Tuesday 29 November 2005

Visit To The Docs.

Today as I said earlier I was going to the doctors for my flu jag. I sat in the surgery for 45mins we had all been told to come at the same time and there was only one nurse on duty. If I had known I would have taken a flask of coffee.  Once I had my jag I then had to sit for a further 15 minutes to make sure there were no ill effects. Now I know doctors surgeries are busy places but I am sure I could think of better method than this to do simple injections. Sorry about the rant but I was very angry. The old lady next to me had to go home without because there would not have been another bus for another hour and she could not wait that long.  After I got home whither it was my temper or not I do not know but I have never felt so down in the dumps in my life so I took myself off to bed for a nap and that seems to have done the trick don't know what caused it and I don't suppose I ever will. 

This is one of my favourite nights on the telly. Holby is on then I have found an old Taggart with the original cast on ITV3 or 4 at 9pm so we are going to give that a watch. Well I'll leave it there for today and say goodnight. Love

Good Morning, Just a quick entry to help pass the time beore my doctors appointment to have my flu jab.  After all the uproar in the papers last week I felt guilty in having one then I read that all th Scottish Parliment has been given them so maybe I am not so guilty after all at least I have paid for mine. Just hope it keeps me flu free this winter. Nice day again here but still bitterly cold. The garden grass is rock hard and all the plants have now gone to sleep for the winter lucky them. Still before we know it the little Snowdrops will be pocking their heas up. Better go now. Love

                          

Monday 28 November 2005

Monday outing.

 

Good Afternoon, we have been out all day today walking and bird watching and must say I have never been so cold in my life. The weather is beautiful but and a big but the wind which is not that strong is absolutely bitterly cold. We went to the reserve I told you about that was made from gravel pits and had a good walk but one part of the walk is over high ground and it was there that I thought I was going to freeze to death well that a bit of an exaggeration but you know what I mean. Here are some of the pictures taken today.

This part of the Loch was frozen.

This Mute Swan was so close he was a real poser.

This is looking away to the west towards Stirling you can just see the snow that is left.

Well I think that all for today hope you enjoyed the pictures. By the way I have blinds up at the big window. I think I am missing my old pink velvet curtains they were so cosy.  (They are in the loft) Bye for now and have a good evening and keep warm. Love

Sunday 27 November 2005

Sunday.

Good Afternoon , was not going to do an entry today as I am feeling very down, don't know why as I have really got nothing to complain about maybe its the thought of another birthday on Friday I will be 63 and don't like the thought of it one little bit.  Stuart has been along to the art Gallery with his paintings today as the teacher is starting to hang them in readiness for the opening on Friday night. We have been out for our morning walk and Stuart has tried to persuade me to go somewhere this afternoon but I am just not in the mood. Think we will put on a video or a DVD I think maybe a sweety would help.  Hope you are all having a better day than I am and hope that I can snap out of this before long. Bye and take care. Love

                            Joan.

Saturday 26 November 2005

Good Afternoon, what a dreary day it is today. The snow has gone after some very heavy rain this morning, a good day to be in and cosy in front of the telly like Stu who is cheering on Scotland in the rugby       but as we are playing the All Blacks I am not holding out much hope for a good result. Have managed to get the house heated up properly today. Yesterday was a nightmare, we have this giant window in the lounge it must be 9ft wide and floor to ceiling and it is not double glazed. The wind was in the north yesterday and the room did not heat up all day. We have thought long and hard about double glazing the windows but it would cost an awful lot of money. Now we are retired it is not so easy to save and the thought of taking out a large sum like that is frightening as you do not have the means to put it back, but I think we will have to have the lounge window done sooner rather than later.  We had cavity wall insulation done 2 years ago and the made a big difference so we will see. Had a surprise visit from our son and granddaughter yesterday afternoon. Ellen had been to the docs for inoculations so although they have moved they are still with the same doctor for the moment. She is getting so big its had to believe she is only 4 and a bit.

Well I can't think of anything else for today I think I have done my usual rambling hope you are all well and have pleasant Saturday its Strictly Come Dancing for me. Love and take care

Friday 25 November 2005

Is it snow?

Good Morning, not a very nice one up here on Tayside. It has been trying to snow since about 8 o'clock this morning but it is not significant snow as yet and it is not lying.  It is windy and further north there is quite a lot of snow according to the Scottish News.  It has been a quick week hasn't it the time is just flying by just now its only a month today till Christmas.

Stuart has gone off to his last art class of the session and they will have non alcoholic wine and goodies all the ladies in his class bake and the men just bring themselves lucky them. We will be getting all the instructions for the exhibition today so we will know what is happening next week.  We have a lady someone opening the event will tell you all later. What to wear or rather what will I get into, not a lot I have the old favourite black skirt and a new top I bought in St Andrews a couple of weeks ago so that might do. This is when I really notice how much weight I have put on since I stopped work and stopped smoking as my dressier skirts and trousers have waste bands and not elastic tops. Oh well too late now to anything about it was the cry or do I go  and buy a bigger size. I find it very depressing as I have always been size 12-14 which I thought was not bad for my age.           Don't think we will be out today so will have to find something to do to occupy us maybe Bookworm we are in the middle of a game so we can perhaps burn down the library. Well I think I have rambled on long enough this morning so I will love you and leave you.

On dear me and my big mouth by the time I finished the above entry and walked downstairs the snow had come on heavy and is now lying thick on the ground that will teach me to say there is no snow.

Thursday 24 November 2005

Thursdays Ramblings

          

         Hello J-land, I have been trying to get to the computer all day but other things seemed to keep cropping up. First of all I would like to wish everybody across the pond A happy Thanksgiving and hope you all have a lovely day. One friend described her day to me and it sounded excellent the are going to be over 25 people at her table.

