Morning Jules,

Was just wondering how you got on when you visited your Mum this week, and also how your daughter got on at hospital?  I do hope things are not too stressful for you and that you can try and have a relaxing weekend.

I'm waiting for my eldest to come home, he has spent somewhat of Freshers sleeping on fellow pupils floors after social events - latest was a toga party last night!  I'm off to my counsellor this morning, had originally been thinking I wouldn't need to see her for too much longer but have been so emotional this week so will talk things over with her.

The weather is forecast to be nice this weekend but is looking a bit gloomy at present.  Here's hoping it brightens up and the sun shines on us all.  Take care  Hope x

Hi Hope

Hope you visit to the counsellor was helpful and its good for you to be able to talk things through and this should last as long as you need it.

I have just returned from visiting Mum and she was ok though I am sure a little concerned at how long she will be able to stay where she.  She has amazed the staff at how forthright she was when social worker 'interviewed' her and they are left in no doubt as to what she wants. All the care staff came to see me whilst I was visiting to make sure I was okay too - very sweet.  I stayed until she was due to go into lunch and we even managed a bit of a laugh when I showed her latest photos of her great grandson.  He has really enjoyed his first week in Reception and keeps telling his mum that his teacher is the most beautiful one in the school!!

Hubby and I picked him up from school on Friday as my daughter had to return to hospital for a second day of tests and monitoring.  Specialist blood tests with regard to her liver function have been sent off and unless she hears otherwise she returns to clinic next Friday.  The last set of bloods were borderline but all readings for the baby were good.  If the new blood tests show certain 'rises' she may have to be taken in and possibly induced (she is now 37 weeks and would probably welcome is being over and done with!!).  Anyway so far so good.  I have an overnight bag ready and waiting and she has several friends on standby to get her to the hospital if her hubby is at work.  Mind you she is still driving herself at present!!

When we met our grandson at school (its only 10mins to his home) he told Grandad that he could meet us there as it was healthier to walk!!!  My hubby's face was a picture as he drove off and I walked the little tyke home!!

Life's stresses seem to come and go but having the forum to offload certainly helped me to see things in perspective this week though I think my mood swings are more due to hormones than current circumstances.

Sounds like your eldest having a great time during Freshers but will no doubt be looking forward to some home cooking.  Have a great weekend with the family and will catch up again soon.  All the best and look after yourself. Jules xx

Hi Jules, How was your first day back at work after your hols?  I was back after half-term today, if I'm honest I could do with a few months off just to try and get back on track completely, but no chance so I just have to count the days till the next half-term!  Glad to hear your daughter and baby doing well, and great news about your son's new job.  You do sound very organised writing Christmas cards already, I'm always one of those people doing everything in December, this year I will be more laid back than usual as I said I'm not really "doing Christmas" this year, it would be too sad for me.  I will buy presents for the family of course but will keep it all low key.  I hope you got on OK at the doctors, I sympathise with water infections, had one myself last year and it took 2 lots of antibiotics to get rid of.  Take care.  Hope x

Hi Hope

Well, work was much the same and getting busier but spent much of the time off shopfloor collecting  books to return (weekly chore thats like doing mini audits).  No extra staffing this year and its beginning to tell already but as I told the Manager one pair of hands can only do one  job at a time.  He would have liked me to go in tomorrow (my usual day off) but I had plans already in place. Need to visit Mum and get the washing to the laundette.  Having followed the docs advice and drunk plenty (cranberry juice in the main) over the weekend and though tired thankfully today my 'water problems' seemed fine so hopefully thats sorted.  Any recurrence and I will make an appointment but so far so good and as I did quite a bit of lifting plus shopping after work am pleased no ill effects - mybe it was just a tummy chill.

It seems the longer we have away from work the harder it is to return.  We are not allowed hols in the six weeks before and two weeks after Christmas as this is our busiest time so hope to take my last few days beginning of Feb as all being well we have a weekend away with friends at end of Jan and I could make a week out of it!!  My eldest grandson goes back to school tomorrow (training day today) so that shouldmake my daughter's day a little less tiring but all in all she is doing well. Unbelievably baby will be 3 wks old tomorrow!!

Old habits and all that re getting ready for Christmas pretty early.  It started when I worked from home (proofreading) and used the half term hols as my break and used to get organised then, now I feel bad if I do it any later!!!  I can understand you needing yours to be low key and hopefully you can use it to get some well deserved relaxation time.  Take care and chat again soon.  Jules

Hi Jules,

Sorry to hear about your waterworks probems. The cranberry juice does seem to work for some reason but cranberry tablets work just as well and overall is probably a cheaper way of doing it. Also if you are going away the tabs are takeable with you.

all the best

Annabel. xx.

