Rain Rain Go away.

Rain Rain Go Away, Come again another Day. This is an English Language nursery rhyme dating from around the 17th Century, It is as  relevant today as it was then.

Portsmouth at 12.00 today

So from the literary introduction above you can guess that it is raining again here in Portsmouth, but at least I have not got to go out in this weather but some sunshine would be nice so I could spend some time in the back Garden getting some plant pots sorted out and planted up, as the rate it is going at the moment summer will be over before its started, and the Irony is we are still in a drought situation here on the South Coast.

A Drought Situation among the Mist and Rain.

Todays Breakfast.

So not a bad nights sleep last night, woke at 5.30 and lazed in bed dozing until 7.45 when I went into the lounge with my morning coffee and watched the Breakfast News until Jo the carer arrives at about 8.40. She only has one more client after me , and so she gets me washed and groomed and is then on her way, while I go and get some Special K and a Banana for Breakfast.

Once breakfast is over I get dressed and Text Pauline, Pauline phones back about 10.15. her and Gordon were out on the common with Misty when she got my text, and she is saying how damp and dismal it is today. anyway I now get on with checking my e-mails and Facebook and then decide to watch a movie on the "Sony Movies Channel" The Movie is "Desperately Seeking Susan" with Madonna, which finishes at 1.20 and that is when I will get some lunch.

Movie today "Desperately Seeking Susan"

Well that was an interesting movie, anyway it is now 1.30 and time to get some lunch. Today I am going to open a tin of Minted Lamb Big Soup and have that with a couple of crisp bread, so I will enjoy that and then it will be time for a short nap before completing todays Journal. Well that was a nice lunch, I have had a lie down and cat nap for 2 hours and now it is 4.00 o'clock. 

Well it has been another day of doing Nothing, but at least the sun has now come out and the skies are blue so a bit of a respite from the rain. the trouble with this wet weather is that it makes everyone feel so depressed, anyway just to cheer you all up I have just captured the photo from the live webcam at Portsmouth harbour.

Portsmouth at 4.00 pm today

so there we are then, I have just phoned and spoke to my cousin Michael in Fareham, as we have not spoken for a few week,s he lives just down the road from my brother Pat,  and hopefully once the weather gets better we will be able to have another family get together over in Fareham, That is if we get a summer this year 

Pat           and          Mike

So Just to keep you all educated here is todays "A day in History"  Today is the anniversary of the end of the Siege of Orleans by Joan of Arc in 1429.

Joan of arc 1429

Well this is the end of Todays Journal, it has been a good day and I am going to have to think about dinner soon as it is now just turned 5.00. I am having a sea bass fillet that I got from morrisons Yesterday so that will be tasty with new potatoes and a Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese bake. Any way I will now say Tatty Bye until Tomorrow Shopping Edition of my Daily Journal.

Dank, Dreary and Dismal

Good morning people and welcome to a Dank, Dreary and Dismal Bank holiday Sunday.

Is the weather going to improve, not according to the Met office, in fact it looks like it is going to deteriorate over the next couple of days so i think spring is passing us by this year.

Portsmouth at 8.50 today

Need my Coffee.

Here we can see how Portsmouth is looking today at 8.50 am. On a brighter note, I had a really good nights sleep again last night, watched a film on TV until 11.30 and once in bed slept through until 6.30 this morning so that was good.
I got out of bed at 7.30 and made my obligatory coffee, and took into the lounge to watch the morning news on TV and await Jo the carer who is nice and early today and arrives at 8.30.

Still No Go

Well Jo gets me washed and groomed and is then on her way, it does not take long for her to get me washed, Most of my personal care I can manage myself, it is just the area above my shoulders that I have difficulty with. Washing my face and neck, hair washing and combing are the areas I cannot manage at the moment due to the fact I find it very difficult to get my hand and arms up high enough although there is some improvement so live in hope.

Once Jo has gone I get some breakfast and then send Pauline a text to let her know all is OK here and then make another coffee and settle down to watch the Andrew Marr show on BBC 1. It is all about the Local Election results this week and how the tory,s lost so many Local council seats. a very interesting debate today.

Gervase.

Well the time is marching on and it is now 11.22, do not know where the time has gone today, After the Andrew Marr show I went and got dressed and then checked out the emails and facebook and at 11.00  o'clock I had a phone call from my son Gervase to say he will be round between 1.00 and 2.00 pm to take me down to morrisons to get some shopping, so will have to make sure I have an early lunch today.

