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"What have you eaten" Parallel Chat

DIL consulted the chiropracteur in Stornoway but he said he couldn't help. The troublesome disk is in her back, but it involves an area in her neck as well (not sure how). He said that, because of that, doing anything could lead to a stroke so he won't deal with it. So, she just has to hope it will improve if she doesn't do too much. She was up and about today but was in serious pain by the time I saw her at 5 pm.
 
To be honest, you'd need more than a couple of days to spend any time here at all. Just not worth all the effort for a brief visit.
 
Baking for tomorrow is all but finished now - just a little bit of finishing off to do. It has taken me all day to do it and I'm just about all in and feel as though my back and my knees are shattered. I would have left some for tomorrow but had a phone call to say someone from the Physio department at the hospital is coming out in the morning to see how I'm managing around the house, so the morning is going to be a washout. Just as well there are lots of things to hold on to in the kitchen or I would have fallen a few times. Bandages on the legs aren't helping them to feel very good either.

Decided to offer my guests tomorrow:

Salad vegetables - those that Neil could get this morning; home made wholemeal bread and butter; ham; various cheeses; egg mayo. And for dessert: brownies and lemon frangipane tart. Never made either before so I don't know what got into me. They look OK. I had some of the almond mixture left over and Em tried it but she said it wasn't very sweet and, right enough, the ratio of sugar to the rest of the ingredients wasn't very high. Might have to ice it to give a bit extra sweetness, for those who need it (and can eat it).

My bed is calling but the bread hasn't finished baking yet. And there's a dishwasher to empty and refill before I do go to bed.
 
Been busy today. Up early but this time only sat in the chair until 4 am and then got going with all that needed to be done. Ready in plenty of time for the physio coming (she didn't arrive until just after 11 am). She has suggested some mild exercises to try to strengthen my legs and says she'll come back in a few weeks to see how I'm getting on.

My visitors came and have now gone. They seemed to have enjoyed their lunch and I was very glad to see them. The lady I haven't seen in a long time has had a hard time since she moved to the Hebrides. She married her husband in Cardiff and they immediately moved north where he set about building a house for them. By the time the plans were approved, they had had their second son but shortly after, it was discovered that he had cancer. He lasted very few months after that and left her with a half built house, lots of materials and a huge loan to pay off. At that stage, she lost heart. She had to sell her beloved horse, which had come from Wales with her and the donkey they had bought for the boys because she couldn't afford to feed them and it was discovered that both her boys had ADHD and were very difficult to deal with. The boys have now grown up - one still having troubles but the younger seems to have matured very well.

Then she withdrew from all the friends they had made and we didn't see her for a years. Any overtures were rebuffed and we only met occasionally in the street. Recently she had ovarian cancer and had to have a hysterectomy but has recovered now - all without much support from anyone. But a mutual friend (M) met her in the street yesterday and managed to engage her in conversation during which she asked after me. "Why don't we go and visit?" That was our mutual friend. And it was agreed. So they came today and the Welsh lady has promised to come again next week and not to stay away any more. That's a victory in my book. Well done M!
 
I omitted to add to the above that this poor Welsh lady had to sell the half built house as well, for a very low price, to someone who could finish building it. She now lives in a housing association house in Stornoway with an elderly, deaf, blind collie. So many sorrows to deal with and, apparently, she cut herself off from us all because she was ashamed of her inability to deal with it all.

I didn't actually get to bed properly last night. I was exhausted (not unusual) and sat on the edge of the bed getting myself organised. Next thing I knew it was 2.30 am and I was laying with my feet still over the edge, still fully clothed and feeling cold. So I just pulled a blanket over myself and dozed off again for a short time and woke again at 3.30. So that was me for the night.

Just as well I'm still dressed - just had a phone call to say DIL isn't fit to get Em to school this morning and the weather isn't very good so her dad will drop her here on his way to work and she can have her breakfast and get ready for school here. It only takes 5 minutes to get to the school from here even at a slow dawdle. We could see the playground from here if it weren't for the trees in between.
 
