The sunshine returns

And so we rock and reel our way into the last day of April. The last few days have been very wet and windy here so it is nice to see that the Sun has returned to see April Out.

Portsmouth at 8.00 this morning.

Fruit and herbal Tea,s

Another good night again last night, went to bed about 11.00 and slept right through until 6.30 this morning, so it looks like my sleep pattern is starting to sort itself out, It may be that I have started to drink a "camomile and spiced apple" fruit tea about an hour before bedtime, and also only drink fruit teas in the evening, so wondering if this helps or not, I suppose only time will tell.

My Logo

well it is hard to believe that it a year today that I was transferred to Southampton Hospital for a Muscle biopsy and a variety of tests and scans to get the Diagnosis of "Dermatomyositis" I was on a Nasal Feeding tube with Chronic Dysphagia and had very limited mobility and a lot of Muscle loss, 12 months on an although I still have limited mobility I am almost back to normal eating and am making steady progress but know that there is a long way to go yet and probably a few twists and turns along the way.

Jazz Singer.

After a little lie in until 7.30 I went and made the coffee and then into the lounge to watch the morning News program on TV. it got to 9.15 and there was no sign of the carer, so I phoned the care company and Jo is still of sick so I have another carer called Summer coming today anyway "Summer arrives at 9.30, another  young girl who was very friendly and polite, she soon has me washed and groomed and she also has a good sense of humour as I asked her if she had a sister called Billie, she said No, I said oh I new a Jazz singer once called Billie Holiday, and wondered if you were her Sister "Summer Holiday"  she nearly wet herself laughing, and she went of to her next client in a fit of giggles.

Todays lunch.

After summer left I spoke to Pauline and then got some "Alpen Porridge" for breakfast and then settle down to check emails and facebook and to watch some TV, Phoned The Electricity company to book my annual boiler service and before long it is getting on for 1.00  and time for lunch. So what to have is the Question, {us poor old pensioners are almost on the breadline thanks to the coalition budget cuts, and seeing as I can't make it to a soup kitchen I will have to open a can of heinz Big soup} LOL only joking folk,s So a can of Chicken and Vegetable big soup, followed by a Hazelnut Praline Yoghurt.

Cat Nap.

Once lunch is over it is time to have a bit of a cat nap and then get this Journal written and  then to watch a bit of Daytime TV. There is an episode of "Diagnosis Murder on at 3.00 pm and  the quiz show " Pointless " on at 5.15, so after "diagnosis murder" I can get dinner sorted to begin cooking at 5.00, so that it will be ready for 6.00, tonight it is Liver and bacon with 3 veg and mashed potato, with an Onion gravy "Tasty"

I enjoyed a quick "Power Nap" in the Recliner, so now it is time to get this Journal Posted and settle down with the TV for the rest of the afternoon so I will say .......................................................

And will see you all again tomorrow in "MAY" Tatty bye all.

Where is the Sun.

Portsmouth 8.18 This Morning at portsmouth Harbour.

So here we are 8.15 on a Sunday morning after a decent nights sleep, a lie in with a coffee in bed, now sat in the lounge waiting for Jo the carer to arrive, feeling really good and what is it doing outside, Blowing a gale and raining, so my question for today is "Where is the Sun ?" Does the weather not Know that it is the first of May on Tuesday,

Where is the sun today.

Sorry

Well I do not know what has happened to Jo my carer this morning, it is now 9.22 and she has not yet arrived, she has probably overslept, or has a problem getting around on her cycle in this horrendous weather, anyway will leave it until 10.00 am and then I will have to phone the care company and let them know , so that I don't get charged for today. so not a lot to do really now so will go and get some breakfast and hope Jo gets here before 10.00. So it is now 10.37 and I have had no carer today. I phoned the care company, and it appears young Jo phoned in sick this morning, With this weather I do not blame her, anyway the on call person said someone would be coming round later but I told them not to bother, it would have been nice if someone had phoned me and let me know, she then got upset when I said that I would have to informs "Portsmouth adult social care" tomorrow so that they do not bill me for today. " Tough"

