Well it’s been another week of avoiding the dreaded Rona! So far so good, and long may that last.
I’ve no intention of coming out and Staying Alert! I’m staying put at home so I can continue to be very inattentive!
(Stay Alert? What do they think we’ve been doing all this time?). Literally shaking my head.
We’re currently still sane, so that’s a bonus I guess.
I have been having continued bladder fun and games so that’s far from ideal but hopefully it will sort itself out soon.
I had to give in and take a urine sample to my GP the other day. I was up in the night for 7 wees, even for me, a 2-3 times a night wee-er, that was too much.
Visiting the GP was fine, all you do is ring the door bell (with an anti bac wipe, although this is optional) and they tell you to go to the window, a little hand pops out with a tray and I dropped the container on that and ran. At no time were either of us at risk from one another, which was most reassuring.
I suffered bladder damage in my bowel cancer surgery, but I also suffered nerve ending damage to that area too, so I don’t get the normal indications of infection that others get.
Anyway the results came back negative, so God knows what’s going on in there. Just hoping it will sort itself out very soon, as I have no wish to actually see someone.
Apart from that fun I have been keeping busy. I had another Zoom meeting with the PPI (Patient & Public Involvement) group that I’m on, with Bowel & Cancer Research. It’s really good to keep in touch whilst apart.
I dressed for the occasion ~ of course, if you can’t get dolled up for a Zoom chat then when can you I say!
I did notice this dress was a tad on the snug side so things will have to change…a good start would be to stop eating 3 bags of Monster Munch a day! Hahahahaha, I’m kidding, I only did that on the first day they arrived as I couldn’t decide what flavour to choose after a break away from them for the last 20 odd years. They are what I would consider a child’s crisps, but as an adult I get to to decide what to eat! I just wish as an adult I had the ability to control the amount that I eat. ;)
Dress and Shoes from Ralph Lauren.
The meeting was great, there’s not much we can do for now as our purpose is to give feed back in focus groups, but keeping in touch means we’re good to go once things are back up and running.
A lot of the research teams have been redeployed to covid projects understandably.
Other than that meeting I haven’t had anything productive to do so I set about gardening. I’m not a natural gardener, I have always resented having to do it to the point I had a gardener just so I didn’t have to.
Since everything shut down I haven’t had my gardener or my cleaning lady or ironing lady come to that. There is some thinking between Chris and I that this has possibly triggered the bladder problems.
I have a hernia, plus I have bits missing inside so it’s entirely possible something has fallen over in there due to all the extra bending, lifting, carrying and ironing I’m now doing. I’m really hoping not though.
My fingers are crossed for an easy fix. Maybe it’s just a weird stress reaction. Anything is possible in these strange times.
My garden looks a treat, even if it is really hard work, and I mean really hard work, I was shattered after hand weeding this path with a knife, it took over 2 hours, I was sweating profusely, as red as a London bus…coincidentally the size of one now too! Hahahahaha
Yes, yes, I know once it’s done it’s really worth the effort, but while doing it I was muttering swear words at it for being such a pain!
Once complete, I sat back and enjoyed the view, considering thoughts of tarmac-ing the lot!! Hahahahaha
That said, it does give me something to do. So as much as it is a pain, I’d be completely lost without it. I am very lucky to have a garden to get out into. I do feel for people like my Ben and Kaitlyn living in a flat with no balcony even. They’ve lived in homes with gardens since birth and with some unfortunate timing moved into a flat a few weeks before lockdown.
We all have to find a way to manage.
They go for their one walk a day, and then potter about the flat the rest of the time. They are very good at following the guidelines.
The rules are hard to stick to on hot and sunny days but it will reduce the numbers dying. The new guidelines will be even more difficult to stick to, mainly as it’s all a bit wishy washy. I feel sorry for the police more than anything. It was hard enough to control when it was simply Stay Home.
