Soop's Friendly Kitcheners and pets...

I hope all you southerners have survived the storms. The radio news made it all sound most dramatic and DS2 has sent a picture of Didcot Parkway Station under water. He is working from home and sharing childminding with two other parents because the junior school is also flooded. Here it's much cooler today and breezy.

Just had to pop in for a quick catch up although I have been keeping an eye on you all through the window.

I'm pleased to hear your husband is being grumpy, number, a sign of being on the mend maybe? As has been said, you need to take care of yourself now so take as much help as you can.

Ann, I knew you'd do fine with your determination. I hope you follow through on your plan to enjoy yourself more!

So glad you have an 'end' in sight, soop

Daphne, I hope after all your difficulties (and the good stuff!!) that you and Dh managed to enjoy his birthday

Bellanonna, I hope your mouth is feeling better and your hospital visit wasn't too arduous and you had good news.

Charley, I hope your lunch was fun but why were you surprised at rain after a hair appointment - it always rains when I go!

Nandg, Isn't it lovely to get extra grandchild time unexpectedly..

Littlest grandson has been really tired now he has started big school and is having regular melt downs but is always ready to go again the next day! He is, apparently, very good and eats all his lunch!! His sister fell over, hurt her leg and wouldn't weight bear on it...........until her mum took her to the GP where she showed him how well she could dance! How many times did that sort of thing happen when mine were small.

Am home from Campbeltown. Andy playing Del Potro. I shall catch up after the match. Huge sigh of relief to hear that number's husband is being grumpy. That is seriously good news.

I am feeling old this afternoon and looking a little green about the gills, staggering around hanging onto things cos I did my back in gardening and can't stand up straight. Sitting now and it's OK. But when I get up... ooyah! Gotta keep moving. Hey ho.

I don't know if you can do this as I know you have medications, but taking Ibuprofen and Paracetamol, alternately every two hours, takes the edge off severe pain.
Hope you soon feel better though xx

Torrential rain in Essex, some of the roads nearby are flooded. The rain was so heavy this afternoon that big dog no2 refused to go out (a wuss) so soon will be sitting with his legs crossed. The garden looks so much better though. We had to take the decision this morning to have an acer in the front garden removed. It was a lovely tree but has grown too big and the roots were getting too near the drains so we had to let it go. Annoyingly I have pulled a muscle in my right knee, rather uncomfortable especially going up and down stairs. Rubbing it with something the pharmacist recommended. Know what thatbags means.

Thanks, lona. I'm taking my usual co-codamol and have supplemented with aspirin.

Hope the knee responds to the pharmaceutical something, milly. Fortunately my gammy knee isn't behaving too badly at the moment or that would compound the back problem.

Sent to try us, huh? ?

Can I join in the feeling old set please. I've had gastric flu all week (though luckily no sickness - just 'the other end'!) and ache so much and I've got into a really bad sleeping pattern as I drop off in the day and then can't sleep at night, then drop off during the day etc etc. I have loads of elearning to do but haven't got the concentration to manage even though I'm just sitting down all the time.

Very gentle (((hugs))) for all who need them, together with .

Can you also spare a thought for dh who is running round shopping, heating ready meals, making tea as well as working far too hard and even managing to be very kind to me

I apologise for being absent for so long. The Andy match continues into a fifth set and is a cliff hanger. I'm going to do proper catch up tomorrow.

bags! I feel for you. You've overdone the heavy gardening. Sadly, we both know that payback time is a buggeration. Please take the painkillers and rest or else, us lot will be on your case.

kitty Your long message is lovely. Poor you. Gastric flu is yet another buggeration. Leave the cleaning be. Big cheer for your husband.

millymouge You too. Oh dear me. What are us lot going to do with all our poorly Kitcheners...a soppy group (hug) for each and every one of you.

Back when the match reaches a conclusion. How can two players find the energy to play marvellous tennis for an entire afternoon. Stuff of champions.

The match has lasted almost 5 hours and it is a battle of the Titans. So exciting. I have to watch it to the end.
Please forgive my tardiness in responding to all the latest news bulletins. I shall be with in the morning. I promise. I shall then read every message that I have missed.
Please take good care of yourselves.
Back to the match. My throat is a trifle sore. Hey ho...as our bags would say.

Milly, we are obviously in the wrong bit of Essex, it has rained heavily for a while, but we could have done with much more. The garden is giving a sigh of relief though.

Had a lovely lunch today with my friend and her husband. I have known her since we were 21. I of course got to central London using car, bus and tube but the stairs at the tube stations each end nearly killed me. When I came home, I sat down to watch Andy play tennis and woke up an hour and a half later! I only hope that I sleep tonight.

Tara was not impressed with the thunder and heavy rain overnight. At least my grass is looking like grass for a change.

I thought that Strictly was starting tonight but it is next week I believe.

It is getting darker so much earlier- autumn has arrived.

Finally made it to my photo session at the hospital today (camera up the unmentionables ). Horrendous journey to the hospital as all the roads were flooded (had to leave home at 6 to get to hospital on time). Nearly got stuck under a railway bridge where the water was very deep but finally got through. Just got home now time for a (would much prefer a but not allowed yet )

number glad you have slightly better news. Thinking of you

ann glad you are feeling a bit better. Take care not to overdo it.

kitty you sound really poorly. Glad you are being well looked after by your DH.

I'm off to bed soon. Didn't sleep much last night due to the noise of the tremendous thunderstorm. Never heard so much rumbling and violent noises...... it wasn't you was it kitty?

Hope you all have a peaceful weekend.

Weather report - we have a roof therefore it hasn't rained here for two days! . Sorry for those who have had a drenching, it seems a bit all or nothing at the moment. Sounds as if lunch was worth the exhaustion charley, you worked hard to get there though.

