Month: March 2023

I was up early this morning. We had arranged for tree surgeons to come and remove dead branches from the large larch tree in the corner of the garden – and put paid to some ivy growing up the ash tree in the same area. They were also detailed to cut down a fir tree that had been losing its leaves over the last couple of years.

They arrived at 8 o’clock and I was ready and waiting. Three lovely young men, all keen as mustard to get on with the job.

Naturally, I monitored their work all morning as I was keen to make sure that they didn’t overdo it, and supplied them endless with cups of coffee as they worked. It was fascinating to watch as they scaled the heights with their specialist equipment and sawed the brash ready to take it away. But honestly, just look how precarious it is!!!

In the end, there was no real evidence of disease in the tree they felled, but it definitely needed to come down as it was clearly on it last legs, with just a few leaves remaining. The wood, though, has been saved for burning in the open fire next year.

They did a really good job, tidied up after themselves and were finished just after 11 o’clock – a touch too late for whizzing up the road for the chair yoga session that Jaime had offered me.

Not to worry, I took the time to continue with some more tidying of the kitchen….. just as soothing, maybe?

John was up in reasonably good time, and was able to keep his eye on the work going on in the garden too. However, after the lads had left we sat down with a cuppa and it wasn’t long before we were both feeling a bit sleepy. John fought the feeling and did some work on the computer. I succumbed.

This afternoon Nigel came to visit. He was on his way to help out with baby/childcare duties if needed and had promised to call in on us on the way. We had a smashing time together, nattering away for a good hour and a half before he set off to catch up with Linda and Brendan.

Andrew made an appearance about five o’clock, wondering where the day had gone. Bless him. He made us a sandwich for our tea before he went on his way back to Cambridge.

I had planned to go to my Exploring Faith group this evening but I was tired and I still didn’t really want to leave John on his own. He’s still not quite up to snuff. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow.

Take care everyone. God bless.

The dishwasher has worked overtime today and it’s still not finished!! I think we used every plate, bowl, knife, fork and spoon we had yesterday, when the family were round, and today we’ve been shoveling them into the dishwasher at a vast rate of knots in an attempt to have something to eat off today.

Mind you, I wasn’t fussed about how fast we did anything at all. I was all for catching up on the TV programmes we’d recorded and intermittently toddling into the kitchen to do a bit of a tidy-up. Watch this space folks. It’s still ongoing…..

This morning we emerged from our beds just before ten o’clock to make our way down to the doctor’s surgery for our shingles jabs. That may be one reason why John’s feeling under the weather. Who knows?

We were a little while at the surgery because the nurse wanted to know whether John is/was immunocompromised. I wasn’t sure how he is classified these days, and so it took a few messages backwards and forward to Dr Horsley to get permission for the ‘non-live’ dose to be administered. Ha! Lucky me – I had the ‘live’ dose and so one visit necessary. John had the ‘non-live’ dose and has got to go back for a second dose in May. Tee-hee.

We made our way back home and John settled onto the sofa for a snooze. I did a bit of mooching in the kitchen in amongst the pots and pans to try and find a bit of work surface, before slothing back to the sofa myself for afternoon TV.

When John woke up he snacked on the lovely chocolate biscuits I’d liberated from the drawer in the dining room, advising me that this was his lunch. My delve into the box of biscuits was my ‘afternoon tea’……

Andrew finally came downstairs about four o’clock, grinning at us sheepily. He cooked our evening meal, which was really difficult, requiring skilled ‘chefing’…… cold beef and chips.

Then this evening we watched the ‘Elvis’ film that I’d recorded at the weekend. I wasn’t sure whether it was as good as the critics had said, but Andrew said he enjoyed it.

John was struggling by this evening and wasn’t sure he’d even make it upstairs to bed. However, with a puff or two on the inhaler and encouraging noises from me, he made it. Oh, my poor man. It’s very hard and distressing for him that he can’t leap about as he used to. He and I are both hoping that he’ll feel much better in the morning.

Take care everyone. God bless.

Wow! What a day! One big, fat family day from start to finish.

The Kenilworth Newbies had slept over last night, so it was an early start this morning. At 6.30 two snuggly, wriggly little boys were cosied up in my bed. “I want my breakfast,” said one. “Is it time to get up yet?” said another. I told them we’d get up at seven which, in my book, is a civilised get-up time. “Another half an hour,” I said and closed my eyes, hopeful that my stillness might rub off. One of them started chattering. The other followed. “What do you think, Grandma?” I groaned. Clearly, we weren’t going to get to seven o’clock before it was get-up time.

We bustled downstairs and had our breakfast. But the early morning start had a purpose. “Shall we make the cake now, Grandma?” I gave them my stock answer which was, “We’ll do it in a bit.” We were going to make Paul a birthday cake. Grandpa had to get up to help ice it. “Let’s get the things ready,” said William, excitedly.

We made the cake and left it to cool. “Shall we ice the cake now, Grandma?” Well, no, I was leaving that to the expert – Grandpa. “Can I go up to see him, Grandma?” Yes, we’d take him a cup of tea. And so it was that I left William chattering away to Grandpa to keep him company.

After about fifteen minutes, just before 9 o’clock, a message from John pinged into my WhatsApp chat. ‘Can you come and rescue me. I need to get dressed.” Made me chuckle. Poor John has so many medical things to attend to in the morning that he does like to be a bit private.

Michael and I left the children behind to ice the cake with Grandpa and we went to visit Mum. She was on top form and delighted to see us. She wasn’t quite sure who we were to start with but knew she was comfortable in our company and enjoyed our visit.

We browsed through an album of photos that had been taken during lockdown a year or two ago, which she thoroughly enjoyed but, from one page to the next, she puzzled as to who everyone was – including herself! Bless her. We had fun though.

