The Cybergarden - Midwinter Edition

[shodatin]

Hope this is Post No. 1001 equivalent, having just used up the thousandth space and feel I shouldn't ask Madmouse to organise the next one again.

Have just looked into summerhouse to check fire is burning gently, tray of [brew} organised by upward to turn into one's favourite hot drink of the moment is standing ready for visitors, along with a few pounds of chocolates from huge box sent by DSis. (Before DB eats any more today)

It's usually tianc, upward and hob who remember to be hospitable and also remember to send good wishes to previous visitors, including said madmouse and mouselet, kizzie and family, NanaNina, Butterpie and another name which eludes me just now, but am hoping you'll find your way to this new part of the Cybergarden
and continue visiting in the New Year, along with hob's time-travelling cat Her Felinity and her welcome associate ndt (next-door's-tom), who visit us quite often, bringing gifts of when they remember, instead of the usual dead rodents which they know are unwelcome in the cybergarden.

Have just had lovely large lunch, plus Skype visit from rest of relatives, so will have a little potter round RL garden, hoping all is well and welcoming now in cybergarden's summerhouse.

Sounds a lovely outing , *shodatin , and am so pleased you managed to find your friends such good presents & get yourself a couple of sensible yet nice items . I found a nice smock -type blouse very inexpensively whilst Xmas shopping , and DM got me some amazingly smart boots halfprice Sainsbury's I also find post -Christmas a better time than usual to find clothes in charity shops .
It's a lovely to look out onto the isn't it , despite its grey appearance

Thinking of you throughout day , upward , & agree with shodatin about how brave you've been . Hope the worst bits will soon be over .

Am looking forward to Nilgiri's return , shodatin, and hoping she's not too stressed , plus frustrated by lack of internet this week .

Have you seen all the campaigning about the welfare bill on blogs and twitter ? Sorry still can't link but if you look up benefitscroungingscum or spartacus report you can see amazing activity from people with severe health digfficulties -am humbled and inspired

Bit of food shopping now -so lucky to have a small supermarket close by

I'm also looking forward to Nilgiri returning to continue all the domestic stuff at cybergarden, as am sure I'd never remember even if it was RL. And now you inform me we've got bird-feeders to add to chores! Actually I gave up on winter feeding the year the C arrived, knowing I'd never manage, so it's usually just water when frosty these days, and neighbour provides huge banqueting area outside her front window anyway.

Haven't been looking at anything to do with cuts, as don't want to be angry about it and don't even have extra energy to write on subject. By the way, thankyou for kind enquiry, and last week's exhaustion's gone, leaving me bruises on lower arms and odd, itchy areas on hands, so am guessing I had something not too serious which was fixed by few days of Berocca (and new yoghurt?)

Glad you found something good at sale price hob, always a nice surprise isn't it, as if something was waiting to be found.

Have just renewed freezer supply of Idle Pies, this time using remains of pre-cooked veg (creamed parsnips, peas, carrots with ginger with bits of sage/onion stuffing and chicken slices in gravy on bottom layer and sesame potatoes on top, which reminded me about the potatoes - should I add to recipe section or PM you? Neither, one just chops potato into fairly even bite-sized bits, then boil until just tender. Drain in pan, then add sesame oil and shake well. Top pies then sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake until browned. Israeli dish uses similar method for roasting larger potato pieces, turning on tray, will reheat.
Apologies to anyone not wanting a recipe in Mental Health, but it was quickest.

< faints at tantalising recipes > Thank you so much ,shodatin, as I've been hoping you'd divulge the secret of sesame potatoes . It's one of my very favourite flavours so will get a bottle of the oil asap & report back . Your current batch of Idle pies sound fabulous , again full of favourite flavours , so will dig out my pack of Quorn chunks & add extra stuffingas I'll eat plenty of it as I go along!

I know what you mean about exhausting routine off keeping up with feeders , especially nosw we know about te necessity of cleaning the feeders regularly . I only keep fat balls feeaders going , but late n-d neighbour was the "birdman" himself , & his wife keeps as many of the dispensers going as possible , & a little birdtable too

Sorry , I know you wisely avoid damaging your health by listening to that type of news ...it's more a case of the most unprecedented activism , & regular activists were recently asked to describe the effect upon their health of their efforts (often conducted from bed )- of course , their energy is so precious they need to be convinced they are making a difference.

