All Helping Each Other......

 
When Son came over on Saturday he brought a gift fiancé had got me when I'd told them Specsavers had diagnosed dry eye. 

It's very quick to use, just 30 seconds in the microwave and five minutes on my eyes. I've also got eye drops and eye spray but this warming mask seems to give the best result so far. 

Son came over to help Hubby put a new roof on the shed. 

With the boards too large for one person to manoeuvre easily and roof too high to not be up and down steps and ladders, plus the shed having limited access because of plants in front, garage behind and another shed up against one side I'm glad Son was available. They work so well together that it was finished in one day even with a lunch break and a couple of tea breaks too. 

I've said before that the worst side effect of these evil cancer pills is it's unpredictability. On Sunday I really suffered with sciatic pain right down my left leg from bum to little toe,  which meant agony so bad I very nearly phoned my emergency helpline. I delayed then didn't as it just as suddenly stopped! Overall less than three hours of sciatic pain, then gone. I knew it was the evil pills as I don't remember ever having sciatica before and I hadn't physically done anything as I'd only just got up.  Very odd!

Tuesday Hubby and I changed E's day bed while she was still upstairs, it was all washed, line dried and put away before we went out at 1pm. We were picking up friendDP who lives in Felixstowe (where hubby and I were the evening before) but he doesn't drive and the three of us were booked into the Ship at Levington (where I ate with the girls the week before). As it was late lunch I just went for a starter and the week before we had wondered what gyozas are so I ordered the duck filled ones, they were ok but the dipping sauce they called Hoy-sin wasn't nice at all. Lots to chat about which was lovely. 

Wednesday Daughter walked over with the dog, she arrived at the perfect time to help me change E's sleeping bed. It took till Friday but now washed, line dried, folded and put away. We did two loads again Friday so always pleased to have the solar panels and free electricity on these sunny days. Our bed will be changed very soon. As it got hotter during the day Hubby drove them both home as the pavements would be too hot for the dog. 

Wednesday evening Felixstowe again and dinner in our usual pub with our usual Wednesday friends. With the World Cup on and it was England's first game, so it was noisy as they have big TVs in all the rooms and the garden. This game they played Croatia and won 4-2. We actually left at half time, but while we were there friendV showed up in the pub, who I haven't seen for a very long time, in fact I met his girlfriend for the first time and they've been together five years. So that was nice. 

Thursday hubby finished restoring the guttering on the re-roofed shed. 

It was problematic mathematically and getting the slope right, securing the brackets to blocks when there wasn't enough room for even the stubby screw driver and Hubby's hand. I stayed out of his way and of course he succeeded. 

Hubby then had Specsavers in town to collect his remade specs. 

He was home in time to have lunch then take E to Specsavers for her eye test, she had booked Warren Heath so she could be dropped at the door and less to walk. That Specsavers is inside Sainsbury so Hubby did shopping while she had her appointment. She passed with perfect vision and no other problems. 

Friday E received received a parcel. 

She had ordered a matt and pillow on strong recommendation from her friend. You lay on it for short periods daily. If you can zoom that pic you will see it's like lying on a bed of nails arrrghhh. Hopefully it will act like acupressure which claims to have lots of benefits. Brave girl.  

It was a eally hot day, up to 31°C and very little breeze, too hot for me to be outside for long, just helped with pegging some washing out.  E took her lunch outside but stayed in the shade. Hubby of course is in and out regardless of weather and needed to go over to Daughter's house to help her fit new hydrolic bars that hold the boot lid up. Our two loads of washing dried quickly.  Everything was a lot slower for me as the pollen count was very high so I suffered with hay-fever even though I haven't for quite a few years. Global warming do you think? 

If you like the heat you've a good weekend ahead and if you don't I hope you've a cool shady place to enjoy your ice-cream.

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Old to New Can Be Frustrating.......

 
We started our week with a Doggy Day Care day. She was pleased to see E here who got a big hello after ours then she was quite quiet and undemanding as usual (that's the dog as well as E). 

A lot of our Close are very long time residents (we moved in 43 years ago)  and so many are retired and living with medical problems, loneliness and/or just old age. This is the main reason I started coffee morning 14 years ago to keep an eye on each other. One of our neighbours has had serious bank scamming issues and he's forgetful so always comes in for Hubby to help and told us his children were all helping too. We know his family very well so Hubby went for a coffee and chat with one of neighbour's sons so we are all working as a team. 

Hubby and I both got new prescriptions in our specs and I got drops for dry eye. 

I'm getting used to mine and my blurred vision is improved though not cured. Hubby found his were fine if he always had his head slightly to the right so he went back. They are having them remade as the lenses weren't set right and he'll get them next week. 

Tuesday evening I was out with friendM and friendHM to celebrate HM's recent birthday. Lovely catching up as us three only seem to meet for birthdays now and that used to be five of us so now just three times a year instead of five! 

Talking about getting used to new specs I'm also struggling with this new tablet. Each small function we do sort and I can use I'm really pleased with. 

The camera gives a lovely clear image. 

However without a case it's heavy, very slippery and hates standing up portrait against my lap beanbag and I don't like using many of the apps in landscape so I half ordered a case...... but it wouldn't let me complete the payment and I thought if I cancelled and started again I would end up paying for two. Hubby ordered it. 

When it arrived it didn't quite fit. As you can see a snug fit in any two corners but not in the opposite two, even with Hubby's brute force. He contacted the seller but got no luck as in his haste to order (and save himself from more of my grumbling about hating new gadgets) he'd ordered as a guest and not signed into his account and it all got complicated. It was cheap enough not to worry about. 

