One week and 3000 miles apart

Last Sunday morning. Making my way up to the top of British Camp in Malvern, UK.

This Sunday morning. On the beach in Dubai.

Week 15 One Daily Positive - Back in Dubai

I've just about been keeping my head above water the last few weeks with more medical tests, arranging flights to Dubai and all the tests and paperwork involved and sorting out care for the animals and a few other issues that were really taking up too much of my time, energy and finances. I owe comments for the past 4 weeks and I'm working my way through them slowly, starting with all the people who link up with me and Steph @lifeat139a and I for Post Comment Love each week. 

I've been getting incredible pains in chest and shoulders and random shooting pains in my thigh and shin in left leg and I've had a severe reaction to the Phosphate intake also. I'm also itching head to toe after contact with water and I have the coldest hands known to man. Some of this was going on before the iron infusion, but has become worse and most of it before the phosphate intake. Can't get to see a Dr in the UK, the receptionist just puts things on my notes. I have an appointment next week to see my GP over here.

100 Saturday Morning of tidying around and off to visit friend and grandchild for garden visit in the same village and home to watch TV.

101 Sunday Up early and up British Camp to experience the snow, an afternoon of TV,  had an early bath, cooked dinner and sorted through some paperwork, did some packing and the neighbour came round to collect key for feeding cat while I'm away.

102 Monday Off early to Worcester for Covid testing, took a walk around the town then realised I'd gone into the City on the first day the shops re opened after lockdown, it wasn't as busy as I thought it would've been. Hoovered and mopped floors. Tidied up the garden after the snow again.

103 Tuesday Caught the train to Heathrow, stopped off at Paddington on route and decided to leave suitcase with left luggage and spent the day in London on foot. Walked to and through Hyde park, to Buckingham Palace, along the Mall, through Horse guard parade, to Westminster, up to Trafalgar Square, through Leicester Square, through Carnaby Street, along Oxford Road to Regent Street, past the BBC onto Baker Street and back to Paddington, collected suitcase and onto an empty T3 and Aerotel sleep pod for the night.

104 Wednesday Flew to Dubai mid afternoon, around 50 people on the flight. More shops etc open this time at the airport but still very quiet. An uneventful flight, slept most of the way. it won't be like this the next time I fly in June.

105 Thursday I spent the day in bed. Peter went into the office in the morning and he had the dentist in the afternoon. Evening spent in front of the TV.

106 Friday We headed out to Dubai Mall. It's Ramadan and it's being done very differently here than ever before. When we first came here in 2015, nothing was open during the day, over the following years, places opened but were only accessible for take outs and after 2pm, then they screened areas off and you could eat after 2pm, but there was NO consistency between stores and within Malls. Last year, Ramadan took place during a total lockdown and curfew, this year you wouldn't know it was Ramadan here at all, other than a few decorations, the Starbucks Ramadan cup. There are no screens, no curtained off areas, no signs telling you whether you can eat or drink or smoke or chew gum etc. I'm finding the covid regulations harder to deal with anyway, but at least I'm used to the inconsistencies of Dubai after 6 years.

On the blog this week: 

Post Comment Love - Back Home in Dubai

My Spring Garden

A random Walk over the Malvern Hills

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16th-18th April 2021 Post Comment Love - Back home in Dubai

Finally I'm back home in Dubai, my last trip here as my husband is retiring at the end of May and we'll be returning to the UK full time in June.

Sorry I've been a bit behind with commenting and sharing your posts, I've been quite stressed with medical appointments and sorting out all the paperwork, testing, transport and hotel timings ahead of flying on Wednesday. Promise to catch up and share the love.

Stephanie and I look forward to reading what you've linked up with this week and normal service will resume asap.

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My Spring Garden - April 2021

I've not done much in the garden to prepare it for Spring as I'm off back to Dubai tomorrow for 2 months and I won't be doing anything to the garden there either other than taking it apart to sell before we return to the UK in June permanently.

I have however done a few things in the hope of there being some life in the garden when we return, which involved mowing the lawn 3 times, starting on a high cut and getting lower, preparing the lawn and reseeding the patches.

I've also levelled off the border again and weeded front and back within an inch of its life.

I scattered wild flower seeds in the border and re seeded the lawn patches.

I've done a few temporary repairs where I can also.

The spring bulbs are so pretty and the tulips are lasting for ages. I only had one daffodil flower though. I'll be planting more bulbs for next spring.

I uncovered the Bay and Olive tree when the temps reached over 10c and also planted out the sweet peas, peas and beans I'd sown over winter into the ground and pots with prepared supports to allow them to climb.

I was late with sowing, indoors, tomatoes, chillis, squash, pumpkins, courgettes, cucumber and a few others and as they hadn't germinated on the window sill, they've just been transferred into the green house where the door will remain closed to see what, if anything comes of them all.

I've planted out onions, ginger and potatoes in pots and have covered all bare soil with wild flower seed. 

But then it got cold and it snowed and I had to re cover the Bay and we'll just have to wait and see what happens to everything else on our return.

Week 14 - One daily Positive. Sunshine and Snow

No dog to walk, feels weird. There was some confusion between the Consultant, GP and Receptionist about whether I'd had the bloods requested or needed to book them. I'd had the ones the Consultant had requested but before the letter was received by the GP, hence the confusion. I'm now on Phosphorus as my levels are too low. Will need a blood test in a weeks time.

Over the past 2 weeks I've seen 4 of our 5 children and our grandchild, no hugs from the adults, some contact with toddler child of course. I won't be seeing any of them or the dog until July now.

93 Saturday I topped up the food shopping, then stayed home alone and did a thorough clean of the house, the shared areas and washed the dog. Evening spent on sofas, snacking, chatting and TV running in the background. The dog and all his bedding got washed.

94 Sunday We took a walk up the Malvern Hills, had a roast dinner then Child 4 and 4a left with the dog, I cleaned the house through again top to bottom, did all the washing of bedding and towels, the ironing and had a good cry because my dog has gone. It was a long evening with a demanding cat. 

95 Monday  I took a trip to Gloucester for a click and collect store cupboard and toiletry food shop, so when we return from Dubai we can isolate and just get some fresh stuff delivered or dropped off. I had a front door step visit with child 1 in her care home, as in I talked to the staff and she wandered off back inside. Then a drive home via child 2, 2a and grandchild for a garden visit, home for dinner, a bath and an early night. 

96 Tuesday A morning in bed catching up with TV and blogging. Unpacked the car and put everything away and took a walk into town to get coffee and sit in the churchyard. It was snowing most of the day and bitterly cold, but with blue skies.

97 Wednesday Walked down to the retail park after a hectic morning of researching flights, covid testing, hotels and trains. My stress levels get really high when I'm having to coordinate a million and one things at the same time.

98 Thursday Walked into town to post a parcel, bumped into a school mum from child 5s time in school, then decided to walk up The Beacon, just because I could and walked home along the ridge, via the North Hill. 

99 Friday Morning spent  paying bills for water, the car and council tax both in the UK and Dubai. Home and booked everything for flying next week. Walked down to the pharmacy, twice, to collect new medication.

Nothing on the blog this week.

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