Planning Ahead?

Do you know what day it is? I'm finding that every day feels exactly the same as the one before and I'm losing the plot! I write all appointments and events down on the calendar so that nothing is forgotten. It will soon be June 1st and what exciting events do we have?

Oh... Well what about July then?....

Zilch, nada, nothing. Blimey our twilight years are sailing by on a sea of boredom. I must get my ass into gear and make PLANS. I don't know what plans yet but they might include puncturing a certain outdoor jacuzzi 😂😁🎶  There were more visitors there yesterday: 3 women and later on a man came to pick them up. It finally went quiet somewhere between 8 - 8.30pm.  Thankfully the music was on quietly, it was voices we could hear and squeals from water play.  I never thought I would pray for a wet Summer..... until now.  It's sunny again today...…..

As I'm feeling all cooked out and totally bored with menu planning on limited supplies, I have taken to ordering two ready meals each time I get lucky with a food delivery slot. This is what I got this time: a meaty meal for G and a veggie one for me. Ping cuisine at its best 👍 so no cooking today!

Oh, and a lemon meringue pie to have afterwards with a good dollop of vanilla ice cream. I'm not going to worry about calories because I have lost 8lbs in weight over the last month due to my IBS anyway.

My blood tests BTW came back clear. Kidneys, liver, thyroid and full blood count all normal so I need to battle on and sort myself out. I have cut down my consumption of dairy quite a bit, cut out sugary things (in the main) and I drink very little alcohol, coffee nor eat much spicy food. The main problem is in trying to control my stress response which is easier said than done when I can't even sit outside and read quietly.

There is no way we will be planning a holiday this year so I need to get my thinking cap on regarding planning pleasant things to do in the near future.

Do you have things planned?  Will you be risking a holiday?

Gratitudes

For 'ping cuisine' today, so no actual cooking required

For feeling marginally better so that I actually *want* to plan ahead

For the majority of caring, unselfish people who stick to the rules no matter what

Stay safe, wherever in the world you happen to be x

Rules? What Rules?

The lockdown restrictions in the UK are to start being lifted on Monday with more people being allowed to meet in a public place while still keeping 2 metres apart. This worries me.  I know that the rules will be flouted because they already are.  Our next door neighbours have been having house guests for weeks.  The day before yesterday was the third small party this month.  Each time, their patio doors are open wide, music is played at full blast whilst they sit in the jacuzzi, then they all go indoors to eat, rinse and repeat until around 7.30pm.  As our house is small with a tiny garden we find that the music is as loud in our garden as it is in theirs and so we can't open our own patio doors until the guests have gone home.  On the previous occasion, the 76 yr old grandma collected the baby girl in the morning and took her off in the car until the evening.  The young woman living next door then collected a friend who spent the afternoon there and then drove her home again.  Social distancing?

When I heard the Jacuzzi pump again yesterday and saw a car load of food shopping going in to the house, my heart sank.  Then a woman and 2 little girls arrived.  I saw the boyfriend preparing to drive off (which he usually does because he hates these parties) I nabbed him and asked if his girlfriend intended to have music again because if so could she please keep it down.  He was very apologetic and went back in to make my feelings known.  There was music... but on a more tolerable level from around 2pm until 6.30pm 'ish.  I know this post makes it sound as if I'm a curtain twitcher but my kitchen is at the front of the house so I see lots of things going on without trying!  It's warm and sunny again today.....heaven help us....

A certain Mr Cummings hasn't helped matters...

Are you seeing people disregarding the lockdown rules?  Are you worried about a second spike in infection?

Changing the subject completely, G has treated me to new tablet computer as my old one is on it's last legs.  It's lovely apart from the fact I can't seem to upload any photos from it :/   I'm a complete technophobe so the solution is probably staring me in the face. Anyway, that's the reason my posts have been completely devoid of photos of late.  I'll have to upload some from my phone instead.

I'll be back soon.  Stay safe everyone wherever in the world you happen to be x

Mental Health Awareness Week....Kindness

Who would have guessed that one simple word ' Help' on my last blog post would have brought out so many kind people to offer suggestions, tried and trusted remedies and just plain sympathy for my situation.  Heartfelt thanks go to all of you who responded with alacrity ((HUGS)) to you all.

Today is the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week and the byword is KINDNESS.
We all need it, especially now with the current situation.  We need it and we need to pass it on to others. Bloggy friends share it in bucket loads, thanks so much!  I found it again on Friday when I couldn't bear feeling so ill any longer and yet again rang the GP's surgery.  This time a wonderful kind, caring and competent lady GP took me seriously.  She listened carefully and decided to get some extensive blood tests done as well as another poo test (yuk!) in order to rule out anything 'nasty' (her words, not mine) as well as prescribing some hydro cortisone ointment containing a little anaesthetic to put on the sore bits. After just a few days I feel somewhat more comfortable at last and can at least sit on a pillow! My blood test is booked for tomorrow morning.  Only one local hospital is doing it to try to limit the risk of Covid and I have an exact time to go to limit exposure.

To try to calm down my IBS I refuse to watch / read about the virus during the day, limiting my interest to the 5pm DOOM bulletin.  I dare not turn on the radio either so am listening to music on U-toob on my tablet.  On there I found Stjepan Hauser who plays cello so beautifully and with such feeling it takes my breath away.  Do try to find him....

This morning I can hear that the builders are back on site and the banging and hammering are such welcome sounds after 2 months of silence.

Are there signs of things returning to normal where you are?

Gratitudes

For the sounds of normality at last to break the alien silence we have endured

For being able to sit at the computer long enough to catch up blog reading and emails

For ALL the kind people in the world.  God bless you all x

Stay safe everyone wherever in the world you happen to be x