I'm back

Decided to start blogging again.

This picture has nothing whatsoever to do with my blog just decided to use it. 'Went to Turkey to buy a Heat Magazine'. The sun is getting to me.

New job is absolutely wonderful. Lots to do but not the same pressure. Working in a team with two other people so the work is divided.

We have moved round in the office and I now have a brilliant view over the motorway and buildings looking towards the airport. The windows are huge and the sunlight makes everything so fresh and clean looking.

Just finished my OU course so waiting with baited breath for the results. Only need to get 30% to pass the course but not sure if I will make it. The question was so hard, mind you things might have been different if I had actually studied properly. Next time I promise I will do more studying.

Miss speaking to my very dear friend. He makes my heart jump but then again he always did. Going to a wedding next week. My niece is tying the knot. Hope the weather stays fine for her. Wearing a dress, which nowadays is unheard of. Too big and not a dress person. Anyway I'll be a cross between a lemon and a meringue. No the dress isn't one of these humungous things but flowing and chiffon and OMG do I really want to wear it. Hubby says it looks fine but not too sure. Will update you as and when and may even get a picture taken.

Had a slight problem with the outfit because I bought the dress first then the little lemon bolero type cardie. Needed shoes and a handbag to match, so bought a lovely handbag in lemon but couldn't get shoes. Went to the cobblers to see if they had dye, they didn't have the colour I wanted but said they would order it for me. All excited went back a week later to get the dye but oops they had sent vanilla ---- now I feel nauseaus at the very mention of the word. All to do with a stomach complaint but that's another story. Anyway I decided against the colour and the sales assistant very kindly (not) suggested another dye. It duly came and yippee was the right one. The shoes are now dyed and ready for the off. I'm sure the saga will continue as I've still got a week to go. Was thinking about a flower or feathery thing for my hair but then again.......................

Bye for now watch this space.

Bye

Have decided this is the last blog I'm going to write. Mainly for personal and selfish reasons.

I had a good week, my step son, daughter-in-law and grandaughter were here from Colchester for a couple of days. Son is in the army and going to be deployed to Afghanistan some time soon.



We went for dinner on Wednesday but because I had training for my new post, which I start on 4 May, I wasn't able to take any time off on Thursday. They went to Edinburgh on Friday. I met up with them again on Saturday before they went back home.

Had a lovely time buying gifts for my grandaughter who I hadn't seen for 3 years. She is so grown up looking but when she talks you can hear she is still just a little girl, she's nearly a teenager. 12 coming on 17. Love her to bits. Lasting memory will always be when we visited Colchester a few years ago, we slept on a blow up bed in her room. She shared with her mum and dad. About 7.30 in the morning this little six year olds' voice said, 'Grandma are you awake, can you help me?' there she was standing with her hands full of the tiniest dollies I had ever seen - Bratz - and she wanted me to dress them. Still half asleep and no glasses, still I managed and she was happy.

She wants a hamster for her birthday so if that's what she wants that's what she'll get. Will just send the money though wouldn't want to be done for cruelty sending it through the post, lol.



Daughter gave me a fright again by having another seizure. Been a while since the last one. She's fine and was out of hospital within 5 hours this time. Brought on by an infection but she's going to be referred yet again to a neurologist.



Well that's it my very last ever blog.

So goodbye and thanks.

I'm back

Wow what a time I've had in the last couple of weeks.

In my last blog I mentioned that my mother-in-law had passed away. It was a really sad time for my husband. His dad died about 25 years ago and he had no siblings. There was an older brother who died before hubby was born. It was a shame cos he and his mum didn't get on.

I don't know how I will cope without my mum. I know what it was like when dad went nearly 5 years ago. I think about him every day. Don't they make a lovely couple, this was taken over 30 years ago.

