Dh has died and the MN lifesavers are helping us to keep our heads above water

[JuanPotatoTwo]

New thread :). Thought I'd start this one like I ended the last one - Bertie crashed out after a busy day's mischief making.

[Chasingsquirrels]

Selena I've been thinking of you today, I'm glad it went well x enjoy your hot chocolate.

[bookbook]

Evening all
good to hear from you Selena - glad you are home and okay.
Cake - - hope you enjoyed your lie-in :)
Willow - I put my ear plugs in, so couldn't hear the wails , and good on you to get some peace and quiet too. I hope it's made them think about others, rather than themselves ( wishful thinking perhaps)
Drama - I think there are a lot like us, we plod away, running everyone else's lives, while pushing ourselves and what we need down the priority list. And everyone takes it for granted you will/do.
Enjoyed the tennis , was very lazy this afternoon , DH made tea so I could keep watching - off to water everything in the greenhouse and pick raspberries
Have a good evening all

[TheWorldHasGoneToCake]

Hey all

big ((hugs)) to selena I'm glad it's done and you're OK

Yes book I think you're right too, we put ourselves last, forever saying yes to more and more and running ourselves ragged.

Mostly good day but just sent DD to read in bed as she's just been a grumpy moo for the last two evenings. I know she doesn't owe me anything, but I do lots for her and she just huffed and argued over a towel on the floor. pass the gin

We had a lovely little "lie in" thanks

squirrel hope you're OK. What have you got planned for the weekend? Are your boys at their dads every Saturday?

[Willow2017]

Hi everyone
Selena as it went well and you are home relaxing.

Went out on bikes with kids this afternoon 😲 just a short ride as first time this year. Trouble is every road out is uphill and part of road is a mess of badly laid tar and very bumpy so really bad for the bum😀 legs were like jelly am so unfit😐

Let kids have their devices back now doubt if things will change for long.

Ds1 has eaten all my Rasps! Never got 1, he is lucky I didn't keep his phone off him for a year. Will make him come to town tomorrow to get a ton of fruit off the market stall to make jam and he can lug it back to car😀

Watching Paralympics and trying to summon up energy to go do the dishes.

Good evenings to you all.

book there must be a well worn path to that allotment 😀 you seem to have every fruit and veg known to man. What are jostaberries?

[Willow2017]

Not the Paralympics the athletics for goodness sake.

[bookbook]

Evening all
Just put down the crotchet, ready for a cocoa now I think.
Cake - we have to have powers of tongue between teeth don't we - with deep wells of patience !
Willow - legs like jelly - thats me on a bike now. I used to bike everywhere - not long trips, but the shops and the like. DH serviced the bike, pumped up the tyres earlier in the year - went out on it and fell over trying to get off - cracked my knee something wicked. I have not been on it since .....but I should . I tend to amble walk now instead - after all, I have more time! - Jostaberries are a cross between a blackcurrant and a gooseberry - decided to grow them as those are two of DH's favourites . .we only grow what we will eat - mind you, thats just about everything :) Naughty DS !
Chasing - hope you are okay, not too down xx
Sleep well all
Thoughts and Prayers

[JaneJeffer]

willow There's no way I'd be able to cycle anywhere, I have a post-viral condition that affects my balance and my eyesight. I sound like a right wreck! Well I suppose I am!
book those berries sound delicious. I need to check my blackcurrant and raspberry bushes. They have been neglected for a while
Cake glad you enjoyed your child-free morning
Drama getting off to London for a while sounds lovely, it's ages since I've been.
Selena glad everything went well for you today.

[Willow2017]

Book I love gooseberries. We used to have a bush when I was a kid. Nothing like picking them fresh ( and it was great for caterpillars too 😀)

Jane I am a bit of a wreck too. Knackered neck and shoulders from years of nursing before joists were compulsory (and any use) dodgy knee, dodgy ankle and foot after I broke both a year between each other! Went half a century with no broken bones then went mad! And my balance ain't what it used to be either. We can be crocks together 😉
Hope you are having as restful a night as possible Selena .

[TheWorldHasGoneToCake]

Morning you lot

I'm turning 36 in September and feel about 105. Luckily touch wood I still have all body parts including appendix, tonsils etc and not broken anything either. I haven't been on a bike in years!

We're off to a NT this morning - has great outdoor play area, so packing a picnic.

Willow I hope you get lots of lovely fruit today and make him carry it all.

Jane that does sound like a lot of health stuff piled on. (((hugs)))

book hope you nice weekend full of fruit/veg

Thinking of you Squirrels, Selena and Juan too

[Chasingsquirrels]

Cake hopefully your dd-grumps are just end-of-term-ness, enjoy your NT outing and picnic.

My boys are with their dad for half of every weekend, it alternates so one week it is Fri evening - Sat evening, and the next week Sat late afternoon - Sun late afternoon. Plus Mon after school and he drips then back to school on Tue morning. Then school holidays are about 50/50.
We started out like that because they were only 5 and 2 when he left and we through little and often contact was better. We've had thoughts of changing to every other weekend over the years as in many ways it would make life easier, but the kids don't want to. Occasionally we will each have the odd full weekend if we want to do stuff.

