The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

Popperwell

Thanks for the great ideas everyone. I slept straight through from Midnight until almost 5.30am which I see as an improvement. Yesterday I was happy/untroubled right until bedtime and went asleep the same way. I had gone off without even realising. No negativity. I watched some TV, chatted, went to the music club and it was a good day.


It was fish and chips:)then keeping my friend company whilst his dad was taken to the large hospital in Newcastle to get ready for his big op today. I may've been there for him but though it takes him longer to do tasks and some can't be done he does try and is determined to attempt to get back some of his independence.


So he kept making me tea throughout the day and he did some washing up, throwing rubbish away in the bin, cleaning the kitchen.


The only fly in the ointment is we discovered that his Dad should've been off the blood thinning medication three days ago but no one had sent that instruction with all the details for when he arrived at the hospital and his Dad has been getting ready for this op for well over 6mths with various tests and consultations.


If they decide blood tests are not acceptable this morning they are calling the op off and sending him home and he has to go through all the rigmarole again. But I don't think he's up to going through this again and may decide not to do this anymore.


I know they need beds but another person on the ward had a similar situation and they let him stay for a couple of days and rearranged the op for a few days later. Our fingers are crossed.


We'll know later in the morning.


At least the sun is shining. Now should I try and get another couple of hours sleep and hopefully stay upbeat or stay up now that is the question...


Oh and my good friend Andrea gave me a door bell last night. I had it fitted within minutes of coming home and I can hear it anywhere in the house so I've plugged the receiver in a plug outlet on the landing seeming I am often upstairs.

FairyPrincessk

Welcome back Cheapskate!

Pops I'm glad you had an easier night.

I've slept in a bit today as I was awake for a few hours last night for no reason. I tend to struggle with sleep this time of year when the days are so long--even with an eye mask. I'm most definitely not a day time sleeper. Today is a gym day and I've plenty of work to do. It is supposed to rain later and I'm mostly caught up on washing so I'll give it a miss today. OH is making AGCJ's carrott and kidney bean stew with dumplings without the bacon tonight. I think it is the only thing in life I can say I prefer without bacon! Our lunch will be leftover lentil and feta salad from last night, probably padded out with some bread as I think we polished off a fair amount of it. OH can always do himself a tuna sandwich or some boiled eggs if he is hungry.

I've been trying out some new breakfasts for myself. I normally have either porridge or greek yoghurt with the maple and pecan granola from Aldi and fruit--either apples/blueberries on the porrige or strawberries/blueberries on the yoghurt. However, I tend to eat a lot of sugar on both--probably not a lot compared to the bigger breakfast cereals, but more than I'd like. So this week I've have peanut butter on toast with strawberries, avocado on toast and breakfast wraps with peppers and spinach, egg and cheese. I find it easier to change what I eat rather than try to adapt to putting less sugar in it. I need to find a few more ideas for my rotation, but I have felt a bit better this week--less mid morning slump when the sugar wears off!

Cheapskate

Morning fairyprincessk, nice to see you again, too!

I've finished uni for the summer, just awaiting final results, and have time to breathe now and just 'be'. I have really bad depression that can come crashing down sometimes, so allied with a little caring for my mum with early dementia, DH, adult son and his GF, 2 small children and a cat, it's not surprising I've not had time to call in here!

Hoping to stay home today, and tackle the children's bedroom; DD has a bad habit (at only 5!) of chucking clothes all around the room, along with toys and all sorts. It will take most of the day, I think, along with a ruthless sort out of everyone's clothes, bedding, footwear etc, but we should have a tidy room by tea time.

As I also need to spend a LOT less on food, we'll be eating out of the freezer/pantry pretty much for the next few weeks, with minimal shopping. I baked loads yesterday, my cooking mojo may be finally returning so feeling a bit more creative now as far as meals are concerned.

Hope everyone's doing ok, still not read back through the thread, hugs if anyone would like one, one thing that's still free! :rotfl:

A xo

ivyleaf

So nice to see you back cheapskate! Hope you enjoy your Summer and manage to get some rest among all the busy-ness now the studying's done

Maggie I hope you feel a bit better today.

nursemaggie

Thanks for asking ivyleaf I am feeling a little better hope to be able to get out tomorrow and go to Ald! It should be £5 voucher in the reflective red top.

Was going to put some plants in the flower bed at the front but it is raining today. I hope I can get some growing salad tomorrow as I bought a container for it a couple of weeks ago. I might see if I can grow anything else in containers in the salad line.

FairyPrincessk

The weather did take a turn for the awful this afternoon, didn't it Nursemaggie? Thanks for the reminder about the Ald! voucher--I did have a look last week just in case but almost forgot to put it on my to do list tomorrow.

Cheapskate it sounds as if you've had plenty to contend with! I hope the summer is restorative, both for you and your budget. How are you getting on with your storecupboard meals so far? I over-worked my cooking mojo a couple of months ago and it keeps trying to go on hiatus:rotfl: I can sometimes veer towards the extremes and commit myself to trying to do it all and then I burn out. One day I'll learn moderation. One day.;)

It must have seemed like a great seismic shift to be young in the sixties--getting jobs, living away from home before you were married etc. I saw them discussing buying stockings on the MMM page. I remember watching a documentary once where a woman explained that mini skirts came into fashion before tights were widely available which caused all sorts of wardrobe difficulties until you could buy tights. I tend to prefer the fashions of the thirties and forties and even the fifties, but I can't help but think how much of a sea change the sixties must have been. I wore a lot of sixties style clothes (and the odd seventies style outfit) when I was younger--there was something very carefree about a lot of it.

nursemaggie

Yes it certainly was easy to get jobs in the sixties but there were other problems like your mother being expected to attend the interview too. Mine never let me say a word or have a choice. She considered a job for me did not matter it was just to fill in between school and marriage. I had by the times I was 18 found out all about nursing and applied. My mother still came to the interview and I was very worried I would not get in because of my overbearing mother.

When I went to tell my boss I was leaving to go nursing he offered to pay my way through university. I told him I was determined to be a nurse and was sorry to disappoint him again as his secretary was coming with me. Sometimes with the hindsight of arthritis and a bad back I regret a little that I did not take up the offer of uni.

Floss

nursemaggie wrote: »

Thanks for asking ivyleaf I am feeling a little better hope to be able to get out tomorrow and go to Ald! It should be £5 voucher in the reflective red top.

Was going to put some plants in the flower bed at the front but it is raining today. I hope I can get some growing salad tomorrow as I bought a container for it a couple of weeks ago. I might see if I can grow anything else in containers in the salad line.

Nurse Maggie, I have plenty of growing salad to spare if you'd like some posting to you? I work at the end of the M61 so it hasn't got too far to travel

nursemaggie

Thank you Floss that is very kind of you. Knowing how Royal Mail works I would not be surprised it it does not go all the way to Chester before it comes to me.

mcculloch29

Hello all, I'm wondering if the £5 A!di voucher will be in the red-top tomorrow as last month it was just 50% & 30% coupons, luckily I looked before I bought a copy.
Glad the doorbell is fitted Pops!
Half an eye on Springwatch here, and lots of work to do, so had better crack on.