Brindleboy123's Blog

Hello all.

I can’t believe how fast time is just passing by!  Didn’t realise hadn’t posted for over a week or so (who shouted good in the back then?!!)

Well, last week I did a bit of spring cleaning…I know its November but who cares.  It started one night when we were quite comfortably sitting watching a bit of tv when there was an almighty bang from the bathroom.  Went in to find that all the shelves had collapsed in the cupboard and there were pills, creams and lotions everywhere!  Wonderful! The back of the cupboard had pushed out a tiny bit and that had released the shelves.  Spent about an hour trying to get everything cleaned up.  I really don’t understand when in just 10 years someone can go from taking no medication to having pills for practically every part of the body!  I think the paracetemol may taste a bit of nail varnish remover next time I need one but hey ho!

Talking of tablets, I have been taking a soya replacement on the recommendation of the local chemist for hot flushes.  Now the chemists here can be your best friends as they really never bother with prescriptions….only have to go in and I can get antibiotics or anything.  When Miss Daisey was alive I used to simply go in and ask for Amytriptolin for her and was just given it for 1 euro 6 cents! I must have an honest face!  Anyway back to the soya (I do lose track so easy…sorry), I recommended it to my friend because it really has made a huge difference with the hot flushes or tropical moments as I prefer to call them.  Well, it turns out that the jury is still out on them because some say they can increase the risk of breast cancer because of the increase in oestrogen in the system and others say it actually helps to prevent it!  So what do you do??  I wrote to cancer research and they have said basically the same thing, that there is still little firm research one way or the other.  I have decided not to take them so am awaiting the return of those lovely warm, giddy moments of joy..NOT!

Whilst I am moaning about the menopause thingy, what is all this itchy thing about?  I went to bed the other night and managed to sleep for a little while only to wake up with an itchy feeling and something like tiny needles all over my body!  I thought it was the new bed linen so went and put my pyjamas on….oooh la la, yes, I was somewhat naked at the time (not a pretty picture to be sure).  No improvement with the pyjamas so it was out on the sofa yet again for me!  Now find out that this is also related to age!  What WAS he thinking about when he made women…it could have been shared out a bit between men and women couldn’t it?  Someone said they still have the symptoms after 19 years so I guess I only have about 18 or so left!  Poor old(ish) Tony really has got me at my prime!!  Bless!

I do have some good news though….in fact excellent news.  Samantha and Ben are expecting their first baby…I will be a nanna!  I have been wanting to tell everyone for so long but she wouldn’t let me and I have been a very good girl and kept it to myself and Tony.  Baby is due in June next year so I am going to go over just for a couple of days when it is born and then have a bit longer there with Tony in July when everyone has gone back to work etc so we can spoil her a bit. I’m going next weekend and am looking forward to seeing if she has put on any weight.  It will be great to perhaps be smaller than my daughter…even if it is only for a few months or so!

Good results from the biopsy so no need to go back for 12 months.  I’m sure many women will recognise the relief when you get the all clear.  I was determined not to go back to hospital again and then went and cut my finger quite badly and ended up in A & E!! Can you believe it…..I even know my hospital number off by heart now! No stitches, just a dressing and a tetenus injection.  Tony says he will give me the next injection which is due next month.  Did I ever tell you about the time when Tony was giving heparin injections to someone here?  Lady knocked on our door because she knew that Tony had often given injections for his son etc and asked if we would give her husband the injections that he needed for a couple of months!  Tony did it and it wasn’t too long before we had another lady needing injections in her tummy for a few weeks!  Quite the little Florence Nightengale is Tony!

Oh yes, on Wednesday last week we had a letter from the Administrators here to say that we were required to remove the gate that we put up as we were a nuisance to the community!  Its a long boring story but basically the one family we don’t get on with are our neighbours. I thought everything had been resolved at the last annual meeting but it seems as though they are still insisting that the gate is removed.  Tony went to see them and the administrator had to agree that it was stupid but he is doing his job.  Looks like it could go to court….so stupid! I’m sure it is the blue colour rinse that the old woman has on her hair that is making her hyper…too many additives! Watch this space anyway..

Spain is notorious for the amount of graffiti that is around the place.  I remember when Samantha was an Uni in Plymouth they actually had a trip to Barcelona to look at it!  Anyway, the mayor here has decided that enough is enough and there has been a campaign to reduce it and clean up!  This last week or so we have had a team coming around all the streets here (we are just on the outskirts of the town in a more Spanish area of the town). They have been laden down with paint, acid and brushes!  I am amazed at what they have been doing….they have managed to get off a lot of the graffiti and what they can’t they have simply re-painted the walls!  Can you imagine coming home from work int he UK and finding that the council have painted little white squares on your house to cover over the marks?!  There would be uproar I’m sure!  In fairness, they have tried to match up the colour and where they can’t, the colours they have chosen have been pretty good!  We are quite fortunate that our block is white so whenever there has been a problem it has simply been really easy to get rid of it with a touch of paint.  When we first moved here the problem was worse and I realised that much of the graffiti was caused by one lad who left his initials everywhere…TNS.  Fortunately, Senor TNS is now romantically involved with a very pretty senorita and has quite an ugly looking shar-pei, unlike my own of course, and his attentions are now elsewhere!  Anyway, I think it is excellent that the council are doing something proactive.

