Crepe And Stormy

[Cremo]

Over here Crepemunks!
Hope no one else has started one

I love In Our Time, and all Melvyn's TV that I've seen. Haven't read AL though.

Thinking about those Russians in the Nat Portrait Gall, Addle. I was in the area last week, but at the Nat Gall - Dutch flowers.

Auriga - will be thinking of you tomorrow and Monty, hope you are bearing up after today. Much love to you both

Mrs S - I cannot comment on their periods but we certainly saw some rather large ladies on the beach in Spain and unlike the British, they were definitely up for wearing bikinis at a ripe old age, stomachs hanging out and all. I had to admire that they just didn't care. This would not happen in France or the UK.

I'm knackered after school and am curled up in front of Masterchef.

Auriga - will think of you tomorrow. Are you having a holiday soon? May I prescribe one for you?

Hatty, yes, large bikini clad Germans! I have decided that I look fat anyway, so might as well look fat in bright and cheery colour.
Blonde woman on Masterchef is v annoying.

Hope you're ok Monty and that today had some good in it as well as all the sadness.

Auriga, will definitely pause and think of you and your family tomorrow - it does sound as though you've planned a great send off for your DM. X

Mrs S, keep on holidaying on behalf of the rest of us.

MI and a hug.

So many crepeys in my thoughts...

Monty, hope today went ok.

BD, I have shed tears for you for the loss of ddog and for the plight of your poor dad. May the good news fairy be on her way in your direction very soon. Super well done to ds on his piano success.

MI, wishing you much strength in these trying times.

Ahhh, Crem, I was so sad to hear about your eyesight troubles. Damned unfair. I hope the new measuring wotsit works some magic.

Auriga, you are truly amazing. Your dm was so lucky to have you as her daughter. Here's wishing your dm a damn fine send-off tomorrow and for you all to have some restorative family time, celebrating her life and legacy.

I am very busy. Work and, well, dd, mainly. I am spreading myself rather thin and trying to be all things to all people. However, I have started to go to my fave old circuits class again, very carefully. Tonight, after circuits, I had an hour of downtime. It involved wine. And crisps. I have bought myself a Fitbit. Which tells me that I am really quite active, but sleep far too little. So that would be why I am tired all the fucking time, then. (Well, that, and having an excessively challenging teen to deal with on a daily basis, and a husband who lives on another planet)

Enjoy your hols, MrsS. Am very much enjoying the pics and updates on FB.

Lalsy, things are still..volatile.. thanks for asking. Parenting is, apparently, mostly a thankless task. But no one will ever be able to accuse me of not having gone the extra mile. Or indeed the extra marathon. Maybe it will all come good in the end, and in some future version of MN, dd will be grudgingly admiring of my efforts not to strangle her.

Stropps you are truly a
And I have cried again about BDhound.

Auriga - very much in my thoughts today.

Oh, BD.

Am off to Norwich as woke up especially early thanks to yowling cat, pattering rain and snuffling bloke.

But I do also have to hand it to the rellies, for once. Or actually for twice. One of my sort-of-uncles skyped me from Canada to say he wasn't going to come in May for good reasons - including the fact he wants to have memories of my mother when she was well, not as she will be then if indeed she's alive at all - but that he will come and support my dad afterwards. He is a lovely man (was married to my mum's cousin who was a lovely woman.)

And one of my cousins has offered to return at the beginning of May.

I have now set my alarm early, two mornings in a row, as DD2 said she did want to go to Palma shopping. Except, both days, she has now decided that she doesn't want to go after all. Makes no odds to me, but I don't want her to get home and moan that we never did anything. She has exams when we get back, and has also done no revision, despite bringing it all with her.

Auriga - will think of you this afternoon. It sounds like you have organised a super send-off[flpwers]

Well Done BDuckling!

Good Luck MI - hope it goes OK.

I am a little tired, but still cheering for DS and his team who won their cup final last night[star He was such a happy chappy on the long drive home

Auriga I will be feeling with you this afternoon. I hope that you are able to find a way to say goodbye to your DM, and find good memories of her, before times got so bad.

MI, good news on the relatives. And strength for today. One day at a time...

