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,

So glad you enjoyed a lovely family Christmas, sounds fab with your grandchildren.  Well surprising news for you regarding your in-laws, no doubt mixed emotions about their move?  Good that your hubby seems to have taken it in his stride though.  Since I've been home the Christmas emotions seem to have hit me hard, I had to go and check on my parent's house,(as I'm always doing), but seemed to upset me a lot this time of year and hence today has not been a good one.  Confirms that I made the right decision to get away though, and we are off again Monday for New Year so I'm hoping that will help. I hope you continue to enjoy your weekend, and don't work too hard on Monday.  Expect your New Year's Eve will be fairly quiet if you are back at work on New Year's Day, but enjoy whatever you do.  I always feel a little sad at the end of the year so expect this one will be especially hard, but I will be thinking of all my virtual friends and praying that 2014 brings us all some peace.   Hope x

Good morning Jules,

So pleased to read you have come home feeling very relaxed. It's good you have had time to re-charge the batteries so to speak after all the hard work you have been doing and all the emotional time you have been through with your husband, mother and daughter. You have been on the go non-stop since your visit to Robin Hood country earlier in the year. We have had a very quiet time apart from when my son and family visited on Boxing day.

My niece had a narrow escape just before Christmas. She was driving home from work when the large tree fell into the road just in front of her. she had to make an emergency stop and just stopped inches short. Another driver nearly ran into the back of her but he was good enough to get out and ask if she was okay, but she was just a bit shaken up. When she got home, she phoned her mother and told her if she had been just a few seconds earlier, that tree would have crushed her car, so she was very lucky.

I am sorry to  read you have to work on New Years day. Hopefully the worst of the sales rush should be over by then.

Take care, will talk again soon. Best wishes for a happy New Year, both to you and your family, Brian

Morning Hope

Well hoping to getmy e-mails sorted before internet fails (again!!). Very frustrating but have hubby on the job now and so far he has isolated the problem to the actual phone line (though supplier says no fault showing!!).Next step will be to get an engineer outwhich could take a bit of time with so many people  affected by yet more windy/rainy weather.  Howling outside here at present!  Its not until you do not have continual access that you actuallly realise how much you depend on the technology.

Well I am pleased we 'managed' Christmas but please don't be too down that you felt low when visiting your parents' home.  This will always be an emotional hotspot as its where most of your memories relating to them are.  When my Dad died, every time I visited Mum afterwards it felt so strange seeing her alone and you had hardly any time at all to get used to that weird feeling before losing yoru Mum too.  In time (different for us all) you will finding coping with memories/reflection a little easier and nearly 6 years on from losing my Dad my thoughts are happy ones (strange how you forget the difficult times/arguments) and me and  the family talk freely without the sadness that was so raw.  Your wise words to so many on this forum are testamount to your strength even though you are dealing with your own heartbreak.  Iam sure that is helped by the loving support you have in your own home.  Do continue to take care of yourself and remember the memories you have inside can never be taken away but can continue to be looked back on (my Dad's words of many years ago are still helping me cope within my life today - an amazing legacy).

Despite the horrid weather here today I aim to battle through the wind to go see my Mum.  She really  has never enjoyed the festive season (believe the root of this lays in her own childhood which she rarely talked about but did involve an alcoholic father and witnessing violence towards her mother which no child should have to see ).  Will probably find she refused to join in the activities though do know she enjoyed the various carolling groups that visited before Christmas Day - usually during their meal times.  The staff do so much to make it a good celebration but no one is forced to enjoy themselves.  She did have the GP out onChristmas Eve for a skin complaint but the staff were doing all the right things for her and it was more of an information call for me.  They are going to do all the usual blood/urine tests to keep an eye on her diabetes and re-assess her mental health medication so have things under control which is a relief to know.

Work was very busy yesterday and I am working tomorrow  from  11 - 5 but our Manager (who is off as he worked the Christmas) believes it will be quiet and we will get lots of things done - we will see.

MayI take this opportunity to send peace and hugs and good wishes for you and your family for 2014 and to thank you for being a virtual friend.  Chat soon   Jules xxx

Morning Brian

My your niece really had a very lucky escape and it must have been terrifying at the time.  Do hope she is feeling much  better now.  Also hope that the emotions of visiting your sister's place of rest was offset  by the fact that you were able to do so after so many years of searching.  Your Mother would be very proud that you were able to achieve so much.

