I love Saturdays

 I just do. Always have. Started my day at 5am 

Woke up and let Madam Barkypants out. We then snuggled downstairs and I looked at crap online for a bit and fixed under a blanket. It's a bit chilly this morning. 

At 6am, I loaded the washer, made a coffee. Logged my black coffee on the two calorie apps I'm testing out - just for my own ITNOS* experimentation and watched the starlings in the garden. 

I'm now sat drinking said coffee ( with 10ml Biocol -  cholesterol lowering milk ) looking at the jigsaw on the table. I've just done 5 minutes close heel work training with Bluebell in the kitchen with the most stinkiest treats ever . They would stop a charging hippo in its tracks. 

Actually, they wouldn't because I've been watching a programme on TV with a bit of an annoying presenter, Steve, I think he's called. But hippos give no warning and when they charge, there's no real stopping them. 

And now I thought I'd record my news. 

My daughter sent me one of her usual heart stopping messages yesterday. 

I only saw it once I had left work. 

It said. And I quote. 

"Oliver’s not very well I’ve got to take him to hospital "

No follow up text to explain. Nothing. No context. Reminded me of about ten years ago when she had gone back to Uni for the 2nd year and left me a casual voicemail message. 

"Mum, I'm in hospital. I'm having an operation. "

No details of what happened, which hospital, an operation for what?? I will have to go check my posts - she was out at a Fresher's Week even despite being a 2nd year and had fallen off her high heels on the dance floor and broken her arm near her wrist. The operation she was having was to pin her arm back together! 

I checked - that 10 years ago was actually 13 years ago and  I didn't blog it sadly! I did blog about taking her back the week before. Little knowing we would be going to the week after, paying a billionty pounds for a Travelodge because of the GNR and Uni starters etc. 

Anyway, he was poorly with a high temperature and she had taken him to the doctors. Because he had fast heart rate and temp not coming down, they said to take him up the hospital for monitoring. 

He had been drowsy and not drinking. So they said it's tonsillitis, bless him. So he's got a throat spray, antibiotics and they were home in time for tea. When she rang me at the hospital he was busy playing in the children's centre. Probably picking up even more germs off the toys! 

I tell you what, compared to where we live, it is far better in the NE for their healthcare systems than here. 

Anyway, we face times after his tea and he had a little husky voice but was just playing as usual! Hopefully he's slept and will be more like himself today though my daughter said he had been a little more compliant yesterday hahaha ! 

The weather is unseasonable warm and pleasant - in fact, it's just perfect for me! Yesterday afternoon, once I realised Oliver was not at death's door I emptied the kitchen and swept, hoovered, scrubbed, then boiling water mopped the kitchen floor. When I say scrubbed, I've got, what is in essence, a giant electric toothbrush on an extendable pole. It's USB charged up but it's a godsend for the bathroom and the kitchen floor. 

Having said that, if there was a way of managing the aftermath, I would let the HG power wash it! They are Welsh slate tiles and the light grey grout was black. 

The filthy weather last week meant that despite best efforts and decent mats, keeping the floor clean with Bluebell in and out  was nigh on impossible. Anyway, I washed all the mats too ( Turtle mats they are - really impressed with them ) as it was a great day for drying and the floor still looks nice this morning. I am very easily pleased. 

Mum, stop taking photos for your blog and make my breakfast. 

Don't look too closely because my cupboard doors need a good wash down too! 

Not sure what to do today - which is how I like it. There's always cupboard doors to wash. 

Next weekend, we will be up with Oliver ready to celebrate his birthday. Two already. It has flown by. 

I might start wrapping his gifts. I'll prob go see my Mum. I might make some bread - nothing fancy - I have a seeded loaf bread mix in. 

The butcher is coming and I've sleeves to knit. I've a few plants to plant out. Am gearing up for holiday mode. One more week at work. I should have had my follow up shoulder appointment on Thursday - remember I said how they'd sent a reminder, even though I knew nothing about it? Well, they cancelled it and now when I go look on the NHS app it says appointment reschedule under review. 

So maybe it will be this Thursday as so far that's when they've been. 

Work - inexplicably hard and frustrating and constant interruptions meant I'm still behind on admin. Some meetings were a delight and positive. Some, pretty pointless and I am actually not sure at all what more, as a school, we can do. 

I saw this on the internet and it is true. I'm not sure who Walter is but it resonated. No excuses. Even children with additional needs can function but the parent must parent harder. It is their job. 

