General Chat

Hi all computer back at last. Oh had deleted a file it needed to start up.

Tried to catch up on you all, and sorry to see a few of you are not feeling too well.

Had a very busy weekend with daughters Japanese friend here. Took her to see lots of historical places and I was worn out and ready to collapse. Being bunged up didn't help. Phoned doctors today but all appointments were taken. Will try later in week on days off work. Had today off to go see
psychologist and found out they will put me on their waiting list for help. Waiting list is 14 months long!!

Talk later as trying to catch up on jobs I normally do on the computer. (Been asleep this afternoon)

Hello all,
Just to let you know that I'm feeling a lot better. Went to my doctor, talked about my mood. He's a good listener, and let me think about whether I need the doxepin again. My BP was a bit up, so we'll need to watch that, but apart from that there were no problems with my blood tests.
Nice to see Carole Tinkerbell up and running, now for Carole YCaz and her computer. And Deanna, happy belated birthday.
Gail, I'll send you a PM with my rant.
I could feel that my mother was left to die, but I really don't think that. Her injuries were just too severe and the treatment available today was just not available then. It is the memories dragged up by the news coverage that were hurting, not that some people get better treatment than others.
C

Well folks I haven't escaped, still here and running as usual.
BIG news, Gareth wrote a word independently, unfortunately the one he chose as his first written word was "bad". Don't think it was in response to his behaviour.!!
I've been fighting a migraine headache for 2 days but can't slow down. We've arranged a Mothers Day tea on May 9th, (our Mothers day is the second Sunday in May) we have a venue at the church locally, have offers of baking and other assistance. So, this week I am making pies (tarts) for the freezer, to bake the day before the tea. Colleen wants to serve sandwiches, and I'm the only person she knows who can make the fancy sandwiches, rolled, open face and checkerboard!! So guess who will make them, in egg, watercress, cucumber, pineapple cream cheese, and salmon. . . . . my daughter started a facebook group to spread awareness about the 2 autism service dogs. In less than a week she has gathered 79 members to the group. remarkable. some quite supportive comments. One (extended) family member has managed to have several of her friends around Wrexham join as well.
My friend's daughter with CP, who had a seizure 2 weeks ago is back to her old self, I am so relieved.
Megan took a huge step yesterday and emailed her father, first time, she hasn't seen him for 20 years or so. He responded almost immediately, I am thrilled, she so needs that contact.
Had to do some veterinary nursing yesterday, Rosie my corgi, came in from the garden with a raw area on her side. Don't know if some other animal attacked her or if she laid where some glass was broken recently (which I thought had been cleaned up). Flushed the area, got the bleeding stopped and put tea tree cream on the sore part. She doesn't seem bothered by it, will keep a close eye on her as she's 14 years now.

Colin well done talking to the Dr, I know how hard that can be.
Carole Tink, thought of you yesterday as I did a puzzle with Sarah, of Tinkerbell.
Deanna hope you've recovered from your birthday . . . .
Liz where are you hiding?????
Gail hope you are feeling better. Sending some sun as soon as we get some, been raining for 2 days here and chilly again tonight.
Eileen, hoping for success with your friend's op tomorrow, and know we are supporting you as you climb . . . .
Claire, thinking of you and your family, we're having a lot of 'issues' with behaviours which are new, I mention the high moments, the others just go by. . . .and by . .
YCaz, MummyCool, Dutch, Hazel, AnnG etc etc etc, hugs all round - my memory is getting as bad as my hearing . . . .
Love
MAry

Hi Mary, and all, so sorry I owe lots of pms and emails, am trying to catch up and getting nowhere fast, o.h. had two extra days off so a four day weekend lol, thank heavens he goes back to work this morning, will be getting up in a mo so I must dash. Meeting a friend this afternoon who I haven't seen for over 20 years since she went to America, visiting her at her sister's so will see her again too, will be good but won't have long with her as she is back to California tomorrow. Oh for that magic carpet.

love and hugs to all, Carole, glad you are back online and our Caz will be soon too,
Lizxxxx

Not such a great day today, I now have an abscess in the mouth from wonky sinuses. So looks like a docs visit if I can get in to see one.

MIL is not very well at the moment either and I do not dare go and visit as still have the tail end of the flu. We have been on the phone though and it is a comfort to hear her voice.

Thinking of everyone and love and hugs.

Gail

Ooh Gail, that sounds painful, hope you can get it cleared up quickly.

Mary sandwiches, rolled, mixed and open faced, sounds interesting, can you explain more. Hope Rosie recovers from her wound. and WELL DONE GARETH for writing a word.

Carol, welcome back, good to see you on line again, missed your input!

Colin, you sound better today, keep an eye on the BP, I take tablets but hopefully you will be able to manage it without.

Liz, hope you have a great day with your friend.

Looking forward to having YCaz back soon.

