Vignettes and Pets

[Hi there]

Merry Christmas to all from this handsome fella. Hope it’s been a wonderful day for everyone x

 

[Geranium]

Thanks, @Miscanthus - so the option hasn’t returned, I take it.


@Geranium, conversely, I can highly recommend Intimacies by Lucy Caldwell. I say ‘conversely’ because when @fedup90210 said that she thought Lydia mentioned it - I was prepared to dismiss it outright.

It is a slim book with a collection of eleven short stories. They are moments in women’s lives, no drama here, just small vignettes - thst are simple, touching and yet very profound. They are also quite memorable as in they stay in your mind long after you’ve read them. The writing is masterful - nothing mawkish or sentimental - I would say pared back and honest. I honestly think you would enjoy this one.

Thank you so much for the recommendation

 

[MissMidnight]

Oh @Oops... I’m so relieved that Teddy Bear is doing okay now, but what an ordeal for both of you!

Please give him the biggest hug from moi!

 

[Geranium]

Thanks for all the input folks

 

[Stefano]

@Stefano you can find a few member on this thread from the bunga, to talk about anything

Thank you what a lovely thread ....

 

[Milking Keynes]

St. Gary is gorgeous - you chose well, @Oops. Here is the video of the day! Soo cute!

 

[Miscanthus]

OMG I just heard! I cannot believe it! This is great, believe me. You will get through this and be a new woman! Please know we will be praying for you. Love you, buddy Let us know how you are asap post op. xxxxxxx

No rush - I actually remember being woozy after going home first op - second was a lot easier. You take your time. Are you able to pack ok? Have you fasted? Aaarggh, so many questions -

Pack and relax - listen to music - early night - calm. You got this. XX

Just to add - you never know who’s going to be in the bed beside you. Ahem - Is it a little hot in here!

Thank you so much! It was a shock and I don't know what to pack. I will be out same day unless something goes wrong.....toothbrush?
Fasting from midnight....easy.
The nurse was telling me to write down things but I can't write!

OMG I just heard! I cannot believe it! This is great, believe me. You will get through this and be a new woman! Please know we will be praying for you. Love you, buddy Let us know how you are asap post op. xxxxxxx

No rush - I actually remember being woozy after going home first op - second was a lot easier. You take your time. Are you able to pack ok? Have you fasted? Aaarggh, so many questions -

Pack and relax - listen to music - early night - calm. You got this. XX

Just to add - you never know who’s going to be in the bed beside you. Ahem - Is it a little hot in here!

That's such a great scene!

 

[Oops...]

Good Monring!

I hardly dare ask...

No, I can’t ask...

I will go away and come back later...

Then I’ll ask...

No…still can’t ask…

Will come back later…

Then I’ll ask…

 

[Oops...]

Gripping bar on Zimmer frame very tightly…and breathlessly…

Thank Luck For That!

You couldn’t go through that again, being pushed from pillow to toast. Utterly ridiculous!

It’s an important part of your rehabilitation to write as much as you can with your left hand! I suggest you begin developing your ambidexterity immediately. It’s a skill you have always had and it’s just been a bit shy up until now.

Now you must release it on the world and your adoring public…I’ll wait…

It's all a blur but thank goodness I have your record of what happened

Yes! Our dearest @Namima took on the hardest job of all, which was systematically recording the entire process from beginning to end. Her forensic attention to detail is (as you know) world class. She gave up a day of her wonderful holiday in Canada to be with us too. I mean - that’s loyalty, that’s our girl! I rather hope she manages to sell this as a fly on the wall documentary to the networks and then the world can see her work and what you had to go through….

 

[Miscanthus]

Hello, @Geranium Aspinal, @Oops, @Namima, @MissMidnight @Miscanthus, and all my lovely friends here - how are you? I’ve had a sad weekend, I must say. My brother flew over from New York to lay his best friend to rest. This lad has been in our lives through primary, secondary, uni and adult years. He had residences in Dublin, London and New York, I say that only because every dime he made himself. He was the most impressive, intelligent, articulate, irreverent and generous human you could meet.

