Category Archives: Health issues

Last Days at Meltham … 11 days in Harry … First Days at 141.

 

August 29th 2017: Franky and I take both Thompson grandchildren for a day out, heading for the Heights Of Abraham, Matlock:

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After lunch, the main attraction was the playground (as usual) – but then, I wasn’t up for anything involving walking, such as the caves.

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Then they were introduced to Punch and Judy – a new experience which they entered into with enthusiasm, as eight year olds do. Oh, yes …

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The descent in the cable car gave a good view of the canoe slalom on the Derwent, though not in use just then:

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Early September, and it was time to pack up the flat in Meltham – Chris did most of it over several days. Surprising how much I had accumulated in 21 months! – also how the big chair had deteriorated; BHF wouldn’t take it back …  IMG_20170912_235449

I / we tried to leave the flat as we found it. Good enough to get the full deposit back, anyway.IMG_20170913_103544

I’d mistimed the handing in of the notice to leave the flat, being too optimistic as to when completion of the purchase of 141 Hall Cross Road might happen. Trying to save myself a month’s rent didn’t work – I had to do a double move, hiring two men and a van twice (we weren’t going to try moving a frigde-freezer down the stairs ourselves!) and paying for an 11-day stay on a caravan park. Chris gave my stuff house room – basement room, really (more stairs, though the freezer stayed in his kitchen!) and Harry, Franky and I went to a little camping / caravaning site behind this pub above Marsden:IMG_20170925_104206

It wasn’t a bad place to be!: The view on opening Harry’s door each morning:IMG_20170923_093346

During that stay, there was a visit from Carol and Judi, who enjoyed a meal at the pub, and joined Chris and me for the G & S Society’s quiz evening. The timing meant I couldn’t offer accomodation, of course, but they found a suitable ‘Airbnb’ in Meltham. (No photos of any of that?!)

September 25th 2017: Completion! Chris came with me – and Harry – to get the keys to 141 and take possession. Armed with a borrowed sledge hammer, the first job was to knock out the gatepost between the double gates and the single one, to enable me to manoeuvre Harry onto the drive.

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Later that day Rachel came over and drove me back to the Carriage House to collect Franky. A few days later Chris took this photo of the three of us (look carefully!), apparently at the rainbow’s end!Hall Cross Rainbow (1)

At first, I had only the camping furniture brought in Harry, and I slept on the inflatable matresses which had been in the guest room at Meltham. After two days the men with the van brought the things from Chris’s basement and I had a bed to sleep in, but it was another week before the big load came up from Sussex, where it had been since April. At least this gave Rachel and Sean the chance to come over and do a bit of painting to ‘refresh’ the living room before:

Tuesday 3rd October: The BIG one! Rachel took the day off to come and supervise, and we were hoping that BHF would take away quite a lot of the now ‘surplus to requirements’ furniture. That didn’t work! The driver declined to take most of it, including the big chair, which was no surprise, but we were surprised that he wouldn’t take the mattress of the bed which I’d bought from them and seemed to us to be in the same condition! It was good to see Simon again – he was one of the two who had loaded the goods at Sunejo – but Mark, who should have driven a second, smaller van up had been taken ill and to hospital! Waiting till the next day for the second load wasn’t really an option as I had an all-day hospital appointment myself (bone scan) and anyway, my bed was on the second van … so another driver was found and they arrived at 8pm.

Rachel had a plan to ensure that the living room was ‘habitable’ that evening, and that I had a bedroom to sleep in. Well, the living room looks OK …

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But there wasn’t going to be much use of the dining table for a day or two!

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The plan for my bedroom came good:DSCN3939.JPG

I was expecting the first guest within three days, so the guest room was … accessible:DSCN3943

But bedroom 3 isn’t – and won’t be for some time!:DSCN3944

Experimenting with sitting round the dining table showed that – as some had suspected – putting the sideboard (bought in Mirepoix) in the kitchen-dining room was a mistake, so next time Rachel and Chris were both here, they moved it into the living room: DSCN3951

and on Tuesday 24th October we had the first four person meal round the table*.DSCN3952*This table has history! First, as far as I know, it was in my grandparents’ house in Sale – ‘Milton Cottage’, but no cottage in fact – a big town house, now no longer there. Then it went to my cousins’ (I think), in Wardle Road, also in Sale, and from there to my parents’ in Felsted, Essex. When Mum came to live in Cumbria, Philip and Christine gave the table houseroom, but when they left Sydenham, they no longer had room for it. I said ‘hold on to it’ and made having space for it a criterion in choosing the house in France… Those chairs have been part of my family longer than I have, too!

