snowmash's cybergarden - spring edition

[madmouse]

hello

Hi hob, I was wondering when you'd be able to get back to us, as you have so much going on in your life. I was noseying round one of your other
recently and was pleased to see a recipe I've wanted for a while, hope you don't mind, but the lentil bolognese is now in my recipe file, and thankyou very much.
The fabric used to be called (!) a provencal print, tiny bunches of pink roses on a black background, and a friend's teenage daughter has something very similar.
Storing stashes of fabric has been a secret weakness for many years, and I'm particularly pleased with foreign fabrics found as remnants in sales - it can make super stationery when run through the printer. (Sorry I'm rambling here and trying to justify squirrelling it away).

I've just seen the time and will have to wish everyone goodnight and get to bed, as I'm due up and out in the morning. 'Night all.

Hello again, here I am, returned from shopping and missed horrible, tropical-type storm by a few miles, according to conversation overheard at cashdesk, just rain and mist on my way home, but very pleased to be back. It's only a few weeks since I was hoping for rain, and can hardly believe it now we're back to an English summer.
Hope everyone's managing with the change in weather, and no-one's got too wet.
Hope snowmash is managing well at home too, not easy for the first few weeks back - one moans about hospital food, but at least it does turn up without effort on patient's part, and someone else does the dishes.

would you all go and have a little look at the thread ive just started in 'chat' re. whether I am actually going mad

I dont know how to do links but you should be able to get to it via my profile and then 'other threads'.

Its quite funny really i suppose but mental health is my real achilles heel - and things i really should be able to laugh off really play on my mind because i have such a fear of it.

Anyway - would really appreciate your lovely wise thoughts. You can post here instead if you like - rather than have to post on the that thread if youd rather not. I'll look in both places xx

Poor you kizzie, am sure you'll get some good answers in Chat and we'll all see if we can add anything . Take care of yourself xx
Thank you for lovely , TIANC , and here's more

Not wet here despite rain forecast , shodatin - very pleased as local charity Shakespeare players are due to take the stage & they're so used to getting soaked .

I realised you said the other day that you had in fact lived abroad at some point , shodatin - ( unless I'm mixed up again ) and wonder if you could give us some hint where , if it doesn't compromise your anonymity , as TIANC cautions . Joy to see I'm not the only one excitable about fabric remnants ! The adrenaline rush ...

Hope everyone's OK today and gets a bit of evening sunshine

Yes indeed shodatin , hope snowmash is getting regular meals OK

Thanks hob :)

Honestly I have such a fear of mental health issues because of not being well in the past.

Have absolutely no idea what that whole text message thing was. just my mind playing tricks. or maybe just an instant message that just disappeared?? Anyway whatever it was im trying to put it to the back of my mind . One of my 'personality traits' is definately being a bit obsessive about things. can be very positive when it comes to work etc. But not so great with anxiety!!!! as you can probably imagine.

Anyway ive got to go away for work tomorrow - just for one day but long journey there and back so planning a very easy evening.

take care everyone x

Wishing you a safe journey tomorrow kizzie, and I'm sure you've nothing to worry about regarding the phone message. Besides, I've found that if you need to have an answer, it will just arrive at some time in the future, with no need to spend time wondering. As my DH used to say when I was obsessing,"Think about something nice".

Hob, Ive lived in France and USA but a long time ago, and it might be difficult
to keep anonimity on here once I start rambling. We know you have a pineapple connection, but I hesitate to ask for more details for the same reason.
Will say a goodnight now, as I had a fall in the garden earlier (big feet trying to avoid soaked flowers) and would rather be in bed with warm blanket for bruises. Good night all, and a good day tomorrow.

Oh shodatin! Poor you! Hope it's just slight bruises, and you're not stiff and sore when you wake tomorrow. Ouch ouch ouch.

I'm intrigued by this fabric stationery idea, tho! How marvellous, does it really print OK? Quite brilliant and slightly eccentric.

kizzie I'm way too late to say anything helpful about your tech problems - glad you've had great answers on your thread. I completely know what you mean about thinking, "Is this me?". Usually when tortured by some infernal blinking device billed as a "wonder of modern technology." Arrrgghhh!

I am now banned from some functions on the housephone on tired days, as I always lose track of the complicated, delay-ridden and physically fiddly combination of key presses and knob twiddles required. (OK, that sort of is me - but the phone designers will find a toasty place waiting for them in that 7th circle of hell one day.)

Do travel safely tomorrow.

OH TIANC thank you so much for and sympathy! Am now annointed with pain gel (used aloe vera earlier for grazes) and will no doubt feel better when bruises come out, but am sorry for self at present and glad I did a big shop yesterday and can stay home today.

Printing fabric is easy if you cut it to A4 (or less and stick to A4) and just run it through. Interesting effect if you do black&white, but as I don't know how to alter hue, another couple of printings from first one will make lighter shade.
Am very good at messing about....

Hope you enjoyed a dry Shakespeare play.
Must now go and find why electric blanket not working - I suspect my helper.

