What are you doing today (Number 2)

[Grandad]

Still catching up. Good luck on Friday at hospital MD.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Drove home from the USA. Was awake and up early so was on the road by 5am, crossed on the early morning Ferry and talked my way across the Straits cause I ran into an old friend I haven't seen since I was working in the north.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Hopefully getting more rocks moved out of the backyard so I can continue with the gardening.

[Jayway]

Put another row of tomato in and generally messed about in the garden with 3 cats following me around. Sat outside and read two chapters with my brainless cockerel sat by my feet. He sits on the step when I am indoors. My friend paid 25 euros each for 4 chicks - - so she gave me the extra cockerel, I will never buy rare breeds, this one is soooooo stupid I have to feed him by hand.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I had the tile guy in today and he chipped out all the tile in 2 bathrooms and the laundry room. I disappeared for quite a bit of the hammering and went for a cuppa with the daughter and granddaughter and basically passed a wasted day. Now I'm vacuuming up the dust in prep for him coming back tomorrow to spread thin set and level the floor and put up tile backsplashes around the cabinets in the bathroom.

Then I'm off to a specialist about the pain in my side. Hoping for words of wisdom.

[Ruby Slippers]

I went to the GP about my wrist and got given two forms for blood tests and X-rays! We then went looking for a length of worktop for a new kitchen cabinet that DH has installed and I really can't believe the trouble we are having in getting a metre. Most places seem to be quoting up to 5 weeks for delivery which is plain ridiculous!

[LovelyLadyLux]

Off to see a specialist today to see if he has any great insights into my side pain. Grin and bear it seems to be the treatment plan here.

[Grandad]

I don't often post on this thread but.......

We bought some pot plants a few days ago and left them out under a porch to harden for a few days before planting up. We have not cleaned the patio slabs on our back yard for at least a couple of years so Mrs G insisted that we do that BEFORE we plant up any pots. Nice day today so that was the plan.

This is just about the dirtiest job that I do around the house, not least because when I layed the slabs I left gaps up to 5cm wide for drainage because our back yard is completely enclosed. I filled the gaps with 10mm chippings. Well, when I pressure wash the slabs, the chippings all get blown out and the gaps fill with water, until it drains. Mrs G comes behind sweeping the gravel back into the gaps and, at the same time cursing, that she wishes we had close butted the slabs because she HATES the gravel.

We finished the job in about 4 hours and tomorrow we will plant up some pots, BUT, I have received an ultimatum to do something about those gaps because she is never again going to do that filthy messy job.

A mans work is never done

[Jayway]

so funny , I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall . . .

[LovelyLadyLux]

Since it is raining and fairly hard it has cooled down weather-wise so I'm cooking soup and making bread today.

My front has tiny gaps and when the guy power washed this past spring he blew out quite a bit of sand that is in-between the blocks. Real pain having to sweep sweep sweep 'til all the sand goes back in 'em again.

[Grandad]

Well I have had to succumb to the incessant complaints about the gravel in the gaps between the slabs.

Today I shall experiment with a mix that I hope will be strong enough not to crack, like a lightweight concrete mix with aggregate for strength.......wish me luck

[Mad Dilys]

I'm back home! Most of the plants have grown alarmingly and look pretty happy, just the pansies have wilted but might, just might recover. So plant trimming and tidying is the order of the day. Oh, and catching up on two weeks washing!

I was totally spaced out and shaky yesterday, but slept pretty well. Leg is exceptional in movement, pain is just constant, so I can exercise without an immediate increase, unless I do too much then it gets me later.

I have a support worker coming twice a day, not always the same ones - but both recognised from last time and it was hugs all round.

[Grandad]

MD, I can't remember, was it a knee or a hip???? Pleased to hear you are back home And hope you have some good pain management and that the pain reduces very quickly. But don't overdo it too soon. Good luck for a fast recovery

[LovelyLadyLux]

Welcome home MD! Am betting the healing will just zoom along quite nicely now

Hoping your experiment with the concrete mix goes well Grandad. Be interesting to know how it goes

[Mad Dilys]

Thank you for your good wishes, it was a knee Grandad. So far so very good Al Hamdulillah.

Last time some of the nurses actively tried to discourage me from asking for the quick acting pain relief, though others and Physios insisted I wasn't taking enough - I was prescribed one capsule per hour on demand.

The most I took this time was three, on one occasion when I had overdone the exercise and that was 10.00pm. 2.00am and finally at the suggestion of a kindly nurse at 5.00am. I did occasionally have one during the day, but not regularly.

The same nurses tried the same gambit this time "You won't have these when you go home you know." But I simply said my doctor prescribed them for me without me asking last time, and he may well do the same again. If not, I've still got half of them left, so I'm OK thanks."

I haven't, Thank God needed any so far, but I had a lovely amble round the block today with my daughter, admiring gardens, and stopped at the coffee shop for about an hour's R&R halfway, so I may need some over the next couple of days. I shall do two or three 5 minute ambles a day to try to shake out the stiffness, but I have painkillers ready if needed, but only one easily a available in case I get confused and overdose.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Sounds like you have a good plan going MD I think doing more little walks will work better in the long run than doing 1 big walk. To a speedy FULL recovery and much success with your new knee

[Kiya]

Glad to hear your home MD & with the much help you have

[Grandad]

I have mentioned that I have relatives in Staffordshire, not too far from Horus, that we occasionally travel up to visit. The caller identification on my telephone this morning informed me that my niece was on the line. My first thought was 'bad news' but it was just a social call.
My anxiety was about her Grandmother Hilda who, she informed me, was 99 on the 2nd May and will be 100 next year...inshallah
My niece has a twin brother who recently became a Grandfather for the first time. So Dear Hilda who we have known for nearly 60 years is now a Great Great Grandmother.......How brilliant is that? Made my day

[Grandad]

Hoping your experiment with the concrete mix goes well Grandad. Be interesting to know how it goes

Yes it was a success LLL. Mrs G is happy. A bit 'rustic' (no, not Mrs G ) but stronger than a simple mortar so we have been to the home improvement store this morning (B & Q to us) for a stock of bags of this general purpose concrete.......only problem......I am now committed to do the lot.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Today the back patio got finished and the finished did sweet SAND into the cracks! There isn't too much space between the blocks but I've got sand in 'em and I do know when I had the front power washed lots of sand came out that I had to sweep back into the cracks.

Am watching the granddaughter as the youngest twin is going for another speech and hearing test. He has a hearing loss and is slated for surgery (adenoids out) this fall. He often speaks very loud but mostly cause he can't hear himself.

And I'm volunteering at for a couple hours at the Blood Donor Clinic today. Always good for chatting with lots of people who come in and volunteer their blood.