Season of Mists and Mellow Crepiness...

[QueenQueenie]

Here you go Crepesters...

[lalsy]

That's great about the course Stropps, and about dh. Could the work on the house wait a bit, till you aren't fighting on so many fronts, or is water coming in or something?
Recipe looks gorgeous.

[cremolafoam]

Agree with lalsy Stropps , it can wait no?
That's v good news about dh as well. You are doing so well Stropps, and things will fall into place when you get a rhythm going.
Went to see Dean Friedman last night with two friends, and he was tremendous . Really really enjoyed it.

Just seen Stephen fry on Breakfast this morning. He is truly amazing , and so startlingly frank. The journos didn't know where to put themselves.

CV the road situation must be so annoying. I'd be infuriated with that. Is the end in sight? Here we are hemmed in by road works , so getting to work now involves a 5 mile diversion. Grr

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Good luck for MiniHerbs this morning!

Agree with the others, Stropps, can the work wait?

I am biding my time at work - it looks as if I will have to fill in this damned stress audit before anything can happen. I am also having an ongoing "discussion" with another part of the office about some money that I think I am entitled to. I say "discussion" - it has been going on for 7 months now, and they haven't replied to any of my emails, and it is now going round in circles as someone senior has become involved and told them that they have to answer my email. It has been a week now, and it has now been pushed to the third person. No doubt it will take them another 7 months to tell me that, no, I am not entitled.

[herbaceous]

Well, he's in! His jumper is too big, as is traditional for first days, but he walked to school all happily, only slowing down and digging in his heels as we approached the playground, which is much bigger and with loads more children than his old school. He was given a friend - Trevon - to walk in with, and only looked back once. I was welling up, but had so many friends come and chat to me and DP that I had to control myself.

Annoyingly, I've managed to leave his scooter at the old school, so will have to go and get it some time today.

Now then crepers. I fear the dreaded M word is upon me. Period a no show, keep waking up in the night sweating, and have been having hot flashes during the day. Could be stress; more likely not... Any handy hints or herbal remedies?

[motherinferior]

YAYAYAYAYAY for the Herblet!

MrsS, I am nagging a hospital for a comment from the One Person who can ostensibly give it to me, on some work which said hospital is driving and which is really important (improving the provision for people with learning disabilities, who have a distressing habit of dying in hospital when they wouldn't if the hospital was doing its job). I have spent about three weeks saying can I interview her. OK, when is she going to send me her 'written comment'. OK, here are the questions perhaps her written comment could tackle. I keep pointing out that the whole damn piece - and possibly others, as I've got other journals interested in the topic - really hangs on her saying something about the groundbreaking work they are doing.



Herbs, search me. Alas.

I would like to say I have Ladyjogged Yet Again.

[herbaceous]

For those agog to know, this is like my new hair.

[motherinferior]

Ooh, I like!

[QueenQueenie]

Well done to your lovely boy Herbs. Hope he has a good day to set him off well down this new path. Liking the hair! Are you coming on the 11th? Will we get to view it in real life? Hope so. Re godawful meno symptoms I am on sage tablets bought from some health store which are meant to address the hot flushes etc and they seem to help. Not sure if I want to explore HRT or similar. Any other suggestions laydeez?

[Blackduck]

Herbs - good on you - told you it will be fine.

I don't really do anything re symptoms but booze does not help the night sweats (unfortunately!) I am not a good candidate for HRT so that's off the list for me....

MrsS - I don't know how you haven't just totally lost it. I am seething here, but more because I have too much to do and I am not being kept in the loop on things....

[herbaceous]

I am indeed coming on 11th. Wild horses, and all that.

Re 'the change', I'm thinking of getting some of those tragically named Menopace, or similar. Though it would be acknowledging the 'meno' word.

[NUFC69]

Herbs, great that DS went off so well. On the female condition that cannot be named, I was on HRT for about 18 months and it did nothing for me. I have been fine for years now; unfortunately I know people who have suffered for 20 years, who are the same age as me and still suffering. Just the luck of the draw, I am afraid.

MI, I think the answer has to be a gun! Tbh after being in the US, seeing how easy firearms are to get hold of, I am only surprised that more people aren't shot as I can only imagine the rage you (and several other Crepeys) are feeling.

[herbaceous]

Some say that the severity of the M word is inherited. I hope this is the case - it seemed to barely affect my mum. Other than an excruciating conversation she had with me on one walk about 'vaginal dryness'. Imagine.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Herbs - LOVE the new hair. Wish mine would do that!

The best "excruciating mother/daughter" conversation I heard was between a friend and her mother, shortly after friend's father had died, and they were talking about him. Mother was in her 80s. "I never really enjoyed sex with your father. His penis was just too big."

I had to leave the room.

I have some work to do. This is the good news. The bad news is that I can't start it yet, or speak to the people I will be working with, as they haven't been told formally. Will they be told this afternoon, so that I can crack on? No. When then? Probably tomorrow, but it may not be until Monday. Have come home to do some washing and cleaning.

[motherinferior]

I have survived CDiff. Have explained no I don't have my holiday dates for next Aug. Frenzied pitching appears to be paying off with story for Grauniad - though will probably be paid £2.50...

[bigTillyMint]

MrsS and Herbs, re convos, eeek!

Herbs, great news! And I like the hair

Re the M word, I have been on HRT for about 4 years(?) and it has been a life-saver. Literally.

[herbaceous]

I'm not sure I'd be allowed HRT, as my mum had breast cancer, and it ups the risks? Although I believe this is a contentious issue.

Christ, I am so exhausted. Not helped by staying up until 12 watching GBBO, and a lovely long sweat at 4am.

[bigTillyMint]

No I am lucky that I don't know of any history of anything like that in my family (could be on my father's side, but there's no way of knowing!) - maybe a trip to the homeopath?

[NUFC69]

Meant to say that I like the hair, too, Herbs. Am at the conversations, but regret to say that the older I get the more likely I am to be having inappropriate conversations.

DH has just called me a EWIL after my purchases of some cycling lycra in Aldi.

[NUFC69]

Also, just thought, my DM died of breast cancer but I wasn't told it was not right to take HRT. Might be worth chasing it up.

[motherinferior]

AFAIK there is some evidence linking HRT to a raised risk of breast cancer; here. On the other hand that is a raised risk, and depends on what your original risk was, and we don't know nearly enough about the genetic links with breast cancer apart from the BRACA gene. Or ovarian cancer

I have just interviewed a lovely woman.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Yay! The cake lady!

I have just made DD1 a birthday cake but am a bit worried that I won't be able to get it out of the tin. There is definitely something wrong with the oven as it was done in 20 minutes. It doesn't seem to be porridge inside...

[herbaceous]

I just knew MI would be able to sum up the issue in a pithy manner!

[bigTillyMint]

Mmmmm, her website looks good MI!

[bigTillyMint]

MrsS, what kind of cake is it? Is it her sweet 16th?

[lalsy]

cks.nice.org.uk/menopause#!scenariorecommendation:3

some more on the risks.

The CKS site is unexpectedly entertaining with its 'no shit, Sherlock' approach: "Exercise and good sleep hygiene may improve subjective cognitive symptoms." = if you don't get enough sleep or exercise you will be filled with red rage and forget all your children's names.