Ah well, another plan bites the dust! The plan was to get to my bed and to try to make it into bed before falling asleep. I did get to the bedroom but there's a spider - not massive but big enough - on the outer wall, above the built in wardrobe - just where I can't reach with my spider vacuum. Neil's gone to bed, so I can't get him up again just to catch a spider for me. And I can't sleep in a room with a spider roaming free. Ergo, I don't sleep in my bedroom. I'll settle myself in the big chair and, if Neil should wake up in the early hours (as he often does) I'll see if he's maybe not too groggy to go on a spider hunt. Otherwise I'll stay in the kitchen all night. It won't be comfortable for a full night's sleep, but it's better than sharing a room with a spider.

I've always (since I was a very small child) had an aversion to crawling things and I know it's an unreasonable fear (ie a phobia) but I can live with that rather than come into visual contact with a spider.
 
1.35 am. Just watched 2 Youtube videos on repairing hard cover books. I have a few valued, but not valuable books from my childhood - not expensive in their time (the youngest is from my 8th birthday - 69 years ago and probably only cost half a crown) but hard covers and now with loose spines and bashed corners. They have sentimental value only but I want to try to preserve them. I was discussing this with Neil earlier and he, as usual, is pretty knowledgeable. We are intending to make books of old photos rather than have them loose in boxes and, to that end, he has just bought a book press from about 120 years ago and is refurbishing it before making the books. I'm quite keen to have a go at fixing up my old books as well as making the new ones. I suppose I should really settle to one project at a time, like working out how to use this knitting loom and knitting my socks, but I'm getting a bit butterfly minded these days and jump from one thing to another. I have a request from DIL to make some special little cakes for my great grand daughter's 2nd birthday next month and have bought special little cake tins for that job. Then there is some sewing that I have to do for some people on the mainland, if I can just get the kitchen table cleared for long enough to do the cutting out. Too many projects under way but they are all interesting.

But my eyes are getting quite heavy, so I'll turn down the lights and try to sleep now.
 
Neil didn't come through until 8 am and then went to look for my spider. But it had gone! At least, gone from where it was when last seen. Probably hiding in a corner somewhere. Question now is, do I sleep in that room knowing that there is a spider at loose somewhere there.
 
I slept in my bed and hoped the spider would stay where it was hiding - kept the main light on all night though.

It has occurred to me Antje, that these days you and I are the only ones posting to this thread, and even then, it is usually me. So it's not really a conversation - just a monologue. Maybe it's outlived its use and I will just have to keep my thought to myself.

I was looking for an alternative thread, similar to this one but used by more people - without success. Possibly I'm not very good at using this forum, or finding my way around it.
 
Outlier said:
Please do both keep posting. It's interesting to follow your progress, and I'm sure a lot of people will find many positives to take away.
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Right enough - without this thread we wouldn't have learned about Antje's bedsee, her pets or her sailing exploits. So it does have a purpose. I'll just have to ration myself to fewer posts so that I'm not dominating it.
 
Don't keep your thoughts to yourself, I like reading them, and so does @Outlier , and you like writing them!
No need at all to ration your posts!
Annb said:
I was looking for an alternative thread, similar to this one but used by more people - without success. Possibly I'm not very good at using this forum, or finding my way around it.
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If you like a more active chatty thread you might like to give this one a try: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...g-blood-glucose-full-on-chat.163627/page-2841
I haven't been following it lately but I have for a while and it seems to be very active still.
 
Have dipped in to that thread. I'll linger around until I get used to what's going on there.

Meantime, Em has been here all afternoon, just because she wanted to visit me. I was making a lemon cake because I'm pretty sure that my Welsh friend will be visiting one day this week so I have to have something in. No time to make a meal, so I just had a wrap with tomato and ham instead. Must have a drink of some sort to ease it down my throat, where it is currently sitting.
 
Not much sleep - hips and legs too painful. BG dropped pretty low as well because it had been high enough for a correction dose in the late evening. Still only 4.4 at 5 am (had been 3.8 in the early hours but I had to take pain killers with a teaspoon of yoghurt which put it up a bit). Food today is quite uncertain. Em is here, so she will probably use up all the bacon I have. I do have eggs so it will probably be some kind of omelette. Just as well I made the lemon cake yesterday - my Welsh friend called yesterday evening to say she will come for a visit today.

