tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29320617120061343692024-03-13T02:05:09.722-07:00Thinking out Loudfeline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-55411007432350658372014-02-15T02:50:00.000-08:002014-02-15T02:50:42.476-08:00It’s another fine mess!!<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">Morning peoples after no blogs for months, now I won’t go away!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Kristen ITC;">But if you remember my last blog was about how everything can
change in a second, well life was not up to much but settled into a
manageable routine, still paperwork matters to be followed up, and OT coming to
mums on Monday – can someone explain why we have had around 4 OTs!!! This one
is coming by arrangement with The CPN to look round the whole house, in
particular the bath room, mums seating and any other thing they can do to make
the house safer and more secure for her safety – when she has been home since
October???? I hope we get something positive from this visit as things aren't great
for mum, especially the bathroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">So all ticking over, my cleaner did all my bedding and mums on Monday
(ironing) so I took them over when we had meeting with CPN. Laundry up to date,
more PJs, bought etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">On Wednesday evening sitting in bed planning my first full day
off for ages, while watching 24 hours in A&E, when I heard a funny plop noise, I thought it must
have been the telly, then Niagra falls came through my light fitting on the
ceiling. Out of bed, grabbing IPad and anything else on bed, and tossed into livingroom, got down to push
bed with thighs and not back out of the direct line of the heaviest downpour, threw some towels onto the carpet– which floated….. Remembered
I had some plastic from an Amazon box threw it down, while phoning OH to get
home (he was on his way to work.). Threw on Kaftan and stick, got keys (kept dropping them as I was shaking
so much, and headed to flat above, knocked and knocked, but nothing, back down,
by this time I was hyperventilating I think! Phoned insurance, not interested
as water coming into my property not from it. Phoned police, who said call
Council, did that they said they would get Water Ingress team to call me, which
they did and said they would call.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">Partner up several times banging on door, still no response. My
Neighbour who does my reflexology, arrived home in the middle of this, so came in
to see, and stayed with me till 1, had a couple of glasses of wine and
blethered, stopped me thinking about it too much, another neighbour who is also
above me but at the other side, popped down, he was worried he had done
something, had a look, and went off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">Then Council men arrived, they looked, went upstairs and
knocked, looked through letter box, back down more chat went back up and she
answered she had been asleep and had heard the banging, they weren’t too
pleased. They had a theory that it was hair and whatever else clogging pipes and this had been pushed back more and more till it reached a weak bit on the pipe and the rest is history!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Kristen ITC;">So once everyone had gone, I thought I have a carpet cleaner an upright, and when you pull it back it sooks up the water. So I got a fair bit
of dirty brown water out. Took photos, showed how wet the bed was even though it didn't get the worst because I shoved a lot of it out the way, the memory foam mattress
topper, mattress and all down the side of bed, brand new duvet all soaked…I whipped the bedding off and in the wash quickly cause I am very fond of it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">So Yet again in a second my life has changed yet again. I am camped
out in the livingroom, sleeping on a very small uncomfy bed. I have had to
explain to mum I won’t be around as much, though I am there for OT on Monday afternoon, Insurance lady coming
round Tuesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">I have heard nothing from the girl above, or the owner (rented
property but I and my insurance have all her details. I did get OH to pop a note
through last night, to say I was disappointed that neither she nor the owner
had the courtesy to contact me, to ask if the cause had been identified and repaired,
or if not confirmation she will not use the shower again till it is. That was
last night, lets see what happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Kristen ITC;">My GP call last night to ask how I was as he saw me on Wednesday
morning and was concerned, when I told him the story I just said you can throw
anything at me now, past getting upset. Blood count is great, but hardly any
store , so will monitor. So It isn't anemia causing breathlessness, so being referred
to a cardiologist…….Joy, so next month Neurologist, bit later eye hospital and
now cardiologist to fit in too, plus additional meds to be taken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';">Put an order in Asda for delivery 9-11, though they e mailed to say 9-10, first ever delivery and all went well . Nice to see the new fridge / freezer with more food in, and new fridge magnets - eh Fiona, and Laura (it is all clear now!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">So I sit here in my tip of a living room, pillows, and throws
everywhere, trying to be as tidy as I can so I don’t get stressed by total chaos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Kristen ITC;">I have to phone the carpet man to arrange to come and measure to
give me an estimate for carpet and underlay in bedroom, I need to phone
insurance re bedroom light, and mum phones!.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Kristen ITC;">If the doc is coming on
Thursday I need my hair done, cut and colour. I ask if she is sure as it wasn't that long ago, and I’m pretty much in a mess, the response, do what I like it obviously doesn't matter. I was torn between anger and just disbelief. She phoned back
later, don't do anything about my hair, we’ll do it another time. I explained, I have to be at her house on Monday for OT, I have to be in my flat on Tuesday
for Insurance folk, doc coming on Thursday and I have to be at her house for
that so it could only be Wednesday. I think she understood, but I just had to
say I can’t cope this week, too much on and I am not going to be too well with
sleeping on a teeny settee, not that I don’t want to just not able to, and
still trying to get the rest I’ve trying for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC";">So the message this time: Just when you think it’s all over……………………<o:p></o:p></span></div>
feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-17619667421290208652014-02-02T08:41:00.000-08:002014-02-02T08:41:01.784-08:00Every second counts!<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well it’s been a while since I have been on
here, no time. You see in early August my mum started to feel ill, to become
clumsy, dizzy, having falls. Yet the month before her birthday near the beginning
and mine near the end, had been fine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So after 3 weeks in a row of getting GP out
to see her, I managed to persuade her to go into hospital as they wanted. So
after a day of hanging around for the ambulance to get to the hospital, to wait
around to be seen, II eventually left the hospital around 8 and got a taxi
home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That day changed all our lives, mum, me (her
only child) and my partner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mum was in hospital a total of 9 weeks, and
they could find nothing, not one thing wrong with her yet her behaviour became more
and more strange and bizarre. Then she would get better, then the next time you
arrived, her bags were packed and she would be with us soon as her job had left
her tired, or some such. She was drifting away, little by little.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once they decided there was no physical
problem, apart from her painful hips, they sent her home for 3 days with carers
, alarms all over the house, people turning up in the middle of the night,
kettle and toaster locked up, gas turned off at the hob….. At the end of the 3
days they decided she was well enough to stay at home with support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was decided that a carer would call 4
times a day for meals and meds etc. and in the evening to check all was well.
This has been the situation to date, ups and downs. She was lucky to get her
main carer, a lovely lady who looked after her well, till recently. It took
weeks to get a bath chair fitted as she could not get in or out of the bath,
the contract to start giving the carer the extra time did not start till after
Christmas – yes you heard me correctly, after Christmas, and even then the care
company made a pigs ear of it and it did not start till 26 January. The caring
crowd were so caring it took them all that time to fit a bath chair which took
the man 15 minutes at most to fit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am not a person comfortable with
confrontation, at least not unless I have facts and figures before me, but I
have learned to be determined, and to keep going and going till they listen, to
tell an idiot that I was furious at my mums treatment and despite the way she
tried to talk over me I held my place as I had all the facts and figures in
front of me. Unfortunately she seems to be a worse person than I thought and
has now started a campaign against my mum, her carer was treated badly and
removed from mum, the person who she had been close to and with whom she had
formed a good working relationship – let’s face it when someone bathes you and
all sorts of other personal tasks, you must be comfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another doctor became involved – like a
breath of fresh air, went through the meds, to discover she was as good as
being kept doped all day and night, which was why she was always tired. I had
only recently been sent all the forms re finance – this should have all been
done before mum left hospital, and on and on with the sheer incompetence of
some of the people along the way. She luckily took on her case as the GP was
not involved unless she was “ill”. Gave me guides to help m, wrote to GP, we
changed between us the way the medication was collected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why should I be excited because a doctor
cared about her patient and wanted to do her best for her??????<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have learned I just have to push away, e
mal after e mail, letter after letter, no phone calls for me, they leave no
proof. I must shout and I must be a nuisance they want rid of, I find it
distasteful and has to make me and anyone else reading this what would have
happened if mum was on her own, with no one to fight in her corner?????.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The big problem is that I am disabled, I have
no great strength, I cant move fast, I cant do what I would like to be able to
do for her. One day I took over after a bath and did her hair, fed her, into
nightie, ha to help her up and down several times, then trying to get her into
bed – she may have lost a lot of weight, but with her sore and stiff hips, my
god, I pushed, pulled, rolled her just to get her sitting in bed and not too
near the end in case she fell out, got her a nice cuppa, and she needed the loo…………….so
it started all over again. By this time I had been out there about 5 hours, and
I have a real dislike of my mum’s house, nothing to do with the house, but she
feels the cold terribly, much worse than anyone else I know, I am the exact opposite.
