This and that

 I had my physio appointment at 8.30 this morning.  Jodie and I have agreed I don't need another appointment anytime soon as my shoulder is so much better, in terms of pain (minimal) and greatly improved strength and range of movement.  She's left the referral open until the end of January, I'm to speak to her on the phone then and if things are the same, then she'll discharge me....or book me in for another appointment and a second cortisone injection, if necessary.  She gave me another resistance band (a length of stretchy plastic in other words), a stronger one this time as my shoulder strength has improved so much, with advice to continue the exercises at least 2 or 3 times a week.  Great, that's one less health appointment to have to plan now.

Another cold, wet and windy day, I even wore my big winter coat for the first time this season when we went out this morning.  Looking at the forecast, it'll be Thursday I think before I'm able to get any washing out on the line.  Night time temperatures are dropping into single figures from Wednesday, so I'll be grateful for my own personal hot water bottle (dog) lying beside me!  She's not under the duvet with me, I wouldn't have that, she lies on top, but she stretches her full length right beside me pressed up against my side - lovely, except when I want to turn over and she's totally immobile - and very heavy - making it hard to move.  Plus I have to wrench the duvet out from under her.  But I'm not complaining, I love that she wants to sleep with me every night.

I've pottered around doing several small jobs this morning, husband has been slumped in his recliner chair dozing all morning....anyone would think he didn't sleep at night!  I had to wake him up at 7.20 this morning as he showed no signs of getting up and we were having to leave the house around 8.10.  He could sleep for England 😒.  I know he's getting older and slowing down - aren't we all?!  But if I didn't prompt him to get up out of his chair and do something, or give him a specific job to do, he would literally doze his life away doing absolutely nothing all day every day.  He's so much worse in the winter.  I keep thinking he's like this now, he'll be even less active in the future IF he's diagnosed with some form of dementia.  He keeps being told by medical professionals that he should be as active as possible.....unfortunately, it's me who has to poke him with a big stick (figuratively speaking of course!) to get him to be more active, and then he gets grumpy and snappy with me.  Sometimes I do think oh well leave him to it, it's his life and if he wants to doze himself to death, so be it.  But that's not me and I don't want it for him either.

When I looked in the mirror this morning to do my hair....and then realised I don't have to as it's so short now.....I thought I really hate my hair now, both the shortness and the horrible dark grey colour.  Can't wait for it to grow out.  Well, at least now it's virtually the same (very short) length all over, it'll hopefully grow out much more even, rather than the thin wispy mess it was before.  Either that or buy a wig!! 😂

Hair disappointment and pizza bargains

 Well, I cut (with husband's help on the back) and coloured my hair this morning.....suffice it to say I don't like it.  The colour certainly isn't the 'metallic silver' shown on the pack, it's more gunmetal grey, much too dark for my liking.  The top bit of my hair is fine, as is the very short back, but I went up too high on the sides, it doesn't really suit my face shape having it that short at the sides.  I wash my hair every other day so the colour will soon fade to a lighter shade, thankfully.  It also grows fairly quick which I'm happy about....in a couple of weeks it'll be much better.  Over the past few days I've crocheted myself 4 different coloured headband/ear warmers which all look good, so when I go out I'll be wearing one of those!  Oh well, I tried - I wouldn't say it's a disaster but I won't be doing either the cut or the colour the same next time!  The colour is definitely the most disappointing aspect, having had very light blonde and latterly faded light silvery grey all my life, dark grey is not my preferred colour at all.  Never mind.

It's been raining on and off all morning and is still very windy - husband attempted to take Betty for a walk but she didn't want to know, after just a couple of minutes she indicated she'd had enough and turned back home.  Don't blame her!  The sun has literally just come out but there are still black clouds hovering.  I did some washing this morning and have been waiting to put it out, but I think I'll put it on my new heated airer instead, the sun having gone straight back in again.

