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diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 12:38
Spouse's Xmas present showed up today and got me out of bed at eleven. This wouldn't be a problem if I hadn't only got to sleep around four, and only drowsed and coughed until the doorbell rang. Stupid system. (Not that I have a better one in mind, I'm just whinging).

Have given up trying to be energy-saving and eco-conscious and whatnot and put the washing in the dryer. Having wet washing around the house, trying to dry it on radiators and airing racks is just annoying my lungs more.

Remembered to order drugs in plenty of time, I think. They should come before I run out this time. See, I get better at things. Yay, me.

Have gone back to making my bed-throw larger just in case the forecasters get it right this year and I'm going to need the extra warmth in middle of winter. I don't really believe the forecasters, they've never seemed accurate at long forecasts. (Not brilliant at short ones, either).

Have decided not to make the change in the book that may be just cross-contamination of reading material. I can always bear it in mind for the second draft - if such a thing ever comes round.
I found a boxfile of notes and previous versions (original story was set a couple of decades later so there's lots of material there that I've forgotten about) and found some changes I've made to the world-building. I have no idea why I changed the set up in one way, it's a great puzzle as the original setting was more reasonable, I think. Will have to ponder that.

Have just looked round and realised the place is full of amazon boxes. I really must get round to filling up what I need to send xmas and birthday presents in, and then recycle the rest. I'd get an armchair back if nothing else.

Must go and clean the spare room. Baby Grandson is coming for a visit at the weekend. Must have cot ready. Yay, baby.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Monday, November 21st, 2011 12:58
Weather crap. Foggy and chilly. Worst possible state of affairs. Lungs reacting in their usual way, so I'm coughing and wheezing. Not happy. Got woken at godawful oclock by delivery man, thought it was spouse's xmas present but just opened it and it's for the Sister in Law, her prep for xmas as she is in America atm. She's coming over middle Dec. and having all xmas stuff sent here first. Running out of storage places, may have to put them in the loft.

Got Spouse to go up in loft yesterday and bring down all the baby stuff we had from the grand-daughters' early years. Shall sort out later what I need for the newest one. May not get much else done over next few months, cannot resist a baby, after all. May as well admit it and get on with it.

This weekend we put the garden and greenhouse to bed for the winter. It's too cold and damp for me to continue any gardening projects throughout the winter. I realize this makes me a wimp and Not A Proper Gardener but stuff it, I like breathing. When I can.

Shall make fish pie for tea. There, a decision made. Go, me!
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Monday, November 21st, 2011 12:28
Spouse and I went to pick up the Mother in Law on Friday afternoon for the usual shopping trip. We were earlier than usual because Spouse had a little work-related side-trip to make, and besides we wanted to go and spend ages with the baby later.
"I fell again!" MiL brightly remarked as she looked for her shoes. "I was just getting ready this morning, had my bath, had my breakfast and went in to get ready." So she had been 'up' for some time, this wasn't a case of sudden movement after lying in bed. "I was standing in front of the mirror and I just went. I couldn't stop myself and I hit my face on the cabinet." I think she meant the wardrobe. So she was standing still, it wasn't a trip. Couldn't help herself, means unable to reach out, all of which means it sounds like a TIA or mini-stroke. She said she sat for a while 'to calm down' and then was fine. Which also sounds like the mini-strokes. Worrying again.

New grandson is still lovely, and beautiful, and clever, and bright, and cuddly, and loveable and smells nice. Both amazing and good. (Besotted? I?)