So for her to be comfortable and me doing all this physical stuff, my clothes
are almost dripping, my hair is wet and sticking to my head and dripping off my
face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So eventually all settled,
taxi phoned for and I was on my way home. I just knew and got the first pain
pills in me asap, but I hadn’t a chance I spent 3 hours howling with pain,
everywhere, and on the point of trying to knock myself out by banging my head
off the wall or phoning for stronger pain meds, when I thought to take some
diazepam……just enough that it was bearable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What that did was remind me
why I cant do what I was trying to do, and combined with the exhaustion of very
little sleep ( mum wakes so calls me to confirm the time on the clock 2 am 3 am
whatever) plus extreme fatigue is part and parcel of my AS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So what I have learned, at
this late stage, is few folk help you unless you ask and ask and demand if you
need to, that while everyone cares, they don’t really want to be involved – no a
single neighbour even asked if they could take her big trolly bin out on bin
day and bring it in for her, and one night when I had an emergency I called a
neighbour, but his wife had just put his dinner on the table, so apart from the
few, you become pariahs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Despite all that I know that
your life can be completely and utterly changed in a second and with no
warning, so I shall enjoy every good thing that happens , however small and
meaningless to anyone else, I will try to smile and maybe bring a little joy to
someone else’s day. To remember that I love my mum, but even in my 60’s I have
a life too, a very restricted life it’s true with my health issues, but I have
bought 3 things – each has multiple parts – but things I have always wanted to
do. I have reflexology each month, I have a quite ugly to be honest, but a
trolley I can handle much easier bringing laundry back and forth, or shopping. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I never go to anything
vaguely social, so I must make an effort for me. I frequently feel invisible as
there is by some,the idea I’m lucky I only
need to visit a few days a week, but in those three days I do far more than I
should, I can’t just sit and chat and not do jobs obviously needing doing. Then
the endless paperwork when I get home. I am restricted as I have no transport
and cannot walk far enough to do all that is involved in getting to mums, maybe
in the summer with my stronger trolley, you never know. They have no clue about
the sleepless nights, the added pain, the depression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So I got a deep plum slash
down the side of my bright red hair, I wear what I like these days, I don’t give
a toss. I had one of my E Bay buys, a Purple and purple patterned sleeveless
tunic with a ruffle round the bottom, I put a black long sleeved T under it and
block baggy trousers under my furry pink crocks, and my mum never stopped
saying how great it was, probably should have been half my age to wear, but who
cares?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This has been more of a
ramble than a blog, but I hope if anyone reads it makes them think that all is
not what we think, you never know just what is going on in other people’s lives,
and that people who have relatives in this situation, there is so much more going
on than you might imagine. That you, like me, should have the deepest respect
for those who have loved ones with them full time. But mainly try to realise
what is important and what is not, try to enjoy your life to the full because
it really can change forever, and you can be lost in a second.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I need a scotch now!!! I havent proof read this as my eyes have decided enough is enough and my hands are clawing, so some of the ramble might be a mess, but the gist I hope will be there to understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-71493818012912099862013-06-04T09:51:00.002-07:002013-06-04T09:51:24.116-07:00UpdateStill in the midst of trying to get my life into a more balanced place - what I want, what others need from me, not easy, specially when you add the health side of things into the equation.<br />
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Went out shopping with mum today, just because she really wanted out the house and was feeling very depressed. I was not feeling to good, had not slept too well, but could tell with her voice that I had to make the effort. Off we go, out to our usual shopping place. We did get some things returned, mum found a few things in the sale ( tall and slim so easy to find clothes that look great), and insisted on giving me money to buy myself something as she had realised (despite my best efforts) that I wasn't great. I have to keep telling her she doesn't have to give me money, but if she buys something for herself I have to get something too! bought a cheap basic T shirt, but not good enough, so we made the mistake of going into Monsoon. I do love that shop, though for me it is more expensive than usual. I was wearing blue linen trousers I had bought online - and which are a great fit (not easy with my body!) and as I walked down the shop, I swear this blouse waved its arms at me, it certainly caught me eye, and had my size. I clutched it and went off to try it on, it fitted, and I was in love, that blouse was mine, didnt care if mother liked it or not - she did, inn fact she liked it so much she bought it, despite having already given me money, I reminded her, but she wanted the responsibility for the purchase!.<br />
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Still daft as I have no social life, but I care how I dress, and I will get pleasure from it. Mum is getting her hair done tomorrow and as the salon is across the road, that will be tomorrow taken care of........<br />
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I might manage to have a 'day off' on Thursday before shopping day Friday, or the other way round. That is a laugh, of course, 'day off', day to do the household chores.Cause I am disabled, no longer able to work, I apparently have all the time in the world to do whatever I want, so therefore all the chores can be done by me etc etc etc, then like today, we had to walk at a brisk pace across 2 roads to get to the taxi rank. I arrived with hair sticking to my face, limping and sounding like an asthmatic (I am not one) it took me ages to breath properly, and for the shaking legs to still, the back spasms to stop, then I am reminded that I am not as mobile or a capable as I try to think I am.<br />
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When you are running, ok, walking round your own wee space, you are ok, you are working within such a small area, that it is so easy to forget, that the walk round the corner to the bus stop can wind you - badly. That the walk round the corner to the supermarket - the walk round the supermarket, and then home, wheeling whatever you have bought - is impossible!!<br />
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Never mind the sun is out, I can see it out the window, so folk generally feel happier. I wish at this time I still lived in a house and had my own wee garden with a degree of privacy so I could sit outside and read in the fresh air, but hey, at least I have my flat, many people are far far worse off.<br />
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Must stop rambling now, so till the next time byeeeeefeline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-2331585147059676652013-05-27T05:21:00.002-07:002013-05-27T05:21:55.598-07:00Hi Strangers<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Been a while since I did a blog, not sure why
I have taken the notion today, so I think I’ll just ‘do as it says on the can’
as it were, and think out loud!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s a Monday holiday, at least it’s a bank
holiday and some places are open, some not. Makes a it quite a boring day for TV, all to pot during the day. Tried to read for a while, but I still have this difficulty
in reading during the day – unless I am unwell – stupid or what! So Milo and I
are resting, side by side while considering our next move.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have a wash on, and a loaf in the bread
machine, so its not like I have been doing nothing, showered, hair washed and
kind of sorted….. Need to try on a
couple of wee tops I bought, in case they have to go back, but that means
getting dressed…..naw, not in the mood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I buy clothes to try and cheer myself up, yet
I am heavier than I have ever been and have no social life to talk of…….. still
I can look as good as I can manage while shopping!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I need a holiday, so badly need a rest, but
what is available to me, in honesty, would probably be the worst thing I could
do. If I could sneak away on my own for a couple of days, pack my Kindle. Go
someplace I would like to go to, do what I would like to do, when I would like
to do it, but what is the point of even thinking about it, I can’t do that. I
have too much responsibility to others, I would hurt feelings, feelings I must
not hurt now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Funny how our lives turn out, I was reminded
when I met up with a friend I have not seen for many years. She knew most of my
story at that time of my life, I was catching up with hers. In those days we
were young and married and full of hope and plans, yet neither marriage lasted.
She was in a different situation than I was as she had 2 children; I had
chronic health issues which could only get worse. I was delighted to know she is now very happily remarried, and her children, and grand children are doing well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Kristen ITC; font-size: small;">I am still dealing with even more
chronic health issues, had to give up work, in a relationship which really is
more of convenience, and my only real family is my mother who is getting on,
and I have to watch her grow more frail – oh don’t get me wrong, she is great
for her age – and more dependent on me for companionship. Partner works
unsociable hours and then watches sport on TV, so most of the time I am at
home, in MY home I am alone and being quiet. The other alternative is going
shopping with mum, which in itself is turning into a chore. But as we go
through alternatives, we come up against my lack of mobility, my fatigue; or
things I like mum </span><span style="font-family: Kristen ITC;">doesn't</span><span style="font-family: Kristen ITC; font-size: small;"> and vice verse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So at times it gets me down, very down, get
very tired of just existing these days. Even if partner could drive, could make
a difference, but then of course his working hours would get in the way. I can’t
remember the last time I was out in the evening, I can remember the last time I
was out for lunch and the time before that (2 years previously).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Kristen ITC; font-size: small;">So watch TV, read books, try to keep my home
in a reasonable condition….I have turned into an unpaid housekeeper – when I am
able. Though in the winter it </span><span style="font-family: Kristen ITC;">isn't</span><span style="font-family: Kristen ITC; font-size: small;"> so bad, but when the sun is out, and I am
sitting in, looking out – like so many other people I know – and watching the
world go by……<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As they are all I have ( TV - books) I have been less
patient and find I am much more difficult to please now, and have been cutting
back quite a bit on TV, I have stopped reading books when I am forced to admit
I am not really enjoying them…….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Must try to find something to actually enjoy
this summer, at least in June my hall area is to be painted and that will be
the flat done, all fresh and easier to live in. One of the biggest pains in the
bum, is all the road works for the trams, so difficult to get buses now, without
several changes. Then of course trying to meet up with mum so we can maybe just
go on a few jaunts on the bus on a nice
day……..Need to get the energy to put the thinking cap on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Right better check on the washing and the bread.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bye!</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-6283933587690347392012-12-06T03:42:00.002-08:002012-12-06T03:42:36.925-08:00Thoughts from an apparent scrounger<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At breakfast time today I heard an interview with
that Osborne man, you know the one, he lives in cloud cuckoo land. You know the
place where everyone is fit and well, working hard, looking after themselves
and their families with no assistance from anyone. These people are bright and
ambitious and pay taxes and do their bit for this country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What about the bankers who brought this country
to its knees? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What about the MPs with their fraudulent claims
for expenses? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What about the companies we allow to trade
here paying next to nothing in tax? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What about the immigrant’s we allow into the
country, give them benefits and homes? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What about the billions we give away each
year to countries where they don’t chose to look after their own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But no, the big bad, despicable, nasty, lazy,
people draining the life out of this country
are those who do not work and claim benefit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While I accept their will always be people
who play the system, what about the majority of people, those who through no
fault of their own are unable to work? I am one of those people. I worked
Friday nights and Saturday night’s washing dishes in the local Wimpy bar, and
all day Saturday in Woolies, as soon as I was old enough, this was so I could
go on school trips. I left school at 18 and apart from a break when I was
recovering from serious spine surgery; I have never been out of work. When I
was ready to go back to work after recovering from the surgery, I signed up to
retrain and learn skills to enable me to have more choices when I went looking
for a job. I learned all they had to offer and went on to run the training
centre till they closed down. It was a very short time before I got another
job, it was 1994. I stayed with this firm, in its various guises, despite
suffering from a long term chronic disease, and various other health issues,
till I retired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The last stage of my employment was after a
merger and the new premises were a considerable distance from where I live, the
conditions were dreadful for me. It was quickly apparent that those in charge
were mainly not from my side of the merger and did not care to have a woman in
her 50's with health issues – despite a sickness record which could stand up for
comparison to any one they might choose. Life was made difficult,, intolerable.