The plan

At 10.15 I had a phone call from Pauline to say she got my text this morning when her and Gordon were out on the common with Misty, She said they got drenched and windswept with the wind coming in of the sea, anyway this afternoon about 1.30 I am going to get a Taxi down to see them for an hour or so, and am looking forward to that so, I will have to get as much as this Journal done before I go.I can have lunch about 12.30 and then go down to them about 1.30 and I will then get a Taxi back home about 3.30 to 4.00 in time to sort out dinner for 6.00, well that is the plan anyway

So now it is time to get my emails sorted and get the washing up done from breakfast and then I can sort out what to wear this afternoon and think about having a shave.

I decided at 12.30 to get some lunch and settled for a tin of "Chicken soup with a couple of crisp bread spread with butter and a "Laughing Cow" cheese triangle. Boy did that go down a treat. so now it is 1.00 I have booked a Taxi for 1.30 to go and see Pauline and Gordon, so now to get dressed an ready for when the Taxi arrives.

So the Taxi arrives at 1.30 and off we go to Pauline's, I arrive about 1.45 and stay until about 4.00. It is a brilliant afternoon and me and gordon are in Hysterics over a posting on 'Facebook" that my cousin Michael from "Milton Keynes" posted on his wall. anyway At 4.00 it is time to get a Taxi home as I need to think about getting myself sorted out ready to start getting dinner ready at 5.00. anyway it was a good afternoon and a good day overall really. I had a phone call from my son Gervase when I was on the way home, he phoned to say that he hopes I had a good day and that he and leanne are off out to a friends Birthday Party this Evening.

The end of the road where Pauline and Gordon Live.

And the other End where Gervase and Leanne Live.

 Well I am now at home and it is 5.00 and I am just finishing of this Journal and then I will get Tonight,s Dinner started and watch a 1998 Film " Parent Trap" with "Lindsay Lohan" I have seen the 1961 film with "Hayley Mills" but not seen this 1998 remake.

1998 film " Parent Trap "

Well that is about it the end of a really good day so now for a nice restful evening of TV, so until tomorrow I will say Toodle Pip.

Wet Wet And Wetter.

The Weather here is really very wet today, and apparently it is going to get wetter and windier as the weekend progresses and it looks like it will carry on until at least Wednesday, I captured the image from the live web cam at Portsmouth Harbour this morning at 8.20. showing how bleak and wet it is here.

Portsmouth at 8.20 am This Morning.

Still I am sure that over in the Pacific Ocean, that the weather was better on the 28th of April 1789 when Fletcher Christian led the Mutiny on HMS Bounty and set Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 loyal crew adrift in a rowing boat.

Mutiny on the bounty

Anyway back to the present day and our very wet and windy Saturday, I had a reasonable nights sleep last night and woke at about 3.00 dropped back off about 4.00 and woke again at 6.30. Laid in bed listening to the radio until 7.30 when I made my way into the lounge with a coffee to watch the breakfast news on the TV until Jo the carer arrives. Well Jo the carer turns up at 8.30 on her Cycle and is very wet and windswept, so I get her a cup of tea and hang her coat in front of the radiator to dry a little bit while she gets me washed and groomed.

 Once she has finished she has her cup of tea and is then on her way to her next client and I go and get some wheatabix and a banana for breakfast. 

After breakfast I text pauline to let her know that all is Ok here and then settle down with another coffee and the laptop and then check out the emails and facebook.

After a little time on the computer I watch a recorded episode of little house on the prairie, and then I get a phone call from Gervase to say he will be round between 1.00 and 2.00 to take me shopping down Asda to get a couple of bits and pieces, as it is now 11.30 I decide to get a shave and then get dressed ready to go out and then I can get some lunch before my son Gervase arrives.

I decide to make an egg mayonnaise Sandwich for lunch, with a cup of tea, that went down a treat, and now I will look forward to Gervase coming round today, at least I feel a lot better today than I did yesterday after the Methotrexate, in fact today is a pretty good day, I have a touch of the devil in me today so compose a little rhyme about Autoimmune disease.

