Hello friends, it's been a hectic week and I'm chasing my own tail right now. It seems retirement is not all sitting about! I have lots of stuff to update you with when I can make time to concentrate properly on stringing a sentence together.
In the meantime, I found this which I thought might amuse you. The cute cats and dogs are so naughty and it cracked me up, so I hope you enjoy it too.
xxxxx
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Friday, 18 July 2014
Have these on me.............
Summer songs....don't you just love them? I'm sharing two of my most favourites from the playlist.
This one because it reminds me of my first holiday without my parents. My chum and I went to Great Yarmouth in a grotty flat for a week, and had the greatest time. The memories are so vivid of her and me in mini skirts, skinny tops, check shirts, hipster pants, boys on Lambrettas, older boys on loud motorbikes, the sound and smell of the sea, hot sand, candy floss, chips, chips and more chips.......every day we had bloody chips - no parents to make us eat sensibly you see. Summer in the City was in the charts at the time and was played everywhere...happy days :-)
And this one.....wonderful Isley Brothers and the melodic Summer breeze from around 1974. Newly married, and got this on tape. I still have the album, but nothing to play it on now. Thank heavens for You Tube!
Did they evoke any nice memories for you?
This one because it reminds me of my first holiday without my parents. My chum and I went to Great Yarmouth in a grotty flat for a week, and had the greatest time. The memories are so vivid of her and me in mini skirts, skinny tops, check shirts, hipster pants, boys on Lambrettas, older boys on loud motorbikes, the sound and smell of the sea, hot sand, candy floss, chips, chips and more chips.......every day we had bloody chips - no parents to make us eat sensibly you see. Summer in the City was in the charts at the time and was played everywhere...happy days :-)
And this one.....wonderful Isley Brothers and the melodic Summer breeze from around 1974. Newly married, and got this on tape. I still have the album, but nothing to play it on now. Thank heavens for You Tube!
Did they evoke any nice memories for you?
Friday, 11 July 2014
Bloody pain!
How often do you hear me moan? C'mon be honest, I don't much do I?
Hmm, well, last night I was watering my plants and a few of them are down the driveway and it's more trouble than its worth reeling out the hosepipe for them. So I put some water in a couple of buckets and trundled down the drive and duly soaked the fuschias and geraniums. I took back the buckets and put them down empty and as I did so I biggest pain EVER shot from my back, through my hip and down my outer leg.
I'm normally pretty good at not being melodramatic about my pain, and I certainly don't exaggerate an ache into a pain. But this folks, was something different. It stopped me short, I couldn't put my right foot to the floor let alone walk. I was yelling for Grumpy Trousers who was watching TV and didn't hear me, so I was stuck between the car and the house wall, quite unable to move. I kept trying to lift my leg so I could flex it but it was having none of it. The sheer effort of lifting my foot from the floor sent a searing red hot pain through my bad hip. It was after about 10 minutes I was able to drag myself back into the house with the aid of the wall and the car. From that point on, everything I did or tried to do caused the most awful pain. Eventually I got Grumpy to massage all down that side as I lay on the bed. He's a bit heavy handed and doesn't always know his own strength so I had to plead with him for a lighter touch. He got there in the end, and it did provide a little bit of relief. I took an industrial sized dose of painkillers (naughty, naughty!) but I just wanted some relief.
The picture below shows the name of my normal hip condition and an over view of the symptoms. What happened yesterday was nothing like the pain I get with this.
Strangely, while I lay in bed I had no pain except when I moved. The painkillers knocked me out a bit so I managed to sleep and today, the area is feeling very sore, but nothing as bad as last evening. I've been a right misery-arse today as it's curtailed my plans to go shopping with a friend. There's always another day of course and I should wind my neck in and get over myself. Oh, I know, I'll put a John Bishop DVD on, that should make me forget the pain for a while. That man has no idea of his pain killing abilities!
