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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.

So, we had a Midnight Dash last night! John became increasingly unwell as the evening wore on and was sickly just as he went to bed. I had gone into the computer room to do my Blog when I heard a thump! on the floor. When I went into the bedroom, there was John in the ensuite, on the long white telephone….. poor man. He felt terribly unwell.

The service from 111 was not too bad. Everyone was kindness itself. There was only one issue and that was when the Out-of-Hours doctor from the Badger service tried to phone. What a crazy system that is! They phone you but there is zero sound when you pick up. The first couple of times, I missed the call and it went to my answer machine and I couldn’t hear a word that was being said.

Eventually, the 111 operator advised me just to hold on when the call came in. Which I did, of course, to no avail and text messages arrived severally: ‘Hello, We’ve tried to reach you but you weren’t available. Unfortunately your appointment with Badger has been cancelled.’ When I was available the messages pinged in as the call cut off after 12 minutes of holding on. Grr….. just what you don’t want when you’re tired and anxious!

Anyway, eventually one of the doctors did get through and, having listened patiently to all the symptoms and listened to John being sick for about ten minutes, he advised that John go to hospital. “Dial 999 and get an ambulance,” he said. Ha! As if I was going to do that! We know where that takes us. Over to Walsgrave. And, although they are very good over there, they don’t know John’s history.

On asking the question, the doctor agreed that it would be OK for me to take John across to Heartlands, if I felt confident enough to do so. Well, I did. So I did.

Poor John. I made him get out of bed, get dressed and trundle out to the car at half past midnight. Bless him. By then he was a bit muddled and really felt bemused at being transported across to Birmingham at that time of night.

Nevertheless, we made it and I dropped him off outside A&E and went to park the car. The only trouble is, it’s been a long time since we attended A&E and the entrance I’d dropped him off at, wasn’t an entrance at all. It was the holding bay for all the patients who’d arrived by ambulance and were being attended by the crew.

Rammed, it was. Not an inch spare. And John nowhere to be seen. “You’ve come to the wrong door, love,” said one of the paramedics, when I finally got up there. He ushered me out and gestured that I should go down a steep hill, up a lot of steps to the new A&E reception area. Oh, my heart broke. I imagined poor John trying to make that journey feeling so ill and I wept for him.

He wasn’t there though, was he? The receptionist was doing something else when I arrived and didn’t leap up to attend to me. I hovered, and then paced about, searching for John among the hordes of people in the waiting room. He definitely wasn’t there. Finally, she looked on the computer and told me that John was over the other side. Yep! That’s right. From whence I had come.

When I finally caught up with my errant husband, he was entertaining a very nice young lady at his bedside. And they seemed to be getting on like a house on fire. I was definitely de trop. Mostly. It transpired that some of the things John was telling the doctor were not quite accurate. “Have you been off your food?” she asked. “Oh, no,” said John. I coughed. “That’s not exactly right though, is it?” I said. “You haven’t been hungry for several days and haven’t been able to finish your dinner?” Oh… that! Well, that was nothing.

Anyway, the upshot is that the ol’ man has been admitted to hospital for intravenous antibiotics and rehydration. The fainting will have been due to the infection apparently, and the sickness may have been due to a reaction to the oral antibiotics.

John spent all night and all day in A&E because there were no beds, and is exhausted. Finally, this evening just before nine o’clock they transferred him to the respiratory ward, so fingers crossed that he starts to improve now. He’s still a bit muddled and very, very weary.

I am due to go to Ragdale Hall tomorrow for a lovely, long, relaxing weekend….. now there’s another story, but it’ll have to wait.

Take care everyone. God bless. Prayers appreciated……

I didn’t blog yesterday because a) we hadn’t done anything of note; b) I was tired; and c) the computer had no internet for some reason. Sorted that out today though, and we’re now back up and running!

That’s a bit more than I can say for John. Although he isn’t fainting, he’s definitely not up and running and still feeling under the weather. I am not sure what to do with him next, but we’ll see how we go on.

However, we had a lovely afternoon which cheered us up no end. Pete and Dawn came round and we had a good laugh together. Mostly at all our misfortunes but still, we made the most of the stories in the telling! At one point, we were all belly laughing so much that our sides ached. Well, mine did, anyway.

John had stayed in bed until lunch-time and shook a leg to get downstairs in time for our guests. I had got up earlier and pottered about with one thing and another. There is always something to do, isn’t there?

I had booked a mobile valeting service to come and wash the cars this morning, so he came just before mid-day and beavered away making both cars sparkling clean. Lovely jubbly!

I took on an additional job however, when I suspected that the drainage for the car-washing water might be clogged and I thought I ought to clear it out. So I got out a bucket, brush and trowel to do the deed. The drainage channel was full of bits from where we’d had the flood last year and also extra bits from when the roof tiles were repaired. Easy and satisfying job. All in all, I was pleased I’d sorted it out, and the water from the car washing flowed away quite nicely.

We just watched a bit of TV this evening, but I noticed that John seemed to be not feeling so well as the evening wore on. He was feeling a bit sickly and couldn’t quite face taking his painkillers let alone his evening tablets. “I think I’ll go to bed,” he said.

When I finally caught up with him he was being sick. Oh, dear! A call to 111 and we’ll see what they say. More news tomorrow folks…….

Take care everyone. God bless.

We chose to spend Sunday at home as John recuperates from his chest infection and fainting fits. And…… breaking news! No fainting today!

