Moving news and last nights TV

 from google images

We've been puzzling about moving dates because the original plan was March 16th which would be when Col should be due for a blood test  on the day before his next 3 day stay in hospital for chemo. We didn't see how we could ask to move it to an earlier date because our buyers were waiting to get some of the money they needed and moving later would clash with Easter. So it was a lovely surprise this morning when the Estate Agent phoned to ask if we would like to do completion on the 9th as our buyers had been able to arrange for the money earlier. That will make life so much easier as Col would be feeling well for a week in the new home to help me get things sorted before disappearing off to hospital. The removal company can do the 9th so as long as both lots of solicitors can organise everything that should be the day.

 Did you see last nights episode of  Supershoppers? They were looking at some of the so called "artisan products" available. Packed in rustic brown paper packages with labels that look home produced but they turn out to be made by some of the biggest companies, Dorset Cereals were one example. They are packed in small boxes with a 'country look' packaging. BUT they are owned ABF - Associated British Foods who also make Jordans cereal, dozens of other products and own Primark. Another product they featured were Teapigs - which I hadn't heard of but they are very posh teabags and come in small packs looking as if they were made in someones kitchen. BUT they are owned by Tata - one of the biggest companies in the world (they also produce steel and cars). The presenters put some Heinz baked beans into dinky kilner-type storage jars, tied them up with string and a paper label and took them out on the streets to see what people would be willing to pay for "artisan beans".............the answer?...........anything up to £5!
I suppose you pay you money and you take your choice but a lot of people are paying much more  just because of the packaging or because they assume they are buying from a small local company.

Last week they were talking about Gluten Free Foods. They found that many products labeled as GF and  found on the "Free From" shelves at a high price are often exactly the same as the ordinary product on the normal shelves which are gluten free anyway.

Once upon a time shopping was simple!

Back Tomorrow
Sue

Empty shelves, full boxes

My lovely bookshelves are looking very empty, almost all the 1000+  have been packed in boxes and sealed up. Left undone are a box for Col - in case he runs short of library books, a box of reference books and a box of cookery books. Still to pack are books I might want to read if I run out of library books - which seems unlikely! All the books will have to stay packed until we can replace the awful living room carpet and get some new book shelves for the bungalow

 After the days of driving backwards and forwards to Ipswich it was time for me to stay in and do some bread baking and I also made a blackberry and apple crumble for Col's dessert. Whether he will fancy eating it later is a different matter - although he says the nasty taste in his mouth is not too bad this time. He thought he might like a bacon, onion and tomato sauce with pasta for dinner so that's been rustled up.

I hope blogging friends over in Wales and the South of England are keeping safe during this windy weather, it's pretty rough here but nothing like what I saw of Aberystwyth and the South coast on the 1 O'clock news. From where Col was sitting at lunch time he could see out 6ft front fence swaying backwards and forwards in the wind. Somehow between us we managed to prop it up and Col hammered in some nails to hold the props tight against the trees on the sheltered side of the fence. I didn't want him to be doing stuff like this but he said if we hadn't the whole lot might have come down. By the time he'd finished he was shattered and had to lay down for several hours - Men!

The cat was pleased to see Col home again yesterday too.

 
 Back Tomorrow
Sue

Sunday sentences

I was well chuffed to find that link to Hoots Mon worked yesterday, I wonder how I did it? This is a constant discussion here when I struggle to work something out on t'internet and then have no idea how to do the same thing again! "But you just did it" he says.

Had a text message to say I could pick Col up at 10 this morning so he is now safely home, fast asleep and will be able to have a good nights rest after 4  broken nights. 

Good rugby games yesterday, Dylan Hartley managed his first game as captain without getting himself into trouble - thank goodness.

I heard we have storm Imogen on the way, over the south of the country this time, I'm glad Northern England and Scotland are having a break from storms.

Welcome to Wendywu and Pamela  who are new followers

Thank you to everyone for the kind comments, Col will read them all when he wakes up

Back Tomorrow
Sue

There's a moose, loose aboot this hoose.

I have no idea if this link above will work so sorry if it doesn't. Adding a youtube video may be beyond me!

I spent the first 10 minutes of watching Shetland last night trying to catch a mouse that Polly had brought in. It vanished somewhere even though she had it cornered for a second so I expect to be surprised by it dashing across the floor again tonight. This is when I miss our dog Lucy, she was a Collie cross and would never give up on catching a mouse even if it meant laying with her nose under a cupboard for hours.