We were very busy at work yesterday despite the rotten weather (the wind was picking up the huge wheelie bins in the backyard and throwing them around and some people were really struggling to stay on their feet).  Thankfully by the end of my shift the rain had stopped and I went home in the sunshine though it was still a bit gusty and this morning it is once again rather nasty outside.  There is plenty to do as y ou can imagine with trying to get things back to normal after the Christmas but the Manager does not believe we will be too rushed on New Year'sDay (working 11-5) so hope he is right as Iam working alone in the book department and there is much to achieve!!

Hubby has managed the festive season pretty well and is just getting over a mild cold and trying to get our phone/internet service sorted out (we know its relating to the line itself but we are told there is no fault (strange its so noisy we cannot hear people!!) so it seems we will need to have an engineer to investigate.  He will hopefully try and sort this soon but am sure there are many in the same position with the weather conditions so if I go quiet (impossible I hear you say) it will probably be because the internet is affected again.

I will therefore take this opportunity to wish you,Mrs B and all your family peace, hugs and good wishes for 2014 and thank you for being a virtual friend and for giving so much support to others (including your own family).  Take care  Jules xx

Good morning Jules,

Congratulations, you have now made 2,000 post on here and I have not read a single bad one from you during that time and you have helped so many people with your wise words and well written posts.

Yes it must have been frightening for my niece and she was so lucky. Glad to hear the weather was better when you came home yesterday. Also very glad to hear your hubby managed the holiday okay and that you all enjoyed yourselves.

I have a slight problem with my laptop at the moment; every now and then it just completely freezes up and I have to shut it down.

Jules I would never be so rude with regard to you going quiet. Have just come back from the surgery (Mrs B's weekly check up) and everything okay with just a slight alteration in her medication. She herself altered her insulin as she has had several bad turns in the mornings recently. She has to have five injection a day for her diabetes whereas I only have to take tablets.

Thank you for you kind wishes regarding 2014 and I also wish the same to you, your husband and family. May I just say it has been a pleasure getting to know about you and your family and I also thank you for you virtual friendship which had been so appreciated.

Best wishes, take care, Brian

P.S. I notice you said about your relative TV being broken well you didnt miss much. We were so disgusted by what was on we hardly had it on apart from the news. Nearly everthing was repeats of repeats. Just looking at the program guide is enough to give one a case of bad indegestion

Message was edited by: woodworm

Good morning Jules,

Sorry I haven't been around much this last week, seem to have been forever cleaning the cottages.

At last all the New Year guests are safely gathered in and I can just get on top of the washing and ironing and it will be back to cleaning them all on Thursday and Friday.LOL.

My other half and I had a really good chilled out Xmas and Boxing day but the weather has been pretty awful overall.

I am glad you didn't have any misshaps yourselves. Weather is wet and windy again today but not as bad as last week.

I was going to reply to you the other day but stopped myself as I was feeling rather put out on your behalf with you husbands siblings news.

I am glad your husband seemed to take it in his stride, I cannot say that I would have been able to, but good for him.

I find it strange when people are so unable to help others even with a little verbal support.

I don't know if you remember that my own father has never said one thing to me in this past year about my cancer, never even asking me how I am, well we are now in ironic rolls reversed, he is being scanned this week for a lump in his breast.!! And no I couldn't treat him as he has treated me, I thought about it but I just couldn't do it. So I know all about his lump who he has seen when he is being scanned and when he is seeing the consultant. Because I am working I cannot take him to the hospital, which I would have done if I could. I find life to be full of ironies at times. He ho.

I hope tomorrows work goes well for you and that your manager is right. I also hope you telephone line gets sorted soon. Can't have Jules off line for too long.

My daughter has put a picture of Ava, sat up with a lovely bright look on her facebook page hugging a bottle of Champagne...!!!! Now I know we nicknamed Charlotte champagne Charie, she's captioned it like mother like daughter . It's a wonderful picture, one to keep. How are you grandsons doing?  Well I hope.

Well I wish you and yours Jules, a Prosperous and happy New Year ,and thank you for your virtual friendship.

Hugs

Annabel. xx

Afternoon Brian

Its amazing to think I have posted that often and I had not noticed the milestone reached!!! You yourself lead by a fine example and am sure we have all learned so much on the respective journeys we have taken or are taking.