I will not put the soap box away but will park it for now. It is 7.30am and I'm going to have a coffee and a chapter of my audiobook whilst jigsawing before the rest of the house awakes and the peace is broken. 

Hope it's something good for your tea tonight. We on steak n salad or Stalad as I like to call it. Or chips, as the HG calls his salad! 

*ITNOS is a phrase I coined with my friend whenever we try anything. 

In The Name Of Science 

R

What's new?

 1. New bed is so high, I actually have a little step now at my side so I can get on it. I feel like the Princess and The Pea, so high up. When I stand at the side of the bed, the top of the mattress is above my belly button height! 

With the giant wardrobes and now the bed, I really do feel like a Borrower! 

2. The recipe for the crispie tray slice was based on this. Except I added two crushed shredded wheats ( for goodness and roughage ) some rice crispies and the cornflakes to the toffee base. It was DEADLY. Do not make it. You will not be able to resist it!!!

The bottom bit cut off. I also added some melted chocolate to the toffee base to make it a bit fudgey and then topped with melted chocolate and crushed mini eggs - photo on last post. I never add butter or oil to chocolate - yuk! I don't mind it unshiny haha

3. The sun shone warmly today and it made life feel just better. 

4. Today I received a text from the NHS reminding me about my up coming appointment on Thursday afternoon at the hospital with the musko skeletal team. Except it was no good reminding me about something I didn't know about! Accompanying this message was another one that said 

Here is a letter for you, use this code to access it. So I used the code. You have been made an appointment etc etc. if you do not use this code to access the online message we will contact you by letter in 48 hours. 

Well in 48 hours - that's my appointment time - the letter would not be here - and then I would be getting a 'you missed your appointment' letter. Crazy! 

5. Anyway. I am absolutely terrified about going. The consultant was very abrupt and to the point. However. I will just put it out of my mind and try not to stress. 

6. Oliver is doing his first ever sponsored event! Very clever marketing. The charity is a children's charity in the North East that sets out to support children and families living with nothing.

7. Some lovely flowers on my kitchen window sill - the only place I'll really tolerate them ( long term friends of this blog and in real life know I much prefer flowers in the garden ) 

Daffs off my son, the bouquet off my daughter and the hyacinths off my friend. The minute the hyacinths stink they are going to be planted in the garden. The daffs will be next to go! But alive for quite good at keeping the water and vases clean and cutting flowers down to keep them going. 

I had egg and cottage cheese salad for my tea and loved it. Refreshing and delicious. Hope you had something good for yours. 

R. 

 

Replacing our 'New' Bed

 We got our new bed in the year 2000! I still refer to it as our new bed. The mattress is still the same but it's like us, knackered! 

. I've extended its life somewhat with memory foam mattress toppers but I think it is now desperate for a change. 

Anyway, we went with a company called Sueno based in Wakefield. I did want to just get a bed like a Premier Inn Bed and you can buy them. 

But we went with Sueno. They are an online company. Our Son had bought one from them two years ago and had no complaints. 

So we dithered over the headboards. We couldn't agree anyway I let the HG have the final say and we ordered it. It's got wings! 

So Saturday was delivery day. And it was a day of me stalking the bed's journey. It went all the way up to the Highlands of Scotland. Back down through Perth and then Glasgow and finally here at 5.15pm. The photos are out of order and go bottom to top but it was a great tracker system. 

I knew it was going to be a snug fit. We knew this from getting the old one out! 

We have a massive bedroom, it's at least 13m long by 15m wide - or 14m - it's longer and wider than a standard roll of carpet like huge. But the world's smallest staircase! Anyway, the wings that had caused much angst when choosing- had to come off. As did part of the overstairs cupboard extension! Thank goodness the HG was here. He was going out with his old school friends for 7pm and originally the bed was coming 6.30-9.30pm 

It would have to have been left in the dining room for him to sort. 

Anyway, the delivery lads were amazing and we all breathed in a bit and up it went by a whisker! I absolutely recommend them.

The base wasn't so bad because its two singles bolted together and they managed to squish and pull the mattress up too. 

It is lovely. However, Hindsight and all that. Why did we not decorate and get new carpet before we got the new bed?? 

Oh well. I think it was urgent for the bed to save our backs and joints. I loved my bedroom when it was first done. Not I want to paper to match the tiles on the fireplace - oatmeal with a splash of colour - it ties in with the oak wardrobes and the winged headboard ties in with the slate fireplace. 

Lovely bewinged headboard that I thought was old fashioned but it's grown on me. 

Plenty 

Of storage space to hide a dead body or two.

