Sunday 16 December 2012

My bag is Packed..and ready to go!

Off tomorrow for the long awaited op in Aintree Hospital.  So this will be  the last blog for a bit until i get home again..hopefully sorted out.
i do have to say that Vin has been an absolute star throughout all of this, he has the patience of a saint and i am so grateful to him. Can't imagine what I would have done without him, and it certainly can't have been easy living with me for the last six months.
Had a nice phone call from someone I was in college with way back when, we are both retired now of course, it was lovely to catch up a bit.
Just watched Strictly results, and poor Lisa Riley was voted off tonight. What a shame, she has been an absolute joy to watch each week. Thankyou Lisa for the fun you have brought to the dancing world.
Tonight we are having:
haven't a clue really. Certainly not Pizza and salad! Vin reckons he is going to eat all unhealthy things next week!!!   Well he deserves that at least!

So..bye bye blog till I get back!XXX

Friday 14 December 2012

Curtains!

Started the day with a phone call from daughter number one. She was on her way to buy some trousers from Manchester. She had been out last night for a meal with some of her friends from Uni which was really good she said. It seemed to be a buffet type place and she said there was some good choices for vegetarians which is always a problem. So often you get lots of meaty things and not a lot else.
The reason this is called curtains was because the door curtain on the front door had to be washed because one of the cats has taken to weeing in the corner of the hall over the curtain!! lovely!! one of the joys of having cats. So this had to be ironed which is a bit of a faff.
I told her about going in on Monday, but she said she already knew because she had been reading this!!! Little monkey..she never said a word.  She is working next week anyway for some of the days, so we shall have to play it by ear so to speak.
She sent a parcel this morning with some limited edition M&Ms in dark chocolate..yum yum..and a pack of marmiite cashew nuts..Aaah.
Seems odd Vin not going out shopping today, but he went out yesterday, so no need. Anyway it was wet and drizzly today and a very dark day. Everywhere you went today, you had to put lights on.
had a practice day with the bag things today. Not as bad as I thought..albeit embarrassing. You are supposed to try it for 24 hours so that will do. What a performance.
Jane rang again at lunchtime to say she had put an Amazon voucher on email for me to get some books to take with my Kindle. Aaah bless her. her heart is in the right place.
Tonight we are having:
Cheese and onion pasty from Waitrose.
Possible a baked tomato.

Thursday 13 December 2012

An Outing!!!

I actually went out today..other than to keep a hospital appointment! My hair has been growing longer and more straggle by the day, so it was a necessity really to go and get it done. Went off to the hairdressers I usually go to, explained that I was pressed for time and just wanted a cut quickly. Had a new girl today since the one I always had has left and gone somewhere else..story of my life that is..The very first one I had who was a mobile one left to go to University to do radiography, then I found a new hairdressers in Formby and a new girl. She left to look after her baby..then my last one just left..so I am on Emma mark two. Very nice she was too, and she has done a good cut as well. I wanted something that I could just run a comb through next week...and she has done just the job. Half the price I usually pay and half the time also. Great!!
Vin picked me up, and we nipped up the bypass to the Ince Blundell garden centre just quickly to get a holly wreath for the front door. Looks a treat now..I love holly wreaths.
That was enough for the day. came home for a quick cup of coffee and Vin went off to Tesco to get some stuff, we had run out of veg. He went armed with his list, and also got some things for me for next week..like a little tube of toothpaste etc., Goodness knows what you need to take in..it's a bit of a new experience really.
He was home for lunch then the doorbell rung. It was a neighbour of ours who is now a single mum and very capable, but she had a problem with her doorknob to her front door. The man had been to renew it, but had cut the spindle too short and it wouldn't work, and he couldn't be contacted. Typical!! So she asked if Vin could help. he is terrific at fixing things so went off to do it for her. He cut the spindle to the right size..job done. Well done Vin. he says he is going to take up a trade as a handyman!!
So, plenty on today..Christmas card now beginning to come through, I'm glad we did ours the other day.
Tonight we are having:
Something from the freezer, with a mushroom sauce
Mashed potato
Carrots and green beans.










Wednesday 12 December 2012

Doorbell Day...

