General Chat

I hope you are still around to read this Debbie. I hope that you and the family have a wonderful holiday.
Cant wait for you to tell us all the family adventures when you get back.
I hope you do manage to get to Holland, it's a lovely country,and we always found the people so welcoming.

Huia, what a good idea to start eliminating foods, just in case it is the food
that is causing your sleepless nights. Foods like cheese and milk, are a type of product that could be upsetting your inner balance.
Have you tried lavender linen spray, on your bedding. It is a good relaxant,
also lavender bath products can help you relax late at night.
How are you getting on at the thrift shop. Do you enjoy the company of the others that work there.

Ann, I have got a freezer that has got drawers in it. BUT, it does not hold very much, Roly insisted we got one like it, because with our old chest freezer, the food at the bottom was going out of date before we even realised it. I would really like a second one, especially at christmas time,when the family all come,and we buy extra's. We have to be so careful what we buy,as we just have not got the room in the one we have got now. And I have to miss out on a lot of the bargains, in the freezer shop.

Sylvia, I suffer from osteo arthritus, so I know how much pain you are in love. But with you it is degenerative,so you suffer even more than I do.
I poo poo all these experts, that say we need a certain amount of sleep.
Not everybody is the same,at bedtime our bodies take over,and dictate just how much we need. I am lucky that with the help of a sleeping tablet, I get about seven hours rest. If I dont take the tablet, I am awake most of the night.
It seems like that when I get into bed, my mind wakes up,and goes into overdrive,and stays like that for hours.
It's all very well for our G.P's, to tell us to walk more, but when you suffer with so much pain on walking, it's a hard thing to do. It makes you feel like shouting at the doctor, " if you think I can do it, then walk in my shoes for a few hours ", I think they would soon change their tunes.

Special thoughts for our Jean ((((((((HUGS))))))))) I hope you feel better very very soon.
Sallie where are you, come back chuck we miss you.
Liz what are you up to at the moment love. Hows the prepararions going.
Are you nearly ready to wow them at the wedding.
A big wave over the sea to our Marie in Oz. Hows you doing mate.

Got to go now girls. Speak to you all again soon. Love Mo xxx

Hi Gals,

Just a quick "Hello - Goodbye" as we are off on our holidays at 7am tomorrow, and I am busy at the moment trying to pack the car up.

Can't answer all the recent comments, but Mo, I am very sorry to learn about your cat - such a shock to learn how ill she was and then have to make the decision that was kindest for her.

I think it was Marie who asked which Island I live on. I live on Jersey in the Channel Islands, which is closer to France than it is to England, but we are still part of the United Kingdom, though have a very strong French influence. It is the largest of the Channel Islands, and a little gem at times, though very busy at the moment.

Ann, when do you arrive? I think I will be home before you get here, so I shall order good weather for you. We get back on the night of 15th August.

Thank you all, Daniel & Matthew both loved their Activity Weeks, and haven't stopped referring to them since in one way or another. It does them good to go away and learn new things about different places.

Anyway, I'm off to load the car up. I hope you all have a lovely couple of weeks. We don't know where we will end up. Peter fancies Holland, but the long term weather forecast is for rain and showers for the next week, so we may go central France instead. I don't know, we just decide to turn right or left when we gte to the harbour in St Malo (France)!!!! All good fun and exciting times.

Take care everyone.

Love Debbie xx

Hi all

The nights have been little problem with MJ, even when we ere over there when he was 4 weeks old .......... we have an ability to "turn off" or "tune out"


Anyway, it would be impossible for us to feed him at the moment ............... he's feeding so much that J has none left to express into bottles!

She'll have to do that before Thursday next week ...... we have a big dinner date to celebrate her husband's degree! Thus, baby sitter will be arriving ...... if we can find one that J trusts.


Mo ........... the knee shows some improvement in that the swelling has gone down somewhat, and the diclofenac in the cream has helped the pain. But it is degenerative osteoarthritis (just as I have in so many other places). So I guess I have to learn to live with it ..... and hope not to fall again!

She would like me to try Aqua-exercize as the joints are supported in water ................ but I hate water, don't swim, and there isn't a swimming pool that I could get to easily (ie, on the bus).

She does want me to get back to walking even that 1 km a day that I was doing, and lose some weight

She gave me another prescription for the cream, to be used "as needed", in other words, when it hurts!

Huia ... I have found that drinking a herbal tea before bed helps me to sleep .... there are several different makes out there, but all say something like Sleepytime, or to help sleeping. Teas for tranquility or calming are not the same as the sleepy ones.

Even so, I rarely sleep more than about 5 hours in one go.