I bought some lovely new bedding - fitted sheets from a company called 'Rise and Fall' which are labelled with the short side because in the history of making the bed I always always always get it wrong first time. I also bought a lovely luxury thread count duvet cover in the M&S sale. It's cool and smooth. It's also pale bloody grey - it's now pale grey with Bluebell Prints! I will pop my beautiful scrappy quilt made by Pam in Wales ( I do miss her blogs ) on to save it a bit! 

Rightyo, I'm going to have my coffee, with a chapter of my audio book and make a start on this before work. 

Work is very challenging at the moment. Very, very challenging. Today I am also going to the funeral of a lovely friend, not much older than me, who I worked with for years. She did the job I do and she had a heart attack. I am 100% convinced, work played its part in that. I love my job, I am damned good at it, but most days I plot my way out of 

Anyway, please do at least one nice thing for yourself today annd one good for you thing and I hope it's something good for tea. 

My coffee and jigsaw is my nice thing , I've topped up my vitamin and magnesium and fish oil tablet dispenser which is my good for me thing and tea is yroast gammon with them posh knobbly new potatoes and salad. 

And probably a slice of this beauty. Recipe next time. 

4.26am

 

Just thought I'd show you the little corner of my room that's now the school. I'm going to swap the swan pic for the clock actually to give it the classroom feel a bit more. I took small crockery n cutlery for school dinners. I've a maths basket, some phonics, work sheets, exercise books , science equipment etc 

They are all loving it! 

Am awake, have been for hours. Got up to the loo, let madam out and took some painkillers - my shoulder is sore. But I think mostly I'm just sad having learned that one of my friends died suddenly on Saturday. 

She was one of those friend who you don't see for ages but pick up where you left off type. I first met her 30 odd years ago at the school I joined as a Maternity Cover. 

I clicked with her straight away. She was warm, kind, stood no nonsense and she was bloody funny. Hilarious even. Really good fun. She championed the children and went out of her way to help them. Me and her set up the first true Nurture group at the school and we stayed close after I moved schools to where I am now. Over the years, we caught up at training events and on line but I hadn't seen her in probably well over 12 months. 

Still, it was a shock and she will be missed. 

Life is short people, live for today, have something good for your tea. It might be your last. 

Crafternoon Tea

Thanks to all who've commented on my last few posts. I don't blog as such for the comments as it's just me recording what's going on. But I do rather love them too! 

 I had a lovely weekend. My working week now ends at 12.30pm on a Friday. I've swished working hours around to allow for one late finish at 5.30pm and one at 5pm. I've now declared myself semi retired! 

So I got home from work and then had a couple of hours pottering and washing and knitting then my friend picked me up at 3.30pm and we drove to her daughter's gorgeous country cottage to let her dog out. So we had a lovely long catch up and back home in time for tea. 

Then I was seeing her again on Saturday and my other friend. We had booked on a Crafternoon Tea activity afternoon in Kendal. A really sweet cafe hosted upstairs ( Bakery No.4 ) It was a bargain. £30.60 for four hours on a fabric art class plus afternoon tea. 

It was a lovely chatty drive up. A really wonderfully relaxing chatty but quiet afternoon with like minded folks. I learnt a new craft ( felting in the hoop to create art ) and would 100% recommend ( Jules, if you are reading this - I think you and L would love it! ) 

The gluten and dairy free option was also outstanding and the cafe provided bags to take home the stuff we were too full for! 

The only decision was what on earth was I going to create? You could choose to either make one large hoop or 2 small. I went with 2 small. For my first, I thought I'd do something that the children like to do at work. I cut a long length of black sparkly wool, gathered it up and held it high and let it go onto my hoop. I then chose 'jewelled' bright colours to fill in the spaces to create a stained glass effect. The possibilities were endless. The other one I decided to recreate one of the Sunrise photos from our holiday to Rascarrel Bay last October but I ran out of time. I brought some of the wool I was using from The Wool Buffet and I do have needles for needle felting at home to finish it off. 

Lana Grindlay is the artist who hosted and she was amazing. I'm hoping she will be able to come and do a workshop at school. I took her card to work yesterday but was so busy I've not had time to mention it to the Head yet. I may do it myself as an after school club one off or give the details to the Art Co ordinator to give the opportunity to a whole co hort. Undecided yet. It's great because there's no rules to follow and even if you don't consider yourself arty ( I don't actually ) there's joy in the process I think. 

Anyway it was a really really really lovely day outs 10/10 

Photos at the end of this post. 

