A lost quarter? Top Notch thanks!

I seem to have lost a quarter.  Not an American coin, not even an expanse of desert, but the first three months of this year seem to have unaccountably vanished.  There I was, all good intentions and feeling organised straight after Christmas - and now here we are at Easter.  Don't expect any explanations, I have no idea what happened.  It's time doing that elastic thing again.  When I'm not feeling up to much and can't manage anything as energetic as a bit of knitting (which inevitably coincides with there being nothing I fancy watching on TV) time expands so that the five minutes before I can reasonably have lunch feels like a week.  And then when I'm feeling brighter and able to do knitting (which seems to be my fitness meter these days) time condenses, and squidges itself up into a tiny nothingness.  This means that the hour in which I plan to do 15 minutes knitting, check emails, and then update blog actually lasts for about 9 seconds. You will appreciate this isn't even time for the laptop to boot up; but of course an hour has passed by my watch, and it's lunchtime so I'm hungry. And I still haven't updated my blog, although I may have managed a couple of rows of knitting and a cup of tea.

Fitness meter:
This works like one of those diet sheets, where you have to pick one item from the selection offered at each meal, and goes something like this:-

Top notch              
Pick up knitting and work at least an inch of back of adult size sweater or several inches of sock.
   OR
Check emails and Google a little (these, like time, have their own elasticity).
   OR
Do some drawing or sewing (more tiring than knitting, motor control takes more effort)
  OR
Update blog (this takes time as well as physical and mental effort.  I really enjoy it, but other stuff seems to need to take priority.  I may have to rethink my priorities)

Fair
Pick up knitting and work about half amount of top notch knitting.
   OR
Check emails
   OR
Google a little

Middling
Decide sweater too much of a slog, but manage several rows of sock.
   OR
Read for at least half an hour!

Ropey
Look at sock knitting and wonder if I'll feel like doing a round or two tomorrow.
   OR
Start to read and fall asleep after about 3 minutes.

Hoping for a tiny scrap of carrot

This doesn't include essential activities which generally take precedence. Even during Ropey I can get my own breakfast.  I usually get my own lunch too, but can't always do this at Ropey.  Amazingly hospital clinic visits usually coincide with either Top Notch or Fair.  This is largely due to their placing in my medication schedule.  I've done some amazing stuff during Top Notch - preparing a casserole or curry  for the slow cooker for example, sitting on a stool in the kitchen with puppy waiting hopefully for a tiny scrap of carrot or garlic!



I've marked yet another Christian festival on the calendar with one of my sessions of let's phone the helpline to report an elevated temperature. I consequently spent last Sunday night being filled with antibiotics and fluid, and subsequently popping 2 kinds of oral antibiotics and a different kind of steroid from usual. This means I have to have a break before more treatment, so I'll probably be Top Notch for several days now.  This is good;  I was well enough to go to skittles on Thursday evening and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and I've cut and fitted several pieces of non-slip in the caravan lockers.  It still feels bizarre that a number of activities which once I would have done during the course of a morning or afternoon I now do spread over about a week.

Seasonal photos

Hey, this is great - I'm still remembering to do this on a regular basis!  And yes, I know it hasn't been that long. I'll try not to lapse next week.

Not feeling brilliant, but heaps better than yesterday so decided I'd better get on with it.  Been feeling crummy with flu.  Woke up at 4am on Monday morning with a temperature of 38.2.  As I'm advised to phone the helpline if it goes above 38 that's what I did.  And yes, they wanted me to go in and get checked out; this always means bloods and basic obs, usually includes a chest x-ray and sometimes a urine sample too.  Dee took me in, and by the time I got there at 5am temp was up to 39.9 (nearly 104 in old money) and my head was pounding, so they did everything.  The doctor on duty seemed to be fairly impressed that I could quote my pharmaceuticals by name and dose, and knew my mrn (medical record number).  It's ok, I know it's nerdy and I don't mind you thinking it's so. Between 6 am and midday I had a litre of fluid, intravenous antibiotics and paracetamol (it works quicker), a couple of fits of rigors, cornflakes, tea and toast, and some sleep. I was allowed home about lunchtime with 3 lots of meds and instructions to rest and keep warm.  Not much option about the rest as I was too limp to do anything else.

Had a phone call on Tuesday from the GP to say they'd had results from the lab and that what I'd contracted is Type A Flu and to check that I was on the correct anti-viral.  Which I was.  It was good to know it was the real thing as  I'd hate to feel this rubbish for a sniffle.

