Season of Mists and Mellow Crepiness...

[QueenQueenie]

Here you go Crepesters...

BTM - yes, 16! And our 21st wedding anniversary. I think it was very inconsiderate of her to be born on our wedding anniversary. I've made her a chocolate cake, in a Gugelhupf mould, and am going to sprinkle icing sugar over it and drizzle with chocolate when it's cold.

Cake expanded out of the tin and dripped on the kitchen floor - how? It was pushed well back in the oven. Also some in the drawer under the oven.

LOL @ "if you don't get enough sleep or exercise you will be filled with red rage and forget all your children's names." But what if you have done an hour's circuit training, a 40-min dog walk, had 8 hours sleep and you are still frothing with rage, eh?

My dm was ALWAYS an unhinged loon due to PMT etc. It did not get any better during the menopause, but I left home around then so avoided the worst of it. I am officially apparently not yet into the menopause, but have always had bad rage issues related to PMT. We currently have a very large sword in the dining room and my hormones are doing their normal seething thing. Sword is due to be picked up by the director of the local museum on Sunday and according to dh, Sunday cannot come soon enough.

NU, dh's aortic scan was a "standard" NHS one, but he had to request it specially. As he was already 65 when the new scanning programme was introduced in 2013, he didn't get called automatically. I don't know whether this is true nationally, but in our area no one who was 65 or over when the programme was introduced gets called for a scan. The only reason we found out about the AAS thing was because the father of an acquaintance of mine died of an AA just before Christmas. This chap was 67 and therefore also hadn't been called for a scan. My friend (who is a nurse) is now understandably on a bit of a mission to ensure that older men know they can request a scan. Her father's death was probably avoidable. :(

Re: chimney removal - the exterior bit definitely needs to be removed as when it rains water trickles the outside of the chimney bit in the loft. And it is also coming out of the flue hatch in the kitchen. The demolition in the loft could wait, however.

Happy birthday to your dd1, MrsS. The cake sounds lush.

Hope Mini-Herbs has had a good first day!

MI, has your dm started her treatment?

ps: Did reading and phonics with reception today and I get my own group next week. Am scared. Now if they gave me a group of teens, bizarrely, I would be fine. 4 and 5 year olds fill me with dread.

I was making conversation with the TAs and said "I don't remember ds ever being like this", indicating sweet little kiddies and forgetting that they were both there when ds was in Reception. One of them laughed and said "That's because he wasn't".

Stropps, no, there's a case meeting today and then presumably chemo meeting soon and THEN she starts...

I am slowly and painstakingly trying to do scheduling. I do not like scheduling. OTOH CDiff v impressed with my scheduling...

Mini Herbs seems to have had had a good day. In the usual 5yo manner he hasn't actually said anything about his day, other than that lunch was nice, he couldn't find the toilet, and he played with lots of children at lunchtime but can't remember their names.

The mums are so friendly. I've spoken to more people in the playground today than in our whole year at his previous school. And we kept bumping into people we know on the way. Just lovely.

Hoorah Herbs - much relief for mini Herbs. Should hopefully be plain sailing from now on.

I need to check out the M word - am definitely feeling crotchety and having night although not the drenching people describe. Might buy some soothing vitamins as well.

Brilliant, Herbs! And btw your new hair is lovely.

Stropps, despite having my own, I would rather cut my right arm off than teach teens. Reception (although not my absolute favourite teaching age) are lovely!

Herbs, result! All the angst was worth it. And like your "do"

Do all people over 65 have an aortic scan then or is it just men? My ex MIL had an aneurism when she was about 70.

Cheering miniHerbs from the sidelines. That sounds like a good start. Hairstyle looks lovely. I'm a long term HRT user and not the best to advise on natural remedies because they didn't help me at all, apart from the lady magnet which is unproven and the subject of much virtual shouting and bitchiness on the MN meno threads. I think it's great for the aches and pains side of things and I still wear it. I still get sweats if I wake in the night but they don't wake me, iyswim. A lot of the scaremongering research that hit the headlines about ten years ago has now been disproven on methodological grounds. Menopause Matters is a really good website for info and support.
MrsS happy anniversary and happy birthday to your DD.
I am now sitting I the theatre bar whilst the kids are at their rehearsal, having fed the masses for the festival luncheon today. Quite pleased with the Tsimmes...most people had seconds so that's a good sign. As you can tell, I am very religious ( NOT) which is why I decided the kids should not miss their rehearsals. We really should be praying and repenting. DH went to the service and hopefully did it for me...although I suspect he spent most of the time chatting about the footie, and intermittently dozing off I have masses of clearing up to do when we get back.