On Saturday evenings we've got into the habit of having a pizza for tea whilst watching Strictly.  I didn't have one in the freezer yesterday, so we went to Tesco to get one.  It turned out they had a meal deal offer on some of the pizzas (The Pizza Company ones), 2 large pizzas, 2 sides and a dip for £10.  I added up how much it would have cost to buy all the things separately, it came to £19.10 so quite a saving.  We chose a multi cheese pizza and a bbq chicken and bacon one, for sides we picked out a pack of lattice fries and a garlic flatbread, plus a bbq sauce dip.  Each of the pizzas were huge, we had half of the cheese one between us for tea last night, plus the lattice fries (which were lovely) and the bbq dip, also lovely.  The rest of the pizza is for lunch today with a bit of salad, the other one went in the freezer along with the garlic flatbread.  The flatbread is smaller than the pizzas, I intend to put some more toppings on it - maybe some roasted veggies and cheese - and have it as another pizza another day.  So the 2 pizzas and sides will actually do us for 5 separate meals for the two of us, with some veg or salad or beans on the side, which works out at £2 for each 2 portions, plus the sides.  Bargain!  The offer is on until 29 November, so I might well get it again (no room in the freezer at the moment).  

Our Tesco is undergoing a refit, it's chaos in there right now, empty shelves everywhere, everything moved around into different aisles, the toiletries, meds, baby stuff have all been moved into a marquee out in the car park.  There are notices up saying there are dedicated Shoppers Helpers carrying boards (like lollipop ladies).....erm, we've only seen one, who promptly vanished as soon as I saw her.  So shopping takes twice as long right now - there are Morrisons and Lidl in the same area but Tesco is my preferred shop.  I've asked 2 different staff members when the refit will be completed.....both of them shrugged and said they don't know, they haven't been told, but hopefully before Christmas!  It's not been very busy over the last couple of weeks since they started the refit - I'm guessing a lot of shoppers have deserted them for Morrisons, quite understandably.

I've got physio tomorrow morning, husband has his on Tuesday.  I think I'll tell my physiotherapist I don't need to go anymore, my shoulder is heaps better since I had the cortisone injection.  Other than that we've got nothing on this week, I don't think.

Bit blowy!

 Betty's fine now, back to normal after 2 doses of the anti nausea meds.  I hate seeing her unwell - although she is much more affectionate then, she wants to be with me all the time and leans against me for comfort, bless her.  Now she's back to her usual aloof self! 😂  Albeit being aloof in the same room as me, she still likes to follow me around from room to room.

Last night it rained heavily all night, no wind though, but then this morning the wind got up to gale force level and is only just beginning to abate a bit now.  Brief bits of sunshine in between rain showers, the rain droplets being hurled against the windows by the force of the wind.  We've got away relatively unscathed, apart from a bit of trellis hanging off and some plant pots blown around.  Next door's barn tarpaulin is still in place, just about, although has been torn loose along one edge and is in danger of being ripped off....still, that's their lookout, they must know about it, the builder and Mr X have been working in the barn all morning.  Oddly enough my sister up in the East Midlands said it was fine there this morning, no wind or rain, she sent me a photo of 6 parakeets on her feeding station around 10.30 am.

I've been sent a text from the NHS offering me a lung cancer screening assessment, saying my GP has identified me as being at potential risk.  News to me.  I guess it's because I used to smoke years ago - I smoked about 10 a day from my late teens to early 20s, so a period of about 5 years, 45+ years ago, a very long time ago and not a heavy smoker.  So I shouldn't think I am at risk, but I expect I'll go ahead with the assessment, it's free and probably just an initial phone thing.  Husband hasn't had the offer, surprisingly - he smoked more than me and for a longer period, and his father died of lung cancer, I would have thought he was a more likely candidate.  Perhaps they're doing it in phases.

No plans for this weekend - we certainly won't be car booting, I expect it will be cancelled anyway which is a pity as it's the last one of the season.....heavy rain and winds forecast all day tomorrow and again on Sunday morning, although it looks as though it might be better by the afternoon.  We really ought to get out in the garden and do the last bits of pruning and weeding before winter.

Are you all safe where you are, have any of you been affected by the storm?  

