Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 19 May 2019

Good Morning. Another sunny day here, but it could be the last one for a while, as more showery weather is predicted for this coming week. We could do with the rain for the garden and allotment, so mustn't complain.

Our garden is very colourful at the moment, as a lot of our plants bloom at this time of year,, so I've been out with the camera trying to capture it.

It is raining here and quite cool.

I'm off out in a few minutes to meet a daughter.

Hope all are OK!

Dull and breezy – could be a wet afternoon. We went out yesterday. Our cucumber plants germinated and started to appear to be getting their first “true leaves”, then all growth ceased, and they just sat still, so we wanted to replace them. First garden centre had none left but we had a nice quiche and salad lunch. Then we did grocery shopping in Morrison’s. We went through to another garden centre and found some lovely cucumber plants – the ones we like with small fruits, and just the right stage for planting; we actually bought two different varieties. I had a bad day with my legs, getting in and out of the car, and I don’t remember much about the evening, other than that I was desperate to get to bed!

I am good enough today. J has gone on the usual train to Carlisle, and OH is printing the church newsletter and doing various messages in town. We shan’t go to church tomorrow morning as we are going to a concert in Langholm in the evening, with pre-performance meal. The concert is mostly Jazz – with Ruby Turner (whom you may have seen singing with Jools Holland).

DIBNLIB – sorry you had bad news from your brother. Thinking of you.

(EDITED - to remove my own political opinion!)

HEATHER – another shopping trip with Daughter? Or a nice meal out? Enjoy.

Must now put my mind to something useful. Have a good weekend, everyone.

Sorry to read that you're having trouble with your legs, OG. You don't moan about it, but I bet inwardly you're fed up with them and wish you could trade them in for new ones. Great that you sorted the cucumber problem - hope you enjoy eating them when they fruit! Have a good time at the meal & concert. Yes, I've seen Ruby on Jools Holland and we were impressed.

Also hope that Heather has had a nice outing with her daughter.

Clouded over here but we're shortly going to get on with some garden work. I bought another tray of bright geraniums this morning. Could probably fill my giant hanging basket now, which I usually do, then sit it in the back garden for a week to settle down before hanging it up.

Our Youngest and family have arrived at our holiday place in N. Wales and are looking forward to a week of buckets and spades. Hope the weather is kind to them (They've gone earlier this year because the baby is due when they are usually there, in July.)

Thanks for everyones thoughts on Mum. Yesterday the nurse in charge of the wing she is in said that there has been an improvement and that she had not needed pain killers that day, so we will see.

I've just been reading about all the people dying on Everest and the bizarre pictures of those queues up the mountainside.  It's so incongruous seeing such a long line of people in such an otherwise desolate and dangerous place..  I could see the earlier expeditions of just a few people braving the elements and having to depend on their wits, but it's a mob scene these days.  You'd think the authorities would restrict access, but it seems it's the only time the local people can make enough money to live.......  

I see gardening chores/challenges are on today's agenda here and there.

I've just been inundated with photos of UK niece's new puppy - a Labradoodle called Ruby.  Cute little furry bundle of black with a white spot on her chest.

Hope Forestboar is just busy and not anything else.

Also, where is George?

All this talk about gardening makes me think I should put in my two penn'orth. I am no gardener, and a delightful lady comes every now and then to give everything a haircut. I have had two nice pots sitting outside my door for a few years - they were given to me filled, and for a couple of years I was very good about changing the flowers twice a year. But I have done nothing for a couple of years and decided they would either need plants or they would have to go! So this morning I planted them with yellow snapdragons and dark orange nasturtiums. Told my friend - did she congratulate me on my prowess? No - her comment was, 'You'll get lots of blackfly!' I may never garden again!!!

ANNETTE - I too have been horrified and upset by the deaths and the queues on Everest. Brought to mind a comment made by a few people on my cruise. They had been to Jerusalem (fortunately I went about twenty years ago and didn't feel the need to go again - didn't want to see that ghastly wall!). Their comment was, 'It's a bit like a theme park'. Everywhere is so accessible now - most of the 'special' places are indeed becoming theme parks. Very sad ...

PatO:  I was going to say those Everest lines reminded me of Disneyland except Disneyland is more organized and less dangerous (although possibly more expensive these days!!).   Talking of gardens, our new neighbors (well, two years ago), had their front garden redone but didn't put in any of that weed blocker sheeting.  Now they have weeds all over, but the owner explained to me that the guy who installed the irrigation and plants told him there was no point in putting it in because the weeds would get in between the mulch and the weed blocker anyway.  Well, that's as may be, but now I see stuff growing that I know has very deep taproots that probably wouldn't have taken hold had he added the weed blocker.  Arghhhh.  Then there's the young couple across the road who just paid $20,000 over the asking price for a house with a nice, low maintenance garden already in place,  but do you see them outside working on it?  Never.  No kids, no pets....  What do they do all day!?  Must get off my soapbox or people will think I'm nosy and intolerant!!   :-))     When are you going to post pix of your trip?  

Heather: Thank you for the gentle nudge! I have been somewhat involved with medical issues. After our last holiday in Cornwall I went back to the surgery to my named doctor who said all he can only prescribe the three monthly injections so an impasse. I kept going with what the pharmacist suggested – not ideal. Then I heard he was leaving in March so waited until I was certain he had gone and then I was able to boo an appointment with the senior partner (relief). She was just a junior doctor when we moved to the Forest and was our original named doctor. I knew that she could think out of the box. When I met her the first thing she said was the B12 symptoms were just that and not the problem but a symptom and something else was causing so she booked 6 blood tests to see what the problem was. They all came back clear and B12 levels were normal ( not surprising seeing the amount I was taking ). So a neurology Outpatients now on 8 July, appointment at Gloucester Royal.

In the meantime two Weeks ago OH spotted an article entitled “statins and what you are not told” Among all the side effects listed was a deficiency of vitamin B12! We decided that as I had been reduced to one tablet a day it was worth try to stop and see what happened. A doctor who did just that said that within two weeks he had his thinking brain back. I know how he felt, at the moment most symptoms have gone. Things like muscle energy will take longer to set right and I no longer feel lethargic. Next appointment now on Wednesday morning. I know that the hospital appointment will be kept as that will check for stomach ulcers and stomach cancer both of which causes B12 problems so I am not out of the woods yet.

As you will see by the length of post I have had my hands full for a while.