So, at the end of all this I reckon I've trapped a nerve or upset my sciatic nerve, and any pain radiating from that would travel through my hip making the bursitis ten times worse. What do you reckon? I'd appreciate some responses especially if you've had something similar.
Thanks in anticipation xxxx
Hmm, well, last night I was watering my plants and a few of them are down the driveway and it's more trouble than its worth reeling out the hosepipe for them. So I put some water in a couple of buckets and trundled down the drive and duly soaked the fuschias and geraniums. I took back the buckets and put them down empty and as I did so I biggest pain EVER shot from my back, through my hip and down my outer leg.
I'm normally pretty good at not being melodramatic about my pain, and I certainly don't exaggerate an ache into a pain. But this folks, was something different. It stopped me short, I couldn't put my right foot to the floor let alone walk. I was yelling for Grumpy Trousers who was watching TV and didn't hear me, so I was stuck between the car and the house wall, quite unable to move. I kept trying to lift my leg so I could flex it but it was having none of it. The sheer effort of lifting my foot from the floor sent a searing red hot pain through my bad hip. It was after about 10 minutes I was able to drag myself back into the house with the aid of the wall and the car. From that point on, everything I did or tried to do caused the most awful pain. Eventually I got Grumpy to massage all down that side as I lay on the bed. He's a bit heavy handed and doesn't always know his own strength so I had to plead with him for a lighter touch. He got there in the end, and it did provide a little bit of relief. I took an industrial sized dose of painkillers (naughty, naughty!) but I just wanted some relief.
The picture below shows the name of my normal hip condition and an over view of the symptoms. What happened yesterday was nothing like the pain I get with this.
Strangely, while I lay in bed I had no pain except when I moved. The painkillers knocked me out a bit so I managed to sleep and today, the area is feeling very sore, but nothing as bad as last evening. I've been a right misery-arse today as it's curtailed my plans to go shopping with a friend. There's always another day of course and I should wind my neck in and get over myself. Oh, I know, I'll put a John Bishop DVD on, that should make me forget the pain for a while. That man has no idea of his pain killing abilities!
So, at the end of all this I reckon I've trapped a nerve or upset my sciatic nerve, and any pain radiating from that would travel through my hip making the bursitis ten times worse. What do you reckon? I'd appreciate some responses especially if you've had something similar.
Thanks in anticipation xxxx
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Hi, how are you?
Hello, I do hope you're OK. I'm being a bad blogger because regrettably I'm not posting as often as I'd like - I keep getting taken out by Grumpy Trousers! Don't get me wrong, I'm not moaning - in fact I'm very happy about it.
We had a fabulous day out yesterday - just took it upon ourselves to bugger off out with some sandwiches wrapped in kitchen foil, a flask of coffee and a bag of sweets. We planned a route into Staffordshire to a spot we'd passed many times but never called there. The place is called The Roaches, which is between the towns of Leek and Buxton. From the main road it's very impressive, but we motored across the moorland in search of other aspects of the area. I have to say we were absolutely blown away by the sheer beauty and wildness of the area. The weather helped of course as it was clear and sunny and it made everything look cheerful.
I took this photo (one of many) and it shows Grumpy Trousers sitting on a rock formation called The Winking Man. We'd walked a fairly easy route up from the road, but I lost confidence because I wasn't wearing my walking boots, only my training shoes. I was terrified I'd upset my foot as the terrain was a bit rocky. I was careful however, and made it as high as I felt able to go. Had I worn my boots I could have tackled so much more. I think that's reason enough to make a return visit.
The weather was fantastic, and as you'll notice from the picture, it was possible to see for mile after mile. There's a bluey cast to the photo which for some reason I can't get rid of, but it was early afternoon so that was the natural colour of the light. I'd love to be up on those rocks in the early morning or the 'golden hour' in the evening, because they were beyond magnificent!
