Ongoing support thread after DH died (Juan et al)

[Chasingsquirrels]

Just noticed we are getting towards the 1000 count ...

Too right willow it is boring! Hope they pull up their socks. What weird people yesterday!?

Just when you think it cant get any worse! Bloody sciatica kicked in again. Hobbling around trying not to cry with frustration and stupid pain. This xmas has sucked big time😠

Wind didn't seem that bad, horse, although apparently worsening tonight - yellow warnings and all that cheering stuff!

How weird of that family willow.

I was in 'futility of life' mode first thing. Walked in to meet 2 friends and got really wet and cold, didn't feel really enthusiastic despite good chat.

Walking home, battling the rain/freezing wind, it suddenly hit me that exactly 6 months ago DH died so no wonder?

On a bit of a brighter note, the soupmaker has finally arrived and DS says if I don't get on with it, they'll buy it off me.

Keep warm and dry!

Selena sending hugs no wonder you felt bad.
Have fun with the soupmaker.

Willow thank you. I was thinking about him and 'it' on Sunday (day he died) so it hitting me on the date was !

Selena

Afternoon all
oh Selena - its not long, and too long all at the same time ((hugs)) and horrible depressing weather on top of it all. Oh the soupmaker has arrived - have you decided what to do first?
Willow - you have had a rubbish time with the sciatica, I don't honestly know how you keep so cheerful in truth. Batty people - nothing worse that encouraging gulls ....I'm not surprised you didn't go to the zoo. Its not nice here, but the wind hasn't got up at least.
Cake - well DS was bound to sleep in, it was a foregone conclusion once you are back at work ....
Horse - enjoy your last few days!
I have been keeping myself occupied today. Washing and ironing done . Cleaned the kitchen and been and done shopping at the market. Just spent an hour on my New Year resolution to sort out a budgeting account on the computer.( I ran both home and business accounts for years, and just seem to lose the will when I retired) so I got myself organised, inputed everything, worked out the systems on it, so up and going :)
Chucked all the decorations into the loft, prepped up for tea, so now going to sit and do some blanket construction for an hour with the radio on.

Afternoon everyone.

Hugs Selena, as book says too long and yet not time at all x
Hope the soupmaker works out but good to have a taker for it if it doesn't.

Willow, the zoo in the rain sounds rubbish - I wouldn't have gone either.
Don't blame you for leaving the boys to it and having some you time, but grrr at the full people.

Cake 7am is better than 5am, regardless of what day it is ☺.

Sounds like a productive day book, I did most of my tax return yesterday and then lost motivation on the last bits, will get it sorted this week.

Hope you have had a good day horse.

Charlie woke up at 5am but I decided it was too early to get up, he whined for a bit then went back to sleep until 6.45am which was acceptable so I got up, fed him and played in the garden for a while before getting ready for work. Usually mornings will be better as the boys will be here and we can tag team getting ready and playing with him.
My mum said he was quiet when she arrived but so pleased to see her, then didn't want her to leave!
He was quiet when I got home until he heard me as I checked the hens for eggs before I came into the house, then very pleased to see me and has just had a mad hour and is know fast asleep next to me.

2 of my hens are laying most days now and yesterday when I was feeding them I noticed that one of the 2 year olds was looking very sleek (she'd moulted in the autumn and was a real mess a month ago) and thought she should be laying soon. Then when I checked for eggs later on there was the 2 new hens eggs and a tiny one and today we've had 3 proper eggs.
(Front row yesterday's / back row today's).

Ds2 texted to tell me they are out of the airport but I'm not sure if they are back before or after tea, be nice to see them.

GULL PEOPLE (Not full people!!)

Ah Willow bloody hell! I'm another who can't believe how much bad luck you've had and how you've managed to keep going. Sending you a hug.

Sending you a hug too Selena Sounds like a tough day and you're allowed.

book sounds like you had another mega productive day.

Squirrels I'm pleased that Charlie got on ok at home and hope you like having the boys back. When are they back to school? Well done to the hens!