I know exactly what you mean about that sense that certain bargains were meant just for you & often thank my shopping "angel"

Oh dear , I don't know what the after effects of your illness might indicate but always nag friends with bruising to go to GP < looks sheepish as understands shodatin has reasons for reluctance >
I do think probiotics have helped me avoid bugs in the past , and find the health shop capsules by far the most cost effective way of taking larger doses for a time

Sorry for long gap - hellish crowded fod shop , then I meet DH walking back from work & we looked at constellations , then HF was entertaining us with he determined patrol of allotments & friendly skipping round yard . My perfect evening . What a change in temperature - cars already iced up before 6

< waves to upward> Hope you've got through the day OK , and so sorry if medication sideeffects are grim at first . I know how scared I would be to go through all that , and admire your courage in trying to overcome this period of ill health .
Hope staff are giving you good support & that the unit is not as stressful as it might be .

Hope you can have some of your magic

Loved your description of perfect evening, and quite agree it must have been special, partly because of extra cold but also because of HF's antics. Pets do like to impress us sometimes, I remember beagle meeting up with puppy we knew one evening (with the owner of course, but walking free on boatyard without leads). The running game involved him doing sudden swerves and changing direction, so the younger dog was always
left behind, but the party piece was when beagle did a fast turn then leaped right over his friend, before turning again and grinning at him, and us, of course, who were exclaiming at the older dog's tricks. We moved on and went our separate ways when it got too dark to see them properly. beagle panting a bit but looking pleased and happy, and puppy no doubt hoping to remember technique and well-tired too. Lovely memory, and hope you'll remember this evening's cat performance under the stars.

Will look into pro-biotic stuff nect time I'm at health food shop, but must be non-repeating - any suggestions please?
Hope upward managed to have a good meal and a decent day, with an excellent sleep tonight of course.

What an absolutely stunning picture that is , shodatin Thank you so much - I have indeed filed away in memory the "film" of HF frolicking this evening , but would never have believed a hound would perform such acrobatics on his own initiative . Another lovely beagle tale to pass on to DNiece

You are such a talented & hilarious writer that I hope you have a wider readership , though I can't think of better work you could do than here Many apologies for not having managed to look at inbox, so horribly rude - brain seems to be having a snooze

Sorry I didn't see your post till now , either - I knew I was a bit glazed -over ! I will produce that months-old beagle tale for you - not 1% as good as yours - but have to do a vital task first so will wish you goodnight now in case you're off soon just watching TV

Sending very best wishes and prayers for healing , upward, and missing heyour posts ( but obviously not expecting any if you can't )

Sorry for more typos - the stray "just watching TV" was about me loafing about ineffeciently this evening , not about you

Am really flattered by your comments, kind hob, and would really like to hear more beagle tales when you have time. I enjoy remembering mine, and as some are amusing, always hope people here like something light.

Time for my bed, eyes closing. Goodnight.

Am not being kind , shodatin , just enjoying your talentwhich and agree it's a good time for such topics . Beautiful white frost here - must be picturesque where you are.

Hope Nilgiri hasn't been too miserable without the net, and that other causes of upset this week have been cut back down to size. Wonder if she has any little spring shoots in her RL garden .

Someone working on allotment nearby despite hard frost by the time the last traces of pink had left the sky

Hoping your sleep wasn't horrible , upward , and that you have comforting hots regularly]

Slept almost too soundly hob, with alarm-clock problems this a.m., but know shouldn't complain and hope everyone else slept well. Bad condensation on bedroom window this a,m,, and am overdue sewing new curtain (rather mess about with hat flowers).
Definitely time for espresso , and own favourite using upwardss system. Also making big effort to clean and restart our fire, so necessary in this weather, in case upward drops in and for when Nilgiri can visit.
I think HF is showing a bit of a frown that no-one got up in small hours to keep temperature at optimum for sleeping cats, and will be relieved to see Nilgiri again.

Hope you slept well upward, and that today's all positive for you.

Yes ,condensation very annoying in porch and bathroom here , despite precautions & it's hard to prevent mould . Hope your current curtain isn't damaged & that espresso helped your sleepiness .

Thank you so much for your hard work with our beautiful comforting fire , and looking forward to us all gathering in front of it .

