A Little Lighter

The nights sure are drawing out a little. This was taken at around five fifteen this evening on my walk down to the bus stop from work.  Quite a serene scene after the gale force winds and driving rain of late. 

Nan's 'treasures'

Once again thank you all for your very kind comments.  I feel blessed that you take time from your schedules to read and comment on my blog.  You're all wondrous beings!

A few weeks ago, I spent the evening with my dear ole Mum.  We had a great time looking through some old boxes of papers and items salvaged from my Nan's house when we cleared it.   Poor Mum.  She's had a real rough time of it lately.  My brother has been going through an extremely messy divorce and has had to take some tough decisions, I have experienced my bout of ill health, and, whilst I was in hospital her beloved dog became very ill and had to be put down last Wednesday leaving her devastated.  It has been a very trying time for her and, as she worries for England even when there is nothing to worry about, you can imagine how difficult this last few months have been for her.   Love you Mum - hopefully these next few months will bring less trying times for us all now.

But I digress..... back to the subject in hand.

Nan wasn't a hoarder as such, but she loved to keep mementos of things dear to her.  We rifled through her Father's (my great grandad's) discharge papers, birth and marriage certificates from ancestors who have long departed, a lined exercise book filled with neatly copied favourite poetry which begins as very precise and neatly scribed handwriting and, rather poignantly, ends with the spidery faint scrawl of an elderly hand.

I was fascinated by these postcards which were sent by the Salvation Army to my Mum for her early birthdays.  The colours are still very strong some 70 years later.

Such a sweet little face!

Shaped ones too! 

Bizarrely - an unopened packet of my Grandpa's Woodbines!  The last packet purchased before he passed away some 30 odd years ago!

I remember seeing the little horse from the pattern made up out of scrap fabric many years ago.  I wonder what happened to him?!  The pattern pieces are all still intact, neatly folded inside the envelope.

This old shopping receipt is great!  Look at how much you got for your money in 1928!  Butter, belly draft, cheese, sugar, tea, Rinso!

'Blue' for the washing, 'Lead' for the grate.
2oz of Pepper!

And note the foot note at the bottom of the bill!

Check out these old silk handkerchiefs.  

I doubt that she ever blew her nose on Queen Liz!

I remember this one being safety pinned around her purse - for what reason I shall never know!

There were lots more 'treasures' in the box - I'll try to post more soon! 

A little light ...

Hello everyone. 

Thanks so much for your kind words. I'm out of hospital now and recovering at home. 

As you will know I didn't have much respite from pain despite having had my gall bladder out in December. I had pain almost daily since then which really did not abate despite me eating next to nothing apart from freshly made soup and bread.  After nearly collapsing on the Monday night having endured a full day at work in debilitating pain, I presented myself to A & E a sobbing mess and completely out of control. I was promptly admitted, placed on IV fluids, catheterised, put on IV pain relief including morphine, scanned, endoscoped and given IV antibiotics. Goodness me I was a mess. 

It appears that a gall stone had become embedded in my bile duct and had caused a huge infection. It had passed through and left my bile duct ragged and infected which was where all the pain was coming from. I think as all the focus was on removing my gall bladder the stray stone was missed and instead of a steady recovery post operation I was still experiencing all the pain of the infection but just assuming, and reassured by medics, that it was just my body settling down after the op. Apparently not then!

So I hope you will excuse my blogging holiday as, as you can imagine, I have been rather distracted these past few months. 

Hopefully I'm now on the road to recovery (although I'm not speaking too loudly!). It's good to be able to eat relatively normally, particularly after becoming quite phobic about eating anything at all. Resultant weight loss is now totalling 45lbs. Probably the only good thing to come out of the whole process!!

I returned home after my eight day sojourn to this lovely sight!  All my spring bulbs coming into flower!  A little light in the darkness. 

Love to you xx

AWOL

Sorry for my continued absence.  This has been my enforced vista for the last week.  The end result of weeks and weeks of mounting pain which finally broke the banks last Monday.   I will be back. I will. I will.  Love and light. Xx

Ice-man Cometh ....