Hi Annabel

Thanks for the tip re the cranberry tablets (never seen them so will pop into chemist/health food shop to check it out).  Thankfully no problems at work on Monday so hope have nipped the problem in the bud so to speak.  I like the cranberry juice too so it can be my treat at the supermarket - how sad is that!!

Hope the Visit England appointment went well.  How many cottages do you have to look after and am assuming its a year round availability seeing how busy you are with looking after them.

Hope you and the family are keeping well.  Take care  Jules x

Hi Jules,

The Visit England visit is next Monday. We have 3 cottages in one large barn. We converted the barn almost as soon as we came here in 2006.Finished it in 2008.  So have been running for between 5 and 6 years.

We have people in continually until next Monday. As they need to see all 3 units they have to be empty for them to inspect. ( Although last year Visit England decided they could inspect whilst the cottages wee occupied!!!!!!!!! This is where we put our foot down and said no way. So we don't let them come until we know they are empty.) We have a large group of 14 taking over the barn tomorrow and they leave on Sunday, hence the visit on Monday. So have been v busy recently and a bit knackered when it comes to posting on here, I do read on here at least once a day though.

Glad you like the cranberry juice, I am afraid I didn't like it hence why I found out about the tabs. I needed them a few weeks after the surgery. I don't think I actually had an infection but the tablets still helped with whatever discomfort I had. I keep a supply in now just incase.

The family are all fine thanks however both son and son in law have both been made redundant in the last month. He ho life having its ups and downs as ususal.!!!!!

All I can think is to keep on pedelling. LOL.

How was your Mum this week when you went to visit her.? I hope all your family are well and your taking good care of yourself. Unlike you I will be starting some Christmas shopping next week when I go to see the consultant, a full days shopping with lunch at Bettys and my appointment at 4pm. Will be back home in the evening sometime.!!!. I used to be organised, but I am alright now. LOl. eeeck, our next busy period coming up , Christmas and New Year. What fun if you don't give up.

Take care,

Annabelxx.

Hi Jules,

Glad to hear you are feeling better and hope you're not working too hard now the busy season has started and without extra staff.  I expect Christmas will be a lovely time for you with your 2 grandsons, the eldest must be at the age where he is getting excited already what with all the decorations etc already in the shops.  No doubt Father Christmas will visit his class at school too!  My eldest very busy, has exams already in a couple of weeks and will continue that way throughout his course. This week he is learning about cancer, very poignant, I so hope he will make a difference to peoples lives in the future. I'm just sad that my Mum and Dad aren't here to see his achievements they were so proud of both my boys.  Youngest also busy with tests coming up, he is also doing some voluntary work in a local hospice charity shop, it is nice to give something back to the hospice as they help so many people.  Well lots of fireworks going off around here tonight, I'm not too keen on them myself but there is an OAP home close to us and they have a great display which we can see out of the window.  Hope x

Hi Jules,

Have been absent for a couple of days as I have had to write out a new wood club directory and as we have 110 member and I am the typical one finger Joe when it comes to using the keyboard, it has taken me a while to get this completed and sent out to our wood club committee members. Quite pleased it is done now. Our last one was about four years out of date and some members had passed away while others had moved, so it badly needed updating. This time I have done it on M/S Word so it can be changed quite easily in future and have sent it out via e-mail so no printing it out like the last version.

Have now just at last got rid of this bug that has been with me for at least three weeks so will be able to have the two older grandchildren here for a meal later this afternoon. Have so missed seeing them. Just bought my wife a set of owl salt and pepper pots at our local garden centre, although knowing her she may decide they are too nice to use and will probably just use them as ornaments. (She just loves Owls and me I hope although she doesn't use me as an ornament  I might add; Who'd want to anyway????)

I need to get out into my garage and turn some more light cord pulls as we have our wood club saleof work, competition and exhibition at the end of the month. It always amazes me the skills that our member have and the differnt things they make.

Hope your daughter and new arrival are keeping well.

Well as usual I have rambled on yet again (my wife tells me I would be a good candidate for The Ramblers Association)

Do take care Jules, best wishes to you and your family, Brian

Hi Annabel

Really sorry to read about the redundancies in the family. Not an easy time for you all. Went through this with both son and hubby a few years back but they were lucky and back in employment within a month so hope things work out quickly  fior your son and son in law.  As you are so busy with the cottages/guests hope you are finding a bit of time for yourself and not overdoing it and am sure with such good work ethics all will go well next Monday.

Well, felt lousy at work today and bladde problem resurfaced so have been to see the doc tonight and have had infection confirmed.  She has given me three day course of antibiotics and sent sample away for analysis.  Results should be back by Monday so have to ring surgery and find out if I need more appropriate meds (though I am hoping the ones I have sort me out!!).  Thankfully no real pain but a nuisance having to nip off the shop floor rather too frequently.