Writing. Am wondering if a character I killed off should be allowed to survive. sometimes think she might come in handy later. Is this my hindbrain prompting me or is it my current reading matter contaminating my process? Normally, writing isn't infected by reading but what I'm reading is not really very good imo. I know loads of people love the Wheel of Time series and this is all my own personal opinion. I like Brandon Sanderson's books and because he's finishing off the WoT series, I thought I'd read it and so be able to read the BS finale. Unfortunately, the early books (perhaps they improve) are full of typos, cliches, boring internalised teenager angst and stubborness. Weird descriptions (how can something be both flat and conical?) pull one out of the story, and there are a lot of coincidences 'explained' by the mythology of the Wheel. Apparently the Wheel weaves. As it wills. Haven't worked out how you can weave wit a wheel, or how it can be so deterministic. A lot of fatalism and prophecy-fulfillment which is tiring and yet oddly boring. And so far, all the viewpoint characters have survived everything thrown at them when a few of them really should have been dead by now. (Am three books in).
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Sunday, November 13th, 2011 21:13
I'm sitting up here in my study, listening to the Radio 4 podcasts I've missed during last week. Spouse goes into kitchen and blows up toaster.
But it's my fault, apparently.
Hmmm
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Friday, November 11th, 2011 13:33
My grandson may be leaving hospital today. Middle Daughter has a lot to put up with (a caesarian is not an easy option no matter what people say) but she will be happy to get her boy home. And we can go and cuddle him without being thrown out an hour later.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Thursday, October 27th, 2011 16:20
Middle Daughter is now late in her pregnancy and the baby is still breech. He's in a kind of 'v' position with his bum firmly plugging his only way out. Tomorrow they are going to try to turn him. If it works, great. If it doesn't they'll deliver him by C-section. So I might have a grandson by tomorrow night. Or not. Think I'd rather have an uncut and relieved daughter but if it happens, then we deal.

In other area: am finding it very difficult to write stuff. No- hang on that's not correct. I've been writing, longhand, and need to to type it up and expand but I cannot find a way to do this comfortably. I've been using Merlin, the netbook, to write with for nearly two years no, but in that two years the pain in my neck and shoulders has become more difficult to deal with. Currently I'm sitting in my chair with Merlin on a lap-table typing this but the position feels wrong now. There's a pain in my left shoulder, and one in my right arm, shoulder and neck, as well as one from my neck up through my head. My back aches too, but I think that's more from anxiety and lack of exercise. It's very hard to copy-type in an armchair, but I'm not sure that sitting at a desk is any better. That was why I got Merlin and took to the armchair. Perhaps I should go back to the main desk and see what happens.
Was talking to the Middle Daughter about books the other day and she told me I ought to have one of those stands/tables things that sits beside the chair and comes over in front of me, taking the weight of a book. It's certainly tempting, and I have some very heavy books. Future ones I can get on the Kindle, but there are still a lot of them on my shelves.

The handyman came for the Ma in Law and put in some new shallow but wide steps to her back door (which is the only one we use). Also put in grab-rails in all the parts of the bathroom she may need. The OTA also sent other aids (like a bath-board) and with the tablets from the doctor which seem to be working, she's a lot more relaxed and settling in very well. The rail for the steps outside is still to come, and there are lots of small jobs to be done (like hanging pictures and sorting out the endless supply of 'stuff' from 40 years in the old house) but it's getting better.

I've done a major re-organisation of the kitchen, the cupboard under the stairs, my wardrobes and so on. I don't know if it's related to anxiety over the fully-cooked grandson, the approach of xmas, general exasperation at hoarding, or a natural consequence of asking the MiL every few minutes, "Do you really NEED this?"

Watched the last Spooks this week. Sniff. Sniff, sob. Poor Harry. Sniff.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Thursday, October 20th, 2011 16:38
You know, I cannot account for the fact that I have never looked into any other books by Stella Gibbons. I loved Cold Comfort Farm but it did not occur to me to look for anything else. Have now downloaded to my Kindle 'Nightingale Wood' which sounds like fun.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 16:09
Had small nephew here for a couple of hours. He's very useful for motivating me to clean the house. We were upstairs, just after I'd taken him to the bathroom ('Need a Weee!!!) He followed me into the room we were dusting and announced, "I've got a big dick!" with such pride and glee.
I slowly turned round, ready to say "How nice for you," and saw that he had found my telescoping fluffy duster - which indeed has a very big stick. Relief.

Haven't been out and about much as Spouse has my car while his is in garage. Strange to be back to the old days when I couldn't break up the time alone with a quick trip out somewhere. On the one hand, I probably don't spend as much money. On the other hand, I eat a lot more chocolate.

Before I went to sleep last night I came up with a new 'warping' technology that would enable ftl travel for my sex-changing pacific-island humanoids which would make them indispensable to a crew. Have a feeling I'm missing an important bit, probably fell asleep too soon. something about the two points of the 'warp' being quantum entangled and manipulated via mutated brain part in SCPIH. Or maybe I dreamed the whole thing. Sigh.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 12:22
Bored now. Dunno why. Got plenty to do, lots of things I can read, write, paint, crochet, weed, cook, but...

