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.

Alas, cloud spoiled the fun somewhat - but still more interesting than an ordinary cloudy night.

Amusingly, when the power went we were watching Sherlock - Hound of the Baskervilles - just as they stumbled terrified across the dark moors! So we finished it today before nightfall. (Scared? DP? Surely not! )

Sorry your DB has a horrid lurgy, shodatin. Your advice sounds excellent on all fronts. There's nothing really to be done but get on with it and keep drinking, is there? Uggh.

Quite agree with hob about need for contingency plans. I must sort out keys for neighbours again, to be kept with their phone number, and DP calls daily.

shodatin, I wonder if you've made any progress towards getting a panic button. I do worry about you having a fall and not being found for several days.

Wonder what happened to my post of an hour ago?
I remember thanking Nilgiri for reminder about panic button, planning to look out my notes on Monday.
I wrote a couple more paragraphs - or was I dreaming?
Can't even remember the subject now, am so sorry but I did reply!

Hope everyone's had a good day, not forgetting too much stuff, and that life's beginning to improve for upward.

Off to bed now, goodnight to all. sleep well.

Sympathy for your lost post, shodatin, whether it made it as far as the screen or stopped at your fingers.

Ooh, glad you had a walk with wildlife, hob. And thank you for your kind thoughts about health. I'm afraid my GP is not particularly helpful (he's a believer in "M.E. is psych because we don't know what it is" - problematic on so many levels) so I leave him to straightforward stuff like urine infections.

Upward hope the folk you're dealing with are not from the same mould. Mental illness as a projection of medical ignorance is not particularly useful...

And I hope you're getting through the days in as little discomfort as possible.

Oh I've missed most of you , felt lightheaded & slept evening away , but at least was downstaires & aware of cheerful TV programme .
Thank you for delicious , Nilgiri

. Thank you all for ressuring me on conntingency plams and so sorry you were as poorly as that , shodatin - least pleasant illness ever , which hopefully DB has a feverish col/flu thing without worst intestinal misery
Sorry for lost post

Am completely shocked about your GP, Nilgiri - how on earth have you coped with that attitude ...must have harmed your health in more ways than one

Sorry to have raised depressing subjects at weekend again < note to self to change inadvertent pattern>

Hope you're dreaming of the stars , Upward . Love your descent into pitch darkness as the moors loomed menacingly around you and DP ,
Nilgiri( I know loomed is more associated with raised ground / monstrous entities but moors can really loom )

< HF sleeps soundly after active day outdoors >

< churchyard cat likewise >

Thanks to kind friends - I probably just forgot to press "send"- and was more concerned about Nilgiri* having such an extended "down". Info about GP explains a lot, and poor you, having such luck from the draw.

DB not answering phone this a,m,, so am assuming still in bed and feeling rotten. He seems to have picked up infection from neighbour, so I hope she's now recovered enough to call in, as very little I can do.

Just had phone call with old friends, both suffering from aches and old age, but can't persuade them to try getting help privately, as these things don't improve, and I remember how I used to struggle endlessly with physical limitations. Are there any (approximate) official figures for people who are elderly and living without help?

Aternon good peeople - have been unable to get online asdPC had a nasty virus interfering with & then threatening functions

Am sure DB will be just sleeping off nasty virus , shodatin - you know how heavy sleep can be when your muscles feel heavy - but hope neighbour pops in and you hear from him later

Hmmm, have seen estimates of huge numbers in such a position , sadly ... will have a look . Good work trying to gently persuade your friends - will pay off in helping them make decisions

Sorry , mad chores rush whilst still have car (MOT tomorrow , always a worry )
Beautiful sunny & windy day here . Thinking of youUpward and hoping you're "allowed" to go onto a patio , even if only the smoking area

Thanks for your condiderate post hob, DB had actually been out to supermarket - short walk- as sun was shining, and skyped later. It is always awkward for those of us living alone, not that there was anything I could do, but seems my phone call was appreciated.

Such a shame about the computer virus hob, and glad you have DH able to sort these things. I remember when DB talked me through doing something clever by phone, everyone amazed at how much I "knew".

Friends have unfortunately acquired that other elderly habit, not wanting to spend money - am sure we all know of someone who thinks like that, so I doubt they'll take much notice of my urgings to pay help, but feel I've said all I could without actually being rude and yelling about not taking it with them. Never mind, this is just a down-side of having an in-touch day on Sundays (or First Days - just received emailed Newsletter hob). Back in couple of hours again.

Oh very glad DB got in touch , shodatin , and had even managed to get some fresh air - must have seemed a long time for you ..

I feel as if Ii know quite a bit ofwhat you're facing with your friends - no doubt part of the reason you're so wise with the ILs difficulties . I really feel for you ... it can be so worrying that one has to keep considering going to social services with the concerns

< waves to upward > Sending calming , hopeful thoughts and prayers to you and hoping you can feel the good wishes and optimism . You can't imagine how much I admire you for just hanging on till you feel improvement

Churchyard cat ( the one who comes to church for Midnight Mass ) was out enjoying the bright suntoday , despite cold wind ...we saw him spying on Mother Fox - out in middle of day , so perhaps
she has already had her cubs ? - then puss leading us to the first crocus flowers of spring . After this he sought out a tree stump bathed in warm sunshine for a nap before his next accosting of passersby for fuss

all round
< long course of basic English lessons for hob >

Hope your sleep was helpful , shodatin . Love "Firstday" rather than making a big event of being spiritual on one day , as though it doesn't go with the practical work of the rest of the week (would think for most people it's easier to connect with nature / the meaning of life etc when busy or working directly with others )

A new series of Time Team started this afternoon - didn't realise or would have mentioned , but should be on the i - player soon

Hope Nilgiri has been able to have nice times this weekend with DP

and hope you have some snack available ,upward

Lovely to have news of Churchyard Cat, who seems a most sociable animal. Am assuming he has a home nearby, and is not just camping out in the churchyard because he enjoys the company. Mid-January seems very early for crocus flowers, although must admit I lost snowdrops I brought with me so don't see these earliest blooms. The scented iris I planted in autumn are about half-size now, so am hoping for flowers next month, and think perhaps everything's going to be early this year.

