Grandma P's Ramblings Through Life

I was oh so tired yesterday evening - and I couldn't wake up this morning.
The restless feeling affected my sleep and I was glad of the company of Radio 5 or LBC.


Today we have pottered and worked.

I had a kitchen to tidy - worktops were covered with all that I had bought at the weekend.
Now I have it down to having things just on the table. I still have to sort a pile of books and some tablecloths and old fashioned pinnies.


I didn't get much done this morning...by the time we had got going and chatted with people on the phone it left little time for posting a parcel and getting supplies from Asda.
The parcel posted contained the table - the red artist's palette table which has already been to addresses in London until it was returned to me.
Now we keep our fingers crossed that it has gone.
I loved buying it at a Canterbury boot sale and I loved owning it for a while.

I have dealt with the sale of six books on EBay.
I had to pop round to Frieda to get two of them. She borrowed those with old photos of the area where she grew up.
She had been moved to find a picture of the River Wandle where she used to meet the first boy she went out with.

This evening I have done the shop blog again - dedicated to St. George.
http://pilgrimsantiquesweststreetdorking.blogspot.com/



Still no aeroplanes flying into our part of the world.


And now, as promised, here are some of Bill's photographs taken at Nymans last Friday.
The first one is not really part of his story - I always demand that he takes one of me!

Labels: nature, Sussex

I am feeling really tired.
Its a horrid form of tiredness because my body is not at all relaxed - restless and shuddering at times.
I wonder why.
Well, no... I don't wonder why I am tired, just wondering where the jerky restlessness comes from.

The shop has been quiet today - takings were not as good as we have come to expect on a Monday.
But I made myself busy with doing photographs for this week's shop blog.
My theme is red and white - the colours of St George's flag.
I also had to rearrange my coloured glass - my first thought was that I had done brilliantly since last there because the coloured glass section was looking fairly empty.
In fact 13 items of mine are in the new window display.
My re-arrangement means there is now no room for all 13 pieces to fit back in when the window is changed.....unless they attract buyers of course.
Sorry Sue (the window dresser) - you won't know where to put things back!

And of course there was much chat and lively banter.
Julie, bless her, reported how she had told people that last Monday was rather dull - life in Pilgrims for her is not the same without us!

Both Bill and I sold today - good thing.
We were last there 11 days ago and sales were less good than we have come to expect.
I sold an empty tin for £26.
It was beautiful - very art nouveau and would have held a goodly amount of Bassets sweets in the first decade of the 19th century. I also sold 2 children's book just like the ones many of us girls used to read in the 1950s.

I haven't been out of the shop at all today - missing the sunshine.

And now it is time for a soothing cup of decaff tea.
Then bed.
Tomorrow the world seems to return to normal, with aeroplanes starting to fly.
I wonder if the ash situation has really eased - how would we ever know?
It is my guess that that privately people think there has been an over reaction, which nobody will admit to.
Or - and this is far worse - the airlines have put pressure on to be allowed to fly anyway.
Poor Ruth (my half sister) is stuck in Madagascar with 2 toddlers.
She has been there for 2 months with the father of the boys and his family.
She loves that side of her extended family and she loves the country - but was ready for her planned return home.
At least she was not taken unawares and found herself stuck somewhere at one of the airports where she has to change planes. That would have been a nightmare.
At the moment she is still with the family.... waiting for news.

Stella (friend) is due to visit Iceland some time fairly soon - I assume, Stella, that things have been altered. Or are you going anyway?

Now, for that cup of tea.
Goodnight.
I'll get Bill's Nymans pictures posted tomorrow.

I know - I said that I would put Bill's Nymans photos on today.
They will be posted very soon, but I decided that it might be better to have just those pictures saved for a day which was a bit dull and routine; better than allowing my diary to have a succession of days where the pictures don't match the activities.

We were up early - in thick mist. We drove down to Ford thinking it might feel chilly.
As we came down the hill to Arundel, the castle was obscured by the mist.
And then suddenly it was sunny.
And soon it was warm.
We didn't buy very much at the Ford car boot sale this week, but it took quite a while to walk round deciding not to buy things.