One of those days when the doorbell was busy. Started quite early with the courier from Hermes collecting a returns parcel. She told Vin she was so busy that they had to enrol her son in the business as well.I have returned a fleece robe that was lovely but too bulky for my purpose, so I've washed my trusty purple one instead. Postman rang later with a parcel that wouldn't go through the letterbox. We are getting a few cards trickling through now. Vin and I spent last night doing ours, so they were all posted off this morning.  I do have to say that the 50p postage for a second class stamp is one heck of a hike and makes them more of a luxury. I wonder how many just won't bother?
Finally, the coalman at lunchtime with our delivery of four bags..£75. Vin says the bunker is now full so we are stocked up for the weather to come. Although it is supposed to be wet next week..we shall see. He told Vin that they had never been so busy..people must be doing what we are and stocking up. Cold today so it isn't surprising.
Jane rang up on her way to the shops to buy some black trousers. She said she washed hers yesterday and they came out of the machine with a tear in the eg, and she needs a pair for tomorrow for her practical exam. They do that in their uniform.. top and black trousers and black shoes. Nice to see that she is taking it all seriously at ong last.  Good luck Jane.
Tonight we are having:
pasta of some sort with tomato sauce
A garlic bread for vin
butternut squash and sweet potato.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Brrr...

Very frosty when we woke up this morning, frost all over the shed roof which has stayed all day and doesn't look like it is going to move at all. We stripped the bedding off this morning, so got that going in the wash and the tumble drier has been going all day. Takes quite a bit of drying because it's pure cotton, but it gets there in the end. New gorgeous Latte set on the bed now, don't think we will want to move tomorrow.
Vin ordered some coal this mornng too which will come tomorrow another four bags of the homefire type. He went off to Formby later to get some logs in Homebase. So we are at least stocked up for anything that the weather throws at us. He nipped into Tesco as well to get a few veggies for the week to keep us going, he picked up some decaffeinated coffee on offer too...He's learning!! Well done Vin XX
Jane rang up a couple of times today too. She was doing exams in Uni this afternoon, so she was on her way there. She said her windscreen was frozen this morning, and the silly girl hasn't got any de-icer either , she says it's too dear in Tesco. She will get some in B&M Bargains tomorrow she says. She wanted to go into Primark to get a couple of jumpers but rung back later to say they were way to busy..it was Mental she said!! There's a lot to be said for shopping online. However, I had bought a new fleece robe for going into hospital with from Debenhams, but thinking about it for a couple of days I thought it was a bit bulky, so have sent it back today. Lot to be said for trying things on.
Tonight we are having:
Escalope with a mushroom sauce
Carrots and beans
Potato croquettes.

Monday 10 December 2012

The Home stretch!!

Well, one weekend and one week to go. Can't believe it has taken so long to get sorted really. Today i had an appointment with a Stoma nurse clinician who explained everything that i should expect , gave me some reading material and "practice" bags. Vin went in with me for this appointment in case I missed anything,. This was a new thing for him, normally i don't let him within a mile of my appointments, but this one was a bit different, and to his credit he asked some very intelligent questions. i won't be making a habit of this though!!:)
Must say it will be nice to get it over and done with on the whole, it's dragged on since June when I first went to the GPs, pity it is all over the Christmas period though.
Little Rusty seems to be better now. She has had a cold, not something you expect cats to get, but she has been sneezing a lot (get out of range) and had a runny nose. She hasn't been off her food though so didn't need a vet, not that they could do much for a cold anyway.
Tonight we are having:
Remaining pizza
Egg and potato salad with avocado
Rice salad for Vin and potato salad for moi.

Friday 7 December 2012

Funny Friday..

One of those days today, we stopped in..which is nothing unusual for moi but Vin usually goes out shopping. However he went out yesterday so didn't need to go again. He spent the morning poutting lights up outside the house, we have lovely white lights and they look lovely against the fence. I love Christmas lights but not too many. Some people use far too many then it all looks tacky.
So not a lot done today actually, jane has just rung up, she sent me an email with a picture of her wardrobe covered in post it notes with revision notes on them. She learns by writing things down, strangely enough I used to do that too, not having a particularly good memory for facts. She was on her way to work and said it was cold, she rang up last night at about half eleven to say how freezing it was, and she had to defrost her windscreen and blow up a tyre which had gone down. Poor kid..I do feel for her, she is certainly a grafter. Well done Janey XXX
Tonight we are having:
Fishless fish style bakes,
Chips
green beans for Moi and mushy peas for Vin.

