Your seagull chick looks fed up and menacing in equal measure! 
No my birthday is next month NotSpag. I like to remind people that they'll have a birthday coming up because we all do.
I used to count the days down when I was a
silly teenager, always wanting to be older. Well I got my
wish 😂🤣
Your poor swollen foot! I hope you find out why and can treat it.
Lovely lilies 😍
Poor Doodle too with her still achy wrist sending hugs 🫂
Seagull chick survived the stormy weather but not showing signs of flying. I picked flowers this morning but had to take cover under trees to avoid the angry swooping parents.
Grammaretto I hope you find someone just right (to also keep you "afloat").
Thinking of you too, and the ongoing saga/dilemma regarding your future home. 
I think I should just send to everyone as we all seem to be struggling/inching uphill at the moment... at least we (mostly) see there are inches of forward movement - no falling backwards please!
On Thursday our lovely oldest daughter came to relieve us for a few hours.
We had a late get-out as the care worker, community nurse, the Occupational Therapist and the podiatrist all arrived within about 30 minutes of each other. They all (other than the carer who had been before) needed information.
Eventually we got off and went for a swim. Well, I swam and mrNS used the gym as his (newly developed) eczema makes him nervous of swimming (which he loves).
Then we went home to water the flowers. I could barely set foot inside as the house was desolate and chaotic all at once where we had been popping in, rummaging around and dumping stuff and leaving.
It was a grim sight.
I couldn't bring myself to go upstairs at all.
Momentarily I thought I'd like to have a nice joyful perfume to take back to my mother-in-law's with me but knew I would be overwhelmed going upstairs.
Lots of my husband's beautiful birthday lilies and other plants in pots at the front were quite sad.
Lots had "gone over". The back garden which was doing so well before, was back to being a jungle - and the raspberries were withered on the canes. I only had two or three gooseberries left that I could reach...
The only things thriving seemed to be brambles and climbing weeds - how dare they be so lush when everything else is suffering?!
I managed, on arrival, to fall heavily onto my bottom as I tried to step between pots to get close to the surviving lilies so now I have a bottom so bruised it's painful to sit/lie on it!
On Friday I went for a doppler scan of my left foot as it's been swollen since my stroke. I finally convinced my GP to have them look at it about a year ago and they sent me for a x-ray thinking arthritis (which I've had since a girl and know it's not that). I think it's some weird neurological thing.
Anyway, both my feet have the same (correct) blood flow apparently and my ankle/foot pulse was checked and was the same in each.
But the left foot is ballooning up and the right is staying perfectly normal.
I need to go back to my (incredulous) GP who says he's not seen this before (well at least he's honest) to see what he suggests next... I hope it's something in depth now!🙏
There was something nice at home though - the surviving lilies are glorious. I wish I was there to smell that sickly sweet but unctuous perfume in these warm "continental" evenings.
Doodle, I'm sure that being incapacitated must make you miss your dear other half even more (if that's possible).
Feeling weak and alone must add to the feelings of loss.
I know you aren't truly alone because you have your lovely family but that special person would have been your special help just now, I'm sure.
Thinking of you and your painful wrist.
What a beautiful day NN.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
That was such a wonderful account of your wedding NN and I read every word. Part Two please
I'm so very glad you had a glorious day, not just sunshine but so many loving memories to look back on. The ideal wedding day in fact.
May your life together be as joyful.
I'm assuming your daughter ignored their invitations, so very sad.
Sorrry NN that link says I don't have access. 
Congratulations to NN & DH, what a wonderful adventure.
Firstly, Naughtyneine - how ely and lovcomfortable together you both look. (and there was no need to be concerned about the headband it is perfect.)
Wishing you a strong and caring married life together with plenty of joy and happy times to help you through any tough ones.
Nfk Of course you are still a wife! 
These are just words.
Yes, it is hard to come to terms with an altered lifestyle but you are wisely remembering the good as well as mourning what's lost. I am sure it is the same for all of us bereaved.
Maori say, kia kaha - continue to be strong. Not always easy but never, ever a cause for guilt.
I've been comparatively quiet because I too have a huge jump in reality to accept and it's causing me a lot of anxiety.
In addition, I just heard that because of the swingeing cuts by govt, our elders group may have to stop.
Many social groups have gone to the wall, including the Mama & Baby group run by Waipareira, so we are not alone.
I've done my bit by alerting our lovely young facilitator to free venues and she already knows we will all contribute food. I am hoping for the best.
Gosh, I popped back in at just the right time. Congratulations NN. What a lovely photo of a lovely couple.
I've just about managed to catch up with the news, but I only really called by to apologise for going AWOL. Everything has piled up on top of me lately, on top of which my laptop updated and I couldn't find anything in all the new 'improvements'. The keys seem to sometimes do things they didn't before. Perhaps I should have read all the stuff which it re-opened with about what I can now do - which I don't want to do!
Also, it's approaching the two year mark since I became a widow. But I don't feel like a widow. I still feel very much a wife. On the other hand, I also find myself sort of enjoying my independence to do what I want when I want. Then I feel guilty and keep finding myself remembering and reliving stuff I don't want to remember or relive. All will be well, the confusion will pass I'm sure, but I'm best to absent myself for a bit. XX
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