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.

Thanks hob for info re petrol cost - I did hear something on news this a,m, and meant to get it while out, then forgot. Am glad it's only a temporary shortage/price rise, and remembered I still have a gallon tank full since last emergency.

Poor little ndt, being brave despite his anxieties. Hope it gives him pleasure to feel "in charge" at night.

Just got back from supermarket shop, spending more than planned with special offer on printer ink, but I do like to have at least one spare black in stock. Sun came out too, so not dangerous to drive in fog as I feared.

Better get on with current sewing project, before I get bored and stop for a few weeks. Hope everyone's having a reasonable day, and seen some sunshine.

So pleased the sun came out for you to be able to drive out , shodatin , & hope your sewing didn't prove boring at all .

Good about the offer on printer ink - would it be very rude to ask if it was from a national chain? Ink so expensive lately .

ndt is indeed very proud of himself for his manly guard duties ,shodatin & receives much praise for them . His many insecurities are lessened by his magnificent physique - he's a huge boy , & far leapier & stronger than the average male .

Am not achieving impressive results with my spring cleaning , < ticks all tasks on Displacement list C > so had better have another try now ...

Hope you're not too uncomfortable , upward, and that treatment begins to really help very soon , so that the counterproductive aspects of hospital start to be outweighed by the improvement you will hopefully feel

< puffed -up wren hops fetchingly in cybergarden >

Hope Nilgiri is taking time for little treats here & there

s all round

I am to try a new drug, and they don't think I should be at home :(

(((( upward )))) They don't think so at the moment , but that doesn't mean there won't be an great improvement where you will quite soon be close to getting home .... easy for a person able to be in their own home to say , I know

In total awe of the courage you've had to dredge up when so tired and stressed . Really looking forward to you feeling better ... life can be so unfair , although I know you're the last person to allow yourself such thoughts .

Please rest in front of the fire with us < hands round rugs and felines > Have you seen the Burns Night emoticons ? [bbiscuit]

Thanks hob, shodatin, nilgiri and kizzie.It doesn't help that I was told a few days or a couple of weeks, I've has more than enough hospital time. I really wish they'd just try me being at home...

I hadn't seen the burns night smilies.

Oh bummer about the extra hospital time. (((Upward)))

Can see why they're doing it, if you're completely changing drug (and lots and lots of good luck for that being an improvement). But oh lord at being stuck in pokey while it settles in.

Would you like Red Cross packages? Or do your local Resistance have that sorted?

I don't mean to be horribly insensitive , upward but it seems very positive that there is even a possibility of "a few days" as you are trying new drug ...I'd have assumed it would be a week or two more for that . Really sorry it's such a miserable place to be - I would be a wailing mess. Hoping we can help you find some calm and distraction

Yes , as Nilgiri says , please let us know if we can send some silly little distractions to a nom de guerre ... we'll promise to only include things we have at home so as not to worry you about being lavished with luxury gifts[bsmile]

Ooh! [bbiscuit]!

And I loved your serendipitous Big Hiatus earlier, hob. An inspired of representation of our days: lots of good stuff and then an unexpected blank - and then waking with a funny noise and not realising one had drifted off.[bgrin] Poetic genius!

And just think what marvellous progress you're making through your displacement lists!

Glad you got some sunshine after the foggy start, shodatin. It's been drear veering to soggy again here. I'm beginning to forget what proper sunshine looks like.

And sorry, I sounded like there was some moral loading to the tea. The truth is I love a good coffee, and every time you mention espresso the smell and taste and sight of a perfect little white cup full of dark deliciousness drift through my senses. And I can almost - but not quite - be bothered to get up and make a filter coffee. One day I will actually do it; till then I savour the imagined experience every time you mention it! (My goodness but I'm a useless so-n-so!)

Actually I guess ndt goes home, when he can tear himself away from his admiring friends.

Sleep well all, here's to good-enough tomorrows.

Oh dear oh dear (or whatever oversleeping dormice say)
sorry I've missed so much, and particularly upward's news about a new drug. A m so sorry to hear this, and you must be really disappointed, but I don't think there's an alternative just now, as you do need something useful.
Can only hope it settles quickly, and will then be worth-while.

Thanks to Nilgiri and hob for making cybergarden so comfortable (and complete with wren), but better go back to bed, as heating is off now. Am hurting too, as missed Part Two of prescription, due mid-evening.
Goodnight all, better day tomorrow.

Morning all, and apologies for extended absence last night. Hope everyone's well today, and that upward's managed to start on new drug (thinking one has possibly to be weaned off the last one before achieving useful dose of new one, have done this myself, and had to slow down considerably).
Making tray of including extra espresso for Nilgiri, which doesn't take much longer than brewing tea. I only make it once a day in cafetiere, have a small (cup-sized) mug, and use remainder to top up any 2/3 further coffees made with instant, just to add fresh taste, which must be quicker than tea-in-pot but can't honestly say it has any health benefits.
All best wishes to hob with ceiling cleaning, and hope it goes really quickly this time.

Off to iron new curtains, having finally finished hemming.

Unfortunately the 'a few days' or 'couple of says' was before I came in - yesterday was 2 weeks, and they wont give me a discharge date now.

Hopefully they'll cross over increasing the new and decreasing the old.

You're right there are no options.

Everyone sounds very industrious!

Sorry to hear that , upward-it is disappointing but doesn't seem like a "b sign of slow progress , just depressingly routine - but you know far more about it than I

I may sound industrious but achoieved so little yesterday - doing better today! Are you finding any suitable leisure activities at all to help pass the time ? There are probably a lot of things you don'yt yet feel up to .