You wake up in the Morning, And you really feel like crap.You must listen to your body, and go and take a nap. 
You will wake up feeling full of beans, it really is great fun. 
Autoimmune diseases, are a real pain in the bum.

However at 1.40 Gervase arrives and he gets the wheelchair into the car and off we go to Asda. When we get there it is absolutely packed anyway we get the car parked and then make our way with the wheelchair into the Asda store, it is even busier in the store than it is in the car park, anyway we get around and get what we want and then  back to get it loaded into the car and then head back home via the sea front.

It is nice to look out over the solent on the way back home, as the view is not interrupted by parked cars as nobody comes along here when it is raining. Once home we get the shopping put away and I make myself a coffee and gervase heads back home to Leanne.

Here Comes Gervase.

Well I just do not know where the time has gone today, it is now 5.20 and I have not done much at all today , but it has been a good day, it is now time to get this journal posted and then start preparing tonight,s dinner it will be Sea bass with Cauliflower and Broccoli  in a cheese sauce with New potatoes so that will be tasty, so until tomorrow I will say Adios Amigo,s

A poetic Friday

I Remember Sally

                   What light from yonder window shine,s, said Romeo one day.
                   When he went out in Hammond road, and girls came out to play.
                   Young Sally was his favourite girl, She really was a stunner,
                   But every time that Frank got near, She went and done a runner.
                  Oh days gone by, true love it was, Frank thought that it was heaven
                  But Sally she was only Six,and Frank was only Seven.
                                                                                         
  The above is one of the greatest love poems ever written, {LOL}, Well I think I did it ok  anyway I thought I would just write it down as today is the 108th anniversary of the birth of the Anglo Irish Poet Cecil Day-Lewis.

Cecil Day-lewis 1904-1972

Wakey Wakey.

So it is another Breezy day here in Portsmouth, There is lots of dark clouds floating around this morning interspersed with blue skies and sunshine, I think this is the pattern for today, anyway just to say that I slept pretty well last night until the alarm clock woke me this Morning.

Morning coffee time.

Once awake I stayed in bed trying to ignore the fact that it was friday and that today is Methotrexate day, I hate taking that drug as it makes me feel like S**t for the weekend, but I suppose it is doing the job of getting the myositis under control as the progress these last 12 months has been good.
However at 8.00 I decide that it is no good ignoring the day so get out into the kitchen and make a coffee to take into the lounge where I watch the Breakfast news on TV until Jo the carer arrives at 8.25.
Once Jo Has me washed and groomed ready to face "Freaky Friday" I text Pauline and let her know all is Ok here, Pauline texts back to say that her and Gordon are on the way to Salisbury and will text me again later.
So now I can go and get dressed, and then get some Special K and a Banana for breakfast and take the Methotrexate and Prednisolone, and then it will be a day of doing nothing.

The Freaky friday Breakfast Yummy, Yummy, Yuck.

Once breakfast is over I settle down in the recliner with the laptop and check out my e-mails and facebook, I then watch a recorded episode of "Little house on the Prairie" before making another coffee and watching "Cash in the Attic" followed by "Bargain Hunt".

So the morning has come and gone and the weather is very changeable, and as it is now 1.00 I think it is time to get some lunch. Today I am having a small Quiche Lorraine with some Crisps and a Glass of Ribena and then will go for a lie down for an hour or so before starting the Daily Journal as it looks like we atre about to have a downpour.

Portsmouth at 1.00 pm today
( Update the clouds passed by and it did not rain)

So here we are then and it is now 2.30, I have had a lie down for an hour and feel really Yucky, still never mind it can only get better as the weekend progresses, well I had better get this journal finished and posted. I had a nice visit from my son yesterday evening, and he will phone again this evening on the way home from work. Pauline sent a text to say that she and Gordon are on the way back from Salisbury and will phone me when they get home. apart from that it has been a pretty uneventful day today, so as it is now approaching 4.00 I will get this journal posted to my blog and until tomorrow I will say goodbye and I hope you all have a..............................................