Oh so glad to see you back on already, and able to spend a day at home curled up under (what I hope will be) a toasty electric blanket. Definitely a day to be kind to yourself.

I clearly need to take your patience as an example. So-called helpers drive me spare. People turn up, you pay them money and exhaust yourself trying to first tell, then wheedle, then manage them into doing the the job you need. And still they either fail to do it properly or break/lose/sabotage something else.

I s'pose life and especially work has always been like that, but when you can pick up the slack yourself, it's just slightly annoying. When you can't, it's a show-stopper.

Anyway, you don't need my grumbles, and things are better here now. I hope they're not too bad for you.

Thanks for the fabric stationery instructions, btw. You're obviously a practical genius, what with this and the bears.

Oh no shodatin , the soreness sounds awful . What a rotten time for your blanket to be out of action . Any joy resurrecting it ? Cross for you if not . I know you don't want us to fuss but you must have been very shaken .

Phew, thought I'd lost my post just now

< coaxes hateful bruises to come out so pain is eased > Have you considered taking a mobile phone with you into the garden ? I'm very glad of mine
Sorry for long gap but had a marathon sleep till well into afternoon

Upset to hear your helpers have been making a mess of things , TIANC , & the misery of being unable to correct the problem yourself strikes very close to home . You may be meaning work persons / technicians in this case, but it seems long overdue for standardised training to comprehensively educate carers / assistants on how unwell the client may be feeling , & the traumas & deep seated fears that can be awoken by trivial mistakes & misunderstandings .

I have questions I'd like to ask you & shodatin on this topic at a more cheerful time ,if I might ? Perhaps we could have a thread elsewhere for peeople to leave their tips , as Disabled Parents forum is sadly underused .
Now is not the time to urge either of you to write a short guide for publication , is it - am sure snowmash would have much wisdom to add ..

Very much inspired by your fabric printing projects shodatin & when printer is back in action just watch me go with my remnants ! Brilliant idea , just up my street too

So glad your phone puzzle seems less worrying now , kizzie and hope day away for work goes smoothly . Completely agree with shodatin about answers coming to you if you just leave your subconscious to work on them . ( maybe the forces of the universe too if you're so inclined ).

Ah , I haven't been to one of this year's Shakespeare/ strolling players nights yet but always watch the weather on the evenings they're performing - thank you for good wishes for the company .
Thank you so much for your Zephaniah link , TIANC ! He's a fine person in so many ways and am of course a fan . Didn't like the poster's comment underneath - ha.

Have put rug out for precious cat as it's dampout there but she still needs to keep an eye on her territory

Aaaah! at your cat, hob! You're obviously attentive staff owner!

Hi everyone - thank you so much so for all your kind reassuring messages :)

Feel silly for letting it get to me like that - but as I say its my real achilles heel.

Journey today went ok although part of it involved a trek through london to get to another mainline station. Reminded me how much i would hate to have to commute into london everyday ! Although quite enjoyed the people watching .

So sorry about your fall shodatin - hope the aloe is helping. I use it all the time and find it very useful.

TIANC that just sounds so so frustrating. I dont know how you keep so calm about it all!

And laughing at Hobs cat being treated like royalty :) x

Hi Kizzie, so glad you've got some reassurance about the phone mix-up, and am so sorry for TIANC having a complicated telephone and being banned from using it on a bad day. One day they might invent one that's simpler and easier to use, instead of making them with infinite bells and whistles (grumpy old bat emoticon).
Have changed plug on extension for blanket and it's now working again, which is mysterious. I get cross with helper damaging stuff and hoping I won't notice, whereas if I knew there was a problem I could fix it before it was urgent. Last week she did tell me the window-lock was broken, hell, it was actually in two parts, and impossible to put together again; most likely been hit with the medium hammer but this was not mentioned. Sorry, I don't usually moan about
accidents, because that's all they are, it's the secrecy that annoys me. Thanks again for the , attention is most welcome just now.

Off to bed again, sorry I'm always first - goodnight all.

Night shodatin - setting a good example, you are! Do hope you're feeling a bit better. And well done on fixing the plug. I can see there is considerable grumping scope on this topic...

Heh heh, kizzie I have never in the whole course of my life been accused of being calm. ME SHOUTY AND RAGEY OH NO OF COURSE NOT. THE WHOLE STREET WILL AGREE WITH ME. OR ELSE

Glad your trip went OK today. Actually big pat on back (if it's not too patronising), as you managed all that today even after an anxious day yesterday. I know you'd much rather have zero bad days (obv), but can you store up "wins" like this, to be brought out on bad days to remind you that each bad patch will pass, and you'll have yourself back again shortly.

hob thank you for being lovely - I also have a nice, safe old-fashioned phone that very little can go wrong with. DP has been "managing" me for a while. Your other comments above v interesting - can I leave them till manana for better attention?

Hope snowmash and madmouse have had good days.