Rachel and Chris have been a great help in all this – Chris is here several days each week, just emptying boxes and repacking and taking away the ‘let it go’ items which I just don’t want or haven’t room for. In the middle of it all I had a urinary infection involving visits to A & E two evenings running (if you phone 111 that’s the advice you get!). Michelle took me the first time, and Rachel came the second evening; it cleared up after about three days. We haven’t touched the garage or the shed yet, nor the upstairs rooms, but it’s good to be able to scan and print documents for myself, and to relax on that sofa with its footboards – I’ve been without that for nearly two years!DSCN3938.JPG(The colours aren’t quite right – the walls are more pale yellow than pink!)

…. I’d better do some more washing up of the lastest ‘finds’ from the boxes …

A Day Out, a Barbecue and a Birthday.

Grandson S had asked for ‘a day out with Grandad’ as a treat, and June 17th (2017) was a really fine day, so we piled furniture and a picnic into Franky and set off for Derbyshire – the Peak District boundary is only just up the hill from Meltham. Down through Glossop and over the Snake Pass brought us alongside the Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs, which gave opportunity to give a little history lesson about the Dambusters, which was topical. There was a picnic site shown on the map – and signed – near the reservoir, but we couldn’t find it, so we drove on through Castleton and picnicked under Mam Tor:

 

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Grandson decided he wanted to see the Blue John mine and caves; I had suggested one of the caves and was thinking of Treak Cliff, but really I had forgotten what was involved. See the steps? About 220 of them! Although I did keep up with the party, using the handrail and my stick, this was not a good idea! The unrepaired hip has been extra troublesome ever since. I have an appointment to see the ‘Hippy Man’ in September.

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Father’s day, June 18th. Weather still fine and sunny, so the lunch at Oakleigh Close was a barbecue:

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Later in the afternoon, there was fun (for some) in the paddling pool. (I have doubts about this picture – it shows a bit too much of the side effects of hormone treatment!):

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Sitting like that wasn’t comfortable for long, so an alternative was found:

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Throwing water in Gaia’s (Grandad’s) face was great fun – retaliation wasn’t received with equal merriment!

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Saturday July 15th: Shannon is four years old! Our first job – mine and Franky’s –

I were wondering when I was getten a word, like. It were me as took you and that lad over tut Peak District, tha knows. 

Of course we know – I said so in the first paragraph, and you’re in the photo of the picnic spot. It was a great drive – don’t get huffy. Tell us about Shannon’s birthday.

Aye, well, fust up, we had to go into Wakefield to pick up a friend –

Vik.

– and her little lass –

Rosie.

Shurrup!

Just ‘splaining.

– off the train from down south –

London.

But tha kept goin round in circles and nearly made us late.

No, I didn’t – just needed to do a bit of birthday related shopping, but getting back to the station – we were there in good time at first – was a bit tricky with the traffic lights and the one-way system. Anyway, this picture is of Rosie and Shannon the next day:

Shannon and Rosie

Aye, well, once we’d packed them in, alongside all your clutter –

What? I’d taken most of it out!

Hmmm …

That’s my line.

Once all in, we went up to that house where Big Harry is and you all disappeared round t’ back.

Where the garden was set out in full party mode:

Party Time!

In fact, it was full of children and parents – mostly mums – as well. The slide was the special parental present two years ago; this year’s was the trampoline in the background. There was a lot of feeding going on, as well as playing – then it was time for CAKE!:

Birthday Girl with Cake

Or several cakes, really, but only one big chocolatey one in the shape of a 4, with CANDLES on ….

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU …..”

                         Birthday Girl

Mainly Memories …

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More about Grasmere later. But first, Franky!

Yes, Boss?

You’ve been in trouble.

‘Ave I?

Well, I have, thanks to you.

What, me clutch and that?

