Rest, Rest and More Rest, That is the answer.

And those are very wise words my friends and fellow myositis warriors. Welcome to my Saturday of rest, today I am reporting from my Recliner in front of the TV

It has been one of those days today after a very busy friday, not only did  Gordon come down to help me to have a bath ,  a visit to the chemist, a trip for an x-ray, a trip to the seafront for a snack and a trip to show Gordon where the old canal used to enter Portsea Island BUT I also had to take my Methotrexate. so as you can see after all that there was only one thing to do today and that was to rest. BUT Did I ??????????

Freaky Friday 

Getting Breakfast

However the day started badly, or Good depending on what way you look at it, I overslept and did not get up until 9.30 am, that is what happens when you have an enjoyable day , anyway I made my coffee, although still in a bit of a daze and made my way to the lounge to log on to Facebook and catch up on the posts from Friday night and this morning and then got carried away exchanging posts on the Australian  Myositis support group, and before I knew it, it was 11.00 and I had not had breakfast, so got some toast and Marmalade and the obligatory Prunes and sat and had breakfast followed by a mint tea.

Once I had finished Breakfast Gordon phoned to say that Pauline and he  were back from the vets with Misty, They had taken her down to have her booster shots (Misty that is not Pauline) and also Misty had a sore patch on her back at the base of her tail, the vet checked it out and there was not a problem with her glands, and it is an infection that she has picked up when she has been taken down to the sandy beach at Hayling Island, apparently it is an infection from Sand Mites in this hot weather and the salt water, so the vet shaved the area, and they have some ointment and antibiotics to clear it up.

Misty and the Vet

Wash and Shave.

Once I had finished on the phone speaking with Gordon it was time to get myself sorted and to get to grips with the day.
The trouble was I was still in my Pyjamas and it was heading towards midday, so I thought If I have another Coffee, that will wake me up so I took todays 5 mg Prednisolone tablet and then had a coffee and then decided I had better go and get  washed, shaved and dressed before the day is over.

Once I had got that all done and I was dressed I thought it was best to get the washing up done from breakfast before settling down to get some  pictures and information from the family tree emailed to my Cousin,s son Grant.He asked yesterday evening if I had any details of any of our Smith Family that were involved in ww1, as he had been watching the programs on the TV about the first world war, on the build up to the 100th anniversary on Monday the 4th of August. I had a little bit about 2 of my Great Grandfathers nephews , who were both killed in action in France in 1916 so sent details of where they were laid to rest in the war grave cemeteries in France and some other bits and pieces so hopefully he will find them of interest,

A Cat Nap

Once that was doneI decided that it was time for a lie down for an hour as I was feeling in need of a cat nap.

Well that was a nice 45 minute sleep and I feel so much better, anyway it is now getting on for 2.00 pm so decide That I would have a Jacket potato and cheese for lunch, it will take 30 minutes to cook so that goes in the oven and I settle down to get yesterdays crosswords done in the paper before lunch is ready at 2.20. I have lunch and then decide I had better get started on todays Journal so that is what I do.

So that was my day of Rest, well as they say "nothing goes to plan", so perhaps tomorrow will be a day of rest, who knows, on reflection, i should have stayed in bed this morning. !!!!!!!.

Anyway It is now 5.10, so I have just about covered today so I am now going to get this published on my blog and then listen to some classical music for a couple of hours before I start to get dinner at 7.00 ish, tonight it will be steak pie with cheesy  mash that Pauline made for me, so until tomorrow i will say a ...........................

x-ray and coffee by the sea

Feeling Like Crap

Well what do you know, here we are on the first of August and not only that it is Freaky Friday. so an interesting day ahead of me today, first of all I had a very bad nights sleep, kept waking up and then dropping of to sleep until about 4.30 when I eventually got to sleep but then slept through until about 9.00, so not good as Gordon comes down on a Friday to help me have a bath and also today he is going to take me to St Mary,s walk in centre to get my Knee x-rayed.

Pauline on the Phone

anyway make a coffee and then sit and text Pauline to let her know all is Ok but that I am running late, as I am sending the text Pauline phones to see if all is Ok as I had not text her, anyway she got the text as she was phoning me, anyway we have a chat and I say that there is no rush for gordon to get here today as I am all behind, "in more ways than one" anyway after we have spoken I take my lansoprazole before getting breakfast in 30 minutes so log on and check face book and post the late edition of Thursdays daily Journal.

Pharmacist

Once I have checked on Facebook and posted yesterdays journal, i have some breakfast and then about 10.00 Gordon arrives so we have a coffee and then I have my Bath. Once I have had my bath I then get dressed and we sit and have a chat until about 11.30 when we get in the car and off we go to to drop my repeat prescription of at Rowland,s chemist so that it will be ready to collect next Friday and then it is off to The walk in centre to get my Knee x-ray done. there is up to a 45 minute wait but in fact I get called after about 25 minutes so not to long a wait. so once that is done we leave and Gordon drives down to the sea front at Eastney which is the quiet end of Portsmouth and we have a coffee and a snack at the tea bar there.

