the oven when the phone went and OH answered it upstairs. It was a local friend ringing to thank us for her birthday present. After talking to OH for a couple of minutes she asked him to find me as she needed to chat to me and he brought the phone downstairs. The first thing she said to me was to ask if OH was alright as he seemed very confused and was saying a lot of nonsense about not being able to get into the internet and wanting to know her birthdate in case that was his password. Anyway I went to check on him and he was clearly very confused and fixated on his password that he'd put in wrongly so many times that he was locked out of his computer. I thought he might be having a TIA or mini-stroke so I rang 111. The helpful chap there spoke to both of us and said he would get an ambulance sent.

That arrived about 7 pm by which time OH was almost back to normal. The paramedics did tests and then took us to the hospital getting there about 8. The emergency department was packed and I thought we might be there most of the night but, as a possible stroke patient, OH was moved through fairly quickly. By now he seemed normal and felt he was there under false pretences but lots of checks were done and loads of blood taken and he saw the senior doctor on duty in Emergency. He talked to both of us about what had happened and what reactions I was getting from OH, thought he had a diagnosis but wanted it confirmed by someone else. He disappeared and came back in a while with another man who I think was a consultant neurologist. We went over all the same ground with him and were given the diagnosis of Transient Global Amnesia which is fairly rare, is very alarming but not serious, doesn't need any treatment and may never happen again. I was told I did the right thing getting help and if it happens again to get him back to the hospital quickly rather than assume it's just this TGA.

We then rang for a taxi to get us home and got a lovely young man but he must be the only taxi driver with 2 satnavs who still managed to get lost. He took a different route to the one we would normally use but it was a valid alternative route so we didn't say anything. At one point he ended up going through a tiny village some miles from us and then turning into this long, dark and very narrow country lane that we didn't know and had no idea where we were. Anyway eventually he came out to the main road again and we got home around 11.30 pm. Luckily I'd been given a firm price by the taxi company so he couldn't try to charge more for all the extra miles he drove. As it was it cost us nearly £40 to get home.

So it was an interesting evening to say the least and the local grapevine has worked overtime as the phone hasn't stopped ringing this morning. Now I am going to go and cook the dinner that we didn't get last night.

Morning all,

Windy and lashing rain thats what I have come out to this morning. I hope the little greenhouse stays up with my temp repair but if not I shall just have to take it down and buy a new one.

Hope you all slept well and are refreshed for the day ahead.

Hows he leg this morning Anng? improving with each day I hope. I don't know what I have done to my left index finger but it hurts like anything as if I have bruised the knuckly. Just old Arther I expect.

Evening All,

Some rain around lunchtime and the wind has got up a bit tonight. The pesky pigeon was back this morning and must have been up early wrenching away more of the plant for it's nest. It had decimated what was left so I have put an upturned humper over the remains with a brick on top. I can leave it like that for a few days without harming the plant and hopefully the pigeon will have finished it's nest by then! I've never known anything attack the plant before and it must have been there over 10 years.

We both did a short stint in the garden again and the bin is filling up nicely and quite heavy. I hope we don't get a complaint about the soil in there, but I can only get some of the more mossy weeds out with a trowel and the soil they are rooted in. OH had a bad back, so he started cutting back the bottle brush which died back badly in the winter instead of bending. We may get rid of it as the flowers we get now are very small and there won't be much left after the dead stuff has been cut out.

I've managed to set up my HMRC account registration again now I have a passport, so I can access it again now to do some checks. I've also found a three day drawing people course online that I might sign up to tomorrow. It might get me back into painting again.

It sounds like the shop has some tasty treats to tempt you Mel! It does sound like you have hay fever with the sneezing, but OH only has to see the sun to start sneezing and his dad was just the same.

That's good you were ok on the journey home AnnG and I see you are getting the garden back under control already. I wonder if it might be your cold and blocked nose that has caused the vertigo and balance issue when you bend down? It's good the lawn will be mowed for you tomorrow, one less thing for you to do.

I'm glad you're home safe and sound Anng and that you did feel a bit better for the journey home. Just come in from the garden again and tied up the rose and got the cover sort of on the little greenhouse I just need a brick to lift the central pole up a bit that the only way I can use it for this year and then I'll have it taken down cos it won't last another winter and the plastic cover is getting a few tiny holes in it but its done well and provided shelter for toms and cues over the past few years.

Tired and thirsty now so I am giving up for today.