Eeeek , I'm the one who owes an apology for being overtaken by dormoussssiness . Hope you're OK this morning shodatin & the pain didn't interfere with your sleep . Am more than impressed that you finished the curtains & are even facing the ironing , argh

Love your interpretation of my Big Hiatus ,Nilgiri < preens at newfound genius > Thank you for your joyously cheering post and hope you finally get a glimpse of sun round your way

ndt does like to hunt all night in monlight , but more for voles etc than birds , who are wise to his sitting under hedge with mouth open, hoping they'll drop in..
s ..

Thanks for information upward, and pats on back for being so brave and resigned to difficult situation. Of course, the HCP's are really only able to give you a guesstimate of how long it will take, as we're all different. We all have different tolerance levels too, and have met people who are quite happy to be in hospital and socialising etc., and I'd guess that very few senior medics have had long hospital stays so don't really understand how important it is to have a date to hold onto.
Good news is that when they get the right medication, your life should be much improved therefore more enjoyable altogether, like jam tomorrow of course!

So true about the importance of a date to hold onto ,shodatin.
I do think most mh professionals would say it is their job to understand patients' situations , & acknowledge that they don't always fully achieve that goal < grump > all round

Hope we're all getting at least a glimpse of daylight today , & can find some form of escapism < mentally dons c17th outfit to resume dull chores >

< cyberbirds chirrup at longer days >

Thanks for the hob. Do you often wear an imaginary c17th outfit around the house? Hey, why not a real one! Could be nice and warm, and quite practical with washingmachine, nylon lace etc. Or have you planned something much plainer on Quaker lines?
My New Year resolution was just to look less slobbish around the house (so I looked OK when friends came round a week early, most encouraging.
Forgot to mention hob, sent you a P M re inks.

Note to Hob - just sent you more info on inks, but almost everyone knows more than I do. Am planning to look in Geek's Corner (forget the name) for next time.

I don't wear it every day , shodatin Agree the good stout skirts , thick petticoats & sturdy boots would be splendid in fast dry fabrics ., especially without itchy wool ( shouldn't complain - if this was the C17th , I'd be out tending the sheep , I suppose )
Hmm, my weakness apart from food & sloth is fabric , so I'll never stick to plain dress ...

Oh yes, perhaps we should think about choosing a pattern for our morris team dresses ? or trousers , if we prefer en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:StompMorrisdance.jpg

So pleased you felt smarter than usual when your friends called round unexpectedly - that's my resolution too < glad of bonnet to hide bird's nest >

Thank you so much for PM in answer to my question about inks - have responded- aha , and thank you so much for more kind info !! Please don't put yourself down! < aspires to shodatin's geek expertise , however blind s is to her vast knowledge >

Difficult day today, and another difficult one in the future on the back of it. But today is done. And after writing up notes I can be grateful today's now done.

shodatin, that you ended up in pain last night. I do hope you were able to take a late dose and sleep comfortably.

Upward how difficult for you not to have even a date to look forward to. Btw, while I know you're probably in a lot of discomfort as well as hating it, you're sounding much better than the week you went in. And a lot lot lot better than at your first admission. That doesn't solve the horridness of hospital, but perhaps it won't be too long.

Sorry you've had such a bad day Nilgiriis this the one you've been postponing for a while? Must be a relief now, as I'm sure you've done the best you could, and now the results are out of your hands, if you know what I mean, and at least you can relax now it's over. Maybe things will alter a bit for the better before the next important day, but I'm sure you'll do a good job on that too. Hope self-confidence increases before then too.

I was thinking just the same as Nilgiri, upward, that you seem much better already after the time in hospital, and that something has improved for you , maybe it's just your calm acceptance, or that the conditions seem to be bothering you less. As the others mentioned, would be happy to send anything in to you if it would help pass the time or just make life a bit easier - you've only to ask and we'd get it to you.

Ah shodatin , I can't tell you how comfortinng your thoughtfulness is during rocky times ( not me for once , but Nilgiri's testing day )
< HF pads up to Nilgiri , gives her sweetest expression & nuzzles hand > Massively admire your courage , Nilgiri and hope the subsequent day will go as well as possible .

Wholeheartedly agree you sound somehow better , upward , and very much better in turn than a year ago . Are you able to read at all yet , or listen to a predictable radio programme ? Perhaps you need extra quiet to counteract hospital bustle .

Sorry for gap - was up ladder , then panicked when I thought DH had gone missing on his walk home from work - turned out my malfunctioning PC had shown Skype time an hour wrong , phew . When I found Dh , decided to get chips & do food shop ...managed to get much , much craved digital radio at 70 % off - Sainsbury's , though v nearly sold out

HF and ndt hilarious earlier out in starry night , competing for treats & fuss
< delicate feline snores from summerhouse fireside >

Wishing all of us cheering texts / good news / unscheduled treats

all round

Thanks for kind comments and welcome , hob, and congratulations on finding bargain digital radio, really good news at that reduction, almost worthwhile getting a second one for next birthday present and no wonder almost sold out. You deserve it for awful cleaning-ceiling-and-walls-chores, so enjoy it.

Am going to take to bed with me, in attempt to change sleeping habits, so wish goodnight to everyone.

And thank you so much for espresso this morning, shodatin. I just had time to drink see it before heading out. You're quite right, today was a postponed Horridness: feverish, overwrought relaxation now going on! As ever, hob has Spoken-My-Branes in thanking you. So now I just have to thank her, too!

You know hob, if this really were the C17th you'd be the village healer right up to the moment you got burnt as a witch for uncanny knowing. And shodatin would be the wise woman. Not sure what roles the rest of us would have: will have to think about that!
at C17th costume. You're both so right, quick-dry fabrics are the way to go!

Definitely bedtime. Wishing us all peaceful, painless nights of restorative rest. And alliteration.