Sadly so many families are caught up in the cancer rollercoaster but with so much research one can only hope that one day even more good stories will be read about.

When I got back from visiting Mum it was to the news that our landline was completely dead so being unable to get the robot on the end of the fault reporting line to acknowledge me as a customer (despite account number and phone details!!). I took to their online live chat option and was very impressed and finally sorted an engineers'visit for Thursday.  Imagine my surprise then when an hour ago a ring on the doorbell hailed the arrival of a troubleshooting engineer and we are now all fixed (overhead break in cable was cause even though a 'fault test' this morning had not shown it!!). Hubby said he wished I had dealt with it from the beginning as I was far more confident on the phone (and there was I trying to make him feel useful -hey ho).  Hopefully now all will be well as felt very vulnerable without the landline (hubby's old mobile just packed up too) and have really come to rely on the forum for sanctuary.

Glad Mrs B's check up went okay and that she can adjust her diabetes medication a little.  Like you my Mum's diabetes is controlled by tablets and she has just had checkup to make sure all is as it should be. When I left her today she was having a manicure (she had refused to have her hair done!!) and just said she was glad Christmas was over. Wished her and all the staff Happy New Year.  We are spending it quietly indoors (just as well with the awful weather).  Looking forward to continuing all my forum friendships in 2014 when time allows and hope you internet problems can soon be ironed out.  Hope Brianitus continues to reign in 2014 (within reason). Myself - well I am still aiming to finish the 'naughty but nice treats' up  and then take myself in hand so that I can still get into the clothes I have bought for our social weekend away at end of January.

Take care of yourselves.  Peace and hugs.Jules xx

Hi Annabel

Hope your Dad will soon know what is going on. Sometimes think men just can't handle these 'blips' or perhaps just unable to express themselves but as you say life is full of ironies.  As far as hubby's siblings are concerned their timing could have been better but nothing was going to stop us all making the most of being together for Christmas (and I felt like I was on holiday to be fair; we were spoilt rotten).  I kept my real thoughts to myself (nothing to be gained by causing more upset) and hubby and I discussed it when we got home. In some ways I think it has bought him some relief that his older sister will not be alone when something happens and he has always been generous in spriit and that has not changed. I am not sure how it will all work out but for now we are living in the present which is to be cherished. No one knows what life is going to throw at them along the way and this forum has given me such support, I feel very lucky to have virtual friends who in so many ways are making our journey easier to bear.

You note about the picture on Ava 'on the champagne' really made me smile as our eldest grandson also has a 'drink' photo fromChristmas.  He was asked to take an empty beer bottle to the kitchen (by his uncle) and the first think he did was put it to his lips so you can imagine what the photo looks like!!!  It was wonderful tohave him and baby Zack with us this year and we have also just had news that they hope to pick up a replacement family car at the weekend so it looks like their New Year will bring the some cheer.

As to our phone line, we had an engineer booked for the 2nd but low and behold one called earlier this afternoon and we are all sorted.  Was a break in the overhead cable (even though they had done a fault test which did not show it there end!!) and a nice young engineer fixed it really quickly. Am very relieved.

Hope you have time to catch your breath after all that cleaning and wish you and the family peace and happiness for the New Year ahead.  Hope we can continue to enjoy our virtual chat in the months to come.   

Take care and virtual hugs  Jules xx

Hi Jules,

Well done for getting your connection problems sorted. We don't want to be Jules'less do we. I had almost the same problem about three years ago where I kept losing my Internet connection and just like in your case the land line went as well in the end. Our cables are all underground and I had to wait nearly two weeks for them to lay a new cable for which they had to dig up the neighbours front lawn, and then another two days before they came to connect it up. I was very frustrated. So well done for getting it sorted so quickly Jules.

I feel sure my wife is more concerned about her brother than she will admit to me as she seem quite stressed at the moment. She always finds difficulty in talking about her feelings even to me. Her parents never ever showed her any affection, and when she was about 11 years old her younger brother was killed in a road accident. They never told her about it, with the result she found out about it at school from one of the other pupils. They then overreacted by not letting her go out much at all, making her very much a loner. They never hugged her or told her they loved her even though I know they did in their own way. As I had a non existent relationship with my stepfather, I think this is why we get on so well together. If she continues with this stressful mood, I may have to have strong words with her as I have found although this sounds so unkind, I have found by forcing matter to a head, it is the only way to get her to open up and talk freely. I hate doing this but I only do it after I have tried all the usual routes and failed. Otherwise she tends to let her emotions build and build and then it's even more difficult.