I did some pilates this evening for the first time in ages and it hurt. So cross that I've got myself back into such an unfit state. Need to go out for a walk of my route tomorrow night I think!

It will ache less next time cake.
Boys are back to school tomorrow, parents and brother coming over for tea before brother flies home on Thu.

Brrrr, I cannot get warm this evening, hope I'm not sickening for something...
Going to have a hot chocolate in a minute to try and warm up.

chasing, what a teeny tiny egg! So sweet Sounds like Charlie is behaving for you as well. Hope the boys have enjoyed their skiing trip?

Willow, I feel for you, sciatica is the pits

Cake, I am feeling very unfit at the moment - once I get going, I am hoping the Fitbit encourages me to move more (it's not happened yet though!!! )

Well done on the NY resolution book, and for getting on with it 😉

Evening all.
Cake thanks😀 i am pretty p'd off tbh all plans gone to pot today. Thought as we weren't going to zoo i could get on with other things not be stuck in a chair with a hot water bottle clamped to my hip and leg. Took out my frustration on some COD bots this afternoon😁

Good for the hens Squirrels love the tiny one.

Horse hope you aren't coming down with anything. Keep cozy.

Book like the sound of your budgeting account. Need to do similar for myself to catch up with all my outgoings and stop all unwanted ddebits etc. I cancelled 'Which' mag ages ago but they keep sending me them! Must check it out.

Tea was a bit of a disaster. Ds2 didnt like the sauce on the duck, i should have known! But had a cuppa and my first piece of my xmas cake. Very nice it was too.

Got a box of snacks/sweets/cakes etc in my room i got along the way to xmas and we gave only opened nuts and one pack of sweets as we were given some so going to hide them in attic tomorrow. Hopefully to forget about them for a while.

Need to get some basic shopping tomorrow so hopefully stupid sciatica will be gone again. Needs to be gone by Thursday for work.

Thank you all of you for your kind comments

Gosh, book, that sounds impressive, must get myself better organised financially too. Then can have more holidays!

Oh Willow, that sounds painful. Those microwave wheat bags used to help DH. Glad the cake was good, and DS2 can do the duck sauce next time?

Horse, I felt a bit the same when I got in at lunchtime. 2 mugs of hot choc seemed to sort it.

Love the picture of the eggs, squirrel.

The soupmaker works! Can't say the first attempt was cordon bleu, but bit (load) of salt and crunchy bread sticks helped!!

Getting bit windier out there, with torrential downpours then clear sky.

Sleep well everyone.

Selena
I dont have a microwave anymore. When my old one packed in i decided i liked the space on the worktop better so didnt get a new one. Tbh the only thing i miss it for is my wheat bag!

Evening all
well, its pouring here . Supposed to be windy later too.

Lovely eggs Chasing - my friend used to have hens that laid tiny eggs , ( maybe a breed? ) and she used them to make scotch eggs :)
Cake I do like a good walk to shake off achey muscles - it seems to loosen them with the warmth and movement .
Horse - hope you are okay ... the central heating is going beserk here, had to turn it down. ( I suppose just because its colder outside).
I am trying out a simple accounts thing. For years I used Quicken , which is defunct now, as I used it on Windows , and I had a personalised spreadsheet for my business ( luckily I have an accounts wizard as a son - in -law ) Just been getting lazy with online banking, but I would like to keep a better track of stuff. I had a few recommendations, but have gone with 'HomeBudgetLite' which is free. Everything else seem to want to import and join on with my online bank, which was what I didn't want to do. ( That was a bit long winded!)
Selena - now you can start to experiment with soup , good work !- one tip. If you feel you are using too much salt, try substituting lemon juice. It has a similar taste effect , but add near the end.( I often use Kallo low salt stock cubes , and Swiss Marigold stock powder)
Well cocoa for me too now
Sleep well all
Thoughts and Prayers

Gosh what a restless night with that wind. Going to brave soft play today.

Hope you all feel better this morning. My body can feel the exercise so just need to keep going.

