General Chat

Hopefully just going to send a photo of the tomatoes I have picked over the last two days. All outside in pots.

Afternoon All,

It's 17 degrees here now. Early start this morning as I had a thyroid blood test appointment at 8.40am. We didn't hang around once we were ready after our showers and set off early. I'd barely sat down when I was called in and was back in the car 10 minutes before my appointment was due, so that was good. Recently they'd made 9 of the 18 parking spaces just for the doctors, but today we saw only 2 are for doctors now. I think a lot must have missed appointments because of nowhere to park and we thought taking 9 spaces was excessive considering most of the doctors spaces were empty when we went and most of them work part time now. OH has gone 30 miles to a council meeting about a complaint so lunch will be late today.

What a thoughtful and lovely surprise from your daughter AnnG! Just what you need a bit of spoiling!! It's good you slept better last night. Stitches can itch a bit as healing takes place, but, as you say, don't sneeze! OH only has to look at the sun and he sneezes!! I use SPF50 on my face now and used SPF15 all year for many years. I don't usually have anything on my arms and legs, but don't sit in the sun much or for long. I have pasty skin and a few freckles so am more at risk of burn. Someone I worked with years ago used to use sunbeds 2-3 times a week! I know 2 people who have had melanomas which can be more
serious. One was a very young woman and the other needed several operations. Hers was where you wouldn't notice it.

Yes OH does love his football! His dad started it by taking him to a match when he was 7 years old. He watches it on TV most days, has a newspaper and magazines about it, including football grounds and numerous books about grounds. I call it an obsession, he calls it a passion! lol :-D. He has a very active mind and does find it relaxing and some men have worse hobbies don't they! As long as he doesn't neglect everything at home I don't mind too much. I'm not mobile enough at the moment for us to do the walking and cycling we used to do and he never minds me doing whatever I want and if parking nearby is a concern for me will always offer to take and fetch me, I don't need to ask. Importantly, matches didn't matter to him when I was in hospital for surgery and he was there all the hours he could stay, sitting and reading and doing crosswords with me.

Mel what cute baby Swallows and they are already so big it's a wonder none have fallen out of the nest! Your tomato has made me wish I had grown some, but never mind, there's always next year.

No txt from OH to say he's on his way yet, but I think I'll get the plates in the warming drawer ready. I can do my scripts online too.

That was thoughtful of your daughter AnnG - what a lovely surprise. Don't worry about weight, just enjoy your goodies. You deserve a treat. Thank you for the lovely photos you sent. The scenery is beautiful. We do like the lakes but haven't been for a long while and these days I certainly wouldn't be able to tackle the fell walking we used to do. I still have my walking boots but they haven't been on my feet for years. OH managed to leave his behind somewhere when he was away on a men only jaunt. Now I think about it there are bits of him scattered round the world. As well as his boots, pyjamas have been left somewhere or other, a shirt somewhere else and an electric razor in Sweden (we paid the postage to get that back). You won't be surprised to hear that I wasn't there to organise him on any of these trips, lol.

That dressing looks quite uncomfortable Ann. It's in such an awkward place as you wear glasses but you look as though you are managing very well. I hope you continue to improve every day.

Mel, thank you too for the photos you sent. It's lovely to see the swallows nesting there again as they are losing so many of their traditional nesting spots as old buildings get pulled down and new houses get built. Your tomato made me smile. I know I shouldn't laugh but, as AnnG said, it did look lonely though I bet it tasted good. I have some tomatoes turning red at last. Mine are outside in pots.

The weather thingie on my PC seems to be stuck all day on whatever it says when I first open the computer. At the moment it is saying 14 degrees and sunny which is clearly wrong. My phone says 20 degrees with sunny intervals and a moderate breeze which sounds about right if you translate moderate breeze to very windy.

The car came back about 6 pm last night so it is now serviced, MOT'd and valeted at an exorbitant price, though Volvo do include their own breakdown cover for the next year so we don't have to join the AA or similar organisation. The electrician finished his jobs and I was surprised when I went into the kitchen to see how tidy it all was. Goodness knows what all the hammering and noise was about but I'm happy that I haven't got to clean up the kitchen. With the car and the electrical work yesterday was an expensive day and the bank balance has a bit of a hole in it now.

