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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A random walk over the Malvern Hills

I went out in the week to post a parcel.

I ended up The Beacon.

When most people visit Malvern to walk the Hills they pull up in the car park, in most cases near the top or at least half way up.

I start my walks from my front door at the base of the North Hill (far end of the picture) 79ms and walk to the top of The Beacon at 425ms.

I went on a whim, although I did have suitable footwear and clothing on for walking off the tarmac track. The weather was perfect, not so much today as I head off to British Camp after last nights snow and I'll be starting my walk, halfway up from the car park.

2021 Week 6 - One Daily Positive. Finished the unpacking.

Bloody hell it's been cold this week, foggy and some snow. Heating on full time and sitting in the house wrapped in blankets. This time last year when I was in the UK I was working outside in the garden fixing the shed roof and digging up plants, shrubs and small trees so I could have a new fence. The dog really isn't impressed with cold, he's either getting grumpy in his old age (he'll be 11 on Sunday) or he just hasn't acclimatised to the cold yet. the cat still wants to go out, but she comes back straight away when called.

All the unpacking is done, all the boxes, paper etc removed from the house. I'm now rearranging rooms and putting things away. I have some more Ikea furniture to assemble and I should be done by the end of next week. Just have the sofa in the neighbours garage to deal with, lacking people to help with the carrying. 

37 Saturday Out at 7.30am with Bob the Dog with every intention to walk up the Malvern Hills, except we couldn't see them so walked around the town instead. I stopped smoking before Christmas after 33 years of around 10-15 cigarettes a day. It;'s amazing how easy it was to walk up a steep hill and be able to talk at the same time. It should help with the 6kg I've put on from eating crap all day long instead of reaching for a cigarette. I had planned to go to Worcester on Sunday with Bob to take photos of the new bridge build and food shop, but as the River Severn is flooded and with temps plummeting below zero and snow forecast I decided to go today instead, quite quiet, in and out, minimum hassle apart from a woman wearing a lanyard who said "I'm wearing a lanyard, I'm exempt from wearing a fucking mask' I just asked her to step back from me in the queue 'being exempt doesn't stop the fucking virus spreading' was my reply. I got dragged into an argument with a guy on twitter who said it never happened, I blocked him.

38 Sunday mornings are blog commenting time. Followed by a hill walk, more unpacking, sorting out attic rooms and finally everything is now on the correct floor and in the correct room and roughly in the correct place.

A friend sent me this G&T gift.

39 Monday Blood test at Doctors surgery as requested by Haematologist last week, I had emailed him to say I couldn't get the bloods taken in Dubai as I'd been working and then had to isolate on my return to the UK. He'll call back the end of next week to discuss either iron infusion or whether he feels a blood transfusion is coming sooner rather than later. He asked about bruising and B12 and I had to contact my Doctor in Dubai to get all my records sent over and uploaded onto my NHS records. I took Bob with me and we walked on down to the retail park for a take out coffee.

Walk home via the Industrial park.

40 Tuesday started the day the same way I finished yesterdays, in pjs and in bed. I've been in agony this week with my back again but I've been sitting on the floor and on the sofa, stretching and twisting. My iron levels have also dropped again and I'm struggling for breath walking up the stairs. I'm also bloody freezing. Took Bob for a walk and sent some birthday gifts and cards off to family and friends, was miserable early evening, then kicked myself up the butt and got on with stuff.

I baked bread.

41 Wednesday I'm completely disorganised in regards to a routine, shopping, order of importance to do things, so day spent getting myself sorted in regards to meal planner as I'd run out of milk, but had topped up with fresh veg, meat etc on the weekend. Ready now to get through till this time next week before I need to go near a shop again. Took Bob for a walk, ordered new walking boots, sorted and wrapped up gifts for birthdays, valentines, etc.

This cat just constantly monitors my every movement.

42 Thursday Managed to get an appointment with an osteopath approved by the medical aid. She's starting with sorting out my back then will move onto the neck issues. I received feedback from my MRI and X-rays. I have an additional rib and Brachial Neuritis Syndrome. I suffered an injury at work 25 years ago, I've also suffered with migraines since I was a toddler, I just now have a name now. It'll make no difference to my quality of life or my treatment, but it might mean I can access treatment earlier when I need a boost.

2nd walk of the day, is that allowed?

43 Friday Out early and wrapped up warm with Bob. The rest of the day was spent tidying things away, a door step collection for the last of the packing boxes, a nice hot bath, followed by a facebook call with a friend, alcohol and TV.

Local children requested some more stones today.