When we got back home, we set the table and all sat down to the brunch that Danielle had prepared while we were away. Paul and Freddie arrived, having been to church this morning, and Harriet came a little while later, in order to join in, and we had a very yummy meal – bacon and eggs and all the trimmings! It was lovely.

Next up was the prep for the special Sunday Roast for Paul’s birthday. John went for a nap, having got up so early this morning, while the rest of us all milled about either looking after the children, making cups of tea, peeling potatoes, hauling the old table up from the ‘Man Shed’ or pouring glasses of wine. Harriet fetched Ellie and, just as we were about to serve up, Andrew made it home too. Ahh……. what family bliss…..

Mind you, the bliss soon turned to chaos as the children finished their meals before we did and there were choruses of “Please can we get down from the table?”. They went off to play, and our conversation got a touch louder as the wine flowed. Grandpa felt a bit overwhelmed. He still hadn’t quite caught up on his beauty sleep.

Birthday cake, with candles, was presented in a darkened room, accompanied by the traditional ‘Happy Birthday’ singing and Paul obliged the tradition by blowing out the candles in one breath. As per usual, I was too busy enjoying myself to take photos……ah, well, maybe next time?

And then it was time to go home. A mad rush around to try and put a few things back into place so that we weren’t left with a big job tomorrow and lots of lovely kisses and cuddles as the family left.

We are knackered but full of family love. Can’t beat it, can you?

I am hoping that all that family love is healing. John hasn’t felt to so well today and struggled with his breathing in particular. Fingers crossed he feels better tomorrow.

Take care everyone. God bless.

Oooh, it’s Saturday already! Goodness me, this week has gone quickly. I have no real idea what we have been doing but obviously, we’ve tried to rest a bit – what with one thing and another.

So neither of us got up particularly early this morning, but when I did get up I was on a mission for another tidy-up. Story of my life – trying to get straight!! Not sure if it’ll ever happen but never mind.

The purpose of the tidy-up was to clear the decks ready for the family to visit this weekend. It was Paul’s birthday on Tuesday and we didn’t see him because we were still in the throes of recovery from John’s hospital stay. And not only that, but Paul had a cold and he wasn’t keen to pass it on.

So I have invited the family over for a Sunday Roast tomorrow, and I am intending, once again, to kill the fatted calf. More or less everyone is coming, so it’ll be the old table, with the extra extension piece, set up in the lounge – thirteen of us. Really looking forward to it.

In between times, we had a chat to the Kenilworth Newbies, who were feeling a bit ‘winter blue’ and they thought they might come and stay over. The day wore on and we weren’t sure whether they would come or not, but by mid-afternoon, it was confirmed. “Think we will come over if that’s OK’ Of course it’s OK. It’s always OK.

The delight of having family around us is just beyond anything, so we had a lovely time – William was keen to help me with the cooking, which was marvellous; Thomas entertained Grandpa, sitting next him all snuggled up watching a TV programme; and Oliver ranged from the lounge to the hall to the kitchen and back again, grinning at everyone he came across on his travels. Smashing.

We had a take-away this evening and lovely conversation. Nothing raucous, you know, but just easy. So busy enjoying myself that I forgot to take any photos….. ah, well, maybe tomorrow?

Take care everyone. God bless.

Since I last blogged, the ol’ man is out of hospital and clambering through treacle as best he can. Only a couple of fainting fits since he came home and he managed a walk the other day, so things might be on the up.

However, the hospital weren’t quite sure what was wrong with him other than diagnosing a chest infection and possibly a norovirus to account for the sickness and diarrhoea – or was it an adverse reaction to the antibiotics that he was taking? If it was, they haven’t worried about it as they’ve sent him home with the same ones to take, which he finished today.

He is still rather weak and wobbly and totters about the house as best he can, chairs and stools strategically placed for him to sink into if need be!

John came home on Sunday afternoon, to an empty house. I had actually made it to Ragdale Hall for my long weekend away with the College Crew, and Andrew had not yet arrived home, having mislaid the keys to the car (again). However, all was well and John managed OK before youngest son arrived to look after him – although, according to Andrew here he is, looking for his marbles……. hehehe. Cheeky!!

Meanwhile, I had been having a very nice time with the girls at Ragdale and they were incredibly supportive in my hour of need.

Here we all are, looking as happy as Larry as if we haven’t a care in the world….. I wonder if it’s the wine wot did it?

Sue P had a bit of bad luck/good luck though while we were there, though. We wandered about in the spa, heating ourselves up and then cooling ourselves down, when she suddenly noticed that the diamond from her engagement ring was missing. Oh, my! We were all gutted for her and spent a good few hours puzzling over where it might have come out.

The next day, on her own in her room, she emerged from the bathroom, only to look down and see something glinting on the carpet in the doorway. It was the diamond from her ring!! Phew!! What luck!!!

It was a good job that she and Lizzie had decided not to have their room tidied but to have the glass of Prosecco that had been offered instead, otherwise it might well have been swept away. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief, as you can imagine.

The relief was clearly too much for Sue though, as she succumbed to a horrible cold on the last but one night, and spent it in bed from 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

Despite me worrying about John in hospital, Diamond-Gate and the possibility of a Spring cold being shared, we all had a lovely time. It was very special this year as well because, for the first time in all the years we have been going, our dear friend, Linda, joined us for the day on the Friday. It was so lovely to all be together for once. Yay! Here’s to next year!

This week has been a slow one. I have felt very flat since I got home and John has been keen to belong to the sofa for some R & R after the hectic hospital stay. However, the ol’ man is determined to improve, so he’s bought a book. Just got to read it now……

Take care everyone. God bless.