The wee wee kid aka Evil Edna appears to have now fallen head over heels in love with Tony!  Whenever he is sat down…she is there, cuddled up to him!  He now even ends up carrying her when we have been on a walk and she decides it is just “too far for a lady”!  Not sure who is the daftest out of the two of them!  Have to say though, she is turning into quite a lovely little thing (not sure Bobby would agree although they do have their cuddle moments!)

Loves young dream.....

I’ve been watching the TV and all the preparations for Christmas!  Don’t miss that one bit.  I feel so sorry for so many people who are really struggling to afford to pay for presents, many I’m sure that will simply be put to one side by the receivers after Christmas.  We were going to go out for lunch on Christmas day but have now decided to go back to our own tradition….egg and chips followed by perhaps Christmas Pudding and a glass of champers!  No stress here, I will obviously make sure that Samantha and Ben have a pressie which is usually quite easy and that is basically it.  A box of christmas cards will last us years!  The Spanish don’t take it all that serious and Boxing Day is simply another day with everyone back to work!   I must admit though, I have ordered a bumper box of Bing Crosby CD’s (sorry, but I am older than I look…well, wish then!), so Christmas Day I might well be forcing Tony to sit down with a box of chocolates and the Bells of St. Mary’s, followed by Sound of Music of course!

Right, time to take out the problem children!  Edna now prefers to do her business in the middle of the road, quite embarrassing really as I’ve actually had cars wait for her to finish and then for me to “bag up” …the joys of having dogs!

Did anyone see the Formula 1 on Sunday…we wuz robbed most definately!  It was there waiting for Alonso…and that blooming Vettel got it!  Yuck!  You wait ’til next year….we’ll be back!!!

Take good care everyone….catch up with you again soon

Love Bell xx

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if  green vegetables smelled as good as bacon”

Doug Larson

Hello you lot out there!

Friday night and all is well!  Had a good week although not particularly productive.  Certainly caught up with yet more sleep – every day I think, no, not today not going back to bed after we have walked the streets in the dark with the 3 musketeers, but it is just too tempting! There has been little going on around these parts and I don’t feel that I’m missing out too much by “resting”!

Lit my candle for the family on All Saints day which as I said last week is a public holiday here.  The road to the cemetery is just at the back of us where we do our walk.  It was like wacky races down there with cars going every couple of minutes.  Families spent time together and the restaurants were very busy lunchtime when they all got together.  It did make me think of them all; Mum, Dad, dear old Uncle Bill and of course, Miss Daisey.  Do you think they can see or hear us?  It would be so comforting to know that they can hear me when I chat away at times.  Another month and it will be a year since Miss Daisey passed away and that beautiful star lit up the sky.  Time just seems to have flown by.  It doesn’t seem 5 minutes ago since I was chasing backwards and forwards to the UK to care for Mum and back to Miss Daisey. I’m hoping that Tony will get around to putting the videos we have on to a DVD so I can watch them soon.  We have some which I’m sure that Mum and Dad and Uncle Bill with Miss Daisey are on, one of my sister’s weddings……that sounds bad doesn’t it oops! Anyway whatever they are on it will be lovely to be able to see them and hear their voices. I do have some telephone messages that I have managed to save for a couple of years but unfortunately many of the ones from Mum are when she was very sad and scared. I do have a couple though, where she says what I always remember her saying..”Hello Mich, its only Mummy….”!  I can’t ever remember calling her Mummy but she always used to say that on the phone! Dad very rarely used the phone so nothing of him….Mum rarely let Dad get a word in!!!

We went to Ikea yesterday with friends as they wanted to buy a unit for their lounge.  After to the shops for clothes…not for me though, I’m still on a promise not to buy anything until at least the 1st December!  So far, I’ve been very good.  The fact that I can’t get anything in my wardrobe is helping me though! I’m sure Tony thought I would relent but I didn’t, tempted though I was when we hit Primark!

We say some beautiful little pups in one of the shops there.  I hate to see them in those glass cages, some of them are so big they really shouldn’t even be in there.  I have had more than one argument with the shop owners in the past because they sometimes refuse to put water in for the dogs because “they make the cages dirty”!  Disgusting people. I would love to have brought one of them home but I think little Bobby would have taken one look, thought not another one…packed his coat and bone and took off in the night! Besides, 3 dogs in a one bedroom flat is enough for anyone I think don’t you!

