ellen h

Thanks Ellen - mam is (dare I say it?) a lot better at the minute - in fact almost normal.... not sure whether the improvement is due to homoeopathy (more than likely) or just better eating and vits and minerals kicking in as I've been looking after her closely for a month now. Its strange how she was so bad at one stage last week tho - she just stood in front of me and it wasn't my mam - now this week she has improved 150% - I've been warned that this illness is like this tho but I'll take the good times whenever they show up! I'm still offside with this ribs business - they seem to be getting more sore - not less........ parr for the course with me I reckon! Sorry to hear its quiet at work - its boring when its like that. Hopefully I am on target to finish all the site inspections by month end that the boss set me to do - just the golf course tomorrow. Ian has an ear infection (EH? WOT??) and is on some awful antibis: sev folk I;ve spoken to recently seem to be having ear infections after a dose of flu. Apart from that all is fine - roll on Sunday and our day off!

Hey Good for you Ellen. They'll appreciate that and they're really nice friendly folk who want to do their best for these underloved creatures. I hope something can be done to stop this erosion of spaces for wildlife- brownfield sites included.
Well done you!
Jules

The answer might come clear when I've taken her to her first app with the geriatric clinic on Feb 2nd - I certainly intend to discuss it there in front of her - not that she willl remember any of it - but it will be helpful to be able to tell her truthfully that its been addressed!
Back to work this aft for me - hope this rain has stopped by then - the forecast says it will - guess you will already be at work by now........... better get gone into the shower I have a list of running about this morning up town and before work this aft that would make anyone dizzy!!

You're probably right Ellen I'm overstretched. We have a holiday booked in the Cairngorms at the end of March tho we are not alone this time in the campervan (something I love) we have quite posh accommodation booked so we can take Ian's mum. I'm not being funny but as a Capricorn altho I'm very sociable I like time alone too and I'm not getting enough of it at the min. Anyways I shall make the best of this hol tho I haven't decided what to do with my mam yet while we go. She is not a hotel person and she will fight respite care tooth and nail. In some respects she is not too ill to leave - she won't starve in a fortnight and our Dave will visit perhaps twice but she could get into bother that might bring us home - its a problem new to me and I have to decide what decision I can live with - and soon!

I know Ellen - I'm begining to get fed up myself - of myself! I was sick last week too just didn't mention it and cos that was on my days off I got up and caried on with what I wanted to do...... Today I just thought oh for goodness sake - enough - phoned work and went back to bed - they are short staffed and about to get shorter staffed if my incoming texts are anything to go by ..... I might be finding myself back in the golf shop poss. My friend Joan has put me onto MediHoney which is dealing with the strange little rash on my face - honestly - I've never had anything on my face like this before (unless you count chicken pox and measles!) and I don't like it - despite my ailments and injuries I had flawless skin on my face - must be old age - there's nowt to recommend it! Glad your back is letting you be for the present - the constant cold weather doesn't help backs to relax does it. Ooops better grab the shopping bags his nibs is on his way back from the docs to pick me up and take me for mam's shopping (we're leaving her at home tonight) I couldn't cope with her as well as myself!!

Two days off (from work and mam) and we've chased about like idiots trying to make the most of the weather but only gained a handful of photos - but at least we are keeping at it - a few each time will be a decent Gallery by year end! I'm offside again - woke in the night with the runs and feeling sick - was the same last week and was actually sick - not sure whats going on - whether its the new homoeopathic treatment - and these are 'healing crises' or something other............ Honestly I'm not right unless there's something wrong am I?! The ribs are getting slowly bearable anyway and a couple of our northern photographer friends from the web (who we bumped into at Pilling) went in for a good spell of joshing about me and my inability to stay upright!! Work this aft - I shall decide at dinner time whether I'm well enough to go ......... hope all ok with you. P xxxxx

I'm 'ropey' this morning but I put that down to the long day yesterday and driving to our app in Southport was horrendous - it was snowing a blizzard and sticking on 'Windy Harbour' up the M6 - I was almost convinced I should turn around and go home and for most of the way there I felt like that - but fortunately they were only big showers and it melted in between. I hate getting caught out in it and having to drive and the thought of having my mam in with me too was scary! I'm looking forward to my day off - the rain has gone and I think it will be sunshine with broken cloud but I suspect a lot colder than of late - we shall see - Ian is still asleep upstairs - he stayed up watching some film or other - I went up and straight to sleep for once - also managed to sleep flat and on my right side so I am getting better - tho its sore again this morning - I can manage it and I will be carrying the camera today come whatever - its my day off and I'm going for it with relish - if I have to work 16 plus hours in the working week, then I expect to do the same when its my day - or else!!!! I shall try and be 'careful out there' tho!!! Hahahahaha!

Thanks ellen - I am much improved today - tho my weak ankle is having a funny turn and has needed the tubigrip back on tonight to try and stop it pulling out altogether - its been no bother for 12 months or more but today I made a false step and jarred it - I think it will settle back down if I'm careful. Its been a 16 hour day today: work this am, mam to app at Southport this aft, make her tea, make a couple of meals for tomorrow as I'm not going down - its my days off and I'm having a day off from mam as well as work! Then I hoovered for her which I knew about round the rib area - that dyson is one of the original heavy ones.............. But I am hugely improved in the chest - I can cope with the pain how it is now so long as I don't catch it or pull it I'm not bad at all! Yipeeeee! Pauline is recovering - again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fingers crossed for your back ..... schhhh...... I am (says cautiously) a little better tonight - not in excruciating pain but whether I can lie down in bed and get a good night is another matter - but I'm glad I'm not in such pain tonight and it must be a genuine improvement as I haven't had pain killers since this morning before work. And yes I missed the glorious weather too - I was walking one of the filthiest paths in the country park next to the by-pass and heavy traffic and cursing how blue the weather was - when our days off recently as you know from my complaining - have been dire dull grey with no light..... Grrrrrrr! Sunshine and showers forecast for our days off Tue/Wed but mam not so good today - last week she was doing splendid - since we left her for our two days off she has deteriorated again and all we did today was upset each other - I just can't cope with her when I'm not feeling so good myself and then I feel awful that I haven;t coped - no-one said it was going to be easy tho did they......... nite nite

The hoar frost was fantastic! Everywhere looked great, throughout the whole 15 mile walk. Sadly, we don't get them too often. A couple of years ago, I had to walk what I thought would be a rather tedious section of a long-distance path through Bedford - it turned out to be a great walk, simply because of the effects of a hoar frost. Even allotments looked interesting in the frost.

Interesting weather effect today, being above a bank of fog when I was on top of Dunstable Downs, though this is fairly common event. Tried to get some shots from the bottom of the Downs as the fog was receding, but none came out too well as I was looking straight into the sun.

Pete