The Last Two Months...

I keep putting off writing a blog post...which means I'm not getting anything written!  Procrastination can become prolonged.  Basically I haven't written a proper blog post since the end of August!  That is two months, time sure gets away on you.  I can't say it is because I have been overly productive either.  Coming off the steroids has put paid to a lot of my activity as my pain levels have increased again, and as a result I have less energy and enthusiasm for doing things.  This has also been combined with trips back up to the mainland for a dentist appointment to fix my broken tooth in the middle of September, which because of the new restrictions put in place meant I could only have a temporary repair 'which should last quite a long time'. Of course it hasn't and has worn away a lot and I have 'sharp' edges again.  Sigh.   It doesn't make sense as it now means my risk of 'exposure' will be doubled as I will have to go back again at some stage.    I also had some special nerve conduction tests, not an especially fun experience.  They were definitely more intensive than any I had had previously.  I also had a CT Scan, and a whole load of blood tests.  Back and forth to have these done twice over the last two months.  Yet have I made any headway?  I thought we were on to something, but it all seems to have gone into a black hole.  I may have a gene mutation which causes problems with my Vitamin B6 levels, which of course can leave to neuropathic pain in the areas I suffer it from AND cause permanent damage if not addressed...yet I can't get any answers or even replies after I was told to 'stop taking the Vitamin B6' when I wrote to say I am NOT nor have I ever taken Vitamin B6 supplements, and none of the food I eat is fortified with it.  I checked!  This is extremely frustrating.  I was also sent away to get some tests done for Addisons after seeing the Endocrinologist, but they haven't proved easy to get either as the two local NHS hospitals my GP could refer me to to have these blood tests done can't do them!  Fortunately I have been able to ask my Gastroenterologist if he can order them for me, and he can, so am due to have them done second week in November.  I feel at least someone cares!  Of course now with the news we might be going into another national lockdown, I don't know where that will leave me!  Anyway needless to say with the pain levels, trips back and forth, I haven't much felt like doing a lot, plus the weather has been pretty miserable to boot.

With all the research that has been done and the positive results coming out of this research, why oh why aren't they encouraging people to take Vitamin D which has been proven to have a very successful rate in helping people who have contracted Covid and also helps prevention?!  One has to wonder if they don't actually want people to get/stay well?  Yes controversial I know, but before anyone decides to comment on this, please go away and do the research first, (there is a lot of information out there if you look for it) and not just believe what the mainstream media tells you - or doesn't tell you! 

A good illustration of whether they really want people to get well or not is what has happened to my uncle in hospital when he was admitted after a fall .... he received virtually 'no treatment', was sent home without his dentures, medication and even missing some of his clothing! Apparently they lost it!  He certainly didn't lose it as he was immobile while in hospital. His wife wasn't allowed to visit him 'because of covid'. He went in without pneumonia and was sent home WITH pneumonia... when questioned about the heart medication (which they lost) that he has been on for a number of years, his wife was subsequently told 'he no longer needs it'.  (He was prescribed it by a heart specialist!)   He deteriorated at home, not a surprise, his GP refused to come out and see him.  He ended up having to go back into hospital as his breathing got worse, and has now been sent home AGAIN with them telling his wife she will need to find a home for him.  I'm sorry but this is absolutely bloody disgusting treatment, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves!  It sounds like there is no accountability anymore.

This isn't a one off case, I have heard from other people who have had similar experiences.  Elderly people are getting ill and spending their last days ALONE without family because of such terrible new 'rules and regulations'.  It is not acceptable.  People are not getting treatment for other serious diseases.  It is NOT acceptable.  

Rant over...

I have been getting raspberries every few days from my raspberry canes all through October which has been wonderful.

These may be the last lot that I get which I picked this afternoon.

There has been the odd sunny day.

Last week I looked out the patio window and there were loads of Gold Finches on the front lawn.  I didn't manage to get many pictures of them as they took to their wings when they saw a movement.

It was a pretty amazing sight!  I hope this means I might see more, as there has definitely been a dearth of birds compared to what I used to see in the garden in Hertfordshire.

My Fuchsias are still looking quite good.

Some colour in the garden taken the last couple of weeks.

Taken this afternoon after a very grey and wet morning.

We have had a base put down for our new shed which will be assembled later in November and we are getting some concreting done to widen the top of our driveway a bit.  It is currently shingle which is a real nuisance and causes slipping and skidding due to the slope, so it will be much more usable once concreted.

I got a new (to me) car in September.  I have had my car almost twenty years, and we are not sure if it will get through its MOT this year and my husband didn't want me to ended up stranded down here with no transportation if it didn't.  Feels a bit strange to have a new car, but it is nice to drive and the clutch is less heavy being petrol as opposed to diesel so is easier on my leg!

A friend moved to the island, and I have enjoyed visiting her on several occasions.

It has been really lovely having the dogs back living with me.  They keep me going as I have to take them out for walks, and although Percy doesn't have a lot of stamina, so I am gradually trying to help him build up his muscle tone and stamina, at the moment, since coming off the steroids neither have I, and probably wouldn't walk at all due to the pain if it wasn't for them.

We moved my dresser into the kitchen from the lounge as a friend offered me a lovely china display cabinet, so that went into the space that the dresser was in.  I much prefer the dresser in the kitchen and have done a little Autumnal display on it.

