What are you all up to
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Thanks @richardandros - glad to hear that Meg is OK after the trip to the vets. Wonderful photos, again @nelliethehooker.
David
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Thank you everyone for appreciating the relief we felt when we told we are (for now!) TB Free.
If you’re up this way a good day (or 2) out can be had at The Westmorland Show this Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday is dairy cattle day and most of our family will be there. I’m not really up to walking/standing around a grassy field all day. So will be at home relaxing. Or not.
WestmorlandShow.co.uk
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@milliehull lovely photos of Sandringham. Nice to see inside the church that we see the royals go to at Christmas.
@richardandros glad to hear that Meg is making a good recovery.
A visit to Badesley Clinton yesterday a good wander around, a visit to the kitchen garden, they are always the highlights of my NT visits. The cafe was quite full with a queue and we couldn’t carry a tray down the steps to sit outside so made the decision to visit Packwood House, which is only 2 miles away with a bigger more accessible restaurant. We only visited the kitchen garden there as we have been many times before. Then the vast second hand bookshop where I purchased 3 books before I realised that I had read one of them, no issue the Oxfam shop will get it. Nice restaurant and cuppa.1 -
Some lovely photos, nice word pictures as well of days out.😁
@richardandros lumps! Glad that little Meg is doing ok, we have a “lumpy Lab” nowadays, little warts, and one or two soft but bigger lumps as well. Quite usual for elderly Labradors, but we keep an eye on everything. It’s 15 years next month since we rehomed him, he was already 8 months old, didn’t know his name, but very well trained. Hence he went from being “Chester” (born in Chesterfield) to “Rievaulx” (two syllables, easy to yell🤭) and this name has provided a deal of chuckles at the vets. He usually gets “Revelux” until we explain.
The only photo we have of him as a young dog. Around 7 months old, all legs and super skinny, before we got him.
Two years later, on holiday on Dartmoor, filled out a bit. Into mischief….
Chilling out during lockdown, enticing down the birds and squirrels🤭 Somewhat chunkier.
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Some good news this morning. Our poorly granddaughter got her degree results today a 2.1 so very proud of her. Especially as she was in hospital so much of the time. She finished her dissertation from her hospital bed. The nurses were, kindly, laughing at her. She was rushed in again yesterday but against Drs advice she is back at her teachers training course again today. That’s 3 of the grandchildren to go to uni all getting a 2.1 youngest grandson starts at uni this year, no pressure to get the same then. He’s so laid back I really don’t think he’ll feel pressured.3
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@DEBSC many congrats to your GD, she is a determined force to be reckoned with, a true trooper.
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What lovely news that must have been for you @DEBSC - and well done to your granddaughter - she really has done exceptionally well considering what she has to contend with.
Had a log delivery earlier and have just finished stacking them in the log store - thank goodness we only get through about two deliveries a year - I'm aching in places I didn't know I'd got!!🙁
@Takethedogalong - according to our Vet, both Spaniels and Poodles are prone to lumps as well - so Meg doesn't stand a chance - she's actually got quite a few but this particular one worried me.
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Really good news about your grandaughter @DEBSC - good news from @Goldie146 too... 👍👍
David
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Mil- "Where's he gone now? If it's Tesco he must have an assassination there"
OH - "The only assassination will be if there is someone dilly-dallying in front of the Pudding Rice as we're short of it for a Rice Pudding! and I think you mean an assignation not assassination!"
MiL - "Oh yeah. Let's hope he's not doing either especially in the frozen vegetable aisle"
I came home to 2 elderly people rolling around giggling without realising I was the unintended butt of their conversation. I'd quite easily murder a few people in Tesco (in my mind of course) but I can't really remember having thoughts of having an "assignation" with anyone there.🤣
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After a couple of quietish days we needed a walk so headed off to the reserve at Burton, on the Wirral about 20 minutes away. Normally it's not that busy but there was a lot of retired folk that looked like they had just had a huge relief from Grandparenting duties. They were like kids on the first day of school holidays.😀 Nevertheless we were glad to wander at our own pace. OH certainly needed a change of scenery and some down time.
I did manage to get the Van washed yesterday but taxi duties meant I was out for most of the afternoon, so couldn't get the inside done, as MiL had a physio appointment at the local hospital. We had a torrential downpour mid afternoon which caught me out briefly as I'd walked into town from the hospital to collect a prescription.
Nicer day today but very breezy.
