Traditions

Penny keeps dropping things. In her culture that signifies a stranger will visit. Nothing so far and there was me getting all excited by a possible dark and handsome stranger. So I have had to convert Penny to British culture where dropping things means you are just clumsy.
A dark and handsome guy did arrive today and it is always a pleasure to see Colin.
Penny made Sue pocha tonight, beaten rice, potatoes and chillies, a very healthy meal. Penny's healthy eating and exercise is paying dividends. They have agreed on pigeon next week. I had that once in Spain, complete with a piece of lead shot. There's not much meat on a pigeon apart from the huge blighter I have in my garden scoffing all the fat balls.
I can't wait to introduce Penny to our Christmas traditions, starting with the advent calendar and the storybook, the Christmas mystery, in just two days time. I wonder what she will make of mulled wine!

Easy like Sunday morning

Last night Penny told me that this Sunday was a special day for her and prayers had to be said at eight and did I mind. Of course I didn't mind. Well this morning I was nattering to Sue on line. Penny had overslept and had missed her eight o'clock prayers, never mind Penny there are two eights in a day. Ellie is very sleepy today as well, she even missed breakfast, which is very out of character. She slept on my bed for another hour not moving. We decided on the porridge test to see how poorly she might be. Now Ellie can't resist porridge and clearly not today either, porridge consumed and normal activity resumed. Umm a Garfield moment by Ellie or porridge for Ellie is similar to spinach on Popeye. Still, pleased she is ok.
Anne Marie and her mum called in this morning and collected the cat. Thank you for the plant.
Sue popped over this afternoon, which was lovely. Night xxx

And Uncle Tom Cobbly himself

Been quite a week. My mate, Sue from Bedford was here until Tuesday so had a great long weekend with her and she caught up with Fi after, when we had worked it out, twenty years. Where on earth did they go? Beth babysat me in the afternoon and we both fell fast asleep. Sue came Wednesday so I went to hospice. In the afternoon Penny's line manager came for a review meeting. The gas engineer had to be called out to replace the very noisy thermostat, Ellie went to the vets for her annual inoculations. Mark smith came but was shooed away as he clearly had a cold. Steve came with shopping for Penny. Steve A came and I was telling him how much better I feel. Mum and dad came and babysat. They fixed my Hoover, again, put up my decoration hanger for Christmas and watered plants, normal friday jobs. So as you can see a very busy time. Gill the Chaplin at hospice is collecting flannels for Africa so if anyone is making a trip to Dunelm please let me know so I can put my order in. Best news, Hagley RC School have started fund raising with a Christmas card tree for an iPad. I am so very grateful to them...both when I was there as pupil and now. Rest day today. xxx

Any recommendations?

I'm looking for a George foreman grill and panini press. My search improved somewhat when I stopped using George fornby in the web search. There are quite a few variations, far too many for an easy decision.
Beth, Sue R and I watched a film called Water but this time with subtitles. A good film about Indian widows before Ghandi.
Watching Matt on the one show, he may have completed a great seven day feat and lost a stone and a half but is still no excuse for wearing too tight pink trousers.

You know, the thingy me jig?

Gosh, I wish I had paid more attention to my geography lessons as penny quizzes me on countries in Europe. Where they are, what are they next to, what's the capital (thank goodness for the Internet), Penny keeps my mind active. The brain is not effected in my type of MND. Therefore it must be age that is affecting my memory, ouch. So please forgive me if your name, a place or object becomes a thingy me jig.
I have missed hospice for a month now through peg replacement and shingles but will definitely be going this week. I have a project started that I need to crack on with.
I am thrilled to bits with the onyx box with elephants on, the colourful boxes, magazines and white lacy top Penny brought back from India.
Lol, you have to giggle.
Penny, "a shower jacket what's that? You don't wear a jacket in the shower."
"can I see what you are reading? Lol, it's a jacket for showers as in rain not shower in the bathroom." the English language is so very complex.

The problem with retirement is you never get a day off!

Jo and I are feeling very pleased with ourselves as we managed to break past 300 points on the upword game. I saw an excellent film yesterday. Penny brought it from India. It's in Indian bwhen we put it on discovered there were no subtitles so Penny had to stay and interpret. I'm still thinking about the film today.
Josie and I had a good clear out of drawers, treasure or trash...quite a bit of trash. Mark and wiggy visited, it's always lovely to see them and catch up on what's happening at work. They did a very good job for me today, thank you. Steve arrived with baby Mae, who is growing up very fast.
A busy day and an early night.

What a great day

Sue and I got out today, only as far as Aldi. We needed fish for Ellie, milk, Advacaat and cheese...however we came out with a large bag 'a clinking'...for Christmas, we told ourselves. I have to say hello to Chris Knight and his gorgeous dog, molly the boxer. It was terrific to be recognised. I think people who know me don't see me in the wheelchair as it is out of context to how I was when I knew them. So thank you Chris, it made my day.
Last night we had a good drink of brandy (shingles pain still not gone). It went straight to my head and I told Sue I am not drunk, I was fine until I stood up! That was a fair clue to my state of inebriation. Made us laugh so a good thing.
Doing the lottery tonight for a change. Two scratch cards yielded nothing. No brandy tonight. Have downloaded a film called Precious to watch tonight.
A slight ammendment to my last... Dr Burrows can't give me any more pain killers as I have had my quota for the day so unfortunately I have decided brandy over face ache. The breaking strain of a kit kat!