My daughter is very tired with a very grumpy baby  and I had hoped to pop round after work but just not up to it at present.  Have chatted to her and offered moral support and hope to soon be able to help out again.  Baby has been seen by paediatrician and they are treating him for 'reflux' (her eldest also suffered with this so she recognised the symptoms) so hope the meds will help ease his discomfort.  He has also developed infantile acne (no treatment but can take some weeks or months to disappear).  My son in law is sending her to bed early and will do the evening feed in the hope she can get a few decent hours sleep as she was up a lot last night.  Its early days and she just wants to be a good mum.  I told her she is doing everything right but needs to let her own body recover and must take what help is around.

By the way got the cranberry tablets but need to wait until the antibiotics are finished before starting them (they may cause false reading for samples taken!!).

Mum was on a good day and had nice chat for a change.  Stayed longer than normal and it was nice to have her smiling.  Have to m ake the  most of these times.

Hope all goes well with your consultant appointment and make sure you enjoy your lunch and retail therapy( will you have time to see your daughter and Ava again soon or are you Skyping?.  What busy lives we are leading.  Hope to catch up again soon but in the meantime take care of yourself. Jules

Hi Hope

Spoke too soon about my waterworks. Felt like a wrung out dishrag at work today and so been to the GP this evening.  There is an infection and I have a course of antibiotics to take whilst they send sample off for analysis - results should be back  by Monday and they will let me know if I need specific medication or whether what I am on will do the trick - deep joy!!

Yes, the eldest grandson has been going through the catalogues and ticking what he fancies re Christmas but as his birthday (5th) is at the end of this  month he is more excited about that at the moment.  We usually wait and see what he gets birthdaywise and then decide on his Christmas gift but this year we are doing clothes as he has had a growing spurt .  He is currently really enjoying drawing and colouring so expect this will feature too.  There are some great bargains to be had at The Works locally so I try and get a couple of things each week (he also has a playbox at our house).

Sounds like your eldest will have his head to the grindstone with exams but if all goes well what a wonderful profession to be entering into.  Your younger son obviously also has his mum's caring nature with his voluntary work.

My hubby is having physio tomorrow which is offered by volunteers at the local hospice day care treatment centre.  He has been told he can drop in between 9.30 and 3.00.  Really hope this will help with his upper arm movement though expect it will take a few sessions to see a difference.  At least his consultant does not think its linked to his cancer which was a relief.

Take care Hope and no doubt the school is getting ready for the festive season.  Chat again soon. Jules x

Hi Brian

Glad to read that your bug is almost gone now (they really seem to be hanging around this year) and that you may now be suffering from 'keyboard finger syndrome' after completing the new directory for your Wood  Club.

It too have had to visit to the GP as waterworks problems left me feeling like a washed out dishrag at work today and knew I could put it off no longer.  Have antibiotics for the infection and await results from sample analysis which should be back byMonday.  Typical to get this when I really need to be helping with my daughter (very tired trying to cope with new baby which is not settling so well at the moment).  Tonight my son in law has sent her to bed early and is doing the late evening feed so she can get some proper sleep.  She is such a good Mum but trying to do too much too soon!!!

Hubby has his first appointment for physio at the local hospice day treatment centre tomorrow and hopefully this will aid his restricted arm movement.  His consultant does not think its linked to his cancer and could be due to muscle wastage.  Fingers crossed physio session will eventually prove useful.  He is also having blood tests repeated so they can monitor any changes prior to his next scheduled appointment in January.  Did you have yours repeated yet?  If so hope all is well foryou.

Take care and best wishes to  you and the family.  Jules xx

Hi Brian

Glad to read that your bug is almost gone now (they really seem to be hanging around this year) and that you may now be suffering from 'keyboard finger syndrome' after completing the new directory for your Wood  Club.

It too have had to visit to the GP as waterworks problems left me feeling like a washed out dishrag at work today and knew I could put it off no longer.  Have antibiotics for the infection and await results from sample analysis which should be back byMonday.  Typical to get this when I really need to be helping with my daughter (very tired trying to cope with new baby which is not settling so well at the moment).  Tonight my son in law has sent her to bed early and is doing the late evening feed so she can get some proper sleep.  She is such a good Mum but trying to do too much too soon!!!

Hubby has his first appointment for physio at the local hospice day treatment centre tomorrow and hopefully this will aid his restricted arm movement.  His consultant does not think its linked to his cancer and could be due to muscle wastage.  Fingers crossed physio session will eventually prove useful.  He is also having blood tests repeated so they can monitor any changes prior to his next scheduled appointment in January.  Did you have yours repeated yet?  If so hope all is well foryou.

Take care and best wishes to  you and the family.  Jules xx