There are forecasts for snow and ice to be hitting the UK in the next week or so.  It will, in all likelihood, be 2 or 3 inches at most and of course everything will come to a complete standstill.  However those experiencing the devastating effect of the current floods must be dreading the next bout of bad weather, which will be particularly difficult if the big freeze sets in on top of the flood waters.

Check out this YT video of the 'creeping ice' phenomenon which hit Manitoba,Canada some months ago.  It is both eerie and strangely beautiful - but the damage it caused was awful.

Ice Ice Baby 

And also the  BBC News Report which explains what happened.

Mother Nature is a cruel mistress sometimes.

Keep safe!

New Year - New Kitchen!

Hello Bloglies!

Thank you for visiting me.  Isn't the weather bloomin' awful?  I'm enjoying my period of enforced hibernation and rejoicing in the fact that I don't really have to leave the house unless I really need to!

We've been in a state of flux here at Peapods over the last couple of days.  Towards the end of last year, the Council promised us a new kitchen but warned us that there could be a two year waiting list for the work to be carried out.  The old kitchen was barely serviceable with cupboard doors hanging on by one hinge, the work tops scratched and marked and the tiling looking decidedly jaded.   We had resigned ourselves to waiting their timescale, however just before Christmas I got a call saying that they would begin work on the 6 January!  The weekend was spent madly decluttering and dividing stuff in to keep/charity/throw away piles as you do.  The workmen arrived on Monday morning and proceeded to gut the kitchen - honestly the noise they made you'd have thought that the Tasmanian Devil had been let loose with a wrecking ball! They were extremely quick at removing the old units and tiles.

In just a couple of hours this had happened:-

and a little while later the old warped floorboards had been taken up too.

The base units were put in soon afterwards and by the end of Monday we had work tops too.   They finished the majority of the work on Tuesday, just leaving a couple of jobs for the electrician today.  

So here's the finished kitchen - we still have to paint and replace the light shades, and get a new blind for the kitchen window.  We also need to sell our fridge and get a new, smaller one so that we can move it into the old pantry cum storage/junk room (now clutter free!).  This will give us a lot more much needed room in the kitchen and will allow us to utilise the table.  To date the chairs matching the table have lived in the shed for around 8 months due to lack of space! 

Ahh look - there's my new soup maker steaming away next to the microwave!   I mentioned this in my last post I think.  I'm so pleased with it.  It's this one:-

I'm sure the traditionalists will be throwing their hands up in horror at the very thought of such a gadget - but believe me it is SO handy, particularly for those of us who work full time or have busy lifestyles. As you can see, it is no bigger than a large jug kettle and takes up hardly any room. I simply add roughly chopped veg of my choice and some stock and seasoning, press a button and 21 minutes (for smooth soup - 28 minutes if you like your soup chunky!) later the soup is cooked and blended to perfection without any need for transferring hot liquids between receptacles or retrieving the liquidiser from the back of the cupboard.  It makes enough for four people (well four - six meals for me at least!). It cooks and blends so quickly you could do it in the morning before work and decant some into a flask for lunch.  I shall continue to sing it's praises for a very long time I reckon and am currently experimenting with recipes.  I began with a mixture of sweet potatoes, carrots and onions.  Today I did pea and mint - which is my favourite!  450g of frozen peas, hot veg stock, an onion and a packet of fresh mint - or 20g if you are lucky enough to have it in your herb garden.  Yumski! And as I'm such a domestic goddess (cough) I made some soda bread to go with it.  I dunno how I do it for the money! A very frugal, filling and nourishing meal. 

Velvety smooth, and a delicate shade of froggy green!

Thank you for all the health enquiries and recommendations over the  past few weeks.  I very much appreciate them as always.  I saw my consultant last Saturday and explained my discomfort to him after meals.  He now wants to do an endoscopy to see whether I have anything else underlying which may be the cause of my pain.  I'm having to wait for his appointment to be sent through, however as I shall go via BUPA again he reassures me that this should follow in around 2 - 3 weeks.  

Stay safe and warm, particularly if you are being affected by Mother Nature's current bad mood.

