Hi Carol, sorry if i was to nosy before, but i was curious apart from pensions bren gets attendance allowance, we get nothing else,. Hope the weather holds off for your shopping trip, nothing like a wet day to put you off and we've had plenty of them lately,. That wreath sounds lovely, we usto put a nice one on brens first husband and youngest sons grave but they kept getting pinched, even flowers went, nothing is sacred anymore,. Hope things improve for Christmas best wishes.... Billy xxx 

hi Carol and everyone . Think there’s a lot of nasty germs going around. When your not well anyway you pick them up easier I suppose. Hope you got an appointment for Norman at the Doctor. I’ve got awful backache. Had it a few weeks now . Saw Dr a few days ago and took bloods and water sample. She told me to drink more water and I’m to see her today and then more bloods taken next week. Just so worried it’s something else going on. Don’t need anymore to worry about. It’s a beautiful sunny day here but very cold. Much rather it than those wet dark days. Cathy, my daughter is going to help me put my tree up tomorrow and on Sunday I am going to the local hospice Tree of Lights service in St Chads church here and then lunch with some of the girls who I’ve met through the Hospice and have lost their husbands like me. We meet and do this every year. I’ve almost finished my Christmas shopping . Just a couple more to get. Like you Carol I sat and wrote my cards the other day. The stamps are so expensive aren’t they. Hope everyone is coping with all the busy times and keeping well. Love and hugs to all. Gloria xxx

So last night hubby decided he needs to see the doctor again, it's so hard to get through and it's like an army manoeuvre to get an appointment, if he'd got his password I could do it on line, I mention this, you've never asked me he says pan faced, like a red rag to a bull!!  Three times I've asked him but he wouldn't stand at reception to sort it out as it was too busy!.. So I ended up with an emergency appointment, left him in bed and set off to Xmas shop, first I had to put the bin out so I opened the garage door, up it went, down it came, stopped half way, went back up and stayed there, after four attempts it finally shut, my car was frozen so back in the house for a bowl of water, I chucked it over the windscreen which promptly set the wipers which are on automatic to cover me from head to toe in water, to say the F word was used is an understatement and it was still only 9am.  Teesside was heaving as I'd forgotten it was black Friday!  But I got a lovely new coat in Laura Ashley, everyone else's gifts and some prosecco for Sarah.  I had coffee and cake in M. & S  but it wasn't pleasant, babies screaming, very little choice and the staff looked like they'd been there all night and it was only 11am.  Poor things I hope they had headache tablets at the ready.  Back home I've managed to order a photo to be put into a cube for a present, very proud of myself, let's hope it's the one I wanted!  I try to order hubby a shirt, get right to the payment part and it won't go through, so I have to ring them, this Internet is not as good as it pretends to be, the lady says she'll push a button for my card details, read it slowly she says as it's computerised, apparently  I was that slow it timed out, oh my God nothing is simple anymore.  So Billy I didn't mind you being "nosey" that's how we get information.  Gloria I'm so sorry you're having a tough time again, it's like Norman it's never ending for you both, how he gets out of bed some days I don't know, I've only had a month of it and I'd had enough.  Sue, it sounds like you had a lovely day but all that travelling is hard, I can imagine after being just you that living with family must make a difference.  I did laugh today when I came home, Norman called me round to his side, the sun was shining and you could see all the dust floating in the air, no wonder I have a cough he states!!  You'll be glad to hear he's still alive.  Signing off now,  love to you all, Carol xx 

It's like a petrified forest here today, it's 4pm and my car hasn't defrosted all day so we're having a saag beef curry for tea and spicy pickle to warm us up, wine may accompany mine.  Hubby actually saw a GP who explained to him that he is always going to be susceptible to these chest infections and gave him stronger antibiotics and steroids, so he came home  happier and with a password, being more stern gets me much farther than being kind!  Tesco shop today as I've really only been buying what we needed so old mother Hubbard came to mind when I did a recce of the food cupboard.  I was going to see Mary but couldn't be bothered to defrost my car, I prefer to stay dry after yesterday's fiasco.  I bought some beautiful orange roses which I have stood in a cut glass vase, stood on a mirror plate and lit a candle next to them. It looks really pretty.  So I hope all are as well as can be.  See you soon,  love Carol x 

Hi Carol and everyone. Had appointment with Dr. Bit of good news thank goodness. Full bloods show my liver and kidneys behaving themselves so the awful backache I have, is probably arthritis. I was so worried it was the cancer. Just to be sure I’m to have an MRI scan but she seems pretty certain that’s what is causing me the pain. Got strong painkillers and maybe going for physio. So relieved . Love to all Gloria xxx

Dear Carol amd everyone,

How nice that Debbie treated you at Wynyard Hall.  Deana and Nick have put our Christmas tree up this afternoon.  It looks lovely, but will be interested to see ow it goes with Eli and 4 cats (2 of which love to play with the Baubles).  So hate it when our partners do that, Neil usde to do that all the time, get home and turn my music off, then put the TV on, and of course it was always blaring, due to his hearing.  Hope you manage to get a Dr's appointment for Norman.  You are lucky you still have Norman despite life not being the life you though you'd have.  I can't help but think Neil would have been better off not having any chemo, his quality of life would have been better at least initially. He really didn't do well at all on Chemo.  
Something else to have looked at, the garage door.  I  had a chuckle though over you getting wet.  Black Friday is not a good day to go shopping, I tend to not go anywhere shops on Black friday or our Boxing Day sales, absolute bedlam both days.  Hopefully the stronger antibiotics help to clear up Normans chest infection.  What a lucky find with the Laura Ashley Coat.

Gloria, The Tree of Lights service will be wonderful, then your luch afterwards.  Do they do cheaper postage for cards at Christmas like we do here, it's still expensive but at almost a 1/3 off it's not too bad when sending a large amount.  What good news from your Dr.  

Quite cold here and showers today, a good day to stay indoors.  I went to Cass's last night for Hayley's and Cass's birthday.  Had a good night and lots of fun.  A bbq on their porch, it was cold out but we were quite warm with the heaters going.  We played some card games.  I must be getting old that 3hr drive home is getting harder to do.  I did have the option of stopping halfway and spending the night at Bree's but came home.  So a quiet day today.  Deana has made a sponge filled with fresh berries, cream and a berry jam, so looking forward to sweets tonight after tea.  As promised a pic of my birthday cake from last weekend.  Bree made the cake and Deana did the flowers on top.

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Hope your all doing as well as expected.  Take care, love to all.  Sue xx

Hi Carol glad hubby is feeling better, hope your OK. Nearly forgot today me and bren been married 47 years, not celebrating till better weather. Going to take bren to a nice restaurant if i can find one wheelchair friendly haven't celebrated for a few years so about time we did, it's about time i treated her properly for marrying me all those years ago. Love to all and hope you're as good as can be...... Billy xxx 

Hi Billy, happy wedding anniversary to you an Bren, so you must have been only twenty years old, the same as me.  There are lots of wheelchair friendly places now so go on, book somewhere for you both. 

Carol xx

Hi Billy. Happy Anniversary to you and Bren. Hope you have a nice meal out together . Gloria xxx