Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Hello everyone, I have been reading back posts and keeping up with news but unable to post.
The last few weeks have been really difficult, coping with losing Robbie and then my sister, a massive flare up of arthritis in every joint in my body, especially my right shoulder, can barely lift my arm, juggling a combination of Paracetemol and Co-codamol to try and keep on top of the pain without falling asleep, feeling sick or spaced out, unexpectedly not having my car for a week while spare parts were on order, cooking a massive Shepherds Pie and Fresh Fruit Salad for the family get together at the end of the month, to raise a glass in my sister's memory, as well as trying to get the house cleaned for visitors has not been easy. I had to go to the Drs. yesterday as I suspected I had an ear infection, have to spray my ear 3 times a day for 7 days, if no better, go back. Very itchy but so painful to touch. I did manage to potter in the garden a few times but it was too hot for me to stay outside for long! Now it is pouring, there was a real monsoon downpour yesterday evening while I was watching TV.
I have to do everything in short bursts with prolonged rest periods between, so frustrating and exhausting. Have spent a lot of time sleeping.
Poppy cat has stepped into Rob's shoes bless her. She is rather overwhelmed by a new feline resident who has moved in next door but one. It is huge, would make 3 of Poppy, it insists on using our garden as a cut through. I have let it know it is unwelcome but cats being cats, it still persists. The annoying thing is it has acres of fields on the other side where it could reign unchallenged but "No". Poppy has started going out in the garden when I go out to do a bit, she has always enjoyed a toast in the sunshine, but as soon as I come indoors she follows. A shame as she was a real outdoors cat.
I think I may have made a big Boo Boo! I have bought some Chinese Sky balloons to release for my sister but my son in law is a fireman and hates them. In the depths of my addled grey brain cells I seem to remember there was a big movement against them some time ago but cannot remember why. Was it because they cause heath fires?
Was it because they cause fires?

 

Welcome back @Goldenlily26. I think I was still a lurker when you were last here so hello.

It sounds like you have really been through the mill, so hope you begin to feel better soon. Grief can be so exhausting I do believe it can make us vulnerable to infections and flare ups so do be kind to yourself.

Sky lanterns can float for miles and can then become trapped in trees, dry heathland, rubbish etc causing fires. The debris, as for any released balloon, is then uncollected rubbish littering the environment and potentially harmful to animals. Maybe you could light candles instead?

 

Good morning all.

Gosh, what a time you've had @Goldenlily26. I hope things get easier now.

It's raining in south Norfolk. We got back last night. We used to get a train from Stansted to Norwich and get out at Thetford, but Ryanair has changed their timetable to a later time so we had to change twice. At least there was an M&S on Cambridge station so we could get some bread and milk and a couple of ready meals. Our friend was waiting at Thetford to drive us home.

The garden looks good. Gardening man has done a great job. Not much for me to do, but it's raining anyway. We'll be going to the supermarket.

 

Good morning,

A dull but still dry start to the day today. I think it may have rained in the night a bit - the gardens could really do with it.

Nice to see you back @Goldenlily26. As Butterfly6 says, be kind to yourself. Grief does indeed affect us in ways we might not expect, including vulnerability to infections and flare ups.

Yes, Chinese lanterns are frowned upon now for the reasons Butterfly says. Sad, as they did look pretty floating in the sky, but unfortunately not safe.

 

Morning all. Just nipping in before work. Welcome back @Goldenlily26 - sorry to hear of your rough patch. Sometimes our health or ability means we can’t do as much as we we want too, but enjoying some fresh air and looking at the garden is a good tonic.

Take care everyone.

 

Rest and TLC for you two, @Goldenlily26 and @Penny_Forthem. That journey sounds exhausting, @Busy-Lizzie.
Raining here this morning. We should stay at home and do some chores today, but OH is a bit fidgety and has proposed morning coffee and cake at the harvest store, and a wander round the big garden centre next door. I’m always up for a distraction! Especially as the garden centre not only has a phenomenal range of trees and plants, many grown on site, it also has a big indoor shopping area, selling clothes, kitchen ware, and all sorts of goodies. Beats going into the city if I want to indulge in a little retail therapy, just enough stuff to be interesting without being overwhelming. I probably won’t actually buy anything non garden, but it’s nice to admire all the pretty things while realising that I don’t actually need it / already have something similar / or it’s made in China.