Following shodatin to bed, sleep well all zzzzz

How are you today , shodatin ? Has the bruising come out ? How are you feeling apart from fall injuries ?
< appropriates grumpy old bat emoticon for self >

How upsetting that your helpers can't see the value of honesty - are you too nice to conspicuously place a pamphlet on the truth Testimony ?

at TIANC's renowned calmness ... It's one of the differences I struggle with in Britain , the way the public / customer is expected to repress her dissatisfaction - especially with health & education & social care provision Sorry , scope for grumping indeed ..lemon balm

I'm bursting with curiosity now , shodatin - sounds as though you were doing fascinating things in those countries .

Brilliant that you dealt with London crowds as well as long journeys , kizzie - hope you're pleased with yourself .

Her Magnificence graciously acknowledges you all for your fussing of her, & was this morning rendered exorbitantly flippy by the sun shining onto her rug . She also asks after kizzie's cat .

Have you all noticed Mn going offline a few times in daytime ? Might be worth writing & saving your posts in Notepad so they don't get lost .

Have more energy than usual atm so am enjoying doing lots of chores .

Glad you liked K's excellent lentil bolognaise recipe on other threads, shodatin . I must sharpen brain before posting on other threads ...

Thanks people for kind enquiries about bruises - still lathered with gel and glad I bought a new tube earlier. You're right about having a nice, simple phone with me, TIANC and Hob, but have now given up on two and afraid the third would probably be ignored too. I have stopped using flipflops- back to soft ballerina type- as safety measure, remembering an older friend re-organising herself after having a stumble on the stairs, and thinking again about a call-button, which is depressing.
Haven't done anything very interesting at all, hob and it was all ages ago, plus I'm far more interested in where you used to live before coming here, how you manage with all the strange British ways etc. My older niece has just made a career move to Australia from S.Africa, which reminded me of my travels and all the little differences in living abroad.

That's a lovely recipe and a really nice thread hob*, so I hope you don't mind my noseying now and again.
Time we had some more news of the various cats - I really miss having animals , love hearing about them, and wonder if snowmash is interested?

V early night here, eyes closing. Just popping in to have a quick and wish you all a good and restful night.

Good night TIANC, my eyes want to close too and I hear the electric blanket calling.....Night all.

Hope early night revitalised you TIANC & that you feel much less achey today . So sorry I haven't said much about your post froms earlier in the week as am vslowly catching up . Am still smiling at the idea of you as a stern - even fearsome - auntie , & hope your niece pulls her socks up very soon .

Sorry the prospect of potentially having a call button installed is depressing ... our council operates a reasonably - priced scheme I - is it as good as that where you are ? I would definitelyuse it a shot if I had another spell of balance problems ( which I haven't had for years ). Good idea about more secure shoes ( speaking of which I feel guilty for presenting menfolk with silly novelty slippers - main cause of falls down stairs I believe - so I hope you're not tripping about in Simpsons slippers . Of course , you may not have stairs ... < over - caffeinated hob > .

The lovely posters on that thread would be pleased to meet you & very glad of your experience ,shodatin - would you like to say hello ? I think you've chatted to at least on of them on other threads on MH so won't be a total stranger .
Don't believe for a minute your time abroad wasn't interesting & I will quiz you further , if I may ? Did you find French attitudes to politics refreshingly non -apathetic ? Was it a sexist society in your view , with lots of emphasis on attractivenes & wild love lives ? Sorry to stereotype < hypocrite > My mum & dad used to live in Paris late 60s / early 70s.

As you are lovely enough to ask , i was born in a country of incredibly friendly people which was at the time under a military dictatorship with very corrupt police , but not nearly as dangerous as neighbouring countries . I was humbled by the friends & neighbours who were often struggling to feed their children yet had a warm & unfazed outlook . One parent was from a remote island , & my Mum from UK . I also had my early schooing in a school run by US teachers for children of Christian missionaries , whose earnest & wholesome attitudes influenced me , to the amusement of my British friends & ILs .

Thank you also for asking for news of animals...Noggin the tortoiseshell beauty WAS a most untrusting cat at first but IS deeply affectionate and caring . She's the 2nd cat in a row I've met with a disability , as she sadly got caight in some vines as a young cat which badly stretched her ligaments & so walks with very dropped hips . Despite this , she's a fearsome huntress ( sorry ) & has the most uniquely expressive face , quite hilarious .

Have you ever had the privelege of being enslaved by a cat ? I really feel for you missing having animal around . Apart from practical obstacles to keeping small pets , I wonder if cages & maybe even tanks go against your instincts ? Perhaps we can find a creature for which a tank isn't oppressive & the upkeep easy - I know dh & I won't easily find places which allows pets in the future , so am keen to find pets for indoors .

Sorry for all that [blush ] Refreshing all round

oops at IS and WAS ...

Clinks with hob and TIANC
Thankyou for full replies hob, and hope you don't mind if I delay replying until brain is refreshed by sleep, but must just say "yes" and "yes" to queries about France ! Sorry, must go but will return some time tomorrow. Night all.