Some years ago I asked the doctor about the fact that I was getting so little sleep ...... it was taking me 2 to 3 hours to go to sleep, or I would be awake in the middle of the night for 2 -3 hours, or I would waken about 4 am and that would be it for the night. She made an appointment for me to see a sleep specialist who came into the practice one day a week.

I gave up on that when the person taking my records asked me to work out how long I was in bed .......... when it totalled about 9 hours ('cos I like to lie in bed reading or listening to the radio between about 7 and 8:30 or 9:00 am) ....... I was told that the reason I couldn't sleep was because I was in bed far too long. One had be in bed for ONLY 7 hours.

Now I know that I used to need 8 hours of sleep ....... so getting up after 7 hours did nothing for my sleep deprivatation.


I notice that experts last week were quoted as saying that people need 7 to 8, or even 9 hours of sleep a night! So where does that leave the sleep "expert" i saw?!



Take care everyone



sylvia
xxxx

Your freezer sounds like mine Huia only I don't have a chest freezer to utilise while I de-ice it. Just as well I would have even more stuff lurking in there if I had one. Pleased you slept better anyway, it might be the dairy, you have to try these things don't you?

Mo, in the winter I often make a cake with the fat that drains when I cook a chicken, left to harden with nuts, birdseed, currants etc all mixed in, the birds love it.

Phil was asleep when I arrived yesterday. I think the trouble is that he has 2 bowls of porridge for breakfast and then he has to sleep it off. Since I was tired I stayed only 30 mins. He did wake up, sort of, but was not as alert as on other occasions.

I slept much better last night. I dont know if I had been subconsciously worrying about the lump, I had not been aware of any worrying. Or it could be that I think I have a bit of a cold. I decided to avoid milk and cheese yesterday, so I missed the hot chocolate drink that I have been having before bed. I will have another milkless day today and see how I sleep tonight without a half sleeping pill.

I must sort out the freezer half of my fridge. It is rather iced up and the drawers are hard to pull out and push back in. I will transfer the contents to the chest freezer downstairs while I do it.

Huia.

Oh my lord Ann, bird seed, don't tell me you are going to make seed cake.
Or are the birds in for a feast. I read somewhere that you can roll the seeds in fat,and that the birds enjoy it. I don't know if I read it correctly though.

Aw go on Mo, I bet if they ask you'll have it like a shot!!

Would you believe all we bought in the garden centre was a bag of bird seed??

Hello girls.
I can't believe I did not post yesterday, I don't know what the heck I was doing to forget.

Huia thank goodness the squishing went well. It's always a worry till someone in the know tells us otherwise.
It sounds like you need further investigations into that itch of yours love. You have had it some time now haven't you. And the stuff they gave you for it has not worked.
I hope you did not drop of to sleep while you were at the wheel. It would be so lovely for you, if you could get a natural nights sleep wouldn't it mate.
I hope you found Phil in good spirits.

So Ann it looks like you will get a nice meal out two weeks on the trot. LoL
And with it being a garden centre, is another added bonus. I bet you could find something nice to buy there.

Sylvia, how did you get on about your knee. That is another problem thats been hanging around for a while isn't it.
It's so debilatating, when we have a limb that does not want to work as it should.
I bet this week without MJ, has been a bit of a blessing, but that you have been missing him.
It's so hard to adjust to having a baby around though isn't it. We get to used to the peace and quiet, when our kids leave home.
I just hope that when our new grandchild arrives in January, they dont expect me to have it over night. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind babysitting, but I don't think I could put up with having my sleep disturbed.
I am getting a bit to long in the tooth for that. LOL
I like to love them,and give them back.

I hope everyone else is well. A big ((((((((((HUG ))))))))) for our Jean,Sallie, Liz.
Love and best wishes to you all. Mo xxx

Hi all

Just a quick visit .... have a doctor's appointment to re-check my knee, OH is going to take me, and we have to leave in a few minutes..


Ann .... I'm not sure that J is so placid, just that she has found the best way for her to handle M is to let him have his way in little things.

He does get overpowered by things, especially things that don't go according to the plan ........ MJ crying a lot is not what he expected of a baby! Not sure what he did expect though!

If he thinks he is participating, and he does expect to do that, by holding MJ, trying to soothe him, and then saying "it's time to give him some food because he isn't settling", then I think it is so-be-it in her eyes.

The fact that MJ might not want food at that particular time ......... but might just want to lie quietly ("me" time!) is something that father has yet to really learn.

Plus, M has turned out to be very good at soothing MJ by holding him for long periods of time ......... but those are the times when I think most of us would have put the baby in the crib and closed the door :)))))

Mind you ............... I do almost froth at the mouth when she has to drop everything to make HIS lunch. I can't see why he can't make his own, or even make hers, at least occasionally!