Limpys day out.

♬ ♫♪♫♬ Didn't we have a lovely time. ♬ ♫♪♫♬ 

On a Thursday out with Limpy.

Wind in her hair, Pushing my chair

Oops a Daisy, Drives me crazy,

♬ ♫♪♫♬  looping the loop, for lunch we had soup,♬ ♫♪♫♬

When shopping for food in Tesco.

It was on the way home, when she started to moan

As the wheel,s went round........... 

A Day out down town shopping with Pauline.

Pauline with the Taxi.

Ok so here we go then with todays Journal, mind you this could be the last one I write once Pauline see,s this, Mind you I will deny all Knowledge of it and swear that my  google account was hacked and it was her partner Gordon that wrote It. LOL.

In all honesty though it has been a really good day today, thanks to Pauline who puts up with me twice a week.

Right after all the regular things that get carried out in the morning such as texting Pauline, the Visit by my Carer, breakfast etc, Pauline arrives at 11.00 am with the taxi to take me shopping down town.

Once we  get the Wheelchair in the taxi we are on our way and the taxi driver who is one of the regulars drops us off at the Post office in slindon street, by the entrance to the precinct. once the wheel chair is out of the Taxi Pauline goes to post a couple of letters and then we head of into Wilkinson,s as Pauline needs to get some bits and pieces for Misty.

Wilkinson,s at the Precinct, Portsmouth.

We are in wilkinson,s and Pauline gets the bits and Pieces that she wants and then we are out into the precinct, and the next stop is the bank, as I need to get some money out of the ATM so that I can do the shopping that I need.

My bank in the Portsmouth shopping Precinct

The weather is not that good today, it is very windy, and a lot of cloud with a few showers of rain, so we are dodging the showers although they are few and far between, Once I have finished my transaction at the bank, we make our way down the precinct, pass the fountain as Pauline wants to have a look in one of the shoe shops,

The Fountain, Portsmouth Precinct

Well it is not over busy today as you can see by the Photo of the fountain although as we get down the precinct nearer to the market stalls it then becomes a little more crowded, The shoe shop Pauline wants to look in is called the " shoe Zone" I had never heard of them, just goes to show how often I buy shoes, also I always tend to go to "Clark,s". anyway The shoe zone is not that wheelchair friendly so although I go in I am soon back outside waiting for Pauline.

Market Day in Commercial road Precinct, portsmouth.

Pauline arrives back outside, and then we make our way over by the Halifax and then on into Tesco to get the food shopping, pauline has a few items to get and I need to get the items for my dinner,s for tonight, Friday and saturday, and then hopefully gervase will take me shopping on Sunday to either Asda or Morrisons. While I was outside the Shoe Zone waiting for Pauline I took a photo of the Market stalls and the people in the Precinct.

Once we get to Tesco, Pauline goes to get a small trolley, but there are none available so she gets a Basket, so I Wheel the wheelchair and Pauline Limps around with the Basket, although Pauline,s Knee is still giving her trouble, I think it is on the mend slowly, so I try and wheel or Walk and push the wheel chair as much as I can to give her a break, anyway we are halfway through getting what we need when we decide to get a spot of Lunch in the cafeteria, they have our favourite Mushroom soup today, so that is what we have, then pauline goes to get the coffee,s and also a piece of "Lemon Drizzle cake to share between the two of us.

Pauline with the coffee and Cake.

Yum, Yum, Coffee and Cake in Tesco Cafeteria

Once we have finished lunch we complete the shopping and then go outside and get the Taxi back home. Once indoors we get my shopping put away and I make the coffee and we sit and have a chat, Pauline is going to take my Laundry with her today so we go and get that into a bag and then it is time for Pauline to head home and hopefully rest her knee.

so that is the end of a very good day today, I have felt really good and am so thankful to Pauline for all the help she gives me and she has a good sense of humour as well, which is good as she has to put up with me, like today, the wheelchair developed a Squeak, as it was moving, so there I am happily singing " Squeak, Squeak, the oiling you gave to me", as we go around the shops, so she really deserves a medal.

