Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2023

Just got back from a lovely walk, very mild and ...we have sunshine!!

The walk was to help banish our blues a bit ,after having video call from our youngest. He flies out this evening to S America for an 8.5 week holiday, We feel so uneasy when the brood go off by themselves for long periods. Hubs and I got quite unwell back when our eldest took of around the world, again by himself ,for a year when he was 22. It doesn't help when youngest said that in one place he's going to he is very likely to get ....robbed!!! He's well prepared for such an event and has all the necessary back up in place!! Is this suppose to comfort us!!!
We don't care about his belongings it's his health and safety that will cause us to have disturbed sleep from now to mid February!! But they can't see this. Kids are always kids to their parents..and what do parents do...worry!!

 

@Upsydaisy , scary about what you son said. I know there are articles written about "how to blend in" when traveling, or staying somewhere. Our first trip to New Orleans, I got a good travel book to make lists from, think this was prior to google, anyway, a nice thick chapter on how to "not" get robbed was in there.
My personal issue is what I look like when we travel, I stick out like a sore thumb. We have traveled to places that when I get off the plane I am not only the only white women, but my red hair sticks out. I do my best prior to have all navigated well to where we are going to not look lost and easy taken advantage of. I have known all my life that my looks can be a hinderance in certain areas of traveling, so I am careful.
If your son practices being low key, don't dress well, don't flaunt anything. Keep alert when walking anywhere. Don't offer any information, don't boast about anything. You never know who is listening. And don't wear any jewelry, I leave all mine at home, except an understated pair of earrings. Stay with crowds if he feels unsafe until he can get home.

 

Thanks redstar, he is sensible really and is quite a well travelled person. He does do extensive research into the countries, cities etc that he visits. This is his 4th Winter in S.America. He also tries to learn some of the language too. He is fluent in Spanish, which has been very useful .

He already does do everything you've mentioned in your last paragraph. He also purchases cheap mobile phones etc for use on his holidays, leaving his expensive items safely back home...this too applies to his clothes and footwear. So he's a well informed traveller who, unfortunately for us his poor parents, loves to travel and loves to explore and learn about countries and cultures that have very different levels and standards of safety. Having said all of this it does absolutely nothing at all to way lay out inbuilt parental fears/ concerns. All we could do was tell to keep safe and have a truly fab experience.

 

Good morning !

Vicky hope things went well for J yesterday.

Redstar have a safe journey and enjoy the trip.

We're in for a nice day today, so we're off out soon.
Nothing else really to say, hopefully we'll hear from Son no.3 at some point today to let us know he's arrived OK . His flight is due to land around 8:30am ( our time).

Have a lovely day.

 

Morning Upsy and all.

Dentist found another cracked tooth so she will remove and made a new bridge, this time it will be for 9 teeth, the other was four but this one will cover both sides of lower centre. She took impressions. Wanted him to go back today but he has Oncologist this morning so next appointment is for 4 January. All these issues could be from Radiotherapy on neck in 2015.

It looks nice out there, sunny but a cool 8c going to mid teens later.

My blouse came yesterday, very nice material and details. The buttons have little elastic hooks rather than buttonholes. It is a darker green than the picture but does say it is dark green. I like it. Only Upsy knows it, so here ...

 

Here's me in the blouse cycling (not as slim as the model)...

 

@Victoria , the model my friend is probably 15 years old. You look awesome in it.

 

Looking gorgeous Vicky.xx

 

Good morning..wow this week has flown by!!

Gosh Vicky it's all go for J with all these appointments!! You'll have a new updated version soon!!

You really do look fabulous Vicky , really fit and well. Keep up the peddling, well done.

Had a nice ( long) day out yesterday and came home feeling quite shattered.

Halfway through our lunch younger son phoned to say he had arrived in Sao Paulo and to a toasty 33C temperature.

Done a dark wash this morning, mostly trousers and jeans , so they will be hung out to dry soon although we won't see any real ( ish) sun until Wednesday apparently...well apart from a very fleeting glimpse maybe early Sunday morning.

Hoping to get the chance to do some more leaf gathering and to sweep up all the chunks of moss that the rains have washed down onto the patios.

Probably fit in a walk at some point in the day too.

Apart from that we'll see what else the day has in store.

Enjoy your Saturday.

 

Thank you redstar and Upsy. xx

A Van-like Santa this morning.

The sun is up and we have a good week ahead, typical December.

J met John after his appointment yesterday, which went well. Onco confirmed all exams were good and she said for J to make an appointment in six months. His Physio Doctor went well too on Wednesday. He gave exam and said things felt better, hinted at more Physio but J said he felt better and was sleeping better (true) and told Doc he would contact him in February if he felt he needed more Physio.

I upped my cycling to 15 minutes (4.25 kms) this past week (from 12 mins / 3,75 kms) and plan to go to 5 kms this next week. I use the EMS Energizer on non-cycle days.

