It's an Ill Wind....
Another short blog, but better a few words than none at all. Not that 'few' is a word I recognise. Know what I mean?
Howling gale blowing rain at the windows as I write. Almost forgotten what that sounded like. Once this is over we again are supposed to be getting warmer weather. Could be Christmas before the real chill sets in, and maybe not even then. All I can say is that it feels good to be indoors. It has now started to hail!!!
Danger with high winds and rain at this time of year is that it blows down a lot of leaves and these then become very slippery. If I can persuade B to shovel them up into sacks, they will make good compost for next year. So an ill wind can blow good as well as bad.
It's been a wonderful year for leaf-colour change. We have a large forsythia bush in our front garden, and although pruned down quite a bit after flowering, it has really shot up again. Normally it ends its year by shedding just green leaves, but this year - and I've never seen this before - the leaves began to change colour, and many 'spikes/branches' began to show deep red. I first thought it was another plant that was growing through the bush, but it was the forsythia. More and more red spikes appeared, and now the rest of the bush has changed to all shades of pale yellow to orange through to red. It's a wonderful sight, and very visible from our sitting room (about the only bush that is as the window sill is fairly high). It's as if our garden is bursting to show how lovely it can look when it tries.
As I look through the long, narrow window above my desk, I see the vivid Acer bush, a glorious copper colour. that looks even more impressive against a back-drop of dark-green cordyline and holly. Some Acers change colour as they approach autumn, but ours is always copper coloured from the first leaves in spring, although seemingly even deeper and brighter in colour all through this year.
Went to the doc's yesterday for an update. He was very pleased with my speedy recovery, faster than either he or the hospital expected apparently. A whole new lot of pills, taking the place of the old ones that have now been stopped, and most will have to be taken for the rest of my life. Just a couple more checks at the Lancaster Infirmary, then - fingers crossed - will be back to (almost) normal.
Yesterday bought myself one of those 'U/V' shaped pillows to help me sleep better in bed, and have to say it worked well. Doc said best for me to sleep slightly propped up to make my breathing easier (had water on my lungs - this will disappear naturally over time), and the new pillow is just right. Had the best night's sleep last night for nearly a month.
Thanks for comments. Not sure if you've now returned to Perth (Australia) Mary, or just moved on from the Midlands area on your visit here.
While in hospital, a new patient arrived in our five-bed ward, her bed opposite to mine, and she was on holiday in England, her home now being in Australia. Think she was a Lancastrian as she had kept her accent, no sign of an OZ accent even though she had lived there 23 years.
She gave her address to a patient next to her, and I can't now remember it, but it was in Perth, sounded like a suburb (began with a C), and have forgotten the name of the road - it had an almost Aboriginal sound - something like Woranattah. Or Warattanah? Am sure you will know the one I mean.
Who knows, you may even know the lady (her name was Mavis). Stranger things can happen.
It's an interesting thing about what has been said about hospitals and care there. Myself have been in only two - St.James (Jimmy's) in Leeds, and now Lancaster Infirmary, but in both had amazingly good care AND good food.
Even in our small ward it was noticeable how some of the patients who were well enough to speak, used to complain a lot. 'Food is AWFUL' said the bed next to mine, pushing it away and refusing to eat any of it. But the lady was very poorly (99 years old on the 23rd of this month), and after she had a blood transfusion, she suddenly got colour in her cheeks, said she was hungry, and promptly ate everything put before her saying it was lovely.
Another patient was endlessly complaining, and I noticed she switched her moans and groans on only when one of the nurses or orderlies entered the ward. She seemed OK at other times, chatting happily to Mavis, and actually smiled and waved goodbye to me when I left. She just needed a bit of attention I think beyond what the nurses could give her, and have to say they were so kind to her, all the time they were in the ward. Me, I'd have felt like giving her a slap. I'd never make a good nurse.
Not sure that I was the most popular patient in the eyes of the others. When their visitors came, all they did was tell them how dreadfully they were treated and moaning-millie (above) pleaded with her son to send her to a private hospital where she could have a private consultant etc. etc.
My visitors (either daughter, B or my next-door neighbour) spent most of the visiting time shrieking with laughter over one thing or another. As a family we find fun in anything. B happily munching his way through the odd snacks that I'd put to one side and hadn't yet eaten (wasn't going to eat them anyway).
