Flying solo

debtfreewannabe321

Oh Robin! Thank goodness that DS3 came to the rescue! Perhaps if you have a nice neighbour it could be a good idea to ask them to check on you if noone has seen you for a few days?

Sorry DS1 had his stuff stolen I'm afraid you made me giggle though at your comment to him about the @pple products

Lots of gentle hugs and well wishes coming your way xxx

Bubblesmum

So sorry, the hear about life catching up with you and being so poorly...... ( gentle hints about perhaps pacing more...... From the OT who should be pacing herself, but never does... Always wanting to be on the go)

Also hiding under the covers that she's typing this on an @pple product

missrlr

Oh Robin. Please please take some care. Thank heavens for DS3 arriving. Shocking about the theft but ...... The DSs all sound fab and having a lovely time.
I know the feeling about self indulgent drivel when the Black Dog lies close. I am trying hard this week, but .... not waving but drowning. So instead I will just love you and CD lots blow kisses to you all and retire to my bed. Stupid leg cast and all.

Sun_Addict

Sorry to hear all has not been well at the nest. Awful for DS to be robbed. Hope things start to look up soon x

please-let-me-be-lucky

Belated happy Mother's Day wishes Robin. Hope you had a lovely day Xx

*Robin*

Hello Diary and Dear MSEers, :hello:

DFw - Glad to 'see' you posting again (missed you while your pc wasn't working ). Yes, Clever Dog is getting used to life without sight. She is much more nervous about traffic than she was before, but otherwise a casual observer would be hard put to realise she is completely blind.

Missrlr - Thanks for the reassurance re insurance (although have now discovered a gap in cover; need another policy to cover personal items in private storage, which is proving a tad problematic).

Still dithering over an ISA. What with current great exchange rates, and better interest on offer from m' local bank, am wondering whether to invest here instead?

Take your point; not long to decide and sort out one or t'other (or both?)..

Dansmam - It's terrifying when one's grown offspring set off on what may be a 'risky' adventure, isn't it? You've probably got a bit more time than you thought though, because - unless the rules have changed very recently - new UK drivers can't get insurance to drive abroad until they've held a full license for a year.

Satchmo - Hope your DH is doing ok. Quite agree re mindfulness, it helps a lot.. Hard to concentrate on anything when the discipline is most needed, though.
:think: Need to work on this m'self.

Hopefuljoy - Thanks for de-lurking; welcome to the Nest!
Sorry to read that you too have a black dog making life difficult; you have my sympathies and hopes for more good than bad days..

Love the name of your fubaby; Pirin - can just imagine he's jumping around and playing all day!

Bubblesmum - Thanks for that link; interesting to see mindfulness techniques are being offered to caring professionals. What a good idea! Am still exploring the site, so don't know yet whether I'll approach them. In theory I know this stuff.. Just need to remember when it would be most use.

Sparky - Thanks for popping in.
Think the van is roadworthy to my standards again, but haven't actually seen it since DS3 drove off to the garage.
Still, he is being very good about checking in every day to ask whether I need it. Dare say it'll find it's way home when the fuel is running low (there'll be trouble if the gauge reads less than a quarter tank though - DS3 knows my rule for avoiding blocked filters!:rotfl: ).
Gave Divo Three 50€ to buy some more sacks of compost after he unloaded the last of the blocks - for the weight in the van - but don't know if he got 'em; was muttering something about picking up a generator for his pop-up cafe which would do the same job (keeping wheels firmly affixed to road - always good practise, lol).


^^^ That's as far as I got, writing after Sparky posted. Since then brain fog has been rather thick, and RL used up what energy was available - see below for edited highlights..

*Robin*

Dear Diary and Patient Readers, :hello:

Thank you everyone for your supportive posts, I really appreciate it even when the lonely brain-cell is incapable of stringing a sentence together in reply..

Divo Three did bring back the van - a brief visit, but long enough for yours truly to go out. According to the till receipts, I spent £25 in one supermarket, £50 in another. Then braved the foreigners' mall to order new glasses [£80 for two pairs] and buy a pair of shoes [£25]. While there, decided I deserved a treat so two packs of luxury soft face-flannels and one of colourful socks fell into m' basket [£12].