I do not know what to have for lunch today, it will probably be some nice chunky vegetable soup today, that will be quick and easy to do with minimum washing up afterwards, anyway I will wait until 12.30 before I make a final decision.
Well the final decision was made and it was "Cream of chicken soup that ended up in my lunch bowl today, and very nice it was to, Once lunch was finished I got changed ready for when Gervase got here.

Gervase arrives about 1.30 and I am all ready so he gets the wheelchair into the car and off we go to Morrison,s, the traffic is busy today and so is Morrisons when we get there, however I have not got a lot to get so it does not take long to get what we need and then we are heading back home and drive along the sea front. It is a shame about the weather, as there are a lot of events going on in Southsea today but not many people around.

Southsea Sea Front

 Once back home, we get the shopping put away and then I make a nice coffee we have a chat and then Gervase makes his way home to Leanne and I settle down with the TV and the Laptop to get this journal written for today and get it posted before starting dinner at 5.30 having a nice Chicken, Bacon and Pasta Bake tonight.

Before I say goodbye for today I will leave you with todays "Day in History" for the 6th of May 1889.

A Day in History

And so until tomorrow "Good Bye"

Repetition is boring.

It must be a Groundhog again.

♫ ♫ ♫ Pick yourself Up, Dust yourself down, and start all over again. ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ and so it goes on and on and on, This weather is becoming very boring at the moment, there seems to be no let up in the cold and the wind and the rain, reminds me of the film "Groundhog Day" when I wake up every morning, pull back the curtains, and the day is exactly the same as it was yesterday.

OH well this is life I suppose, It is typical over here in the UK that when you get a Bank Holiday weekend then the weather seems to deteriorate, it is a shame really as this weekend there were lots of events being held in Southsea, There is a "Heavy horse show" at Castle field,s, A fun fair on the common and 3 days of events at the naval dockyard to remember the 30th Anniversary of the Falkland Conflict.

However all I can really say to you all is.................

A Very Wet Saturday

The good news is that fingers crossed my sleep pattern is starting to become regular, and this weekend so far I have not had such a yucky effect from the Methotrexate, so all in all it is pretty good apart from the weather. I slept from 11.00 until 6,45 this morning and got up at 8.00, got a coffee and into the lounge to await the Carer. I am spoilt today with the TV as on the "True Entertainment Channel" they are showing Back to Back episodes of series 8 of "The Walton,s"

Series 8 of The Walton,s

Todays Breakfast

 However Jo the carer arrives very wet and windswept at 8.50, so I make her a cup of tea and she gets me washed and groomed and is then on her way to her next client and I go and get some wheatabix for breakfast before sending the usual text to Pauline to let her know all is Ok here. Pauline phones back to say all is OK and that her sister Fran and Nephew Stewie are down with them today, as Stewie is helping Gordon put up some ceiling coving in the lounge.

Words with Friends

Now that breakfast is over I go and get dressed and then settle back down with the walton,s and also go online with the laptop to check emails and Facebook, It looks like it is going to be a very quiet day today, the weather is not improving and once I have the emails checked it is time to get on with making another coffee before playing a few games of "Words with Friends" on Facebook

Well the time is passing by and it is approaching noon, it will soon be time to start thinking about lunch.
The one good thing that comes out of the adverse weather is that you get very few people coming round and stuffing leaflets through the letter box. I have just been and checked the Live webcam site at Portsmouth harbour and have captured the live photo of how Portsmouth looks at 11.55 today.

Portsmouth at noon Today "Dull and Dreary"

On the laptop

Anyway it is now time to think about getting some lunch, I am feeling a little peckish today so blow the calories and i have two buttered crisp breads with some egg mayonnaise followed by a cornish cream Lemon curd yoghurt, a Banana and a mars bar. Yes I know it is Naughty, and unhealthy but Tough, it was enjoyable. So that is lunch over with and now to make a nice cup of tea and then get back on the laptop and get this Journal started. and then I can get it posted as the time is pushing on and it is now 3.30.

So here we are that is Todays not so exciting journal finished, and now to just add the " Date in History for today so that I can say I have added a touch of culture to my Journal and then I can think about dinner tonight, I am having a pork loin steak with new potato, Cauliflower, Broccoli, and swede and Carrot Mash with a nice thick Gravy, so roll on dinner time at 6.00 pm, so I will leave you with todays "Date in History" and say Tatty bye until tomorrow.