With the additional stress I ended up having to go off sick and find out how to
go about retiring early because of my health issues. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I did finally manage to get it all sorted and
retired early (4 years before my state pension was due to begin). I pay tax on
my small pension, and now that my state pension has started I will pay more. I
receive DLA, as I qualify; yet this morning I hear that my neighbours
who are 'go getting' and working will have apparently been looking down on me, during those 4 years as I lay in my bed when they were setting off for
work! The fact that I was laying my bed was because I had not yet managed to
get out of it, because of the pain and stiffness, was of no concern. I assume I
was thought of as leaching off the state, I was partly responsible for bringing
the country to its knees, I have let the side down, I am worthless, invisible,
beyond contempt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I pay tax, I have paid tax all my life, now I
have no real life, I rarely leave my home, I certainly have no social life, I
have not been out to the cinema, a meal in the evening, in fact I cannot
remember when I was last out in the evening. Had a holiday, partly because of lack of confidence
due to my mobility, difficulty in being comfortable and being a nuisance , and because I would need
to take taxis and this all adds to the cost, sadly I am certainly not living the easy
life. I have barely enough to live on. I have some savings and some money from the
lump sum part of my pension (being 4 years early very much less than I would
have had if I retired at the full time). This is all being spent on getting my
home made safe for me, making it as easy as possible for me to maintain – yet I
am sure there will be those questioning how I am able to do all the work I am
doing – because I am using money I earned that’s how, and because I spend the
vast majority of my time in my home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is a desperate situation when people like
me, every day, are being put through the inquisition to enable them to get
benefits - that there are people walking miles to get a hand out of food as they are starving - that elderly
are dying in their homes as they cannot afford to eat or heat their homes
properly. This is <b>2012, </b>people
starving, freezing, dying because they are treated as the lowest of the low,
that man Osborne saying we are despised…..oh wait….is that the plan, kill us
off or make life so bloody unendurable that we take our own??? I f so, give
yourself a pat on the back Osborne – you
are succeeding. I hope you can sleep at night, as many many people cannot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-53198012797141470712012-12-03T03:11:00.000-08:002012-12-03T03:12:10.286-08:00More work in the flat.....<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another Monday morning, though not a normal
one – no this is the first day of new kitchen being fitted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Yesterday was spent emptying all the
cupboards and drawers, and what a lot of stuff there was!! It starts in a
fairly organised fashion – and things were examined and decisions made whether
to keep or not. Dates on tins and jars checked (1997!!! Oops) but after a
while, all that matters is getting it done. I reckon that as everything has to
be washed and sorted before being put back in a new kitchen, the second wave of sorting and checking happens then.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But aren’t men gormless? No instruction
given, and this means (it appears) that nothing needs to be done by. Say ‘ will
you take that bag there, and put everything from that drawer in it – fold them neatly and when it is full,
place in the hall cupboard on the 2<sup>nd</sup> shelf on the left’ and its
done……. But the trick is to remember everything single thing he needs to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Up early this morning to do last minute
things, almost started to sweep the floor when I realised……. Hardly sat down
when the kitchen arrived, this has now been mainly stashed in the common hall
area outside the flat, before the workmen arrived. Electrician did his couple
of jobs and away, and now I am sitting her freezing listening to the banging. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We had to close and lock the cat flap and
they will go out and in via back bedroom window today, as we don’t want them
going into the kitchen – not that they probably would do. But the cat flap will
be opened once the men have gone. Their food has been moved into the back bedroom also.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Feel at such a loose end, can’t really relax,
yet can’t really do anything. I have taken photos of the various stages, like I
did with the bathroom, so interesting to see how it evolves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Right might try and read my book now, though
so cold – put the heating off as no point with the doors being opened and
closed all the time. It will be worth it, wont it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-79960518509506593682012-11-22T06:38:00.002-08:002012-11-22T06:38:34.271-08:00Update, as been missing for some time<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I realise I have not been blogging recently,
for quite some time in fact. I have some excuses, I decorated my living room
and had to deal with all the chaos that went with it. I had hardly caught my
breath when there was water ingress into my bedroom from flat above. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This resulted in the insurance company
arranging to empty my bedroom and store the main furniture for me. The smaller
stuff I kept – just for practical purposes, so the rest of the flat was in
chaos – with me camped out on my settee for almost a week and a half. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The ceiling was brought down and plasterboard
put up, then it all skimmed. A wait for 4 days till dry enough to paint the
ceiling and the walls, they didn’t do the wood though. So, as soon as semi
organised, got my painter to come to do the white wood work – but only where it
was seen (I could not bear any more upheaval!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now just waiting for the new curtains and
blanket box I have on order to finish that room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I had been planning to update my kitchen, for
practical reasons – easy to clean and easy for me to work in, and after all
that has been happening, I decided I had better bite the bullet and get the
work done now, because any delay and I might never do it!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Plans have been agreed, as have cost, and it
all begins in early December. I have found a home for my dresser, which should
be going this weekend, then next week the big clear out begins! My ‘how to be
positive’ attitude is that I will at last manage to have a good clear out. You
know those drawers chock a block with junk , tins which might now be out of date…etc Will chuck out or send to charity shop whatever is appropriate.
Then last night I thought I would plan what will go where, to try to be as
sensible as possible. If I changed my mind once, I changed it a dozen times!
Keeps me out of mischief!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am not looking forward, in truth, to all
the work involved. There is the clear out, the chaos as stuff is stored, the
trying to live for 3-4 days with a kettle and microwave. Then, of course,
putting it all back…… then the vinyl to be chosen and fitted for the floor,
then painting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have settled for a slightly adventurous
colour scheme – being tired of always playing safe – so units are high gloss
white, splash back and work tops black, the vinyl to be a slate tiled effect.
Then all the walls to be pillar box red!!! I have bought an oil cloth for the
table, in a Japanese design with white, black, grey and red. The ceiling is to
be a soft grey. I am being brave and doing what I want – from the quiet response
I got from mum and OH, I am not so sure they are as enthusiast, but hey my
kitchen, I am paying for it!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Through all of this there has been a bit of
obvious stress, and I have been plagued by neck pain, however new meds are being
taken which seem to be helping. I might even consider getting in professional
cleaners to go through the flat after kitchen done, and the hall painted (that
will be the last thing to be done) If I can get the hall done before Christmas.
That will then be finished, finito, done!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s funny, that even though you are well
aware of your limitations when you have a chronic disease, you forget that your
condition will evolve and worsen in time. This was what caused the decision to
carry out the kitchen work, as I have found that I have real problems getting
stuff out from base units, or from too high in wall units. I am going to have
the deep double drawers in some of the units so I can have the likes of
crockery much easier to get to. As I have difficulty reaching to clean, the
gloss white doors are easier to clean as dirt tends to slide off and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I hope this means I will start the new year
with my flat as good as it can be with my financial restrictions, as I can’t
see anything major being done again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Apart from all the above, life has been very
quiet, cats are great, my hair is still red!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-77314308060956910142012-05-07T14:02:00.003-07:002012-05-07T14:05:51.814-07:00Mojo where art thou?<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;">As my friends here know my mojo has run off
somewhere recently. I have no idea where, but one day it had just had enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;">I have been finding it quite difficult
because of that, as I have felt quite low, and unable to cope with things I
normally just get on with. I have gone through one of those periods of just
feeling fed up with my lot, and it is difficult to speak too openly, as I would
hate to offend anyone who can do far less than I can etc.#<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;">I have been finding it very hard not getting
out combined with the rubbish weather. This is mainly because I can, on most
days, carry on around the flat and feel not too bad. And that is so
frustrating, because I know that by the time I would get to the end of the road
I would be hot and bothered, breathless and clutching my stick and bent really badly! But, within the
confines of the flat I feel like I should be able to do more. I think the flat size is the size I can appear ‘normal’ in, if you know what I mean, just a
little bit more and I have to accept I have limitations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;">Despite the fact I live within walking
distance of Princes Street, I can’t get out easily by bus because most of
Edinburgh is being dug up partly general
road works but centrally because of the tram works. Buses are all to pot, so to get
anywhere requires several buses and – for me – a bit of a walk, in both
directions don’t forget! Of course I
would have to figure out how to get what buses initially as they have all
changed routes! So the alternative is stay in till you are howling at the 4
walls, or go by taxi! And I can assure you taxi costs in Edinburgh are
expensive. To get to mums house costs at least £7 and that is for 10 minute cab
ride, and again would need to do both directions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: medium;">So all of this is just dragging me further down,
oh to have a car and a driver (I do still have a license but because of the
lack of mobility with my neck I cannot possibly see properly) there is this
feeling of , this is it, my life in 4 walls! I can’t remember the last time I
went out for a meal, went to the cinema, went to an art gallery, did something
I really wanted to do, not just what is </span><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span style="font-size: 19px;">available</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: medium;"> to do that I can manage. I don’t mind too much not going out at night, to be
honest as it would be just too expensive as it would be taxi’s everywhere, and
I am too tired these days by early evening, but it would just be so nice to be
able to do something different, something fun, go for a drive, go down and feed
the swans and ducks, …..know what I mean.?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt;">I love reading, and my eyes are giving me
problems and headaches, I used to love knitting and had thought of taking it up
again, when my hands reminded me why that was a really stupid idea. Even with
the computer, between the eyes and the hands, cants stay on for long. I have
been trying to plan work to be done to the flat, but partly because I can't do
all I would want to its difficult to make decisions, as I know that part of the
plan making, is just to have something to so. So I am busy creating things to do
to keep me occupied, sad really, pathetic really, depressing – certainly.