Lovely photos @milliehull and @nelliethehooker.
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Thank you all for your good wishes. @Wherenext she has wanted to be a teacher since she was about 4 and has never wavered. She should have come out of uni as a qualified teacher but the uni insisted on changing her course half way, saying she wasn’t well enough for them to send her on placement to schools. Two weeks later a charity employed her to go into schools part time and never a problem. So she now has an extra year to complete. This course seemed very keen to have her. It is a worry but only time will tell, and with her determination hopefully.2
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Well done to your grand-daughter @DEBSC Such a great achievement. I do do hope she is successful in becoming a teacher. What a great role model for the pupils!
Great photos @nelliethehooker I particularly like the chairs.
It was wall to wall sunshine here until mid afternoon so we decided to have a lazy day after a busy day yesterday so took a wander to the local beach. As you can see it was rammed with people 😂. We also had a coffee at the lovely little beach cafe before coming back to sit on our little veranda. Sadly it clouded over mid afternoon and the forecast for tomorrow is not too good.
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Good news that Meg has recovered from her operation, @richardandros it must be a relief all round for you both. Is the vet sending a piece of the wart away for analysis to confirm that it wasn't cancerous? Flyte has numerous small lumps and bumps but our vet is not concerned about them, as they are common in Sprinters as they age. We will mention them during our next visit but really don't want to put the old chap through an operation unless absolutely necessary. Hope you have no long lasting effects from all your exertions today.
Great news about your granddaughter @DEBSC congratulations to her, she has certainly done very well considering her frequent hospital stays.
Hope the weather holds and you find time to complete the cleaning of "the Van" @Wherenext
You certainly have picked the right weather for your Norfolk trip by the looks of your grand photos @milliehull The reason the chairs are called Hall Chairs is that in big house welcome guests would be invited through to the Reception Room on their arrival, while those not so welcome would be left in the hall, sitting on those unpadded and uncomfortable seats, perhaps for hours or until they took the hint that were not welcome!!😁
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We have had another fine day, sunny with a gentle breeze. Visited Thornton Stewart Reservoir for a walk before lunch and the went down into the village for a walk down to the Church of St Oswald, which is reputed to be the oldest church in Wensleydale. During the sinking of a new water system they came across 30 skeletons which they believe dated fron the 7th to 10th C, and which they reinterred in a single, marked grave. The church building is mostly Norman on Saxon foundations, and was built by a nephew of William the Conqueror, Alan first Earl of Richmond.
This old Ash tree stood out by the footpath that passes the church towards Danby Hall
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Coffee break. Breezy but dry at the moment and very quiet here as the Ladies are both out. Just finished cleaning the inside of the Van. Will have to take a trip to town later as MiLs meds need picking up but apart from that it seems a quiet day all round. I did wonder what the difference was this morning and it dawned on me that this may be the first time nobody is knocking seven bells out one the houses around us. Even weekends has seen work going on. This happening for the last year or so.
Enjoy your day folks.
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We have had a couple of sunny days, Monday and Tuesday, but the forecast for the rest of the week is not great. DD’s garden work started promptly at 07.45 on Monday, all the old grass is now gone, old hedge roots almost all removed, and trench dug for the foundations of the wall to support the edge of the new patio. Huge pile of turf and earth to be removed today, also the old paving slabs from the raised terrace.
The digging revealed a couple of interesting things…..2 large sandstone steps from the original 1920s garden, and a gas pipe not far below the surface , covered only by a plank, running from inside the house and disappearing into the part of the garden belonging to the upstairs flat. Gas meters for both flats are on the other side of the house, and the pipes in use run under the driveway.
DD has asked the upstairs owner, who has lived there since the early 1990s, if he knows anything about it, but he says “no”. The plank covering it was in good condition so cannot have been in the ground that long, so a big mystery. The work done by the previous downstairs owner was in 2012, so the plank may date from then, but the worry is that the gas pipe may actually still be “live” and contain gas! Fortunately it was not damaged in the digging.
As there is access to the area under the floor where the pipe seems to enter the house, and as DD does have a gas fire in the fireplace in that room, I will be going down to investigate where the pipe goes to/from.
OH is still suffering badly with Sciatica, despite getting different painkillers prescribed, Naproxen. Not sure whether they will take a few days to have any effect, what painkillers do any of you who get Sciatica use?
We know it will take a good amount of time to settle down/go away, but she was in so much pain last night that I was worried I would not be able to help her get out of bed, so any tips welcome!