Today I have done the ironing and a couple of small jobs and, if I can rouse the energy, I'll clean the upstairs bathroom and my en-suite this afternoon. I had a good go at the downstairs cloakroom and OH's en-suite on Monday. We're waiting on a package that is out for delivery today but can come any time up to 10 pm so we won't be going out at all today

OH is getting lunch so I'll be off downstairs in a minute. We're just going to have some Boursin and I suggested that he got out some crackers. I want to use them up as they are just starting to go a bit stale but I'm sure he wasn't listening. I expect I'll get it spread on bread and put on a plate with some rocket and a few baby plum tomatoes. He can be very predictable Oh well, at least he tries to help. My neighbour's OH does a little gardening and that is about it. He refuses to vacuum or cook or do much else really so I'm glad I've got the OH I have.

Daughter is encouraging me to put on weight. I have just opened the door to a man with a box for me. (Not sure who was more surprised, I was expecting a delivery from Amazon and he certainly was not expecting a lady with a blob of white on her nose.) In the box is a beautiful cream tea (4 scones, clotted cream, four little pots of jam, some tea bags, a packet of Cornish Fairing biscuits and two fingers of butter shortbread). I am looking forward to this. Naughty but very thoughtful and nice. a card in the box that says 'get well soon.'

Yes it is the results that are a concern now Mel. the skin graft needs to take as well as the stitched area to heal. One thing that I am quite encouraged by is that both nostrils seem clear, even though they block occasionally and I can't blow them. I really don't need to catch a cold now though and I hope I don't have one of my sneezing fits.

thanks for the photos Mel, hope the babies soon get to fly out ready for their jjourney.
that is a lonely little tomato

Morning all,

16 degrees here and pc says mostly cloudy but its quite bright at the mo but with pale grey skies.

I wonder if I will here from Stuart today about dinner tonight? or if he has a job on like last week when he had to take a car to Bideford in the evening.

Its not been raining here as far as I can see as all the road looks dry and if its been raining it usually wet.

I had a lie in this morning so a bit late on parade.

Glad you had a bit of a better night Anng and managed some sleep better without the extra pillow. Hope this one dos'nt take as long to heal and the results are good.

Take care all.

Good morning all. 8 degrees here and fairly bright. I did manage to see the moon around 1.30am, I was awake until then trying to get to sleep.
which I eventually did and slept for at least 5 hours which was an improvement. I decided to drop down a pillow.

Yes Mel, it does seem a long time to have the dressing on. I assume that is the time it takes for hopefully the skin graft to work. Of course the waiting is worse for not knowing if the procedure he did will work. And even on the 28th the appointment means waiting all day as it is at 3pm.
One of the annoying things about the dressing is that I can see it as the top is in front of my eyes. and another is that sometimes the threads from the stitches, that are under the dressing, itch.

Annx your OH really loves his football doesn't he?
goodness 64 characters for a password! I guess that one would not be remembered without it being written down. Unless it was a sentence. But what a pain having to type that in every time.

Vera , like Annx I would have enjoyed that talk on Constable, always good to hear background info

Gwyn I do wear a daily moisture cream on my face that has a certain amount of protection but I have been getting these BCCs now for about 20 years, If I am going out when it is sunny I add a factor 30 or 50 depending where I am going (town or by water). I think it is in my blood. I was told that it was due to sunburn many years ago which is probably because there was no sun cream when I was young growing up near the sea and spending hours on the beach. Then in 20s and 30s going on holiday every year to Cornwall where the aim was a suntan and still not a lot of good protection. During our months spent in Tenerife post retirement I did wear factor 50 or 30 suncream but maybe not enough.
I have had about 17+ BCCs now all non malignant and strangely a lot of them were on parts of my body only exposed to the sun in a swim suit.
Regarding scars, most of mine have eventually flattened, depending on whether the BCCs were scraped, frozen or cut and stitched. However I have one from 3 years ago that is really lumpy and that was cut and stitched and took 8 weeks to heal, it is on my upper back.