John had a cuppa and breakfast in bed this morning and afterwards thought he’d have a bit more sleep. I left him to rest on and pottered about with a bit of washing and a bit more tidying. The house hasn’t quite recovered from nearly six weeks of neglect when I felt too weary to be bothered – and there’s more than enough jobs to keep an army of cleaners occupied for a few more weeks yet.

John got up at lunchtime and sat watching TV for much of the afternoon. The sun was shining so brightly and it looked warm outside, so I suggested we sit out and take in some Vitamin D for half an hour. He agreed, even though he was still in his PJs, and wrapped himself in a blanket to keep warm. It was lovely.

And that’s been more or less it for today! A bit more TV watching this evening and the day has gone by in a flash, just like that! No wonder we keep wondering where it’s all going. We’re snoozing it away!

Take care everyone. God bless.

First thing, yesterday morning, I was on the phone to the Doctor’s Surgery to make an appointment for John to be checked out. I was 8th in the queue and waited patiently. When I got through, I provided all John’s details to make the appointment but, just as I was congratulating myself on being successful, she asked what was the matter with him. I told her he’d been fainting and he had a jippy tummy. “Oh,” she laughed, “I’ve just done an appointment for John!” I laughed too. Clearly, in our household, left hand doesn’t know what right hand is doing and it turns out that, from different rooms, we’d both more or less phoned the surgery at the same time!

Anyway, before the appointment at 11.20, we called across to the Kenilworth Newbies to return the washing we’d done. We only stayed for about half an hour because we didn’t want to be late to see the doctor. We were just saying our goodbyes and I was giving Danielle a big hug because we won’t see them for a week, when there was a bit of kerfuffle between John and and Michael. John had stood up and was giving Michael a hug when he clearly fainted again and Michael had to hang onto him and lower him back into the chair.

“I don’t know what happened there,” said John. “I mean, I was already standing up when all I heard was Michael saying, ‘I’ve got you,’ and I found myself sitting back down.” We didn’t know either, but we were glad to be en route to the Doc next.

John normally sees Dr Horsley. However, he was having a day off so it as A. N. Other instead. Unfortunately, the doctor assigned to John was running at least 45 minutes late, having had to deal with an emergency earlier on. Anticipating that the delay might be extended as there were at least five patients before us, I went back to Reception. “Is there anything you can do to get John in sooner?” I asked. “I don’t think he can wait for nearly an hour. He’s not feeling well.”

There was some shuffling of appointments and John was quickly called in to see Dr Carlile instead. What a relief. She was, of course, brilliant, as she always is, and she explained that John has a chest infection and developing pneumonia. His blood pressure was low but she thought the fainting may be to do with the infection. A course of antibiotics and some steroids were prescribed and we are hoping for the best.

Ha! So much for ‘the best’! John got up to go the bathroom this morning and, just as he was emerging from it, he found himself on the floor between the bed and the wardrobe, with no idea how he’d got there. Not only that, but he’d had an intimate encounter with the bedstead and seems to have cracked a rib or two as he fell backwards against the edge. Co-codamol called for……..

I suggested John stay in bed this morning and that he must phone me if he was going to get up. I mean, if he fell in the bathroom there’d be a few more injuries from a hard-tiled floor and plenty of obstacles in the way to bang his head on, wouldn’t there?

The ol’ man stayed in bed until just after lunch and then we made our way downstairs where he sat on the sofa for the rest of the day, alternating between resting his eyes and watching TV. And, bless him, also huffing and puffing a bit because he is so fed up of being ill!

We had planned to celebrate with our friends from church, Margaret and Chris, this evening and had invited them round or drinks. It’s Chris’s 70th birthday next week, so we thought we might open a bottle of champagne and have a few nibbles. Instead, Margaret called in with lots of sympathy, a bunch of tulips (my favourite) and a bar of chocolate to cheer John up. Honestly, we are so very lucky to have wonderful friends.

Recuperating? Yes, we’re still recuperating from the aftermath of Covid and I’m hoping this latest episode John is experiencing is nothing to do with that and he will bounce back in no time at all. Fingers crossed anyway. And a few prayers might not go amiss.

Take care everyone. God bless.

We spent the day at home today and didn’t venture out at all. We pottered about, chilling, doing a few chores and watching a bit of catch-up TV.

I was up at a reasonable time to get cracking on the bit of washing I’d brought back from Michael and Danielle’s yesterday, and spent much of the day faffing about with that, on and off.

John was up and, having exhausted himself taking a shower, he was downstairs by about 11.30. He was still feeling a bit light-headed and, on occasion, found he needed to put his head lower than his feet….. I wondered whether I should phone the doctor for advice but, by the time we’d discussed it, the surgery was closed for the afternoon. Maybe tomorrow?

John chatted to a friend on the phone for about a hour just before lunch, and then put his feet up and snoozed a bit this afternoon, while I watched the TV and titivated with folding clothes. Very therapeutic.

A bit later on, John felt well enough to work on the computer, and busied himself with sorting out the accounts for the rental properties. He then had another chat to the same friend on the phone just before tea.

I was still thinking about John’s situation, when he admitted he still had a bit of an upset digestive system, which he’d had for the last week. I am hoping that the low blood pressure is just dehydration and it’ll all be solved with plenty of water. Fingers crossed anyway!! Just got to investigate the cause of the jippy tummy now….

And that was us today.

Meanwhile, however, I have been thinking of all those who are sick or struggling today. There are one or two that I know of and I shall hold them in my prayers.

Take care everyone. God bless.