Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 28 May 2017

PS When did bags of compost become so heavy? LOL

Oh heck, Heather.  That's a nuisance: can only suggest that you get a large bucket and decant half of it.

Thanks Diane!!

Been looking for the sandals for my OH but the retail outlet we used to go to has closed down without telling anyone :-(

Went to Homebase, though, and bought some more bedding plants. Also came out with a new bracket for our large hanging basket for the front of the house. I had planted it up ready, a few days ago. Yesterday we walked together around to the front door to hang it up and looked at each other in dismay --  we had taken the bracket down last year because it was rusty!! :-D

Pleasant day again. Had a swim this am and then coffee with friend. When OH gets home this afternoon we will be heading for the garden centre again for a hunt for plants for a tub that used to have a cotoneaster and replacements to fill 2 spaces in the rockery.

Good afternoon – some rain overnight or early morning, but a warm and sunny day.  AND … I’ve been outside!  Physios brought me a pair of crutches, and walked with me down the front door steps, to the end of the path and back up again!  Keeping the zimmer too, but will practice with crutches ready to try getting into the car next week (that will be a big challenge for me psychologically, as it was getting out of the car that I fell inFebruary.)

Linda – I just don’t fancy a zimmer with wheels – sure it would run away with me!  That was a well-spent day when you went to see the White Poppies and did so much general weeding and tidying in the garden.  Our birds are eating us out of house and home – too many baby Sparrows and Starlings; the water bowl was full of young Starlings earlier, to many to really enjoy a bath or shower!

Dibnlib – our community hospital was not ideal for rehab – too full of wandering dementia patients awaiting care home places, and palliative care patients with complex needs.  I am not criticising it, and the care I received was excellent, but not the place for a comfortable recovery for someone with an active mind and determined spirit.  Ridiculous situation is that the 20-bed dementia unit on the same site was closed and mothballed 9 years ago and stands empty!  I hope things will soon be resolved for your cousin and her husband.  I see Andy Murray struggled through to another win – definitely off form this year.

Heather – you MUSTN’T attempt to lift large bags of compost!  You do seem to be getting on well in the garden – I hope you are enjoying it.

I think I shall venture down the back steps into the garden when OH comes home from the butcher – not allowed to do steps on my own yet.  It’s lovely to get the outside air other than through open windows.

OG    How nice you can get outside again even though you need to have support. Hope the weather stays good enough for you to spend lots of time enjoying your garden.

OG - what wonderful news from you, what we have all been hoping for, knowing how much you love your garden and being outside. I understand how you will be feeling about the car.

I managed to get the spare bag of compost onto the sack barrow and put it to one side. Honestly, could have left it where it was, under the sittooterie. Youngest family are coming tonight, just got the news - so doubly silly that I was struggling! It doesn't seem that long since I could toss a bag of compost from garden centre into the car boot and out the other end:-) Good gracious, I'm not even 72 yet. What has happened? I'm a fairly tall and reasonably strong woman but quite disgusted with myself---

LINDY - plenty of brackets here! Have decided to forget about hanging baskets for this year, anyway.

OG - fantastic news that you have progressed to crutches.  Remember - good leg up to heaven, bad leg down to hell!!  At least, that's what I was told when I was struggling with them a few years ago.  There'll be no stopping your rehab now, I'm sure.  Particular thoughts for your first venture into the car.

Heather - I agree with you.  Things are just getting heavier these days!  Nothing to do with my failing strength.  Steps are also getting steeper - I climbed some spiral steps to the top of the tower at Igtham Mote yesterday ... the last step is about eighteen inches high, with a foot drop at the other side, and I have a dodgy left knee!!!!  But the view was worth it.

Diane: Missed the NASA event live but they're showing replays of the landing now.  My, those things really get blackened during re-entry. The launch of that SpaceX rocket is scheduled for 2-something tomorrow Pacific Time, then there's another event Sunday. 

OG: How exciting it must be to have been outside, more or less under your own power. It'll be good to have the physio types around when you tackle the car to give you step-by-step safety tips.  I assume it was a financial decision to close the dementia unit, but some of these decisions are soooo short-sighted.

Heather: I bought about 8 huge bags of mulch home the other week -loaded into the car by the young guys at the store, dragged out by me. They're now piled in the garage while I decided how to get them to various points in the garden.  It's very tempting to fill bare patches with plants, but then there's the challenge of pruning them correctly so they still look nice but don't overwhelm smaller plants.

Off to Tai Chi class this morning, then maybe will pop into the rest of the gym to wave my arms and legs around.

Thanks for all the kind comments - just had a wander into the back garden with OH.  His tomato plants are amazing!  Tired now.

I know that you won't be too ambitious, OG. Too much at stake. But do enjoy xx