Category Archives: Something different

Not Well (Again)

Guess who said no to her breakfast (again)?

Guess who is wandering around like a wet weekend feeling very sorry for herself, while making wretching noises and constantly asking to go outside with her tail between her legs?

Well, obviously not Ted – he’s on fighting form, happily eating anyone’s unwanted breakfast/supper/tea/bedtime snacks, etc. Ted, the actual dog dustbin.  I have yet to find anything he doesn’t eat – even broccoli stalks.

Luckily, the excellent on-site nursing staff are very atttentive and taking good care of our utterly miserable patient.

I am not neglecting Pepper either. Today she has had slippery elm, albeit unwillingly, two good sleeps and has now managed to choke down a little bit of boiled chicken, from my fingers – apparently she can’t eat out of her bowl anymore.  OH even went to town (for supplies) via the vet and collected some Promax (probiotic paste).  I bought some pumpkin powder online too.  I can’t think of anything else.

It is a bit all or nothing with Pepper.

A Day Between Weathers

Today has been a day between weathers or “atween wadder”, as they say in Shetland dialect – calm, warmer and even blue sky.  It was very spring-like but of course we will all be thrown back into constant wind and rain tonight. Everyone was making the most of the calmness and I watched Vitamin having a deep snooze lying down in her rug in the sunshine.

And thank you for all your comments about my failed minimalistic dreams.  I took all the “family jewels” out of their casket, laid them out on the kitchen table, tried to value some with Google image, messaged our local jewellers to see if they had a gemologist (they don’t and my mothers spelling made me laugh), made a decision about what I wanted to sell, laid it out to photograph, decided I liked everything, and finally put it all back in the casket thinking that, at present, I don’t want to part with anything because they used to mean something to someone in my family and therefore they should mean something to me.  So I failed again, today.  I feel rather hopeless at this.

Later, I went out with a few not-very-nice carrots to give to the Shetland ponies, who, apart from Tiddles, have had a very rough few days weather-wise.  They were grateful and hungry and told me all about it while I tried to feel for ribs.  Ha-bloody-ha – if I have a very good imagination, I like to think I felt some but honestly, it was a struggle with Albie who is a very fat little pony.  How they can get fat in winter on pretty much nothing is an absolute mystery to me but they do. The track beckons for them but not quite yet.

And I made this little chap.

Oh yes, and I saw my first celandine of the year which is another flower milestone in my constantly looking for signs of Spring journey.  For me, it is the little things.

 

The Dream vs The Reality

This was the dream.

And this is the reality.

When I opened the parcel, a small flat pancake of a bed was inside, but as it was vacuumed packed, I prayed it had potential and would spring/fluff up into the bed of dreams.

“Pamper your cat with our self-warming and soothing Cat Nesting Bed that is finished with a luxurious faux shag fur and mimics the cosy comfort of a mother’s fur coat! Paired with deep crevices that allow your pet to burrow, your fury kids will have a full and restful sleep! The Cat Nesting Bed is designed to give 100% comfort for that Pawfect kip!”

Spring, it did not.

Was it the bed of dreams?  Ummm, not really.

This is their LARGE size.  Seriously?

And this is what happens all the time – ditto for this bed bought to fit a collie.

On the islands we don’t have a pet shop so can’t actually see anything in real life.  I know if I had seen this, I never would’ve bought it.

I am very fed up, on Monster’s behalf.  Off to look at dog bed caves now for him.  Poor old Monster.  He’s not very impressed either.  I don’t blame him.

Sudden thought – It might make a good foot warmer in my shed or a little Lambie warmer.

First Fluting

As you know, I am trying to get my life back in order now the caudal epidural steroid injections are kicking in.

Today, my fluting partner, Mandy, came round for lunch – a quiche with unidentifiable filling (was it basil or spinach, no one knows!) and then we retired to my wee shed for a play.  Despite the injections which were lower down my spine, I find holding the flute increasingly difficult as it exacerbates my brachialgia – the pain in my neck, shoulder and arm.  But I plumbed in my Painpod (EMS/Tens machine) strategically placed the pads, turned the zapping power up and we had a go at playing something nice and easy.

As we played, we saw out of the window the sheep drifting past. They like music and we played a few pieces in between chatting and many cups of tea.  We haven’t seen each other since before Christmas so there was lots to catch up on.

And then we realised that we actually had a proper appreciatiive audience, which was nice.  The others were out of shot.

And, as it’s Muzzah’s Day, I even had a cuddle this morning off Lambie which, as Floss remarked, he hasn’t been near me all the times she’s been here.  So that was the icing on the cake.

Back to the Vegetables

Today, feeling stronger, I returned to my usual job of packing vegetables.

There was lots to do and the old muscle memory kicked in as I filled poly bags with salad and other leafy veg, labelled them, distributed and counted what was going where.

The sun was shining, although it was bitterly cold, and I was well-prepared – I took my Christmas-present hand-warmers with me and they were a god-send in the cold packing shed.

Later this afternoon, there was a bit more running around and I am now lying in bed considering what painkillers to take and how strong.   I am beginning to think that I probably over-did things today. I must learn to say no and to pace myself.  Flossie can’t stay forever picking up the pieces.

Still, I have Monster with me lying on my bed.  He came indoors soaking wet, so I dried him off and I took a quick picture of his audition for the Nativity.

No one is talking to Pepper (again). She tried to kill a duck.  Not our best day then.