Monday 23 February 2015

What if you develop Dementia?

  Hello All
Many thanks for your comments on my last post.
Welcome to Chris Moorwood on the Follower bar and Crafty Mum, Sharon Deasy, Beth and The Pumpkin Life on Blog Lovin.
                                                        Last week I popped in on an dear old friend of ours. We have known S and his sweet wife C. since our eldest were little. They are smallholders too, buying their place the year before we did ours. For many years C. has been the carer for S. who has mobility and sight difficulties. They have mucked along well, with a busy lifestyle and many friends. Unfortunately C. has developed dementia, which has raced along . Reluctantly S. has had to make arrangements for C. to go into a home. (racing after someone who has "escaped" again in the middle of the country when you can only shuffle a few steps is an impossible task) Finding the right place for an active "fit as a butchers dog" 70 year old has been problematical as she won't stay in one place long and is constantly finding things to do..... "helping" other residents in and out of bed, moving the fire extinguisher, packing other residents belongings up etc.. you get the idea. As yet the right place hasn't been found that can meet C's needs. As a retired Social Worker I have a pretty good idea of the difficulties of finding a good "fit" for residential care and individuals and feel for S as he has to deal with his anxiety for C's welfare and the "guilt" he feels because he can't look after her himself.
How many of us make plans for our retirement, often moving to the country or the sea, thinking that we might eventually have to downsize a little or cut down on the number of animals we are going to keep,We then see our future as just doing a little less, as we knit and sew and go for little walks or out to lunch with friends as we slow down? Do we give any thought to be mentally unable? I certainly haven't, I now have food for thought.

Yesterday the family came for tea as usual. EGD had found a site that has a sale of dress patterns. We had already decided that we were going to make dresses for ourselves this year and had drawn a blank at the CSs. We spent a happy hour choosing patterns and are now looking forward to the patterns arriving and us choosing the material. I think we will have to go into Derby for the material, as there are a couple of large material stalls at the Eagle Centre Market. So long a they don't make me go into the HUGE shopping centre which used to be Westfield.(don't know its new name) This centre is a huge soulless mall that has all the "big" names and absolutely no character or individuality. If ever I have to go there (M&S Jeans) I emerge a husk,  The site we used was  "Sew essential" - New Look patterns. The patterns were half price which is a great saving.

Last week, after I got back from visiting S., David and I started to get the veg beds ready. A good start was made, after a shower I started the emails that I am tasked to send on behalf of the Civic Society and I really felt we were getting on well. Huh!
The next morning I could hardly move as my back had "gone", I shuffled around like a cross between Quasimodo and Julie Walter's serving soup. That put paid to any heavy gardening, but here was till much to do in the house. The next morning (Friday) I woke up rolled over and was immediately sick. B****r. the sicky/fally-over thing that put me in hospital a couple of times last year was back. Fortunately I have some anti-sickness pills for it (which don't seem to work) and an understanding of what was happening to me. So I have been sitting down getting increasingly frustrated while I got my balance back.
Today I am more my old self and feeling positive that I am on the mend.

Tonight David and I are going to view some pigs. I am very excited! Will let you know how I get on.
Take Care all
Gillx



Wednesday 18 February 2015

Gay Gardening - the book.

Hello Again.
It has been sometime since my last post (that sounds like "It has been some time since my last confession"!) I'm getting worse instead of better at this blogging.
I have been reading blogs however and keeping up with what is going on in blogland.
I hope you like my title.. almost worthy  of John Gray I reckon.
This refers to one of the books given to me at Christmas by DF, the friend that I knitted the dishcloth for. ( I blogged about this 17th January)
Here are the books he gave me. They are all second hand as is our agreement (to spend as little as possible)
 The John Seymour book speaks for itself and a great read it is too.
 To the fore of this is 100 Sandwich Varieties, published in the mid 1930s. I intend to share some of the "recipes" with you.
To the top right is Mrs Rundell's Domestic Cookery - "formed upon principle of economy and adapted to the use of private families" Published 1861. The opening para says " In every rank,those  deserve the greatest praise, who best acquit themselves of the duties which their station requires" 
This book actually has some good recipes and some great advice about being a good woman.
The fourth book belonged to DF's mama and is about the arrangement of beds, planning herbivorous borders etc "written with an ease and cheerful  enthusiasm which will match the mood of the veteran and inspire the novice "
Quick post today as I need to rush off to the fodder rooms. The hens are SO hungry at the moment.
 I also need to pick up some sugar so that I can make some more marmalade.
Welcome to Beth on Bloglovin
Back Soon.
Gillx
I have just seen those animals push that black guy off the train and chant their pride at being racist. I am SO upset and angry. I hope they find them and throw the book at them, the b*****ds.