Maybe, one day I'll be ill in hospital and not feel like finding any enjoyment in anything. In a way I felt a bit like that this time - couldn't even be bothered to listen to the radio or use the TV (each bed had one). Just wanted to like back and get better, but at no time did I feel like moaning. Most of the time I spent thanking the nurses for all the attention, love and care, they were giving me. They deserve to be thanked.
Perhaps some hospitals are better than others, and the Morecambe Bay Hospitals have had a bad press recently (despite the name, this name covers all the hospitals in Lancashire, Cumbria, Lake District etc).
Did hear two nurses talking together as they changed the beds, most of them live several miles out of Lancaster, one has had to her sell her car as she couldn't afford to run it due to the low wages, and it takes her ages now to get from home to the hospital as she has to change buses more than once. The working hours seem long too. The nurse was saying she will probably have to move closer to the hospital.
Just because nursing is considered a 'vocation', doesn't mean the wages should be lower than those given to others who work far less hard. Nurses, I am sure, work a great deal harder than most.
I've contacted Steve re the possibility of a 'communal site' where you (and I do mean YOU) make, photo, and send in a recipe from this blog (or 'Goode' books), that you recommend worth making Am hoping that will collect the best recipes together, and these then easily able to be found - and tried by those who wish to make them. More on this later.
Over the past few weeks I've been busy knitting and crocheting, and have now several old cushions re-covered with hand-knit. Was gratified to see a couple, very similar to mine, in a Sunday supplement, also a 'throw', the cushions starting at £45! Certainly has 'lifted' the ambience (whatever that is) of our sitting room. Almost looks good enough to allow in visitors (once B had cleared up all his clutter!!!).
Between times I knitted 'hand-warmers' (like mittens but without defined fingers/thumb). Just a piece of ribbing knitted for 8 rows on 31 stitches, then plain knitting (purl on backside) for 28 rows, picking up the middle loop of every 5th row to make an extra stitch until I had 35 stitches on needle. When 28th row was completed, then knit-one, purl-one rib again for 14 rows, then cast off.
Stitch up sides together, leaving a small hole under the short rib for the thumb to stick through. The short rib becomes the top of the mitten, the longer rib fits round the wrist.
Very simple to make, a pair can be knitted in less than 2 hours, and they really do keep hands warm without restraining the fingers (or thumb). When the weather gets colder I'll be wearing these indoors once out of the kitchen).
That's all the chat I can muster today, probably be back again before the weekend. TTFN.
Howling gale blowing rain at the windows as I write. Almost forgotten what that sounded like. Once this is over we again are supposed to be getting warmer weather. Could be Christmas before the real chill sets in, and maybe not even then. All I can say is that it feels good to be indoors. It has now started to hail!!!
Danger with high winds and rain at this time of year is that it blows down a lot of leaves and these then become very slippery. If I can persuade B to shovel them up into sacks, they will make good compost for next year. So an ill wind can blow good as well as bad.
It's been a wonderful year for leaf-colour change. We have a large forsythia bush in our front garden, and although pruned down quite a bit after flowering, it has really shot up again. Normally it ends its year by shedding just green leaves, but this year - and I've never seen this before - the leaves began to change colour, and many 'spikes/branches' began to show deep red. I first thought it was another plant that was growing through the bush, but it was the forsythia. More and more red spikes appeared, and now the rest of the bush has changed to all shades of pale yellow to orange through to red. It's a wonderful sight, and very visible from our sitting room (about the only bush that is as the window sill is fairly high). It's as if our garden is bursting to show how lovely it can look when it tries.
As I look through the long, narrow window above my desk, I see the vivid Acer bush, a glorious copper colour. that looks even more impressive against a back-drop of dark-green cordyline and holly. Some Acers change colour as they approach autumn, but ours is always copper coloured from the first leaves in spring, although seemingly even deeper and brighter in colour all through this year.
Went to the doc's yesterday for an update. He was very pleased with my speedy recovery, faster than either he or the hospital expected apparently. A whole new lot of pills, taking the place of the old ones that have now been stopped, and most will have to be taken for the rest of my life. Just a couple more checks at the Lancaster Infirmary, then - fingers crossed - will be back to (almost) normal.
Yesterday bought myself one of those 'U/V' shaped pillows to help me sleep better in bed, and have to say it worked well. Doc said best for me to sleep slightly propped up to make my breathing easier (had water on my lungs - this will disappear naturally over time), and the new pillow is just right. Had the best night's sleep last night for nearly a month.
Thanks for comments. Not sure if you've now returned to Perth (Australia) Mary, or just moved on from the Midlands area on your visit here.