M-in-L had the presence of mind a few years ago to organise her own funeral. All we had to do apart from register her passing was to finalise the details. She wasn't really religious so didn't want any hymns. Hubby had spoken to her about it. We sat down together to pick some music and decided on Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy as the mourners came into the crematorium, Ripple by Grateful Dead as the coffin was borne in and Time to Say Goodbye by Katherine Jenkins as the curtains came round.

It was a lovely service although not everyone agreed. The minister had paid attention to the smallest of details and gave a really good account of a long hard life from being a firewatcher in London during the blitz to service in a large house and eventually as a recorder in the court. M-in-L had a varied life.

There was a sharp intake of breath as the minister regailed the congregation with tit bits of her long and varied life. There was a sharp intake of breath however when he happened to say that "Chrissie and Bill's life was made complete when Sydney came along", not strictly true but brought a rye grin to hubby's face. You had to be there.

Anyway there were the usual grumblings about the funeral being rubbish etc. Three of my step sons attended - the fourth being in Cyprus. Talk about the Dingles. Apart from the fact that one of the unmentionable ones slashed one of the tyres on the car everything went without a hitch. We couldn't prove it but we knew who it was.

All over and done with now, no time for regrets or what might have been.

Have not been too well for a few weeks now, winter/spring cold, sneezing, coughing, runny nose, headache the lot but not as bad as my friend who has been diagnosed with pneumonia. She carried on at work until she was sent home on Tuesday. So much for my weeks holiday I spent most of it in bed.

Fifth TMA was e-mailed to Uni - I passed, things are tough but I'm getting there. So much so that I have already registered for another year - Crime, Welfare and Society. What a fool, eh!!

I'm also waiting for a start date for my new job. I'll miss my colleagues but need a new challenge.

Well that's it for just now, can't blog from work anymore so will just have to make time at night after work.

Sadness abounds

Not really much to say this week. Sadly mother in law passed away on Monday night at the grand old age of 90.

She had been in a nursing home for a number of years. After a series of mini strokes and on medical advice she was admitted to a nursing home for 24/7 care. She never returned home, her health deteriorated and vascular dementia was diagnosed. It was heart breaking to visit and for her not to recognise who we were.

We were called to the home at the beginning of the year and told it was imperative that we visit as she had had a really bad infection and wasn't expected to survive the week. We drove down through all the snow and blizzards to be at her side. Initially there was some recognition but as the morning wore on she constantly asked who we were. She told us she was waiting for her sister Muriel and husband, Bill to visit, both sadly both had long gone. Muriel, 13 months ago but her husband more than 30 years ago.

She was afraid to lie down, she had severe congestion on the lungs, as she wasn't able to breathe properly and due to chronic heart failure there was very little could be done. Unbelievably she rallied round, her appetite came back and she wanted to join her fellow 'in-mates' in the day room. Staff said she was a marvel and had regained a lot of her fighting spirit. Her last few weeks she remained in a chair surrounded by a myriad of pillows.

She looked like a little shrivelled walnut, and no I'm not being disrespectful that's just what she reminded me of. She was a very little old lady only 4ft 9in so you can imagine how she appeared being in such a large chair.

The end came quite quickly, she had been fine at tea time, and had a cuppa at 9ish but when the night staff did a bed check at 10.30 she had slipped away. She had had the thoughtfulness to organise her own funeral 7 years ago so all we have had to do is finalise and tie up loose ends. Still very sad and upsetting.

Only a few more days before it is over and done with. We've picked 3 songs/hymns for the crematorium. 'Ripple' by Grateful Dead - which she quite enjoyed, the favourite 'Abide with me' - which as my husband pointed out is also the Rugby League anthem (he's a fanatic) and Katherine Jenkins - 'Time to say goodbye'. Hopefully it won't be too sad a day.

My husband is now an orphan and has no siblings so it will be up to me to make sure he is okay. Will let you know how it goes.

St David's Day

Daughter did get out of hospital on Saturday. Mixup with her meds but went shopping then back to hospital to pick them up. Still not right but manageable.