Love and Light 

xxx

Simple Woman's Daybook for January

 xx  Happy New Year Everyone. xx

I  hope it brings you everything you wish for and more.  

Health and Happiness always 

With love from Peapods

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.co.uk/

Outside my window …  its blowing a ruddy hoolie, rain is lashing on the window pane and its cold!

I am thinking...  that I need to put some socks on cos my feet are freezing as I stupidly went trekking up the garden in nobbut me leopard print slippers and now they're soaked.**

** and clothes, obviously!

I am thankful... for another week and a bit away from work . I'm really not ready to go back yet.  My planned return is the 14th so hopefully everything will have settled down by then. 

In the kitchen... oh you don't wanna know!  The family had to have takeaway tonight as Its like a bomb site!  We are having it completely gutted and refitted on Monday and we are therefore in the process of unpacking cupboards, decluttering and are thus surrounded by bags and boxes of rubbish.  

I am wearing... grubby, less than glamorous worky clothes!

I am creating... apart from a mess, I'm planning to make a journal from recycling our christmas cards - more on that another time 

I am going...  to see my Consultant tomorrow for a post-op check up.

I am wondering... when my new soup maker is going to arrive.  I'd hoped it was going to be here today so I could play!  Home made soup is all I'm eating right now so its an investment!

I am reading... the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez

I am hoping... that some plans I'm trying to put into place will come to fruition.  Fingers crossed.

I am looking forward to... new possibilities/new beginnings.  Hopefully a new chapter.

I am learning… that Life is a journey and nothing will change unless you MAKE it so.  To that end I have asked a question to instigate some change in my workplace for me.  See 'I am hoping' above.  I should hear in the next couple of weeks whether my request is listened to, failing which I fear a new CV may need to be drafted.

Around the house... more change - really looking forward to seeing the completed kitchen.  This is another step on the ladder to the house being 'ours' as in mine and lovely man's, rather than somewhere he moved in to.  The kitchen we currently have is dilapidated and very dated and so the thought of cupboard doors that actually close properly and are not hanging on a single hinge is very welcome!

I am pondering...   about the amount of decluttering that we really must find time to do this year.  No more procrastination. 

A favorite quote for today... 

Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.
Don Marquis 

One of my favourite things...  our new little console table on which I can display some precious things.  We recently moved our television to hang on the chimney breast to make some much needed space.  This little table is so welcome! 

A few plans for the rest of the week:   Consultant appointment, shopping, hibernating, sorting, recuperating, sketching (badly), trying to keep out of the way of various workmen, rocking quietly in a chair with my hands over my ears!

A peek into my day...  I won't bore you with pictures of bin bags and boxes.   So a picture of the new table will have to do!   Don't say I don't spoil you!

Post Christmas Post

Hello lovelies.

I hope your festivities went without hitch and that you all had a peaceful time and enjoyed your day.

Here are some photographs from Christmas 2013 here at Peapods.

We had an impromptu visit to the German Market in Brum......... same old tat......same stalls in the same places.... nothing to new to see here!  I was pre-op and moody.  I took no joy from being here at all!  Miserable old cow that I am!

(I did love the colours of the felt stall though!)

#

And this colourful character made me smile from the tip of his baby pink mowhak to the tips of his electric blue brothel creepers!  What a dude!

They'd even sold out of Reindeer burgers.  Bugger!

The lights were prettiful though.  I do like a blue light!

Someone had a ripping time on Christmas day!

Daft dog!

I was embarrassingly and spectacularly spoilt as usual.  I got my much longed for Lumix camera *swoon* (the above pics were taken on my iphone just in case you were thinking how rubbish it was! lol), amongst lots of other lovely gifts.

We spent the day with immediate family at my brother's house where he and his lovely lady cooked a spectacular meal which I didn't know whether to eat or climb to the summit of.  In the end I managed about a third of it before my crampons gave out and I had to admit defeat.

We played silly games and chilled out in the afternoon.  My brother asked musical quiz questions in the style of Vic Reeves' pub singer which had me laughing so much my stitches were in dire threat of bursting.and a family rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody topped off the day.