Em was telling me that she has a new teacher who asked the class a question designed to give her an idea about how they think and how they discuss issues. The question was: "What would happen if there was no sun?" This for 10-11 years old. So of course, Em asked whether this was if there had never been a sun or if the sun just disappeared one day. The teacher didn't seem to know and had, apparently taken the question out of a book (ice breakers?) So the class gave their ideas which Em told me she did agree with, partially, but they didn't agree with her.

The conclusion of the rest of the class was that it would be dark but it would be lighter when the moon came out.

Em opined (probably gave a lecture, knowing her) that we would all be dead. If there had never been a sun, there would never have been a solar system so we would never have existed. If the sun just disappeared one day, we would all die because life on earth is dependent on the sun (and further, there would be no moonlight because it is only reflected sunlight). She was disappointed that the teacher wouldn't express an opinion and said there was no right or wrong answer.

I imagine that the teacher was thinking "We've got a bit of a handful here." The teacher from the last part of her P5 year thought she was a bit of a prodigy and would do well, if she would only concentrate. That's where she has a problem at school.

Edited to correct a spelling mistake - really just a typo, but it looked as though I don't know the difference between to and too.
 
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Highly intelligent children can have such problems with some teachers. I'm glad Em has you to decompress with. It's so demoralising for them otherwise. these are the children who, with the right support, will carry the future on their shoulders, but to certain types of teacher they are just a nuisance.
 
Absolutely. Her uncle - my son Neil, had a bad experience of schools and colleges. He is highly intelligent but has asperger's and teachers/lecturers couldn't understand or deal with him. Trouble was - he usually knew more than they did! That didn't go down well with most teachers. That was a good few years ago now (he's 55) but I fear that Em will go the same way although, as far as I know, she doesn't have any mental health issues.

Edited to fix typo.
 
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My Welsh friend came this morning. She'd phoned to see if that was allright and then she phoned again to say she was lost! It is difficult to find your way around these villages if you are unfamiliar with them. I couldn't figure out where she was phoning from so couldn't tell her how to get here but Em took over and identified where she might be so got her back to the main road and then talked her in. When she got here, she was able to identify the house because there was a figure bouncing up and down and waving her arms in the air outside the gate.

Em has another fan. And right enough, she did a very good job of guiding my friend in - better than I could have done.

Just as well I'd made that cake although, I hadn't known that my guest was diabetic (T2). She doesn't seem to control her blood glucose levels very well though and doesn't really try very hard. I did mention low carb but she says she's too fond of her bread, pasta and potatoes and wouldn't consider it. I didn't try to push it. The remainder of the cake - that is all but one slice - will go to Em's when someone comes to collect her.

Edit: all but 2 slices - Em helped herself when I wasn't looking.
 
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Today's issue for Em was that someone in her class had said that Queen Elizabeth was the last Empress of India and had not had the statement explained. I tried to get her to understand that the Queen Elizabeth being spoken of was the Queen Mother and not a queen in her own right. So, was she Queen Elizabeth the first? No, she wasn't any number of Elizabeths, she was just the Queen because she was married to the last King. He was the last Emperor of India so as his wife she was the last Empress. Long historical discussion about the separate countries and their kings and queens ensued. Not sure that she really concentrated enough to follow what I was saying. She did already know that Elizabeth II was only queen because her uncle gave up the throne and her father had to take over. She had a slight problem remembering the word "abdicate".

Edited to add: what bothered her was that the teacher wouldn't comment but just said to leave it at that. I can see that she doesn't want to put pupils down, but she's letting them believe incorrect information, or allowing them to misunderstand the information they have. There must be an unchallenging way to explain when information is either inaccurate or incomplete. She's new to this class and so I may be getting a false impression, but I'm beginning to have a bad feeling about this teacher.
 
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The teacher most probably had better things to explain about the royal families traditions at state funerals etc.
 
Well, I should be more forgiving. I wasn't a Primary School teacher. And come to think of it, most of my (almost) adult students were equally lacking in knowledge of even pretty recent history or background to events. But I could engage them in conversations and get them to try to understand or, at least, think. That's probably not the way most Primary pupils operate.
 
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