On the blog this week:

A woman's place is ..... where she chooses it to be.

Post Comment Love - Happy Valentines Day. A weekly linky to join in with any blog post written this week.

My Sunday Photo - New Roads in Worcestershire.

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One Daily Positive - Week 22 Started the painting downstairs

I've not been sleeping well last week, haven't done anything differently and in fact I had a really good start and end to the week, had a blip in the middle with anxiety levels when food shopping and I've now booked click and collect from Tesco, now I have a vehicle.

On my list this week is:
Learn to crochet (been carrying this forward since pre lockdown).
Family Tree.
Investigate returning to the OU to finish my degree.
Write letters to care homes, family, friends and continue writing letters for our grandchild for when she is older.

So far I've written about finding out we were going to be grandparents, the build up to the birth and future letters planned are meeting for the first time, why grandad didn't meet up for 2 weeks old, how granny and grandad met, raising dad, uncles and aunty, tales of daddy's childhood, family holidays, living abroad, the cat and dog and other family pets, important others in our lives and what life was like before and during lockdown. At only 8 months old, it will be a while before they get read. I've also bought a Grandparents life story book, but I've left it in Dubai. I've realised since my father died I actually have nothing personal written to me from him. I'll be doing this for future grandchildren also.

145 Sunday The tree in the front garden was cut down today, my friend will collect the logs for her open fire in a fortnights time. I hoovered, cleaned windows (I wish I could persuade the cat to stop sitting on the window sills, she presses her nose against the windows and I seem to be cleaning them daily) I baked a cake and cooked a full Sunday roast, I wrote 12 post cards as part of #postcardsofkindness to care homes around  he UK, then took Bob for a long walk, via a post box. The rest of the day was spent on video calls with friends and kids, doing a jigsaw and finishing off some various crafts.

146 Monday Had new electricity and gas meters installed first thing then off to Waitrose to do my food shop as I'd had to give up on Thursday, also popped int Wilko, no queue for either shop and I treated myself to a hydrangea for the garden. Spent the afternoon batch cooking for the rest of the week, wrote letters, ironed, mowed and watered the lawn and garden thoroughly whilst making dinner. Tried my hand at dot painting, not bad, but not something I'll be doing again, too fiddly.

147 Tuesday The plumber originally said he'd be coming on Thursday but messaged last night to say he was coming today, so up early to remove the bath panel, clean underneath and thoroughly clean a pathway to the bathroom. I spent most of the day just hanging around, couldn't get motivated to do anything. I spent the afternoon removing carpets from the bedrooms, landing and stairs and taking them outside after cutting them into manageable sizes. I then thoroughly hoovered and cleaned the floors, the carpets were in the house when we bought it back in 2002 and after 9 years of tenants, they need replacing, which will happen next week. A lovely response from one of the care homes in the UK I write to.

148 Wednesday A very slow start to the day just couldn't get motivated, then I remembered the green waste bin had been emptied, so I cut the fir tree, the neighbours hedge that had grown over into my front garden and did some weeding, wrote letters, tidied up and got back into my routine in the evening and was in bed at 9pm, can't get used to this long evenings. Still light at bedtime.

149 Thursday Slept for 8 hours solid and woke at 5am, feeling much better. I walked Bob to the post office to buy mum her weekly TV guide and post it plus a care package sent to child 4 and a couple of letters. Afternoon was spent putting up a curtain rail in the main bedroom and writing more letters. The evening was spent sitting on the front door step with my friend and neighbour Debbie, drinking wine.

150 Friday Woke up to the house being a mess, but rather than worrying about tidying up, I loaded Bob in the car and headed up the Malvern Hills for 2 hours, the rest of the day was spent hanging curtiains, sitting in the garden, tidying up. I filled in all the holes in walls around the downstairs, did some gardening and blogging. After tea, garden watered, everything tidied away, bath and bed.
Bob is getting much better going down the hills, he doesn't pull on the lead as much.

151 Saturday I spent the day cleaning the kitchen, hallway and downstairs loo and prepping it for painting, the woodwork has been finished and I'll paint the walls tomorrow. I took Bob out for a walk. I've a video call lined up with my friend Rosie who we met on twitter over 10 years ago now. My friend Cheryl called from South Africa, plus the usual calls with mum and Peter.

On the blog this week.

My Sunday Photo - Maintaining social distancing whilst shopping and visiting family and friends.