We broke with our normal routine and we didn't go to Littlehampton!
We went back to Arundel.
We enjoyed the farmer's market - always a treat because the stall holders have samples for tasting, including some wine. Well, we had to have the locally made elderberry wine!
We bought chutney and jam and an interesting hand made pie for dinner tomorrow.
The farmer's market is outdoors, with stalls set up along the river bank by the remains of medieval walls.

But we had more on our minds than tomorrow's dinner - we wanted our breakfast! It was midday almost!
We went to a cafe we have used before, which was very busy.

Labels: Sussex

This afternoon we took a walk at Nymans - our nearest National Trust property.
It is so good to be able to pop in for an hour to walk and enjoy the changing seasons.
This is very much the magnolia season - and lots of other flowers of course.

Today I will share with you a few of my pictures. Bill is still sorting the 58 that he took.

I am pleased with my pictures. They show that the main requirement for photography is an eye and an idea.
I seem to have those things; and for a while have been yearning for a slightly better camera.
Today a Canon Power Shot SX20IS has been ordered.
There will be much for me to learn.
I look forward to the new challenge.

Now for my pictures......


Snakes head fritillary, from below.
Spell check wondered if I meant snakes head fairytale!
I like that.

Labels: nature, Sussex

Well, I did it.....I gave 90 minutes of my life to the candidates debate.

Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Going to the candidates debate
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you've got to choose
Ev'ry way you look at it, you lose.
Mrs Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel.

And I enjoyed it.
It reminded me of political meetings of my youth, when I was quite active.
Certainly Nick Clegg has done himself no harm at all.
The instant poll has him as the most successful of the trio.
David Cameron started off in a sheepish schoolboy manner, but improved as a speaker as time went on.
The fact that Gordon Brown was bottom of the poll had much more to do with preconceived ideas than the way he dealt with the debate.

But the bigger news of the day is about dust - volcanic dust.
Volcanoes fascinate me. The power is awe inspiring. It is good for mankind to know that man is not in control of everything.
I always wanted to see a volcano and have been attracted to Iceland.
Probably our visit to Vesuvius is the best we will manage - not erupting, no molten lava, but there were plumes of sulphurous smoke emerging from the rocky sides of the crater.
One day, Naples, it will erupt again.
The last time was in the 1940s.

I never thought that the incredible chaos to air traffic in this country would be caused by a volcano.
I wonder when the situation might ease.
The last time this volcano erupted it lasted for about 18 months!
But maybe the wind will change before our flight to Thailand in September.

Home life has been routine. More sorting and describing.
Parcels posted and some food bought.

Both Bill and I had our hair cut.
Whilst my hair style looked pleasing (to me) and neat I wanted Bill to take a photograph.
I thought I would also share with you the large vase that I bought at Ford last Saturday.

Today has been a quiet day at home.
We needed it.It was a momentous day out doors.
It wasn't what the builders would call "topping out" day - but it does give us much more of an impression of what the medical centre will look like.
The roof arrived.



The height of the roof is not so great - quite gently sloping.
Brick work is being done lower down.
Do you see the blossom on Solly's tree?

There were other goings on outside too.
I don't think that creating a new wooden cover for the manhole cover in the back garden quite equates to erecting a roof, but it needed to be done.
Unfortunately Bill found something else that needs doing as he worked.
He lifted the metal man hole cover and discovered a blockage.
Its the perennial story of our drainage system.
It has happened so many times over the years. The cause of the blockage is not on our land - not even on our drain. But the blockage backs up along our pipe.
The council were informed and they said that somebody would come....when?

I have worked indoors.
The dining room table needed to be cleared.... poor George couldn't find a space to sit!
My purchases from Ford and Sayers Common last weekend were still strewn everywhere.
Now they are cleaned, written up and priced up.I had bought one large vase at Ford for £15. The seller packed it up in a cardboard box; all the time it has been on the table I was wondering if it had been worth £15, but when I got it out I was really impressed with it.
Yes, it was well worth £15 - hope somebody else thinks it is worth twice that!