Sometimes you can just shake yourself out of it, but sometime it is too hard,
that dark cloud just envelopes you and you are forced to face and accept your
lot, bugger!<o:p></o:p></span></div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-28377857925362822502012-03-02T11:49:00.000-08:002012-03-02T11:49:50.752-08:00What a week!<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This week started poorly as on Monday and Tuesday not feeling all that great, just run down and under par. Then on Wednesday no laptop!!!! No internet connection, nothing on Ipad or Iphone either. So seemed reasonable to conclude that there was a problem with the router, as opposed to the laptop. Phoned I T man, who offered to call after his last call that day, 8-9, however after thinking about it, realised it would be a problem as OH works nights and he would be getting ready, so phoned him back and arranged for Thursday afternoon. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then surprise surprise, on Wednesday night I heard iPhone ping and on checking all ok, so quickly online and explaining what had happened. Thursday morning, zilch, nada, nothing, glad I hadn’t called to cancel appointment!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On Thursday, I noticed again a strange noise in the bathroom, kind of like an electric hum, as it had been around a couple of weeks decided it was too annoying to leave so called the plumber and the young man arrived early afternoon. After listening in the bathroom he went off to investigate, in a wee while called me through to show me where he had moved the washing machine and dryer out of my wee utility area and rolled back the vinyl to expose sodden floor boards. He lifted some of them to find a huge fountain erupting from the joint at a copper and lead pipe…..and a lake under it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDf1Ck09LQNlqzhkjybgypLVOg26_s66puxMCxXZ-gHhP1fUJTea6Chwm_qRq-yD-VtjCoQIHkLOIsTy_PptIR4NGI8ET9RxhZTOYjVFeBCbW5cocMz0gW6_OA5Qdf00s_JqFgkwPejw/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDf1Ck09LQNlqzhkjybgypLVOg26_s66puxMCxXZ-gHhP1fUJTea6Chwm_qRq-yD-VtjCoQIHkLOIsTy_PptIR4NGI8ET9RxhZTOYjVFeBCbW5cocMz0gW6_OA5Qdf00s_JqFgkwPejw/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He worked on and managed to fix the leak but we also noticed the kitchen sink waste unit had dropped and needed either lifted or replaced. As it is obviously better to get that done before the new floorboards are laid, we arranged for plumber to come back today. So the washing machine and dryer, plus washing hamper, cat food supplies and dishes all moved into kitchen, washing machine pulled back as far as we could to get out the way and so it could be connected and therefore useable. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5foglbKM6kcK6tjRWFXqwZyl8ol7q68nXEFCUGnwo-S5L9Tm8jdFoc0rRU8lHaT5v9200GqYDMNBDzzlmWM9989SJQqzsn82YRE24yP3tZu_g74eg4vEYb1X29ORD1-DDDB3euEd6_M/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5foglbKM6kcK6tjRWFXqwZyl8ol7q68nXEFCUGnwo-S5L9Tm8jdFoc0rRU8lHaT5v9200GqYDMNBDzzlmWM9989SJQqzsn82YRE24yP3tZu_g74eg4vEYb1X29ORD1-DDDB3euEd6_M/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKyS3I1wRsulczyFWd1UB-3OGnhvf0HeDAoVXLAO_AfJS66wCQ5dsV29bw3S4v-AL3urXbaNOXF_RANXOV5LR5E29IUgxjqDn3PclFHKQ5KK3dGk7jOLmVyQn2p_nGL1oJ7VJzSw3Y48/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKyS3I1wRsulczyFWd1UB-3OGnhvf0HeDAoVXLAO_AfJS66wCQ5dsV29bw3S4v-AL3urXbaNOXF_RANXOV5LR5E29IUgxjqDn3PclFHKQ5KK3dGk7jOLmVyQn2p_nGL1oJ7VJzSw3Y48/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately the joiner can’t come till Tuesday to lay new floorboards, so chaos will be with me all weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By this time we realised no sign of IT man, he was running late but it was going to be too late for OH, so changed yet again to this afternoon. Plumber came this morning, did all he needed to do, IT man arrived and found the router just needed to be reprogrammed, so all ok there. We had a conversation as he mentioned he often had reconditioned laptops (thinking about mum) and then thought about my old knackered laptop, so he is off with it, convinced he will be able to fix it and then take it to mum and set it all up for her, yeah!! Fingers crossed!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the middle of all this I got a phone call from mums alarm people to say her alarm had gone off and police were on their way! Phoned mum, all well, but when she went into the cupboard where the control, panel lives, a red light came on….. by which time the police car appeared all lights flashing – policeman jumped out the car and ran up to the door and pounded on it. However they were very good and once convinced that she was fine went off. When she phoned the alarm people to tell them (this has happened before) they asked her if she would be in all weekend then they would get an engineer out on Monday!!!!! Anyway, engineer has now been but couldn’t figure out what is wrong, but have changed the setting so that if the alarm goes off they will phone her first to check the situation before alerting the police! Her poor neighbour came running up the street to see if she was ok, and got all emotional hugging her. Any other neighbours around must have wandered what on earth was going on!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mother was stressed with all this so when the local kids started cycling up and down the road, and the footballs came out she was pacing in her dining room watching them in case of damage. I do wish some of these neighbours who encourage their kids to play with footballs in the street would make sure their kids stayed at their own houses, but of course they don’t and then older residents like my mum get stressed to hell. Apart from the danger of damage to her garden or windows, there have a few narrow misses from cars with kids running out from behind parked cars.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why is it that life just rolls along with the usual old ups and downs, then suddenly it all goes to hell? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-84777260563170904012012-02-08T07:47:00.001-08:002012-02-08T07:52:20.621-08:00Masquerade of Words up catch up blog, probably more of a ramble….<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Trying to think where to start, Coping: coping on many levels. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">There is the practical stuff, learning how to do everyday things by using other parts of your body for strength, eg when vacuuming using an upright machine, we usually push from our backs, but by using the thighs to push with, is much easier on our backs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Always bend down by bending the knees (unlike me who bent down to pick up a bit of fluff while vacuuming, and didn’t use my knees and simply heard the crack as my back broke yet again)!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">When making a bed always use the thighs as much as possible, to push the bed for example.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">When organising your kitchen try to make sure that everything you use on a regular basis is in a cupboard you can reach easily, as you don’t want to be reaching/stretching any more than you absolutely have to. Have ovens fitted in where you can use them with ease, and not have to hold a heavy dish and bend down to put it into the oven, or to lift out of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">In the bathroom try to have handles you can use to hold onto while in the shower, especially good for getting out when you are all wet!!!! And a grip for getting out of a bath. You may not feel you need measures such as these yet, but the day will come when you may not find the essential, but probably find them to be useful.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Again in the kitchen think of the weight of cooking utensils, there are some fabulous cooking pots and casseroles around, but as well as being very expensive, they weight a ton, and that’s before there is any food in them. This may seem very simplistic, but these things can be a real nuisance if you haven’t thought it through. It also really helps when you can do these things for yourself and have to ask for help as infrequently as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Then there is the whole question of how to make those around us as aware as possible to our situation. The problem, as we all know, is how to make people really understand what life is like. How one day we can be quite fine (or at least manage to appear to be!) and the next, after doing nothing ‘wrong’ we can be unable to carry on, unable to function without it being obvious to all. We try to convey to them about the nasty visitations we often get in the night, the one with the baseball bat, cricket bat, truck…… but they find it rather difficult to comprehend. The fact that we can be totally battered, or run over by that truck!, or a shoulder just battered, or a knee, or a foot, lower back, neck, well you know the story. I keep saying that I think the basis is that most people consider illness to be something to get (catch.. whatever) it is diagnosed, treated, then you go through a period of recuperation, and Bobs your uncle! Our reality is we have lots of periods of being very unwell, eventually it is diagnosed – usually years later – we receive treatment and then go into the occasional period of quiet. Sometimes the quiet times can last for years if you manage to get great meds organised (quiet meaning you can continue living a fairly normal life and coping) but then something comes along to stop you in your tracks, whether it’s a new place of pain, whether the meds just stop being so efficient and you need to start all over again to reassess your situation and try a new regime, whatever, but it means that their notion of us being ‘cured’ is shown yet again to be all wrong. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">They seem to find it very difficult to accept there is no cure, that there is no overdoing it, doing the wrong thing for us. Yes we probably do more than we should when we can – just cause we can. It doesn’t happen often ok, so go easy on us!! But there is no guarantee doing ‘too much’’ will cause us exceptional pain, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t, and you need to believe us when I say that you should try not to ‘accuse’ us if we end up paying for a full day out, a day full of housework etc. We have gone ahead and done a lot more than our normal after weighing it all up, and balancing up any possible payment against the sense of achievement we are able to enjoy now and then. To have behaved in a normal way!!! We give ourselves a row for doing too much on the various AS sites, but it is done tongue in cheek as we all understand the enjoyment of having the occasion high and low rather than never ending blandness.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Yesterday I was full of the cold feeling miserable with lots of aches etc and a bit fed up. I didn’t get up till later, didn’t have a shower and generally was just a misery, so today feeling a little better I had a lovely long hot shower, washed the hair, got dressed, even put on some red lippie just to cheer myself up. I couldn’t have done much more, but I did enough to feel the difference from the day before, and hopefully tomorrow might be even better , might even get outside!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">We have to work with what we have on any given day. We will let you know, though if you are very observant you might find you can see the little signs to guide you into how to deal with us!.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gungsuh, serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">I could ramble on a lot more, but my hands are grumbling now, despite my natty fingerless gloves, so I will finish now.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-33073790117098259262012-02-01T05:15:00.000-08:002012-02-01T05:15:41.008-08:00ResultFurther to my last blog, I have happy news to report, my mum has made the decision regarding her TV,Telephone and Broadband supplier. After so much more than I blogged about, I had to sit her down and discuss it all, which was a good job as I discovered that she had many confusing ideas. Still sorted, and she has this morning (yes that how long it has been going on for) phoned Virgin and they have agreed changes to her package and the adjusted cost, and will all be supplied and set up next month.<br />