I'm still having down days but in general my anxiety in lockdown has greatly improved and I'm off my meds

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One Daily Positive - Week 21 Visiting the family

Most of the comments I get on these posts are about how busy I am, organised and always have something to do. It's the only way I get through the week. I'm on my own 24/7. I've done the parenting raising 5 kids, had a carer, that I may return to one day. But for now and especially during lockdown I need to have a purpose when I get up in the mornings or I just wouldn't get up.

I feel the need to add 'all whilst practising social distancing, I wore gloves to hand over/drop gifts at a distance also'

138 Sunday After a lie in, I mowed the front lawn and weeded the garden and did some more pruning of the fir trees. The garden waste bin is almost full again. I cooked a full roast beef dinner. Foolishly I left the rest of the beef to cool before putting it in the fridge, the cat got to it, I shouted at the cat, she panicked knocking it to the floor and the dog snaffled it up. Sat in the garden writing letters and sorting out birthday gifts.

139 Monday Finished writing letters, dropped a parcel at the post office and chose new carpets to be fitted in the next 2 weeks. I finished off my papier mache chickens and sat and watched TV. After dinner I  met up with Natalie @plutoniumsocks on the common for a beer and a chat, 2ms apart of course. Both our dogs were very well behaved.

140 Tuesday Took Bob up the Malvern Hills again, this time far away from the sheep. Except we bumped into cattle and that scared him even more.Cleaned the windows and did some weeding in the front garden, read a little, watched TV, had a bath and bed.

141 Wednesday I spent the day weeding the front garden, the lawn and re establishing the borders. I had to soak the ground as it was like concrete and lugged rockery stones from the back garden. It took me all day. Checked in with the biscuit tin basher next door as I hadn't seen or even heard her all day, she was fine.

142 Thursday Time for the food shop, drove down to the retail park to do it so I could pick up a few extra bits for 2b, 4b and mums birthdays in June. I went to M&S, I got as far as the meat aisle, joined the queue to pay and left. They had 37 of the 40 allowed people in the store, one woman was queuing with her adult daughter for a mango and a packet of percy pig sweets, everyone else ignored the arrows and seemed to think a silly smile and tip toeing past was ok. In poundstretcher a guy bargred past me, I asked him if he could give me chance to get out the way and he told me I was overreacting and he was wearing a mask and gloves. I asked him not top embarrass himself further and he shut up. Came home, super stressed, did nothing all afternoon, until I decided to walk to the corner shop to buy the rest of the stuff I needed for the week, a very pleasant experience at Londis, always has been. My neighbour and 4 month baby (social distance) came round to the garden for a chat and cheered me up, I then fixed the squeaky gate much to the neighbours delight, put up a new clothes line and raked the remaining pebbles out of the lawn. Biscuit tin basher failed to make an appearance, still no sign of her at 11pm when I went to bed.

143 Friday Woke in the morning to message from biscuit tin basher, slightly annoyed she diodn't think to tell me she was going out, especially as she'd been so grateful I'd checked in on her the night before. I took a long drive to the Forest of Dean to drop some gifts with child 2 and family and see our grandchild, it's been 12 weeks. It's also my great nephews 1st birthday in June so I dropped his present off as they live in the same village. The sat in a friends garden and she made me tea. Drove back via the motorway to give the car a good drive and make sure there are no faults detected as I only have 30 days to identify any.

144 Saturday Up at 4am, cat started shouting for food at 5.30am, she attacked dog at 6am so I got up and fed them. Back to bed and sleep till midday, then spending the rest of the day sorting through Dad's papers, watching TV, blogging and walking Bob.

On the blog this week:

My Sunday Photo: The worlds smallest theatre

Feeling vulnerable

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My Sunday Photo - Bob the Dogs journey

With 2 international moves from camping in South Africa and being chased by monkeys, learning to swim in the Indian Ocean and the Arabic Gulf and keeping an eye out for crocodiles in Durban to days out in the desert in Dubai, soft play and indoor play centre to walking the Malvern Hills. He's had an epic 7 years with us and who'd have thought there would have been this much adventure for a dog.

Two long haul flights

Camping in Drakensberg Mountains

The beach in Durban

In the Desert in Dubai

Soft Play in Dubai

On top of the Malvern Hills

One Daily Positive - Week 9 - Walks, decorating and family visits.

Although the weather in the UK has been miserable, I've still been able to get out and about every day for a walk with Bob, it's difficult to plan the day as I never know when the rain will stop. In Dubai for a bit part of the year, it's just hot or hotter and not being able to visit coffee shops with Bob, walks were a bit limited.

54 Sunday A day at home, painting, dog walk in between the rain and coffee. We walked 5 miles and Bob remembered which shops gave him biscuits and he went straight to the counter to get one. A muddy walk and a fell down a rabbit hole, all ok though.

