the pond was frozen this morning which always confuses the ducks! They slide across it in an alarmed manner coming to a stop at the end where they battle to scramble out! They do this every winter and never seem to learn!
The leaves have just about all fallen now and once again we can see across the fields. Today the sky is a brilliant blue and the sun is shining but there is no warmth. The wood burner is crackling to keep us warm! No central heating here!
I have moved the geese into cluckingham palace to share with the chickens. The chickens all sleep either on the beam ot on top of the walls so the floor is empty. I put down a thick blanket of straw in a corner where the geese snuggle down. It gives them more room. At this time of year the birds are shut in for a long time. I have tried to get the ducks in too but they will not move out of their area. I will leave them for now until the new duck house is built.
Him indoors is still in plaster but having twice weekly physio now. He is progressing but it is very slow and he is very bad tempered. So much to do and he cannot do anything. Work on the Gites is carrying on slowly but I think we will be ok to launch in Spring.
I apologise for the lack of photos. The site has changed how I find them and I am having trouble finding out how to do it. I will get there!
I have joined a crochet along run by Lucy at attic 24. It starts in January and I have the wool ready! Discovered something wonderful yesterday..Hobbycraft now deliver to France. I have ordered a set of easy grip crochet hooks! It is a shop I visit whenever I go to the U.K. There will be frequent parcels arriving from there! Nowadays it is the little things that make me happy!
Lots of crochet planned and underway, great for this cold weather. A big throw across my lap keeps me cosy.
Tuesday 29 November 2016
Tuesday 22 November 2016
Difficult time and big decision..
Yesterday we came back from England having gone over on Friday to visit an aunt. She is 101 and has lived at home with no problems and just a little paid help. A new GP arrived a few weeks ago and for some unknown reason gave our aunt anti depressants. Within days they had caused postural hypertension and she fell. She wears an emergency button which she was able to press alerting the paramedics. As her blood pressure was low and her heart rate fast she was taken into hospital. The paramedics found the anti depressants and worked out they had caused the problem. This all happened on the Wednesday. We were informed on Thursday she was in hospital. I immediately called the hospital and was told she was very agitated and for her own safety was sedated! Going into the weekend nothing else was done. During the next week I phoned the hospital a couple of times for updates and my brother in law told me he was worried. So we decided to go over.
Her son had seen her into hospital and then he and his wife went off to Florida for a month. He is the power of attorney and had arranged for her to go into a nursing home should the hospital decide to discharge her. Her daughter lives nearby but failed to visit!
On our first visit she had a supper tray in front of her. Puréed food in a plastic bowl! I went and found the nurse in charge to ask why? The nurse barely spoke English! Apprently Elsie had gagged when eating. I challenged this saying it did not mean she needed puréed food. They need to tempt her to eat not put her off! I explained that at home she ate normal food and loved Chinese. She had a KitKat every day and crisps with her teatime sandwich! She also read the Telegraph and did the crossword. She was also always dressed and made up complete with jewelry! The nurse clearly did not believe me. A bit later on the nurse came back and asked me to confirm that Elsie came in from home! I told her it should be in the notes..admitted from home by ambulance.
I do not think Elsie will be with us much longer. She told me she loved me when I said goodbye and asked me to forgive her if she had ever upset me. It was all I could do not to cry in front of her.
We came home last night, exhausted emotionally and physically. There is no more I can do. I am not the Next of kin and she is my aunt through marriage not a blood relative.
It also settled my unrest over whether to stay in France. The treatment him indoors had, by French speaking nurses was faultless. I worked in the NHS for many years and was proud to wear my uniform. I was ashamed of it this time. It seemed to me the The England I knew no longer exists. I could not live there again willingly. Next year I will be 60 and applying for French citizenship is easier. That is what we will do.
The world is restless now and who knows exactly how the future will go! For me I will continue to live simply in a green way and do what little I can to protect the environment.
Her son had seen her into hospital and then he and his wife went off to Florida for a month. He is the power of attorney and had arranged for her to go into a nursing home should the hospital decide to discharge her. Her daughter lives nearby but failed to visit!
On our first visit she had a supper tray in front of her. Puréed food in a plastic bowl! I went and found the nurse in charge to ask why? The nurse barely spoke English! Apprently Elsie had gagged when eating. I challenged this saying it did not mean she needed puréed food. They need to tempt her to eat not put her off! I explained that at home she ate normal food and loved Chinese. She had a KitKat every day and crisps with her teatime sandwich! She also read the Telegraph and did the crossword. She was also always dressed and made up complete with jewelry! The nurse clearly did not believe me. A bit later on the nurse came back and asked me to confirm that Elsie came in from home! I told her it should be in the notes..admitted from home by ambulance.