In the meantime it has snowed.  Little Dog loves snow!  I've admired it from the window but not ventured forth in view of firm medical instruction to rest and keep warm.  I've missed going out and taking photos, and making snow penguins and suchlike.  But I have taken my own seasonal photos this afternoon to show what's flourishing in the bathroom.  And here they are.


This one's been in bloom for well over 2 months for the third time since she arrived, and still has a couple of good blooms.  A winter beauty,  bit of an ice maiden.

And this one's the winter warmer. Reminds me of mulled wine or spiced cordial, and still has buds coming along.  Acquired when the white one was in full bloom in the autumn.  They are absolute stars looking so stunning and coping so well with living almost constantly in the bathroom.

Have I arrived as a blogger?

Having logged on as I promised myself (and the wider world) I would to update my blog on a regular basis I find I have acquired a follower!  I've been feeling a bit rubbish the last couple of days following a chest infection and a couple of days of generally overdoing things and wasn't sure I had anything to say.  Or indeed the energy to type much at all.

I feel as though I can quite reasonably say welcome to my first follower and log off to recover from the shock and bask in the glory of having someone take an interest.  After all, I've had my blog address at the end of my emails for ages now.

Can't go before saying well done to the returned Bronze Paws duo who came top of the class today at leaving a treat on the floor.  Apparently the treat was put at a distance, and the dogs told to leave it, then gradually it was nudged closer and closer to them, right up to their paws.  And as Abby has little legs her paws when lying down are right under her nose!  Well done girls!  And tomorrow we have an excursion in the morning for Abby to have a photoshoot.  Wonder if she'll sit still at all?

A fallible new year resolution?

I don't generally set myself up to fail by making resolutions, but I've entered a regular date in my Blackberry to update my blog.  As it will bleep and remind me, and it coincides with a time when I'll be left on my own for a couple of hours, there's a chance it may happen.
Quite a lot has happened since my last post, in a quiet sort of way.  The least quiet event was our household expanding by the count of one puppy.



We'd been looking for a puppy, the right puppy, for over a year.  It had to be a bitch, and a Bichon Frise cross that was unlikely to get too huge.  
We saw an A-board outside a bungalow on the way to Tewkesbury one weekend and this is what we found when we went to investigate.  It was the end of our search, so we paid a deposit - she was too young to leave her mum, and we were going away for a week - and arranged to collect her the following weekend.

We already had everything we needed apart from food, which we planned to get when we knew what she'd been weaned onto.  We'd had a collar and lead for a year, and had since accumulated a crate, dog bed, fleecy blankets, poo bags and a selection of toys.  We've since added harnesses and a special lead that clips into the seat belt for travelling in the car.  And more toys.

And this is Abby at just over 8 weeks shortly after she arrived. 

She was a fuzzy wuzzy little thing, like a bean bag teddy bear, when she first arrived. But she's been busy growing, and learning, and becoming a significant family member.  Even the cat likes her!

After she'd had all her jabs "The Team" went to puppy classes to learn how to do it all properly.  And they have a certificate to say they can!

The reason I'll have a couple of hours when I'm left to my own devices is because they are now going on to do their Bronze Paws award, which is to be followed eventually by Silver and Gold Paws.  They're a dedicated team and I'm proud of them.  

The last couple of weeks we've rather been taken over by teething; I've never found so many shed puppy teeth with previous dogs!  When she feels a bit low with it all she looks sad and comes for a cuddle, usurping the cat's place on my lap.  They get on amazingly well, but we were confident that they would.  Gypsy's not keen on other cats, and on a good day tends to be frosty to say the least with people, but has always got on well with dogs.  It looks as though they'll end up being much the same size, not so small you trip over them, and not to big to have on your lap.  Perfect!

Abby at 5 months
 Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.

Has summer nearly gone?

