The exhaustion has given way to ill-health. Yesterday the Fox got up complaining of feeling shivery despite feeling red-hot to my fingers. We decided on an early dinner. Not very early as we wanted to get back to our more normal pattern of life. The Fox barely managed a couple of mouthfuls of the tagine without complaining of it being as dry as sawdust - to me it was as moist as any slow-cooked meat tends to be. He never got started on the jacket potato. The wine he managed a glass but that was about it. He abandoned the meal & staggered off to bed.
I sat & finished off some more of my meal & the bottle of wine. Then I tried to get up. I found panic setting in as I just couldn't manage it. I contemplating phoning Lin - the mobile phone I could reach without getting up & her number is in it. I could tell her the address of one of our neighbours who is a locksmith & who I'm sure could break in the locked door without causing undue damage so she could come to the rescue.
First, I thought, one final effort. I managed to get up. I hastily tidied away the remnants of food, got changed & went to bed. It may be early but there didn't seem any point in risking again not be able to get up to go to bed without assistance. So another long night was had. This time I was in bed by 6.30pm & didn't get up until 7.30am.
All this sleep is no doubt needed. I'm just hoping the Fox is feeling brighter when he gets up today, otherwise I can see I'm going to have to organise some emergency help from somewhere. I'm certainly not going to sit on any chair except my electric recliner/riser chair this afternoon or later. I'm not going to take the risk of getting stuck again. My health may be fine but my disability causes difficulties without the Fox's assistance. At times like this I become aware of just how much I depend on him to be able to do the simplest of things.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
What a knockout!
Readers of the Fox's Christmas Eve blog will realise how anxious we had become about Christmas meal out. As it turned out it was a quiet success. Geo, Lin's father, was also a guest at the feast & turned out to be a charming gentleman. He's in his 90s & looking very well on it. The food was all enjoyable. PD managed to calm down a bit so we didn't have to behave like the performing seals we feared, thank goodness.
We got home in the early evening & promptly conked out. First the Fox had an hour's nap. By then I was clearly past waking up so went to bed at just 8.15pm. I didn't wake up until 12 hours later. Even then I was back in bed by 10.30am ready for a further few hours of zizz. As I say we conked out.
Yesterday I couldn't even get my thoughts around the idea of what to do for food. In the end we went for a quick microwaveable Booth's ready meal. That was about all we felt up to, though while looking for the meal I noticed a bag of diced lamb leg which I duly got out for today. We're going Moroccan with a lamb tagine for a change. It's plopping as I write.
All this exhaustion is, I suspect, a reflection of the sheer relief of getting through the Christmas festivities & surviving. For a while I've been aware of feeling increasingly tired. Partially that's the effect of the cold - over Xmas I've finally stopped blowing although I am still coughing a bit. PD has been going on about this meal ever since we accepted the invitation months ago, Our sense of dread & general tension steadily grew as his excitement grew. Nothing, but nothing, could live up to the wonders he was intending, nay expecting. Now it's over we've just flopped. I suspect we will stay flopped for another day or two, maybe till next year, before we really take up the reins of life once more.
I hope you all had a good meal & hopefully didn't just conk out in exhaustion like us.
We got home in the early evening & promptly conked out. First the Fox had an hour's nap. By then I was clearly past waking up so went to bed at just 8.15pm. I didn't wake up until 12 hours later. Even then I was back in bed by 10.30am ready for a further few hours of zizz. As I say we conked out.
Yesterday I couldn't even get my thoughts around the idea of what to do for food. In the end we went for a quick microwaveable Booth's ready meal. That was about all we felt up to, though while looking for the meal I noticed a bag of diced lamb leg which I duly got out for today. We're going Moroccan with a lamb tagine for a change. It's plopping as I write.
All this exhaustion is, I suspect, a reflection of the sheer relief of getting through the Christmas festivities & surviving. For a while I've been aware of feeling increasingly tired. Partially that's the effect of the cold - over Xmas I've finally stopped blowing although I am still coughing a bit. PD has been going on about this meal ever since we accepted the invitation months ago, Our sense of dread & general tension steadily grew as his excitement grew. Nothing, but nothing, could live up to the wonders he was intending, nay expecting. Now it's over we've just flopped. I suspect we will stay flopped for another day or two, maybe till next year, before we really take up the reins of life once more.
I hope you all had a good meal & hopefully didn't just conk out in exhaustion like us.
Friday, 23 December 2011
Fishy times
Things have been getting very fishy of late. It began on Wednesday, when the Fox made some Aberdeen Eggs - Scotch eggs with a kippery mix encasing the egg rather than sausagemeat. It tended to disintegrate a bit - the kippery mix was very soft, so we shallow fried them to be on the safe side - but they tasted delicious. The egg was lightly boiled so it just oozed out when you cut into it.