HF may well show us a cross expression or even make a winsome appeal for the temperature to be more consistent , kind shodatinbut she is very snug under her winter cat duvet
Hope you have some Skyping today & are able to take pleasure in a wintry British teatime

Out for afternoon now but thinking of our cybergarden and hope we all have some realxation today , and especially that upward isn't feeling too homesick and unccomfortable . Most of all , I hope she can find her sense of hope

< enormous applewood log for fire >

Cat duvets are new to me and a good idea, but don't think they'd tempt a hound to stop sleeping in human beds when opportunity occurs. Ours had both day and night beds on boat - liked to see each other in daytime and they wanted to be close as possible at night, so next door.Another memory is when trying to get them out of their bed about 2a.m., needed to get the tide therefore they needed to wee now and not daytime when at sea
(although one chose to hold it in for 48 hours rather than go outdoors in rain, little wimp). I got tailwags at first, novelty of pats during bedtime, but they were determined to go back to sleep, forcing their heads down again as I tried to lift them one after the other. I was getting no-where, they were so determined to stay in bed and sleep, despite usually sensible owner urging them up. Had to call reinforcements in form of DH with pieces of cheese and leads, but didn't try it again and was the only occasion they didn't want to get up.
Sun is shining still, and may go out myself, having done chores, although there is usually a skype before 2p.m. so may delay this.

Just to say I'm surviving. Had an awful 2 days, now making the med changes I had at home. Hope everyone else is surviving too

Very hard to decide to come in, as well. Think my CPN thought I was going to disappear, she shadowed me from my flat to the ward (2 buses). Be better next week when I know what plans are.

Lovely to hear from you upward, and so pleased you're ok and able to post, thankyou for update.
Sorry you had bad two days - was it the usual hot and noisy ward? It's actually funny that the cpn was tailing you! Probably not for you at the time, but it does show they were genuinely worried for you. Two buses - did you let her know you knew she was there?. Yes, am sure next week will be easier all round, and just think of the "points" you've earned by going in voluntarily - must be worth something next time you need to negotiate.

I suppose the food's not showing much improvement, but hope you managed to arrange snacks before going in, and/or have someone to help with anything to make life easier. Have you managed to look into what's available for amusement while in the hospital? Could send you a paint-by-numbers set (still) or simple calligraphy pens and leaflet for beginning practice if you'd like to try it.

Hope the sleeping problem's improving upward, and glad your first couple of days are over. Love, s

I should have written escorted, not tailed...it was hard enough, but harder still because I don't want to be around people :s

Thanks for the offers, shodatin - I'm not very dextrous and listening to music is more than enough for me at present.

I'm hoping that I'll have more of an input into treatment etc.

Keep on keeping on upward, you're doing so well being there, and am sure it will be worthwhile. Agree about not wanting to be around people being difficult, and bless them, they never seem to understand it's not personal but one's just not interested in a conversation right now.
Remember having a constant-chatterer in bed opposite last time I was in, there was simply no escape and no let-up. It was a relief when my voice went hoarse, so I could just shrug and gesture, but still she went on...
Hope you're managing to eat properly in there, at least they do have some low-fat recipes these days.

Brilliant to see you Upward but so sorry to hear it's been awful , & hope the weekend is more peaceful . . What a strange feeling for concerned nurse to hover throughout your journey .

You are very brave to deal with it all and I hope the med changes take useful effect in the next few days . I can imagine it will be better when you know more about plans , and of course we hope & indeed demand you get plenty of say .

Was out longer than expected and will bore you with details of museum exhibits if you like Not a patch on your joyous clutch of beagle tales, shodatin , which I'm completely boggled by - beagle beds on boats and retentive rain -hating hounds. Do you mind if I read DH the memories ? He does love DN's exhausting boy . Hope you enjoyed Skyping or whichever activities came up afternoon

Dearly hope you can get some sleep tonight, upward . Do you have plenty of your favourite music ? Are you able to download some onto phone ?

Hope we can all have someand that Nilgiri and her DP aren't having an infuriating daay trying to sort out internet

...access , that should have read , though the idea of Nilgiri sorting out entire net seems perfectly plausible

Thanks shodatin , I know where you're coming from with talking. Trying to eat a balanced diet.

I have got music on my phone thankfully hob, listening to music seems to help with the voices.

I hope nilgiri's getting connected too.