And Auriga, it sounds so special, thinking of you.

Stropps, fitbit, hurrah! I love mine because it praises me for domestic drudgery. If only it could measure your emotional marathons......I hope this term is as smooth as it can be for dd. You are doing a terrific job.

And well done to BDuckling and BTM ds!

Thinking of you this afternoon, Auriga. MI, make the most of every shred of help offered. You are doing a great job of mustering support for your parents, even if it brings a whole heap of aggro along with the nuggets of help.

Well done to BD and BTM sons.

Herbs, thanks so much for your always appreciated FB activity. The one I have re-shared today is particularly apt for us.

Ha, Lalsy, yes, I love it that Fitbit keeps sending me messages saying that I am an "overachiever". This is a welcome change from being a middle-aged, part-time special needs teacher in a school for the privileged.

Herbs, hope you've junked the low pay job where they were clearly just exploiting you. Am also thinking of you with regard to ailing and fading parents, esp as you have it coming at you from both directions.

Yay for BTM's ds :)

MI, that is good that you have some rellies who are volunteering to support your dad in future. So sorry that others are still bombarding you with other, less useful stuff, however.

Actually The List has been v useful for briefing carers on extra stuff - I've arranged the meeting with the carers to discuss an extra visit (since neither of them were doing more than witter on about this). She has also talked through funeral music/readings with me and I have a list. Is frail and a bit crabby but perked up and is enjoying various novels I recommended to her.

Auriga, good thoughts for this afternoon.

Yes, thinking of you, Auriga. xx

BD, I still miss my cat who died in 2006, aged 22. It is horrible when a pet dies.

I think they are bonkers in some of their plans, though: she's currently (according to my dad) planning to die at home if possible, then hospice IF she can get a single room (I keep pointing out this IS very likely) and otherwise a private care home he visited today...

MI, might it be that making these "plans" is helping them feel in control a bit? - in reality, it may be obvious when the time comes what is best/possible in those particular cirx....glad The List is useful.

Stropps, YES! I love that too. And if I carry loads of washing upstairs it notices unlike my family.

DSis saying firmly cousin mustn't return. She's right - K can't drop everything and come round the world - but she is also going to be a martyr. I can tell. And now I'm scared of her haranguing me. She's always gone on about how I've tried to get other people to take on our responsibilities.

MI how stressful. But agree maybe making 'plans' make them feel in control. When it comes to it things might be very different.

Here dmum had a good day yesterday, but I can't help thinking how long is this going to go on? How much can my dad take.....

Page 2 fail, I see...

Lovely Crepeys, thank you all so much for all your kind thoughts and good wishes for Thursday. It went really well - glorious sunny day, lots of lovely friends, great music, wonderful vicar and a nice wake. I managed to hold it together and not weep over everyone, as did my mum and sister, and felt so relieved afterwards as I had been dreading it. Mum and I went out to supper after everyone had gone home and then fell asleep in front of Masterchef. I came back to London yesterday afternoon and feel shattered but OK.

Auriga, I hope that your service yesterday went well and that the sun shone for you. I am thinking of you very much and sending love .

Sending huge hugs to all running the aged parent gauntlet - BD, MI, BTM, Herbs and Rose.

You have all been utterly wonderful over the last few weeks, my darlings. I am so very lucky. Thank you for having me and for being such kind friends .

Monty so glad it went well - big {{ }}
Auriga hope likewise.

Snow here but too wet to settle.

Monty glad that it went well & that you are Ok after it. Look after yourself over the weekend.
Auriga hope you're ok too.
Hope everyone else who is dealing with/sorting out parents has a stressless & non eventful weekend. I regularly give thanks that my DM (80) is well & is also the only one in the family who goes to the gym 4 times a week. DF died suddenly so I haven't had to cope so far with what many of you are going through. You all deserve and on a daily basis.

Just popped outside to the garage & it's really cold. I'm working up the will to do a sainsburys shop.

Cried at my mum's GP. It all seems utter chaos. She's going to die in a few weeks, my sister is medicated up to the eyeballs and I just want to run away...

Feel a bit better today, though.