Tuesday moans

Afternoon All,

Well I'm still here off work and at home - nearly 4 weeks now and  I'm still having issues with my immune system and now a kidney infection!

You know I started this year saying 2013 was going to be a great year - I should have kept quiet - oh well it can only get better. (hopefully)

I did try to go back to work after I'd had the first week off,  but only managed a morning before my ankles all swelled and I didn't think that I'd be able to drive back up the motorway and home again and I've been signed off by the Doctor for the last 3 weeks. But hopefully I'll be back at work next week, after I've seen the consultant .

The day after I tried to go back to work,  there was a young lady in the news who had successfully brought a case to court as she had been expected to work 2 weeks in Pound Land, stacking shelves,  to be able to continue to receive her unemployment benefit.

Now I have never in my life claimed unemployment benefit (if it comes to that - I've never claimed any kind of benefit!) I could have - when the children were little and the first prat of a husband refused to go out to work, but I didn't -  I got up of my backside and got myself a number of part time jobs which meant that I went out to work every single day of the week (weekends included)  - it meant I paid the mortgage and the bills and fed the kids, later on I got myself a full time job and there I've been for the last 23 years. I presently pay over £400 per month in tax and national insurance -  so that this young woman can receive her benefits and then whinge because she's been asked to work 2 weeks

Is it me or have I got it all wrong??? 

Then this week there's been much in the press about a single woman with 11 children being given a brand new purpose built house by her local social housing group. This woman is also on benefits, (has been for most of her working life I believe)  but can afford a horse (or her unemployed daughter can) and flying lessons for the young man in her life at the moment!

I'm sure that the government and the do-gooders in this country think that working people have IDIOT firmly written on our foreheads! cause lets face it that's what we're taken for.

Now I know that I am cynical hard hearted person - I have very little sympathy with people who I don't believe deserve help.

For me - the sooner that the government stops paying so much in benefits to people who have never paid into the system the better - benefits should only be a short term stop gap whilst people get back into work. The benefit system shouldn't be there for healthy people to claim for life.  

Something needs to be done - we're already seen as the soft touch for the eastern Europeans to come here and claim benefits.

Obviously for born and bred British people who suffer genuine ill health of any kind  then  we should look after our own.

Because believe me that woman hasn't had 11 children because she believes that she can give those children  the best in life and loads of love and encouragement - she's had them because more children equals more cash in her hand to spend how she wishes - it gives her choices. (You know what always amazes me? - there's never a father on the scene is there? you know....to pay to keep their own offspring!)

As for that new house - I'd stake my next years pay that given a month and it will be an absolute tip! with nothing but more expence for the housing group to put right. 

Is it me?? I can't see anything wrong in expecting healthy people to give something back and do a couple of weeks work (at the very least) to be able to continue to receive their benefits . People who do go out to work - work 48 weeks of the year - they're only being asked to do 2 weeks for goodness sake!

 My grandparents all worked, my parents worked and my children all work - I've been brought up to be a worker not a shirker. Perhaps I've had it all wrong all these years

Byee

Happy days to come........

 



 

Afternoon All,

 

One of the better things of being off work, on sick leave,  meant that I could go on the computer at 9 o'clock on Thursday morning and purchase a ticket to go and see Fleetwood Mac at the LG Arena in September. It's cost an arm and a leg for the ticket but sooooo worth it - I've loved Fleetwood Mac for years and who knows how many more times, that they will tour, (they're in their 60's now) so I took my chance, paid my money and that's it now...... I'm going to see them.

 

I've also recently  had a new car, it's a Toyota Cruiser (it's slightly higher and looks more robust than the old one, but it's not a gas guzzling 4 x4) , it's a proper motorway car and I feel so much safer manoeuvring through Junction 9 and 10 of the M6 every night!

 

Plus we were lucky with the Sun Holiday and we have a week (well Monday to Friday)  booked at the beginning of October, for St Agnes, in Cornwall - we've paid the extra money and upgraded the accommodation and we're taking Daisy and Tillie (our dogs with us) as they will be OK by then for going on the beaches in Cornwall. (Can't take dogs on some beaches in Cornwall until 1st October)

 

Plus I was looking on the Internet and found a beautiful little chalet in Hayle, which looks straight onto the beach and across St Ives Bay, for a full week in May. It was a reasonable cost and we managed to book it.