‘That’ being your flywheel, aye.

Aye, well. It were them slow drives to Leeds to get you better – jiggered me clutch an all. At least you realised it were wrong, like, before we ‘ad a total breakdown.

Yes, and I had a nice new ‘Cactus’ as a courtesy car from the Citroën dealer, but you cost me a lot of money I didn’t really have.

Sos, like. Weren’t my fault.

Hmmm. …..  He’s right, some of the drives to Leeds were very slow and crawly. But one of the amazing features of the Bexley Wing at St. James’ Hospital (the cancer centre) is the hotel on the 7th floor. This is free to patients, and is a splendid facility – no breakfast available up there, but there is on the ground floor, though I didn’t want it the twice I stayed there, because the reason for staying was the very early appointment the next morning. The views from the rooms are remarkable:

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though on the first occasion I couldn’t find how to raise the venetian blinds, which were between the layers of the double glazing, so taking photos was tricky.

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On the second occasion my room was on the other side of the building – and no blinds!

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But the important thing is that the treatment is over, and apparently successful –

No more daily trips to and from Leeds, then? Well, I’m glad of that!

You and me both, Franky, lad. I think all readers of this will already know about the bell ringing ceremony on completion of treatment:

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After lunch together at the Golcar Lily, Chris had another commitment that afternoon, but after dropping him off at 730, Manchester Road, Rachel and I went the short distance to ‘Rudi’s’ and indulged in a celebratory helping of ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’. We should really have had one portion between us! …

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Er, no – that wasn’t the whole portion, but just one slice of that 6-tiered monster was too much!

Leaving Manchester aside for a moment, the next family event was school sports day for Chris’s two, a joint event where their school, Wellhouse, join with another, Clough Head, and compete, not school against school, but jointly in their houses, Earth, Fire, Air and Water. Grandad’s taxi –

Is that me?

Aye, it is an’ all. – was very useful in getting the children up the hill in the morning, after which Chris and I had breakfast, then we went back for the sports in the afternoon and took them back home afterwards. Having been reluctant to take part in previous years, S & N were both keen participants, S. being part of a winning relay team, and coming second in his year’s ‘cross country’ race (i.e. twice round the field). Their House, Fire, was second overall, and it was a really enjoyable occasion, helped, of course, by fine weather, good, but relaxed organisation, and a good-humoured competitive spirit. Can you imagine a better setting for such an event – surrounded by fields and hills? –

 

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Well, that was Wednesday, 24th May, less than 48 hours after the awful event in Manchester. I felt I had to go, perhaps because, as a teenager in the early sixties, I spent many an evening in Manchester – back then, if you wanted to see the big films soon after they were released, you had to go to the cities; it could take months for them to reach a town like Accrington. And although I wasn’t into clubs or concerts (weird!) I was into G & S, so whenever the D’Oyly Carte were at the Opera House several visits were a must, some with parents, others alone or with friends. The greatest danger, as far as I can remember, was the risk of misjudging crossing the road (one-way streets in big cities could be confusing to a former Essex boy brought up with the ‘kerb drill’.) So taking a few red and white roses from Yorkshire to Lancashire, I took the tram from Oldham and tried to find St. Anne’s Square. I don’t think I was given best advice as to how to get round the closure of part of the line, but at Piccadilly, some nice officials told me I didn’t need a ticket for the next ride saying, with a nod to the roses, ‘you’re here for the right reason’. But I still had a long walk, and the unrepaired hip didn’t like it!

Eventually arriving at the ‘Church’ end of the square, I had to find a way through the mass of world-wide media to get to the tributes. But no-one minded, in fact someone asked if I wanted to get through and made space for me.

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Most people had approached from the other side, where there were fewer cameras and vans:

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The candle – in the little ramekin dish – was burning when I left it –

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and I hope one or two folk read my three quotations before my card got buried:

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Remembrance of a different kind at the weekend. I’m a bit reluctant to admit that I got the date wrong! I’d made plans to be in Grasmere on the 28th, but, of course, it should have been the 27th! However, in the event, it turned out to be a happy error, since the 27th was very wet, and I probably wouldn’t have got to the lakeside at all. The 28th was sunny, but not too hot, and very busy, so I made several ‘passes’, hoping to find parking near the lake, and it was late afternoon before I did. But we’d driven past Thirlmere and down St. John’s, as well as back to Ambleside for an Ice Cream at Hayes.

