Wednesday 30 April 2014

The Fox's birthday



Monday turned into a busy day.

I spent the morning on the phone, trying to sort out the holiday insurance. I’m relieved to say the process seemed easier this time. The questions asked seemed more sensible & relevant to our medical problems. The prices were all around the £200 mark, some considerably less. We’ve not yet bought any but at least we’re under way.

The afternoon saw a trip to the hospital for the Fox’s physio session – the last as it proved to be. This time it was decided to strap up the Fox’s back, which really did not help. Now we know if things don’t improve, or even worsens, it will be back to the GP.

After that we decided to head north. First we went to Beetham Nurseries. We’re still looking for some art feature/focal point for the garden. We’re seriously thinking that, unless we see something better, our best bet is to get a large terracotta Ali Baba jar, grow a small tree/shrub in it and then surround it with other terracotta pots of different sizes & shapes filled with colourful plants.

While we were there, we sat outside having a drink & I was struck by a fabulous tree peony. I’ve only seen them in books before. This one was full of yellow flowers. It looked wonderful. And we’re going to have one in our new garden. It should look great, nestled next to a magnolia. I just wish the job was done. The garden at the moment looks a right shambles.

After that we decided to complete the Fox’s birthday celebration with a meal over in Arnside, where we lived for some 23 years before moving here. We tried for a short stroll along the prom but soon discovered the walk around the garden centre, mixed with the back strap, meant the Fox had had enough walking for one day, so we headed off to the pub, the Albion.

The Albion has been enlarged since we lived in Arnside, turning a rather grotty games room into a nice restaurant. The people who run the Albion are the people who used to run the Pub in its heyday. So we soon found familiar faces.

As we passed the outside tables we were met by Keith, a retired policeman &, like us, a former regular of the Pub. With him was Paul who used to have the fish stall at Morecambe Farmers’ Market. He too has retired now and moved from Beetham to live in Arnside. They regularly meet up to go for a ramble together. We joined them for an hour’s chat and catch-up before venturing inside for the meal.

The meal was good though the quantities were a bit overwhelming. We both ended up feeling a bit bloated. Nonetheless we did polish off a large bowl of pea & ham soup each. The Fox then polished off the Steak & Ale Pie, while I had the Pork Medallions & black pudding in mustard sauce.

It was late when we left – that is late for us i.e. after 7pm. We decided to complete the trip with a trip round by Arnside Tower, a ruined pele tower, along the coast to Silverdale, skirting Leighton Moss the RSPB bird sanctuary & our first marital home at Crag Foot, noting some of the changes that have occurred since we lived there & generally reminiscing about past times..

We arrived home exhausted, but filled with good memories & having had an enjoyable day. Yesterday was spent quietly recovering before we get back to the chores of the big food shop today.

Saturday 26 April 2014

Hospitals once more



I feel in a bit of a state of shock. I just rang my Cousin Ann to thank her for her Easter & birthday card – it’s the Fox’s birthday on Monday – to be answered by her husband, Derek. Ann apparently was rushed into hospital last night at 2.30 am.

Ann has had cancer for a while now. Apparently she was in so much pain last night that she couldn’t sleep. She was taken into hospital for morphine. Today she’ll be having scans to see if something more is amiss.

Ann hopes to be home later today. Derek is sceptical. He suspects she’s going to be for a couple of days minimum. He said he would ring when things are a bit clearer & they have some results. So now we wait.

Hospital is much on our minds at the moment. Our cruise-loving friend Eric is in hospital at the moment having a new knee put in. The op was on Thursday. I rang his wife, Doreen, yesterday. He’s apparently feeling a bit sorry for himself but otherwise okay. She, like me, is another old hand at having operations & thinks he’s just discovered what having an operation is like. His main problem at the moment is nausea from the anaesthetic. Even while she was visiting yesterday afternoon, he seemed to improve. She’s off on her next long drive to Preston to see him later today.

Meanwhile any plans for celebrating the Fox’s birthday are on hold as he is off to Morecambe hospital for his next physio session on Monday. What we do afterwards will largely depend on how he feels when he comes out of there. We’re hoping to go over to Arnside if it’s a nice day & have a meal.

On the good side the tickets have arrived for our Croatian holiday. We’ve been to organise some kunas, the local currency, for the trip. We’ll be able to collect them next week.

Last night we ordered the taxi down to the airport & the return trip. We decided this time we wouldn’t go down the night before as we usually do. We never sleep well the first night in a hotel so we thought we might as well sleep here as best we could & get up bright and early in morning. The taxi will be coming at 5.30am so it will be early.

The only thing that remains to be done is that dreaded task, sorting out the travel insurance. I wonder what silly questions they’ll be asking. I wonder if no longer having osteoporosis will compensate for the fact I’ve now got high cholesterol & the Fox has osteoarthritis in his hip. We’ll soon find out. That’s going to be my chore of the week. Wish me luck.

Wednesday 23 April 2014

One mystery solved, another to go



I seem to have been oh-so tired over the weekend. I’ve finally worked out why.

I’ve suddenly remembered that on Friday I finally got out and tidied up the front garden a bit.  It took a couple of hours but finally all my new herbs are planted (and thriving by the looks of things). My hands are scratched all over after my tussle with the rampant oregano.  All this gardening is far more exercise than I normally get & I suspect that’s what’s wiped me out. By Saturday night I was asleep in the chair by 9pm (I was nodding off from about 7pm.) I got off to bed but didn’t wake until after 8am. A similar thing happened on Sunday. I picked up on Monday. I got the washing out on the line so ended up popping in and out changing the items, & bringing the dry things in. I even managed to stay up until nearer midnight but I still didn’t get up till nearer 9am. I’ve clearly been overdoing it.

Today I was intending to do the ironing. However, in view of the fact we’re off to do the food shopping, a more urgent priority, later on, I‘ve decided it would be wiser to have a quiet morning, give myself a chance to get up a bit more of an energy store.

With this in mind the Fox cooked the chicken for tonight’s dinner in Big Ears, the slow cooker, overnight. He used some chorizo. I did tell him to leave what was left in a plastic bag in the fridge & I would sort it out in the morning. I’ve hunted through the fridge but I can’t find the chorizo. The recipe called for 75g of chorizo. He can’t have put the whole 200g stick in. Or can he? That’s certainly going to be my question when I see him next.

I’ve looked in the bin as well & I can’t find the wrapper so hopefully there’s some chorizo somewhere & I’m just blind. Much as I like chorizo I can’t help thinking I was looking forward to a chicken and chorizo stew, not a chorizo and chicken one. I suspect the latter might be a bit overpowering in it’s paprikaness.