General Chat

Hello to all.
Sorry to hear that your knees are painful Florence & having your appontment cancelled.

Well I went to visit my hubby yesterday but I didn't enjoy the journey to the hospital, it's about an hours drive & mosty dual carriageway & I was soo nervous, our daughter tried to assure me re the speed but it made no diffeence to me, the number of cars that were costantly whizzing past didn't help either, my hands went numb whilst gripping the seat belt, not a nice journey for me at all.

When we got to the hospital daughter dropped me off at the entrance whilst she went to the multi storey car park, then we had a rather looong walk to get to the ward where my husband is.
I had to climb the stairs (too scared of lifts) some 4 floors & then along a really long corridor & not a seat in sight !

I found hubby in quite good spirits, though he didn't look at all comfy in his bed, slumped over to one side, we had to help him adjust his position, the room he is in is very small,I MO, like a cupboard with a window !
There was hardly any room to get round the bed & the chair I sat in was not great, my legs were in need of a foot stool but none to be had, ended up with my feet resting in the framework below the bed !

3 nurses came into hubbys room to do various things only 1 of them had a smile on her face & spoke to me nicely, the others were rather abrupt both in what they were doing & how they spoke to all of us !!
As for the meal hubby had chosen I couldnt believe how small the portion was,2 tiny Roast potatoes, a thin sliver of Pork, no veg because he no longer orders them, he says they are not cooked properly!!, the portion of Veg Soup he was given wouldn't have satisfied a small baby, IMO, served in what resembled a plastic baby sippy cup!

We spent around 4 hours with hubby but had to leave around 2-0pm as I was needing to get back home before it got dark. not nice having to leave him but it had to be done.

Our youngest daughter arrived from Lanark on Firday, & she visited he dad on arrival in Aberdeen before coming to me, she was back in Aberdeen again on Staurday & stayed with her dad for most of the day before coming back to me.
This morning she headed off for Aberdeen once again calling in to see her dad, she managed to stay with him for a couple of hours before heading off for Lanark.

The power went off at breakfast time today before we got the toast & tea made so she had to leave here without anything substantial inside her.

I am very glad I managed to get to see hubby but I'm not going to be able to do the journey etc again, fingers crossed that he night at some point be moved to the local Cottage Hospital.

Not a bad day here today, bright, sunny & flat calm, but a bit chilly, no garden jobs done again, lol.

Hope everyone is well, take care.

Joan.

Afternoon all.

Joan, lovely to hear from you. Very brave of you to do that long journey and i'm sure it lifted hubby's spirit to see you and also for you to see him too.

Terrible food he's getting! We are very lucky here in our hospital as portions are generally very good and the menu has a good choice.

I really have a dislike for staff that don't smile or attempt to say hello etc to the relatives, there is no excuse for that. Did they say how long he may be in there? I'm guessing your cottage hospital is more local to you? Here's hoping it wont be too long.

Well the weather here is just dire and getting worse. i wondered if our power would go off but not yet! How long were you off for Joan? Hope your daughter had a safe trip home. Nice you got a bit of time with her and you had company.

Linda, poor Eve, not well again. Must be so many bugs going round just now. Hope she feels better before xmas.

Put my daughters presents under the tree today and a few things in her stocking lol but couldnt find her xmas card anywhere! I had to go and move things in my wardrobe until right at the back it had slipped behind a box. Thank goodness as I begun to wonder if I had actually bought her a card :-S :-S All sorted now anyway.

As for tea tonight, might just have a cheese and onion toastie as not terribly hungry but need something.

Well better draw the curtains and put the fairy lights on as just realised how dark it is!

Florence in the hebrides

Hi Florence,.
Our daughter has reached lanark & is now settled back with her hubby & 2 small boys, she was a start when here, helped me greatly & spent a lot of time with her dad.

Our 2nd son set off from Northumberland this morning, he's coming on his own, he phoned at about 4-00pm to say he had reached Aberdeen & was on his way to visit his dad, he is going to bring me a fish from the chippy when on his way to me, yum.

Not sure how long he is staying but I don't think it will be for very long, I'm not bothered just so long as his dad gets to see him, sone will most likely call into the hospital again when he sets off for home.

Sounds as though you are going to have a lovely Christmas Florence, you are sooo well organised, well done.
I was always well sorted at Christmas time but not bothered with it much since all the children left home.

Joan.

Enjoy your supper Joan sounds yummy :-D

Good afternoon to you all.
Lovely bright sunny day here today, slight frost first thing & it's a bit chilly even though the sun is out, I did venture out into the garden earlier & planted up the last of my new wooden planters that our eldest son made for me.