Spectacles,* flannels and socks were last bought when my dear ol' Dad was still alive - must be nearly seven years ago - so all long overdue for replacement!
* Actually do have a more recent prescription from about three years ago, but those glasses were never quite right - gave me headaches - so kept using the old ones until now.

Divo Three called in again [brought m' new glasses ] just before setting off on his cafe-adventure; van loaded to the roof with stock from a restaurant which has just closed down - turns out DS' partner in his weekend enterprise is the head chef, who'd been given all the left over comestibles as part of his redundancy pay-off.
Could only applaud the pair of 'em for making the best of a bad situation, and wish them a profitable weekend. :cool2:

Didn't hear anything until last night, when the dreaded 'phone-call arrived:
"Mum, sorry but I've had a bit of an accident.."
DS3's explanation happily revealed misuse of the word 'accident' - probably because he's been thinking in Spanish all weekend and was very tired - in fact he'd just locked himself out of the van, and wanted my permission for an enthusiastic 'expert' to "pop out" one of the windows.
Certainly not! :eek:
Reminded Divo Three he'd done it before, just after we acquired this van. On that occasion an RAC mechanic unlocked it while I watched, so I could explain the technique to DS.. He promised to call back.

Which he did: Complete failure, his 'expert' couldn't even get the bonnet open, let alone progress to the tricky part of the required procedure. But Divo Three had another solution; New GF - who wasn't with him due to a prior commitment - could drive over with my set of keys.
She is a real diamond, bless her - it's at least a hundred and fifty miles for the round trip! NGF picked up my keys first thing. Gave her 50€ for fuel and refreshments - she's saved me more than that in the price of a replacement window! :T

During Divo Three's last call, he also said he's heard from the head of the school where he is due to start teaching after Easter. The job he'd been offered was part-time maternity cover, but the new mum has given birth early - so all change; she's resigned (very understandable as the poor woman has been catapulted into the emotionally draining and uncertain world of paediatric intensive care ). So DS now has to start this afternoon (promoted, into a full-time position).
..Another good reason for the van having it's full compliment of windows today!

He's going to need another car tout suite; my old van is definitely not what fee-paying parents expect el Maestro to be driving! It'll be forgiven for a short time because they already know him, but thank goodness DS can afford to buy something more suitable (their weekend venture went well, apparently ).
Being selfish, I'd rather like CD's and my transport back, too. The school is too far away from the Nest for DS3 to respond if we have an emergency here. :cool:

Meanwhile, life has been pretty quiet at the Nest itself. Taking on board Lucky's comment re lack of food, and Bubbles' on pacing, I spent a while in the kitchen cooking up meals which would feed several people, then freezing most of it in single portions - home made ready meals, lol.

Lucky, Granny, DFw and Sun.A - you are all much more sympathetic about Divo One losing his @pple-toy than I could be! Bubbles - your comment suggests you know about this multi-national's less than savoury working practises?
My late Aunt visited their factory in China (her company was setting up a similar operation). After hiring a private translator - who only got in once, then was banned by management - she was horrified at some of the things the production-line workers told her. They were actually installing anti-suicide nets during her visit..
Anyone who cares can look up details on g00gle, although hopefully in the last few years the workers' conditions have improved. But even if so, that particular company will never profit from yours truly!

Chev, thanks for giving me pause for thought. How long would neighbours leave it before coming to the door? Don't know.
Before she went blind, I'd have had no qualms about sending CD down to the village to summon assistance - which would arrive; everyone knows she is never allowed unaccompanied in the campo, so somebody would bring her back and see what was going on. But now? A couple of kliks down steep mountain tracks and across the river - much as I love her, CD ain't that clever!
Need another solution. Have an idea, been dithering over it, but can't expound now even if I'd formed a plan - because Herself is asking to go out for her constitutional. She's right, the weather's closing in again; go now or get wet! :rotfl:

*Robin*

Back again.