Cake can you pass on my thoughts to Juan please x

Willow I've got a fruit eater in ds2 too, ds2 on the other hand thinks most fruit and veg are poison. Hope they stop with the bickering, with your WiFi do you have to take the router away? I've got mine set up so their access is time limited (stops overnight, different times for the two of them) and I can just turn their access off altogether if needed - while keeping my access. Not so useful now they have phones with data, but effective at times.

My mum and dad have an allotment area at the end of their garden and used to have heaps of strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries etc, ds1 used to pick and eat but wont touch stiff now. My dad used to grown beans and loads of other veg. They have cut down a lot recently (age) and are now talking about moving 😐.

Not been a great week, my period is about to start which might explain some of it. Just tired and lethargic and can't be bothered.
Went round to a friends across the road last night which was nice, someone I know from baby group when ds1 was tiny and then ds2 and her ds became friends and are periodically in and out of our houses - ds2 is 2 years younger and it ebbs and flows a bit more now. She is really nice but we've never really established a friendship, more an acquaintance-ship which is a shame. She had a couple of her friends, who I'm more casually acquainted with, round and she asked me over.

Boys are rafting at scouts this morning and then they are investing a load of them - including ds2 who has been going since Easter 2016, but due to various circumstances isn't actually invested yet! So I'm taking them and ds2 friend from above and going to watch, it's on the river about 5 miles away next to a pub.

Then tonight I'm going to a WAY meal, it's booked for 8, a few of the people who went to the NT meet - 1 of whom I had lunch with last week, and some I haven't met.

Selena you are in my thoughts.

[Willow2017]

Morning all.

Change of plans this am. Up and organised and wime ds2 up fit swimming. He came down eyes all red and itchy and nose bunged up and grotty. Not conducive for swimming😀 oh well he spent holidays in a pool/sea so won't stress over it.
Will nip into town before it gets busy and pick up my glasses and get the fruit. My be forced to get a coffee too😉

My 2 both eat fruit like it's going out of fashion. Ds2 loves salad and some other veg but ds1 not so much only really eats 2 kinds of raw veg.

squirrels another busy day for you. Good luck with the rafting. I took the router yesterday and their phones. They can use the Wi-Fi on their phones without the router which is a pain. I control the pc but don't botgrt with setting times now as ds1 is old enough to be up late and if the Wi-Fi went off in the middle of an important part of an online game with one of those you rivers you would hear the wails. He has been invited by two of the 'famous' you tubers to play online with them which in kids world these days is pretty amazing. He is good at those games though.

cake enjoy you day out sounds lovely.

Thoughts of selena & Juan

[Willow2017]

Omg this phone!!
WOKE DS2 UP FOR SWIMMING.

[bookbook]

Morning all
well, no allotmenting today - looked at weather and it is due to rain all day - so off to the big market to stock up on the amazing bread from an Italian bread stall, and take my watch to have a new battery fitted - oh the high life! :)
Jane -sounds like you have a lot to put up with (hugs) . I am on the whole remarkably healthy - rarely anything wrong. Do have one problem, which stopped me from continuing with my business ( well, it didn't but as I lifted lots and lots of books, and stood all day it sort of made sense not to carry on) but its under control, and doesn't really affect day to day life. DH however does have a chronic condition - so we are more bound by him than anything, but he normally just soldiers on , even though he is in pain all or most of the time.
Cake - have a lovely picnic, hope the weather stays nice for you -:) ( you are just about same age as my DD1!) - lack of sleep is a killer no doubting it.
Chasing - I suspect the weekends are not good , when you don't have the boys to keep you on your toes - when my two finally left the nest, I felt a bit rootless at first , not quite sure what my role was anymore, - it takes time to find a new meaning to what you are doing. Take care and pamper yourself Neighbour sounds nice - maybe a new frienship group for support there .
Willow - not a nip into town - a saunter - make the most of it ! glasses repaired from accident I take it?
Thinking of Selena after the emotion of yesterday, and Juan
Enjoy today all

[Willow2017]

Book
Screw came out the leg of glasses when I caught them on the washing machine! They are new so didn't cost me for repair. Not much of a saunter as was bucketing rain by time we got there. Stalls lacking in small strawbs for jam and no Rasps but got nice Scottish strawbs and cherries and peas. We go through bagfulls of peas here😀
Popped into Morrison's for strawbs, rasps and school kit for ds2.
Now just got to sterilize jars and make jam! It's really not cheaper to make jam these days but it's such a tradition I carried on from my mum doing it I still like to do it and kids love home made jam.

Ds1 amazingly came without fuss and was very helpful (wonder what he wants 😉)

Hope weather is better where you all are. (Oh well gets me out of washing the car and bike riding😉)

[JaneJeffer]

Had a quick tidy around and now settling in for the tennis. Horrible rainy and foggy day here.