Feel too restless. And it's cold. Usually when I get cold I just curl up and read in a nice warm room, or under a nice warm blanket I've made myself. Cosy. Dont' feel like it today.


Decided to get hair cut. That'll make my neck cold too. Possibly a mistake. Shall try for something less drastic and yet easy to look after. An impossible dream? Possibly. Probably. May come back looking like a skinhead. Or a lollipop. No, too fat to be a lollipop. Fuzzy Menhir?

Should stop blathering, I suppose.

Made a nice meal last night. Spouse suitably impressed. Always impressed by my producing good food. It's enough to give one a complex. The meal wasn't complex though. Possibly the most straighforward meal one can produce. Throw tray full of chilli-sauce covered prawns into hot oven for a few minutes, serve with Thai Lime rice. Easy, delicious. Mmmmmm.

May make an apple pie later. Or cakes. Or xmas cake.
Should be finishing baby blanket. Or MiL's new bedspread. Or the book. Always the book. Seem to have ground to a halt again. Been writing though, but something else. A kind of addendum to a short story I wrote ages ago. I don't do short stories much. At all really. Can't remember the last time I did one. This one was always going to be one episode of a series. Does that count as a short story? Concerns the discovery of sex-changing species of human found on remote pacific group of islands.

I'm cold still. Coffee time, I think. And ginger snaps.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Monday, October 10th, 2011 12:56
This morning the efficient woman from Social Services came out. She was an Occupational Therapy Assistant (I think that's her title). She did an assessment of the flat for the Ma in Law who is now to get the back steps sorted, the bathroom made safer and easier to use, and she got in touch with the people who handle the Fall Alarms. (Care Connect, who rang back within the hour and arranged to come out and to a demo on Wednesday). Kudos to all for the speed of response.

During the interview with the OTA it transpired that MiL had had another fall yesterday. As we discussed it, MiL showed herself confused again as to why we were all so anxious about her falls (small f). I explained again about the difference between a fall (small f, missing a chair, rising badly etc) and a FALL which is a TIA, or a mini-stroke, which is different because it is like a micro-blackout, she is unable to reach out to save herself and often doesn't remember falling at all. She seemed relieved at the explanation but I'm sure I'll have to explain all over again in a fortnight or so. This is the developing pattern.

I'm going to give her my adjustable, foldable walking stick. I love it but her need is greater than mine and I can happily order another one online. With daisies on! She's very resistant to the whole idea of using a stick but I can remind her that the Doctor said to do it. She's of the generation of 'Doctor knows best' tyranny and will do as the Doctor says. Mostly. Apart from when she's in one of her "Ha! What do Doctors know?" moods.

On a plus note. She's happy with Stupid the computer. She can switch it on, get skype to talk to us, and her other offspring's families, and even play patience. A bit.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 11:13
Monday night,popped in on MiL so Youngest Daughter, who was up on business trip for the day, could see her and her new flat.
As she was in the kitchen, putting kettle on I went in to talk to her.
She had another fall on Monday morning. But she didn't hit her head. "I ended up in the shoes!" she told me and laughed. Only told me about it because I noticed a new bruise on her arm. "That looks awful," I said.
"I'll put a cardigan over it," she said.
"That's not what I meant!"

Went back to MiL's place last night to set up her broadband and pc. Telephone had been switched on, setup went smoothly. Got her to play with skype a bit and showed her spider solitaire as a way of getting used to moving the mouse, clicking and co-ordinating. If anyone skypes her, I hope they ring for a very long time, as she takes ages to get the cursor to the answer button. It will get better with time and practice, of course, but at the moment she just needs encouragement.

Wind has got up today, (which is more than I did, am still in pyjamas. Disgrace) and things are blowing around my house. Time I put clothes on and tried to rescue my milkbottle cover.

Something I noticed recently. Clothes. Hardly anyone seems to pronounce the 'th' in Clothes. Makes it Close. Am I just slow to notice?
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 12:13
Am babysitting SN while his Mum goes for a job interview.
First he helped me clean. "This room is all dirty!"
"Yes, it is," I admitted, shamed.