Tuesday 10 February 2015

Bookshelves and my Quilt

Hello All
Many thanks for all your comments on my last post. I still have a few to answer, which I will do a.s.a.p.
A warm welcome to Kathy Allstot on Bloglovin.
Sue - from Simplesuffolksmallholder has been showing pictures of her bookshelves. They are really interesting and VERY tidy and organised. They demonstrate that she is a retired librarian (and a smallholder) Other bloggers have joined in and they are ALSO tidy. I have told Sue that I will post pictures of some of my less-than (to say the least) tidy bookshelves.
 Here are the bookshelves in "my" room. This room, which is next to the kitchen is always warm as our parrot Percy lives here. I have my lap top in here, a TV, my knitting bag, portable sewing machine and most of the Civic Society stuff too. At the moment the incubator is plugged in here too.- in the bottom right hand corner in this pic.
Here is the other side of the window. I couldn't get the bottom row of books in shot of either of these shelves because of stuff in front.

Here are the bookshelves in our "main" lounge. I suspect Sue will need to lie down in a darkened room after looking at this! I promise that I won't show you any more of my shelves, but hope that other bloggers who are  untidy and cluttered  will feel that they could be worse after looking at these pics!
As you may remember my eldest granddaughter has started quilting. I helped her with her first quilt before Christmas.Apparently her mother helped her with her second quilt before Christmas and here it is .. it was for me!!! My favourite colour and with farmyard animal print included.

Every evening I sit knitting or hand sewing while I watch TV with this quilt on my lap, thinking how lucky I am to have such a thoughtful granddaughter.
 Tomorrow I shall have said granddaughter's dog for doggie-day-care. Coda is a large yellow lab. He is three and a half years old and beset with health problems. he has arthritis, allergies and is accident prone. We reckon that he is the most expensive dog ever! He is also the sweetest natured, funny, lovable dog and worth every penny. I was so upset today to read that Cro's dog, Monty, who is so like Coda in every way has had to be put to sleep. I just sat and cried feeling for Cro and his wife and their other dog, Bok and for me and mine too as we know that Coda will never be an old dog either.
 Enough for now I'm off to print some stuff for an important meeting we have here tomorrow night.
Take care all
Gillx





Thursday 5 February 2015

Of Distressing World News.

Hello There!
It has been quite some time since I last posted, though I have been reading  blogs and commenting from time to time.
I am have been feeling rather morose over the last few days and this is NOT like me. I'm just struggling to cope with the news. I'm quite a politically inclined person and I keep up with the news, either on the BBC news channel on the TV or on the PC, several times a day, but I'm starting to avoid it as I find it so distressing. Those who know me, know that I usually take up the case for the underdog, I try to understand where people are coming from and champion groups that face discrimination. For years now I have argued against racist comments from all and sundry about people's right to live their life according to their culture or faith.(I'm proud to say that my daughters ... too consistently support the "underdog" and those who are discriminated against for one reason or another) HOWEVER I really can't find anything that justifies the torture, executions, killings (not to mention the  abuse of women)  that we are witnessing presently. Yes I know that these acts are perpetrated by a minority in the name of Islam, but you would think that the other 2 BILLION Muslims could sort them out wouldn't you? Yes, I know that other faiths/cultures kill and I don't agree with that either, but nothing is as extreme as that which we are witnessing presently.

I'm really busy with Civic Society stuff at the moment. We have had a couple of meetings and have launched a new campaign over the last couple of weeks. I am hosting a meeting of the "Great and the Good" at our house next week. As everybody who has been invited is able to come I guess I will need to have a bit of a sprockle in the bigger lounge to make room. We usually have our meetings around our kitchen table, which sits ten at a squash, but as we are expecting sixteen we will be more comfortable in the lounge methinks. To get to this lounge it is necessary to go through the kitchen, along a little hallway thingy, down three steps into an "office" (box room with computer) and out the other side into the lounge. So that is three rooms that will need a bit of a dust (!) I have just finished the agenda for this meeting and emailed it to the attendees, which is why I am finally posting, having the essential PC stuff out of the way.

It has been dry for the last few days, with the odd sprinkling of snow and we have been able to get out into the garden without having to wallow and slip in the mud. it's good to get out there and do jobs that are satisfying and purposeful. we still are not ready for the pigs, but only a little more work should see their housing finished.
 As you probably know, I like to look at my stats and even when I am not posting often there is still a regular stream of views of my blog. These have dropped somewhat over the last week and I notice that I am no longer getting viewing via Frugal Queen's blog. Do you think I have offended her?!
 I do have two new followers on Blog lovin to welcome - Jill Williams and Lauren - good to see you here.
 That's all for now. I have more to say, but a car has pulled into the drive and I see, by the occupants  that I will be "entertaining" for a few hours!

Keep warm and safe dear Frugellers
Gillx