My poor bro has been staying with me this weekend and, bless him, came down for breakfast this morning beautifully suited and booted but with a wrinkled shirt, not wanting to trouble me to iron it. I shoved him back up the stairs to get back into his tshirt so I could give him his breakfast and turn him out, dear God, as only fitting for his bestie! I drove him to the church and, if ever there was a time I might spare him this finality, this was it.

I have a bestie and she lights up my life so I can predict the loss my bro will experience. Anyway, just a sad weekend and thank you so much for your friendship - I don’t know what I’d do without you all and that’s from the heart.

Hope you are all well

Sorry to hear you saw your brother in such sad circumstances. Sending hugs
I'm getting over Covid...I still can't believe I got it as I was really careful but I did have four social occasions in quick succession. The worst but is the phlegm (sorry, tmi) but it's like a bad cold. I'm now 10 days after first symptom so it must be nearly over.

 

[Milking Keynes]

...and you.. we need all our limbs for a trip down under!


If you are not already aware, the thing that gets me is things asking to be told where to look for things as they can't be bothered. I think it was @Milking Keynes who pointed that tattler in right direction of Mr MG stroking his ego. I wasn't going to...

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I did it before I realised the snarky attitude and regretted it. I mistook the second request for excitement at seeing the clip. I thought it was humour - silly of me - I should’ve known it was just another example of entitled demands. Lesson learned, for sure. I’m definitely going to get wiser to these folks. I’ve looked back at previous posts of our friend and she is definitely going to be trouble.

Another thing is the level of repetition. I feel like Vasquez in the Depp trial, Asked and answered.

Anyway, as I’ve said on the other thread - best of luck today at the Clinic. Be a good patient! They will ask the same questions, using the words ‘pre-existing’ (in my case) a gazillion times because that effects the health insurance comp, and it will be tedious. Best luck with the tests and scans. Wishing you lots of love and support. Xx

 

[Oops...]

Trust me to miss all the important messages! Sorry!
First of all @Miscanthus you are having the exploratory procedure because you have a nasty broken wrist not because you have what your friend in the support group had. It’s really important for your well-being that you don’t take your train of thought down that route. I think what you (and our Havisham) have been through is awful and very, very painful. You can’t think straight when you are in pain. I know this might sound a bit left-field but it might be worthwhile watching some acupressure vids on YT. There are some brilliant ones for pain relief brought about by pressing on certain meridians. It may help to ease the pain considerably In between painkiller dosages. Do you have anyone who can plant up for you or is it something you would do yourself normally? Can the plants be delivered and your client plant them to your instruction? I mean that you might be able to lay out the planting with your left hand . Once again it’s such a pain we can’t ring each other...This seems to happen more and more lately have you noticed that? I am worried about our darling @MissMidnight and can’t do a flopping thing about it. ..This is all too daft as I am just a half hours drive away from you! I could drive you to your appointments etc...
Anyway, for now it’s important to be kind to yourself, breathe and picture everything going really well in your mind’s eye. I was told once by an extremely clever and sage person that 95 per cent of the things we worry about never happen. I reckon that’s a seriously high and comforting percentage! Please let us know as everything progresses this week.

 

[Geranium]

Ooh....what's occurring?

Just had text from my doctor...she's ordered a bone density scan for me. Now I can't stop thinking about cancer especially as one of my old cancer group was buried Thursday. The breast cancer had reappeared in her bones.

I’m so sorry to hear this xx

 

[Milking Keynes]

View attachment 1385794
Some firm faves in here too


You have arranged them perfectly! You can’t improve on perfection. Trouble is you have made them look soooo nice I am so tempted…They are my guilty pleasure (along with raspberry magnums)…

Spiced orange and OMG Lemon Curd busicuits - I could do untold damage.

 

[Milking Keynes]

I died!

Bon Vogage @Miscanthus please don’t forget us.

What will we do without her?

I knnnooowwwww! What will we do without her? I asked her what her plans are at the start of the thread but she didn’t answer me

Anyhoooo, re the Depp v Heard trial you know I have been invested in - to sum up - the girl didn’t donate a cent to charity because pledge and donate mean exactly the same thing - who knew?