 

It's got a balcony, just built for whiling away the hours with a glass of wine in hand and a good book to read!  - we're already counting the weeks down to that one (13 weeks next Saturday!)

 

We also have some further good news (but I'll save that for another day)

 

Till then - here's Steve Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac singing a beautiful song

 



Byeee xxx

That's rare!

Afternoon All,

Well it's been a funny few weeks here - I haven't been at my best, I have an issue with my immune system, which has been causing a few problems.

I couldn't get into my own Doctors to begin with so went to the local 'drop -in' centre and waited 4 hours to see a Doctor (only the Shropshire country bumpkins of our local NHS trust could send all the G.P's in this area on a course on the same day!) - I finally walked in and it was a Nurse who looked at my legs which were very swollen and had I had come out with lots of open sores, on my legs and feet and she said - I'll have to fetch a Doctor - the Doctor came looked at it, then told me what was wrong and said - it's very rare - can I photograph your legs to show my students!

 I have had to have lots of blood tests over the last week and have had a week off work on sick leave (not something I like to do given the present economic climate) but the recommended treatment was to rest, so that's what I've done.

But last Friday night I was sent from the Docs to the hospital, as he wanted to be sure that I wasn't suffering with thrombosis. I arrived at the hospital and was put on the 'fit to sit' ward at 4.30pm - I saw the Doctor at 10.30pm and finally left the hospital,  very weary and teary at 11.30pm. (I had left the house to go to work at 7.15am and had nothing to eat from the lunch time, and only 2 cups of tea throughout those 6 hours) There was no checks made for a thrombosis - he just looked at it and said 'that's very rare'! Then sent me home!

During those 6 hours of waiting, myself and the other 2 patients in there, went more than 2 hours at one point without seeing a soul - we saw the tea lady (who came round twice) more than the Doctors or Nurses. This wasn't the fault of the staff there, and is certainly no criticism of them - they were working absolutely flat out on the adjoining ward, but of the NHS trust management  and their complete lack of care for patients, to leave wards running with so little cover.

Which leads me to the news this week regarding Stafford Hospital, it amazes me when government ministers and the bosses who run that hospital say that they didn't know that people were dying due to lack of care. What absolute idiots - any working class person will  know of a poorly performing hospital, wherever you live in this country. There is one hospital back in the Midlands that's known as No Hope hospital. The local hospital close to where I work is where my Nan died - she was the first person there to go down with MRSA - I don't care if I were dying - there's no way that I would enter that hospital, cause all they'd do is kill you off even sooner, with lack of care and cleanliness!

My Nan worked in the hospitals as a cleaner in the 1930's - she used to have to get down on her hands and knees and scrub the operating theatres - there was no MRSA etc., in those days, because they were cleaned properly - no contract cleaners, cleaning to contract standard then (i.e. you get the cleaning to a standard to match what the hospitals paying for) - then, it was cleaned to the Matron's standard.

When we recently had a fire at work, in one of our properties and one poor gentleman lost in life, we were told that as we had a fire risk assessment and policy in place, if it was found that we hadn't followed that policy then we could all be liable for prosecution for corporate manslaughter, so I for one agree with the relatives of all those people who passed away, in that hospital  - the management team at Stafford Hospital should be held accountable and answerable in a court of law - if they're not held accountable then there's something wrong somewhere, with our legal system.

All I can add is a 'Well Done' to the campaigners who have fought so hard for their lost loved ones, it must have been a long hard fight for justice and they are so close now.

Speak again soon

Byee xxx

Anyone else remember the winter of '63?

Afternoon All,

Did I say that I hate January and that I hate snow!

 I was lucky enough to be able to work from home on Friday and haven't been out anywhere since Thursday night -  but this damn white stuff is forecast for the rest of the week, so it's a case of head down and battle through till it improves - with arthritic knees I'm frightened of tumbling and making them worse! I just wish it would go away - I can cope with any other weather conditions , but snow just makes doing anything twice as hard.

OK groan about the weather is over - now a groan about work!