Ann
Glos

AnnG, quick explanation re sandwiches LOL.
Rolled, I slice the bread thinly and remove the crust , if it's not thin enough I roll it with a rolling pin . . . - spread with cream cheese, put a sweet (gherkin) pickle at one side or a piece of asparagus, then roll from that side to the other, so you end up with a circle sandwich with a green centre. LOL probably clear as mud!! wrap and refrig. Slice crosswise.

Checkerboard ones, I need 2 loaves, one brown, one white, slice the loaf lengthwise spread one slice, put a slice of the other colour on top & spread with the same filling or another, repeat to 4 or 5 layers. Then cut across the whole loaf, so you end up with a striped slice. put it down, spread with thin filling, then lay another striped slice the opposite way on top etc etc When you have 4 or 5 slices piled I usually wrap and refrig till serving. Then slice at one end and it looks like a checkerboard. I usually use egg, salmon and cream cheese with cucumber for the fillings. it doesn't take as long as it sounds . . .
Open face I cut a slice into 4 pieces with a round cutter (smaller edition of the one I use for Welsh cakes), put a little dollop of filling on top, and a piece of parsley to make it look fancy dancy. or use a cracker or a piece of rusk or melba toast.
LOL I almost sound like i know what I'm doing!!
I have just woken up to the fact that I haven't done my income tax, so MUST do that today while it's on my mind, I've only had 3 months to get it ready, and the last day is April 30th LOL. procrastination again, someone give me a boot, get on with it, why it seems so overwhelming when it usually takes much less time than I think, I don't know. The most annoying part is that i usually get a refund . . . it's not as if I owe them . . .
Do hope dear Joyce is feeling better soon, I hope we haven't done something to get her upset.
Liz enjoy your friend visit, 20 years is a long time, time & distance only separate friends physically, they can't destroy friendships. BTW, when you're home again, how would you like to pop over 'ere and help me roll sandwiches.LOL
I am loving being home all day, back to work friday for a 4 day work weekend. . . . oh joy, oh bliss.
group hug,
Mary

thanks Mary er I think Lol!!!

Hugs and love to all that need them today, and every other day.

Thanks to all that have been supporting me over the last months, or longer !!!

My friend Yvonne is now under the knife, as they say in Dutch. I can only hope & wish that everything goes well with her.. Cannot add anything more.

Take care, ALL of you.

Love. Eileen xx

Thinking of Yvonne and wishing her well again

ann
Glos

Hi everyone,

I am not looking forward in going home Sunday for the week, but will be on here more.So that will help.Hope the buses are running bit better then last time i was back home.

I am hoping kid up stairs dont have his mates round all nite keeping me awake , its bad as it is i dont sleep very well any way.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}to all that need them

Hazel

Been to see a doctor this afternoon I have a bronchial infection and come away with a prescription for anti biotic and an inhaler. Thought I was wasting my time going really. Just hope the anti biotic will not give me problems with my loo thing

maybe it will have the opposite effect Carole!!!!!

I hope so Ann!

I saw you are going away for the week end. Anywhere nice? Have a good time xxx

I was wondering where everyone had gone...
Mary (maxi), while I didn't laugh out loud at your special sandwiches I loved your description. I must try checkerboard ones. Does your Gareth know that he is not bad, just special? Perhaps he is bored. As for Megan emailing her father, I wish I had her courage. I have an uncle who I didn't speak to for nearly 20 years, then gritted my teeth and sent him a Christmas card one year. He rang back. Since then, his wife died last year, so I rang him. All the hate and much of the fear is gone. He's just a man of 81 now, grieving for a wife of nearly 50 years. But I haven't rung since.
Gail, I do hope the mouth ulcers clear up quickly, as I know how painful they can be. Some good remedies at the chemist if you can get to town.
Carole (Tink), the dreaded lurgi has made it half way round the world. I had something similar in our summer. I've never had asthma before, but the antibiotics and a steroid inhaler cleared up the asthma-like symptoms in a few days. I came off the inhaler after a few weeks (January) and no problems since. Except that the cough lingered into February.
As for your loo problem, it really sounds to me as though it is more an anxiety issue, unless of course you have IBS or something similar. Antibiotics can make you run. I usually take, as a precaution, yogurt. It doesn't have to be one of the fancy, rather yukky unflavoured ones. Not even "probiotic" - the good bacteria are probably killed in you stomach before they even get to the gut. Just a simple fruit flavoured yogurt from the supermarket seems to work for me. Re Imodium, I used to work for the company that marketed it in Oz, and never found it particularly effective so if you do, then good luck to you. Don't know that Lomotil is much better, and you need a script for that here.
I am feeling better, have had a few productive days of housework! Thrown out huge piles of papers, now if only I can find the instructions for my telephone answering machine. I accidently wiped my message and it now speaks in an American accent.
I think part of my problem was sitting around with nothing I had to do and no definite plans. I have had a rush of blood to the head and have decided to carry out my long held promise to myself to go to Melbourne. Haven't been there at all since 1989 and that was only passing through on the way to Tasmania. I will only be there a week and am going on the day train so that will be a new experience.
Ann, nice to hear from you. I have tablets for BP and gout. It was 166/85, normally under 150 but doc has new whiz auto machine.
Enough raving for now, time for a shower and to face the world. Packing tonight, I get a train just after 7 am to connect with the Melbourne train.