Then we went outside. He had brought his Cars DVD to watch but happily left it behind to go and explore the garden, the shed, and to play with toys. Who said children are slaves to tv?
He seized on the little pink pram that we've had since the Tallest Grand-daughter was 1, and picked up 'his' baby (the smaller of the two dolls that go in it), put her in the pram and then piled in the electronic barking dog (mercifully with dead batteries) and we decided to go for a walk. I had been deadheading a few roses and he picked off all the petals of the finished flowers "For my baby" and put them under the little pillow. We got as far as the front path when he stopped and shook out the blanket and tucked it in again. Two more steps and another stop "i need more petals"
I provided a nasturtium.
"Under the pillow," he said as he evicted the dog to place the flower. Then repacked the pram.
Just passing the last of the garden when he stopped, put a finger to his cheek, "Oh, I forgot. Baby needs a toy."
"Do we have to go back?"
"Yes," he was very firm about that. He dragged the pram, backwards and when he reached the nasturtium patch, quickly grabbed another one. Hmmmm. Not a finished flower. On the other hand, it's autumn. They're all over, I suppose.
On we went, me trying to convince myself that I wasn't being soft. Ha.
Every few yards SN stopped the pram to shake out the blanket and primp the baby. I'm pretty sure I've never seen his mother behave like that so he's probably got it from observing other mothers with prams at his sister's school gates. Don't think they put a dog in with the baby though.

He's now in the back garden, blowing bubbles. I've barricaded the back gate, as he's worked out how to open it, and I can see him from the windows of the kitchen and conservatory. It's a lovely thing, to watch a child unselfconsciously playing in the sunshine; and even lovelier to think that next year there will be another one. Grandson on the grass. Can't wait.
I'll even weed it, in anticipation.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 18:22
Spouse is getting a new car. He's very happy. It'a a bargain. Yey.

Watching Tim Minchin on TV. Brill.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 09:13
Today I have to stay in and wait for a delivery - cot top changers for the new cots. For my part-baked grandson. With luck that will mean I have time to finish the first painting for his room.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 09:07
Problems notifying everyone of move - not people but companies. Almost everyone has some kind of online presence so, in theory, it ought to be easy to notify all the utilities, councils etc of MiL's change of address. Unfortunately, one problem that keeps arising is that many companies are using the same, faulty, address location database. Currys use it, but Comet don't. The dentist uses it, but the council doesn't, the energy companies use it .... you've got the picture. Whoever inputted data on the MiL's new street stopped at 18. She lives at 19. If there is a manual input that's fine, but rare.

As her phone isn't in yet, that means we either write, take her and all her paperwork down to my house to phone, or use my mobile phone (eeeeeek! cost!)

In addition, few of the "help" pages help at all on these websites. The Frequently Asked Questions are all devised by the company to tell you what "they" want you to know, not answer your questions, and the 'contact us' into is usually lacking in the method we want to use.
Sooooooooooooooooo annoyed right now.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Sunday, September 18th, 2011 09:59
Spent Saturday with MiL. Took her to see about getting a laptop. Everyone sold out. Spouse going to see if she wants to drive to Comet in Durham to see if they have the one she wants. Online, it says they have stock.

Started the new gardening project, did a bit of weeding and planted some spring bulbs for MiL in her new garden. It's a start.

MiL has nice man in upstairs flat, another in ajoining neighbour's flat (only joins on one side) and Nice Man Upstairs came to introduce himself and give us information about stuff. He volunteered to put MiL's wheelie bins out and bring them back for her. VERY nice man. Told her she was surrounded by men. She twinkled at me, grinned and said, "That's just the way I like it." She's a floosie, I told her.

She's now settling into flat, has lost that - well, lost - look and now that she has pictures on the wall (Spouse + drill) and books on shelves (Me, I know priorities when I see them).

Am feeling very breathless this morning so am taking it easy. Is sister in law's birthday today so will make cake. Bake a Bakewell for Sunday pud and apart from that, shall do nothing. I want to get on with painting for Part-Baked Grandson's room.

Dammit. I let tea get cold.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Sunday, September 11th, 2011 09:33
Second day of moving Ma in Law into her new flat started well, we took her down to retail park to buy a new fridge and a new telly, got back around lunchtime and had a sandwich before settling in to serious unpacking and re-arranging. She couldn't be persuaded to part with a thing, intending to put 40 years' of stuff from a three-bedroomed semi (with loft) into a small, two-bedroomed flat. This caused a lot of frustration but we were managing it.

