Tuesday, December 30, 2008

 

Relaxing Christmas Day and fraught today.

First I take you back to Christmas Day in Wales.
I took photos throughout the day recording the people and activities.
Bill took some in and from the garden which I shall put on the blog tomorrow.


To begin at the beginning as the Welshman said (Dylan Thomas).
We had breakfast with Pete and Jean - Bill and I somewhat warily because of fragile digestions.


After breakfast I sent texts saying Nadolig Llawen - a Welsh Merry Christmas.


Pete brought in his new long bow to show us. It is beautiful - smooth polished wood and mighty powerful; I couldn't draw the cord back very far.
Before long Pete (qualified archery instructor) had us out in the driveway beside their bungalow to see what we could achieve.
We used little bows and the distance was small.


Bill looking every inch an archer!


My bow was even smaller than Bill's and I shot arrows an even shorter distance - but was pleased to get one near the middle of the target in the first set of six.

Bill's set of arrows did rather well.


Meanwhile, Jean, bless her, was preparing our Christmas dinner.




Bill and Pete tuck into turkey and red wine.


After lunch we opened a few presents. Jean had cleverly remembered that I had been looking for L'Aimant perfume and had found a display in the local chemist window.




Bill's new "do everything" pliers.


I captured Pete and Andrew, their other guest, having a good laugh. What is amusing them........


Wallace and Grommit of course!


Today been a funny old day - so far. I am doing the blog today at 4 o'clock, so there are some hours before I return to bed.
It has been cold but sunny.

It was a bad night.
I have been getting cramp very frequently in the last week or so - and last night I got it 3 times!
It was just awful!. Both legs! I know that it doesn't really last so very long, give it a quarter of an hour and the worst is over. But, oh how to endure those 15 minutes!
One attack brought me to tears and of course I disturbed Bill ( 3 times) snuggled down with his sneezing and coughing and Night Nurse.
After the 3rd attack had subsided I decided to abandon all hopes of sleep and came down stairs, leaving Bill to snooze for another couple of hours.

I was soon looking up cramps on the internet. Doctors, it seems are loathe to dish out quinine sulphate tablets (I tried once before). Many cramps are ideopathic - only idiots get them perhaps? But mine may well have a recognisable cause - I might be dehydrated after 10 days of "fragile gut" and little to eat and drink.
I put out a plea on Facebook to my family and friends and sportsman Stephen (ace cyclist eh Steve?) suggested an isotonic drink. Bill suggested dioralyte which we have some of. I took one drink of it and found two reasons not to have it - it tastes awful and is not recommended for those on a low potassium diet.
Later I decided to take a trip into town on the bus and buy some Isostar, which Stephen thought would be good.
First I missed the bus! So I walked to a more distant stop and climbed onto a crowded bus and had to stand - despite there being young people in seats!
What is the world coming to when youngsters don't know to give up their seat to an old lady!
And could I find the drink? No of course not. Maybe I was looking for the wrong thing. Maybe my Lucozade Sport which I drink anyway is the right thing.
I tried Sainsbury, Boots, Holland and Barrett, Savers and found nothing. In H &B at least the girl recommended that I go to Boots pharmacy department and get some sachets to make up a drink with all the elctrolytes and salts I might be lacking. But I had some of them at home.
I did pop into a cheapy shop near the bus stop and bought 2 more pairs of imitation Ug boots - I shall have some for next winter as well.
It was horrid in town. I noticed one cheap clothes shop offering their wares at 75% off and clothes were strewn over the floor where people couoldn't be bothered to pick things up.
And then I had to get the bus back which took me to the more distant bus stop from home - but at least I had a seat.
My legs were really aching and I was exhausted.
Now I have rested I should beging some preparation for the evening meal.

Relaxing Christmas Day and fraught today.
posted by Grandma P on Tuesday, December 30, 2008