A good job jobbed

Josie came this morning and cleaned my display cabinet with all the glass in. It was very dusty and now looks all sparkling again, thank you. I didn't mention which ones were sentimental to me until they were all safely cleaned and back in the cupboard. Josie's mother in law has made me a lovely holly brooch and a knitted christmas pudding. I have been through some old photographs, which was a right trip down memory lane. I have sorted some out to give to different people.
Edith came with fruit sponge, still warm. Bang goes Sue's being good but everyone needs a treat. Gave Edith her painting of daisies and poppies, just in time for Rememberance day tomorrow. I enjoyed doing it but my quilt cover didnt fair so well, it now looks like an artists apron.
Lesley popped in after work and has taken an order for Christmas goodies from Asda.
Ellie is Sue's best friend at the moment...salmon for tea.

Special entry

It is all very exciting. Very kindly, a district nurse, Sarah, donated lots of toys to the garage sale. Thomas the tank engine and friends didn't sell on the day so Sue has put them onto eBay. We are watching the bids go up as the selling time comes to an end. It's brilliant to watch the iPad pot continue to grow. The people who are bidding have no idea what a difference their bid is making to someone with MND. Thank you to all of you who contributed such quality items for the garage sale. The total from Thomas and friends is £

Chilled start to the day

We had planned a quiet day. Ellie played along until seven, so a good start. Last night Sue had cold baked beans on toast due to a phone call and this morning she had cold toast and marmite as I had to disturb her half way through her breakfast. Not the chilled start she was expecting.
I have been painting as a distraction from the shingles and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The rash is not so angry today and I'm so lucky Sue jumped on it straight away. Will miss hospice as ear sensitive to noise. I have finished Edith's painting of poppies and painted a card for my mum.
Well after the great weigh in, Sue is in the lead. Not having a minute to yourself and cold food is a great way to lose weight.
I need some volunteers. I have been doing the win a fiver with the extra tooth fairy chewing gum. I have won the maximum times of five and so donated twenty five to the iPad pot. I have more wrappers to be input one daily on line.
had a lovely surprise, Penny rang up from India. Glad she has enjoyed her break so far which is good.

One pampered puss

Ellie now has a made to measure cover for her hutch to keep her warm and dry. Steve(bil) and sue fitted it today and it looks right cosy.
Shingles is very painful. A concoction of painkillers and brandy are helping me sleep through it. I'm no company at the moment. Sue is also cleaning and filling the bird feeders. Peter and Jo came yesterday and deheaded my plants so we are looking tip top out there.
Mark text Friday to say he had spoken to the headmaster at my old school and have agreed to help raise funds for the iPads. This is fantastic. I wasn't the best of students at the school. It was the best school I went to and the one that really took an interest in my learning and helped to mature me. I do wholeheartedly apologise to my teachers back then for being such a nuisance. Time to shut my eyes for five minutes. x

Soggy moggy

It has turned a little colder and certainly a bit wetter but that has not deterred Ellie for wanting to be in her hutch and run. That's fine but soggy moggys smell so I need to purchase a cover for the hutch. I'll send my purchaser, Sue to the pet shop. It's fair to say that I don't feed a family of four here but somehow still managed to spend far too much in a supermarket. I went to Sainsburys yesterday and met my mum and dad in the cafe for lunch.
I really know how to make friends and influence people...I now have shingles down the right hand side of my face. Last time I was this spotty I was sixteen. This means Medication five times a day between seven am to eleven pm. its not big and it's not clever.

You just have to laugh.

The conversation went a little like this. Sue, Edith would you like to join us going to Webbs? Oh yes please says Edith. Sue we can have a picnic. Lovely agrees Edith, do you like cheese and what bread brown or white, enquires Sue. Yes I have cheese I can bring over, says Edith. No don't bring it over, do you have bread? Yes says Edith, why don't you have any bread, no confesses Sue, nor cheese, can you make the picnic? It may have been lost in translation but very funny how we got our eighty year old neighbour to make the sandwiches. She was laughing so saw the funny side.

It's the simple things that make us happy

Fiona and little Grace came this morning. Grace was very shy but Thomas the Tank Engine did the trick, as did the chocolate fairy cake, bless her. Great memories with Sue and Fiona, but scares me half to death to think what we were like, all fresh faced and wet behind the ears at eighteen, wearing the Queens crown. However they were good days and I wouldn't swap them for the world.
Sue has worked tirelessly at getting the train sets onto eBay. I think they will sell well. It's all coffers in the iPad pot. We now have a grand, a tremendous result, thank you all so very much. It means we can get two iPads now.
Pesky cat woke us up at five fifteen am. Sound asleep in my wheelchair now she is.
There were no trick or treaters last night and I was prepared with sweets. Oh well, anyone like wine gums?
I've had a good day. X