The review has been undertaken and I've been lucky, I wasn't called in to have a 'chat'  - I think that I'm safe for another 3 years, but I will, with no doubt be working harder and longer to achieve whats expected of my team, but like I say I'm lucky, I have friends who haven't fared so well and the only real option open to them is to take the redundancy that's offered. Such a great shame - expertise and knowledge will be lost without a doubt.

Well I managed to get my sewing finished over the last 2 days so that's another UFO finished - I seem to have 4 ripple blankets on the go so that's my next goal to start and get them finished off.

Whilst I was sewing yesterday my hubby watched a programme about the big freeze of 1963 - for some reason he can't remember that winter. I can - that was the winter that I was 7 years old and I can remember skating (slipping and sliding really) across the big lake at our local arboretum holding onto my Granddad's hand. I also remember the ice on the inside of the bedroom windows every morning. My Mom and Dad were living in a two up, two down cottage with only one coal fire for warmth - I remember the paraffin heater burning away in the outside toilet trying to stop the pipes from freezing and there was one in the kitchen (scullery really) too.

But those were the days when you wore plenty of layers to keep warm - I remember wearing a liberty bodice (my Nan used to pin a piece of flannelet to the back of it,on the shoulders to keep my back warm, then there be a vest, a jumper and a cardigan, (all hand knitted by my Nan) then there was the thick woolly tights and when I went out  I always wore a balaclava, mittens, a good thick coat and a scarf along with the little fur lined bootees curled over at the ankles (very much like they wear in the programme Call the Midwife)  and there was always 2 hot water bottles in the bed when you went up.

The heating here has been on 18 degrees constantly since this cold snap started - I'd rather pay the bill and be warm than be cold and risk burst pipes.

Oh well good luck to everyone for getting to and from work this week

Byeee xxx
P.S. I'm not old enough to remember the winter of '47! that was another bad one I'm reliably told!

Sunday

Afternoon All,

Well the sewing didn't get done, but all the niggly little tasks are done around the house ready for another week of work and commuting.

I was reading somewhere that a lot of veg's are not sold because they don't suit the supermarkets idea of a perfect size and form of veg.

Well today I have peeled and chopped one of my Dad's large parsnip's - it wasn't uniform in size and had mud on it but you know what,  it smelt beautiful as it was being prepared and I  know that it will taste brilliant when it's cooked and best of all it will feed 3 of us, as part of 2 dinners and it was free!!

(I always plate up Monday nights tea with Sundays - saves time when I get in as well as gas and electric)

I also read today that food prices have risen by a minimum of 7%  over the last year - who are they kidding - I would have said closer to double that amount.

Oh well roll on the spring and we can  start growing the seeds ready for the allotment - lets hope it's a better year, weather wise, than last year - The log burner's lit I'm off to do some knitting and toast my toes!

Have a good week

Byeee.

January Blues

Afternoon All,

Thank you for your kind words regarding our Flossie, they were much appreciated, we've spent the last week trying to remember all the good times we had with her and all the laughs we had. Although that went by the by on Thursday night, when I went down into the cellar to check on the contents of the freezer and found a pack of her liver - she loved liver with some mixed veg and pasta thrown in - daft how a pack of liver, that she hadn't had chance to have, can bring you to tears

Some one said to me that she'd had a brilliant life with all the places we'd taken to but for us, we've always worked on the premise that the dogs spend as much time on their own (waiting for us to come home) as we do at work, so it only seemed fair that they came on holiday with us too. We don't need fancy hotels and sun beds - I much prefer a reasonable cottage, an empty beach and a decent pub with a garden to sit in and have a pint after a mornings walk with our girls on the beach. Far better to do that and know we can afford that then sit on a sun bed knowing that it's put you in debt!.

We're not daft with our dogs - they're not allowed upstairs, or on the beds - we endeavour to keep them off the furniture, they have they're own beds, they're not allowed to jump up visitors, or to beg for food. We have rules, but we still love them loads.

So on to other things - I hate January! isn't it just the worst month of the year.....it seems to go on for ever and ever, it's dark and cold and worst of all you can guarantee that there will be snow - I shall be gald when January and February are over - at least the nights start to draw out a little by then even if it's still cold.

