Normality

Definitely heading back to normal.

I have a combination vacuum cleaner/carpet sweeper which is just wonderful. The base is rectangular with a dust tray about the size of a toaster's crumb tray; round all four edges are rotating brushes. It is operated by a rechargeable battery and is so light that you hardly feel you are using it.

It would be no use for deep cleaning carpets, but for general tidying up it is excellent.

I got rid of all the dusty paper mess from emptying the shredder so many times yesterday and the crumbs from under the dining room table and from the kitchen.This place feels like home again.

I have also done my exercises. In spite of going to exercise classes so recently, I can feel the muscles having been worked.

I think I have earned my Sunday lunchtime sherry and a mixture of doing a jigsaw and having a good read of Henning Mankell's The Pyramid.

I am not sure if I would have wanted to see the television portrayal of Wallender as, after reading all the books, I have my own mind's eye picture.


Posted by Elaine at 04:09
Labels: cleaning up, exercises

Exercise and Shopping

This morning I was once more at my exercise class. They are really putting me through it, requiring an increase in everything each week. This morning I could not find my purse to pay (the vast sum of £1), so I nipped out to the car to see if it had fallen out of my handbag, but no. The real bore was that I had planned to do a couple of things on my way home. I have been addressing Christmas cards for the nice tradespeople who get a monetary gift and I always give it in a Christmas card as I feel that it is a nicer way of doing things than just handing over money.

I have no doubt the recipients just want the money!

So I came straight home and found my purse hiding beside my chair. I then set off to the big garden centre (all right, it is called Dobbies - as I say only nice things about them, I don't see why they should remain nameless.) I found some cards quickly and had an idle look round (this is always a BIG MISTAKE) and bought one or two little things.

Last year I did not have a Christmas tree as I had really gone off my old fibre optic one - it showed its effect only in the dark and around here there is no dark with the lights on in the car park overnight; I also had trouble erecting and dismantling it and it was looking rather tatty. Instead I bought a basket of lights which I thought was an excellent substitute, but everyone hit out at me with cries of "bah, humbug". I have paid heed but been very modest in my purchase - it is a pre-lit 60cm high Christmas tree. I also bought a few small decorations for it.

Then we came to finding a table cover - I found a paper one which did not cost an arm and a leg (there were some nice linen ones, which did - I might have a look at them in the January sale.......

I then lugged them all home with a quick stop off at the Bank to withdraw some cash. I don't know where it all disappears to (and the shopping went on plastic).

I came home to find my vegetable box which included a pumpkin, two leeks, a celery, some Swiss chard, beautiful carrots with the bright green fronds still on and of course the usual potatoes and onions. The fruit consisted of 3 apples, 2 oranges, 2 bananas and a kiwi fruit.

Included with the bag was a rather nice sounding pumpkin recipe. I shall try it and report back.

The Dreaded Washing

Yesterday after Church I managed to get 2 loads of washing done and out of the way. I know I talk about this beyond the point of boredom, but it is such a bore for me too as I have quite a long (well -ish) walk to the laundry room and each time you hope against hope that there will be a machine free. I was in luck and the place was empty, not one machine in use. So on with the first load and the second load in a bag in front of the machine to show that it was the next wash to go in there. You are not allowed to use more than one machine at a time (and I can see the point of this, but by the time the first wash was transferred to the tumble dryer there was still nobody there.

Ah well I got it all finished in time for lunch at 2 pm.

I have been trying to practise my exercises for the class on Tuesdays but I am finding it difficult as I get sore and tired....

Physio, Physio, Physio!

This morning I was at my usual physiotherapy exercise classes, designed specifically for people with breathing difficulties. I have really enjoyed them, and feel that, to some extent, I have hi-jacked them to help with my walking difficulties, which are more of a concern.

After my last fall, which required the attendance of an ambulance with a paramedic and an ambulance technician, my GP referred me to the physiotherapist who deals with falls.

She phoned me yesterday. I really must be more careful how I react when caller display shows "number withheld" because I always expect it to be a cold call, but it is not always so.

So, after I returned from my class, she visited me and spent quite some time assessing my walking and balance. My leg muscles are very weak, and some of that predates even the stroke and goes back to spending about 2 weeks in ITU on a ventilator for most of that time.

I was most impressed with her, and she is going to have a chat with the other physiotherapist in charge of the respiratory rehab classes, and get back to me. There are other classes which she runs and the next lot are not due to start until January.

She noticed that my left foot is flat (which was a surprise) and suggested an insole to help.

She is also going to refer to to the County Falls Response Service for a pendant alarm (and I would get rid of the other one). The other one was a mistake - it appeared in advance to go through to the same help desk as our careline pull cords, but it doesn't and so going to a separate service will make no difference to the response, except that I won't waste the time of a paramedic and a technician, who might be needed for a real emergency.

More Exercises

Perhaps as a result of Saturday's fall, I found I was struggling a bit at the class this morning, but at least I managed to complete the circuit.

On my way home, my car was drawn irresistibly into the correct lane to enter the garden centre, so what could I do?

I managed to find a disabled parking bay near the front doors, and went in and had a cheese scone and butter with a glass of ginger and lemongrass presse.

The vegetable box this morning had potatoes, carrots and onions together with a white cabbage, a lettuce, a bag of spinach, and several stalks of rhubarb. The fruit comprised 2 apples, 2 onions, 2 bananas and a kiwi fruit, and as usual, half a dozen eggs.

I am going to make some spinach soup (the light version using semi-skimmed milk instead of cream), and I shall also have to make a rhubarb crumble. There was a recipe for this included with the rhubarb, so I shall try that out later this week.