The talk on Constable would have been interesting for me Vera. I hate it when I hear crash type noise from workmen and have to go and see what has happened! Yes, OH is doing well in the garden and has started on the bottom border now next to the field. It's a smaller area as half the length id dense shrubberyWe never even caught up before last winter, so it's never been so weedy before and I've even spotted a few small Oak trees between the shrubs, probably forgotten Squirrel stores! I think part of his being so keen at this point is the fact that tonight he's at his 5th footie match since a week last Saturday!! :-0 He's not daft and knows that if he's not neglecting things he says he'll do at home, I won't be asking does he really have time for footie. :-D I like some of the fancy teas but not all. I have a cup of green tea sometimes because it is full of antioxidants and good fo me, but some teas smell like hay to me! OH sometimes has the fruit ones but they recommend drinking plain water after those because of the acid on your teeth. :-S

Mel I must look up how to get the sim card out of my new phone as I don't know with this new phone. No simple instruction booklet with anything these days. You'd have thought they would have had some way to trace you without you knowing your account number! We don't need much internet on our phones and just pay £7 a month for unlimited calls and texts and 5mb internet. We are with Asda mobile who use Vodaphone now I think. I'm in sympathy with you today about the stress sorting things out though as I've had some of the same. Years ago I got a few shares when my building society was bought out and now the company that's taken over the management wanted my bank details if they'd changed which they have and need to be updated. I needed to register with the site but despite it recommending your email address as your username, by the time you leapt through all the other hoops and wanted to submit, it wouldn't accept your email and still suggested at the side again that you used your email?? I've never seen a password request with an upper limit of 64, yes 64 letters, numbers and characters before. To cut a long story short before you all start yawning, I rang them and had to press this, that and the other and put in reference number, say name etc before I spoke to a person with poor english spoken fast!!! Arrrrgh!. Asking her to speak slowly was soon forgotten and I'm beginning to think payment of wages must be per call. Anyway, part of the trouble was that I had not 'signed out' when I couldn't try again, which seems odd that you still had to sign out when you hadn't even been able to set up an account? Anyway it is sorted now and OH is not looking forward to doing his next as he has changed his bank too!

Colin soon won't be able to say he didn't hear you will he Mandy! It's quite expensive having the wax cleared now isn't it. I'm expecting to be told I really need hearing aids next time I'm tested and am wondering whether to have my hair a bit longer over my ears.

I hope you have a better night tonight AnnG.

Gosh that seems a ong while till its changed. Its getting dark her enow so I better get my solar lights in postion as I put them in the sun during the day.

Steak in ale tonight with broccoli and new pots and the chickens will get the mash fromt he meal for one. I ordered a Asda cottage pie and its huge compared to the meal for one ones. It is microwavable too and half the price of the mela for one.

Thanks Mandy.

Mel, no the dressing doesn’t get changed until the consultant does it tomorrow week.

Gwyn I think Colin will notice the difference once he gets the new aids and I certainly will if it means I don't have to keep repeating my words .
The poppies will be on the pill box near the railway station crossing which is not far from us about a ten minute walk away so I'm hoping to get a few photos once its all covered ,well that's if she gets enough poppies to cover it ,last year they had nets with poppies flowing out of the windows if that's what you call the narrow slits in the pill box so hopefully they will be used again to help cover it .

Anng I hope you have a better night's sleep tonight I should think you'll be really tired .

Do you have to go and have the dressing changed Ann?

I have sent the first pics of my baby swallows and my first tom which I had on Sunday with my breakfast.

No pain but it aggravates because I can feel it and almost see it.

I was actually not advised to not bend my head down it just seemed the best to do. I was advised on how to look after the scar from the taking of skin for the graft. I was just told not to remove the dressing, but I know there is a skin graft and stitched under it. I know if it has not worked how it should he will take skin from by my hear to do a further graft. It is never going to be ‘pretty’ any more but that is fine there are plenty worse off. I do know, reading all about the surgeon on google I am probably getting the best chance there is.

I have just googled the type of dressing I have on my nose, I think it said sometimes called mustache, it is apparently used in rhinoplasty. Looks weird. Not like a normal dressing at all.