Todays date in History.

Another Methotrexate Friday

Good morning one and all and welcome to.............

Freaky Friday

Misty Laughing on Sunday 

yes it is freaky friday again today, Time for the Methotrexate. At least I had a decent nights sleep last night and also my Stomach seems to be starting to settle down, I do not know what caused it to be upset this week was it a tummy bug I picked up or Uncontrollable laughter at the weekend when I visited Gordon and Pauline, Even "Misty" was Laughing.

The weather here today is not very nice at all, although it is not raining it is very Cloudy and chilly not at all like May should be. I have just been listening to the weather forecast on TV and they are saying that the weather over the bank holiday weekend is not very nice at all wet and cold and it is going t be colder than it was at Christmas, as Victor Meldrew would say " I Don't believe it " anyway I got the Photo from the live webcam at Portsmouth Harbour showing the cloudy skies at lunchtime today.

Portsmouth 11.55 Today

Washing up the dishes

However back to this morning, I got up at 7.20, made a coffee and then went into the lounge to watch some TV until Jo the carer arrives, Jo turns up at 8.50, she has got extra clients today so she gets me washed and groomed and is then on her way and I get some Porridge for breakfast and take the Methotrexate. Once breakfast is over I text pauline and then get the washing up done before getting dressed and settling down to watch "Heir Hunters" on TV
 
 I do enjoy the "Heir Hunters" program, as I do like Genealogy, once that is over I watch yesterdays recording of "Little house on the Prairie" before settling down to the laptop and checking out my e-mails and also seeing who is about on Facebook, once that is done I decide to have a bit of a rest before thinking about lunch.

Little House on the Prairie

The time is now 1.00 and time for lunch, today I am having a small Smoked haddock fillet wit bread and butter, I bought it yesterday from the fresh fish counter at Morrisons so that will go down well with a nice cup of tea, also the lunchtime news is on TV, Yesterday it was the local council elections in Great Britain and it looks like the Conservatives and lib-Dem,s are taking a bit of a beating.

Local Council Election Results today

well that is lunch over and done with, so now to get the washing up done and then settle down to get this journal finished and posted and then go for a lie down for an hour or so before Pointless starts on TV.  Before I finish on this Freaky friday "The Date for Today" history lesson is the Beginning of the Royal Canadian Navy in 1910.

Royal Canadian Navy

So There we go, not a long journal today, but it has been a quiet day today as the Methotrexate kicks in and also with the temperature drop today I am suffering from very cold fingers as the Raynaud's kicks in and it is difficult to type wearing gloves,so I am off for an Hours sleep so I will say Adios until tomorrow.

A wet shopping Day.

Restless Night.

And another day of rain is upon us. It was not the best nights sleep last night, it was very close and humid last night and I had a very restless night, I kept waking up every couple of hours and then going straight back to sleep again, I said t Pauline about it when I saw her today and she said that she felt that it was very warm and close last night, so glad it wasn't just me.

Well at 7.30 I had had enough so decided that I might as well get up and have a coffee in the lounge and watch the breakfast news on TV. it just gets more depressing as the days go by, everyday they are going on about the Economy and the double dip recession, well It is not the first time it ha happened, and it won,t be the last. we all have to many bills and not enough money.

2012 UK Recession.

Jo On her Cycle

Anyway it is still raining outside although it is not heavy rain, Jo the carer arrives at 8.30, she was lucky as it was not raining when she left her last client so got here and just as it started to rain again, it does not take her long to get me washed and groomed and then after a cup of tea and a chat she is on her way, so I get another coffee and some wheatabix for breakfast and also text Pauline to let her know all is Ok here.

The time is now 9.30 and pauline phones to say that she will be booking a Taxi at 10 45 to come and collect me and then we will be going down to the city centre precinct and then to Morrisons at the victory retail park to get the food shopping. so I go on line to check my e-mails and then go and have a shave and get dressed ready for when Pauline arrives.

Pauline arrives at 10 55 and we get the wheelchair in the car and then off we go to the City centre precinct, it is a very damp and cool day today, however the Taxi drops us at the precinct just behind Boots the chemist, so the first place we have to go is into boots to get a couple of items so off we go and get them.

