Get a grip woman!

XSpender

Enjoy your weekend away 

Suffolk_lass

Aww thanks everyone. We had a wonderful weekend with four friends, socialising in the midst of a field. A bit chilly at night, I sat with a fleecy blanket round my shoulders to keep warm! Toasty warm in the van once we went to be though. We returned yesterday afternoon with three lists - jobs to do, stuff to buy and things to add to the essentials kit list. Lots of things went well but we managed to stop the electric step working so that needs fixing and we are waiting for delivery of some replacement flooring to replace the rather dated dark tiles that we inherited.

Of our friends, one couple have a diabetic who has been shielding and only now venturing out, the single chap is our bubble friend who has rheumatoid arthritis, the single woman is resident carer for her parents (94 and 96, both with dementia) and us - me with asthma and an associated lung thing - what a crew! My foot stopped us doing much but that was fine. Sitting in a field relaxing was just what we needed - DH has been working non-stop to get the van done. Although he felt a little deflated when there were a number of teething problems and some other snags emerged, I think we will take it nice and slow as eminently usable as it is. Our friend the carer seriously needs to look at the quality of life she has - her own health and wellbeing are being seriously impacted by her decision to look after her parents. I think she started to see that this weekend, with her back starting to recover and her personality calming down (she was pretty rabid when she got there!).

Karmacat

Sounds like a lovely weekend for you both!  And yes, gatherings of over 60s are often that sort of crew of difficulties, aren't they!  Your poor friend the carer, though as you say, the quality of life issue there is huge.  I'm trying to stay English and understated, there. 

Settle in slowly! 

greent

Sounds like a good time overall  
Does the friend have any help with her parents such as carers coming in? I cant begin to imagine how hard that must be on her  

Suffolk_lass

She has done just for the last month, since she ended up on the floor unable to move (did her back) while trying to get her father off the floor. She needed to call an ambulance but that needed her Mum to understand what and where a phone was. I would like to think she will realise she can't cope any more but I'm not convinced she can see that yet. There is a massive guilt thing in there and a sense that she owes them everything she has.

I would not be someone she would hear if I raise it. She needs to see it herself and just know she has done her best (and not killed herself doing it!). She is reliant on friends staying over when she is away as siblings left them alone last time (Mother wandered and was rescued from main road; resulting in call to her while in foreign climbs supposedly on respite break). She won't leave siblings in charge again (maybe that was their plan?!). The break needs to be long enough for her to remember her life. I could go on. She is not alone. I thank goodness my Mum's wheels are still turning and might wobble but have not fallen off yet.

Suffolk_lass

Well I opened up to a PM telling me unrecordings had died on 13th April from Mrs un. I knew it was near because he was really struggling and had been defying his medical prognosis for maybe a year. Nevertheless I feel much saddened by his death. He was very active on both the Old Style prepping and Green-fingered parts of the boards. I have missed his posts for the last few months. So much wisdom has passed with him. I felt the need to post something here to mark his passing.

Karmacat

Suffolk_lass said:

Well I opened up to a PM telling me unrecordings had died on 13th April from Mrs un. I knew it was near because he was really struggling and had been defying his medical prognosis for maybe a year. Nevertheless I feel much saddened by his death. He was very active on both the Old Style prepping and Green-fingered parts of the boards. I have missed his posts for the last few months. So much wisdom has passed with him. I felt the need to post something here to mark his passing.

Thats a good thing to do.  The prepping thread is full of sadness at news of his passing, he was really something, a powerful voice, and a force for good.

Suffolk_lass

To be honest KC I posted a link to the prepping thread in another PM to his account so that Mrs un can see them if she wants to and comes back on. I would find great comfort in knowing how valued his contributions were.

Karmacat

Thats good, thanks for that  - I was thinking they might have to be printed out or something. 

Suffolk_lass

Oh my goodness - we are in the midst of a dwarf bean glut. My beans were so slow to get going that I kept popping in a few more seeds and I have ended up with about 12 plants around the two cucumbers, and about thirty sharing the 8x6' bed with sweetcorn. I have a humungous bag of beans I need to tetris into one of my freezers, and about the same amount to snip the stalk ends off that I harvested on Thursday. I also have a bag of prepped rhubarb. We love it just stewed with yogurt or custard but in cutting down on sweet things I think popping it in a corner of the freezer is the best place for it this week.

I am keeping on top of the new courgettes and we had grilled courgettes with the last of the meat I bought but did not use for our weekend away last week. Appropriately we had it on Friday night, which is when we had the off-spec fish and chip supper while away. Still five picked and ready, with more imminent, I think another bag for the freezer.