Then yesterday, as we had some kippers left, I made some kipper & egg filled jacket potatoes. Similar ingredients, same accompaniments, & yet it tasted so different.
How come we had some kippers left? Readers of our blogs will know we often have a Kipper & Egg Kedgeree - one of the Fox's regular Sunday culinary offerings. We always use John West tinned kippers.
I'm convinced the thing that deters most people from eating more fish is the bones. I was fortunate. In my childhood, we usually went to the Isle of Man for our holidays. And what else can you have there for breakfast but Manx kippers? My mother loved them. When I was very little she carefully took the backbone out for me. As I grew older she taught me how to do it for myself. Then we discovered these tinned kippers so we could have kippers at other times of the year too &, what is more, any bones were so soft as to be unnoticeable. When I met the Fox I duly introduced him to these tinned delights & I'm glad to say he loved them too. So much nicer than the frozen ones. I suppose I have to confess that the texture is maybe better on the true Manx kipper - though that could be just my memory since it's a long time since I had them fresh - but the tinned are tasty & easy. So it is we used half a tin in the first meal, & half in the second.
By way of a change, today I've been busy making a fish pie with a mixture of haddock, salmon, naturally smoked haddock from our local smokehouse & prawns. I'm really looking forward to eating it this evening. I sometimes think we could very happily live on fish all the time, especially if there were a few eggs too.
But all of this is avoiding saying what I may not have another chance too. I anticipate tomorrow being a busy day as I want to get my Sunday chores - bed changing, sorting out the washing, emptying out the airing cupboards & putting the clean clothes away in drawers & wardrobes - done tomorrow. and first I will have to start with this week's ironing. All that is to say I fear I may not have opportunity to sit down & write tomorrow., so I'll say now
Then yesterday, as we had some kippers left, I made some kipper & egg filled jacket potatoes. Similar ingredients, same accompaniments, & yet it tasted so different.
How come we had some kippers left? Readers of our blogs will know we often have a Kipper & Egg Kedgeree - one of the Fox's regular Sunday culinary offerings. We always use John West tinned kippers.
I'm convinced the thing that deters most people from eating more fish is the bones. I was fortunate. In my childhood, we usually went to the Isle of Man for our holidays. And what else can you have there for breakfast but Manx kippers? My mother loved them. When I was very little she carefully took the backbone out for me. As I grew older she taught me how to do it for myself. Then we discovered these tinned kippers so we could have kippers at other times of the year too &, what is more, any bones were so soft as to be unnoticeable. When I met the Fox I duly introduced him to these tinned delights & I'm glad to say he loved them too. So much nicer than the frozen ones. I suppose I have to confess that the texture is maybe better on the true Manx kipper - though that could be just my memory since it's a long time since I had them fresh - but the tinned are tasty & easy. So it is we used half a tin in the first meal, & half in the second.
By way of a change, today I've been busy making a fish pie with a mixture of haddock, salmon, naturally smoked haddock from our local smokehouse & prawns. I'm really looking forward to eating it this evening. I sometimes think we could very happily live on fish all the time, especially if there were a few eggs too.
But all of this is avoiding saying what I may not have another chance too. I anticipate tomorrow being a busy day as I want to get my Sunday chores - bed changing, sorting out the washing, emptying out the airing cupboards & putting the clean clothes away in drawers & wardrobes - done tomorrow. and first I will have to start with this week's ironing. All that is to say I fear I may not have opportunity to sit down & write tomorrow., so I'll say now
Happy Christmas all my readers
I hope you all have a wonderful day.
Happy Christmas indeed
Thursday, 22 December 2011
The lights come on
We spent yesterday afternoon putting up our Christmas tree. Somehow everything seems so much more festive. The twinkling lights, the reflective baubles, the streams of tinsel, the glittery star, all make the world seem so much more sparkly. The rest of the room is adorned with Christmas cards. We are fortunate to have so many friends, so many people who think of us at this time of year.
Meanwhile, outside, the lights have changed in a more other-worldly way. They've been changing the street lights. Gone are the warm orange lights of before. Now we have halogen lights. They give a weird blueish light. People walking along the road look like zombies as all colour gets washed out of their faces.
I dare say we will get used to the new look. I expect these lights are more economic to run & more eco-friendly. They probably pollute the skies less. But initially at least, they are less aesthetically pleasing & certainly give us the impression the undead are about to take over the world!