MiL and I were standing over a couple of bags and boxes, placed on a table for easy reach. I found the second handset for the cordless phones and asked her if she wanted that in the front bedroom.
"Yes," she said.
"Righto," I said.
And then she went. She just started to fall sideways, I could see she was headed for the tv, a corner, the edge or the screen, all were horrible options. I lunged forward, pulling myself over obstacles with my left arm while I grabbed her and tried to stop her. I sort of pivoted her away from the furniture but I wasn't close enough, or strong enough, to hold her up, she just kept going down and I went after her but she fell all the way and hit her head on the door with an almighty bang that even the family outside in the garden heard. Everyone came running and prised her off me, or me off her, or something, I'm not sure about the next few seconds. I went outside in the rain and had a small meltdown. Went back in and found Baby Bro putting her in recovery position and talking to her, Spouse on the phone explaining to the 999 operator. The kids, small niece and nephew, peering round the doorway, part curious, part scared. SiL was being efficient and I felt guilty for leaving them to it. Took the kids in back room to the toys there and explained that Gran had fallen. Em pointedly asked why Daddy was crying, and I was too, so what had happened (she knows her Gran falls so she knew there was more wrong than usual). I talked to them for a bit and went back into living room. Two rapid-response paramedic cars and a big ambulance converged on the house within about 7 minutes of the call. I think that's impressive.

They plugged her into all their machines and I explained about her medical conditions and which tablets she takes, Baby Bro told them what he'd observed after the fall - apparently she had drifted into unconsciousness and one side of her face behaved strangely so we all thought 'stroke'. She had the best of care.

We followed the ambulance with MiL and Baby Bro inside to the hospital where they did all the tests they could, hooked her up to every machine that goes 'bing' (quite frequently in fact)
and xrayed her etc.

As usual, she recovered well and they couldn't find any reason for the fall, but the doctor said she was going to set the process rolling again to have her looked at, by the falls clinic I suppose. She had looked surprised when I explained that she'd been to the falls clinic, had an MRI but had never been seen again by them. I suspect an admin foul-up over the appt she should have had.

Doctor detained Spouse for a few minutes to check he was all right, the shock was showing on him and he's the oldest of MiL's children, her next of kin, and he suffered a lot. Baby Bro was in a terrible state too, but he's a lot younger and fitter and I wasn't worried about him. Spouse went for food, though, and we had a good night's sleep. Hopefully, if MiL has slept too and not obviously impaired today, he will relax.

This morning Spouse has gone up to the flat to tidy up and await the delivery man. Unfortunately, I'm paying the price for the lunging and hanging on, the pain is quite bad so I'm resting up. Every time I close my eyes or stop concentrating on something else, all I can see is her falling and falling and not being able to reach her. Hopefully, that will go away soon. I shall go up later and very sedately put some clothes in drawers or something easy like that.

On the tenth anniversary of the WTC attacks, a family problem probably seems small beer to most folk, but we're rather fond of the daft old bat and would prefer her to be around to see her great-grandson born in November.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Friday, September 9th, 2011 22:10
We finally got the keys at four o'clock.
The Bros started moving stuff over while we made the wonderful discovery that Mr W hadn't cleaned the place for quite some time. SiL and I were desperately trying to hoover, clean etc while the Bros were bringing stuff in. Tension.
More arguments abounded.
Much tension and stupidity from people who should know better (including me. I really shouldn't bother.)
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Friday, September 9th, 2011 14:43
Van hire man wouldn't accept passport as ID. As most of our bills are paperless and the rest are in my name, this presents a problem. He's off now to try for a third time to get the van. Still no call from solicitor releasing the keys.

It's now quarter to three, soon time to fetch niece from school. We were all hoping to get much of the moving done during school hours. So that's not happening at all. At this rate we'll be moving in the dark.

Nephew is in my garden with a bubble-sword, making bubbles (occasionally) and trying to clean my patio (with the kneeler and water from the rain-barrel).
He's just run in yelling, "It's going to rain!"
Not so far.

Time for a cup of tea. If nothing else, by the laws of the universe that seem to be in play, we'll end up having to leave it.

We can hope.
diemzone: detail of a painting on round canvas, in red and white, green and gold (Default)
Friday, September 9th, 2011 13:29
Mr B has recalled movers. Spouse has gone to get van. still no keys.