Friday, January 02, 2015

\New Year has Begun

Am so sorry I've not been blogging of late.  It's been a difficult time of year and although I hoped that on January 1st I'd feel ready to start my new life, unfortunately it was one of my 'bad days'. They come and go.

Seeing or speaking to the doctor regularly (who ups my pills or removes some as necessary) the good news is my health is improving, but I often feel extremely tired and this could be due to depression.  Have to force myself to get out of bed in the mornings.   It can only get better.

Over the Christmas period managed to occupy myself by watching TV (of course!!) and there I was fortunate as there were 6 of my favourite films being reshown.  Also plenty of TV comedy shows and dramas.  The good thing about repeats is that they take me back to times past when things were 'normal' and so it felt much the same as I watch now. 

We went out to Barbar elephant for our Christmas lunch and the place was packed.  Seems that people now don't want to bother cooking a traditional meal.  We had crackers and background music of Christmas songs, otherwise it was a set meal (various choices) of starters, curry, side dishes etc. In a way a treat for us as neither my daughter nor myself had to do any cooking.

The one thing I'm finding about my life at the moment is that it is far too 'busy'. Next week I have to see the doctor on Thursday for more tests) , a visitor Friday, new gas/elec meters fitted Saturday (that means the supply will be cut off for at least an hour and clocks need to be reset) and also make appointments for the occupational therapist to call, and maybe also someone from the heart clinic.  When will it all stop?  I like my own space, time to do things when I want to do them, not have to find free time at others convenience. Should be grateful I suppose that people care, am just not used to it.

Every time my daughter visits she texts to see if I want anything, and always I say no.  I still have loads of food in store.  Can't say I'm doing anything interesting with it.  Yesterday decided to cook a small cauliflower with a few mushrooms and have that with some curry sauce poured over (cauli and curry do go well together).  From what is thrown into the recycling bins it seems I'm living out of cans at the moment, either soups or mixed beans, sardines/tuna and chopped tomatoes.  Haven't eaten any bread for weeks.  Seem to have lost my appetite for almost everything, sadly not lost any lbs due mainly to still having a prob with water retention.

This is the time of year when I normally would be using up all my stock of food before I buy more, so am hoping that readers are continuing my tradition.  It really does help to save a lot of money, and also makes us think a bit harder about how to put different ingredients together.  This year I'll be using up my stores in much the same way, but not giving so much thought.  'Must do better' as teachers tend to write at the bottom of school reports.

On the good side, the days are now slowly getting longer, and although we have had some severe frosts, and last night was very windy (still is), we have missed snow that has fallen on parts of the country over the past few weeks.  It would be nice to see a bit of snow, but we'll probably miss it, Morecambe usually does.

Had a really lovely Christmas present this year - a wooden casket with drawers, full of oil paints, acrylic paints, watercolours, brushes, palette.....the lot.  So will now be taking up an old hobby and start painting again.  Me (being me) took it one step further.  The casket came in a big and very strong cardboard box, EXACTLY the right size to stuff with folded up newspapers, then seal and cover with fabric to make an extra stool (or side table to place by a couch).  Never let it be said I throw away anything that can turn into something else.

Am thinking (only thinking at the moment) of buying one of those multi-fuel (coal, wood, everything else) iron stoves that are popular these days.  If it was fitted in the living room - this is our coldest room that does have a now-covered fireplace (chimney removed), it could be used to burn all sorts of 'rubbish', including dry prunings, chicken bones, waste cardboard...???  Maybe even the type that has a round lid on the top that can be removed and a kettle put to boil on it.  The room I'm in now has a working fireplace (with chimney) but this is fitted with a very old gas fire, hardly ever used.  Good place for a stove? 

Do know that at least a couple of readers have similar type stoves.  Are they expensive to buy?  Can they burn almost anything? Do they save fuel costs (central heating etc)? They seem to give out a lot more heat than just burning fuel in an ordinary grate.

Have completely lost the plot when it comes to days of the week.  Keep thinking it is Monday today, but believe it is Friday.  With any luck I will find time to blog tomorrow - if not prob. Sunday, or certainly Monday (unless visitors as mentioned above turn up in which case take each day as it comes.

Time for me now to go and tidy the kitchen (it needs it!!!), and before I leave, must thank everyone who sent in comments (too many to reply to individually, but all have been read). Do hope you all had a lovely Christmas, New Year - and don't forget Twelfth Night (Jan 5th) the traditional end of the holiday (before the calendar got changed - I'm learning a lot about traditions and different dates thanks to Cheesepare's gift.  Wonderful book, it'll take me a year to read through it!!

Sitting down, writing to you all again has lifted my spirits immensely, so am sure, from now on, if I can blog more often, things will fast improve.  It is helping to now be in a new year, tucking away as many sad memories of the past year as I can, remembering only the good ones.   TTFN/.









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