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Thanks for the lovely photos @milliehull & @nelliethehooker... 👍👍
We've had a shopping morning and a visit to the GP for blood tests. Booked on a Flu jab too, but they didn't know about a Covid jab....
At least it's not raining - it's actually quite bright, although a bit cooler than of late. I think I've spoken too soon - sun has just gone in!!
David
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@KjellNN I suffered two bad bouts of sciatica some years ago. Leaving me with a large completely numb spot at the back of my left thigh which has never got better. The one thing I would recommend is to keep gently moving, even changing position on sitting, once stuck it is agony to move again. I would also suggest keeping the back warm, I often wrap and tie a jumper around my waste for extra warmth when I feel a twinge. I have always suffered from painful back pain but I’ve found that since retirement it is much less frequent, possibly because I sit far less.
Not much planned today as rain forecast, and yes it’s very heavy at the moment. It said on the tv that the first week that we were away was the wettest week since last January. I know we need it but not good timing for us. Still we have managed a few good weather days and hoping to get in a walk if it stops raining later.0 -
Thanks DEBSC, will pass that on. She has a vague memory of suffering something similar about 30 years back, same leg, though not as bad, and does have a numb area on the outside of her left foot . Getting out of a chair is not too bad, and as you say, moving position every so often when sitting does help, but when in bed, lying in one position for 3-4 hours, moving afterwards is indeed agony, I was really worried about her last night as she was almost crying from the pain when trying to get out of bed. 😪
She has a small heating pad she has been using at night, under the upper leg, which seems to help, and walking with her 2 sticks is not bad once she gets going. The 2 sticks are due to having arthritic knees. She is getting a Blue Badge, approved but not yet arrived, so that will help a bit when shopping. Basically it seems old age has caught up with us now, and we are slowly falling apart!
I did however manage to get under the floor at DD’s house, and found that gas pipe. It is not connected to anything, just a few metres of it lying there loose, so that is a relief. We have a firm suspicion that upstairs neighbour DOES know about it, especially as it heads into his garden. He is the sort of person who, although very pleasant, has total disregard for regulations of any sort.
He has built a huge gymnasium at the end of his garden, with shower and toilet, without any Planning Permission or Building Warrant, the pipe heads in that direction . He has built a large but low shed on what should be shared garden space after claiming he was only erecting a fence to screen a storage area, and has converted his half of the quad garage into what he called an “office”, again with no permissions. And now one of his sons is apparently living in it!!
The original upstairs flat has been extended, without the correct permissions, but with its own staircase, into the, supposedly shared, roof space, and a new flat made there. And 1/3 of the original first floor flat closed off with just a door, to make another flat. No fire protection measures. He now rents out these 2 flats without having the proper licence to do so.
DD is keeping a note of what is going on.
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So sorry to hear about your OH"s sciatica @KjellNN it really is very painful. The chiropractor really sorted me out. I didnt find painkillers helped much. I did also use one of those heated pads that you heat up in the microwave.
I love the story of the chairs @nelliethehooker What a good idea!
The weather has definitely changed today. Much cooler and windier. It was sunny this morning so we went for a very breezy walk along Hunstanton sea front followed by a crab sandwich lunch at the cafe on the cliff. The gardens are lovely. We also paid our respects to the local people and also the American servicemen who died in the 1953 floods. The were 4 or 5 people from the same families. So sad. The forecast rain hasnt arrived…..yet
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More grand photos, @milliehull and you are right the gardens do look lovely.
Hope you OH soon recovers from her sciatica @KjellNN
We moved up from our CL near Bedale to the C&CC's Barnard Castle site today. Although rain was forecast it was dry up until we stopped for lunch at Scotch Corner when we had a short but heavy shower. Thankfully we drove out of it and were able to set up in the dry. We have since had two more very heavy but relatively short showers. The site is over half full and more than a third of those units arrived this afternoon which I think is surprising for a Wednesday at this time of the year.
Off to get my eyes tested tomorrow!😉🤗🤗😁
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Sorry to hear about OH's sciatica @KjellNN - our neighbour is suffering from it at the moment and he's only in his early 40s. The fact that he has to drive long distances for work doesn't help matters either - hope it soon gets resolved.
Looked at your photo of Barnard Castle @nelliethehooker - looks a nice site and not one we have been to but it might be one I will be using in the future if our new van servicing arrangements work out the way I think they will.