<br />
I am relieved as I shall probably be able to help her out if she confused with anything as I have Virgin. She is getting a new Tivo box, so I hope it is like my Virgin+ box.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I was laid low with major head/eye/neck/shoulder issues, and really unable to cope with much, certainly not a stressful discussion with anyone, so I was able to not have to get too involved.<br />
<br />
I have 2 of my Twitter/FB friends visiting for coffee tomorrow morning, I must do my roots this afternoon, but as I am still feeling a little vulnerable being aware that the head ache from yesterday is hovering in the back ground, so I wont attempt to catch up on the outstanding chores. Maybe tonight when OH goes off to work I will get up and run round with hoover and duster and floor mop etc etc, but hey ho, both ladies know my health status, and coming to meet up for the first time (Susan and I have met many times and she has been to my home, but Colette has not met either of us nor been to my home).<br />
<br />
I see my eye has a rather large almost bruised look, so will need time to camouflage this and generally make myself presentable, so flat will just have to wait its turn.<br />
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Right off to tackle those mousy roots!feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-82174876299181944302012-01-25T08:59:00.000-08:002012-01-25T08:59:49.532-08:00Another one of those days<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello all it’s been another of those days, and I am writing this in an effort to calm down.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It started with me not sleeping well, and being awake from the back of 3 or so, and reading, still awake when OH came in at 6. Had another coffee, cuddled the cat and read some more, then woke up, had been having a lovely dream too….. settled down to read some more and drifted off…till the phone rang. It was mum, and irate, bad tempered mum. She was having problems with her Virgin TV line, and I had to listen to every single little detail of the phones calls made, time spent hanging one, who she spoke to what they said etc etc. Then she had looked out the window and saw a car parked halfway over her driveway, so she phoned the police and was disgusted by their attitude – she knows what they will say, they say the same thing every time, but I had to listen to it all. Then asked if I was OK, in that way which is more of an accusation than a question, I imagine because I was quite quiet. I said I was just a bit sleepy as I had just woken up, so she decided she had better go then so I could get back to sleep….. yes right!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And that was the pattern for the rest of the day, she phoned Skye, got some info then phoned me to tell me about it, as I asked questions, she got all huffy as she hadn’t asked them, also floored me by announcing she is going to get a laptop. OMG my worst nightmare has come true! My mum used a computer many years ago in a job, but it was a company programme, but she tells me over and over about what happened when you pressed such and such a key…..Will we still be speaking when she gets a laptop??<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then she calls to tell me the name of the man from Skye and he is phoning me in an hour to discuss her needs…. Then a while later she phoned to say she had phoned BT and their man was phoning me too to discuss later. So I rushed off to see what was what on line so I had some back ground knowledge of their offers, though trying to make sense of it all was not easy. Well I was at the stage of looking for something I could just throw very hard and smash, head pounding, back aching from being bent over the laptop all day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both men called me back and I got what I considered to be relevant information, and called her back to tell her, I forgot briefly who I was speaking to as I told her I said to the BT man that I had not smoked for a few years but could really do with one, now and he said he understood what I meant, luckily she laughed!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So at last I can relax, no more book got read, no TV watched, no recorded programmes watched, nothing actually done, just sat over the laptop all day. I love my mum dearly, but it is such hard work trying to explain anything to her, she makes up her mind and that’s that. As an example she talked about buying a new TV for the lounge, I said why, and she slowly reminded me she was going to get rid of Virgin, so she would have to change the TV, I in turn, explained to her, that she had an aerial as well as cable, and if she tried using the TV handset she would see it worked. But she says I want my freeview stations, I explained the TV its self has that (we have the same TV). She was still not believing me, and I explained she could chuck her Virgin box away and she would still have the same , maybe a few less stations but she only uses the basic ones. I think she must have gone and tried it as she never mentioned it again, but just an example of the difficulty. I am having a large glass of pear cider at the moment, and for the 1<sup>st</sup> time in a long time, could really enjoy a ciggie, but I know I won’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It might be an early night, with more pear cider and my book, as I am absolutely knackered.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh well, hope there are no nightmares tonight!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-17574909177019573282012-01-11T03:32:00.000-08:002012-01-11T03:32:52.788-08:00Frustration<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is a subject we have discussed often on the AS sites on FB, friends and family and their understanding of AS (Ankylosing Spondylitis), but one that just goes on and on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have mentioned in FB and Twitter that I have been having a difficult week, healthwise, difficulty in walking due to pain and stiffness in hips in particular, and I have mentioned this to mum, downplayed quite a lot, and of course OH sees it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This morning mum asks how my aches and pains are, I say much the same, she then says even though she has a heavy cold and currently bedridden, we could maybe manage out tomorrow!!! I try to explain that I am having difficulty walking round the flat, and while walking more might well be good for me, I am not happy with the thought of going out and feeling like this outside. Oh she says, what have you been up to be this sore????? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My mother has never ever been able to understand that AS strikes when it strikes, I don’t so anything to cause it to, it isn’t ‘my fault’ it isn’t reacting to anything I have any control over. I can be sore through doing too much, in the same way as we all can, but AS pain is different. It is so difficult trying to explain this yet again without sounding irritated, because then she will be offended. Just like she will tell me to go to my bed and rest and then give me a row when I am up and about, and I have to remind her that too much time in bed is not good as I will stiffen up. Then the next time I haven’t slept well and am tired, she will tell me to get up in case I stiffen up…………<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then, yesterday, OH watching me shuffling around holding onto the wall, does little to help, except carry the cup of coffee, and pop though every half hour to see if I wanted a cuppa. Asks ‘when are you back to the doctor?’ in and exasperated tone. I feel it offends him in some way to see me like that and again feel why do you not understand, you have known me for long enough (20+years). I ask him what he thinks the doc is going to do? He has no idea but thinks I should see him. Again I have to explain, I know what is wrong, I have the painkillers as I have arranged with rheumatologist to get the stronger painkillers to take along with usual ones on occasions like this!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I know I should have more patience, especially as I am aware that so many others have exactly the same issues, but it is so frustrating that no matter what happens with my AS it is initially assumed, a) I have done too much, so my own fault, or b) I am somehow negligent by not rushing off to the doc.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I shall say, yet again, my favourite word of the moment – BUGGER!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-21914738399181882342012-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:002012-01-08T07:30:16.754-08:00Liebster Blog Award<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span itc'","serif";color:#d52a33'="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 18.0pt;">Liebster Blog Award</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span background:white'="" itc'","serif";color:#333333;="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;">I am amazed and delighted to have been awarded the Liebster Blog Award by Rosalie at </span><span background:white'="" itc'","serif";color:#2a2a2a;="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;">http://tearosesmusings.blogspot.com </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Rosalie you have made my day, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this award xxx I hope everyone who reads this will have a read at Tilting at Windmills, the blog. Rosalie can also be found entertaining us on Twitter as @tearose68.</span><span itc'","serif";color:#333333'="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span itc'","serif";color:#333333;background:white'="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;">The purpose of the Liebster Blog Award is to spread the love from one small blog ( those with under 200 followers ) to other small blogs . This helps to spread awareness and readership.</span><span color:#333333'="" itc'","serif";="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Liebster ,in German, means 'dearest' and so, in keeping with the Liebster Award tradition I am going to pass on this award to 5 blogs that I enjoy. Blogs that have inspired me and made me think about the lives of others. Blogs that have entertained me and, I feel, will be of interest to all of you.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">To accept the award you must,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">1) Link back to the person who gave it and thank them for thinking of you.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">2) Post the award to your blog.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">3) Give the award to 5 bloggers ( with less than 200 followers ) that you appreciate and value.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">4) Leave a comment on the blogs of the five people you have chosen, to let them know.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">And here are the five blogs that I have chosen for the award . It was very difficult as there are so many wonderful blogs and I am sorry that I couldn't give you all an award , but each of these is fabulous for many different reasons.</span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span itc'","serif";color:#333333;background:white'="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;">Tabitca on craft and stuff ( and @Tabitca on Twitter ) Tabitca stuggles with health issues, but entertains with the tales of her 2 lovely cats. She is a fabulous lady who when her life changed so much that she is virtually house bound now, took up crafts, her cards are a work of art, and writing a mystery and suspense series of 3 books. The first 2 have been published on Kindle, the first has been taken on by a publishing house and will be out in paper form soon, the third is in the process of being written. She is an inspiration and shows what you can achieve if you try, despite overwhelming odds.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span itc'","serif";color:#333333;background:white'="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;">Meloni on Ankylosing Spondylitis Mom struggles with the same health condition I have, however she is also the mom to 2 girls. She writes her blog in order to share her experiences with others with AS, and to educate those who don’t have it. Well worth a read as it does exactly what she intended it do, as well as being very entertaining.