55 Monday Started the day washing and ironing, prepared a beef stew in the slow cooker and cooked GF banana bread. It was pouring with rain so got on with some painting then took Bob off to explore another area of town, dinner, another hour of painting, TV, blogging and bed. The view from the top floor.

56 Tuesday Windows, uPVC, conservatory and gutters thoroughly cleaned, I went out for coffee without Bob as there is some shopping I want to do but can't take Bob in those shops, took him out in the afternoon on a different route. Main bedroom and ensuite and bathroom now finished and half the landing and I painted all the radiators.

57 Wednesday Caught the train to Gloucester to meet my Daughter in law, 2a, and Grandchild, 2b. We popped into see child 1. Train delays from signal point failure meant it took over 3 hours to get home, no replacement buses available due to the roads being flooded.

58 Thursday Woke to snow on the hills, spent the morning sanding down and scraping paint off walls, tiles, light switches etc. The boiler was serviced and the issue with the radiators coming on when the hot water was the only one set on timer. A spring had gone and a new timer fitted. Walked Bob to the coffee shop and I cleaned the house.

59 Friday MIL, SIL and niece arrived mid morning. MIL is staying for 3 weeks to house, cat and dog sit while I'm in Dubai. I took MIL to the retial park to re familiarise herself with the town by car and foot. A visit from my Nephew, his fiancee and their son came for dinner.

60 Saturday We walked into town with Bob for a coffee and some shopping. Child 2, 2a and 2b arrived midday and stayed till around 7pm, we were treated to a back to front roll over from 2b and video called with Peter. Mothers/Granny presents opened, hand made cards and flowers from friend last week and picture frame from child 1.

On the blog this week:

Back to Dubai next week, here are some of the differences I've noticed.

The differences between Dubai and the UK

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My Sunday Photo -Week 140 V is for View

Life is starting to return to normal after my father's sudden death in July. A new normal, bearing in my mind my home is in Dubai and I'm going to be in the UK for a while longer yet.

The original purpose of my visit was to help the teen with his apprenticeship applications and to find him somewhere to live, we've been delayed by 8 weeks, but I'm on it now. I was also here to sort out our new flat in South Wales and house we rent out in Malvern as well as paperwork for investments, UK tax and a few other bits and pieces.

Slowly I've started to get round to doing some of the above now and I'm on top of things with mum. Peter arrives next Sunday for 2 weeks and we'll be travelling around the UK having a bit of a holiday and hopefully seeing a bit more than the inside of the shed, garage, attic and the view of a field from the car boot.

The view from the Wyche Cutting, Malvern.

A visit to Malvern and a trip down memory lane

For 3 weeks in August/September, Peter and I were traveling around the UK, visiting family and friends.

We moved to Malvern in 2002, where we raised our 5 children for 8 years, before moving to South Africa and now Dubai.

We've made a couple of trips back to Malvern over the past 6 years, where we rent out our family home and make time to catch up with friends.

On this visit we spent 3 nights at The Montrose Hotel in the town and took a trip down memory lane.

The Garden at the hotel

The Winter Gardens or Priory Park

This tree is over 150 years old

Our youngest wouldn't walk over this wooden bridge and we'd always have to wait for him to go the long way round. Behind is the town's swimming pool.

The bandstand with the theatre in the back ground

The tree of life, where we'd sponsor a light in memory of my Gran

The view of the bandstand from the theatre

One of the many paths 

C S Lewis was a pupil at Malvern College and along with J R R Tolkien was a regular visitor to Malvern and took his inspiration for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from these Victorian gas street lights. Tolkien is also recorded as saying the Malvern Hills reminded him of 'The White Hills of Gondor'

Great Malvern Priory

The grave of Charles Darwin's only child, Annie, who died aged 10

Malvern Spring Water is still bottled in the town. The Wells have been 'dressed' since the 12th century to give thanks to St Oswald for the water cures. Queen Victoria refused to travel without Malvern Spring Water and Elizabeth 1st would drink the water in public. 

Great Malvern and statue of Edward Elgar, composer of Pomp and Circumstance, better known as Land of Hope and Glory.

Looking down the town

Great malvern Train Station, opened in 1862

A game of petanque being played in the distance

Designed by sculptor William Forsyth 

Public toilets in Barnards Green

Morgan Motor Car Company

Pickersleigh Park, home to Malvern Town Wanderers Football Club, where most of my Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons were spent for 8 years 

Malvern Common

The best sledging spot in the whole of Malvern

View of the Malvern Hills

View from the Malvern Hills