Today, I had lunch with some of The Happy Old Bags. It was someone's birthday and six of us gathered up for a pub lunch. There were catch ups and gossip, but strangely not as much laughter as usual. I think people are still reeling from the fact that five of us are gone and we'll no longer be part of their working day. It's going to be dreadful in September whens the new terms starts, with a new intake of students, all like fish out of water. They'll be needy and the staff will be struggling to deal with the sheer volume of kids coming through the library doors needing an induction. I feel for those left behind to cope.
Right, that's it, I'm off to bed now. Sleep tight yourselves.
Hasta la vista!
We had a fabulous day out yesterday - just took it upon ourselves to bugger off out with some sandwiches wrapped in kitchen foil, a flask of coffee and a bag of sweets. We planned a route into Staffordshire to a spot we'd passed many times but never called there. The place is called The Roaches, which is between the towns of Leek and Buxton. From the main road it's very impressive, but we motored across the moorland in search of other aspects of the area. I have to say we were absolutely blown away by the sheer beauty and wildness of the area. The weather helped of course as it was clear and sunny and it made everything look cheerful.
I took this photo (one of many) and it shows Grumpy Trousers sitting on a rock formation called The Winking Man. We'd walked a fairly easy route up from the road, but I lost confidence because I wasn't wearing my walking boots, only my training shoes. I was terrified I'd upset my foot as the terrain was a bit rocky. I was careful however, and made it as high as I felt able to go. Had I worn my boots I could have tackled so much more. I think that's reason enough to make a return visit.
The weather was fantastic, and as you'll notice from the picture, it was possible to see for mile after mile. There's a bluey cast to the photo which for some reason I can't get rid of, but it was early afternoon so that was the natural colour of the light. I'd love to be up on those rocks in the early morning or the 'golden hour' in the evening, because they were beyond magnificent!
Today, I had lunch with some of The Happy Old Bags. It was someone's birthday and six of us gathered up for a pub lunch. There were catch ups and gossip, but strangely not as much laughter as usual. I think people are still reeling from the fact that five of us are gone and we'll no longer be part of their working day. It's going to be dreadful in September whens the new terms starts, with a new intake of students, all like fish out of water. They'll be needy and the staff will be struggling to deal with the sheer volume of kids coming through the library doors needing an induction. I feel for those left behind to cope.
Right, that's it, I'm off to bed now. Sleep tight yourselves.
Hasta la vista!
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Post-injection progress
Well now, since I had the cortisone injection on Wednesday, my foot has behaved rather well. My fingers are crossed as I say this, but I am cautiously hopeful that the injection hit the right spot.
I rested up for a full day after the injection, but since then I have been walking pain free, feeling more energised and generally going about my day with a renewed vigour.
The consultant asked me to keep a diary of any feeling or sensations I get in my foot, and we will be discussing this at my next appointment. So far my diary entries show two complete days without pain. Today however, I'll be entering that I have some marginal discomfort which I blame on choosing to wear some sandals last evening. I got a bit complacent you see. I have lived in training shoes or Fit Flops for six years, not able to wear anything nice either (I mean, who wants to wear a nice dress and spoil the effect with laced up black trainers FGS!!) and so I figured a couple of hours in some pretty sandals wouldn't cause a problem. Hmmmm, well, it may well have done - there's an achy sensation in my foot that definitely wasn't there yesterday. Still can't call it a pain, but an ache, most certainly. I won't be doing that again for a while. I should let my foot settle with the benefits of the injection and continue to wear the clumsy training shoes. As I was tidying my wardrobe yesterday I found my white trainers, so I can wear those now too. I ditched them as they weren't suitable for work, but as that's no longer an issue I can get some wear out of them too.
I rested up for a full day after the injection, but since then I have been walking pain free, feeling more energised and generally going about my day with a renewed vigour.