Glad you have music on phone upward, also that you're still trying to eat properly, although I remember there were food problems on your last visit. Voices must be a real nuisance, and probably upsetting in the beginning, but at least in the hospital there are plenty of people who well know how to deal with them, much better than trying to manage alone.
Hob, you're very welcome to pass on any of the beagle stories - they still amuse me so am happy to share. I keep meaning to do some more writing - it's just memories really, background for niece, but had to give up local writing club when most of remaining members decided to amalgamate with U3A. (and two more had a falling-out which I didn't want to know about). At least with the club I had a deadline, and enjoyed it once I started.
Just an idea upward, but have you thought of keeping a journal? Sometimes it helps to write it down, particularly when one doesn't want to talk.

Must go now, sorry. Sleep well all.

Morning all, and apologies for fast departure last night.
Very frosty morning, and am pleased I don't have to go out until tomorrow, when hopefully there will be less ice.

Hope everyone slept well, particularly upward, and that we all have good days ahead. And welcome back to (Nilgiri* as soon as possible - have missed you lots.

Afternoon good people , with apologies for long sleep & ar more fast depature than yours , shodatin - hope you were OK . Incredibly sunny here after staggeringly cold day

Yes to missing Nilgiri , and hoping you're OK - Nilgiri blend all round

Hope it's as quiet as it can be there today , Upward , and that you can see some of the brightness if it's like this in your area .It's been so intensely cold since you went in thatit's almost a very minor silver lining for you to have missedit . ..due to warm up again soon .
Hope sideeffects more or less bearable , or that they very soon will be . < whole cybergarden willing you on >

SIL sent some revealing but hard -to -hear news on triggers for FIL's outbursts , and I finally told DH the whole horrible story , which till now I've held back a bit as so upsetting . It seems FIL will try to soldier on , hopefully with more permanent ss assistance , so we'll see how things go . Relieved to see illogic behind FIL's behaviour .

Ooooh shodatin , I love the thought of you taking to sea with your beagles . I'm sure I've asked you before how you came to learn to sail - when you were a teenager , I think ? It sounds as though there was a good social life . Did you stop off at harbours on west side of England / Wales ? Boggling at thought of stormy Irish Sea . And what on erath did your hounds think the first time you took them on board ?

Please don't worry about answering at once Hope you had a bit of Skyping and just relaxing .

Hi Hob - Hope you're feeling well after bit of extra sleep, and enjoyed seeing sun, which has not appeared today, Pity, as it would have looked good with all the ice, but maybe tomorrow, and can't complain about today as lovely and cosy in boring little house. (This is when I appreciate how practical it is, altho missing grand views).

I think it's a good thing that your DH understands about family events, even the unpleasant items, although can understand about not wanting him to be upset. He just might have some good ideas on coping with situation, and I do hope so. Good news also that they seem to be getting on reasonably well with the helper, as these relationships are often a bit unreliable in the beginning.

It was my DH who taught me about boats generally, having spent years sailing alone before I turned up - I've never actually enjoyed water (unless warm and scented or cool and in large glass) and every time I went for a swim was accidental, something like the hounds. They did enjoy it, I think, being a variety of car excursion with plenty of scents, although a bit worried in the very small dinghies (me too).
Have to stop for a while, but back later.

Back now for a while, and just remembering first time beagles on boat ...we had some stuff with us, planning to sell off before continuing, which included DH's old set of golf-clubs, which he liked to joke were as much use as an umbrella on a boat. Before we'd got organised enough to take them ashore to do necessary before first short trip, we noticed one of them, remembering his fellow-hounds should be considered when galloping along, had made a little pile of poo, neatly placed one on top of two etc, and the whole presentation was carefully balanced on one of the little posts on deck, about 6" high.... In the "wild", hounds like to hide messes under a bush, or stick them on a post few inches off the ground, or maybe on a nearby step - idea being that hounds' noses don't run into it while galloping along head-down, and in a strange place, beagle had done his best with what was available. So did DH, reaching for nearby golfbag and selecting the most suitable, then proceeded to swing at the pile, hitting one lump after the other neatly into the (empty) middle of the harbour, to cheers from nearby sailors, who were definitely not expecting golf practice. Or turds.
He refused to keep the golfclubs, insisting there would be no "next time", which was a bit unsporting, I thought.
Hope you like the tale hob, can't remember any more just yet.