It is very quiet down this end of the seafront as it has no facilities here and is a bit of a "Natural State" and also most of the people will be at the other end of The sea font at Southsea  common as today is the first day of the Three day Southsea Show.

Looking East along southsea sea front towards Eastney.

Looking Out to Sea across the solent

Gordon Enjoying a snack and a coffee

Looking West along the front  at the Tea Bar.

after we had enjoyed a coffee and a Snack Gordon I got Gordon to drive down to the bottom of Locksway road where the Thatch house is to show him where the lock gates were and the locks where the canal came into Portsmouth from Langston harbour in 1823 , the canal was abandoned in 1855.

The Remains of the canal entrance looking west.

The remains of the Lock at the entrance of the Portsmouth Canal.

After that we head back home, it is now 2.30 so we have a coffee and then Gordon makes his way home and I start to get todays journal done.

enjoy a cat nap

So all in all it has been an enjoyable afternoon, it was nice to be out and about and also nice to be able to visit the old lock as I am very passionate about the local history of Portsmouth. anyway I need to get thous Journal posted and then a lie down for an hour before thinking about getting dinner ready, although it was an enjoyable afternoon it took it,s toll on me and my legs are now feeling very achey and i am worn out so an hour,s cat nap will do me a power of good.

 

So now to take the Methotrexate and enjoy the rest of Freaky Friday so until tomorrow I will say..............

Well here we are at another Methotrexate day

 So Welcome to "Freaky Friday"

Well it has been a decent week this week as you could see by Wednesdays Journal.

Thursday 22nd August 2013

Thursday went pretty well, I sent a text to Pauline as usual in the morning but had no reply for a bit so phoned her mobile and she was still out walking Misty, and had got lost in the wooded area, so I think she needs to get a Sat Nav, still they have only been at there new home for two weeks so it will take time for her to get to know her way around the area.

You are going the wrong way Pauline

anyway once I had spoken to Pauline I have porridge for breakfast and then go round to the co-op with the Rollator to get a daily paper and some milk, It is good having the rollator as it means I can walk further than with a walking cane.

"Roland the Rollator"

Once back home I settle down to read the paper before Leanne arrives at 12.30 to come down to the dentist with me for my appointment, the appointment was at 12.50 and by 1.15 we were back out and I had a upper plate with 3 new teeth. Whoo Hoo, mind you will take some getting used to,

anyway we head back home and then Leanne goes of to meet a friend for lunch and I have a tin of soup and a banana before going for a lie down.

Once I have had my lie down I spend the rest of the evening Watching TV. My son Gervase comes in to see me at 6.30 on his way home from work, and at 7.30 I have my Dinner a nice Liver and Bacon with Mash Potato and Gravy, and then I watch the TV until bedtime at 10.30 where I listen to the local radio before getting off to sleep about 12.00 . I am tired after a very enjoyable day.

Friday 23rd August 2013

So here we are back to Friday, where has the week gone to, I have actually got very little done this week, out for 7 hours on Monday with a canadian Relative, Shopping Tuesday, Milton park and the art cafe Wednesday, and Dentist Thursday, so today t will be a quiet day at home with some research into world war one. I have had Canadian and American relatives who fought and also 2 died in france in World war 1 so that is my aim for today. The Canadians from Toronto and also Quebec, and the American Smith from Trenton New Jersey.

Western Front world war 1

However before I start that I text Pauline and then get some Breakfast before going round to get my morning Paper, once back home I read the Paper and do the cross word before settling down to the History Research.

Joseph James smith from Canada, Died in Action France 1916 along
with his Brother who was from Jersey in the Channel Islands UK

Arthur Hubbard who fought in France in World War 1 he returned home in 1917
Arthur lived in Delson, Canada. and was my Grandfathers Brother.

My Maternal and Paternal Grandfathers fought in WW1 with the Royal Navy but today I am researching the war in France and Belgium along the western Front and concentrating on the Canadian and American Relatives/ancestors.

I have got 8 bound volumes of the "Illustrated War News" Published by the "London Illustrated News" covering the period 14th June 1916 through to April 10th 1918 in 96 Parts.
Here are a few of the pages that show photographs of Canadian and American troops on the western Front.

one of the 8 Volumes

The memorial at Vimy Ridge in Memory of the 3,598 Canadians who  died
at the battle of Vimy Ridge. in all there were over 10,000 canadian casualties

In memory of the first U.S Officer struck down in France.

Canadian troops at the front.

American Nurses tend the wounded in France (Paris)

canadians on the western front

The American U-Boat Blockade

The Canadian Capture of Vimy ridge

Stars and Stripes in the City of london

Well that was an interesting few of hours of research into WW1, I will do a bit more tonight, but now it is time to get todays journal completed and posted before Pointless on TV and then dinner at 6.00 so until tomorrow I will say tatty bye,

A very Hot sunday.

Well here we are on a very hot Sunday, My Son Gervase took me up to Asda shopping this Morning, we went early today as he and Leanne are off down to Bournemouth this afternoon to see a band in concert this evening.

This is who they are going to see, no idea who or what they are, it is all over my head I am afraid, think I must be getting old. Bring back ELO and Deep Purple.