Yesterday I had to go to have blood tests for my biopsy today.  Bloods no problem in and out in minutes…today, oh my god!  Arrived nice and early (always like to create a good impression!), was called into the room that unfortunately I have been in several times before where the male nurse proceeded to get me “prepared”  Venflon, fine – he injected something in there which I have no idea what it was but that is insignificant in comparison to what was to follow. He them “painted” my left boob which was to have the biopsy.  You lose all dignity don’t you…led down, covered in a bit of plastic to save what little dignity there is when you have someone sloshing on yellow anti-bacteria wash on to you!  Then came in the javelin thrower!  The doctor is actually quite nice, she’s “done” me before.  I explained to her that the lump was not hurting so much as it had been and I thought it was smaller (I think I was hoping she would just say, don’t bother them, go home……no chance!).  She checked on the ultrasound machine and rolled out the drips from the paint whilst another in the team had the spear in his hand!  Did it hurt..YES!  Did I scream?  YES! albeit fairly quietly.  I had two of them holding my legs trying to keep me still when all I wanted to do was to roll over so the spear couldn’t go in any more…..I would not have been surprised when she finished if I didn’t have a curtain hook through my left nipple!

Tony was out in the main reception when I staggered out to see him with bandage on my arm and left boob covered in a plaster.  I told him how brave I had been but that I had screamed!  He said it was just as well he hadn’t heard because he would have rushed in….very gallant but I’m glad he didn’t because my fear is that I would have ended up speared to the bed as he tried to pull the doctor off!

My dear doctor preparing for my biopsy!

Anyway, the doctor said she didn’t think it was anything serious but it was an infection and was delighted to show me me the infection they had got out….lovely, how kind of you…looks nice!  Just have to wait until next week now to get the results, so keep fingers crossed for me.

As Bell was a “good day at the doctor’s”, we came home so I could rest for a while and then went out to lunch to Stan and Ollies.  Lovely restaurant where we had the menu of the day for 13.50, bargain.  So full after that we had trouble moving.

Just taken the dogs out…..Ummm wasn’t expecting to see the neighbours across the back, sure he was really impressed with my look!  Leopard pyjama bottoms, grey matching top with a furry seal on, blue short coat with a hood and pink crocks!  A picture to behold! Daft thing is he probably didn’t even think anything of it….anything seems to go here which is just as well! How the mighty fall…..I used to wear a suit and high heels to Sainsbury’s in my “previous life” when I was living in the UK.

I’ve been reading some posts tonight on the Carers UK forum and would just like to say a big hello to my many friends there.  So many people seem to be having a real tough time at the moment.  Thinking of you all x  You know, sometimes I get so upset that people appear to be so oblivious to the fact that there are so many people, in the world really I guess, not just in the UK, who, day after day are giving loved ones every care and attention that they possibly can within their capabilities.  For some, they are coping at the same time with their own health issues.  Perhaps we are all guilty of not really considering these individuals until we find ourselves in similar situations.    My Dad cared for Mum for so many years and I had absolutely no idea how difficult it must have been for him at times until I was placed in to the position of caring for Mum myself.  I hope sincerely that one day these caring people will receive the recognition that they deserve, including financially so they are able to go about their daily lives with dignity.

Evil Edna decided it was time to play at 6 o’clock this morning and despite my attempts to keep her quiet by tickling her tummy, there is only so much of that a Pomeranian can take before you have to accept defeat and get up!  So once again, there we were walking along the beach at 6.30 in the dark, can just here the water pounding against the shore. Not too bad really as we decided to go off to Alicante today so we were all dressed and ready to go by 9.

We arrived at Alicante at around 10 and headed straight for breakfast (have my priorities) at Corte Ingles.  This is really the only department store we have here and it is not the cheapest of places but the quality is good.  Coffee, toast with olive oil and an orange juice…delicious!  If anyone had told me years ago that I would enjoy toast covered in olive oil I would never have believed them!  I’m afraid I can’t get my head around the spanish way of “dunking” your toast in the coffee though ….oil in the coffee is a big no no as far as I’m concerned!  Each to their own.

Found the department that has all the christmas trimmings in and for the first time in a few years I actually felt quite comfortable walking around.  Last year when we visited the shop like we do every year, I just couldn’t walk around as all the christmas songs were being played…I just found it far too sad.  Funny thing is, it didn’t even pass my mind this year.  Miss Daisey said last year that she wanted us to get a bigger Christmas tree so that is what Tony and I decided to buy.  She would have loved it too (although the bank manager may not agree!).  We’ve never had a big christmas tree here, just a little one that went on the table so this year it will be really quite special.  Hopefully, Cruella (not sure how you spell it but you know who I mean…(Lola)…will not decided to climb in to it!

I was also really tempted with a piano that they had there….we bought a small one last year and I do use it quite a lot even though my left hand is still showing some reluctance!  You name that tune and I’m away with the right hand…but the left….I kept my sensible head on though and resisted and I was actually quite proud of myself.

Well, off now to watch the qualifying for tomorrows Formula 1…Alonso is going to win of course!  (Fingers crossed behind my back….gee I’m good at typing with toes!)

Take care out there everyone….see you again next week.

Love Bell x

Courage doesn’t always roar.  Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.  Author, Mary Ann Radmacher