It's been a few years since I made jam. I love raspberry jam but don't like raspberries on their own weirdly.

It's been one thing after another with my health the past five years but there's plenty of people worse off than me. They say things go in cycles of seven years so I'm hoping that when I get to my fifties I'll be flying I think dwindling hormones don't help either. It's just annoying to be limited in what you can do and as there's nothing visibly wrong people can be unsympathetic. I am a happy-go-lucky type of person so I just carry on the best I can though I do get anxious every now and then.

DH is working today. DS2 is a bit lost with his brother away and is listening to loud music in the kitchen!

[bookbook]

managed to get back from the market in time for the tennis - I am surrounded by shopping bags, will have to put away a bit at a time .
Actually not rained - forecasters eh? but don't mind as got everything done and out of the way. Just quietly willing on DH - he is deciding whether to go out shortly - if he does, I won't have to make tea, can throw a frozen pizza in the oven and watch all the tennis from a chair - total slob!

[TheWorldHasGoneToCake]

Hello, well here it's rained more on than off so we had a curtailed walk but as we were in the woods we didn't get too wet.

I'm hoping it's just the changes/exhaustion Squirrel, there's been a lot going on and then of course she's hormonal too!

I see we've both commented on the age gap thread. There's just no telling is there - take the happiness where you can find it! Hope you enjoy your meal tonight.

Glad you and ex found a system that works for you all.

book you can by my surrogate mummy then Hope DH goes out because that sounds lovely! We had pizza and slobbing last night.

We've been subjected to F1 Quali and now the Smurfs so no tennis here today.

[Willow2017]

Well jams made but was annoyed with myself I took my eye off the ball and it boiled over! First time in 20 years😉 fingers crossed it sets it's never guaranteed with my jam 😀 there was a huge amount of juice came out the berries. Was a bit ambitious with the amounts in the pan I think.

Book sounds like a plan.

cake shame about the walk.
Missed tennis and watching
Ds2 and my fave prog TWD yet again 😀

Might try a jar of rasp tomorrow if there is enough in the punnets.

Fell asleep on the sofa for an hour! Lazy so and so.

[bookbook]

ooh, a surrogate auntie and mummy! - no problems :)
DH went out - so pizza it was - plus some salad , and a mix box from M&S of snappeas/edamame beans etc - almost healthy, let down by the chocolate digestive biscuit with my cup of tea !
Willow - I make jam a lot, but its very easy to get complacent - My most spectacular mistake was making gooseberry jam with jam sugar ( the one with the extra pectin) . It was delicious, but you had to carve it with a knife - great with cheese though !
An evening of tennis - still going on - / Miss Marple and crotchet beckons.
Have a good evening all

[TheWorldHasGoneToCake]

LOL my DH has just gone out so I'm going to slob with a slab of mint oreo chocolate! Just watching the end of the men's doubles. Night all!

[bookbook]

A slab! - I'm enjoying the doubles

[SelenaValentina]

I can't watch tennis, in fact most sport, the commentators drive me wild - have been known to have it on silent but not often.

I thought we had some gooseberries, though not enough for jam, but it appears DS has been at them. He pulled some rhubarb (presumably whilst scoffing the g'berries) so am hoping I might get a bit of crumble courtesy of his partner.

Did spinning class this morning then chilled. Sorted out some of the foothills to the paper mountain and trying to keep on top of the replies from official stuff.

DH playing games again, had 2 copies of Order of Service from yesterday and went to get one to send to friend. Now only one. DS not taken - so where can it be? I remember putting both in the memory box kindly provided by the Undertaker.

Bizarre. Enjoy the rest of the evening everyone - it was horrible and wet here until about 3, then bit of sun, now dark grey again. Warm though.

[bookbook]

Selena - eating gooseberries raw? thats like my DH . I need some sugar .
I was going demented looking for a sewing pattern this week - looked high and low. DD had taken home it to look at it .
Well the last of the tennis was poor, so off now to make some cocoa and a book to bed.
Hope everyone has a good nights sleep
Thoughts and Prayers

[TheWorldHasGoneToCake]

Morning all

I couldn't manage it all in the end book don't worry

I got bored quickly and switched over to a subtitled drama on BBC4 and then DS woke half way through so messed about on I pad for a bit. DH came home at some point, got back up in the night and came back to bed at 6 - not sure if that means a good night or not!

We're having a relatively quiet day of play in the park, a roast and bits and pieces. Can't wait for Thursday when I will be "off" till the 31st. Of course in reality I'll still be doing everything like cooking/washing/getting up early but at least there'll be a different view

Hope you find the paper Selena How are you doing?

Squirrel I hope you had a good evening out. You're doing so well to put yourself out there when I know you don't really want to.

[Chasingsquirrels]

Cake, what do you DO? I don't know if I've missed it, I've assumed you childmind?

Had a good evening, thanks. One of the people I've met a couple of times was going and she texted me to see if I wanted to meet half way there (we were coming from slightly different directions) and them go the rest of the way together, so that was nice.

No plans for the day really.