The consultant asked me to keep a diary of any feeling or sensations I get in my foot, and we will be discussing this at my next appointment. So far my diary entries show two complete days without pain. Today however, I'll be entering that I have some marginal discomfort which I blame on choosing to wear some sandals last evening. I got a bit complacent you see. I have lived in training shoes or Fit Flops for six years, not able to wear anything nice either (I mean, who wants to wear a nice dress and spoil the effect with laced up black trainers FGS!!) and so I figured a couple of hours in some pretty sandals wouldn't cause a problem. Hmmmm, well, it may well have done - there's an achy sensation in my foot that definitely wasn't there yesterday. Still can't call it a pain, but an ache, most certainly. I won't be doing that again for a while. I should let my foot settle with the benefits of the injection and continue to wear the clumsy training shoes. As I was tidying my wardrobe yesterday I found my white trainers, so I can wear those now too. I ditched them as they weren't suitable for work, but as that's no longer an issue I can get some wear out of them too.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Foot injection and a lot of swearing!
I had the cortisone injection today in my foot. It was a very different way of doing it from my last procedure back in 2009. More painful than I remembered despite local anesthetic, but it was over in less than 5 minutes. A very kind junior doctor held my hand and let me swear to my hearts content. She just laughed her head off and asked if I knew any more expletives!
They used a dye, then at the point of the cortisone going in they warned me I'd feel the joint stretching. I certainly felt it alright, but it was over really quickly so I didn't have time to utter any more than ten swear words. I was like a person with Tourette's!
They used a dye, then at the point of the cortisone going in they warned me I'd feel the joint stretching. I certainly felt it alright, but it was over really quickly so I didn't have time to utter any more than ten swear words. I was like a person with Tourette's!
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
A New Day, and a New Era
Blimey, what's it all going to bring? I feel a bit rudderless today as I made no plans to get me through the day. I figured I'd just go along with it. Grumpy Trousers is doing jobs on the garage roof, wearing his baggy jeans, his sartorially elegant red braces to hold up said jeans, old polo shirt with collar turned up and a mucky old baseball cap. It's very hot here today and he suffers if he gets too much sun. I left him with the all pervading smell of tar, and headed off to the local public library.
Despite working in a library for the last 7 years, its rare for me to entry the portals of the public one. This is my local library and not the main town one. I love this little library as it still has its old wooden bookshelves and stacks, wooden panelling on the walls, and smells deliciously of beeswax. Just how a library should smell!!
My next port of call was the supermarket for some laundry powder, but of course - you know how it is, if you're a woman it's not possible to go in for just one thing, is it? Typically, I treated myself to a cheap bunch of flowers, something for tea to save me defrosting something, some fruit and eventually I remembered what I'd gone in for. The laundry powder.
On the way home, I called at the local tip to offload some bags of shredded paper. They'd get left in the spare room until about 10 bags had accumulated. They drive me mad however. I end up playing football with them when I need to get something from that room, so my intention is to get rid of them when there's a couple.
Now home, coffee with Grumpy Trousers if I can lure him down from the garage roof, then plant some geraniums.
I know how to live it large, don't I?
Despite working in a library for the last 7 years, its rare for me to entry the portals of the public one. This is my local library and not the main town one. I love this little library as it still has its old wooden bookshelves and stacks, wooden panelling on the walls, and smells deliciously of beeswax. Just how a library should smell!!
My next port of call was the supermarket for some laundry powder, but of course - you know how it is, if you're a woman it's not possible to go in for just one thing, is it? Typically, I treated myself to a cheap bunch of flowers, something for tea to save me defrosting something, some fruit and eventually I remembered what I'd gone in for. The laundry powder.
On the way home, I called at the local tip to offload some bags of shredded paper. They'd get left in the spare room until about 10 bags had accumulated. They drive me mad however. I end up playing football with them when I need to get something from that room, so my intention is to get rid of them when there's a couple.
Now home, coffee with Grumpy Trousers if I can lure him down from the garage roof, then plant some geraniums.
I know how to live it large, don't I?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)