 

Good morning. Blustery today but dry so far. i've only just surfaced after another broken night left me sleeping late. Now to get on with a baking marathon. Today will be cakes that need time to mature so banana and/or ginger based cakes and coconut chai. Friday will be for the vegan, fruit and chocolate cakes.

@Goldenlily26 It's frustrating but I endorse the advice to take it easy and light candles instead of Chinese balloons, tho you need to be careful with candles too. When we lived in Belgium I organised tea dances and balls every year and the firemen were strict about even tea lights. The insurance companies wouldn't have paid out on any damage either. Releasing ballons of any sort is a danger to wildlife too.

I hope everyone has a good day and that aches, pains and infections recede.

@Tui34 I buy very little at the plant fair as I already have quite a stock of purchases, swaps, divisions and home sown plant sto find homes for. OH is muttering about my new bed needs but, little does he know, his days of procratination are coming to an end.

 

@Obelix-Vendée said ‘OH is muttering about my new bed needs but, little does he know, his days of procrastination are coming to an end.’
I must have a dirty mind, as this made me giggle! A bit like hearing from one lady at the women’s group that she refused to have an additional television because ‘ she didn’t want any extra stimulation in the bedroom’.

 

I could be posh and call it a parterre @Ergates. The locals would understand that better than "lit".

 

Tuesday, Senior food shopping day. My store has an online coupon app. which directly linked to the bar code on the shopping thing on my key chain. So just pressing cut coupon sends it to that thing on my key chain, and at the cash register money taken off. Sorry if there is a correct name for that thing on my key chain, don't know it, have a few from other stores.

 

As it's damp underfoot, having an easy day. A long phone call with my sister, then chasing up the window man a we have a couple of blown double glazed units. I need to sort out car insurance too. They want to put it up by over £70 for next year whereas the same company on a comparison site is much less. Why do we have to go through this nonsense every time? I just want a fair price without having to haggle every year.

 

It does seem stoopid @Allotment Boy and a waste of time for staff having to deal with discontente customers bartering about policy renewals.

@redstar We just have fidelity cards for a wide range of shops and get points whenever we shop. SMs have migrated theirs onto mobile phone apps which have weekly offers of discounts and the system for my favourite is learning not to offer me them on industrial and highly processed foods so we do well on the whole.

I've been baking as planned - spiced carrot and banana cake in 2 versions, one with normal demerara cane sugar and one with stevia for the diabetics; sticky lemon and ginger cake; carrot and ginger cake with ground almonds instead of flour for the gluten intolerant. Banana and cardamom next and then either banana and chocolate chip or Wisley's banana loaf and then I'm done for the day.

Chocolate and vegan cakes can wait till Friday.

Supposed to be a thin day for me, still quietly doing the 5:2, but not today. Too many bowls to lick.

 

I have to say that I have done zilch today, despite my best intentions.
Yesterday saw me poleaxed for 2 hours in the afternoon; not today, I thought...
Wrong. I sat on the sofa after lunch and felt very woozy, so I succumbed to bed and another 2 hour slumber. I guess I must need it.
Still no rain.

 

I assume you had a general anaesthetic @Penny_Forthem in which case it's normal to feel sleepy for a good while. Go with the flow and sleep when the need arises.

No rain here either tho the forecast was for wet. The rain for the next 3 days has gone too........

 

You need to listen to your body, @Penny_Forthem, and really take it easy for quite a while yet. Lots of internal repairs and rebuilding going on, which will slow down the usual operating systems!
That baking all sounds so good, @Obelix-Vendée! When do I need to get there?
Having decided to have a day at home doing chores, we went out to the harvest store and shared a bacon roll and some lemon cake instead! I got some more seed trays and seeds in the garden centre, plus extra bird food. For once, OH listened to me when I suggested he put his rain jacket on before we headed into the centre. The heavens opened while we were inside, almost deafening on the glass roof. Managed to get back to the car during a short lull in the rain, but I didn’t have my waterproof shoes on, so had to change my socks when we got home. Didn’t get stuck in any floods on the way home, although a couple of dips in the road were filling up rather quickly.
I was going to throw out the seed trays with my failed nasturtium seeds in, but to my surprise, there are now a couple of shoots sprouted through. Better late than never!