I probably do understand a bit about older people hob, although it's only recently I've thought of friends in this way. They no longer live in England, so no social services I could contact, but no close family either, unfortunately.
Hope your MiL is still improving in health and still has the help originally organised when she went home.

Don't know why you're mentioning English lessons hob, I always think you write well.

I think I would be better at home :( hospital is making it worse

Oh no! Very sorry to hear that. Is it anything in particular - like other people being a bit much to deal with?

((( Upward )))

So sorry to hear that upward, is it the stress of being in hospital do you think, or a side-effect of extra drugs?
Is it possible to talk to a doctor about this before consultant's rounds?

So sorry to hear that , upward . so hope you can be home soon .
Is there anything at all which might be done ? Are you being woken up by nighttime checks again , or are you being helped with personal care by staff unused to doing the tasks ?

Are you feeling you have to appear more able to cope with uncomfortable activities such as busy mealtimes as you feel the staff might consider you more unwell than they currently do ? Perhaps it's not worth braving it out and there are ways in which the stay could be made less stressful? Sorry if dim suggestions

< waves to Nilgiri & proffers warm rug >

Thanks for kind encouragement shodatinand I can reasssure you that Churchyard Cat is well homed but loves to spend long days dozing under bluebells & having adventures with everyone who walks through the long grounds

Hob, I seem to have missed your latest post, so sorry.

I prefer Firstday, when people understand it, as so many days are named for pagans, and it's good to get away from at least one of the names. When revolutionary French managed to rename the months, it seemed a shame to go back to the old ones, but I don't think any new ones are going to catch on now.

Thanks for a share of the rug Nilgiri, but afraid I have to go now as eyes want to close.
Good night everyone, sleep well.

Crocus flowers already? Churchyard cat must be full of amazement!

Snowdrops only just come out here - but then my cold dark garden is usually behind the others. So glad your irises are looking promising, shodatin, though what a shame about your snowdrops. Would you like some of mine when they're done for the year? (But I'll forget, so feel free to remind me - old lady slept since then!)

You and hob talk such sense about the problems of adjusting to outside help. I don't have anything to add, just admiration for everything you're doing to push friends along the way.

I'm not too badly down, just rather flattened and run out of things to say. Trying to keep in contact with much neglected family by internet, while dealing with DWP stuff, and it's a bit more than I can quite manage. Can't walk and chew gum at the same time, I think!

no neglect from you , lovely Nilgiri- , you do more than you should

< hob applies patented anti -snoring devices and snuggles gratefully under rug for nap before finishing very late -night chores >

Thanks so much Nilgiri, for offer of snowdrops, but would hate to add another couple of chores to your list (never forget hassle of Post Office queueing). Am only thinking short-term regarding garden, and it's only at this season I think of snowdrops, but thankyou for very kind offer.
Please don't feel neglectful of cybergardeners, as you do so much, and we'd all miss you and your thoughtful, well-phrased posts if you had to stop contributing for any reason.
Hope you had a decent sleep upward, and are feeling better about the hospital stay, boring and inconvenient though it probably is. Am sure you made the right decision to co-operate over the drugs, and have to agree that the ward is safest place, at least until voices have stopped. Am really hoping you feel an improvement very soon now.
s all round, plus some of hob's good snacks.

Has taken all morning to get onto the interwebs due to low memory or something...Hmmm, managed to fall asleep instead of finish late chores , making DH run late for work ... hope he was OK running after dropping car off for MOT

Snowdrops coming out much later than in recent years ,Nilgiri only a week or so ago here in sunny spot < swoons at potential ofshodatin's infant irises >
You have my huge admiration for dealing with the miseries of the DWP plus try to catch up with family , and I hope many small things lift your overtired spirits this week

Thank you for prompting me to look up Republican France day names, shodatin - I had no idea my heroes & heroines had lovingly allocated a plant to each day < a zestful Quartidi of the couch grass to us all >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar ...why my link ees not converting ?

oooh , DH has Skyped saying car has unexpectedly passed MOT - please join me in a ccelebratory[brews

Wonderful news hob! "Pop" goes celebratory non-alcoholic champagne which-tastes-just-like-regular-stuff.
I recognise the feeling when old friend of a vehicle manages yet another year, postponing hassle of getting to know new one, apart from cost of course. It must have been well-looked after, does it have a name? (DH liked to name his, I don't quite have the knack).

Had no idea weekdays had new names in new France, and will try to find link later, as due out very soon with a friend.

Would like to join with hob in wishing lots of nice, small but uplifting things for Nilgiri (and upward) in the coming week.

It's probably good news that DB's not answering phone again, as he did have computer club today, sun is shining again etc. and not much happening at his home, so am hopeful that virus was only a small one.