So that’s why we kept gannin up and down same bit o’ road – tha wor lookin for a space to park.

I wor. Yes, I was. Then it was down to the ‘special’ bit of beach:

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But ‘funny’ things began to happen; arriving at the beach, there was a fork lying beside the water’s edge. Why ‘funny’? Well, one day, years back, when walking up Mosedale with Hilde and family, Carol spotted a fork in the grass at the side of the road. Being Carol, of course, she picked it up and took it home. So what did  I do with this one? Brought it home, of course …

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I’d heard a piece on radio about the properties of the herb rosemary. Apparently, scientists are finding that there is some evidence for the folklore (mentioned in Shakespeare) that rosemary is ‘for remembrance’. I have some rosemary  on my doorstep, so I thought I’d bring a sprig. Then I thought I’d lost it, so I bought some more at Morrison’s in Kendal (I was staying at an excellent Guest House in Oxenholme – The Glen – highly recommended.) Then I found the original bit:

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So I floated them on the water – ‘for remembrance’:

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I settled down to do a puzzle, choosing a variation of sudoku – the idoku which Carol used to do as her special one – and at the left hand side of the puzzle page in the ‘i’ there’s the ‘Daily Recipe’; that day’s recipe just happened to be ‘Krema Kataluna’, a type of Crème Brulée which is on the desert menu of most restaurants in Languedoc – especially those areas nearest the Spanish border …. funny that.

Falling off my chair wasn’t funny! Just trying to get comfortable, using my fleecy jacket as a cushion, I leaned a little too far to the left, and over we went! I landed on the repaired hip, and for a moment, I thought I was in trouble … but it seems there’s no harm done.

The beach under Loughrigg Fell has memories, too: when Rachel was little, maybe 9 or 10, we were picnicking there and a seagull came and stole her sandwich out of her hand! She let out a very irritated ‘Hey!’

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This is the path back to Franky: you’ve seen it before, nicknamed the ‘Tulgey Wood” (It is very tulgey.) It’s taken me years to remember its real name: Penny Rock Wood. But you wouldn’t get a Jabberwock whiffling through Penny Rock Wood, would you? Naa …

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Monday was wet n ‘orrible, weather-wise, but remembering the family adage that ‘the Lake District has a character of it’s own in the rain’, and after the excellent breakfast provided at The Glen, we set off up Kirkstone Pass, down past Brotherswater and through Patterdale and Glenridding – where the work is still ongoing following the floods of December 2015 / January 2016 – past Ullswater, and over the ‘temporary’ bridge at Pooley. Still ‘remembering’, and taking the scenic route, we went over Celleron and down to Askham, then to Helton, and paused to take a through-the-window photo of the spot at Helton where, after a picnic with Philip and Family, Rachel, Chris and I set off on the ‘Keswick Chips’ of all Lakeland walks – the one compared with which all other walks would have some redeeming features. But there was – as we kept telling each other during five miles of trudging through the heather – a great view of Ullswater when we got to the top of Loadpot Hill.

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The scenic drive was completed by driving up through Rosgill to Shap, where we joined the motorway. The weather didn’t improve, and there was the added challenge of fog, or low cloud as we crossed the Pennines, and more as we came over from Marsden to Meltham.

Well done, Franky – but don’t let’s be having any more big repair bills.

He’s gonna go on about that for ever …. weren’t my fault …

A birthday, two returns to Grasmere and one to Coniston.

…and some traumatic dentistry ….

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July 15th was Shannon’s 3rd birthday, and there was a party the next day, being Saturday. A week earlier, however, I’d had all remaining bottom teeth extracted (only six!) and that has had a profound effect on just about everything ever since, as anyone who has had a similar experience might understand. Not to go in to too much detail, I’ve had considerable difficulty adjusting to the new dentures, and enjoyment of meals is very much reduced for now.

Is that why you don’t cook like you used to?

Yes, Harry, exactly, – it is. But never mind, it’s getting better, bit by bit.

Bite by bite?

No, that’s not what I said!