So that's 4 lovely Clematus all nice & cosy, they are quite big plants & I can see new buds appearing on the current stems so fingers crossed they will survive the winter.
I am really hoping they spread upright & sideways to cover the old wall at the very top of the main / best part of the garden.

Our 2nd son arrived last night having travelled up from Northumberland, he stopped in at the hospital in Aberdeen spending 3 or 4 hours with his dad.
Our 3rd son who lives in Aberdeen was also visiting his dad at the same time so the 2 brothers spent the hours catching up with each other & their dad.

It was lovely seeing our 2nd son, it's been a while with him living in Northumberland, we chatted & laughed mostly about the times past when the 5 children were growing up etc.
He's on his way back home now after spending some more time at the hospital this morning with his dad.

Well I best go & have a tidy round, re make the spare bed etc.
I hope everyone is well & that the weather is nice, take care.

Joan.

Afternoon Joan and everyone else looking in.

Well you have had some nice company Joan seeing your sons and catching up with your daughter too. i didnt realise you had 5 children! Hubby would have enjoyed their company too. Hope your plants do survive and then in the Spring you will have a good show in your new planters.

Its so blooming wild here with hailstones and showers, sooo cold too. Glad i didnt have to go to the hospital in one way as it wouldn't have been pleasant being shifted in a wheelchair from door to ambulance!

I finished of the laundry so just a small basket that needs to be ironed. Had 5 cards today which was a surprise as not had any since a few days ago.

Daughter will be back around 4.30, no doubt with lots of bags and more laundry lol.
Just finished off my Tesco order coming tomorrow and saw some things out of stock but managed to find alternatives so its all ok.

I have just noticed that my Amaryllis has grown about 2 inches :-S I didnt notice that yesterday so it must have grown overnight lol

Oh another heavy shower of hail, hope it doesn't turn to snow!

Better pop on the heating, then vacuum the whole house before me coffee break.

Florence in the hebrides

Getting a real treat for tea. Daughter went to the chippy and i'm getting haddock and chips...yummy :-D

That has brightened up tea time and no washing up lol

She's on her way now and should be home about 4.45.

My the sky is black and very angry looking with torrential rain and the wind is in full storm force. At least if the electric goes off, we wont go hungry today.

Ive had the heating on awhile so at least the house is warm and cosy.

Hope all ok with everyone

Hi Florence.
Yes 5 children, lol, we had some lovely times when they were little but as they have got older they have drifted somewhat from each other !
Son has just phoned to tell me he has reached home (NHL) so that's good news, he said his dad was in good spirits when he saw him this morning.

I had a wee chuckle re your Fish supper, I was treated to a fish from the chippy on Sunday when the youngest daughter visited, & treated to another last night when 2nd son arrived !
I did sooo enjoy them but 2 in 2 days, that's naughty . LOL.

Joan.

Aw naughty but nice Joan :-D :-D

I am glad that your children have managed to see their dad Florence.

I went to Esme’s Christmas concert today. It was a real shambles, but the children enjoyed it <3. Seeing them performing brings it home just how severely disabled the majority of the children in the school are. I will go to the croak concert in the church on Thursday afternoon as well.
Tomorrow via m taking Eve out for the day. It would be so much easier if we lived near them, but I have a half hour drive down the motorway to pick her up. Then we will drive the half hour almost back here and continue north for another half hour. She will come with me hike I get my hair cut, but that doesn’t take long. Then we will take the holly wreath to my parents grave. We take water and a cloth, so she gives it a clean. After that we will go to the retail park for lunch and to that she can buy presents for the family courtesy of my credit card. Then it is an hour to get her back home and half an hour back for me. I will be up and gown the motorway like a yo yo, you wouldn’t like that at all Joan.

Afternoon from a watterlogged and very wet & windy village! Its just dreadful. So much rain today and now the wind is picking up to bring us storm PIA I think its called later on.

Waiting on Tesco, time given 5-6pm, 5 stops away so may be sooner.

I asked daughter to get me an orange and bless her she got everything else except the orange is a grapefruit!! Haven't the heart to tell her yet as she has been doing all the extras that were out of stock with Tesco in the coop. It just came with 3 bags.

She is now on the bus coming home, so no more going to town now, that's the food all sorted thank goodness.

No ferries, no post but we are safe and well stocked and the house is warm and cosy.

Always feel a bit guilty at this time of year seeing people begging on the streets sleeping rough. But i do give to various charities throughout the year not just at xmas so I do my little bit for those less fortunate.

Hope your day out is going fine Linda with all the mileage etc and hope your hair looks nice too.

Hope you are ok Joan and cosy inside today.

Anyone else looking in, take care in the awful weather.

better keep a look out just now for me delivery.