So pleased to hear your husband is a little better number, tend to agree that grumpiness is a positive sign. also agree that hospital visiting is exhausting and it is important to care for you as well.

There seem to be a lot of poorly souls around, Two of the grandchildren are recovering from something similar kitty, they haven't bounced back yet and still need lots of tlc, so reasonable for you to need some too.

My sympathies bags, we can't do without our backs but sometimes they sure can let us down. Expect you've tried heat, if not worth a try as it can help us relax and avoid the increased pain from the tension that pain causes. That ones a nasty circle. Hope it eases soon. Oh milly knees are useful too! Hope the pharmacist's suggestion settles it for you soon. You're doing great ann, really speedy progress. Good for you. Things also sound to be progressing for you soop, really positive news, the weather will not be allowed to hamper you!

Unscheduled family time is always a bonus, sounds good n&g, you seeing Transformers too? I'm wondering if they have been transformed (sorry ) since our grown up sons were tearing them limb from limb so many years ago.

London sounds great daphne, we're too far away now for a day trip under our own steam and regret not visiting more while we could. Moral there somewhere. Hope you and your husband have managed a good supper.

Not much doing here other than buying more milk and chocolate biscuits to keep the builders happy, it worries me that they never ask to use the toilet .

Thank you all for your good wishes. He was still grumpy today, but not quite so verbal! Nice to know I`m not the only one with a grumpy husband.
Auntie Daphne, I`ll try and take your advice, but leaving the phone off the hook just isn`t doable, the family have told me to take the phone to bed with me. I`m cutting my hospital visits down to afternoon OR evening, not both, it`s amazing how tired one can get just sitting in a hospital for ages, and their chairs give me terrible backache.
Soop, I hope the tennis was good, although I`m sorry to say it bores me to tears!
Bags, I hope you`re feeling better.
I`m posting a picture of something very apt hanging in our back lobby.

Have just woken from nearly 7 hours uninterrupted sleep (though I vaguely remember going to the bathroom for a wee) something extremely unusual for me. Can't remember the last time. Friday is always a busy evening so it must have been because of that. The down side is that my knee is very stiff, the pharmacist recommended Voltarol to rub on it so will continue with that. Because up and down stairs is difficult, I keep forgetting things and having to go up again.
Crafting you sound as if you had a really horrible day, do hope it was worthwhile.
So much cooler here to day, cloudy and quite a strong wind, do hope it doesn't blow the apples off the tree. They need another few weeks before picking.

I love how your sense of humour shines through, number! I think once a day visiting is fine. Just do what you can manage without tiring yourself out; that's part of the looking after yourself that is so important when there is a sick family member. No point your both being down in the dumps.

milly, sorry about the knee! These arthritic flare-ups do have a way of dragging on for many weeks. Bummer! I dose mine with plenty of aspirin (some people prefer ibuprofen) just so that I could keep moving. It improved over about three months and is now as good as it's going to get, I think. Can't rally complain as it has been creaky and crunchy for the last thirty years!

crafting and kitty, hope you both slept well ?

The sign made me smile number, bought something similar for friends, the male friend has decided he is still speaking to us . Mr C continues to practice to qualify for his, suspect he's nearly there . Once a day visiting is of course absolutely fine, that way you look after both of you. .

Bright sunny morning here, trying to motivate myself to get going and enjoy it while we can. The bus pass due to get an outing later. Just remembered wanted to put the towels out to dry before we went. Could have if I had actually switched the washing machine on. If I had a memory I'd be dangerous! Off to own up and allow Mr C more grumpiness practice time. !

Number, that's really funny?. Yes I've cut visiting, when I have to go, down to once in the evening. Even that one visit is exhausting because the wards are so hot and its an emotional thing as well. Also frustrating, not being able to talk to a doctor, but hanging on just in case. Worrying about the patient, not wanting to overtire him, sitting in a hard chair, seeing other sick patients in the bay. Twice in one day is too much so im glad you've cut it down. Hope he continues to be grumpy, and I know you'll just ignore it !

I have decided that there is no pleasing me. I have been moaning for weeks about the sweltering heat- today I am cold and I would not be surprised if I switch on the heating this evening.

I agree, twice a day hospital visiting does take it out of you and you also need some "me" time.

I'm suffering from the technical gremlins with a vengeance. First new iPhone doesn't like me ( but I think I've wrestled it into submission) then my broad is playing up ( ongoing for last year) lastly and most serious my stairlift is playing up . It will go up ok, but doesn't want to go down again? The engineer can't come until Monday so I'm scared I'm going to get stranded upstairs. I've managed to talk nag it into descending this am but am concerned about tomorrow. Unfortunately her next door's gone cruising on the QM2 for 5 days.
The last time I tried to come downstairs on foot I fell and ended up in casualty with concussion and 4 stitches in my scalp! The amount of blood on the hall carpet had to be seen to be believed!
I AM NOT GOING TO TRY DESCENDING ON FOOT AGAIN

Broadband. Not a new disease

I remember visiting my mother in hospital a month after my dad had died. She was sleeping most of the time or screaming she was dying. The worst bit was when she started shouting wake "Dad" up and tell him I'm dying"

I ended up having to limit my visiting. I was still at work at the time. Mum died two months after my dad it was at that point I was in a states of collapse and took a month off.
(I did the garden and it really helped.)

I had been visiting hospitals in two different directions from February to April. With some help from my big sister who kept coming up the 120miles during this time.

Galen is it not possible if the worst comes to the worst that you come downstairs on your rear end? I hope that you have a downstairs loo. The company I am with come the same day- it may be 1opm at night but they do turn up.