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Anyway, there’s another picture of birthday girl during her party.

On July 18th I had a further consultation with my “Hippy Man” (orthopedic consultant) and having received a communication from the oncologist, saying that she was happy for at least one hip replacement to go ahead before the cancer treatment, he agreed to proceed with that, hopefully sometime in September.

July 30th. Franky?

What? Oh, aye – that really slow trip up tut Lake District! That were a bad un!

Yes, it was, but we met with Chris and family in Bowness and they asked the staff at the pub they’d chosen about where an old man with reduced mobility but no blue badge might park, an they said to drive up to the bollards right outside, in spite of the double yellows and it would be OK. And it was. We had a good lunch, and I managed jacket potato with baked beans – but had to ‘lose’ the teeth part way through! Then we got lucky in finding a roadside space not far from the boat moorings so that we all enjoyed a cruise round the islands of Bowness Bay.

 

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After the cruise we went on to Grasmere – Helm Grag is in the centre of the photo, with the ‘lion’ clearly visible, but not the ‘lamb’ from this angle – and made our way down to the lakeside, though not by the ‘usual’ route because the lay-by was fully occupied. Chris and family then left for a tea-time visit to friends in Kendal, and Franky and I moved on to to Grasmere village where I was staying at the Red Lion. Last time I was there they were in the middle of renovations, and had offered me a free B & B for one night to compensate, so I was taking avantage of that. This time my room was at the front of the building with Dollywagon Pike (centre left overlooking the village) in the view: DSCN3610

Parking were difficult in Grasmere, weren’t it?

It were, aye. – It was, yes. No chance to park within or near the hotel grounds, so I had to leave you on the far side of the green. (The green is just visible above the red car in the photo.)

It were OK – I were bothered for thee and tekkin luggage across t’green.

I didn’t have much. I was disappointed by the reaction of the receptionist when I explained about my eating problem. He said he was sure I could find something suitable on the menu. Well, I couldn’t – not at a price I wanted to pay, anyway. So I made do with what I’d brought with me – a hard boiled egg and some potatoes and mayonaise. Breakfast was better – I was able to choose suitable items from the ‘full English’.

July 31st: I brought Franky round to the hotel car park to pick up the luggage,

Then we had a reet good drive round yon lake –

Thirlmere

Aye, up one side, and back down t’other.

Yes – Helvellyn is still scarred where the torrents came down and destroyed the road, but the views of Thirlmere are so much better than they used to be – they’re reducing the forest and replacing with more ‘natural’ species.

I had some soup at the Grasmere garden centre, and having left my folding chair in Harry, went on to Hayes in Ambleside to buy another, better, one, and doubling back to Grasmere to sit by the lake for a while. No photos – they’d look the same as previous ones!

The M6 was slow again on the way home, so I thought I’d drive the Trough of Bowland instead. I was following signs OK, but I must have missed one, and found I was back on the A6 and re-joining the motorway! But it was flowing better south of Lancaster, so we got home OK.

First week of August included a return to the dentist, who agreed there was a problem with the lower denture. She said the socket which had been infected was going to be a ‘slow healer’, but she filed the plate down a bit, which has made it a bit better. I also got a British MoT for Harry – not easy with his French plates, as they couldn’t find him ‘on the system’ until they entered his former (UK) registration. So they had to put UK plates on him, which I took off again when I got home! I’ve completed the paperwork to re-import him (with Rachel’s help), but it’s not straightforward. European standardisation, eh? I can’t insure him in the UK as I haven’t lived here for 12 months! Never mind the previous 67 years!! I picked up some new specs from Specsavers, too.

So Harry?

Ja?

Want to do a bit? – your fan club have been asking to hear from you – all one of ’em.

Dass ist aber nett! How nice! What can I say? You packed me up very slowly over several days and set off for Coniston on Monday –

8th August –

Ja, richtig – When we got to the Caravan Club site there were already Rachel with husband, daughter and stepdaughters. With also their Wohnwagen.

Caravan.

So you call it. They have reserved us a pitch nearby. So  – you park me up, and don’t move me for a week. Well, at least it wasn’t two months. And it wasn’t cooking hot*. In fact it was raining.

Not all the time!

Mostly.