While in hospital, a new patient arrived in our five-bed ward, her bed opposite to mine, and she was on holiday in England, her home now being in Australia. Think she was a Lancastrian as she had kept her accent, no sign of an OZ accent even though she had lived there 23 years.
She gave her address to a patient next to her, and I can't now remember it, but it was in Perth, sounded like a suburb (began with a C), and have forgotten the name of the road - it had an almost Aboriginal sound - something like Woranattah. Or Warattanah? Am sure you will know the one I mean.
Who knows, you may even know the lady (her name was Mavis). Stranger things can happen.
It's an interesting thing about what has been said about hospitals and care there. Myself have been in only two - St.James (Jimmy's) in Leeds, and now Lancaster Infirmary, but in both had amazingly good care AND good food.
Even in our small ward it was noticeable how some of the patients who were well enough to speak, used to complain a lot. 'Food is AWFUL' said the bed next to mine, pushing it away and refusing to eat any of it. But the lady was very poorly (99 years old on the 23rd of this month), and after she had a blood transfusion, she suddenly got colour in her cheeks, said she was hungry, and promptly ate everything put before her saying it was lovely.
Another patient was endlessly complaining, and I noticed she switched her moans and groans on only when one of the nurses or orderlies entered the ward. She seemed OK at other times, chatting happily to Mavis, and actually smiled and waved goodbye to me when I left. She just needed a bit of attention I think beyond what the nurses could give her, and have to say they were so kind to her, all the time they were in the ward. Me, I'd have felt like giving her a slap. I'd never make a good nurse.
Not sure that I was the most popular patient in the eyes of the others. When their visitors came, all they did was tell them how dreadfully they were treated and moaning-millie (above) pleaded with her son to send her to a private hospital where she could have a private consultant etc. etc.
My visitors (either daughter, B or my next-door neighbour) spent most of the visiting time shrieking with laughter over one thing or another. As a family we find fun in anything. B happily munching his way through the odd snacks that I'd put to one side and hadn't yet eaten (wasn't going to eat them anyway).
Maybe, one day I'll be ill in hospital and not feel like finding any enjoyment in anything. In a way I felt a bit like that this time - couldn't even be bothered to listen to the radio or use the TV (each bed had one). Just wanted to like back and get better, but at no time did I feel like moaning. Most of the time I spent thanking the nurses for all the attention, love and care, they were giving me. They deserve to be thanked.
Perhaps some hospitals are better than others, and the Morecambe Bay Hospitals have had a bad press recently (despite the name, this name covers all the hospitals in Lancashire, Cumbria, Lake District etc).
Did hear two nurses talking together as they changed the beds, most of them live several miles out of Lancaster, one has had to her sell her car as she couldn't afford to run it due to the low wages, and it takes her ages now to get from home to the hospital as she has to change buses more than once. The working hours seem long too. The nurse was saying she will probably have to move closer to the hospital.
Just because nursing is considered a 'vocation', doesn't mean the wages should be lower than those given to others who work far less hard. Nurses, I am sure, work a great deal harder than most.
I've contacted Steve re the possibility of a 'communal site' where you (and I do mean YOU) make, photo, and send in a recipe from this blog (or 'Goode' books), that you recommend worth making Am hoping that will collect the best recipes together, and these then easily able to be found - and tried by those who wish to make them. More on this later.
Over the past few weeks I've been busy knitting and crocheting, and have now several old cushions re-covered with hand-knit. Was gratified to see a couple, very similar to mine, in a Sunday supplement, also a 'throw', the cushions starting at £45! Certainly has 'lifted' the ambience (whatever that is) of our sitting room. Almost looks good enough to allow in visitors (once B had cleared up all his clutter!!!).
Between times I knitted 'hand-warmers' (like mittens but without defined fingers/thumb). Just a piece of ribbing knitted for 8 rows on 31 stitches, then plain knitting (purl on backside) for 28 rows, picking up the middle loop of every 5th row to make an extra stitch until I had 35 stitches on needle. When 28th row was completed, then knit-one, purl-one rib again for 14 rows, then cast off.
Stitch up sides together, leaving a small hole under the short rib for the thumb to stick through. The short rib becomes the top of the mitten, the longer rib fits round the wrist.
Very simple to make, a pair can be knitted in less than 2 hours, and they really do keep hands warm without restraining the fingers (or thumb). When the weather gets colder I'll be wearing these indoors once out of the kitchen).
That's all the chat I can muster today, probably be back again before the weekend. TTFN.
posted by Shirley at 9:49 am
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