Oh Herbs, that is lovely about the friendliness. DO NOT SIGN UP IMMEDIATELY TO RUN THE PTA, RIGHT? In all seriousness, I loved our primary gates and the friends I made there and it makes a huge difference that whenever I leave the Inferiority Complex I bump into about 101 people I know from there.

I have to go to choir, with a barking cough setting in. Wot larks.

Yes Happy Anniversary MrsS - you deserve a medal (but I bet he thinks he does too!)

Friend just rang me from work - apparently the cleaner found my purse on the floor. Good job it wasn't the dodgy security firm! It must have dropped out of my bag...

Rose (and anyone else who has gels) how often do you get them done? I have managed to prolong the life of mine for 4 weeks as I have the exact same colour in normal polish and am going back tomorrow, but I fear it really should be done fortnightly.

I am having nothing to do with the PTA until my PGCE is over! Though I may bake the odd cake, or help out at the odd bingo night.

The PTA seems highly organised, with lots of members, and a 'welcome dinner' coming up! Rather different to the tiny shower of incompetents at his old school.

BTM, about the aortic scan, I have a feeling that men are called in the year in which they are 64. Newcastle was one of the first places in the country to introduce them. I have a feeling that Stropps' DH is the same age as my DH, if he had lived here he would have been called two years ago. Postcode lottery again. The risk for men is much greater than for women. Good job about your purse.

Happy anniversary to MrsS.

How lovely that DS came back home after having had a good day, Herbs. I still have happy memories of my days waiting in the playground for the DC. I have a feeling that we might be doing this occasionally next September when DGS1 starts school.

I think dh would still have missed it, NU. He turned 65 2 years ago - he will be 67 in a few weeks. So he's older than your dh?

Stropps, my DH will be 67 in February so not much difference between them, but I take your point, it depends when the cut off was. We're very fortunate here as Newcastle seems to be at the forefront of things like this. DH took part in prostate cancer testing a few years ago (they were comparing different socio-economic groups at the time).

I am glad you're enjoying your course.

Happy Bday DD and Happy Anniversary Mrs S.

Great news about mini-Herbs

I'm not supposed to have HRT because of breast cancer worries (valid or not) but my M tip is that if you don't have HRT and sex becomes painful, ask for some topical oestrogen. Don't suffer in silence, no need. Possibly TMI.

Stropps and Herbs, sounds like both of you doing really well.

(Sandwiching embarrassing tip between good wishes there.)

Stropps I'm also glad you are enjoying your course!

MI I was actually about to also ask Herbs naicely not to join the PiTA. Herbs, you and your lovely hair have enough on your plate. So nice to have school gate friendliness. Not something I ever experienced.

Went to see ddad today to wish him well and we spent a little time dipping apples in honey for RH It was lovely to be able to sit outside in the balmy sunshine at this time of the year. One of those golden kind of moments. Then we drove down to the shore , to sit and contemplate for a while. Very peaceful. Just one of those memorable days.
< chilled>

What is this 'sex' of which you speak Addle?

Agree with Addle re topical oestrogen
tilly about every three weeks. but my nails grow really fast and I hate them long, so every two weeks would be perfect but ££s.
cremo Shana tova. Lovely moments with your DDad. Mine made it over to us with DM and did quite well. A bit withdrawn when we all make a lot of noise, which is most of the time, noisy lot that we are. DH is going to sit with him tomorrow and DM will go to the synagogue with DS2. I have to admit that I'm going to have a lie in. I'm dead beat.
I've only just finished clearing up. Am sitting with tea and honey cake and am going to watch recording of Scott and Bailey

Thanks for all the aneurysm info - you live and learn...

Congrats to everyone, glad things are going well. I'm like MI, I adored the fact that primary school enabled me to get to know everyone who is anyone locally. Such a fab networking opportunity. No, but really, primary school is so bonding. IME secondary school can be too, but you have to work harder.

Can I introduce you all to a wonderful cooling thing, suitable for M hot flushes, and migraines, and an essential item in any stylish woman's wardrobe?

Here

It can also be worn in certain fancy dress scenarios.

Molly,

Rose, I think you deserve a lie in. Thanks for the recipe, by the way.

I am being bothered by phone calls from the Hearing Centre - I have now threatened to report them to the Telephone Preference Scheme people for harassment. Two calls today within an hour, plus previous ones.

NU just answer and shout,
"What what, I can't .hear you, can you speak up please? What? You'll have to talk louder , dear". Etcetera...

Me too, Molly and MI. And love the fact that the network carries on - we all keep an eye out for the teens we knew as little ones. So Herbs, all good

Crem, what a lovely day that sounds.

I've just discovered Scott and Bailey - think you mentioned it MI?