Yes, well that’s Cumbria in August. You’re allowed one fine day per week. I was there six days, and I missed it. I decided to hire a car, if only to get around the camp site, but that meant getting to Kendal, and although the hire firm came for me, it still took out most of the day on Wednesday.

It was easier with Sally.

I know …..

On Thursday – the wettest day of the week – I drove over Wrynose and Hard Knott passes, taking Rachel’s friend Jane with me (and a little deaf dog). She was camped on the neighbouring site, Coniston Hall, which is where, many years ago, the whole camping / campervanning / motorhoming adventure began. Imagine! Me and a little 8 year old girl in a tiny 2-person ridge tent and a Citroën Dyane! Someone would call the police these days!

Anyway, there were no views on that outing, but the cascades were magnificent! We did Hard Knott both ways, with lunch (more soup!) at Dalegarth Station, but didn’t come back over Wrynose, choosing to follow the Duddon valley instead. Lots of white water.

Next day I took the family for a ride on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway to visit the Aquarium at Lakeside – that is, they provided the transport and I treated them to the ride and the visit.

Shannon seemed to enjoy the train rides:

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Engine ‘Victor’ runs round the train to connect at the other end:DSCN3612

While steamship ‘Tern’ approaches to make the connection:

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Shanon watches, and Mummy photos ‘Victor’ bringing the train in to take us back:

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On Saturday I took the hired car back to Kendal (do American firms really close at 12 noon on Saturday till 9am Monday morning? Or is all that TV advertising just ‘Enterprising’ propaganda?), then used my bus pass to get a 555 to Grasmere to meet the family there. I tried to take some photos from the bus of views we can’t get from a car. Top deck would have been better, of course, and open-top on a fine day better still, but I wasn’t up for the stairs! Here are the Langdale Pikes across Windermere:

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I wanted to be in Grasmere that day – it was Carol’s birthday. Again, the garden centre was the most convenient place to park for lunch, but the soup didn’t appeal, so I managed a piece of fish, without chips. Thanks for that, family.

The weather wasn’t ideal, but we got down to the lake side – with more than usual difficulty in my case, and finding ‘my’ beaches occupied by fisher folk, we moved on to the spot where we had set up a base on July 9th last year, which was not inappropriate.

Shannon and Mummy do a ‘paddle dance’ while half-sister Becky prepares for another plunge into deeper water. (She stayed in for an hour!) I sat and watched, not feeling on top form  …..

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I’ve had a mild form of tinnitus for some time, but on Saturday morning something seemed to ‘move’ in my left ear with a sort of ‘twang’ which hurt a bit. That and discomfort from the teeth was partly why I just sat by the lake with my hood up. Since then, I’ve had ‘total face-ache’ on the left side affecting teeth, nose, ear, temple, eye and head. Also today, Tuesday, the symptoms of migraine. I’ve taken all the pain killers I can lay my hands on (I would have taken some of Carol’s left-over morphine if I had any here, but I haven’t, as far as I know, which is perhaps just as well.), so I saw a doctor at the local practice yesterday and he agreed with my suggestion that it was probably neuralgia. He added amitriptyline to the medicines I’m already taking, but it could take up to two weeks to take effect!

Anyway, I got Harry packed up on Sunday morning and completed the job by doing the ‘waterworks’ with Rachel and Sean’s help. The drive home was striaghtforward and uneventful, but I didn’t want to go on to Wakefield to park Harry up and bring Franky back. And I haven’t wanted to do that yesterday or today, either. Tomorrow I have a pre-op appointment at the hospital (though no date for an op yet!) and Chris is planning to join me afterwards to get the job done.

So – you plan to leave me bei Rachel again?

Yes – but you’re very useful there. You provide me with a bedroom without going upstairs. And there’s electricity for you, which I can’t provide here.

As you would say, M’sieur: hmmm ….

*Harry is remembering our time at Puivert in 2012, when we were on the one site for two months, two weeks and two days and he only moved once! And it was baking hot!

 

 

 

 

Grasmere Again (27.05.16)

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Hallo! Hier ist Harry …

(OK, Francophones! – That does n o t mean ‘Harry was yesterday’ or anything like that! Hier = here, so, Here’s Harry. OK?)