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span itc'","serif";color:#333333'="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;">Penny at Penny’s Points is a lovely lady who has health issues, a cat, a new puppy, strong views on many subjects (@pennyessex on Twitter ). Always interesting, never dull, Penny shares with us her experiences as well as her views on whatever she cares enough about to share.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span itc'","serif";color:#333333'="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;">SamT on Ramblings from the Northern Territories 2 and also exists on Twitter as @SamDescartes. I meet up on a regular basis with Susan (Sam) since we chatted on Twitter, and I have always read her blogs. There can about whatever is current with her, from families, to her wee doggie and various cats, to the trials of working as a teacher, to the trials of being the carer of her mother. Always interesting.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span itc'","serif";color:#333333'="" kristen="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 14.0pt;">Cynthia on I Am Not Random, But I Do Have Random Thoughts is another lady with health issues, but her blog is just what it says on the packet. You never know what she might be chatting about, or the form it will take.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">So, there are, my Top Five Bloggers, the ones I read on a regular basis. It was difficult to choose only 5. I hope some new readers might give them a go and enjoy them as I do.</span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-27939808111600597452012-01-06T09:18:00.000-08:002012-01-06T09:19:41.638-08:00Rambling<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I have not had much to say on my blog for a wee while, so as a start to the New Year, I feel I should make more of an effort.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It can be difficult sometimes to write a blog when all your thoughts are of a negative variety, or you have just really been up to nothing much. However, I would like to take the opportunity to describe one day this week when I was feeling particularly gloomy. I woke that morning, and I just couldn’t be bothered about anything. I felt down, depressed, I was a bit sore, was trying to deal with a new pain and I was worrying about 2 of my close friends on FB who were having a tough time and waiting for news. I didn’t want to just disappear, so simply said I wouldn’t be around much that day, I did describe myself at one point as a torn faced whatever, and this really captures it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkn05wBoDw58du4tilYxgtN0Zu5Ix3rl1NMiq1yKEbtThMTRPY1GGQnp9yyvyKm_Y-FXyWc_r33v2wFJxBJYvmQV0RuVuSph8mWsgpd_J1qHUyawbNukwU219RMsQCd5sq65uq8MWaJ0/s1600/380943_278628035516661_236124369767028_858787_1404977727_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkn05wBoDw58du4tilYxgtN0Zu5Ix3rl1NMiq1yKEbtThMTRPY1GGQnp9yyvyKm_Y-FXyWc_r33v2wFJxBJYvmQV0RuVuSph8mWsgpd_J1qHUyawbNukwU219RMsQCd5sq65uq8MWaJ0/s320/380943_278628035516661_236124369767028_858787_1404977727_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">However, I did not bank on my FB friends, I received so many lovely messages, offers to sort out the person who might have upset me, people I don’t normally converse with, we are just members of same groups, felt compelled to contact me. It was quiet overwhelming and did reduce me to tears once or twice, that people would take the time to actually cheer me up.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I read an article yesterday by a doctor who was commenting on the fact that despite the bad press given to the likes of FB, until he became ill and housebound, he did not realise how much belonging to FB would change his life. He found lots of people to chat to with common interests as well as support groups for others with his condition. He described how he felt much more fulfilled and as a member of the medical profession, what a wealth of experience, information and knowledge was available to him on FB. He found he learned so much more about his illness and also about the patient / doctor relationship. Yes, you have to try to remember that not everyone will be genuine, real or very nice, but then that is the same in ‘real’ life too.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I used to spend much more time on Twitter, but I have found that on FB I have longer conversations and therefore gotten to know people better, and have formed such wonderful friendships. I still pop back and forth to Twitter all the time as there are people there that I would not want to lose contact with, and want to know what is happening in their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I think this time of year is such a dull dreary time, if you have had a fabulous Christmas/New Year, then you are feeling flat as it is now just back to normal, and of course January is such a long month between salaries, and the debts are becoming real. If, on the other hand, you haven’t had a great time over the holidays, it is just more dark and cold days to survive till Spring arrives, an endless feeling time. Many people like me don’t get out much with the weather, whether it is the cold or bad conditions under foot making walking even more off putting. I have to travel by bus or taxi, so of course buses are daunting as I have to have a min of 3 changes of buses in each direction to get to the shopping centre I prefer to go to, which in cold windy bus stops ……. But if I get a taxi, it costs a fortune, so needs to be considered carefully.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It does feel like hibernation as I appear to be getting out 1 day a week these days, still at least the shops are getting quieter as Christmas and the first flush is off the sales, plus almost everyone is back working now, hear the ‘Grumpy Old Woman sneaking in there?? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYInhnuxZlf2jwmNzwp60eElfjHArk8LYxti11pnMQeYy0o7_jd5o-mqfkeCdGHex-iRQy4GLtUuuQJBLOEc_ISparuNPjFCF0FtKvZLNCHJ7kTP7QsovsV6oxwPtCK8rfPBOUDyCKvqY/s1600/various+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYInhnuxZlf2jwmNzwp60eElfjHArk8LYxti11pnMQeYy0o7_jd5o-mqfkeCdGHex-iRQy4GLtUuuQJBLOEc_ISparuNPjFCF0FtKvZLNCHJ7kTP7QsovsV6oxwPtCK8rfPBOUDyCKvqY/s320/various+002.JPG" width="243" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I cheered myself up in the usual way yesterday by buying (or at least mum buying for me as she saw the ‘look’) as well as some purple undies, obviously not liked by others as they were so reduced in price, and purple….. but also a pink bag. I know, a pink bag you say, but I have several pairs of pink shoes. I like surprising things like pink shoes, again bought for ridiculous prices in sales as not a popular colour.</span><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t really care of it is winter, I will carry my own little bit of fun and lightness with me. I tend to wear a lot of black, purple and grey so pink is perfect, and clashes beautifully with my red hair!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Well I have rambled on rather a lot, but I would also like to add a list of my current reasons to be grateful, as suggested by one of my Twitter friends:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">My online family for caring enough to make contact when I needed it<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">My pink cashmere hoodie bought for less than half price (will match the bag and shoes!) and is so soft and cosy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The fact that I can see the changes and additions to my home helping to change it into the home I want, which is nice as I spend so much of my time here!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The days may be dreicht, but there is something very enjoyable and guilt free about curling up with a good book, or DVD when it is dark and nasty outside.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Happy New Year to you all xxx</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><br />
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</div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-54901854841857951172011-12-28T08:03:00.001-08:002011-12-28T08:03:27.216-08:00Job Well Done<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Heading for the New Year does bring out that ‘clear out the old year ready for the new one’ feeling, whether I like it or not!.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have found myself going through various cupboards and drawers this week and clearing/tidying, but this afternoon was the hard one. The one I have been building up to, going through the accumulated drawers of makeup.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They are forever reminding us on TV programmes to check the shelf life of makeup, and I must say I was a bit worried when I threw out several eye shadows which had a suggested shelf life of 6 months, and I can count back 8 years or so to buying the!. So I took a deep breath and started, eye shadows, tossed out, blushers – out, bronzers – out, lipsticks – out, foundations – out. Then I started on the creams and potions, and any of them opened that I hadn’t used in some time - out!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the end I had a large carrier bag full, less clutter on my dressing table, and a feeling of having accomplished something. I must get OH to take the rubbish out soon, though in case I have a wee look - just to check…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then, of course, I realised, I will need to replace some of it, not too much, of course. I mean I don’t need 4 purple eye shadows, or 4 mascaras on the go. How many blushers do you need??? Only a couple especially as we now can see how long they are to last, before going in the bin.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So job well done - now I just need to wash all my brushes to complete the task. Unfortunately the last time I coloured my hair I put something down on the dressing table and quite badly marked with red blobs, but I found an interesting looking dark lace runner, like spiders web patterns. So I have ordered that which will hide the marks and add some interest too I hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had also ordered for mum, a necklace display thingy. All the ones we have seen are either too wobbly when laden with necklaces, or not tall enough for the long necklaces and pendants. I found this one in eBay, and after asking questions of the firm, ordered one. It came today so I have hung my stuff on it to see how it fares. So far so good. It looks lovely and takes up far less space than my old one, and it feels secure. All being well, mum will take this one home with her on Sunday and I will order another one for me, maybe 2 as I think it would look balanced on my unit with 2 of them and hold necklace’s better.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Large bottle of pear cider now, I think for job well done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-22420048491673317892011-11-26T11:40:00.000-08:002011-11-26T11:40:51.842-08:00Just one of those days<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You know those kind of days when you knew you should never have gotten out of bed? Today was one of those. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I woke up feeling pretty yucky, tired, upset tum, sore eye etc etc, however had to stay awake, although OH was going out for shopping and some for mum, I have to prepare the list – he can buy but never notices anything so cannot be trusted to get what is needed – so list made, but despite being desperate for a cuppa, as he was sleeping, decided to wait till he was awake. He had after all come in from work at 6, and was getting up again at 8.30.