So for now Chris and I, for the foreseeable future, will be staying home and pottering in the garden, growing veg and weeds in equal measure. Just to clarify, I said weeds hahahahaha. (Chris will get to do this weekends only as he’s still working).
I kept myself busy until Friday when Chris was off work for the VE Day bank holiday.
We didn’t actually have any big plans for it, we’d have probably headed up to London or something.
I baked a cake ( a Victoria sandwich, can’t get more British than that) and put together a morning tea in the garden.
Me in my most natural habitat…eating! Hahahahaha
Although we didn’t have set plans, plenty of people in the village did. They held their socially responsible, social distancing street parties. All on their own drive ways, no one going near each other.
My mum and dad surprised me, I think they surprised themselves too, by their own admission they are not social types, they like their own company. But even they attended their street’s party.
They took their lunch and drinks and sat out on their front step to join in. My dad even played some Glenn Miller music for everyone.
The day was lovely. There were fly pasts and plenty of things on the telly that you could watch to mark the occasion, even if it wasn’t possible to attend.
Playing Churchill’s speech was an excellent touch.
We had a great day, albeit alone…we had cake though, cake is all you need.
The weather has been glorious here, so we made the most of our long weekend together.
Chris decided to build a new permanent area for the bbq our friends gave us the other day. Matt was going to take it to the tip but I asked if we could have it…it’s the war time spirit of make do and mend in this house. Chris is on 50% wages and that’s fine as we have enough to feed ourselves and keep a very nice roof over our heads. We’re totally fine, we’re very lucky in that respect, but we can’t go spending willy nilly like we did before.
I only wanted the bbq for our big garden area, we have a new one in the back courtyard but I don’t want to carry that through the house to the main garden. Our house and garden lay out is a little confusing.
The new (old) bbq in its new area works a treat. So thank you Matt & Kim.
Chris made a lovely job of it, there is no end to this man’s talents, I will be keeping him on. Hahahahaha
We spent the rest of the afternoon in the back courtyard (As if I could ever complain about the stay at home instruction, we have spent a lifetime making our home the best place in the world to be and then we spent even more (wasted) money going out and ignoring it week after week…should it have taken a pandemic to force us to re-evaluate our life choices, no, probably not, but we got there in the end).
We spent Saturday afternoon sunbathing, reading and dipping in and out of the hot tub. I’d say we have the most perfect set up here. We may never leave again, by choice rather than order. :)
I’m 47 on Friday, I’m feeling very happy about it to be honest. I love all the birthdays I get!
I feel very blessed to have reached another one.
I don’t think I look that bad for 47 either. This was taken Saturday afternoon. I think I’m doing alright.
Overweight but happy as Larry. :)
…and if you’re wondering if you will ever be able to wear a bikini on the beach (or garden) after stoma surgery, the answer is YES!! If you want to, a thousand times yes!
If I can, I think it’s safe to say anyone can!
Appreciate what your body has been capable of. You are alive! Live it how you want to.
Chris had arranged to take me to stay at The Savoy, in London for my birthday. We were going up Thursday night for a couple of days. I had every intention of going to sleep there and waking up in The Savoy 47!!
What a treat that would have been. Breakfast in Kasper’s, drinks (tea) in Boodles, dinner at The Savoy Grill. Smashing, absolutely smashing.
Anyway, that’s been scrapped for now.
Knowing we can’t go anywhere or do anything, I decided on a new plan. A few weeks ago I rang Chris’s mobile, somewhat confused as to why I was ringing him from inside the house, he answered it…he’s not really one for role play but never mind…I then proceeded to check with him if he had availability in the spare room for 2 nights from 14th May to 16th May?
Beyond confused, he finally sort of got the gist of what I was getting at. So I have now booked us to go away to the guest room at the other end of the house for 2 nights. I’m really looking forward to going. Should be lovely, I hear it’s gorgeous this time of year! Hahahahaha
Have a wonderful week yourself. Stay safe, stay Alert. ;)