Boots the Chemist in the Precinct. (stock Photo)

We get what we need at boots and then make our way over to an ATM Machine so I can get some money out and then off to Specsavers, as I need to take in the new spectacles I got on Tuesday as they need a slight adjustment made, as they are tight and press a bit to hard on the side of my head above the ears so the girl in their does that for me and they feel a lot better to wear now, they also refit a lens that had fallen out of Pauline,s glasses at the same time so we are pleased with the service we got from Specsavers today.

Specsavers City Centre Precinct (Stock Photo)

So now we are going to make our way through Sainsburys car park towards the Victory retail Park and Morrisons, it is raining slightly so need to have a umbrella up, and Pauline has her rain hood up as well, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk there, crossing two busy roads along the way, it is a good job they both have light controlled pedestrian crossing,s or else there is no way we could walk there with a wheelchair.

Victory retail park among the trees on a sunnier day (Stock Photo)

Once we get to the retail park and Morrisons we first of all go into the cafe their and have an early lunch ( it is 11.40) we both have a coffee and also Scrambled Egg on Toast, it was not to bad and good value for money as it was a large portion, the only downside was that the scrambled egg was made from reconstituted Egg Powder, but it was quite tasty and went down well, although I could not eat all of it, ate most of it though  but not as Good as the Scrambled egg I make a home. anyway we then did our shopping " buying more than we intended to" and then make our way outside tp phone a Taxi to take us home, the time is now 1.30.

Here I am today abandoned outside Morrisons in the rain with the Umbrella

Once the Taxi came, the shopping and wheel chair is loaded in and off we go home. once indoors we get the shopping put away and then I make a nice coffee and Pauline and I have a nice chat for 30 minutes and then pauline goes to sort out my Laundry to take with her and I give her a hand, When Pauline came today she brought my Shirts with her all nicely ironed, " she really is an angel although I am not sure if it is Pauline that Irons them or "Charlie, the black and white Cat"

My Shirts being ironed but by Whom Pauline or Charlie the cat

Well that is pretty much the day over, Pauline made her way back home about 2.45, I had a text from Leanne to make sure all was OK, and my son Gervase will be in to see me tonight on his way home from work, so all I need to do now is get this journal finished, make a coffee and have a cat nap for 45 minutes before Pointless starts on TV. so until tomorrow I will say Tatty Bye and leave you with todays "Date in History" which was the opening of the "Canterbury to whitstable Railway on the 3rd of May 1830.

Weather changes again.

And once again the weather cannot make up its mind, Yesterday was warm with blue skies and bright Sunshine, today it is dull and cooler, I just wish it would make up its mind as I am hoping to go out this afternoon with my Daughter in-law Leanne and her Mum Elaine, down to the 10th hole tea rooms for tea and cake, so hope the weather improves a little bit.

The 10th Hole Tea Rooms, Southsea Sea Front.

 And so we are now into May, the year is going by pretty fast and before we know it we will be heading into summer and all the problems the heat and the sun bring to us that are living with this Dermatomyositis, still as always we will fight through it and not give in to it. so I will say to you all...........................

 The Second of May 2012

A Sleeping log

And now we return this journal to some form of Sanity. Myositis is certainly a roller coastal ride as Sunday night I woke in the early hours of the morning and could not get back to sleep properly and last night I slept like a log from about 10.30 until 7.15 this morning, and although my stomach still feels tender it is nowhere near as bad as it felt yesterday

Checking my explosive emails

So at 8.00 I make my way with a coffee into the lounge and watch the morning news on TV until Jo the carer arrives at 8.30, she soon has me washed and groomed and is then on her way, I get some Porridge for breakfast and text Pauline to let her know all is OK and then settle down with the laptop to check out Facebook and also my emails, so it is going to be a relaxing day today.

I play some games on the laptop and do a bit of cartoon design until 12.30 when I go and get some Chicken and Mushroom soup with a couple of crispbread for lunch and then go and have a lie down for an hour until 2.30 when I go and get myself sorted for when Leanne and Elaine comes to take me to the 10th Hole tea room.

Elaine and leanne at the Tea Room.

Leanne and Elaine arrive at 3.45 and off we go to the Tea Room, The weather is still very overcast but it is not to cold so we are able to sit outside and have our coffee and I have a large slice of Toffee and fudge sponge and although it was naughty it was also very nice so what the heck, anyway we were down there about an hour before they brought me back home at 5.15. it was a nice hour or so and I really enjoyed it and look forward to going again when the weather gets better.