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So got OH all organised, cat came for cuddle, I dozed, all pretty nice I wanted to have a shower and wash my hair, so I thought I will change the bed, so I can get into a clean nightie and later a clean me into clean bed. The duvet cover was brought out, and was very cold, in fact I wasn’t sure it wasn’t still damp. I went looking for another, and found an old cover that I love, but it’s very hard to wash and iron as it is heavily embroidered denim. Never mind, I thought, it will be nice to use it. I forgot what a sod it is to get on as it buttons, but the buttons are half way down the front of the cover, so all usual rules for stuffing a duvet into a cover are no use. Still I struggled on, and eventually, with the air a little blue, it was done, and all looking rather nice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So my lazy day now had me putting a wash on, and then had to start on the dishes left for me. In due course managed bath and hair wash, got organised and into fresh nightie. Ok not too bad, tum still not right, head banging away and eye throbbing, but cuppa and pain pills and I’ll be OK I thought. OH got home, and went on and on about something on the list, and when I eventually asked why there was such a bloody problem with an everyday thng like that, it appeared he had decided it was something else…..showed him the list, he stomped off.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Washing done, so all bedding into dryer, and towels etc made up another load. Had a wee cup of soup to keep me going, read a few papers and then decided to have my meal early. When sorting it out, put soup that I made yesterday, on to heat through and added the lentils, left it simmering when I took my meal through. Then a smelt the burning, the soup was burnt, pan ruined, place stinking. All my own fault, couldn’t blame anyone else. Disposed of soup, left the pan to soak in case it was salvageable, and opened the window a little. A wee while later went through and window wide open, despite trying everything I could, it was impossible for me to close, it so I had to go off to get dressed to go out, but in the meantime OH woke up to go to the loo, so he managed to close it for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tired, sore, fed up, everything that could go wrong today has, so I should have stayed in my bed, I really should have.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Never mind, tomorrow can only be better ……….<o:p></o:p></span></div>feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-66523770170775586982011-10-25T09:36:00.000-07:002011-10-25T09:36:11.157-07:00One of those daysII have been going through a period of not sleeping well, so although I had dentist today, not till 2.10. Which was just as well as I did the usual last night, fighting to stay awake till OH up and getting ready for his work, then....wide awake!. Still sitting watching recorded programmes at 2.30..<br />
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Able to have a long lie in.but felt the need to get up and on with some of the chores waiting for me. However always having to remember about the dentist. I had gathered some books I didn't want to keep to hand into the charity book shop near the dentist, however as the pile grew, OH took pity and took them up for me, so all I had to do was pop in on the way home to look for any books (!)<br />
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Well I arrived at the dentist, and without going into it all, I had no appointment, my details were correct per the details I was given, but different ones put in the computer. End result, no one available to see me so I have to go back in a few weeks. I was very pleasant, neither lady there made the booking, so no point of taking it out on them. So off to the charity shop, feeling very fed up as my whole day was programmed round the appointment.<br />
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Bought 3 books and a book carrier thingy in purple, rather handy as your book fits in it with a pen, a ribbon to keep your page, and even a wee handle on the spine, if you wanted to carry it that way. Home, and there waiting for me was my new GHD straighteners. Bliss. Mine had dies, but as they were in excess of 10 years old, I cannot complain. In the meantime, I had looked out all old hair tongs etc, but you don't realise how good they are till you don't have them!!! So all excited I unpacked them and plugged them in.So lovely all new and extra bits, like the beep when heat reached. I had a quick shock of them, then switched them off, cleaned make up off, and calmly reached over o move them by grabbing the hot bit!!!!!! Thumb should have been three time the size and red and throbbing by the way it felt, ran for cooling gel......<br />
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Feeling a bit fed up with my day and then put my first ever Weighwatcher meal in the oven. Having lost a reasonable amount of weight on my slow and steady eating plan, I am still keen to be as good as I can be, but after the day I had been having., who knew! However, I can say with honesty I really enjoyed it and even more so as it was £2 in sale in supermarket!!!<br />
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Hopefully tomorrow should be a better day, need to get some chores out they way before the new boiler work starts on Thursday - hope fully all the thongs that are going to go wrong this week have already happened!! Early night coming up, with large scotch I think.......feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-23004402890150561902011-10-06T12:08:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:08:19.980-07:00For M O W : Self Esteem<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I find this quite a difficult one, probably I think, because it
is!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I can tell myself all the right things, gee myself up to go out,
and feel great, but when I meet people, new or old, I can often be found to
just quietly withdraw. Especially with a group of people, I find I just don't feel confident in a crowd any longer. I do find myself feeling so out of the
loop, boring, nothing to talk about and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">After spending my whole life working, suddenly because of my circumstances, my world has shrunk so much. While I will never miss the job, I do miss the mixing with people, the social side to working. I was mixing with all sorts of people, all sorts of ages and backgrounds. I chatted each day to all sorts of people, tenants, other departments, tradesmen.<span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">While these days I can go days with only seeing my OH briefly.
Apart from that it’s me, the cats, the TV and the laptop.</span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">I am not too bad, one on one, as I like to think I am a good listener, but in a crowd, I pull on my invisibility cloak. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel I am inferior as such, I just have little to say, because of this small, shrinking world I now inhabit.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"></span></span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">I can be walking
around, say in the shopping centre, leaning on a trolley and looking in the
windows, then see my reflection……..and it often will really knock the wind from
my sails. I don’t mean that in a narcissistic way, just that I still think of
myself as I was, 6 inches taller, a few stone lighter and with a straight spine.
Even after all these years the reality can still take my breath away, and
obviously affects my self-esteem. Any self-confidence I had mustered in order
to get out, goes straight out the window!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It can become such a catch 22 situation, the less you do it, the
less you want to do it, the less you socialise, the more difficult it is. I
can’t see an answer to this for me, as my circle gets ever smaller, so do the
opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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However, I shall continue to strive to get out and about, to try
and have a little more confidence, the poster below I feel is wholly
appropriate to me and others in similar situations, but it is not easy, but then why should we expect to be?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-54039967088758649562011-10-06T10:28:00.000-07:002011-10-06T10:28:38.685-07:00More Reasons to be cheerful<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s think what comes to mind this time for reasons to be
cheerful, at this time of year I do like a cool, but bright day, when I can
wear a<span> </span>long jumper and big woolly
cardigan, big scarf round my neck (I find this is the best place) and cosy
gloves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another reason to be cheerful, is on a dark, wet, windy day,
being able to snuggle by the fire, with the cats and a good book, or DVD, and
feel no guilt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My GHD hair straighteners: I don’t need to straighten my hair as
it’s straight as anything, but it’s also flat as a pancake, so a quick few
flicks with them and add some product, and it looks like I have much thicker and curvier hair. I do
have a spare pair (just cheap ones) as I would be totally lost without them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My drawer and cupboard and bags full of scarves of all sizes,
shapes, colours. I love my scarves, plain outfit, boring outfit, find a scarf
to change the look, or more often with several making all different looks to
suit the mood I am in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My jewellery collection. I feel naked without my jewellery, from
the cheapest of the cheap upwards. I can spend a lovely afternoon, getting all
necklaces off the stand and out the drawers etc, cleaning, deciding what is in
vogue, what has to go away and what will stay on show, then arrange in colour
order. Same with bracelets and earrings. Again lift and outfit, and my mood by
changing the jewellery, good stuff mixed with cheap whatever. I have enclosed a couple of photos of a few bits and bobs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And on one of these cool autumn/winter nights there is nothing to beat home made soup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On reflexion I quite like this time of year as long as dry and not too windy!!</span></div>
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feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-78145463253426640432011-10-05T05:08:00.000-07:002011-10-05T10:13:42.510-07:00Need:<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What do I need, I think in fairness this isn’t too complicated
at all. All the basic stuff needed by us all, enough money to not have to worry
too much each month, sufficient clothes to wear, food on the table etc etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Then the other stuff, I must have books around me, music to
listen to, people to talk to (mainly on line these days). When I can, I need to
get out of the flat, to stretch my legs, to walk, to look in shops, smile at
people, and feel like I am still part of the human race. Plus it is the only
form of exercise I can do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I also need a little help now and then, nothing major, but just
sometimes, if those around me would simply think ahead a little. I do this when
I am with my mum, I try to observe what she is doing, and often take over doing
something I know she will have difficult doing, before she realises that I have
done so. No big fanfare LET ME HELP YOU, just quietly assisting her. I often
need some help, and at times, if I am honest I actually really grudge having to
ask for it. I wander why no one has thought to themselves that what I am about
to do will be difficult for me and so just take over quietly. In fairness
though, I think I am more attuned to this simply because of my own situation,
and that is why I am able to do it with my mum. So a little subtle help, not
stuffed down my throat, or ‘I won’t bother as you will want to do it yourself,’
would be much appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A lot of that comes from the ‘not looking sick’ situation. If I
looked pale and wan and in a chair or in plaster or a bandage wrapped round my
head, people would make more of an effort. I know when I am in the supermarket,
holding onto the trolley, I can gaze at something on the top shelf, and I get
no offers of help. If I walk from the trolley using my stick I find it easier
to ask for help and people rarely look upset at being asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Probably also is the fact that having a chronic illness, people
get used to thinking of you in one way and they don’t change that mind-set.