Back later on

I hope you are all battened down Florence, the storm sounds as if it going to be bad.

Yesterday went well, Eve bought lots of nice presents, which are all now wrapped and hidden in her bedroom. She is not at all well, I think that she could have a chest infection, but getting a doctors appointment would be impossible, so hopefully she will get through it.
It is Esme’s carol service in the church next to her school this afternoon, so that is another trip for us. It would have been so much easier if we had moved.

The house viewing went well yesterday, it was a mother doing preliminary viewings for her son who lives in Gloucester. He is coming up for Xmas and has made an appointment to come on the 28th. So fingers crossed, although he wanted her to check if the kitchen could be extended to make a big kitchen diner. The answer is not easily, so I am not holding my breath

Morning all

Yes the storm was and still is awful! We did lose power around 2-3am. I know this as I was still awake!

I received a tel call at 8pm last night from dads carer. My dad has taken a stroke and was taken to hospital last night. His speech is very difficult to understand as he tried to speak with me. I left my phone on all night incase anyone phoned but then the mobile signal went down.

So I have just tel the hospital and got through to the ward. His CT was clear, no clots. Echo will be done soon. It is only his speech thats affected and can eat and swallow which is a relief.

Memories of my mum came flooding back last night and i have to wonder how much more will happen? As you can imagine, I lay awake all night expecting the worst.

If he is discharged, he will get Speech & language but not in the hospital so he will be at home.

I am an emotional wreck today even though am normally the one that holds it all together. i'm just on edge wondering what next!

But..... on the bright side we have had an offer on the flat and the paper work is in the post :-D :-D It was several thousand less than we wanted but accepted it as just want it sold. No chain so could be all sorted before Spring, 2 months they said as straightforward.

Oh my it's all happening at once.

Well Im off to shower and get dressed now and hope dads speech improves as the day goes on.

Hope everyone else who had the storm is safe and ok

Florence in the hebrides

Oh goodness Florence :-0
So much happening with your Dad lately. I hope that he progresses well and can soon return home and be helped to regain his speech.

Thinking of you as you wait for news..... <3

That often seems to be the way it goes - nothing much happens for ages, and then it all happens at once.

Thank goodness your dad's reasonably OK.
And good news about the flat!

I hope it all works out well for you.

It is good news about the flat. Florence, I hope it all goes through.

Oh dear, your poor dad. I hope he can get home soon, but with the junior doctors strike on at the moment, people are getting stuck in hospital as there are no doctors to discharge them .

Hello to you all.
So sorry to hear about your dad Florence, I hope he will be ok.
Fingers crossed re your house sale Linda.

Horrible day here, the wind got up through the night & kept me awake for most of it, it is still VERY windy sometimes it actually dies down but then it rolls in again just like a Tsunami (sp) & is quite violent against the windows of the house.

I got my shopping done so I have plenty of items to see me over Christmas & probably won't need anything more than the basics for New Year wee.
I will have to get some more milk once the Christmas & Boxing days are past because the date on the milk I bought today only goes to the 26th !!
Very dissapointed about that.

Having a problem with the telly/SKY today due to the high winds the picture / sound is breaking up making it unwatchable !
I won't be happy if I can't see any telly programmes over Christmas & New year, as I am going to be on my own during those times it will be pretty miserable.

Joan.




..

Joan let us hope the wind dies down for you and normal TV is resumed.

Florence so sorry to hear about your Dad, such a worry for you. I hope he is improving and continues to do so.

Linda more back and fro then for you. You will be glad when all school finishes.

Sorry to read about another setback for your Dad, Florence, and also sorry to hear Joan’s hubby is in hospital. I hope they both improve and get back home quickly.

Evening everyone.
Thankyou for all you kind words and good wishes for my dad.

Well he tel me awhile ago and there is some improvement in his speech. The Speech & language came to see him this afternoon and have said he should use 2-3 words at a time not long sentences to start with. She did some cognitive tests too with shapes etc and he managed fine.

He is having lots of tests and ECG's so being kept an eye on which is reassuring. all being well he will be discharged tomorrow afternoon. They have said it was a mild stroke which has only affected his speech and not his ability to eat, drink etc which is a godsend!

So thankful it wasnt a major stroke like my mum had . Even so, my nerves are pretty shattered right now and of course i will be worrying that another might happen.
So glad his friend/carer lives with him, that is so reassuring for me.

Anyway, hopefully i will sleep tonight although the wind is still at storm force and is howling.

Joan , hope your tv has settled down. Can your daughter or SIl take a look at the Ariel/dish to see if the wind has moved it maybe?

Linda, hope the viewing went well.

Right coffee time just now so take care all & stay safe.

Florence in the hebrides