Life Goes On.......

 

After so many regular weekly updates, needing to acknowledge our lockdown, I'm not sure life getting back to whatever is going to be the new normal, but staying very careful, is going to have enough variety or excitement to write special posts or should I keep doing the same sort of snippet updates....... we'll see. 

I'm usually a very tolerant person but if something is wrong I'm not reluctant to point it out. For the first time in absolute ages I've had to complain, and amazingly I've had to complain about three different things in the space of a few days! 

• In April I'd bought a 3in1 sandwich toaster from Argos which is now not working. I hate phoning help desks as there's no conversation record and so many people online saying they couldn't get through, so I sent an email to the only email address I could find and that bounced with an auto reply saying how very busy they are and to ring the help desk but be patient as that's busy too. Next step was going through their Facebook page to send a private message. I stated the problem and attached a screen shot of my first email with all the details on. I received two auto responses telling how very busy they are. Eventually I get a reply from "Simon" who asked "How can I help you?" I replied with "All the details are there above" apparently my screenshot was too small and unclear,  guess he didn't know that you have to click on a thumbnail to open it doh! So I repeated all the details again. Simon told me I have to contact the maker's help desk and gave me the number grrrrr. After a lot of searching I found the Russell Hobbs product support email address and sent on my problem. Of course I got an auto response to tell me they are extremely busy and thank you for my patience! 
• Amazon order of 24 cans and nine of them are dented. I immediately went into my Amazon account and informed them. I also said I'm happy to keep them as none of the contents appear to be compromised but wanted them to know. I've just been back into my account to see if there was a reply and there isn't, in fact I can't even see my original online form to them? 
• A follow on complaint to my GP surgery was needed, this time in writing to The Practise Manager. I have been taking, as prescribed, Adcal vitamin D supplements daily since 2007, that’s 13 years! Following blood tests at least four times that I can remember I've been sent a standard letter saying I've shown a vitamin D insufficiency and a list of what supplements I should buy over the counter. Because I'm already medicated for this I've phoned the surgery each time and been passed to nurses, doctors and even a pharmacist and each time after all these various calls I've been told to ignore the letter and not increase my dose. After my latest blood tests a doctor phoned me to discuss all the results and to add some medication and during that call we discussed my vitamin D level and she said what I'm already taking is enough as its just borderline.......... then I receive their standard letter in the post AGAIN! Thankfully I'm fully aware of my own medical history and needs so consider this an admin procedure that needs looking into. We have an online system where I can view my records and order repeat prescriptions but the messages facility has been deactivated. There isn't an email address available for patients to use so determined to have a written record of this I've had to type up a letter, print it and stamp it and Hubby then walked it to the letter box! It's 2020!

Now I need to find something cheerful to tell you about as I don't like the grumbling me. 

Well I didn't have to wait long as this was delivered by the postman with the note from my lovely friendLE who sent them from her family as a get well gift. Yummy

New series we've started watching is Emergence. A gripping story line that's quite different. 

Our first going out today (Wednesday) that wasn't medical appointment related. My quarantine ended Sunday and Monday was our usual neighbours coffee morning outside and Daughter was supposed to be bringing my car back in the afternoon, but it wouldn't start so Hubby had to go there and managed to get it home. Tuesday was a horrid wet and windy day so that's why it was today. Quick stop at the post office then to our small local garden centre that is never too busy and all outside so felt totally safe...... safe enough to spend lots 🤣😉

Despite all the education and exam result fiasco this year, E got her Art final result with distinction and secured her place at Manchester Uni. She moves up the in a couple of weeks. Proud Grandma! 

Daughter, R, O and the dog came over Thursday afternoon and Daughter spent the whole time peeling, coring, chopping out the rotten or bug filled bits of all the apples off the tree, as I really couldn't manage them this year, so there's now lots in the freezer. Another photo opportunity missed though as O is back into his magic card tricks which I had to stay involved with. 

And that's about it for another week.

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Last of my shielding, hopefully (week 2 of 2).........

 Saturday 15th August

And on our screen this week........

I enjoyed the next one but Hubby found it very slow

This one is just for me and it's just four episodes based on a real life story

Unorthodox

We've had our solar panels about seven years now and very quickly doves took to nesting under them, as they had to all the others around us and beyond according to all the local fb pages. We didn't mind the noise they made or the usual flurry of white feathers constantly floating past the windows. We learned to live together. Gradually the houses nearby started adding measures to evict and block further nesting under their panels..... so more and more birds now happily and prolifically reproducing had fewer panels to colonise. Our roof got busier and they were definitely more of a nuisance. When any perched on the satellite dish our signal was interrupted. Guttering and downpipes were getting blocked and overflowing by their waste etc. 