I hope you have a better night's sleep and rest tonight, AnnG. but it's good that there is little discomfort.
When a relative had an operation and couldn't bend over, he got someone to lift things onto the work tops for him. It went against the grain to have things out and about rather than tidily tucked away in cupboards, but it wasn't for long and meant that he could heal better and gradually manage for himself again.
I hope your surgeon is pleased with your progress, when you go back to see him.
May be he will advise on particular after-care of your operation site.
After my facial op. I followed the advice I was given, - very gentle care at first, then eventually massaging the area with Vaseline once the surgeon felt that the top layers of skin had healed sufficiently and now the once massive scars are hardly visible. Each case is different, but it would be good if they give you some guidance.
I never go out, even in winter months without moisturising sun screen protection- just a high factor one I buy in Boots.
Perhaps they will think that would be right for you too.

Mandy, I bet Colin notices a big difference once his ears have been cleared.
I can turn the volume switch down a few notchs when I have been ;-)
I feel lucky that I am treated regularly at our main hospital. It's a bit of a trek, but is so quick and really helpful. With all the cut-backs, I do sometimes wonder if they will decide that they can't continue this service, but so far, so good. They set up the appointments every 3 months and within about a week of me attending the nurse's clinic, the next appontment letter arrives in the post, so no chasing them up :-D

You are doing so well with the poppies. Well done.
Will they be displayed near where you live?

I have been trying to concentrate on not putting my head down. But do you know how many times you do that is a day without thinking. And being on my own sometimes I just can't avoid it.

Anng thats good you don't have any soreness I'd just be careful if you put your head down as the blood rushing might start off some pain .

Colin got on ok nothing in one ear but lot's in the other so now he has a hearing test on holiday Monday at 2 o'clock and will have new hearing aids as he's had the others for seven years and she said hearing aids have changed since he's had these last ones ,it was 60 pound for the wax removal.
We did a bit of shopping before his appointment got a dressed crab from the fish stall,sausages from jakes butchers and after the appointment we called and got a F&C we haven't had them since before Christmas so they went down a treat.
Lots of black clouds about now so I'm hoping for a little rain so I don't have to water tonight .

I have been on the phone for an hour and ten minuets this morning tryin gto cancel my EE phone I changed to 2 weeks ago. They kept asking me for the account number which I did'nt have so she said I would have to wait till the first bill arrived with the number on it. After I came off the phone I wlaked round to feed the chcikens and the postman came and blow me down the bill was in the post so then I had to get onto bt again and sort it all out and go through everything again and get codes sent to me by email. Another long phone call and in the end it was sorted and the 24 month contract is now £20 cheeper than I was paying so thats one good thing. I had no idea how to open my phone or even get it out of its case. I was in tears after the first conversation and all het up. One person told me I would have to send the new sim card back but the last person I spoke to told me to destroy and throw it away so thats what I am going to do. The bill they sent was for £9.10 and I did'nt even have to pay that.

Then the shopping arrived and I had to put all that away.

I am now going to get something to eat before I fade away.

Vera, although frustrating for you, your ups and downs with 'things' this week do make for intereesting/amusing reading. Have you got a cupboard in the kitchen labelled 'extra groceries for use of ***** club? will they reimburse you?

annx your OH is working well in the garden isn't he, soon be nothing left to do.
I have ready meals for my meals this week so not really much cooking.

I rarely sleep in the day, might sometimes just close my eyes to rest them but don't actually sleep.
Yes my old glasses are fine for reading. actually they are the pair before the pair before my current glasses so could be 4 years+ old. I do sometimes have new glasses when I don't need them.
Mandy hope Colin's appointment went ok.

Afternoon All,

I suppose your face feeling different and being higher with the extra pillow wouldn't help with sleeping AnnG, but it's good that you haven't any soreness at either site. Just grab a bit of sleep when you can the next few days and don't be tempted to try and do much. Just potter about regularly. How are your old glasses for reading?

OH was up earlier than me and has cleared the weeds and brambles from nextdoor behind the shed and greenhouse. He's also emptied some plant pots of things that haven't survived. He finished just as I was about to pop out to the shop and when it started lashing down with rain. so good timing for him but not for me!

Better get some lunch now, something quick and easy!