A FEW TIRESOME DAYS

I'm just letting you know that you won't be hearing a lot from me for the next three days. At least not on blogs. We are going to have a few unsettling and worrisome days, so may be a bit quiet. Tomorrow (Sunday) John is bringing his two stepsons (who are roofers) to come and do some repairs to our roof. That will be a bit wild as it always is when family get together. John is also going to de-spider my shed and fill a few holes for me. The next day, Monday, Arthur is going to the hospital to see the specialist that gave him all the memory tests nearly a year ago. They want to go over them again, to see how things have gone since the last visit. They haven't gone well, so I am a bit worried about what they will find when they do the next lot of tests. The next day Tuesday is the real humdinger. I've managed to get a private appointment with the specialist who did Arthur's prostate operation years ago. The NHS hospital has done tests and they are not happy and want him to go in and have a scan and biopsy. I'm trying to get it done privately, but my insurance will only let me if I have to wait more than six weeks. I thought that this would be a doddle the way the NHS is at the moment. When I rang our local hospital they said that it was urgent, and the latest they could leave it would be 30th Aug, so I booked that. I didn't tell Arthur, but that worried me. Now I'm worried to leave it as long as six weeks, and worried for him to go into a NHS hospital. The other problem is that the Specialist, Mr Parys, can't see us till 5 o/c Tuesday. Most of you are aware that our silly taxi service goes home at 4.45! I don't mind going extra early and just sitting around till we can see Mr Parys, which is what we will do, but it's the coming home again. The whole thing is a big headache and a big worry that I have to bear alone, because I daren't talk it over with Arthur! I don't know what the Specialist will find on Tuesday, or what his prognosis will be, or how I am supposed to deal with it! Any way that's why you won't be hearing much from me for a few days. Have a lovely week-end tomorrow. Let's hope the sun shines a little !

THINGS THAT GO "OH NO! IN THE NIGHT"

I was woken up at 4.15 last night/ this morning by Emma walking all over my legs and feet. I leapt out of bed grabbed her up and took her into the garden. (Her bowel movements are very unpredictable these days) I stood in bare feet and waited for her to 'do her duty'. I carried her back into the bedroom and put her on the foot of the bed. It was then that my nose told me that I had not woken up in time! I did three trips to the bathroom holding hands full of yukky toilet roll . All this by the light of a torch, so as not to wake Arthur up! I trundled back downstairs to get a cloth and my salvation, the OxiAction carpet spray. When I opened the kitchen door again, there was Willum and Boomer cornering a poor little field mouse! By now it was gone quarter to five! I caught the cats and locked them out in the utility room, and then proceeded to catch the mouse. I was so tired I was working on auto pilot as I'd only has three hours sleep. I tried every thing to catch the poor creature who looked terrified. I used my trusty empty wall poster tube, a fluffy duster and a long woody flower stem from my vase. He wedged himself in a corner behind some pipes and I couln't budge him. I decided to leave him to calm down while I cleaned the bedroom carpet. So, by the light of my trusty torch, I sprayed the offending stain and sat on the edge of the bed to wait the required 5 minutes. Arthur was still fast asleep and quite unaware of my sufferings! I duly rubbed and scrubbed at the stain and got rid of about threequarters of it. It was difficult to see by torchlight, but it wasn't quite gone. I put the cloth in the sink in water to soak while I went downstairs to remove the mouse. I searched all over the kitchen, but he had disappeared. I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open. I'm afraid I said (under my breath) Alright you silly creature, I've done all I can to help you, now you'll have to take your chances. I let Boomer back into the kitchen. Willum had gone out into the night, presumably to look for a replacement mouse! I dragged my poor aching bones up the stairs yet again, calling in at the loo one last time, and went back to bed. It was 5.30 and daylight was coming through the bedroom curtains! Please God, let me have an unbroken night tonight!

I meant to leave this earlier today, but have been doing all sorts and didn't have the time. This afternoon was spent with a trip to the doctors, and then on to the CoOp to stock up on a couple ot items that I'd run out of. By the time we'd eaten and I'd messed around with the computer, and watched a bit of TV, I felt really tired. I sat in my recliner and settled down to see a programme about Anne Robinson. I couldn't keep awake, so didn't see a great deal of it! Now I feel wide awake! Arthur is watching a film and I just can't face any more TV, so have decided to catch up on the computer that has been sitting here lonely all night! I had one solitary email waiting for me from Sandie, complaining that I hadn'tcommented on anyone's blogs and when was I going to write one - so here I am, all up to date!

I decided to go through my pile of LPs and brutally set aside all those albums that I would never play again. I must have discarded about thirty that are all in pristine condition but I can't be bothered to put on the turntable. Mind you I have saved about twice that amount that I can't bear to part with, and also won't be bothered to put on the turn table! I was about to send them all to the charity shop, when my daughter Lynne said that LPs are much sought after these days, because they don't make them any more, and there are still die hards who won't play any other sort of music! So now I have this pile of vinyl on the floor in the lounge that a few days ago was neatly filed away . Not much progress there then! Anybody fancy a boot fair?

Willum and his wound are doing very nicely. He's being so good and hasn't once nibbled or scratched at his stitches. One of the perks of having a laid back cat! We go to have the stitches out on Friday. Poor little Emma is failing a little more each day, and is being sick etc. She actually sort of jumped to catch a moth yesterday though. So there's still a little spark in there!

Weather permitting, My son John and his two step sons are coming to repair our roof. I'm praying it won't be wet and windy because I don't know when they will be able to come again.

I have found a rather nasty black monster in my garden shed, so I'm not too keen on going in there at the moment, which is another reason I'm hoping John will come. He knows how terrified I am of them, so will make certain that it, and any others, are carefully and safely removed.

Have planted five bean plants in a grow bag down by the shed and they are doing very well. I'm quite excited. The gardener tells me that the slugs will eat them, but I've bought a slug pub, and I'm hoping they prefer Stella Artoire to bean shoots!

That's all folk!!!!!!