This afternoon it was ebay time. I had just 2 items selling. And I described another 12 and listed them.


http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=2310
If you are an old Crawley resident - sorry, I don't mean that you are old!
I mean if you have at any point lived in the town for a while you will be interested in this site.
And if you want to wallow in nostalgia for the days of challenging and innocent play for children then take a look.
Ashley found the site and shared it with his Facebook friends.

Jamie always links his blogs to Facebook - but not everybody sees that of course.This week he wrote a little about Songkran.
http://phuket-weather.blogspot.com/
It can get a bit wild in Thailand during the Thai New Year - or Songkran.
The use of water is symbolic of washing away the old year.
Nowadays it is an excuse for water fights - everywhere.

Four years ago we were there. We can remember buckets of water thrown at the car - we stayed dry. People on mopeds felt the full force of water if they were unwise enough to drive.
I would guess that it can be crazy, even a bit scary, in the centre of Patong - the main big and brassy holiday town.

At that time, when the children were much younger we kept our water fights within the garden.


Jessica honours her old Grandmother!

Just now we hope that other very stupid behaviour in Thailand will settle down again.
But the political problems seem to be as perennial as our drain problems.
The unrest has only hit a small part of Bangkok and Phuket is untroubled.
Nobody there wants politics to upset the status quo of making as much money as possible from tourists.

Today it was my turn.
I have seen the nurse and the doctor.
The nurse gave me my Vitamin B12 injection.
Daft woman then tested my blood pressure! Of course it was up! Not that she would have realised it was up really - it looked good and normal; but I know that I would expect to see a lower score.
Just to upset you people with high blood pressure - I think my BP is up if the reading is higher than 110 over 70!
Dr Oliver wished to discuss the next injection that I need. As he surmised my Vitamin D levels are too low and this is what is pushing the parathyroid glands to produce too much of their own chemical.
I now have an ampule (is that the right word) of the stuff and must take it for my injection - next Wednesday.
And the prescription asked for 3 ampules - the other two I have to pick up tomorrow.
Surely I am not expecting three injections?

Afterwards we went to see Jenny, who has been turning out the loft. The loft is full of much that was my Dad's life - lecture notes, music, and all manner of odds and ends.
Jenny wanted to be sure that nothing would be wanted by anybody.
There are a few things - like 1940s Lilliput magazines, which I will attempt to sell.
There are also some things we took that I am now doubtful about - would anybody really want a violin with no strings, no bridge and a bow with virtually no horse hair? Was this the one I learned to play on? I don't know. I learned very badly and rather resented ever having to learn. It wasn't that I didn't like music - I just didn't like the violin and the violin teacher was not to my liking either; she was stuck up and bossy!

We came home to eat our main meal in the middle of the day, as advised for those who have a hiatus hernia. This had caused me to be up and cooking early.
I had beef left over from the roast and had decided to make a beef and vegetable pie - it was made by about quarter past nine.
I think the reason we got into a habit of an evening main meal is because there are many days when we are not at home through the day - just as today.

This afternoon we have entertained Isobel... at least she said she felt better for the visit. She has been feeling down after the death of one of her oldest friends. The funeral will be on Friday.

I still haven't cleared last weekend's purchases from the dining room table! Another day won't hurt.

But I did complete a blog posting for the shop.
It is totally different this week and is about Dorking High Street.
http://pilgrimsantiquesweststreetdorking.blogspot.com/
I hope you enjoy it.

Tomorrow really must be a day to clear the table and describe some things for EBay.
At least I don't have to cook tomorrow - the pie was huge and there is plenty for our meal.

Bill should be writing this evening - it has been his day.
He has now joined my tribe - the one where you need to have undergone nasty investigations and suchlike in the hospital to belong.
I am a longstanding member of this tribe.
Bill has generally been quite fortunate thus far - apart from high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and osteo arthritis!!!
But, so far, his appointments have involved talking and medication, blood tests, steroid injections and needles draining fluid from the knees.
Mmmmm - perhaps he has been an associate member of the tribe for a long time!
But today's investigation felt more daunting.