Glad the soup was edible - that's a good start

Morning all!
Hope everyone is safe and sound after last night.
It is still too windy for a trip to the allotment.
Housework instead I suppose ..... mmmm
Cake - you are brave - we are at DD's looking after DGS tomorrow, and we did think to go out and about with him, but weather is looking iffy. I wondered about soft play - DD's response - Mum, its the 10th circle of Hell, I wouldn't bother!
Have a good day everyone

We got there for opening time - it was fine for the first half hour and then got busier and busier, much like yesterday's play gym.

It's still really windy out, but we've more or less got ourselves sorted - just need to do some paperwork while they play this afternoon and make a nice stew and mash.

Meant to be calmer later on so planning a walk.

Hope you're feeling better Horse and Willow and that you get to test out the Fitbit Horse

How are you today Selena? Any more soup made?

Hope you're OK Jane

Check in with you all tonight x

We had a lovely if windy start - now clouding over. Storm whatever was just really our normal winter weather, ie very windy. One of these days there will be an Armageddon storm here and no-one will have paid any attention to the warnings!

Hope everyone feeling well/better?

book, I think you should come and stay with me for a week as domestic science teacher? I am taking notes, I promise, and thank you. DH really didn't like soup, salad, anything remotely 'foreign' or spicy, etc etc so I just didn't bother. My DSD still giggles about him enjoying 'herby bread', 'bacon and mushroom quiche' = garlic bread and pizza, which of course he proudly told everyone he 'never ate'. He did improve - a bit.

I didn't finish the soup yesterday, left it in the soupmaker, threw in some small potatoes and a Maggi vegetable stock thing and put it on again. Result!!! I feel quite motivated!

Hi all.
Sounds like good days despite the weather.
Didnt sleep till 5.30 so slept in. Trouble getting out of bed but sciatica has calmed down a lot over the day.
Not same for me! Teen pushed me to limit last night well 2am to be precise. Very down and teary since. Wondering where the hell i went wrong for him to have such a selfish sneery entitled attitude?
Dragged him out for coffee and shopping with us. Have banned all devices till he gets over himself. Like talking to a brick wall.

Ds2 was not feeling well this afternoon. Sick and dizzy so bed for him. Fingers crossed no more bugs.

Hoping sciatica will remain pretty dormant for work tomorrow😀

Bright and sun out earlier on today but back to rain this now. Blooming cold too.

Busy day here clearing decorations away and housework. Cat is miffed, as she rather like hiding under the 🌲!

Blimey, that wind is fierce - I managed to sleep ok last night though, so not sure if it was howling all night.

DS is back from London full of cold I hope I don't catch it as I feel fine now after feeling ropey last night...

I am just about to make some soup, then a shower and get into bed.

Oh no Willow I'm on your behalf. Tell him he needs to shape up or go find someone else who will put up with his shit! Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

I'm going to be doing more pilates tomorrow. Went and walked just over 2 miles tonight - still very windy, so not very pleasurable, but the moon was huge and yellow.

Hope that DS keeps his germs to himself Horse What soup are you making? I had pea and ham for lunch (made by DH with the ham stock from Christmas)

Are you still volunteering at the hospital Selena? you haven't mentioned it for a while. My parents eat very blandly, but at least garlic bread and pizza is on the menu!

Hope Charlie and the boys are all OK Squirrel (and you)

Hope that you all have a peaceful night - I know I need it! at least it's back to school tomorrow

Just caught up on everyone's posts.

Willow I just want to give you a hug (and I don't do hugs!), everything seems to be against you atm.

Busy day - although Charlie didn't make a peep until I went down at 7.20am! Been on the go since then, playing with him, getting ready for work, work, supermarket, unpacking, making & having tea then games with kids, parents and brother. They've gone half an hour ago and I've just sat down. Phew.

Thanks Squirrels.
Sounds like Charlie is growing up😀 sleeping later is good. What a busy day and a nice evening.
Cake there isnt anywhere for him to go. His dad lives an hour away and no damm room for him.

My kids go back next week.

Been playing on xbox with ds2 and had a really silly time as usual. He seems better not so hot and pale. Fingers crossed.