Oh dear

 Not a good start to today, I seem to be stuck in a cycle of bad nights, last night I woke just before 3.00 am and couldn't get back to sleep for hours.  Just as I did, around 6.30 ish, I was woken up a few minutes later by husband shouting at Betty, who was being sick in the lounge - he's got absolutely zero patience with her nowadays.  I said he shouldn't shout at her, it's not her fault, she's not being naughty or doing it on purpose, she just doesn't feel well!  I reminded him that I didn't shout at him when he was unwell and crapping on the hall carpet a few weeks back.  😒 So Betty's on a no-food day whilst her stomach recovers, her stomach is gurgling loudly so is obviously acidic again.  I'm sure she'll be better tomorrow, I've got a packet of her anti-sickness meds from the vet....I'll give her one later, no point in doing it now whilst she's throwing up (3x so far this morning, thankfully the last 2 were outside).  She's a bit restless and subdued, but not too bad.  She's had a few sips of water and is now dozing in her bed beside my feet, sleep is a good healer.

At least I've managed to get washing out on the line, there are a few hours of dry weather and spells of sunshine forecast before it starts raining later on this afternoon, continuing through the night with strong winds due to Storm Austen.  Predictions of 60 mph gusts here, not quite as bad as some areas though.  Mr X next door has blue tarpaulin fixed over the roof of his barn he's having refurbished, I hope it stays put!  We'll have to go out in the garden later and make sure everything, including the garden furniture, is battened down.  We've got candles and torches in the event of a power cut, plenty of fleece blankets to keep all 3 of us warm and the camping gas stove to heat water and food if required.  I'm sure we'll be fine, I hope you all stay safe.

That's that done

 Husband successfully completed the last of the dementia tests yesterday, in just over an hour.  By 'successfully' I mean that he did them without too much extra and unnecessary chitchat - I'd warned him on the way there that I really didn't want to spend another 2 hours plus there, and the longer he took, the later our dinner would be!  That seemed to do the trick 😉.  The psychologist has already given us an appointment to go back and be told the diagnosis - 19 November - a month away but at least I can put it out of my mind now until then.

Husband's got his covid jab later this morning, we're combining it with a few other places to go in town - with the price of fuel now it's too costly to go out just for one thing.  We've got nothing else on the rest of the week, so I can get on and do a few jobs at home.  In any case, the weather is forecast to be pretty nasty so it's just as well we don't need to go out.

On the subject of mobile hairdressers.....I did ask on the local FB page for recommendations, 2 or 3 names given, one of which I've already had.  She came to give me a trim a year or so ago, I didn't like the way she did my hair and she charged way too much - I got the impression she was deliberately charging high because she didn't really want to come and do it again.  The others I have messaged but neither of them have got back to me, so they obviously don't want to do it either!  It seems to be a case of 'old person (I'm not that old!!), short hair, not interested'.  I am actually fairly confident about cutting my own hair, I've done it before, it's just that I need help with the back of my head - I'm very uncoordinated when looking into mirrors trying to reach the back, I can't work out which way my hand should be going!  Husband is very cackhanded and doesn't follow instructions very well, but all I want is for my hair to be shaved at the bottom, I'm sure he can manage that.  Colouring is no problem, I've done that myself all my adult life.

My sister has just sent me a photo of 3 green parakeets on her bird feeding station in her garden, I knew there were flocks of parakeets in London, didn't know they were up north as well (Midlands actually).  Wonder where they came from?  A released or escaped bird (well, must have been at least a pair!!) I'm assuming, who have clearly bred successfully over the years.

Boring social life haha

 I really hope the dementia testing this afternoon is the end of it - well, except for the waiting to get the results.  The psychologist said that they'll probably call us in to give us the results personally - last time I think they rang us and then followed it up with a letter.  It seems to be nothing but health appointments lately, just this month we've had loads already - I had the podiatrist and diabetic eye screening, we both had our flu jabs, husband had a GP appointment, visit from the lady from Alzheimer's Society, husband's two dementia testing appointments.  Tomorrow he's got his covid jab (since the rules were changed I'm no longer eligible for one), oh and we've had 3 vet visits for Betty.  And next week both husband and I have physiotherapy appointments, on different days and in different places.  Our entire social life seems to be made up of health appointments, how boring!  And it's raining, all morning apparently, just to add to my fed upness 😂

Oh well, things can only get better - at least we don't live in France!  (what on earth is happening with the world lately?).