We arrived at the hospital at the right time - but things began to go wrong.
We sat in the waiting room as directed.
Suddenly an alarm went off, doors automatically closed, lights dimmed and staff moved out of the endoscopy unit.
But those of us in the waiting room sat there - certainly not advised to move.
The ringing went on an on.

And then silence.
The man and woman waiting with us both went off to have their own investigations - and then left.
Bill and I sat.
And sat.
We did pick up that there were now problems with the "scopes".
But nobody actually told us that.
It was frustrating, but we have learned patience and tolerance over the years. Nobody at the hospital was deliberately keeping Bill waiting. And my experience tells me that the calmer one remains and the friendlier you can be to staff, the better the treatment you will feel you get.

Bill was taken through to discuss the procedure, have blood pressure taken etc.....but was advised that the waiting would have to continue.

Eventually after 2 and a half hours he nervously went in for his gastroscopy. He had elected to have the anaesthetic spray on the throat, rather than be sedated.
He seemed to be back out very quickly.
He told me that the spray tasted nasty, but the tubes did slip down quite easily.
He said that the biopsy taking felt like being pinched on the inside - and indeed that was exactly what was happening.
Everybody told him he had been a very easy patient to give the gastroscopy to - no tension to hinder the procedure.

He has a copy of the results and somebody came to explain it to him before we left. He definitely has a hiatus hernia which has caused acid reflux which has caused inflammation and soreness in the gullet.
Biopsy results will take longer to come through.
But we don't expect them to reveal any problems.

Bill can now return to the medication that Dr Oliver has already prescribed, which should control the acid.
Mostly a hiatus hernia can be lived with, providing that the acid levels are kept low.
This can be done with tablets and perhaps some modification to diet.
Dr Oliver will advise more - better than just reading web sites.

The anaesthetic spray wore off quite quickly.
He had a cold drink after an hour.
After another hour Bill was rewarded with a visit to Wetherspoons for some food.
In view of the hiatus hernia problems - maybe that was actually punishment, not reward!
Though it is possible to eat very healthily at Wetherspoons.

We picked up some shopping at Asda - mostly expensive cat food.
The damn cats are turning their noses up at Wiskas - they lick off the gravy and that is all they want.
They then turn and seem to demand, "Well, where is the Sheba?"
Thank you cats - only one of the most expensive cat foods will satisfy you.
But they are getting old and George is not completely fit and I am happier to see them eating well.

Having had a late afternoon meal out, we need nothing else.
That is one thing the websites say - people with acid reflux should not eat in the evening.
I shall have to bring forward our evening meal a bit perhaps.

Tomorrow it is my turn for medical appointments.
I will have my B12 injection and then see Dr O about results of recent tests.

You know what we did yesterday - today Bill's photos tell the story.

Today we spent 3 hours at the first car boot sale of the year in a field......us, and half of Sussex!
It was quite damp in places underfoot and also a chilly wind blew across the field.
There were more stall holders at Sayers Common than we have seen before.
I think they have been saving up their rubbish for the winter to delight the crowds.
At first we thought we would find nothing of interest, but gradually my shopping trolley was filled.
I have old ginger beer bottles and glass bottles - I like to have some from local places in the shop.
I bought a Mabel Lucie Attwell infant's feeding dish for £2 - quite a bargain that one.
I have books and china and glass, including a large yellow hankerchief vase.
Bill bought a model aeroplane, which he likes and a picture.
We began to feel tired before we had finished. The trolley was hard work to push around and my newly washed hair was constantly blowing over my face in the wind.
I haven't got on with very much sorting yet - but I have time tomorrow.
Frieda came round, so that put me back a bit. We had a cup of tea with her.
Bill has been busy sorting some things - anything to take his mind off tomorrow - the day of the gastroscopy.
I think he is in a mind to opt just for the anaesthetic spray on his throat.
Sedation would knock him out for some while.

I have beef roasting in the oven - the potatoes must join the meat shortly.
I think this evening might be a relaxing in front of TV time.

Now for Bill's people watching pictures.
I love them - he has taken us into the world of the people. We can imagine their thoughts and conversations and relationships.

The first five pictures were taken whilst sitting at our table in The Balaton.

Labels: Sussex