Danke, M’sieur SKT – do we call you M’sieur in England?

Whatever ….

As you see, Folk, I am once more in use! This is the campsite of the Caravan Club in Kendal. After many weeks at the home of the daughter of M’sieur SKT, where he comes to sit on the baby once a week –

Er, no, to BABYSIT – it’s not the same.

Well, he comes in the grey car who speaks funny, and sleeps in my bed – he now comes when no-one is there and leaves the car and takes me out!

Hold on! A couple of loose ends need tidying up.

What are ‘loose ends’?

Never mind. You had a problem with your water pump, didn’t you?

Oh, ja! The nice man came and put in a new one, sehr schön. Everything works well now.

And just let me tell folk that the bone scan showed no problems and that they are going to replace at least one hip before treating the cancer. Carry on ….

‘No problems’ is good, ….. the rest I don’t know. So … Thursday, 26th May we come to Kendal, and on Friday we first go shopping at Asda, then after lunch (for HIM) we go to the camping centre where another nice man replaces my broken door clip, then we go to see a friend who helps M’sieur move a bit more easily.

Yes, a visit to Mike who used to both play the piano for me and massage me in the driving school days – back pain is an occupational hazzard! Tickling the ivories and holistic massage is an interesting combination! But although, as we agreed, he couldn’t do anything about the hips, he certainly eased the muscles, which made the rest of the day more pleasant.

Then we drove past Kendal and through Windermere and Ambleside to the lay-by between Rydal Water and Grasmere. There he left me for and hour or so … 

Yes, I had a need to go down thru the ‘Tulgey Wood’:

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and sit beside the lake for a while.

DSCN3430.JPG … at the exact spot where, some years ago, Carol and I had spent a very special afternoon and evening, boating round the island, swimming in the lake and having a barbecue. I took today’s ‘i‘ newspaper down with me and did a couple of puzzles – another favourite shared pastime.

Just as I was preparing to leave, a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds and first tipped the trees with gold:

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then shone on the lake and and made it sparkle:

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We’ll leave it there …..

 

 

It’s difficult ….

It’s difficult to write an interesting diary when days are spent doing puzzles and watching TV …. unless it happens to be a hospital day ….

Such a day was April 9th. And it meant that my birthday was spent ‘fasting’ and taking quantities of ‘medicine’, necessitating staying close to a loo. Still it was lovely to have a visit from Chris and family after school, and thanks to everyone who sent or delivered cards:

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Thanks, too, to Michelle for transport to the hospital early on Saturday morning, and to Rachel and Shannon who retrieved me from there some hours later, and stayed with me overnight, on doctor’s orders, to make sure I didn’t drive or drink – alcohol, that is.

I was also not supposed to look after children unassisted. If this counts, we broke the rules:

post bath baby

Rules or not, it was fun to have a bit of bathtime play!

On Sunday (10th) Sean came over to meet us at Lowdens, the caravan and motorhome centre just ten minutes away. I was invited to look over the caravan (!) they were planning to buy and (someone said) stop them from buying it! Grosse chance, mate! So we went and had a post-birthday lunch at the nearest pub. Before  leaving, they put my bike in the Mondeo and took it away when they went; it’s been ‘living’ at the foot of the stairs and there’s no immediate prospect of riding it, so I’ve regained the space, which will be needed if I get a stair lift fitted.

Today (Tuesday 13th) has been another hospital day! Two visits, actually, so two times £2.50 for the carpark! This was for a bone scan, to make sure the cancer hasn’t got into the bones, which would affect plans for hip replacement. Before the first visit, I actually did get on to the Radio 5 Live phone-in – too much excitement in one day! It was about driving and whether old folk should give up … you can probably find it on the iplayer if you really wanted too – just before 10 am. I might write about that on ‘Daddy Says ..’, but as far as I can tell, no-one’s looking at that, so it would just be for my own amusement ….

Oh, btw, I lied about the sun never shining on my doorstep. Well, not really, – surely it’s only a lie if you know what you say is untrue, otherwise it’s just a mistake. Fact is, I’d never s e e n the sun on the doorstep, but at about 4pm this afternoon it found a gap in the houses. The little daffodils are blooming:

Summer Time!

