New Week

Firstly, sorry for the lack of updates and daftness from me over the last week. I haven't had a bad week as such just a not so good one and I've been reading more blogs than contributing. However I will begin to rectify this now.

Thank you to all of my new followers, readers and commenters. I have loved being part of Grow Your Blog and finding wonderful new blogs and am delighted to welcome new followers here.

The gammy knee saga continues to present problems, pain and uncertainty. The limitations and difficulties related to how little I can walk and the lack of independence, control and a fixed end point is really driving me bonkers. This week will be mainly taken up with multiple health appointments which will hopefully not be cancelled on short notice like last week, or involve significant delays like this morning. I find it very hard as I am not getting answers and the conflicting advice of weight bear, don't weight bear, push the exercises, don't push or you'll inflame the joint has left me demented.

Yesterday the boiler broke down so no heating or hot water and multiple calls to the insurer. No one could be arranged for yesterday but they offered a hotel which would have been more hassle than it was worth so we snuggled up and squabbled over shares of the hot water bottle and fleecy blankies.

 Magic claimed the James C Brett Flutterby crochet mat which is intended to become another attempt at a bean bag cushion. Although this is a synthetic yarn it feels gorgeous and hopefully I'll manage to make something that doesn't feel like a rock!

Paw over the nose is always a good heat saving position

Today the chap repaired the boiler but within 10mins it had lost pressure again and fainted. Another round of calls resulted in a part being ordered (?how long for this) but at least the insurers authorised heaters to be purchased. This was after six pm so heaters were ordered from Argos and a new service called Shutl is offered that will bring the items within 2hrs. The cost was reasonable and the hassle minimal (can you see where this is going?) so we ordered it and waited. Then 30mins before the store closed Shutl rang to say 'ever so sorry, been an error, can we deliver it tomorrow'....! Utterly useless and leaving me with minutes to arrange a taxi to go and pick the heaters up myself - hardly hassle free. Luckily the taxi driver drove like a race driver but I ended up having to pay a second time for the heaters and wait for refunds.

I know this sounds like a Victor Meldrew kind of post but it really isn't, as some nice things have also happened. I am fortunate to have wonderfully supportive people around me who make me laugh and keep me afloat and a home that is warming up nicely with the new heaters so really I have much to be grateful for. I received some lovely flowers from friends and colleagues and they have been really brightening me up.

 I should have snapped the middle bouquet much earlier as the blooms are on the way out now but I forgot at the time. 

I read a blog review that lead to me ordering a delicious sugared violet lip balm-a small treat but a favourite flavour. I have a shameful secret in that my all time favourite chocolates are Rose and Violet Creams beloved of Little Old Ladies who carry monogrammed lavender scented lace hankies.

My neighbour popped by for coffee and brought some homemade marmalade which I said I'd have for breakfast. I cracked early and had the nicest midnight snack of toast and the scrummiest marmalade I've tasted in years. That jar is so not going to last long! A benefit of blogging is that I had never even been aware this is marmalade making season. Working full time, many years doing shift work and often being a student on top of working and latterly being a carer as well living in an upstairs flat makes me ashamed to say that the subtle rhythm of seasonal changes have entirely passed me by. Reading my favourite blogs has given me a greater appreciation of seasonal aspects of life and gardening of which I was unaware or oblivious so this is something else to be grateful for.

One evening during the week as I sat down to get my crochet out I managed to knock a cup of coffee with cream all over the living room rug. This meant I had to get the carpet cleaner and steam vacuum out and start trying to get the spill out of the rug which was not easy. However, when I was cleaning and washing out both machines I realised I am lucky to have these tools and solutions at hand and when I looked down there on the floor was a tiny heart shaped water splash which made me smile.

At the end of the month my friend who lives abroad is coming home so that is something to look forward to and when I was out today I picked up a copy of Homemaker to have a read of tonight. I would have read it today but I was not sticking my arms out of the warm blanket for any reason!

So, for a bit of light relief for hanging in this long, I will leave you with a snap I'm also posting on my cat blog as well. This made me laugh for a good half a day before it was pointed out that it didn't say what I thought it did.

Apparently it says Baldi-MAUS and not Hairs!