Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 25 October 2015

Hello everyone! Thank you for pics and news. I am not very chatty just now, no real news, catching up with life after two days of intensive grandchild minding and looking after youngest daughter. Again,AQ and her hubby have my utmost respect!! Only two days and I'm burnt out? Not good. Not good at all.

Oh dear, Heather.  Its so very tiring, I know.....  We forget that we don't have the energy we had in our twenties and thirties.....

Do take care of yourself. {HUGS}

LINDY- In the kitchen making food for a crowd - fine. Usually on auto pilot with daughters as my slaves LOL.

Attending to the needs of children - showers, hair drying ( not always as easy as it sounds) feeding, washing and ironing, answering a million questions, bedtime stories,all lovely but just unused to doing it these days!!! Plus the endless games of hide and seek (how many times can I run up and down stairs while doing other chores?!) And of course, my darling OH, who is used to having his own personal slave. Had to share me with the young ones :-)

And yet, I have looked after Sam,down in Shropshire and didn't feel as exhausted. I suspect it was because it was just him and me.

Heather – I couldn’t cope day after day like you. OH & I have at least one day to recover before next nanny day. T’other g-m is back from holiday and 2 more weeks before Miss19 can resume her help. She’s still enthusiastic, thank goodness.

That's a good thing, AQ:  she seems to be maturing now and is probably a natural at helping with little ones.  So at least she's still a willing helper.

One thing is, I find that people forget that although you love your grandchildren to bits, and are pleased to see them, its quite another thing looking after them for more than just a few hours, during which it might include some pleasurable outing or treat.  When it comes to the ins and outs, as Heather says, of hair washing, food prep (& argument!)  organising clothes etc etc. it can be very tiring.

My sis-in-law has two of her granddaughters for at least one day a week during school hols, the other days helped by t'other grandma.  She organises herself very well with cake baking and art contests etc.  But they are older now, and more able to amuse themselves for half an hour, not like little ones. So she finds it a busy day, but not too exhausting.

AQ:  I have furniture under my dust, too!   Never seem to get back into cleaning on the Right Day anymore!  I think the system finally fell apart, if I ever had a system, the day my OH declared he was going to retire.....   Nothing hardly ever gets done on any particular day of the week, except perhaps my stripping the beds midweek for laundry. Oh, and going shopping to get food in for the weekend.  Otherwise, its all a muddle and I do things as and when I notice that they need doing!

Sometimes I'm galvanised by the appearance of a visitor, who might notice that I hav'nt cleaned the glass in the glass doors nor dusted the skirtings!

Off to bed now, we are both bushed and its probably because of the hour change - don't get me started on my twice a year Rant on the subject!!

Lovely pics, Lindy. Like you, I am not keen on the modern style. I think the emphasis should be on the flowers. The others are beautiful.

I went to Tatton Flower Show once.  It rained all the morning. A lot.

I have been to Chelsea a few times (also waded through mud on at least one occasion) It used to be wonderful , but now I find it too commercial, and very crowded.

Heather,   You are obviously coping very well. We know now why women don't have babies in their 60's. Everything to do with small children seems twice the effort. Do they go to bed at a reasonable time, so you can relax a little?

Your OH sounds like mine. He doesn't "do' sharing very well.

I am full of admiration for AQ, having had to give up so many of her interests for now. Not to mention the housework. Wasn't it Victoria Wood who said something like, 'You work hard, get the house spotless, and three months later, it needs doing again'?

Hi all - OG glad to see you both arrived home safely after the funeral.  Hope the bathroom alterations do get underway and that they will be finished before you start all the pre-op treatment etc.  Will be thinking about you.

We had an incident at church on Sunday - one of our old dears who I was sitting next to had a turn and went completely out, worrying for a time but one of the members rang for the ambulance which came pretty quickly. Had to try and lie her down flat - on chairs, as we couldn't get her down onto the floor. She started to come round, paramedics checked her over and she was given a lift home by members from church. All a bit hairy at first but ended OK.

Lindy - love the garden/flower show pics.

HeatherB - you are being a stalwart looking after your grandchildren etc but do try and make time for yourself for a few mins. Take care.

OH seems to be making a good recovery. Its me now. It started about 3 days ago, with dull tummy ache and passing blood every time I had to go. To cut a long story - managed to get into the doc's today and it turns out I have piles which are quite painful. Wanted me to have a blood test- tomorrow - and then see her again for the results which is next Monday.  Hopefully there will be nothing untoward and that it is just the P's causing the problem. Hey ho, mine is just a minor problem compared to some of yours.

Thinking of all of you who are going through treatments or health problems.

Hi all:

AQ:  I feel a bit like Lindybird - don't seem to have a schedule anymore - and I don't even have your excuse for all those layers of dust. I swear I'm going to need a weedwhacker to get through all the hairs drifting hither and yon on my bathroom floor.  I got out the cleaning stuff out and have left it by the bathtub as a way to get inspired to start scrubbing.  Sounds like the nanny schedule might ease up in a couple of weeks?

Lindybird: Oooh - raspberry crumble and custard - two of my very favorite ingredients.  The Zulu flower display must've been a surprise.   That colorful council offering with the skull was odd - now if it were Dia de los Muertos (November 1), I'd understand.

Heather:  I can imagine the nonstop kiddie treadmill you're on.  Do hope daughter's ankle heals very quickly.

Lynette:  Ouch. No sitting on cold steps for you (that's what my mother used to say caused that problem). Take care!

Taking a friend out for her birthday lunch tomorrow, which will be nice.  Weather has finally cooled down.  Hope you all have a nice day!

Good Morning, All.  Dull here but dry, just rather sort of moist......

Sorry to hear about your health probs, Lynette - you already had your OH to worry about.  Hope the Doc can sort you out and its nothing more than what you think.

Annette:  Have a lovely birthday lunch tomorrow.  Glad its cooled down for you at last. :-)  Love the sound of a "weedwhacker" !!  we don't have those but I could do with one!

OH has gone off to a golf game but I have lots to do to keep me busy.  Off later to get my 'flu jab which I missed a couple of weeks ago.  Then shopping & errands this afternoon plus a visit to my Friend, who has just come back from Portugal and will tell me all about it - I will reciprocate with terrible tales of my OH's cousin!!

Awoke far too early this morning, after going to bed tired out - Grrrr!  to the Hour Change!