On our usual Wednesday night our friendTF decided she wanted to take up making necklaces and bracelets even though she's never been into any crafts or hobbies before. Her sister and friendM ordered her some really pretty ceramic ones that will arrive next day. I told them I had some at home and Thursday I made a bead box gift for friendTF 

From the big box I made my granddaughters when they were young I sorted out anything not suitable or that I wanted to keep but added in some cord for necklaces and some stretchy thinner cord for bracelets and empty little zip lock bags in case she wanted to sort her colours or wood from plastic etc. Gluing felt onto the top of the lid gives a working surface where the beads wouldn't roll off. Labelled the front and I'd done! 

Thought I'd finished then found out the lid no longer fits tight but I didn't have an alternative so two large elastic bands will have to do. 

FriendM took TF to a shop local to her in Felixstowe called The Wool Baa which is a haberdashery, wool shop that also serves tea and coffee and best of all has tables you can work at. It was great I was sent photos. 

One of Hubby's pills has been changed and we were both surprised that this new blood pressure medication is lozenge shaped and blue so looks like viagra. Any more surprises I'll let you know, but no photos! 

E joined us for Thursday's quiz again this week and as a team we did really well especially as she got to answer on her two favourite subjects, which are board games and chocolates. 

Friday hubby joined the guys for some daytime snooker. On the way to Felixstowe he had to make a couple of stops, to Wicks for the bits needed when re-roofing the shed this weekend and also for a few bits in Sainsbury. E had ordered a shower seat from Argos and her ready to collect notification arrived which she forwarded to Hubby asking if he could collect it but no rush. Argos is inside our Sainsbury, Hubby had just arrived there and messaged E back "collected" she was amazed. 

O had asked Hubby if he could help with some voice recording for him to add to the film he is making. Hubby told him roughly what time he would be home and he was actually a little earlier. About the same time Daughter arrived with O and the dog. The voice recording bit was really quick so they had plenty of time for lots of tea, putting together the new shower seat and discovering one of the bolts missing and also E,O and Daughter having a board game which I sat and watched but couldn't understand. E also contacted Argos and they are posting another bolt.

By total luck it fits neatly between the shower and the bath and though nice and sturdy is light enough for her to move into the shower or use in front of the sink. 

I've still plenty to sort out with this new tablet and worried that my phone will die before it's replaced in August! Don't care about being without for a while but worried I'll lose important info on documents struggling with software changes. 

I hope nothing is frustrating you.

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Make Buy and Repair.......

 
Daughter has copied someone's wooden music stand that would look OK when playing for historic periods then came over to paint it knowing both E and I have acrylic paints.

The master on the right and her unfinished new one on the left. 

Firstly Hubby had to plane some of it off so it opened and closed better. After that sadly neither of us had suitable colour paint for her to pinch so she ordered one. R and O came with her and they stayed for lunch and numerous mugs of tea. 

I'm bragging now about my cooking experiment that worked. In my freezer I had some little pots of concentrated vegetable soup which I add to casserole and things to add nutrition. So I thawed one pot and added a whole can of baked beans for protein, some oats and breadcrumbs, garlic and oregano and mixed to a good burger consistency, divided into four and added nutritional yeast on top and baked them. 

I made a roast chicken dinner for the three of us substituting the chicken with one vegan bean burger for E. She declared it very good so the other three went in the freezer. 

Monday and the 1st of June!!!

It was still warm enough to have coffee morning outside but it was a bit breezy, then it was wet overnight which was really needed. 

That afternoon Hubby drove me across town for my nails appointment but technicianM was really amazed to see me as something had happened last week and she'd lost all the details on her phone and ipad diary. I was lucky she was in. 

Tuesday was more very welcome rain most of the day. Some of it turned to heavy storms though and when there were storms with huge hailstones so big they put holes in the shed's perspex roof Hubby went into action covering it with tarpaulin to temporarily stop more rain getting in, then measuring up and ordering wood and felt for a permanent fix. 

We've been back to Specsavers for collection and fitting of our new glasses. First impression was good for us both. 

E joined us for the Thursday night quiz this week. This was lovely as she hasn't done it since we all did it together at the start of Covid lockdown six years ago, so a little nostalgic trip for her. We scored a very respectable 43/50.

Hubby popped back into town Friday morning as something wasn't right with his new specs. He said the traffic was slow and town was packed with people. We later found out Ed Sheeran was doing an impromptu free performance irony of Ipswich Uni by the Waterfront.

While Hubby was out the wood for his shed roof arrived and I didn't know where he wanted so told the guy he could put it in the space Hubby had just left by taking my car out of the garage (we still call it my car but I don't drive any more). Warned Hubby so he didn't drive straight in. 

When he got home Hubby had bought me a present. 

A new tablet, here it is doing the transfer from the old one. It was probably more a gift to himself so he didn't have to listen to me moaning about my tech cos for some time they have both been showing signs of not being able to cope and getting slower and mostly objecting to when I play Words with Friends (the Facebook version of scrabble). I hate new gadgets and spent most of the day coping with setting up changes, updates and passwords etc. Hate the hassle but very very pleased with the gift and his thoughtfulness. 

Hubby said phone next as it's on my birthday list. 

Friday afternoon Daughter and O came over to have board game time with E which was lovely and while they were happy I used the opportunity to catch up on a couple of phone calls to friendHG and then to friendVS and these are always long calls. 

My weekend will hopefully clear a bit more space for E, but first I need to prepare for having the dog all day as M will be dropping her off within the hour. 

Hope you achieve whatever you plan. Don't work too hard. 

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