I do not think Elsie will be with us much longer. She told me she loved me when I said goodbye and asked me to forgive her if she had ever upset me. It was all I could do not to cry in front of her.
We came home last night, exhausted emotionally and physically. There is no more I can do. I am not the Next of kin and she is my aunt through marriage not a blood relative.
It also settled my unrest over whether to stay in France. The treatment him indoors had, by French speaking nurses was faultless. I worked in the NHS for many years and was proud to wear my uniform. I was ashamed of it this time. It seemed to me the The England I knew no longer exists. I could not live there again willingly. Next year I will be 60 and applying for French citizenship is easier. That is what we will do.
The world is restless now and who knows exactly how the future will go! For me I will continue to live simply in a green way and do what little I can to protect the environment.
Wednesday 2 November 2016
This 'n' that
Sorry to have been absent but life has been very busy! With the extra load of helping him indoors there is not much spare time!
Tomorrow is a big day as the staples and sutures are being removed. This will be the last time the plaster comes off until it is permanently removed. On Monday next week the physio starts. That will be pretty intense as it is three times a week for 12 weeks! Fortunetly our top up insurance covers it. Several of the drugs are now finished too which is good. He only has the strong painkiller morning and evening now too just needing paracetamol in between. We have settled into a pattern of I leave him to it unless he asks for help. We have agreed this strategy as I do not want to take over. He is growing a beard now as shaving is not possible. Although I have shaved many men whilst a nurse he is not comfortable to have me shave him!
I have settled into my vegan lifestyle very well. I am getting used to reading packaging in the supermarket. My next challenge is to give up sugar! Most biscuits, cakes and sweets are not vegan anyway! I have had a go at making stuff myself but am now at the point where I am happy to give it up. Even chocolate I am not bothered about! This means I have just about removed all factory made food from my diet! I am eating lots of pulses now and enjoying them. My challenge is sourcing different ones.
My effort to ditch the plastic is going well too. No more cling film or plastic freezer bags. I mostly use glass jars in the freezer. I bought a pack of chicken breasts for him indoors and wrapped each in greaseproof paper then put them in a large glass jar! My next mission is to make fabric bags to put fruit and veg in. It will cause a stir no doubt! That will be more plastic gone!
The evenings have really drawn in now. I am putting the birds away at 5.30. This seems to have snuck up on me. The wood burner is on most days now and we have ordered more wood. It will be me who stacks it.
Still unsure of how our future will be in terms of Brexit. We have been hit badly by the exchange rate and are down by around £200 a month just by converting our pensions into euros. Hopefully that will improve. The other part is lack of bookings for the Gite. The other two Gites are moving slowly forward. We should still have them done for the season next year. Just hope we get a good number of bookings.
Tomorrow is a big day as the staples and sutures are being removed. This will be the last time the plaster comes off until it is permanently removed. On Monday next week the physio starts. That will be pretty intense as it is three times a week for 12 weeks! Fortunetly our top up insurance covers it. Several of the drugs are now finished too which is good. He only has the strong painkiller morning and evening now too just needing paracetamol in between. We have settled into a pattern of I leave him to it unless he asks for help. We have agreed this strategy as I do not want to take over. He is growing a beard now as shaving is not possible. Although I have shaved many men whilst a nurse he is not comfortable to have me shave him!
I have settled into my vegan lifestyle very well. I am getting used to reading packaging in the supermarket. My next challenge is to give up sugar! Most biscuits, cakes and sweets are not vegan anyway! I have had a go at making stuff myself but am now at the point where I am happy to give it up. Even chocolate I am not bothered about! This means I have just about removed all factory made food from my diet! I am eating lots of pulses now and enjoying them. My challenge is sourcing different ones.
My effort to ditch the plastic is going well too. No more cling film or plastic freezer bags. I mostly use glass jars in the freezer. I bought a pack of chicken breasts for him indoors and wrapped each in greaseproof paper then put them in a large glass jar! My next mission is to make fabric bags to put fruit and veg in. It will cause a stir no doubt! That will be more plastic gone!
The evenings have really drawn in now. I am putting the birds away at 5.30. This seems to have snuck up on me. The wood burner is on most days now and we have ordered more wood. It will be me who stacks it.
Still unsure of how our future will be in terms of Brexit. We have been hit badly by the exchange rate and are down by around £200 a month just by converting our pensions into euros. Hopefully that will improve. The other part is lack of bookings for the Gite. The other two Gites are moving slowly forward. We should still have them done for the season next year. Just hope we get a good number of bookings.
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