wet cold Saturday

[pamela81]

Morning everyone. In work today but managed to take a couple of hours holiday to finish at 3pm instead. Really enjoyed the quiz last night

Hope everyone has a good day and manages to avoid the hectic shops!!

[angieh]

Morning Pamela and all to follow .... wet here too, but not very cold. Don't think it's going to get light today at all.

We have to do the Collect part of our Click and Collect order this morning, so we will be going to one hectic shop .... I am not so much dreading the queueing there as OH's mood which I am sure will go steadily downhill.

We are going to visit his mum in hospital this afternoon, his brother went yesterday and says it's very upsetting. OH had a chat to the doctor yesterday afternoon and after at CT scan, they confirm that mum has had a major stroke. She is unable to swallow and so they are investigating various intubation options, which she may or may not tolerate. OH spoke to the care home and they were very kind and will take mum in to their high dependency unit if the hospital will discharge her, for palliative care which will at least get her out of hospital. We will just have to wait for the hospital to decide that they can do no more for her. Both OH and his brother are of a mind that really they don't want her to have to undergo treatments that are going to upset her more. It's a very sad time ..... we really wouldn't let animals suffer so. Sorry, I really will shut up about it because I don't want to darken the skies any further than they are already.

Hope all Catseyers are safe and dry ...... ark building is continuing apace I am sure. Take care folks and love one another, loads of virtual hugs to our deliciously comforting cats.

[Kazz]

Originally Posted by pamela81

Morning everyone. In work today but managed to take a couple of hours holiday to finish at 3pm instead. Really enjoyed the quiz last night

Hope everyone has a good day and manages to avoid the hectic shops!!

Good morning.
Pamela have a great day and good on you for escaping early there is something totaly lovely about a stolen (albeit legitimate) hour or so taken for Christmas break up.

I loved last nights quiz too and hope you did not think they were soft questions I get so caught up in the banter - you may have noticed the unseemless way did not run it smoothly. I kept forgetting I was doing the questions...and thinking "where the next question...and realising I had not typed it out. SORRY.

So to my day

I have a plan of action and guess what it went wrong first thing as I got up late now behind no papers, got no dog walked, and people knocking on the door and phoning.....and just having breakfast - coffee and crumpets with marmite.
So the revised plan is to roll with the day..........it does not really matter it will all get done.

So in no specific order I need to.
Take rubbish to the salvage.
Walk the dog (but not in this heavy rain)
Go to shops and queue for the bits and pieces
Farm shop for the turkey will enjoy that as its never hectic but always full of busy and cheeful customers - not sure what happens these are the same people who are crazy in supermarkets BUT are happy to queue in a buthers or farm shop maybe the smaller shops inhibit people's "sigh" gene. Or maybe it the trollies as soon as you connect your hands to one you get trolly rage............... :017: :009: ...............
In fact I am back to the farm shop on Monday for the Christmas day pork. its a ritual to go out on christmas eve so............ ....and they give out glasses of port or sherry too.

Then take Mom and Dad to the symphony hall for there yearly show its in the afternoon this year.
http://www.thsh.co.uk/event/jingle-bell-christmas-1212/

Given Dad's health better to choose one to go with.

Then may just do nothing. Or may wrap or may pop out and do a quick Christmas visit to someone. Or may sit and watch last epsode of Merlin.

Tonight I am off at 3am to do my stint at the "keep christmas" event for the homeless shelter/church.

Angie you posted as I started to post I was stopped by the phone so.....

Angie do not shut up or I will drive down and smack you. I mean it honestly. We are here for you and you are here for us. Please pass on my warmest thoughts to Mr Angie........

See you all later.....just watching the news I see some areas are flooding so anyone affected stay safe and warm. And remember it will not ruin your Christmas - Christmas is kept in your heart not your home.

[Kazz]

Right off I go ..................................I may be a while.

[angieh]

Kazz! I think I'd quite like you driving down here even if it were for a good smacking!!! Mind, the roads are awful!

Well, our Collect went really really well. Thank you Tesco - well organised, a drive thru really. All home and unpacked and NO STRESS. OH gave a huge sigh of relief. All food done, presents done - just wrapping which I enjoy. Will start that after hospital visit this afternoon because wrapping is always accompanied by carols and sherry! See, there are bits of Christmas I do enjoy!!!