So It is now turned 5.00 O'Clock and I am running late with this Journal today, So I need to get it completed and Posted to my blog, before I sort out dinner for tonight and get ready for Gervase who will be round to see me on his way home from work about 6.30 pm. so until Tomorrow I will say Tatty Bye.

A storm is Brewing

Weather map for South Coast of the UK

And a very Good Morning from a very wet and windy Portsmouth, It is 5.00 am here and I am sat in bed with a hot coffee and the laptop listening to the wind howling down the side of the house and the rain beating against the window. it is the start of a very stormy couple of days for us here on the south coast of the UK, At the moment the wind speed is about 22 mph but the worst weather is expected this afternoon with Torrential downpours and wind speeds of around 35 mph gusting to 60 mph and this weather is supposed to last into the weekend. The other bad news on the TV this morning is that it looks like Britain is heading into another period of financial recession.

Today is Anzac Day, this is the anniversary of the Gallipoli Landings by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, on the 25th April 1915. I have an interest in this as through Family History research I have a family Connection to Australia as my Great Great Grandfather Joseph Smith Had a Sister Esther Caroline Smith who in 1853 married John Henry Nobbs and emigrated to Australia in the late 1800,s

Anzac Day in Australia 25th April.

Raining cats and dogs.

Here we are at 8.00 am and the skies are so dark that I need the lights on in the lounge . I think that poor Jo the Carer is going to be drenched this morning by the time she gets here, it must be difficult cycling in this heavy rain and strong winds, so I have put on the central heating so she can put her wet coat on it and hopefully dry it a little bit while she is here, but hopefully she will have waterproofs that she can wear.

Fallen Trees

I have just Phoned Pauline to ask her to let Gordon Know that they have just announced that there are trees blown down in the Hampshire/Wiltshire area and that has caused traffic delays on the roads and motorway,s, and will probably affect Gordon as he has to travel to Salisbury for work this morning.

Well Jo arrives at 8.30 and as expected she is very "wet" and windswept, so I make a cup of tea for her and put her coat on the Radiator so that it will dry a little bit, she has two extra clients to go to  today, but at least they are quite close to me so she won't have far to travel, anyway she soon has me washed and groomed and has her cuppa and is on her way.

Todays Breakfast

so what to have for breakfast is the Major decision of the day for me, I think today I will have a bowl of "Special K with red berries and a banana, and then I can get on with a bit of online research into the  Jersey Census, to trace the Nobbs and also Ester Caroline Smith, who married John Henry Nobbs before they emigrated to Australia.
Once Breakfast is over I go and get dressed and then get on with my online Genealogy research until 11.00 when I go to make a coffee and also have a look to see what the weather is like outside, it is still very wet and windy although it has brightened up a bit. so now to have my coffee and watch  last night,s recording of Little house on the prairie.

Wet and windy this morning looking through my back door

Ok so that was a nice relaxing morning, the time is now approaching 1.00 pm and it is time to start thinking about lunch, I will be having a smoked haddock fillet today with some fresh bread and butter so that will go down a treat, one of the more interesting events of this morning was the phone call from one of these company, s who want to recover £3000.00 GBP from mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance policy,s on my loans and credit cards. I said that I probably was not interested but if they would just wait a minute while I  turned my gas hob down I would listen to what they have to say, anyway I left the phone on the table for 30 minutes and when I picked it up they had rung off, Trouble is people have no Patience these days, I also only cook with electric.

PPI Cold Calling Salesman.

So here we are then lunch was really good and now it is time to watch a few of the old sit coms being shown on "UK Gold". at the moment it is "One Foot in the grave" followed at 1.40 by "Dinner Ladies" with "Victoria woods" and thaen at 2.20 by "Ever decreasing circles" with "Richard Briars". and then it will be time to get this journal finished and posted.

Sleeping in the chair.