Antimacassar - Now there's a word that I never thought I would hear in this house. 

According to the dictionary:-

The definition of antimacassar is a protective cover for the arms and/or backs of upholstered furniture.

One of the annoying side effects of Col's cancer is a sweaty head! Sounds weird I know, but there you go.

It's particularly bad when he is asleep and he has had a towel on his pillow for weeks  Then we moved a leather recliner into the living room so he could lean back for a snooze and he needed a towel over the back of that too. But it kept falling off or slipping down so today I'm going to stitch a couple of  hand towels together on 3 sides so they can fit over the back of the recliner. Should keep me occupied while watching the rugby.

I went up to see him this morning and found him in the day room with two other men from his bay. They had had a really bad night as a poor man had had a bad reaction to his chemo which involved him shouting, swearing, thrashing about and threatening the nurses. Eventually the nurses managed to sedate him. Col said the man was quite OK until this weird episode in the night. So not a lot of sleep had by anyone last night.

Thank you for comments yesterday

Back Tomorrow - probably

Sue

Cheering up Friday

Phew, everything is back on track with Col's chemo. He rang me to say they had sorted him out and he should need picking up either Sunday night or Monday morning. They need to keep him in for a while after the two day treatment to make sure he is OK. I have to admit to being a bit worried and sleepless overnight and as he has 2 visitors lined up for today thought it best to stay at home rather than doing the 50 mile round trip again. I'll go early tomorrow and take the things he needs for his extra days.

When we went for the hospital blood test on Tuesday Col 'hovered' on the car park while I dashed along to Lakeland, which seems to be the only place to buy the tins of cheats marmalade nowadays. Got home and found I hadn't got enough sugar so called in to get some yesterday and made up the two batches of  marmalade this morning - one lemon and one orange and now all the preserving equipment can be packed into a box.

While in Tesco a bunch of their £1 daffodils flew into my trolley. I cut some of the variegated shrub we have - the one that's related to holly but without the prickles - and shoved them in the blue and white jug.

They really cheer up a grey day, and it's been dismal here today - grey and drizzley, cold and windy.


As it's Friday have I any frugal-type things to mention this week?
Just a few

• Mended a hole in a pair of my leggings
• Home made bread all week
• Burning free wood all week
• Avoided buying anything from charity shops etc
• Free hair cuts for both of us
• Got the hospital parking voucher for cancer patients so we can park 10 times for £3 instead of £1 an hour. 
• Filled in forms to claim any benefits he will be entitled to
• Made a very (and I mean Very!) small chicken stretch to make 4 + 2 + 2 soup meals.

More of Dickensian and Shetland tonight and 6 Nations Rugby starts tomorrow - look forward to watching, it doesn't seem a year since I said that.

Welcome to toni1nana, a new follower and thanks for so many comments yesterday.

Back ASAP
Sue

Would you believe it

Col had 2ml of the chemo and promptly had an acute allergic reaction - they had to turn it off quick. Now all the specialists will have to confer tomorrow to see what they can give him. He'll be in hospital all weekend, maybe more.
Ho Hum!

Back soon
Sue

Stage 2

" Ring at 8.30am Thursday morning " they said, to check there is a bed available. Then  at 3pm Wednesday afternoon  we get a phone call to say " can you come in at 7pm tonight?" "Oh bother" we said as everything was ready for cooking  for youngest and her OH to come round to a roast chicken dinner! The hospital didn't actually do anything Wednesday night but just got him in early to make sure he had the bed.
Perhaps it's best not to make too many plans around the chemo dates. This time the chemotherapy treatment is 4 lots spread over 2 days, which is why he has to stay in hospital. He may be home late Friday night or sometime Saturday - hopefully in time to watch the start of the Six Nations Rugby.

To make up for their missed meal, this morning I delivered some chicken and bread sauce ( our youngest Loves bread sauce)  and the lemon meringue pie I'd made for dessert, to the opticians where she works. Which she and the others there found very funny! While I was out delivering I popped down to Aldeburgh to see the sea and peruse the charity shops, no photos - it was too cold to hang around and threatening rain too.

Thank you for lovely comments yesterday

Back Tomorrow - if there's anything to write about
Sue