Meant to add that Mum has managed to swallow some yoghurt this morning, so that means she won't have to be intubated, which is really good news.

[Mags]

Originally Posted by angieh

Morning Pamela and all to follow .... wet here too, but not very cold. Don't think it's going to get light today at all.

We have to do the Collect part of our Click and Collect order this morning, so we will be going to one hectic shop .... I am not so much dreading the queueing there as OH's mood which I am sure will go steadily downhill.

We are going to visit his mum in hospital this afternoon, his brother went yesterday and says it's very upsetting. OH had a chat to the doctor yesterday afternoon and after at CT scan, they confirm that mum has had a major stroke. She is unable to swallow and so they are investigating various intubation options, which she may or may not tolerate. OH spoke to the care home and they were very kind and will take mum in to their high dependency unit if the hospital will discharge her, for palliative care which will at least get her out of hospital. We will just have to wait for the hospital to decide that they can do no more for her. Both OH and his brother are of a mind that really they don't want her to have to undergo treatments that are going to upset her more. It's a very sad time ..... we really wouldn't let animals suffer so. Sorry, I really will shut up about it because I don't want to darken the skies any further than they are already.

Hope all Catseyers are safe and dry ...... ark building is continuing apace I am sure. Take care folks and love one another, loads of virtual hugs to our deliciously comforting cats.

Angie, I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL

My Mum had a severe stroke where she lost her ability to swallow. She was fed through a tube in her nose for the first few weeks and when it was decided that it was unlikely she would ever get her swallow action back, the hospital performed a Gastrostomy tube insertion into her stomach and was fed that way. She experienced no pain or discomfort with it and could not even remember the procedure. The nurses used to swab her mouth out regularly with water as she was unable to produce saliva. She eventually went into a Nursing Home where they continued her care.

If I can answer any questions you may have about this procedure, please feel free to PM me.

[Shelley123]

afternoon everyone.
Angie so sorry about you're MIL and do hope she can be kepy comfortable. Good news that she has managed to swallow yoghurt, maybe she will be able to have foods and drinks with thick and easy in eventualy. I hope you manage to have a reasonable christmas, i guess you are going to be kept busy with you're little canine visitor.
Karen, the quiz was great last night, who says it has to run like clockwork, i enjoy the chat as much as the questions. Hope you enjoy you're work this afternoon with the homeless.
Pamela, hope you are just about ready to finish work now.
Well Tesco madness completed, you could sense the irritation and stress of people in the air, such a shame.
We called in the charity shop before tesco and i found a delightful little metal trike as a doll prop, realy pleased with it.
This evening i'm going to a Hungarian gingerbread making evening, will tell you all about it tomorrow.

[cats' staff]

Hi all, more rain today which we really didn't need! Managed to get out to get the last few bits and pieces. I iced the cake today and so far it seems OK...... I don't have a great track record. One year it just slid off, another year you needed an axe to chop through it! I have bought ready made stuff for the past couple of years but after watching Mary Berry last week I followed her instructions and it seems to be OK. I'll let you know if it is possible to slice.......

Angie, I know what you mean. I was very sad when my Granddad died (years ago now) but also relieved that he went instantly with a huge stroke. We had a rough week earlier this year when it became clear that my FIL was dying. It is such a mix of emotions, not wanting somebody gone but not wanting them to suffer. If you don't want to post here but just want to electronically scream at someone feel free to PM.

Kazz you are a whirlwind! Shelley- the gingerbread evening sounds great, looking forward to more baking tips.

Hi Mags and Pamela!

Right, sorry but the Strictly final calls.........

[TiggerMoon]

Hi everyone.

So sorry to hear about your MIL Angie, thinking of you and Mr Angie at this difficult time. x

Had a soggy day shopping in town, but it wasn't as busy as I expected. I think the weather kept everyone at home today. Still haven't got everything, I was kind of hoping that the world would end yesterday and I wouldn't have to buy anything!

I am always impressed when people make the effort to bake cakes, gingerbreads and other food stuffs. I always buy mine and stick to what I'm good at, eating them!