My Pice of Toffee and Fudge Cake "Luverly"

I was thinking today as I was writing this edition of my daily Journal about all the Journals and magazines that are around and thought I would share with you that one of the Magazine my mum and also my Auntie Maud used to read was "Good housekeeping" and that it was on the 2nd of May 1885 that it was founded in Holyoke Massachusetts, by Clark W Bryan.

Anniversary of Good Housekeeping Magazine.

So here we are at the end of another good day, As yesterday I am running late with the journal so will get it posted to my blog and then settle down to watch the rest of Pointless, and after eating that large piece of cake I think dinner will be later this evening, so until tomorrow I will say Adios Amigo,s.

Not a great start to May.

Good morning and let,s start by saying..................

                                                                      ⬇

                                                                      ⬇

The first of May 2012

Tummy Trouble

Ok so it is not the best start to a new month, the weather is a lot better today, blue skies and sunshine here in Portsmouth with temperatures of 14 C. the problem is I woke this morning at 2.30 with bad stomach pains, no idea what it was, but I could not get back to sleep properly, so got out of bed at 7.30 to make my way into the lounge, text pauline to let her know that I was going to phone the doctor at 9.00 so would cancel my blood test for today and rebook for next week.

Pauline and Taxi

However I have a coffee and watch the TV until The Carer Arrives, It is Jo back today, apparently she had a bit of an ear infection on Sunday and Monday, but is feeling better today, anyway she gets me washed and Groomed and is then on her way.
At 9.00 I phone the doctors surgery and a Doctor will phone me back later this Morning, so I go and get some Special K for Breakfast. I speak to Pauline on the phone, she did not get my Text and she is going to get a taxi down about 10.15 and then we will see how the day goes.

Doctor Phone,s

Well Pauline arrives at 10.20 and I make a coffee, the doctor phones back at 10.45 and we have a chat, she is not to concerned at this point as she thinks it may be a bit of a tummy bug, she is going to write a prescription for some gaviscon but stressed that I must phone the surgery back again if it gets worse or is still the same after the next couple of days, as she said It could be a side effect of the Medication and if it is knowing which one is the question, anyway the prescription will be ready in 30 minutes so Pauline will go and collect it.

New Glasses.

My stomach does feel if it is starting to settle down a bit now, so decide we will continue with the days plan and get a taxi to go to the city centre to get my new glasses as I have an appointment with the opticians at 12.00, and we can pick up the prescription on the way and get the gaviscon from Boots the chemist when we are down town. so I phone to get a Taxi for 11.30 and then we are on our way with the wheelchair in the Taxi.
Once we arrive at the town centre, the wheelchair is unloaded and then Pauline takes the Prescription into Boots and then we go over to Specsavers to get my new Glasses.

Todays Daily Paper.

I get the glasses fitted and I must say it is a big difference, Not so much in the reading lens but the distance vision is a lot sharper, so I am pleased about that, so now we are going to get A coffee and a snack at the expresso bar in the precinct, I have a Pasty and Pauline has a Sausage roll, and very tasty it is too. Anyway My Stomach is starting to settle down a bit now, so hopefully will not have to take even more medicine, I am not a lover of Gaviscon although it does settle tummy,s down. once we have finished our coffee Pauline said she would like to go to Primark, so she goes off to Primark and I go into Boots to pick up the Gaviscon from the prescription and then go out into the sunshine to wait for Pauline, and while waiting I do the crosswords in the daily Paper.

Running late

Once Pauline comes out of Primark we make our way into Tesco to get some shopping before getting a Taxi to head back home. Once indoors we get the shopping put away and I make a coffee and we have a chat until Pauline has to make her move back home at 3.00. Once Pauline has gone I make another Coffee and settle down to get todays Journal written, I am running late with things today however the good part is that my Stomach is a hell of a lot better than it was this morning, perhaps it was the onion in the liver and bacon ready meal I scoffed down last night for dinner, where I have been used to eating fresh food, Who Knows "Not Me".

Today On the first of May I had to pay 60p to post a letter first class, "Sixty flaming Pence" and we do not even get a reliable postal service these days, anyway I say this because on the First of May 1840 The First Adhesive Postage stamp was issued  in Great Britain, The cost of the stamp was one penny and the first adhesive stamp was the " Penny  Black "

The Introduction of the Penny Black

Well with that little bit of history I will get this Journal posted and say Cheerio until tomorrow.