I had a strange - but positive experience yesterday. I've been faffing about for the last two weeks filling in an on-line application form for a Blue Badge from East Yorkshire Council. I was convinced I wouldn't qualify - especially as I had thought of things to include after I had completed that part of the form - and couldn't see how to go back and alter it. Plus, some of the questions were a little too 'black and white'. For example - one asked "Can you get up stairs"? The answer was either "Yes" or "No" - there was no option to say "Well, yes I can, but only if I can pull myself up with my arms rather than use only my legs!!" I was sure that on the basis of that and other similar questions, I wouldn't qualify. I did, however, include a very detailed diagnostic letter from my consultant.
Anyway, I bit the bullet and submitted it. Within seconds I got an email to say that I did qualify and within 10 minutes, I had two other emails to say that the ERYC had issued the Badge and another from the Dept of Transport telling me what the Serial No was and the Issue and Expiry date.
How does that all work???? I can only conclude that they either issue them to anyone that applies (unlikely!!) or that there's some sophisticated computer algorithm that simply detects that certain questions have been answered. There's no way - in that time - that anyone could have read through the detail and made a decision.
Anyway - I'm a happy womble and it certainly will make life a lot easier.
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Sad news this morning. Our great friend who had a terrible car accident just before we came away died in Addenbrooks early this morning. There were a couple of times when there was a glimmer of hope but sadly he didnt make it.
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So sorry to read your sad news @milliehull - all our thoughts and good wishes.
With regards to the blue badge, @richardandros, I think it depends on your local authority - it's all very inconsistent! Last time my MIL applied (she's 94 - can't walk without a walker/ needs to ude a stair lift etc), it was rejected to start with and she had to appeal, and then she got it. This time when she applied it's taken 2 months to come through. When I renewed mine the last time, I sent in the application in the evening, around teatime - I had an email before 7am the next morning to say it had all gone through and expect the badge within a week!! Now I thought I'd be very 'borderline' and certainly not 'in the same category as the MIL!!! The difference = a different local authority!!
David
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So very sorry @milliehull a tragic loss for family and friends.
Again some very interesting photos, trip tales. We managed a day out yesterday, decided on Sledmere for the Gardens. Very nice, but it’s very expensive now, no longer part of the HHA network. It’s one of the very best gardens though, looked stunning despite the drought up here, and the fact that Autumn is on its way. Included in the garden entry price is the Rare Breeds Farm, and this is always a nice visit for me, as I love pigs and there’s usually some piglets around. Little three week old squealers this time, all snoozing with Mum. For such tiny little creatures, they don’t half get big. Boris the boar was huge. We went to have lunch in the cafe as well but very disappointing for us in terms of choice. However, the nice farm shop did us proud, so we had a picnic instead.
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So sorry to hear your news @milliehull - it's so upsetting to lose a close friend.
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@milliehull Sorry to hear the news about your friend.
@richardandros I have just applied for my Blue Badge. I have had an acknowledgment that I could qualify and currently its work in progress.
A bit of a turn up for the book here. We paid for Margarets first hip operation because she was in so much pain and the waiting, even to see a consultant, was very long. She was told that she would need the other one done and things have progressed much faster this time and she even has a date of 9th Ocotober. A bit puzzled why it has been so much quicker this time? So we will have two walking wounded in the house! Not sure how self sufficent I will be but I am sure the boys will help. Dressing and washing are fine but the kitchen might be an issue. Currently looking at aids to assist with that. Thank goodness for Deliveroo !!!
David
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Always hard to lose a really good friend @milliehull. My condolences to you.
Expecting the new dishwasher any moment. Just had a call from the delivery team.
Good news on the Blue Badge @richardandros. Will certainly help.
We liked Sledmere when we last were there @Takethedogalong, didn't know it had come out of HHA. Mind you we've not renewed this year in view of not travelling as far and wide as usual. We've probably been to most in our 2 hour catchment area and if revisiting one will just pay for that visit. Their membership fee shot up this year.
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OH applied for her Blue Badge on 30th July and it was only granted on 4th September. She sent the requested £20 payment immediately but is still waiting for the paperwork to arrive. Maybe it will be in the letterbox today.
We were hoping it would help when we need to go shopping, but have noticed that many people just use the disabled, and parent and child, spaces at busy times, whether they need them or not, so not holding out much hope. At present I just drop her off at the door and park as near as I can.
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