What happened?  I seem to have been intending to log on and add another post for the last couple of weeks, and it transpires over 2 months have passed by.  I guess I've been busy, but it's been a strange couple of months.  The usual regular visits to hospital have been interspersed with extra visits occasioned by infections requiring treatment.  To the best of my knowledge I haven't been in contact with anyone who's been affected by anything infectious yet I've still managed to have a couple of chest infections.  So that entails a visit to the helpline ward in Cheltenham; bloods taken, chest x-ray, usually a urine sample and probably sent home with antibiotics.  Last time I felt ropey I got checked out in Gloucester and the conclusion was that it was hay fever on top of usual side effects.  By the following day I had a temperature so phoned the helpline.  Yes, they wanted to see me.  Of course they did!  So we went in, and they did the bloods etc. routine and decided to admit me.  It was fourth time lucky getting the cannula in, which was strange as I'm usually obliging about these things, then a litre of fluid and antibiotics.  I was ok to come home after three nights in - with oral antibiotics, naturally.  I frequently wonder how I ever had time to go to work, then I realise that before I was ill there were no trips to hospital at all.

While the weather has been suitable for it we've had the house painted, and it looks really good.  We had a variety of suitable paint available, mostly white and sandstone.  It all went into a huge tub and was thoroughly stirred.  The result is a most pleasing rich cream reminiscent of Cornish clotted cream ice cream.  It was all finished a couple of weeks ago, but the window sills are still glittering white.We now feel sufficiently weather proofed to face the winter, and just hope that visitors don't go straight past - or turn round and go away again in shock.  I can no longer give directions by saying "it's the grubby yellow house on the end"

The hot water system in the camper failed some time ago, so has been taken out.  This has resulted in a leak which is being attended to as I type.  With a bit of luck it will be sorted out by the time we set off tomorrow morning for a weekend in Wells. (On the phone it's often necessary to clarify Wells, not Wales.  Perhaps in print I should specify Somerset rather than Norfolk.)  I have pointed out that running water isn't hugely vital - after all, only dirty people need to wash ; )

Summer seems to have arrived

Gypsy enjoying the sunshine

Although I haven't heard any cuckoo singing, lhude or otherwise, summer seems to have finally "comen in".  It's coincided nicely with my being mid-cycle with medication, so just when I'm feeling limp and lethergic I have something else to blame it on.  I sat on the bench in the garden, with my feet up on a box, doing a little gentle knitting while the cat sought out the real hotspots.  We have a path of round stepping stones which heat up nicely so she tried out a couple of those before finally settling on a quiet spot by the bird bath.  The birds kept out of the way, but she gave a couple of flies the run around for a bit of light relief, returning to her station to meditate.












The heat was positively Mediterranean, with the sky providing a background to the Honey lilies that I couldn't resist.  This photo really was taken yesterday in my garden in Gloucester.

Nectaroscordum siculum ssp. bulgaricum
(Allium bulgaricum):
Sicilian honey lily

I could have included the garage wall behind it for context, but it just wouldn't have the same impact would it? But the garage wall provides a useful service by casting shade over our garden bench in the late afternoon so I can enjoy sitting in the garden without getting scorched.  In spite of not having slept at all the previous night I continued to not feel sleepy, but the warmth was soothing and last night I slept like a log.
Didn't make it to the knitting group this week because of feeling ropey, but feeling more relaxed now.  Amazing what a couple of days of sunshine can do.  I can feel a barbecue coming on this evening, I may even treat myself to a beer.  Who needs to go on holiday?  As Seth Godin said “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from”. I've been watching the evening programmes on the Chelsea flower show and enjoying the different garden designs. I was rather taken with the little dog kennel with a downspout to fill the water bowl in the caravan garden.  And with Doris, the 1950s caravan!  And what a pleasant surprise that the Furzey Garden, with lots of not very fashionable rhododendrons, won Gold.   A just reward for all their effort and hard work fundraising for their first time at Chelsea.  Furzey Gardens making news

Spring has sprung a leak

Long time no blog.... circumstances and all that.  Partly because I was feeling rather better than for some time, so spending more time away from the laptop.  Even made contact with and attended a local knitting group; quite a novelty having a social evening out. First solo social excursion for quite a long time.

And then last weekend it decided to rain rather a lot just when I developed a bit of a sniffle.  But there was no way I was phoning the helpline on Sunday in case they wanted me to hike over to Cheltenham in all that pouring rain. I'm sure it would have been worse for me to go out in that.  So I waited until Monday, when I was advised to leave out Tuesday's chemo meds and phone on Tuesday if I was worse.  And I was, so spent nearly 4 hours on the ward, donated another blood sample, and was allowed home (just) with antibiotics.  Hooray!

I can smell wonderful food being prepared by ace wife, so had better be ready when it arrives - not that I'm reluctant about good food of course.