Meanwhile, outside, the lights have changed in a more other-worldly way. They've been changing the street lights. Gone are the warm orange lights of before. Now we have halogen lights. They give a weird blueish light. People walking along the road look like zombies as all colour gets washed out of their faces.
I dare say we will get used to the new look. I expect these lights are more economic to run & more eco-friendly. They probably pollute the skies less. But initially at least, they are less aesthetically pleasing & certainly give us the impression the undead are about to take over the world!
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
A joyful reunion
We're still busily hand delivering some of our local cards.
We stop at the house of one of our friends. The road seems full of cars. Nonetheless we park. The Fox gets out to deliver ours. As he goes I notice the people at the door of our friend are John & Janet, our former vicar & his wife. It turns into a joyful reunion.
It seems John & Janet are having Christmas dinner with the in-laws of one of their son. This happens to be just across the road from where we are spending our Christmas Day. We're hoping to bump into one another then too.
It made a very pleasant surprise, a real pleasure to see them again.
I wish I could feel as warmly towards our new vicar but I can't. I haven't been to church, except for funerals, since Easter. I'm contemplating trying again in the new year. If I'm still not happy, I think I will try another church, not too much further, in a different direction. Meanwhile I will continue to go via radio or just read a bit of the Bible by myself. I've nearly read all of Genesis now, from start to finish, a chapter at a time. It's high time I gave the Bible, the main book of my faith, a thorough read.
We stop at the house of one of our friends. The road seems full of cars. Nonetheless we park. The Fox gets out to deliver ours. As he goes I notice the people at the door of our friend are John & Janet, our former vicar & his wife. It turns into a joyful reunion.
It seems John & Janet are having Christmas dinner with the in-laws of one of their son. This happens to be just across the road from where we are spending our Christmas Day. We're hoping to bump into one another then too.
It made a very pleasant surprise, a real pleasure to see them again.
I wish I could feel as warmly towards our new vicar but I can't. I haven't been to church, except for funerals, since Easter. I'm contemplating trying again in the new year. If I'm still not happy, I think I will try another church, not too much further, in a different direction. Meanwhile I will continue to go via radio or just read a bit of the Bible by myself. I've nearly read all of Genesis now, from start to finish, a chapter at a time. It's high time I gave the Bible, the main book of my faith, a thorough read.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
What a difference a day makes!
We do the big food shop yesterday. I was in two minds as to whether to do it then or just leave it until the new year & use up stuff from the freezer until then. We start off with the essentials eg the milk, onions, margarine, the things needed just to get to Christmas.
It didn't seem too bad at first. Half an hour later bedlam had arrives. People stand bewildered in aisles, staring blankly around them, making it impossible for other people to get round them. Most people are pushing around trolleys piled high with goodies. You wouldn't believe the shops are only closing for a couple of days. Although I appreciate some people will have guests coming to stay for the holiday & so need extra food, surely there should be some people who don't, people like us who are going to be guests at the party rather than hosts. But the Bank Holiday food panic has well & truly set in. People are buying for months of siege.
Eventually we're done & head for the tills. We manage to find a shortish queue. We're in a hurry. We were supposed to be picking up PD to take him to the Pub quarter of an hour before, but the shopping had taken that much longer fighting through our fellow shoppers. The cashier grabs the milk bottle. Milk spurts out, all down her & the till. She cries out in surprise & shock. She hastily starts mopping herself down. Eventually a supervisor comes to help, bucket in hand. We're not allowed to find another bottle of milk ourselves. They will do that. We wait & wait as things get mopped up, before the assistant goes off to find the replacement bottle. Eventually we're through.
We arrive at the Pub, relieved to be able to relax after that experience of living hell. I look at the till receipt. After all that fuss, they'd failed to charge us for the milk. I contemplate going back to tell the shop but just can't face it. I tell myself they'd probably tell me to just keep it.
So this morning PD rings. He was just back from his big pre-Christmas shop. They'd got to Tescos's for 7am when it opened. There wasn't a fellow shopper in sight. They'd sailed through easily. The only disadvantage was that the fresh fish hadn't been delivered yet, but that hadn't bothered them as they weren't looking for fish today. It had been easier than usual. What a contrast!
The day they're worried about is Friday when they've got a 9am time slot to collect there pre-ordered M&S foods. M&S is in Lancaster so is sure to be busy. It's busy enough on any Friday, let alone the day before Christmas Eve.
What a relief it will be when shops, & fellow shoppers, get back to normal!