Next day was a tad quieter and we visited the Cemetery to put some flowers on my Nan's grave and to the allotment to light a candle for Dad.  

I know it may sound odd, but the cemetery at Lye is one of the most beautiful sacred spaces I know. There are lots of huge, ancient trees there which I can gaze at for ages. The air was incredibly cold and crisp and the sun shone weakly through the branches.  I love this atmospheric shot I took just as I happened to glance across the graveyard. 

A very old ivy covered Celtic cross

More beautiful trees.  There was a huge branch on the floor just out of shot which was the result of the recent storm damage.

I'm in hibernation mode today.  I'm still recuperating from my op and don't really feel like doing anything very strenuous right now. I'm getting gastric pain every other day which is almost as bad as the gall bladder pain and it is, quite frankly, doing my head in and making me a little depressed.  I'm scared to eat anything at all now for fear of an attack.  The good thing about it is that I've lost 2 stones in weight!

 Man is threatening to do something cheffy with a couple of lobsters we have in the freezer.  I think I may have to request a plain jacket potato instead.  How times have changed!

See you soon!

A Merry One .....

From me and mine, to you and yours.  Bright Blessings.

Have the very best of times.

Lots of Love

All at Peapods xxx

Recovery

Hello lovely people

Thank you once again for your well wishes.

I had my op done on Friday and they kept me in until Sunday afternoon before discharging me.  I was very scared about the anaesthetic but that's the control freak in me - I HATE not being in control of my own body and don't do illness or infirmity very well at all.  As I have BUPA insurance via the dark and gloomy place, I took advantage of that and had my op done in a lovely private hospital very close to where I live.  The op went well - and when I came 'round they presented me with a sample bottle FULL to the brim with gall stones (delightful!!) which measure around .5 of a cm each - think pea shingle!!  I'm going to regravel the drive with them I reckon !! Although my other half delights in freaking the kids out by shaking them at them, I'll spare you from posting a photograph!!

I think the worst thing immediately post op was the removal of a 'drain' tube I had left in - I'm sure the nurse yanking it out left further bruising inside - it's a feeling I never want again.  She nearly had to peel me off the ceiling but did say that had she warned me how horrible it would feel then I wouldn't have let her do it!!

My recovery has been a bit up and down really.  Some days have been better than others.  Some days, like yesterday, were vile and I spent most of it berating myself for having the bloody thing done in the first place.  The nausea is the worst thing.  I feel constantly sick - again some days are worse than others - but I'm hoping that this is just because my body is adjusting to coping with having a bit of it being removed.   I've tried chewing fennel seeds - bleurghhhh!!! I hate aniseed and as fennel tastes like aniseed then I can't stomach them without heaving.  I tried peppermint tea which was no help at all.  I tried not eating.  I tried eating little and often - and nothing is working right now.  That said, it is still very early days and as usual I'm probably being a little too impatient with myself.  I want to be out and about and enjoying the run up to Christmas.  At the moment even washing my hair is a chore which leaves me feeling exhausted.

I'm sure I'll be back to fighting fitness very shortly.  In the meantime I'm thankful that I can snuggle and hibernate (and burp a lot).  Sigh.

See you soon!

Quick Catch Up

Hi to anyone who drops in to visit me - I'm sorry I haven't been around very much lately.  A very big thank you for the kind emails enquiring after my well being.  Very much appreciated from my blogging family x

As a family we've had a lot of "stuff" going on lately and I've needed to turn my attention to that so we can be the strong, supportive unit we always are in trying times.

During my blogging absence there have been some good times too, a lovely trip to Banbury and Oxford for me and the man, full of blissful relaxation in a wonderful hotel, great food,  Xmas shopping in gorgeous little shops and a meeting with a dear friend.

We've put up our Yule tree - a woodland theme this year - here's some pics:-

I'm off to hospital to have my gall bladder out tomorrow and to say that I'm a tad scared is an understatement as I've never had a general anaesthetic before.  I'm sure all will be ok and I shall see you on the flip side as they say ...erm... somewhere!

Be good - Santa's watching! ;)