Then on Sunday, I was invited to my friend's house to celebrate her daughter's 12th birthday. She is such a good and dedicated Mama. She always hosts a birthday celebration for school friends and then a separate family and friends one for us old dears to fuss and coo together. Her daughter is growing up into a wonderful young lady. Her celebration was book themed and my friend had ordered tiny edible books of the ones her daughter reads! There's an annual piniata - this time filled with book trinkets. I wish my friend was my mum! 

It was a really great weekend. 

Work yesterday was alright. I changed the role play corner in my room from a Cafe to a school. Oh my stars - you know who play the hardest and the best? The Year 6 children who come in. It was also very hilarious hearing the 'teacher' do all the lessons! 

This morning I got up at 5.30am. I've got a shin beef stew in the slow cooker and started using the new food waste bin with my peelings. I gave my compost bin away years ago once I quit growing veg. I've a few meetings this morning and about eleventy billion emails to catch up on and then this afternoon I've got some online training for supporting the siblings of children living with life threatening and life limiting diseases. We've quite a few in each year group so it will be interesting to find out what's out there beyond what I already know. The this evening I must get going on the sleeves for Oliver's jumper. 

Hope all is well in your world and it's something good for your tea tonight! 

  Book birthday cake

Saw this on the internet - isn't it just lovely 

One friend recreated a waterfall near the Coniston Copper Mines walk she'd done on Friday

My other friend recreated the view across the bay with the memorial bench for her Mum and Dad on the prom. 

All of our work. 

The GF DF option

Deliciously light scones

The lemon drizzle was huge and divine.

 Coffee art! 

How mine started

My efforts above! 

R 

What my MRI scan was like

 So Thursday morning I was up in time to get the larks up. After a few nights of dreadful broken sleep, I went to work as usual. I left at 1pm to get home and let Bluebell out, clean my teeth etc before my friend picked me up. 

But before work, I had to hunt out my swimming costume. Thanks for the kind comments and bra suggestions on my last post  lovely bloggy folks. So I do indeed had a pull on sports bra type affair. But that's too small. I tried and got stuck midway. Not a great look. So I carried the stepladders up the stairs and climbed up to my top boxes in our new wardrobes. 

And when I say Top boxes they are right up at the top. And

at 4ft 11, I'm not! These photos are from when they were installed by the HG in the Summer. The wallpaper shows where the old wardrobes were! 

Anyway I struggled but managed and then got my Son to reach the very last one for me to check - of course what I was looking for was in the very last box...

I tried on. Swimming costumes are stretchy but not that stretchy ! And it is a good few years since I wore them but nope, definitely a bit snug as you can see in my photo below . 

Nicked this funny off the internet! 

Then I thought, oh I know, I've my vest top, that will be fine. Forgetting that I've worn it in bed due to the drenchers I've been having nightly ... I thought - it'll be fine - a bit of febreze and there we are. Oh 

Fished out of the laundry basket to remember I drooled sodding toothpaste down it cleaning my teeth - the drooling occurred because I overbalanced. Michael Mosley told me to stand on one leg whilst brushing my teeth because it's good for me ! I'm dead good on my right one but a bit wobbly on my left. 

Balls to it, I thought. I will just go au natrel! 

So into the mobile MRI wagon.

I'd climbed. up the rickety stairs and was welcomed in by two radiologists and one of them looked like Paddy Dingle off Emmerdale.

He asked me to sit on the chair in a tiny box cupboard labelled 'changing room'.  and asked me 

Name

Age

Weight

Height

Have you got a bra on?

Take it off

I thought, blimey, he's forward and I don't think much of this speed dating!!!

So the scanner was in a lorry trailer in the hospital car park. At one end I could see there was the person in front of me being scanned. All I could think of was the scene from The Wizard Of Oz where the house lands on the witch and her legs and feet are all that's left sticking out! In the middle was a giant wall of tech, screens, buttons, cables and knobs and then the tiny cupboard where I was sitting at the other end, opposite the scanner room. 

He also asked if I had any tattoos, metal implants and anything inside my body I was not born with. I signed a form and then waited. There was a pulsing humming and whooshing constant noise and it almost felt womblike. Pulsing and rhythmical. I could have fallen asleep. He asked if I'd had one before ? I said no, I was looking forward to the experience! 

Then it was my turn. 

I walked from the cupboard, past the tech desk, into the scanner room. He said get on the bed. Bed! Concrete slab it was with blocks on it. One for my head that was like a chopping block shape and then an inverted v shaped one for my legs to go over. And a sculpted like shell foam mould for my shoulder. 