Well, that was an amazing constitutional. Down at the beach it was a beautiful afternoon; blue sky, sunlight glittering off the sea.. But turn around; there was nothing but dark purple-grey clouds roiling over the mountain ridges from West to Eastern horizon; wow.
CD chose our route, up the hill to the next ridge then down a southern path until we got to the hives. Apiarist has brought some new ones; now forty-two in all - the path goes right through the middle. Carefully tip-toeing past myriad buzzing bees while keeping CD on a short lead and thinking calm friendly thoughts, then through a lemon orchard onto another path and back round to our garden.
Warm and still, but the sky darkened as we walked; just had time to grab a couple of buckets of logs, climb up the stairs and step beneath the patio roof when the rain reached us. Am listening to it now, pattering down with slowly increasing force. CD is stretched out in front of the un-lit stove (hint hint).
This morning is the first time I haven't kept the stove in during the day, for nearly a week. All the rain which this area desperately needs has been dumped at once - or so it feels. Having plenty of firewood and not feeling great, it made sense to hold back the damp; a snug home is a happy luxury - definitely helps keep one's cheerfulness up.
Outside the campo has responded magnificently; garden is a riot of wild flowers in white, yellows, reds and purpley-blue hues.
Have begun eating m' poor wind-battered broad-beans - mental note: Don't plant 'em in the top terrace again!. Spent several days' worth of energy very usefully earthing up the experimental potato bed. Spud plants are looking really healthy; hoping for a heavy harvest.
Also decided an asparagus bed would be a good idea. There is plenty growing wild, but it's a great local delicacy so too much competition in finding enough young spears for even a single portion.. Lots of room at the Nest, just need to clear an unused terrace - now the ground is soft, it's perfect for weeding (between showers ).

............

'Ello ello; lappy shut itself down and lost half m' post.

Stove now whispering quietly as it blasts out heat, obliging CD to move further away. She woke up long enough to come and sit next to me, focussing intently, and licking her lips every time she felt my gaze on her. Clever Dog is a darn sight better at remembering her supplements than I am! :rotfl:

Divo Three is home. Sounds like he had a fairly intense induction this afternoon, with a nine ayem start tomorrow. Getting stuck in.
In lieu of bringing back the van [which I knew wasn't going to happen] he has offered to pick up any shopping on his way home - must remember to text him a list in the morning, because his offer actually means:
"I'm coming to you for dinner" in Divo Three's own personal code. If I'm lucky, he's also saying:
"I'll cook it".
..So what shall I ask for? A rare [for me] meat dish, perhaps - duck? It's apple crumble weather too, would be quite a novelty to have more than one course.
Looking forward to hearing all about DS3's adventures.

Bed time; night-night everyone. :lovethoug

please-let-me-be-lucky

Thank you for sharing your day, I enjoyed experiencing it with you.

I hope you have a lovely meal and catch up with DS3 Xx

*Robin*

Good morning Diary and Dear Friends-in-the-Box, :hello:

Well, what a relief to see MSE forums restored to their accustomed appearance!
Honestly thought I'd have to give up posting - the white glare of that 'new, mobile-friendly' design gave me squiffy eyes and a thumping head in less than five minutes, so do hope Martin decides not to force it on everyone regardless of the almost universal horrified objection from MSEers.

Glad you were able to join us the other day in spirit, Lucky.
Alas I didn't get a special meal cooked by Divo Three. He ended up not leaving school until ten pee-em (!) then devoured my half-eaten dinner with a load of twice-cooked chips and cheese sauce, because he was just too hungry to wait for me to steam the veg which had been destined for his supper!

Yours truly has been suffering from false expectations; suppose I oughtn't to be surprised, but DS3 gave his share of the weekend profits to his partner after Headmaster 'phoned - fair enough really, he suddenly had a good job starting immediately whereas his friend's future is uncertain, and Chef had supplied almost all of their stock.

An excellent gesture. There's a slight knock-on for me though: DS3 has explained that he does not want to buy another car. He is now insured to drive NGF's as well, and reckons we should be able to manage with two vehicles between the three of us. Tbh, he's probably right. Very MSE (apparently the van is viewed as an amusing idiosyncrasy at school :rotfl:).

Divo Three is also getting me organised; we were out in the garden at eight o'clock this morning with yet another of his local mates, giving the rotavating job a layer of lookin' at. Mate is coming back this afternoon to make a start.
DS reckons he'll get away from work in time to join in with the fun, so I'd better ensure dinner is ready and waiting today, lol.

.......

Aha - Mate has just turned up! Wow, better get outside (another half-post, sorry ).