It didn't seem too bad at first. Half an hour later bedlam had arrives. People stand bewildered in aisles, staring blankly around them, making it impossible for other people to get round them. Most people are pushing around trolleys piled high with goodies. You wouldn't believe the shops are only closing for a couple of days. Although I appreciate some people will have guests coming to stay for the holiday & so need extra food, surely there should be some people who don't, people like us who are going to be guests at the party rather than hosts. But the Bank Holiday food panic has well & truly set in. People are buying for months of siege.
Eventually we're done & head for the tills. We manage to find a shortish queue. We're in a hurry. We were supposed to be picking up PD to take him to the Pub quarter of an hour before, but the shopping had taken that much longer fighting through our fellow shoppers. The cashier grabs the milk bottle. Milk spurts out, all down her & the till. She cries out in surprise & shock. She hastily starts mopping herself down. Eventually a supervisor comes to help, bucket in hand. We're not allowed to find another bottle of milk ourselves. They will do that. We wait & wait as things get mopped up, before the assistant goes off to find the replacement bottle. Eventually we're through.
We arrive at the Pub, relieved to be able to relax after that experience of living hell. I look at the till receipt. After all that fuss, they'd failed to charge us for the milk. I contemplate going back to tell the shop but just can't face it. I tell myself they'd probably tell me to just keep it.
So this morning PD rings. He was just back from his big pre-Christmas shop. They'd got to Tescos's for 7am when it opened. There wasn't a fellow shopper in sight. They'd sailed through easily. The only disadvantage was that the fresh fish hadn't been delivered yet, but that hadn't bothered them as they weren't looking for fish today. It had been easier than usual. What a contrast!
The day they're worried about is Friday when they've got a 9am time slot to collect there pre-ordered M&S foods. M&S is in Lancaster so is sure to be busy. It's busy enough on any Friday, let alone the day before Christmas Eve.
What a relief it will be when shops, & fellow shoppers, get back to normal!
Sunday, 18 December 2011
The hunt
Christmas will soon be upon us. Yesterday we had a grand hunt. We located our artificial Christmas tree & decorations. We intend to put them up later in the week. Angie, our cleaner is due tomorrow. We thought we'd wait until she's been, then the house should be nice & clean. It's always difficult to clean around the tree etc, so we've cancelled Angie for the following two weeks.They're both bank holidays & I dare say she will appreciate being able to have a bit more time at home with her family.
More frustrating was the hunt for Christmas wrapping paper. We did have a couple of rolls plus several odd sheets & a box of festive gift tags. We abandoned buying presents years ago - too much hassle when you have to face crowds in a wheelchair - so we've not needed paper etc since we moved here 11 years ago. This year, though, we have bought a few little things - one for Angie by way of thanks for all her hard work keeping us clean & tidy, & one for our Christmas hosts, PD & Lin, for having us. We'll also be taking some bottles of wine with us on the Day to help celebrate the occasion.
So we've hunted & hunted. I think we've looked in every box, every cupboard, in the attic, everywhere we can think of. No paper.
Did we even bring it with us when we moved house? We both think so. It would be atypical of us to throw something potentially useful like that away. We abhor throwing good stuff away. We tend to be hoarders.
But where could we have put it? We're going to try the garden shed this afternoon. There's no electricity there. By the time we'd completed the hunt in the house yesterday it was too dark to rummage there. If not, Angie's present will just have to be wrapped in some ordinary gift paper. Then later in the week we'll have to buy some more Xmas paper to wrap up the gift for our friends.
That is unless we find where the older stuff is. We'll probably find it when we put away any excess from the new paper we buy.
Though maybe.....
More frustrating was the hunt for Christmas wrapping paper. We did have a couple of rolls plus several odd sheets & a box of festive gift tags. We abandoned buying presents years ago - too much hassle when you have to face crowds in a wheelchair - so we've not needed paper etc since we moved here 11 years ago. This year, though, we have bought a few little things - one for Angie by way of thanks for all her hard work keeping us clean & tidy, & one for our Christmas hosts, PD & Lin, for having us. We'll also be taking some bottles of wine with us on the Day to help celebrate the occasion.
So we've hunted & hunted. I think we've looked in every box, every cupboard, in the attic, everywhere we can think of. No paper.
Did we even bring it with us when we moved house? We both think so. It would be atypical of us to throw something potentially useful like that away. We abhor throwing good stuff away. We tend to be hoarders.
But where could we have put it? We're going to try the garden shed this afternoon. There's no electricity there. By the time we'd completed the hunt in the house yesterday it was too dark to rummage there. If not, Angie's present will just have to be wrapped in some ordinary gift paper. Then later in the week we'll have to buy some more Xmas paper to wrap up the gift for our friends.
That is unless we find where the older stuff is. We'll probably find it when we put away any excess from the new paper we buy.
Though maybe.....
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