The courgette and Stilton soup I made yesterday was delicious.....well, I thought so anyway, husband ate half a bowl then refused the rest, saying he didn't like it.  Never mind, loads more for me then!  He's become extremely fussy and critical about the food I make in the past few months, having previously all the years we've been together eaten everything I made without complaint.  I rarely comment, although a couple of times I have told him to feel free to make his own meals (I'd rather he didn't actually, he makes too much mess!).

Well, it seems I can't get a haircut for love nor money, despite trying a few places - one gave a quick glance at my hair and then said she's booked up for weeks and weeks in advance, another said she's not taking on any new clients until the new year.  A third, who I was told had availability, asked via text for me to send her a photo of my hair as it is, plus a picture of how I'd like it, which I did.  That was the middle of last week and I've not heard back from her at all - so she obviously doesn't want to do it!  Yet she's currently advertising her services on the local FB page, along with pics of hair she's recently done - which are all of long flowing wavy locks with golden highlights.  My short wispy faded grey ageing hair which I'd like shaved at the sides and longer on top obviously doesn't match her aspirations!  Their loss, I'll do it myself.  It won't be the first time, and as long as I'm happy with it, that's alright.  And it'll save me a ton of money 😁

Husband's daughter, son in law and grandson are coming down for the weekend early next month, staying in the Premier Inn.  She rang yesterday and said they'd like to take us out for a meal on the Saturday evening, to celebrate my birthday, which is nice of them.  She asked me to pick a suitable place, which I'm thinking about - we rarely, if ever, go out on a Saturday night so I'm not too sure where to go.  I don't really want to go into town, most eating places there will be full of Butlins adult weekenders all in stupid fancy dress on a Saturday (you do see some eye-opening sights at the weekends, men and women on stag and hen nights, dressed as fairies, cartoon characters, animals, strippers - you name it.  Well, at least they're having fun!!  I'll have to look up some country pubs and check the reviews. 

Lovely homemade soups, and some worries

 I'm glad it's now soup and casserole weather.  Having said that though, I made a lamb stew with dumplings in the slow cooker yesterday, I was intending to have just the veg and gravy with dumplings, fishing out the lamb chunks when dishing up mine.  When it came to serving it up though, I just couldn't bear to have any myself - I wasn't going to eat the meat of course, but the overpoweringly meaty smell of the stew really put me off - since I stopped eating meat I really dislike the smell of meat cooking.  So I just had a tin of tomato soup with crusty sourdough and a sprinkle of cheese.  Husband will have the stew and dumplings again today and the rest will be frozen.  I find it a bit of a struggle handling/preparing some meat as well now, the cooked turkey for Betty especially although, oddly enough, I don't mind pulling apart the cooked chicken so much.  As for offal, which I used to eat quite happily a few years ago - well, liver and kidneys anyway - now I really can't stand either the look or the smell of it, husband has to do it himself if he wants it.

I'm making courgette and blue cheese soup for lunch today, using frozen home grown courgettes, I'll add some dried potato flakes to give it a bit of body.  Also making cheese scones to go with it.  For my dinner later I just fancy a grated cheese and carrot mayo roll (got some brown sourdough GF rolls in the freezer) with some pickled baby beets and gherkins on the side.

My guts are playing up again, nervous stomach I think, and I'm not sleeping very well either.  All this dementia testing is on my mind....if husband is diagnosed with some form of dementia, as I'm fairly sure he will be, I can't help thinking of what it will mean for our future.  And how will I cope in the event of him becoming much more muddled, confused and possibly even aggressive, and unable to do anything for himself.  I will cope of course, I'll have no choice - hopefully with some outside help - but it does worry me.  I don't think I was cut out to be a nurse.