Ah well


mouth will be zipped




Hope you have a good day Huia, and that Phil is responsive to you





sylvia
xxx

Wonder where everyone is today then Huia. Do the spots itch when you get hot in bed? Maybe your bedroom is too hot. are they allergy spots of some sort? Have you tried antihistimine?

We went out to lunch today too. Thought we were meeting a friend so drove an hour to the garden centre where we meet. She and her sister didn't turn up and her phone went to voice mail. So we had lunch and came home, only to find it is next Tuesday. Strangely, when she was at her daughter's she sent an e mail and I asked her if it was 27th and she didn't reply. She is not on e mail at home. So we have another trek over there next week.

It is now almost 24 hours since anybody posted.

Yesterday I met a friend for an early lunch in Papakura. I had to phone her as she was late. She had forgotten! She does work so is a busy girl. After a nice lunch and chat I went up the road (drove) to the Super Clinic where a doctor with nice warm hands had a feel of me. Then I had the squish, uggh, then back to the waiting room, then they did an ultrasound on the suspect side. Afterwards the nice doc told me there was nothing wrong so I could stop worrying. I hadnt been worrying at all, as I had a feeling all along that it was nothing to worry about.

After my big day out I thought I would sleep without a sleeping pill last night, but no such luck. Got up at 2 a.m. and had half one and applied more ointment to my itchy legs. Finally got to sleep. I wish we could get to the bottom of these itchy spots and get rid of them. I am sure that is half the trouble with my sleeping.

I am going to have a short visit to Phil today, then do some shopping and come home. If I dont fall asleep while I am out! If I feel very sleepy while driving I will pull over somewhere and have a sleep. Must remember to put some cushions in the wagon.

Huia.

Sylvia, J must be very placid not to let her OH's controlling ways get through to her. Actually as he gets older it surely wont be good for MJ to be the centre of attention all the time. As you say, we Grandparents do have to bite our tongues at times if we are all to remain friends!!!

Mo, Playa Blanca is very nice, much further South on Lanzarote than Costa Teguise where we stay but we often drive down there. I think i have seen that hotel, quite a big one.

Sallie I am sure you are right about Mo not being the only one to forget a donation in the circumstances, I bet most don't go back either.

Hi all

it certainly is hard being a grandparent ... especially when you have a son-i-l who is somewhere at the high achieving end of autism .............. he must be very high achieving, he's just about to get a PhD!.

But he has a lot of autism traits .................. obsession, completely focussed on "things of current interest" (MJ at the moment), and rather controlling. I've heard him many times telling J that he thinks it is time for MJ to be fed/put to bed etc. He is also ultra sensitve to anything that might even sound like criticism.

On the one hand it is lovely to see the father so heavily involved .............. but yes, they have already built a rod for their backs!


It is another lovely day today, and this weather is supposed to last right through to at elast Monday next week.

We had a total fire ban brought into effect for most of the province on Friday. The fire risk everywhere, even in city parks is Very High to Extreme. That means no open fires, no campfires on camp sites, and cooking in the open only on a camp stove.


We will soon be leaving to take them to the ferry.


sylvia
xxx

I'm posting this in case any of you want to participate.


I emailed GR on Saturday re a survey that is apparently being conducted through GR's page on Facebook. I got an answer this morning. First, my pm to them, and then their answer



Subject : Feedback
I understand from other members that there is an online survey ....... on FACEBOOK. I refuse point blank to join Facebook, it is having serious privacy concerns here in Canada, and is under investigation by the Federal Privacy Commissioner. Please can you tell me why you are conducting an online survey through such a site. And also, how may I participate in that survey. I have been disenfranchised by you ...... and so have many other members. I am not the only GR member who is not a member of Facebook. Is this a deliberate way to again only get information from a select group of GR members? I did suggest in an earlier email to you that you should contact GR members through the email addresses that you have. This would ensure that only active members would contribute to the survey as they are the ones who will have maintained their home email addresses with you. On an open site such as Facebook, you are likely to get a weird collection of responses. I look forward to receiving a reply from you ..... and hopefully, a chance to participate in the survey.



Dear Sylvia

Thank you for your email.

Please find below a link to the survey that you refer to.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AXVZ2AAJ7

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Nia
Genes Support Team



So it sounds as if there will not be a survey done through THIS site.

and we have to go to that exterior site if we wish to have a say in the future of GR ... or to make comments.


I did look at that link .... and it says it will take about 20 minutes to answer about 20 questions.





sylvia
xxx

Sorry forgot to add, that I hope Joyce and Jan, are having a lovely day, for their 11th Wedding Anniversary, today. Joyce I hope you're feeling better today, than you were yesterday.