A quiet weekend here.

 

We made it. the drive was longer than the GPS said , took about 7 hours not 4 1/2 hours. Traffic nuts. A neat place. Using a "free" timeshare week. Brought lots of food to make here. and will do some dinner's out. Massage and facial scheduled for Monday. Got to start on those books I brought. Later.

 

Morning everyone.

I hope your weekends are going well.

So glad that everything is going well for J and that all his appointments sounded very positive.

You too are doing brilliantly well Vicky, you certainly have staying power and have stuck well to your exercise routine. Do you have a specific music download that you have put together to peddle away to? I compiled one with a mix of just music and some with songs and find that the ' beat' sets my peddling speed.. and motivation to keep going.

Still doing lots of bits inside and out and feel a bit happier now as things had began to stack up a bit. The main garden is still too soggy to knuckle down to a serious tidy up so that's on hold for the time being.
Will need to make a start on deciding what to take with us today/ Monday as we are likely to be out for most of Tuesday and I'm meeting up with a friend in town on Wednesday . We'll be leaving just after 9:30 Thursday morning so need to keep on top of things as time is rapidly disappearing !!

Have a relaxing Sunday.

 

Morning Upsy and all who may follow.

Yes, all has gone well with J's appointments but of course the Dentist starts again on the 4th. I do wish however he would get a hearing test as it is getting very frustrating but he refuses to go ... and insists I say things I don't (he hears something slightly similar but nothing like it. Example ... yesterday lunch I said I would like an egg and toast (I paused and then said boiled). Ten minutes later he said, so you want a fried egg on bread! He has also become very forgetful ... again yesterday evening, he got some frozen chips out of the freezer, put a pair of glasses on, put the chips under the underneath cabinet light and read the package. I can see him from my chair in the lounge and asked him what he was doing. He said seeing how long to cook them. I said but you have done this at least twice a week for years and his reply was that he has forgotten. When served the chips were undercooked!!! Vent over!

Watched Dollly's Circle of Love yesterday. These latter films are about her life as a child. Don't know what we'll see today.

I don't have music on while I cycle as I watch The Chase which is on between 9 and 10am. The cycle faces the TV.

 

Morning Vicky.....you have my full sympathy.

Hubs has had a hearing aid for about 5 years now and doesn't wear it at home..at all and in fact only wears it outside if I 'remind ' him too. It drives me nuts as I constantly have to repeat things to him....or more likely I am accused of being in the wrong and not saying what I say I said. I can honestly say it's now reached a point that everything I say to him is guaranteed to be met with ..' What did you say?' Any ' tiffs ' we have stem from his lack of hearing or him being adamant that he's heard correctly and I didn't say what I thought I said......I give up, it's so draining at times.

Hubs is also displaying signs of forgetfulness so much so that he had noticed and to some degree acknowledged it himself. We had an appointment with a Dr last year to discuss our concerns , she wasn't overly concerned saying ' it could just be down to your age!!' . I informed her that I was well aware of the signs of dementia and she said that's good then, monitor the situation and get back to us if you have more conerns!!

He has phoned his own GP too to discuss things and recently I overheard him talking with one of his hospital consultants over the phone saying that he had read up on one of the new meds that he was prescribed and that it's not recommended for anyone suffering from memory issues...the consultation said he was unaware of these issues( hubs explained nobody has met our concerns in a serious manner) ,and he agree fully that the meds are not suitable and has prescribed new ones for him.... at last our concerns are being listened too and taken seriously.

It has affected him over the last year, loss of his hearing and to some degrees his memory too has resulted in him withdrawing into himself. If he has appointments ( of any kind) he asks me to accompany him. I 've also found ''memory jogger' notes that he is now writing up. I think knowing the issues my brother has had and is facing has increased both our awareness. To be honest this could also be why he chooses not to drive anymore too.

Keep a close eye on J Vicky ..thats the best advice I can offer you.
Yes it is very frustrating ( for both) but you just have to keep reminding yourself that they're not acting that way on purpose.

x

 

Ditto here! J also seems to forgot he had to urgently visit the ENT twice last year due to sudden deafness and the ENT just eradicated the wax from his ears and bingo, hearing back. In 1968 he was given exemption from the military due to deafness.

I just don't like it that it is supposedly me who doesn't know what I am saying. Strange, when I talk softly to the cats, he hears me from afar and asks what I am saying!

Driving is another issue. J is blind in one eye due to Shingles in it about 15 years ago. The Optician has passed him for driving, but I am not so sure as he has no peripheral vision and has totalled four cars since we have been here (not his fault!) and damaged mine backing into it on our property. Enough of that!

Thanks dear Upsy for understanding. xx Actually, I believe Brenda has the same problem with Donald.

Have a good day and hope you get out into your greenhouse or garden for a spell.