They begin to accept that you rarely go out, so never ask, etc. You make your
bed and find yourself stranded there!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I need to feel worthwhile and not just a useless, nearly
housebound, disabled boring person, because I don’t go out, doesn’t mean I
might not like to, with a little assistance. But looking ok, and the illness
going on and on and on and on, being taken for granted sets in, invisibility
sets in, and assumptions take root.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I need more of a life than I have. I need to feel alive, I know
I am sliding into becoming the old woman with the cats and the books and the
TV, and that would be all too easy. I realise that mum is getting nearer to the
stage when she will need more help, and I dread it, as does she. What use will
I be then? But I will NEED to find strength and energy from somewhere as there
is only us, no big family to lean on, or big circle of friends anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I need to try and get as well as I can be , lose some weight to
help with this endeavour, as mum would love to go to the USA one more time. Go
to her favourite place, Scottsdale, and as I am at the moment I would be a real
hindrance. You might think this is more of a ‘wish’ than a ‘need’, but we all ‘need’
something to strive for. Or we would just stay in bed!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> There is plenty that I
want – but that is another story!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-4281604785895929502011-09-21T13:15:00.000-07:002011-09-21T13:15:10.237-07:00Reasons to be Cheerful<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">As started by Teasrose68 at Tilting at Windmills</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was busy trying to think what I could come up with. There were
a couple of obvious ones, for me. When Milo (cat) wakes me up in the middle of
the night just to say hello, give me a kiss and snuggle in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I tidy out my wardrobe or jewellery boxes and come upon
something I forgot I had, such a lovely surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then today my friend Tabitca had her second novel published on
Kindle as an e book, and she had put such a lovely mention of me in it. Fair
warmed my heart!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Later in the day I had an e mail from a lady who had come across
my blogs some time ago, had read both lots and asked me to read her book about
her mother’s illness, RA. She had also seen the article I had done on my story
with AS, she had used this as a basis for her blog, which she chose do about my
life. I was very touched by that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then my friend Cookie left such a super comment
on the blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am left feeling a very ……I am not sure what
adjective to use here, happy, touched, but certainly a reason to be cheerful!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-80984919590297592162011-09-20T08:01:00.000-07:002011-09-20T08:01:02.307-07:00Now this is what I call serviceAfter my couple of situations recently with what I consider to be poor customer care, today reminded me what of what it should be like.<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago, I bought a pack of hangers from Lakeland. I loved the look of them, animal print, and they have a bar for trousers, plus the material they are made of is not smooth so clothes won't fall off easily. I got them home, admired them and then used them all. 2 days ago the one holding a lightweight knitted tunic top, collapsed and I found the metal hook in place, but the top and hanger on the floor, the next day the same thing with a pair of lightweight joggers, with a vest! I was displeased and so wrote a review pointing out the plus points but that might be safer to use them for only the lightest items in your wardrobe.<br />
<br />
Within a couple of hours I had a phone call from Lakeland. The lady started out by apologising for the inconvenience to me, She explained that although they were a new item, they had sold thousands of sets and had received no complaints, however there might have simply been a bad batch. But would I please accept a replacement set, and would I be prepared to use them then report back if I had any more problems. As she explained, they could not put it right if they don't know about it, and thanked me for taking the time to make them aware. She also explained they had not published my review, but were happy do so if I wanted them to. I said no, that I would try the new set, and let them know by a review, how they are.<br />
<br />
What a difference.feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-86340433651537085452011-09-16T04:12:00.000-07:002011-09-16T04:13:10.162-07:00Mini blogIn my last blog on Wednesday, one of my moans was about the lack of service from the Nationwide, and I ranted about my phone call on the previous day (13th) which ended up with the lovely lady I was speaking to saying she would get it sorted out, but I would have a further 7-10 days before my transaction (closure of account and cheque for the closing balance) would be processed.<br />
<br />
Today I received two letters, first contained a statement, showing a closing balance of £00.00, the second, was a stock letter, undated, with a cheque. Cheque dated 13th!!!<br />
So the Nationwide do have some staff who can be pleasant and efficient, such a pity they are not in my branch!<br />
<br />
That has made my day.feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932061712006134369.post-66412339890960711332011-09-14T08:35:00.000-07:002011-09-14T08:35:34.148-07:00Angry old woman<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ever felt like something was conspiring against you? I am
normally a reasonably calm, outgoing kinda gal, but the last couple of days………….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Firstly, I had had a disagreement with a bank. I had a current account, and a savings account with them for several years. The funds in the current account were
never used as my main current account; it was an account for holidays, or unexpected
expenses. I went to buy my new laptop a couple of months ago and had the embarrassment
of having the card turned down. On investigation, I realised the card was out
of date, and no new card had been sent out. I phoned the bank,spoke to man in Basildon), and the man
checked the computer and confirmed that the account had no new card issued
because of lack of use of the account, I checked the card for the small savings account, no new card had been issued for that for the
same reason, and I had a credit card, that account had been cancelled due to lack of
use. I had received no communication from the bank regarding any of this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He agreed to issue me with a new debit card, together with a new
card for the savings account (and PIN as I had long forgotten it), but nothing
could be done re the credit card, I would need to apply for a new one!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">I called into the branch a few weeks later, as I had received the
new debit card, but nothing in respect of the savings account. At the meeting,
I was informed that a letter had been issued in respect
of the credit card, as this is required by law. I explained I had no such
letter. But no communication regarding the decision to not issue new cards for the 2 account was issued by them as this is not their policy! I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">inquired</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> re the new card and PIN for the savings, well I was told, they have all
been issued, did I have a problem with my postman!!!!! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I explained that I was concerned at the complete lack of service
and communication. The money in the current account is my money, but they had
basically cut me off from my funds, except by coming into the branch. No
comment was made except “not their policy!!” <span> </span>I then discussed the saving account, again
told I must have a problem with my postman, “well” says I, “in that case I had
better close the account as someone might have the new card and the new PIN.”
The account was closed and cash collected. So I returned to the current
account, I would like £600 cash now, oh no, I was told £500 max. That was it
for me, I told her to give me £500 and arrange to have the account closed and a
cheque for the balance issued to me. She collected the cash, then told me I couldn’t
close the account and get a cheque for the balance the same day…………………… so I
post dated the required forms for the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last week I got a page of a statement showing the withdrawal and
the current balance, so I got on the phone. I had to try over and over before I
managed to get a person to speak to, she was in an English office somewhere or other,
I explained- she looked- hesitated then went off to check something, then
had to phone head office, then had to phone Edinburgh. Guess what, no post-dated
form anywhere, account not closed, nothing had been done, the form must have
been lost in the post! Would I pop into town again, to sign forms? I had to
count to 10 before saying, no – no way – I have mobility issues and I had no
intention of struggling into town yet again, to sort out something that wasn’t
my fault. They agreed to accept my phone request, combined with the confirmation
from the branch, so will arrange it for me, probably around another 2 weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">I wander what would have happened if 1) I had no other funds
available to use initially when the card was rejected, and 2) If I was
desperate for that cash, if I was relying on it? Tellingly I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">received</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> no apology about anything in the branch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">Today I went to the optician so they could adjust my specs, they
were loose and moving around my face, not good for my eyes I thought, as the
lens is set up (they are variofocals) </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">in
line with my eyes, and if the position of the frame is wrong I won’t be seeing
properly! They came up with so many excuses that I nearly lost my temper,
eventually the optician checked my eyes and confirmed the prescription was ok,
but the specs were too wide at the bridge which made them fall down my nose and
dig into my cheeks and meant that my eyes were not aligned properly with the lens. So
after an hour or so in there, I chose new frames. I tried to explain that I thought the trained people who assist you with selecting your new frames actually did more than simply fill in the form, abut </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">apparently</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> not, they will sell you anything! I told them about a previous </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">optician</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">, where I had been refused frames, as they were not right for me would be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">uncomfortable!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> and the bridge was too wide!! I was told they were trained to fit specs and make sure the customer was advised and guided to make sure they were happy with their new specs. He said they would take that on board, then the girl who came to help me pick the new frames, just stood saying which she like and which she didn't, I asked her a couple of times re shape, fit, bridge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Kristen ITC'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kristen ITC"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hot tired and needing to get home and the feet up after all that, but no, mum
needed chocolate biscuits, so off we set back into the shopping centre. Back
yet again for a bus, not long to wait, this was good. I have to change buses
and have my usual route planned out so I have as short a distance as possible
to walk. The stop I get off at is after a particularly twisty and bumpy bit of road,
so I got my bags on seats, gathered my stick, pressed the buzzer, checked the
sign was lit up, and held on for dear life, as I bent to pick up my bags and
turned round – what did I see?? My bus stop as we sailed past it!! So I had to
get off at the next stop, which meant a wee walk, but with the way I was
feeling it could just as well have been a mile.OH met me at the bus top at home
to take all the bags, I hobbled across the road. Feet swollen, hands swollen,
head thumping and thinking if one more person annoys me today………. So into
nightie, make up off, coffee drunk, feeling a little more human, but thank God
I am staying in tomorrow!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
feline9http://www.blogger.com/profile/13312897216463064900noreply@blogger.com4