Love, Sallie.xx

Hi Ladies,

Sylvia, hope you and OH enjoy your little break until Saturday. As much as we love our children, there are times, when we think that perhaps they don't always do things the way they should be done. Alun can let it go over his head, but at times I find it difficult to keep my mouth zipped up. I know it's best not to say anything, just let them get on with it, and let them learn the hard way.
Lovely to hear that MJ is doing well, and gaining weight----he must be heavy to hold for too long now.

Mo, hope both you and Roly feel a bit better today. I'm sure the PDSA understood why you forgot to leave a donation, and I bet that you weren't first to do that, nor you won't be the last. You did the kindest think for your cat, at least you know that he isn't suffering now.
Families, there's always something to worry about. It seems as though, by your brother not telling his older children, he's put both you and Roly in an awkward position, which isn't very fair to the both of you.

Ann, I would have been okay on Saturday, if we had come home straight away from Derby, but it was that extra time up town, that did it. Glad to hear that you had a lovely weekend with your daughter and son-in-law, it's lovely to see them.
We have Jennie living 6 miles away, so that's great. but with Richard living down near Heathrow, we don't see him much. So I know what you mean, when you say it would be lovely to have your children living near.

I hope everyone else is alright today. I'll say bye for now, might pop on later.

Love and best wishes. Sallie. xxx

Once again Ann, I am sorry for the confusion.
The hotel they are in is. TIMANFAYA PALACE HOTEL,PLAYA BLANCA, LANZAROTE.
Cor what a mouthful that is.

What confused me Mo was that you said you had two texts from your grandson in Spain. Anyway hope they enjoyed their break, do you know what hotel they were in?

Sorry for causing confusion Ann. My grandson is in Lanzarote, for the ten days they had booked. It was the fact that the hotel was over booked, and they had to be moved to a different one,and then the initial booking was only for 7 days and not 10. But it all got sorted in the end.
My grandaughter came back from Turkey, the weekend before my grandson went to Lanzarote on the Tuesday.
Confusing I know.

We are going back up to the PDSA ,tommorrow, as we were in such a state yesterday, that we forgot to leave a donation. We felt so guilty when we realised last night.
Thank you all for your support.

Oh my lord Sylvia, it's so hard for us grandparents to keep our lips zipped,
when we see the mistakes our children are making with our grandchildren. But we have to. They have to learn the hard way.
Enjoy your few days peace and quiet.

My goodness Sallie, as much as I love my brother, I could shake him at times. I am now wondering just how long he is going to be staying.
I really don't want to be seen as taking sides. He has not even told his eldest two children, that he is with us. My problem is, how do I explain things to my own family,if they pop in to see us.
I dont want my lot speaking to my brothers two eldest, when they are unaware of what is going on. Oh problems problems.

Bye for now girls, be back later, and hopefully we will have heard from Dutch and Liz, to see how their birthdays went.
Coooe Jean, ((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))

Hi all


Mo ..... sorry to hear about your cat, but you did the best and kindest thing for her xxxxx


We've enjoyed having the family here this week, but will be glad of a bit of a respite while they go to stay with family friends on Vancovuer Island from tomorrow to Saturday. MJ is putting on the poundage, now weighs around 17lbs ....... but has been allowed to develop into one who rules the roost.

He cries,

they jump immediately (especially daddy)


grandma and granddad are keeping their lips zipped!!




We did have a lovely afternoon earlier today ....... we went to look at 2 places that J worked on when she worked as an architect for a year in Vancouver 2006/7. She had not seen either of them in any kind of finished state before.

One of the buildings was in the Athletes Village for the Winter Olympics last February ..... now being reno'd for sale. Looked at one of the show suites. Pretty nice, lovely view ................ but over-priced in my mind.

Then down to the gritty part of town to look at an old hotel that she planned a renovation on. It was opened last year as what we call Single Room Occupancy ............. ie, housing for people on social assistance who wouldn't be able to get into accomodation elsewhere because of drug/alcohol/mental problems. It was originally built ca 1900 as a very spiffy hotel ......... it looks very spiffy again! Would have loved to go inside it to see what it was now like. The plan for its occupants now includes practical and medical help to get and keep clean of addiction.

When J first saw it, the top floor had been inhabited by pigeons for many years .......... it cost something like $500,000 (ca £200,000) to clean the guano!

Then out to campus, and OH bought some more native plants to go into his "native garden", ie one half the front garden!

They leave for the friends on the Island tomorrow, so it will be back to normal for us ..... until Saturday when we pick them up from the ferry.





sylvia
xxx