Plus - she is, of course, a better lawyer than all concerned, so it was vital to keep her attorney up to speed during closing speeches.

 

[Milking Keynes]

Thank you ladies for your lovely messages. I am so happy we have each other to vent and ask for advice.
My heartbroken dad is not doing well. He has literally aged overnight. He says he feels lost. My parents spent all day, every day together. And so to find a new normal, is proving to be especially difficult for him.
We have arranged for him to speak to a grief counsellor, suprisingly, he agreed to doing so. He had previously spoken to a Cancer counsellor while my mum was in hospital ("She made me cry" was his response to our question how did it go )
So that is a step in the right direction.
I, on the other hand, just seem to be blocking my emotions, which I know is wrong, but I feel if I start crying, I may not stop. I'm just taking it day by day.

Sending each and every one of you lovely ladies lots of love xoxoxo

Oh, Namima - I am sorry.

It’s a terrible time for you. If I was you, I would be livid that my mum was taken before you even had time to process her illness at all let alone the seriousness of it. Very tough - you miss her, your dad misses her, your kids miss her. I think it’s normal to be numb and put your feelings on the back burner while you prioritise your dad and deal with your family and everyday responsibilities. I think the brain goes into survival mode in order to compartmentalise for your own health.

It might take some time before you can truly grieve - I think I said before on this thread that I was so busy looking after my mum after my dad died that I didn’t get to grieve properly until she died. Grief is a horrible thing - no avoiding it and no knowing when it’s going to hit - I wish you nothing but love and all the very, very best on this rollercoaster of pain, dear friend. My heart goes out to you but remember - we are here and you can share anything and everything.

 

[Milking Keynes]

Hi everyone - hope you are all well. So glad you enjoyed a wonderful trip to Crete, @Miscanthus! I came back from Galway yesterday - we had two days of sun and five days of heavy rainfall. On our precious two days of sunshine, we got a ferry to the Aran Islands and cycled all around Inis Mór - it was heavenly. The other sunny day, we went to the Cliffs of Moher which was amazing. We had a wonderful time in spite of the weather.

Sending you all lots of love. My addiction to Love Island is out of control - I almost wish it would end so normality can be resumed.

 

[Oops...]

Are you really, @Oops - thrilling news - Congratulations! What a blessing! Xxxx

Nooooo darling. I meant Elsie is!! So we are all having to suffer it and endure the arduous journey of ridiculousness! Which reminded me when Thatcher said ‘We are becoming a grandmother!!!’So I was just letting our dear girl know what we are going through elsewhere if you get my drift xxx

 

[Milking Keynes]

View attachment 1376036
I have just spent a happy time re-reading your birthday party from last year @Milking Keynes! Here’s a reminder of you and @Miscanthus with your structured bag embroidered by an itinerant pipe lagger! We should win an award for the best comedy thread I swear! You and Miss Canthus went home with busts and silver candlesticks you secreted in your bags, Geranium got planted in a tree pit by Mr Archer Karcher and Dandy Tandy came and went in Trunchy’s golden coach drawn by squirrels! I mean who writes this stuff? I am now reminded that @MissMidnight will have had a birthday too just recently…. Namima shocked everyone by ending up on the Naughty Step in the cellar because of her flagrant behaviour with Archer Karcher! Shocking! SHOCKING! Happy Forest sang Elgar! She did! She also was found stroking the stone floor in the cellar but I didn’t see that.

So, now we need to think of our trip to NZ because Fed Up will be finished with her finals in July. We agreed to go for Christmas

We are stunners in that photo, I must admit! Coastal Grandma chic! You throw a good party, @Oops, and that’s for sure! I remember pulling the bust from my structured bag on the ferry - oh, the shame . Can’t wait for NZ - let’s get @Miscanthus and @MissMidnight on the mend, repair the tardis, and off we all go!

 

[Milking Keynes]

Bless you for remembering my bag dilemma! Short answer is no, not yet. I feel I need to see them in the flesh before taking the plunge and I’ve not been able to get to any stores yet.

Think the YSL one is slightly edging it in my thoughts though….

Excellent strategy, @Geranium, I would want to see them in the flesh before deciding too. X