Younger sister's birthday today. Shame on me I had her convinced when she was little that she was a leprechaun and of mixed heritage. Well she was born on St David's Day, in Ireland with Scottish parents. How more mixed up could she be? We still laugh about it now after all these years. I took this picture 2 years ago when we were having a girlie holiday in Turkey.

Was at hospital myself today. Left work at 9 am for appointment at 10am. Seen at 10.20, thought that was good going, after initial consultation doctor decided I had better go for x-rays. Went back to waiting room to find the clinics were running 45 mins late. Saw doctor who then decided I should see the consultant. Had to wait for consultant to finish with another patient. Boredom started to set in, listening to Magic radio, getting fed up with old songs. Eventually saw consultant who decided on course of treatment. Now have to wait for 3 more appointments and have to wear a removeable spint on hand. Oh the joys, anyway never got back out till 12.55 and had to travl back to work. Arrived back at 13.33 what a waste of a day.

Ho hum just finished lunch so back to work again.

Blog more tomorrow.

Damp, wet and dreich

At least the snow has gone but it has been replaced by drizzly rain, the kind that really soaks right through to the skin. Just glad we don't stay up or around Perth and Aberdeen. Thoughts of being stranded terrify me but hopefully it won't happen.

Mind you I was trapped in a lift on the 18th floor when I was 4 months pregnant. Now that was scarey and being claustraphobic didn't help. Was visiting an aunt in Sighthill and didn't fancy walking up the stairs so forced myself to get into the lift with the thought that it wouldn't be too bad. How wrong was I?? Was there on my own for 25 minutes, boy was I a wreck when the emergency services let me out.

Took me years to get back into a lift even with family. The biggest achievement was when I made it to the top of the Empire State Building in New York with my favourite uncle who is sadly no longer with us. His hand was bruised cos I held onto is so hard but it was worth it for the views. Still prefer stairs although would have been there forever climbing.

Roll on the weekend, daughter is getting out tomorrow so if she feels up to it we will go shopping before I take her home. She hasn't had any type of surgery so should be okay.

Hope you like the pictures, yes they are random but nice all the same. This one was taken when I was on holiday with my sister in Turkey. We were on a day trip round 5 bays. When I viewed this on my camera my beloved dad's face could be seen so clearly but when viewed normally he's not there. He was with us all the time we were away, as a fly on the plane, a spider in the room, a lizard on the wall, fish in the water and a fly on the plane coming home. Made us laugh at times. Good old dad, loved by us all and so sadly missed.

Happy blogging and thanks for the comments.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

OMG what can I say, it's snowing again. It started as flurries yesterday and got heavier during the day. By tea-time we decided to park the car on the drive and forget about going back out. About an hour later our footsteps had disappeared and the road was indistinguishable from the pavement.

Daughter still in hospital and leading nursing staff a merry dance. She is so demanding at times and nothing anyone says or does is right. She has already fallen out with one nurse but then again nothing I didn't expect. She does it every time. Mind you she was really good last year and hardly had any stays in hospital. Where a 'normal' person goes in for routine/exploritory surgery and is out in a day or two at the most, my dear daughter is in for at least a week. Nothing seems straightforward with her.

Brighter news is that she should be out on Saturday, I'll have to be up early so that I can get the car for picking her up, hubby is day shift, still at least it means I can go shopping as well, pay day tomorrow, hurray.

Hopefully the treatment she is having this time will cure or at least greatly assist the problems she has. Hubby is visiting her this afternoon, might go tonight, depends. Don't get me wrong I love her to bits but she is tiring, might make an excuse to leave it until tomorrow.

Very manic day due to the snow, arrangements having to be changed, staff not able to come in, fortunately managed to get here round about usual time only to find that the centre of town was clear of the fluffy white stuff, only raining. Had to trudge through about 2 inches of the damn stuff this morning to get my bus. Starting to snow again just now here's hoping it doesn't last too long this time. Christmas and New Year were a nightmare.

Talk again tomorrow weather permitting.