This week we had our panels blocked, although I felt bad making those beautiful birds homeless. Hubby took before and after photos but typically he went out when most of the birds had flown away. 

Daughter and O had done some paid filming work, in period costume, quite a long time ago and she suddenly let us know it's on TV now. She's in a field this week as her Tudor self so won't get to see it until she's home, so we are recording it. It's a narrated historical documentary and O was the young Henry with Daughter in support in a group scene and as one of his nurses. 

 Henry VIII and the King's Men

Very proud grandma😊

More disruption on our forward planning as another pandemic economic casualty caused Easyjet to shutdown their Southend and Stansted Airport side of the business. Our April flights had already been transferred to October. This was our usual Six-to-Spain holiday and it was nice to have it to look forward to. One couple are still too nervous to even consider travelling again yet so they've cancelled. FriendM has put in the refund request and we can hopefully get Ryanair flights to replace them. 

 Get well sunflowers from my lovely coffee morning neighbours

We still played the Thursday night Virtual Pub Quiz even though most of the family are away. R was home alone and set up the zoom room Hubby and I set up here as usual. R had also invited her US friend to join us. We all watched the quiz on YouTube, the three of us on zoom and the girls messaged answers back and forth (R types really fast) and it all worked really well. Our 37 out of 50 score was no disgrace. 

And today after 154 days (22 weeks spanning six months) of only leaving home five times for medical appointments, my shielding/ self isolation/ quarantine or whatever they are calling it this week, ends. So as soon as I feel mobile enough, as I'm only 15 days post-op, we'll be thinking about getting out and seeing what the new-normal world looks like.

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Last of my Shielding, hopefully (week 1 of 2).......

 

Saturday 8th August

Major surgery Friday 7th and sent home Saturday, very quick eh? The ward was unbearably hot so really pleased to get in the car with air con. Hubby is taking really good care of me as always. Two weeks further shielding but in this heat I'm not moving far from this fan. 

Forgot to mention last week that I'd made a bean bag tablet stand to sit on my lap, which is ideal now when I keep nodding off. 

Surfing through Amazon Prime we came across this Gourmet Detective which looks like our sort of joint thing to watch. Light but with a story. It's not a series but a collection of films, each about 80mins long. We enjoyed the first one with plenty of humour. 

Grrrr I thought I was getting the hang of this new blogger editing, but this one will just not behave! Every time I open this page it gives it to me in raw HTML and I have to change it to compose mode. Now after adding in the first pic it decided all the text would be centred and refuses to let me left align it again. I'm not in the mood just now to do anything about it. 

Sunday and Monday I felt I was making gradual progress, but Tuesday was a really yukky day for me. Tuesday was also my birthday. Lovely getting so many cards in the post, and some special ones ordered online from those family members not venturing into shops yet. There were phone calls emails and more messages of good wishes on social media than I could count. 

Plus three deliveries of flowers.

These from friendHM which fit nicely in the vase she bought me last Christmas. 

These from friendM and they came with chocolates. 

Took three of my large vases! 

And my favourite are from Daughter&co who not only chose beautiful flowers but managed to find some that come already in a jug..... she knows me so well 😍

Another film recommended to us by our Son.

A good old fashioned who-done-it 🙂

The rest of my week has been feeling battered and bruised and really suffering with the heatwave. Hubby waiting on my every need. But I am making progress and better than doing too much too soon and this weekend will be cooler...... we knew it would as soon as we ordered another cooling unit which arrived Friday hahaha. 

Take good care of yourselves.

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I'm Still Shielding (week 21)......

Saturday 1st August

Theatre has of course been another casualty of this pandemic, so the annual Red Rose Chain production giving us Shakespeare outdoors in amongst the trees at Jimmy's Farm just isn't possible. It would normally run every evening for the whole of August plus matinees at weekends. This year it's one night only live streamed to YouTube. Tickets and programmes all sold online, on a pay as you feel basis, to encourage extra donations. 

We were ready. TV placed for best view all round. We can link direct to internet on this TV or we may go through Daughter's laptop to TV. Chairs for six with two families separated the right distance. Table for our picnic. Cushion for the dog. Blankets ready for later. Candles and lighter ready. Picnic made and Hubby has a couple of beers in the fridge. 