He manhandled me into it and after 3 instructions to lower my left shoulder, he realised I could not lower my left shoulder, I was manoeuvred a bit more, strapped in and anchored down. But as my shoulder was the most painful it had been for days, I could not hold my arm straight down against my side so was allowed to bend it at the elbow so my hands were resting on my middle. 

Next he said stay still, don't move, be still as you can. The bed shifted me in a bit, he tucked my saddlebags in on my right side so I felt squished up against the wall of the thing, he gave me a panic button to press if I needed them to stop and slapped a pair of ear defenders on.

He then proceeded to ask me if I was ok. I gave a thumbs up. He said don't move! 

Then he said right I'm going back in with Paddy Dingle. It'll take 20 minutes to an hour. Ok Rachel? Well, I wasn't allowed to move so I did nothing. 

Then Paddy Dingle said 

Are you Ok Rachel? You can speak to us! 

So I squeaked a Yes, sorry ( because I am British! ) 

I think, I'd reverted to 2 years old where if I can't hear you, you won't be able to hear me! Plus he'd said not to move, so no thumbs up and he'd given me a button to press to communicate with them to stop ie. I'm not OK , so why would I speak. 

And then it started! Now I know so many people who have had an MRI before. Interestingly, not the HG. ( 10 years this year since the Kidney Cancer! ) and they all mostly report it is so noisy, banging, clanking, clunking. 

Now that is not at all how I would describe it. 

It was like being IN a Space Invaders game to me.Peeeeow Peeeeow Peeeow zzzzzzzzzzzzz nooo noooo noooo nooooo dededede dededede bbrrrrrrr bbrrrrrrrt each 'firing' electrons sound was a different pitch so I could imagine it penetrating the different layers of my body tissues. 

Then it stopped! 

I thought, wow that was fast! 

And a muffled voice said, right Rachel, we are ready to start, KEEP STILL AND DO NOT MOVE. 

And I didn't! But I was so conscious of not moving and was barely breathing but realised my hands on my middle must be moving up n down. After a good chunk of being eliminated from space. It stopped and the voice said Rachel, some of that was shaky. You need to keep still. I said I'm ever so sorry, I think it's because I am breathing! He said, try shallow breathing. Which is what I thought I'd been doing. 

So anyway I said I'd try, I took two deep breaths and said Ok. 

Well, the more you think about your breathing, the harder it is to do shallow breathing and not move your lungs at all and because there's nothing to look at or distract you the focus becomes uncomfortable. I started to realise properly how the people with claustrophobic tendencies could panic. 

The magnetic fields  were well underway and by now I could feel them hitting my bone ( I couldn't, but you know ) and it was getting warmer. He said you are doing well. But then with the concentration on my shallow breathing becoming so intensified I thought the next time he asks if I'm ok I'll say I'm not, I can't do any more. I felt like I was going to pass out and the buzzer had shifted in my grasp so I'd have had to have moved to squeeze it. Anyway they said my name and all of a sudden I was sliding back out into the light! He asked if I was Ok. I said I was now. He said you can sit up. But I couldn't. It was like I was paralysed! So he helped me up and said how was it? I then said. Ooo I enjoyed that! It was an adventure! He laughed. I said when you told me to do shallow breathing, I couldn't!!! He then said you are free to go! So I left the chamber, walked past Paddy Dingle at the computer and said, Could you see why my shoulder hurts so much? 

He said 

Ohhhh yes. But your results will be through in about two weeks and they will go straight back to the consultant who referred you. I then got sorted and went out into the pouring rain glad to feel it in my face! 

Here's what I think they should do to make it better. 

For me, had I known they did a start test shot as it were, it would have been preferable. Also there is no way of knowing how long you have been in there so saying 20 minutes to an hour is absolutely pointless unless they can talk you through it. The inside of the chamber is white with nothing to look at - I don't know if that can be changed. They never offered me music through earphones like it said on the NHS guide. And explaining what happens if you move meaning it has to go again might help also a guide to the different sounds you might hear. Knowledge is power! 

Then my friend. Picked me up and we went to the garden centre for a cup of tea and some cake. Lemon ginger cheesecake for me, chocolate cake for her. We had a good old debrief about all our medical bits and bobs and work stuff. A browse in the gorgeous gift shop and bought some sweeties from the lovely display of goodies on the way out. 

She dropped me off at home in time for tea! All in all I'd give it a solid 8/10 for a day out! 

Hope you had something good for your tea, and if you ever need an MRI scan, you know what to expect now!