I picked up this sweet set for £4 and a shop with an honesty box the other day.  First time I had ventured out to such places for a very long time!

I've made some Lemonade Scones.  Really like this simple recipe, the scones are nice and light.  I pop them in the freezer and just take one or two out as required.

I regularly see the helicopters doing their training just opposite the house.  Always interesting even if a little noisy!

I probably did take photos in September, but just can't be bothered going through them at the moment so thought I would just use the October photos.

Just realised another reason I have been procrastinating about doing a blog post, is this new look blogger seems to have made things even more complicated.  Instead of two actions to enlarge a photo it is now three.  It also used to be very simple to upload photos in one go, and then just add the photos into the post as you want to.  Now you have to add all the photos into the post at once, or it  loses all the photos you have chosen and you have to start again.  Progress?!  I don't think so. Very much like everything nowadays, what they say are improvements seem to be more steps backwards.  Clearly those that do these 'improvements' aren't actually using the format/platform/item etc themselves.

So a few moans and little rants today - I will 'try to do better' next month!

Day Thirty One - The Month that Was.

Photo of the Day:

Art Prompt: Own Choice

Raven in Flight

Gosh it is the end of the month already!  It really does seem to have zoomed past ever so quicly.

Looking back at October....

At the end of September I made a goal to clear my sewing studio by the end of October, thinking that having whole month I should be able to achieve such a task.  Well I failed - although I am going to try not to look on it as failure, but rather progress as so many other things have also happened over the last month.  I have made real headway on getting some actual treatment for my existing pain and also the pain that has plagued me since April.  Whether this treatment will work, is yet to be determined, but I am hopeful and that is a step in the right direction. Because of this I have had MANY trips into London which of course take up time.   I HAVE started clearing my studio, but to the outsider it wouldn't be at all obvious as it is still a complete mess in there, and now our dining room is a mess as well with stuff I have sorted to sell!  Perhaps it will be cleared by the end of November?

Over the last 21 days I have made 13 Ebay sales which amounts to 24 items, so that is progress in itself.  I also have a pile of boxes and bags that I need to take to the charity shop which I hope to do this week.  I have more items to list as well and hope to get them done in the next couple of days.


I managed to take part in the 'Photo a Day for the Month of October Challenge' on Flickr.

Here is a mosaic of days 1 - 30, with today's photo being at the top of this post.

I have also completed the 'Every Day in October' Art Challenge, although this has been a bit more difficult to keep up with.  I went back to art, but have to stop while having my acupuncture treatment as unfortunately this is on the same day.  I will try to find out if there is another group I can go to on a different day.

A Mosaic of Days 1 - 30 with today' picture at the top of this post.

I have quite enjoyed this challenge, although some of the prompts were really not my thing.  As someone who doesn't 'do' Halloween, quite a few of them were orientated towards that.  All pictures have now also been added to the appropriate day as I had missed uploading some.  Some of these I am not at all pleased with, others I am.  But the whole idea was just to go with the prompt, not take too long over it and I think I have achieved that.

'We' have started stripping the wallpaper off the walls in our master bedroom, and hopefully that will be fully decorated by the end of November.  We have had to change our plans slightly as we were going to get someone in to do the whole job, but due to my medical expenses, we have had to change that, so now hubby is doing the stripping and prepping of the walls and the painting and we will get someone in to do the wallpapering, IF the price is right.  Otherwise it could be along time before it is ever finished!  Of course doing this has meant that now the lounge is full of stuff that we have moved out of the bedroom!  So I hope we don't have any visitors for a while as the house is quite frankly a mess.  We have also had the floor measured up for carpet, so now just have to go and choose some.

One week into October I decided to start going on the elliptical trainer/exercise machine (as well as the walking the dogs).  I have managed to go on it 13 days out of 23 (56 %) so far which isn't too bad, as some of those days I had to go into London and have various tests etc...  I have also started the physio exercises, and do those daily.  I am now on Day 4 of those. 

Another thing I have started to do is practice my clarinet again as I just miss it too much to not play anymore.  It still hurts a lot, but the pleasure I am getting from playing is almost counteracting that.  So although early days yet, I will see how I go. I have played 17 out of the 23 days, so have achieved 74%  - not bad, especially again considering some days I haven't felt like it, or have had trips into London.  I have tried to play before and I think I managed about three months before I had to give up again.  Hopefully with the treatment I am getting I will be able to continue.  Mind over matter as they say.  I worked too hard for too many years to throw my music away. 

I finally got round to banking some cheques, only to realise when I was paying them in one of them had been written out incorrectly - the words and numbers didn't match up.  Now our bank no longer has a branch locally it is more of a hassle to have to go to the bank as it involves driving, paying parking charges etc...  Such a nuisance our local branch is no longer.  Seems crazy as the population in our town has increased!  I hate to think what the older people do now - perhaps they have changed banks, I do know at least a couple of people who have done this.

Because I had to drive to another town to do the banking and pay for parking I figured I might has well have a look round the charity shops.  They don't tend to interest me as much as they used to, not sure if I just feel I have enough now, or because you can't get the bargains that you used to be able to get.  I did find one thing though for my 'old people' collection that sit on the picture rail that runs down the length of our hallway.

I haven't seen this one before.  Love the donkey!

November tomorrow!  The nights are already drawing in, and it was definitely a lot colder today than it has been.  It is pitch black outside already and it is only 5 pm.  Brrr...I don't like these colder darker days.