Colin, just have to say safe journey and a great time to you, well done for biting the bullet, and arranging to get to Melbourne, if you have the address with you, do send that uncle a card while you are away and if not, phone him when you get back.

Mary, wish I had that magic carpet, would love to come and help with the sarnies, they sound posh, I have got the directions myself somewhere and think I did some once, can't recall when. Now get that tax stuff done asap eh?

Carole, hope you feel lots better soon, and all those who are poorly, and Eileen, I hope your friend Yvonne, will be ok.

Hazel, hang on, not long till you move, I am sure it will all work out ok.

love and hugs to everyone, nearly time for bed!
Lizxxx

Still around but not well, picked up a bit yesterday, then down again today. Could not get to docs till next week, so no meds yet.

Have a great trip Colin.

I do not eat much bread, but Marys Sangers sound great so might try them.

Love and Hugs

Gail

Hpe you feel better soon Gail,

love
Lizxx

I am so tired and 3 evenings left to work. Fighting my mood, sleep disturbed (and finished) by a phone call, someone wanting money . . . . . well I am in no mood to donate to your cause when you wake me at 8am from a deep sleep, the only day of the week I can sleep past 630am. So there LOL.
I should be upstairs helping Meg with the 2 children, but, I want to get outside and plant the things I bought yesterday, had to get them, they were such a good deal. ground cover plants $1 instead of $12.99, look a bit sad, but there is new growth and healthy roots so they should be fine. I have a big old tree with weeds round the bottom, doesn't look attractive from the road so I want to tidy it up. Didn't have enough to do !!
perhaps I'll get Sarah to help me, she loves digging with a spade, unfortunately she doesn't want to stop at the area needing digging, she'll keep digging away, regardless of whether there is growth there or not. But she's a good digger!!
We have now over 100 people joined my daughter's facebook group supporting the autism service dogs for Sarah and Gareth. people we've never heard of, from places we've never been, isn't the internet amazing????? To think I've lived so long, from using a slate in school just after WWII to communicating round the world with a keyboard, what a lot of water has gone under the Roman bridge just since I was born.
Gareth had another breakthrough yesterday, he drew a circle and said 'circle', then drew a (lop-sided) square and said 'square'. Good boy, Nainie is proud of you.
Meg brought home the biggest cabbage I've ever seen yesterday, what can I do with something I can barely cut? Won't fit in the frig, so I'll probably get someone to cut it in bits and freeze for later.
Must get busy now, too easy to just sit here with my legs resting . . .
Gail I hope you'll be feeling better soon, just babysteps to improvement, can't do it all in one day.
Liz glad to see you are still around.
Colin thank you, your words are so insightful, yes Gareth does know he's special, that comment brought tears to my eyes, he is so very special, inappropriate behaviours and all, he does try one's patience, when he's calm he is the most affectionate child, unusual perhaps in autism, but if he's not in the mood to be hugged, look out, .he can be very destructive. Sarah tries one's patience in other ways like wasting whole bottles of shampoo and dish liquid soap, because they pour so nicely and feel so smooth.as they twirl around the basin before going down the drain. We have the cleanest drains in town, thanks to sarah.
Yesterday the children all had a 'danceathon' at school, danced all day in the gym, Em went as Shania Twain, Mary as some singer I never heard of, Gareth went as a yellow Wiggle, and Sarah went as Annie, well didn't her Mum and big sister decide to temporarily dye Sarah's curly hair, red for the occasion. Big mistake, Sarah loved the feel of the dye on her hair and spread it all over her bed when she bolted from the bathroom, then became hysterical when it was being rinsed off in the shower because the red dye created a 'bloodbath' in the bath, she was covered in red, what a mess, mercifully all washed off, but it took 3 of us to keep her in the shower till she was rinsed. Don't think we'll try that again!! BTW she looked gorgeous!
Have a good day all, lovely and sunny here, now get me outside .
Mary

RIGHT................ I AM NOT TALKING TO ANYONE....

i have just typed out a whole b*&^$%£" page of messages to you all.
Colin, Mary, Gail, Eileen,... and G.. knows who else!
Allan asked me a question... I turned around...AND DELETED IT ALL!!
I could cry, and that is not a joke.

Oh.. H...D...B... and any other expletives I can think of!!

It is so demoralizing isn't it?

I am going to have to set up my Via Voice...and pray that it works for me.
See you all when I 'cool down'........ ;-0(
love Deanna XXXX