I've been going out in the dark and coming home in the dark all week this week and Wednesday night was an awful commute home all thanks to some idiot who let his lorry overheat till it burst into flames at Junction 9 of the M6, just as the rush hour was starting and guess who gets on the motorway at Junction 9?! Two hours to get home that night - an 11 hour day in all - I was shattered.

The review at work is starting to bite - I thought they would do it before Xmas but they waited till after the festivities. Some colleagues have received emails asking them to attend a meeting with the Head of the department and take a union rep with them. I haven't received an email as yet and fingers crossed I don't.

I went and did my shopping last night, to save pennies we went to Aldi for some of the shopping and Morrisons for what we didn't want to buy or couldn't get in Aldi.- didn't need to get a lot but it still came to £65 over the two supermarkets -  I think that I manage the housekeeping well and that I'm sensible with what I buy and cook but the prices are just getting ridiculous now. According to the news last night each family in Britain throws away £600's worth of food over a year - I certainly don't throw £600's worth of food away each year - I don't know anyone who can afford to throw food away -  It must be the politicians, they're the only ones with plenty of money these days. Every food item in this house either gets eaten by one of us 3, put in the freezer or the dogs finish it off.

Every one at work has had the recent bout of flu, people that I know have either had eye, ear or lung infections with it. We were saying the other day - we think that this has been a pandemic which the goverment have kept quiet about. I know so many people who have suffered from the flu this year - but I didn't know anyone who had the bird flu a few years ago - it would be interesting to know how many people have been finished off by this flu bug compared to the year we that we had the bird flu. Makes you wonder doesn't it?..........

I'm hoping to be able to have a few hours sewing tomorrow to make up a couple of cushion covers that I've had the material and trim for since last September  - let's hope there isn't any snow this week and we can keep the gas bills low and reasonable for this winter.

Have a good week

Byeeee xxx

Our Flossie

Flossie

 

(k.c. Starlight Katie)

 

2004 - 2013

 

 



 

Flossie sadly passed away last night - when we came home on after work on Wednesday night, she didn't look too good so we took her up to the vets who told us that she had a tumour the size of a melon - he said that she wasn't in pain so we brought home and was going to take her back on Saturday to do the right thing but she was worse last night and we couldn't leave her so we went back to the vets and she went to sleep at 7.25pm with us holding her, loving her and telling her how much we loved her.She's buried under the clematis arch in the garden.

 

The house today seems so empty despite having Tillie and Daisy - Flossie was such a character and so full of energy, so loving and so devoted to us.

 

She came from a farm, not far from Oswestry, we went to see the puppies, they were in a barn, the gentleman was out so his wife helped us, we chose what we thought was a bitch, paid our money and brought 'her' home - we got a phone call later on that day to say that we'd been given a dog who had been promised to a little boy - he had one bitch left that he had wanted to keep but would we exchange the dog for this bitch to not disappoint the little boy - we said yes and headed back up the M54 to meet the farmer and exchange dogs! That is how Flossie came into our lives.

 

She would dance for a walk, dance for a slice of pork pie, always loving, always happy. She was a well travelled little dog, she's been all round St Ives, Marazon and Boscastle in the south. Gt Yarmouth, Bacton and Cromer in the east. Barmouth and  Aberdovey so many times(came with us on our honeymoon to Aberdovey) in the west. When we stayed at Porthmadog, my hubby used to drive onto the beach at one end, leave me with Flossie, drive up to the top end of Black Rock sands and wait for me and Flossie to walk up to him - she loved to go in the sea and chase the seagulls - she didn't just run the length of that beach but the width chasing seagulls! Then there was Criccith, and Abersoch beaches she loved.

 

Then 2 years ago we went all the way up to north of Inverness - we choose the cottage for Flossie, it was a fisherman's cottage on the beach and she ran the length of that beach, every time we took out for a wee, she was in the sea, it was so close to the cottage and she came with up to John O'Groats with us.  Me and Floss  sat outside Glenmorangy distillery together, both of us sniffing the air, me for the lovely smell of the whisky being distilled and Floss cause there was probably rabbits in the next field!.

 

 

 

 

 



Flossie was the most loving and devoted little dog that anyone would have the pleasure of owning - we were so lucky we had that 'pleasure' for 9 years - Rest in peace ,my lovely girl

I miss you so much...........

 

xxxx