Thursday 6 December 2012

Definitely Wintry Now!

Gone dark quite early today, when I came upstairs today to do this post it was already dark. Lights have to go on everywhere and heaters. No central heating, but our coal fire heats up some that we have and also the hot water also, so not bad value.
Vin went off to Tesco this morning to get some stock in. Armed with the £4 off £40 he ended up spending a lot more than that, so it's a good deal for Tesco. They end up winning. Poor man, he must be getting fed up with shopping, but I do have to say he is really good at it now, looking out for offers and reduced things that are good bargains.  There actually is a lot to be said for going with a list, at least that way you don't forget things, and now he has the way of looking at other stuff too he's really good.
He bought a few bread mixes because the one he made last week turned out extremely well, and lasted ages, so he made a brown loaf this afternoon. He does the dough in the breadmaker and then turns it into our own loaf tin so you get a proper loaf shape. The only problem with breadmakers is that the loaf shapes are dreadful, sort of oblong.
The house looks lovely at the moment with all the decorations up, brasses done and gleaming and waiting for the Christmas cards. I have two already so need to get on with mine.
Tonight we are having:
Pasta with tomatoey sauce,
garlic bread for Vin.
mushrooms









Wednesday 5 December 2012

Oh Christmas Tree...

Today has been a day of putting up the decorations in the house. We have three trees. One in the extension, one in the middle room and the third in the front room in the bay window so it can be seen outside.  We have boxes and boxes of little decorations that need to be hung n them, but we put the same ones on each tree every year. very fiddly job and vin has all the bits and pieces stashed away in cupboards in our bedroom which takes a bit of time getting out. he gets there in the end though even if he does get tire, and dare I say it a bit grumpy. he's best left then. trouble is there is stuff everywhere in this house, all over the place, neat and tidy we aint!!
Nice being in today actually with it being cold outside, and now the decorations are up it does at least feel christmassy here.
Tonight we are having:
All stuff from the freezer
Probably an escalope of some sort
potato croquettes
Carrots.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Phew!!!

Did a bit of clearing up this morning and did the kitchen floor which looks nice now.I got my parcel from Debenhams which was a quick delivery I do have to say. Super firm. i had ordered a new dressing gown, in a lovely dark pink shade made in the Jasper Conran range.  Bought it on a sale day they had last week when everything was 23% off so a good buy.
trip out to Aintree hospital this afternoon. i had really been dreading it because it was for a Thoracic test,
which involved using an exercise bike, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Got there on time for three o'clock, and went in in a few minutes. That makes a change. Had a breathing test first after they had put my electrodes all over my chest and front and attached me to the wires. Had to breathe in normally at first then take a deep breath and let it out as hard as I could. This was dobne about six times. then it was move over to the exercise bike with a big blue mask on my nose and mouth. I had to keep an eye on the numbers and work towards keeping it at sixty. i t got progressively harder till you couldn't do any more. I think it was about ten minutes but it felt like ages.
A bit of a bonus was that the man who was doing the test said when we got to the car park barrier to press the information button give in my name then the barrier would go up. So that saved £3.50.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza from Sunday with cheese and mushroom
egg and potato salad with avocado
potato salad for moi and rice salad for Vin.

Sunday 2 December 2012

Seing Things??

Vin came back from getting the papers this morning and looked out of the bedroom window. he said he saw two Father christmases walking past with numbers on their fronts! turned out it was a Santa dash to raise money for cancer charities. it was on the local news tonight there were hundreds of them a sea f people in red Santa suits running for their charities. Good for them..Well done everyone who took part.
We just did normal things today. Out on tuesday for ecercise tests..not looking forward to that, but must be done.  Then following monday to the Stoma clinic..not looking forward to that either..then the Monday after that admission to the wards. It has all taken so long nowyet everything seems to be rushing towards the end. 
We did our crosswords quite quickly this afternoon and only one or two that were awkward.  I love a general knowledge one to test the brain, and Vin does incredibly well with his one which is often pretty hard. So you get a sense of achievement when they are done.
Tonight we are having:
pizza with extra mushrooms and cheese
Egg and potato salad with avocado
potato salad for moi and rice salad for Vin