The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

CRANKY40

monnagran wrote: »

So what did you do on Christmas Eve Grandmama?

Well, my darling, I spent the morning trying to lever the tops off mince pies to refill them with more acceptable mincemeat, tossing the broken pieces into a bowl. Having surveyed the resulting mincemeat and pastry sandwiches and found them slightly wanting in the artistic sense, I dredged them heavily with icing sugar. The newly converted Vegan in the family is now catered for, bless him!
Did I waste the broken messy pieces? Heavens to Betsy, NO. I am an old styler.
Mashed up in a bowl and drenched in double cream they made a most acceptable lunch. If you meet me on the Weight loss thread please forget that you ever read that last sentence, especially if, by that time, I am shaking my head in wonderment at how I could have possibly put on so much weight.

I love you Monna, I really do!

karcher wrote: »

Good evening all. I hope you've all had a good day and tomorrow is just as you'd like it to be

I'll be around but I imagine many of you won't so all the best to you all, especially those struggling, who will be uppermost in my thoughts xx

I'll be knocking around too, just me and the HT here and he will be talking to online friends.

I am giving up taking painkillers on demand for my bad leg. I have some scary stuff here and it only really sank in when the gp made me sign for my latest prescription. I spent 15 minutes swearing under my breath after the last dressing change that I did but I am still opiate free (day 2).

Silver-oldie I salute you. As a young widow i have the in-laws from hell. You are not one of those. Take plenty of photos of your dgs with his grandpa.

Hugs (I'd say from me and the HT but one of us has a virus with a cough and kept me up most of the night. I'm his mother and I'm not over keen on hugging him just now).

ivyleaf

I'll be around at some point too :santa2:

Glad your ceiling is ok mar!

greenbee

mardatha wrote: »

... Emily who can talk for 4 hours without once inhaling. ...

We've got one of those... she's getting a Furby for Christmas. I can't even begin to imagine what tomorrow will be like...

Monna - your lunch sounds delicious!

We've been to the crib service with my DB, SiL & the kids. I've brought my mum home (she didn't want to go for drinks with their friends and wonders why I point out that her being here for 2 weeks impacts my social life... she doesn't drive down here...) and she's now making fruit salad and pears in red wine. We've already delivered the cranberry sauce, bread sauce, stuffing, mince pies, christmas pudding, pigs in blankets etc.

I'm hoping we'll stay awake for the midnight service, so we can have a slightly later start tomorrow. Otherwise it's a 9.30-10.30 service then off to my brother's again. As I'm driving for all family events it does at least mean that my alcohol intake is severely limited.

Like monna, the more time I spend on my own the more I like to have my own space. Given how long my mum is here for (and the fact that her sister is turning up on boxing day), I'll be in need of a holiday by the time I've driven my mum home and got myself back here next Sunday...

On the plus side, she has been a huge help in getting the house back together after the builders finished, so it is at least mostly comfortable and civilised. There is room for her and my aunt (although we're a bit short on furniture in the sitting room as I sold the sofabed before the work started and the new sofa isn't arriving until after NY). My bedroom is a tip... and my office is an even bigger tip! But those don't affect guests.

mardatha

The icing on the cake!!! I've got snow forecast for tomorrow :j:j:j

MMF007

Thanks Floss, I did check out quite a lot of info at 3am today! I made some notes from official guidance on end of life care and patients' rights.
I asked for a meeting with the senior nurse today (most senior person onsite). I pointed out mum's serious illness and physical limitations and my concerns that dad will be very distressed to be moved to a care home.
I asked about the assessment and whether mum, as attorney, has to agree to this - I knew the answer before I asked (of course).
I told her that I was unhappy that the last 'chat' we had about dad's care took place in a corridor right outside a ward and consisted of a nurse (I named names) telling us if no change within 3 weeks of admission he'd be off to a care home, mum could get the bus (it's 30+ miles each way and the buses are 6 hours apart), and that the nurse's sister lives in the same area as I do and she visits every 2 weeks even though it is over 450 miles each way.
I pointed out that I have to work and with the best will in the world it is a whole day to travel each way and there is no way I could visit every fortnight!!

We were assured that case conferences would be required and they would speak with dad's own GP, as opposed to a locum, and then there would be an assessment, then if discharge planned to NHS continuing care in a care home there would be a choice and also nothing would happen that quickly. The nurse also pointed out that there are waiting lists for the homes nearby so things may move more slowly than prev indicated.

Yes, NM, we were invited to have xmas dinner with dad but as he is refusing food this would not be appropriate. We are going to take him some tempting treats and a miniature bottle of port!

I told dad I have bought him a present to give to mum and will wrap it tonight. He asked what it was and gave me a thumbs up when i told him

So, we shall have a very unusual Christmas day but we will make the most of it.

Very best wishes to all you lovely, kind fencers. You are all amazing :T

silvasava

I'd turnup on the doorstep and announce that the poxy in laws have arrived at their poxy outlaws!

monnagran

No MMF we are not amazing, we are just able to do what some people are incapable of doing.We can stand in your shoes and see things through your eyes. Most of us on this thread have had our share of life's darker side and when we see someone else suffering we can truly stand beside them. I don't think it is something we choose to do, it's simply instinctive.

Thank goodness you have a breathing space. Tomorrow will be bitter-sweet for you (oxymoron, mar). After all, you didn't expect to have your dad with you for Christmas. Now that the pressure is off a bit, I do hope that you and your mum can have a quiet celebration.

Wishing you all some sleep tonight.

Hard_Up_Hester

I'll be on line tomorrow, CHS is painting the engine bay whilst it's empty.

SS I'm glad you find your beta engine reliable, hopefully ours will be too.

pandamonium

A Merry and Peaceful Christmas to all.

My thoughts are with you all especially those having such difficult times.

Monna, I hope you've finished that cushion, and if you have, please could you give me a hand with the crochet raccoon I was supposed to finish for tomorrow?

monnagran

Sorry panda, you are out of luck, my crocheting skills are on a par with my brain surgery skills..Yes I have finished the cushion cover and it even looks something like the picture on the pattern. Very gratifying as that doesn't always happen.