It must have come as quite a shock to you to hear your husbands relative are planning to move. Especially as they had told their friends months before telling you and your husband. Like you we will have a quiet evening in tonight and wonder if we will get many fireworks goinf off as it is still very wet here.

I hope that 2014 will be a good year for you and your family and that your two grandsons bring love and laughter to you all. My son gave us a calendar with lovely photos of our three grandchildren which were taken during their holiday in Scotland earlier this year.

With regard to Brianitus, Mr Tesco didn't have any chestnuts left at all so will have to try Waitrose on Thursday. So am rationing those I have left out to make them last as long as possible just in case they have sold out too.

Hope you enjoy those naughty but nice treats Jules. Have a peaceful but enjoyable evening, take care, best wishes to you and your family, Brian.

Morning Brian

Well, I took your advice and had a peaceful NewYears Eve -we both fell asleep in front of the tv and it was approaching 1 a.m.when we wished each other Happy New Year!!  Will have to save my 'tipple'until after work today!!

Am sure you are right about your wife's worries regarding her brother.Thankfully you know her too well to let her bottle it for too long and it would of course be  best for her to share the emotional rollercoaster the family once again finds itself on.   She would have been your great support during your own fight and perhaps its having seen what you had to go through that in some ways 'she knows only too well' what her brother now faces. Hopefully she can also be reminded of the good recovery you have made and I wish you all well.Do keep us up to date on how he is doing.  Have been meaning to ask how your Dad and your Canadian spur of the family are doing too?

Hope the weather lets up a bit today; the roads round our way are littered with small branches and lots of our neighbours fences will need repairing/replacing.  It was a clear night and there were a few fireworks (before I fell asleep) but on the whole it seemed pretty low key.

Happy New Year - Wishing you good health and happiness in 2014.  Jules xx

Morning Brian

Well, I took your advice and had a peaceful NewYears Eve -we both fell asleep in front of the tv and it was approaching 1 a.m.when we wished each other Happy New Year!!  Will have to save my 'tipple'until after work today!!

Am sure you are right about your wife's worries regarding her brother.Thankfully you know her too well to let her bottle it for too long and it would of course be  best for her to share the emotional rollercoaster the family once again finds itself on.   She would have been your great support during your own fight and perhaps its having seen what you had to go through that in some ways 'she knows only too well' what her brother now faces. Hopefully she can also be reminded of the good recovery you have made and I wish you all well.Do keep us up to date on how he is doing.  Have been meaning to ask how your Dad and your Canadian spur of the family are doing too?

Hope the weather lets up a bit today; the roads round our way are littered with small branches and lots of our neighbours fences will need repairing/replacing.  It was a clear night and there were a few fireworks (before I fell asleep) but on the whole it seemed pretty low key.

Happy New Year - Wishing you good health and happiness in 2014.  Jules xx

Morning Jules,

Thanks for your kind words. I spoke to my dad over Christmas and he seems quite perky. Hes has been told by his doctor that he has got over his bladder infection and is hopeful they will soon re-sheshedual his hip operation as he is only able to walk with the aid of a cane these days and is in constant pain while doing so. I spoke to my sister in Canada and she is keeping very busy as she has been doing a lot of home improvements.

I am back on to my story writing now and have five stories on the go at the moment. My computer seems to have sorted itself out, touch wood. As I write this the rain is still falling quite heavily and it's almost at the point of having to put the lights on.

I saw a question someone asked on facebook:- What do pickled onions, sprouts and New Years eve all have in common, the asnwer was fireworks.

Take care Jules, and I hope this year is a better one for you, your husband and family. Hope you dont get to wet on your way home from work.

Thanks again for all the support you have give me, Brian

Hello Brian,

Just want to take a quick oppotunity here to say Happy New Year to you and Mrs B.

I also hope unlike our red squirrels that your nuts are not frozen. !!!!!!!!!! LOL.

Hugs

Annabel.xx

Hi Annabel,

Thank your as I wish the same to you and your family. I have got some nuts which are frozen but I bought them from Waitrose as frozen chestnuts!!!!!!!!

Do take care and thanks for the friendship you have extended to me and others during the pasy year, Brian.