And after the event we agreed it was great fun and very cleverly put together knowing the actors recorded themselves alone in front of a green screen and when they played multiple parts they could all be in the scene together, clever! Of course when our picnic had been eaten Hubby disappeared (he's not a Shakespeare fan), didn't spoil it for us and neither did the rain that came down towards the end as we just shuffled forward under cover. 

Sunday Son came over and brought two flat packs. We chose and he ordered as our belated mother's and father's day prezzies. 

Odd watching them work together but apart 😏

It took them longer to unwrap all the plastic, cardboard and polystyrene than to screw them together. Almost a race hahaha. So one either side of the pond and very comfy. 

I had to give Monday's on-your-own-drive coffee morning a miss as I had the district nurse booked to come today to do both the COVID and MRSA swabs. I thought it would look bad to be socialising, however far apart, when she was booked because I'm shielding. Lucky I did as two of them came while my neighbours were still outside chatting. Very pleasant ladies, not pleasant tests but all done now. Phew! 

This one was obviously Hubby's choice

And even he agreed it was really really boring! 

I'll post this now as I'm in hospital and may forget later. Doctor said the operation yesterday all went well. I'm quite sore of course but they are sending people home as soon as possible, so fingers crossed eh?

Stay safe everyone. 

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I'm Still Shielding (week 20)......

Saturday 25th July
Let's start with an update on our garden edibles.
Of course the cherries were finished ages ago and we did manage to eat quite a few before the birds pinched them.
Plums are now ripening and Hubby is picking more off each day, again it's a race but human against birds and insects this time.

Rhubarb is doing well and of course the more you pull stalks off the more that grow, however I love the look of the large leaves so I try not to leave it bare.

Behind the rhubarb are the tomato plants that Son brought over and they are looking really strong now with lots of tiny tomatoes already growing.

The fig has plenty of fruit on it, just one or two ripening each day and I eat them immediately. Mmmmmm both R and I love fresh figs and very grateful other family members don't 😉🤣

Behind the fig we seem to have been gifted another quince bush. That's our third and all at very different locations round the garden and we didn't plant any! Is it birds gifts do you think? Sadly none big enough for the kitchen. 

Grape vines have recovered from Hubby chopping them to the ground and the new growth is almost without the funny leaf bubbling problem it had last year.  We don't eat many of these grapes even though they are gorgeous and sweet, because they are really really tiny with a thick skin and full of pips. So when they are ready to harvest I freeze them and at some point they go to a friend who makes them into wine. 

The dwarf apple tree is so heavy with fruit it has two stakes holding the trunk and an extra prop holding up the front. 

Not all good though as the strawberries have only produced these tiny wild sized fruit. 

The gooseberry bush which over the past 11 years has rarely and reluctantly given us any of the small red sweet fruit the label promised. 

And the mint is refusing to grow at all. 

Lovely visit on Sunday from Son and his fiance. We started with the garden table out in the sunshine watching the clouds all the time, and did have to suddenly move it all under cover when it started to rain and jackets/cardigans went on too but overall it was comfortable enough.

Hubby has a couple of new projects...... there was the water flow problem as he's not happy how slow the water comes through the taps so he called out the water board to check there are no leaks beyond our property and as that was all fine he called out our home care insurers to check there isn't a semi-blocked pipe here somewhere. That was all fine too. So Hubby has now changed the stop-cock valves for the tank in the airing cupboard. Two days, lots of wet towels mopping up floorboard puddles and now all watertight again and he's satisfied that the flow we have is as good as it gets.
The other problem is to do with all the doves that like to nest under the solar panels. They cause blocked drains, lots of feathers and lots of noise. A few of the houses around us have recently been blocking off their panels so we are getting more and more birds on ours. But the most recent casualty is the sky dish as we have noticed a bird or two sitting on the LNB box which breaks up the signal. After some Google research he's decided on the next dry windless day he's taking a ladder up there and adding lots of cable ties to it with the ends sticking upwards which hopefully will show them whose dish it is!
What next eh?

Monday's on-your-own-drive coffee morning was rained off and Wednesday was beautiful weather so we only did a short exercise routine then brought out chairs and mugs and carried on chatting. We are a social bunch.

 I've just made mock bagels for the first time. Equal amount self raising flour to Greek yoghurt - mix - divide - shape - bake. They don't actually taste like bagels, in fact not much different to the soda bread but really easy...... although I did need almost double the flour the recipe said. 

And this...

Easy watch for a matinee when it's too hot sitting outside. 

Carry on avoiding crowded places, I have to but still think it's best advice. 

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