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Wow! There had been nothing in weather forecasts that I had seen or heard which had led me to anticipate t h a t when I came through to the kitchen at 6am this morning (Easter Monday, 28/03/16); big, heavy, ‘Christmassy’ snowflakes falling straight down. However, two hours later, after I’d taken my coffee back to bed and half slept and dreamt through the ‘Today’ programme which seemed to be being broadcast from a performance of ‘Patience’ in Penrith(?!), the snow at this level has turned to drizzle, though there’s a good covering on the Moor.

‘Summer Time’ started yesterday, of course, which was also Easter Day, a coincidence which can’t crop up all that often. I played ‘Father Easter’ to both families, popping down first to Linthwaite with choccy-thingies for the children, a little b-day pressy for Chris and a bottle of Vouvray for him and Michelle to share; then later on we went over to Sharlston with another sackful of goodies for big girls and a little one, not to mention more bottles for grown-ups, who provided a more than ample Easter Sunday lunch, or dinner as I think I’m supposed to say in Yorkshire ….

Aye, tha should – we don’t know this ‘lunch’ word round ere. Tha’ll stick out like a sore thumb if tha carries on talking funny. …

Thanks for that, Franky. Did you enjoy your wash last week?

Aye, ta very much; tha got round to it in th’end.

How about yesterday’s journeys?

They were OK; no hold-ups, but comin back ome were a bit tough, eh? Fust it chucked heavy rain at us, then we was goin straight west into bright sunlight, reflected ont wet roads.

Yes – a bit hard, that. No plans today (though as a fan of Rupert Davies as Maigret in the early sixties, I’m looking forward to seeing how Rowan Atkinson plays the part this evening), a house viewing tomorrow and a consultation with an oncologist on Thursday. That’s in Bradford, after babysitting in Sharlston on Wednesday evening.

 

Hospital and Haircut

Tuesday 8th March 2016: Yesterday was a fine, bright day, blue skies making the most of the snow on the moor …. but I didn’t make very good use of it; just a bit of shopping.

Today has been my first ‘Facebook-free’ day! I don’t know whether the two are really linked, but I like to think that whereas  I might have spent time this morning, wondering whether to react to someting or other, and if so how, and trying not to get angry about something, but just hide it, I actually spent time sorting out some long-overdue paperwork, filled in a couple of forms, arranged to have my pre-payment gas and electricity meters changed to pay monthly, and so on.

Then this afternoon I had the latest consultation with the urologist at the hospital. I have a choice where the cancer is concerned: zap it or leave it. Treatment (I said ‘zap it’, but he went along with that!) would be radio therapy. A friend has recommended brachytherapy, and Mr. Harney was not averse to the suggestion,  but said he thought it was unsuitabale for someone who has been taking tamsulosin for some years as treatment for a twitchy bladder; but he would mention that I had raised it in his letter to the oncologist, who would decide. The ‘leave it’ option would mean leave it alone for several years, but then treatment would be to control, not cure.

So that left the question of the hips – not Mr. Harney’s department – and I’m seeing the ‘Hippy Man’ next week. Mr. H. was sympathetic to the notion that the cancer isn’t actually affecting me, but the hips are, however he recommends cancer treatment first, if I choose to have it at all, as complications could be worse if I had hip replacement first. Of course, I’m assuming hip replacement is ‘on the cards’, which is yet to be confirmed.

Anyway, I left the hospital reasonably cheerfully, having spent very little time there, so passing a barber’s with a parking space outside and only one customer in the chair and none waiting (I could see that from the road, ‘helped’ by slow moving traffic) I stopped and treated myself to a haircut.

This is the chair I bought recently at Oxfam: (it swivels and reclines, and is a great improvement on the camping chair I came with!)

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and this is a selfie with me in it, showing haircut – the least expensive haircut I’ve had for years – so it wasn’t really a treat!:

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Next time out, I might ‘treat’ Franky to a wash –

Eee – that’ll be grand!

What? Franky? You’ve found a voice, then?

Aye.

Tha’s a reet Yorkshire lad, then?

Aye, I am that, Pal.

Don’t call me ‘Pal’.

Why’s that, then?

I’m not a Yorkshireman, and I don’t like it much.

Right-o, Boss.

That’s better. ……..