So the time is now 3.30, just had a text from Pauline to say she has got her heating on as it is "Nippy" today, I have had mine on all day today, only on a low setting though. So much for watching the old Sit-coms I dozed off in the armchair for an hour or so and got woken by the phone when Pauline text me.
So now I need to get this Journal finished and posted and then think about what to have for dinner tonight and get the washing up done from Lunchtime, but first a coffee i think.

well time to get things done so until tomorrow I will say Cheerio.

A Classic Read today

A Tuesday Cartoon

Insomnia Rules ! OK !

Welcome to Tuesday folks, and another busy day ahead shopping at Asda with Pauline. well it was not a good night last night, went to bed at 11.00 and it was about an hour before I dropped off to sleep but by 2.30 I was awake, anyway went on to face book for an hour to have a chat with a few of my American and Canadian Relatives and Friends and got back off to sleep at 3.30 ish and slept right through until 7.30 this morning when my Alarm clock went off, so a night of two halves really.

However that is all behind us today and thank goodness the rain has eased of a tad today but coming back with strong winds and with a vengeance tonight according to the weather forecast.

I have been looking at the classic books that I used to read as a child, my favourite was always "Treasure Island" along with "The Three Musketeers" and "Robinson Crusoe" you may be wondering why I should mention this but, it is that, today the 24th April is the 281st Anniversary of the Death of the Author Daniel Defoe, who wrote many books pamphlets and Journals including Robinson Crusoe.

Robinson Crusoe

Daniel Defoe was born around 1660 and was born Daniel Foe in London and gained fame for his novel "Robinson Crusoe" He was a prolific writer of many Pamphlet,s and Journals on a wide range of subjects. Daniel Defoe died on the 24th of April 1731 and is buried in Bunhill Fields, london where his grave can still be visited.

So there you go folks another short history lesson by yours truly and now on to the really interesting events of my day.

Groomed ready for  the day ahead

Once I was up and in the lounge with my morning coffee I put on the TV to watch the Morning News and to wait for Jo the carer to arrive, Jo arrives at 8.25 and is full of beans this morning,and soon has me washed and groomed ready for the day ahead, she is in a happy mood as she only has one more client after me so will be finished for the day by 10.00 am and is then going round to see her dad.

On the laptop.

So once Jo Has left I get some Porridge for breakfast and then text pauline to let her know all is ok, and she phones back to say that she is about to take misty out for her walk on the common and that she will be round about 11.00 to take me shopping to Asda at the Bridge Centre Fratton, her Knee is still very swollen but she has been told by the physio to try and do the things she normally does but at a slower pace, she has taken her pain medication and that is helping, so I settle down with the laptop for half an hour to check facebook and my emails before getting ready for when Pauline arrives.

Pauline arrives at 11.10 and I am all ready to go, she has brought some Laundry back with her so we leave that in the lounge while the wheelchair is put into the taxi and then we are off to Asda.

Must learn to keep my opinion to myself.

Once at Asda we go into the store and it is very busy here today, apparently according to the check out girl it was very quiet yesterday because of the weather so it looks like everyone is here today shopping as it is manic, It amazes me how rude and inconsiderate some people can be when going round a supermarket with the shopping trolleys, and some of them are downright rude.

Anyway I do not have a lot of shopping to get, in fact Pauline gets more than me, once we are finished we get it paid for and then phone for a Taxi to take us back home.

My son Gervase.

Once home we get everything out of the Taxi and get my shopping put away, and then make the coffee and Pauline and I then have a Sausage roll with the coffee and a nice chat for Half an hour, we get my Laundry that Pauline brought back today and then at 2.00 Pauline heads back home and I go for a lie down and catch up on an hours sleep.

The time is now 3.30, I have had a nice cat nap and now I need to get this journal written and posted and then I can think about getting dinner ready early tonight as I will be going down to spend a couple of hours with Gervase and leanne tonight, Leanne,s dad will also be there so that will be nice.

Well that is about as exciting as it gets today, To all my Australian friends and Family I would like to say that Tomorrow is Anzac Day and we will remember all our Australian Extended Family who were with the Australian and New Zealand armed forces and took part in the Gallipoli Landings on the 25th April 1915.

So until tomorrow I will say Tatty Bye