Anyhow once we had been shopping we go home and put the shopping away and then about 12.00 Gervase makes his way home to leanne and I get a sandwich for lunch and then take a stroll down to the park with the Rollator for half an hour, and I get and ice cream and a cold bottle of juice on the way, in the park I sit and have my ice cream and watch the world go by.

here is my Ice cream it was so nice.

  It was so nice sitting out in the park under the shade of the trees, the park was quite busy with lots of local families out with the children, the temperature in the sun was 30 C which is 86 F so to hot to be out in it for to long so after 30 minutes I make my way back home.

Far to hot for me.

once back home I make a cup of tea and then settle down to carry on sorting through the archives of old photographs for the next family history book I will write for the family, this one will be on the naval career of my Grandfather Frederick Hubbard.

I was writing the family history up until I was taken down by this Dermatomyositis in mid 2010, and have only just felt that I am able to now resume this project. I have written "Kentish Root,s" which is about the Hubbards in Kent from 1750 up to 1912
when the rest of his family emigrated to Canada and he and his brother Richard remained in the UK, My Grandfather was married to my Grandmother and was in the Royal navy and Richard hubbard was a cavalry man  in the 14th Lancers .

The first Hubbard book I wrote in 2009

So here are a few of the family History Photos from my archive of my grandfather and some of the ships he served on which I will use for the book.  about his Naval career.

HMS Impregnable. Grandfathers first ship

Frederick Hubbard and Annie Maria Brewer ( My grandmother) 1911

The hard Portsmouth, just outside the Naval Dockyard

Rear of the Postcard sent to my future Grandmother  by my Grandfather posted 1906

The old Krook's Naval Football Team Grandfather the officer front centre.

Mediterranean fleet Boxing team Grandfather rear at the end on the left 1922

Grandfathers last ship HMS Iron Duke

There are many more but I have bored you enough so I will leave it at that, it is now 5.30  so I will get this journal posted and leave you in peace until tomorrow, as you can see that with this heat I have done very little today, so sorry if it is a short Journal but as my teacher always said when I was at school. !!!! Frank !!!!, tomorrow you must do better, so I will try. so until tomorrow I will say ........... Bye Bye

Gas leaks, Rest and History

A Happy Gas Engineer.

And here we are on another Wednesday. well yesterday evening was different, I was out the front chatting to a neighbour and she said that she could smell gas, I had thought I had smelt gas the other day but thought it was just my imagination, anyway I phoned the British gas emergency number and a Gas engineer arrived within 30 minutes and he said that yes he could also smell gas, anyway to cut a long story short it was traced to a gas back boiler Flue in the flat above mine.  Apparently what had happened was the occupants had knocked and broken the on/of switch on the gas appliance and it was in the on position and gas was escaping out through the flue, apparently it was an old appliance and did not have a safety cut of to it, needless to say it was rendered obsolete by the gas fitter so all is well.

anyway because of that I did not have dinner until late so missed out going down to see Gervase and Leanne yesterday evening, but spoke to them on the phone so will see them later in the week.

Had a good nights sleep last night and slept right through from about 11.30 until 7.45 this morning so pleased about that, anyway once I was awake I made a coffee and took back to be to listen to the radio until 8.45 when I made a nice peppermint tea and went into the lounge to text Pauline and also to get some porridge for breakfast. Once I had sent Pauline the text and had breakfast I settle down to check out emails and facebook on the laptop before pauline phones to say that all is ok with them.

well once I have spoken to Pauline I get myself sorted and dressed and then go round to the tesco express to get my morning paper before going back home to get the washing up done and to sort out the refuse ready for when the bin men come to collect it tomorrow, I then settle down to watch a movie on TV before Getting myself a sandwich for lunch at 12.45 and a nice cup of coffee. after that I go for a lie down until 1.30 when I get up and get  some research done into the Royal Garrison Church in Portsmouth, Formally known as the Domus Dei "Gods House". I have downloaded a book called "The story of the Domus Dei of Portsmouth" This is a history of the Royal Garrison Church written in 1873 by Archdeacon H.P.Wright Chaplain to the Forces.

The Domus Dei was built about 1214 and has a long and chequered history first as a resting place for Pilgrims, a hospital and poor house and then a church for the garrisons of Portsmouth. It was added to and altered over the centuries and it was damaged i World war 2 by German Bombs. The roof has never been replaced. it is a very historic part of Portsmouth situated in Governor,s Green there are over 300 memorials  on the walls, windows and grounds of the Domus Dei now known as the "Royal Garrison Church" and it is a listed Ancient Monument

The Domus Dei in the reign of Henry VIII

The Domus Dei in the reign of Charles II

The Domus Dei 1730

Plan of the Garrison Chapel 1794

Royal Garrison Church 1846

Original Garrison Church

Garrison Church Parade c1900.

The Royal Garrison Church 2011/2012

The Royal Garrison Church

The Royal Garrison Church

The Royal Garrison Church

So there we have a little bit of History to bore you all with, A very interesting book of the early history of the Domus Dei, well it is now 4.35 so time to get this journal posted and then a nice relaxing evening preparing for the shopping trip to Morrisons tomorrow so untill then I will say Bye Bye.