I did not get an entry in yesterday as I was still suffering with my shoulder but I found a tube of muscle rub and some other kind of painkillers and that seems to have settled it down better today than goodness.

I will have to tell you of Stuarts adventure with his slippers.  While he was in hospital he was wearing slippers as one would.  He went to the toilet in his 6 bed ward and one of the gentleman in his ward aim was very array. Stuart did not notice this as he entered and he stood in the wee.  Now Stuart has a very short fuse at times and he was very annoyed came marching out of the loo and without a thought put his slippers in the bin. They were not new slippers but they were OK. Now this is where the problem could have started but that was the evening he got home, so he was OK in hospital till our son picked him up.  When he got home he told me the tail of the wet slippers but what could I do at 9 o'clock at night as he did not have a spare pair. Good wife that I am I let him borrow mine. Picture this until yesterday Stuart was wearing my blue cosy slippers with teddy bears on the from it looked really funny, now that I think of it I should have taken a picture to show you. Glad to say that if you are going to throw your slippers in the bin now is a good time to do this as the shops are full of them for Christmas. We actually got a pair no  bother at all for Stuart even with his small feet. Meant to start mm Christmas shopping for real yesterday but I just was not in the mood what with the shoulder and the horrible day that it was.  We have had a few flakes of snow here today but nothing really yet we will see what the morning brings and with that I will say Goodnight and God bless Love

Tuesday 22 November 2005

Tuesday's Musings.

 

    

 

 

Good evening thought the graphic was very cheerful for such a foggy day.  It was very foggy this morning and very cold but it did clear up a lunchtime and we had a lovely afternoon, not that I saw much of it. I now remember when it is too late why I gave up knitting my shoulder is killing me.  I used to knit a great deal but this pain started in my shoulder and down the centre of my back and I had to give it up many years ago. Every now and again I try to see if it maybe won't start up again.  I knitted one scarf for Stu which was in garter stitch and all was well I then started to knit one in stocking stitch and the pain started up again could it be the purl row that is causing it. I don't know, I t has been bad today and I took to my bed this afternoon for a while with a hot water bottle it seems a bit better now but no knitting for me just now.  Football for Stuart tonight and the kitchen and Holby for me. Better not complain after 3 episodes of Coronation Street last night I like the program but thought that was a bit unnecessary.

                Listening to the weather forecast I think we had better get out to the shed and get our snow shovel out before the end of the week. It works a treat and comes in handy. Love doing the paths round the house must be the kid still there. Well time to go and I hope you all enjoy your evening. Love

                     

               

                     

               

Monday 21 November 2005

Still Monday

We managed our little trip out this afternoon to our local RSPB reserve. It was a lovely afternoon and the light was very good which is important to us when we are bird watching.  The scrapes where the shallow water is are all totally frozen but the loch  itself is free from ice at the moment.  If we get a longer spell of freezing weather the loch will freeze over and we will maybe manage to have a Bon Spiel which is outdoor curling which is a lot of fun for the curlers as there is a lot of whisky consumed while waiting for your turn.  There has not been a Bon spiel for many  years we nearly had one about 7or 8 years ago but the ice takes a while to be thick enough for the event about 10 -14 days of really freezing weather. The last time the date was announced and the day before we had a great big thaw and that was the end of that. If we get  a big freeze  I will be there with camera in hand and the hip flask in pocket LOL.  Bye the way I have never seen one in real life only film or pictures and it something I would love to see. 

This is a picture of the way it would have been back early last century. And that friends is that for today. Goodnight and sleep well. Love

Monday Monday.

 

Good Morning, Cold and sunny up here this morning but the early frost has gone and the temperature is rising.  Have been out for our morning walk and collected our paper and some milk it was very pleasant so if it turns dull at least we have been out for a wee while.  We are hoping to go to our local nature reserve this afternoon if it stays fine. Not a lot to tell you about just now all has gone nice and quiet again after all the happenings of last week long may it continue. Hope you will have a good day and will talk again later. Love,

 

Sunday 20 November 2005

Quiet Sunday.

                   

Good Afternoon, having a quiet day today, we had a long lie in which was lovely on such a cold day,  We did not have a frost last night thank goodness but it feels raw today.  We were out for a walk this morning we were well wrapped up but it still felt cold when you were walking into the wind.  Stuart is now settled down to watch the rugby so that will keep him happy. Hope we win.  We have been trying to do Sudoku this morning something else to keep our brains active. That's the first time we have tried it and we found it difficult to say the least maybe we will get better.                                                                                                              With all the cold weather we have been having you would have thought they would have had lots of snow in Norway but they don't have any. The reason I am mentioning this is that Stuart and I are great fans of Biathlon that's the one where they Ski and then Shoot.  We got into this by accident really it was after Stuart's first heart attack in1997, we had just put in satellite TV  he could not get out much as the  MI  happened on Christmas Day (yes sitting at the dinner table) so while he was stuck in the house recuperating he was flicking about as you do and discovered this sporting event since then we have become great fans you really get into it. Now I started  chatting about the lack of snow and strayed a bit I was going to tell you that the first event on the calendar has had to be postponed due to lack of snow, thought that was strange as it has been cold enough for snow here and we have had some in Scotland furthernorth than where I live. Love the snow not love walking in it if the sun is shining and the day is crisp. I can't think of anything else to say accept to say the dishwasher is doing a great job and I am a happy bunny.  Have a lovely day,

Saturday 19 November 2005

A Continuation from the Summer.

I am going to test your memories this afternoon. Do you remember during the late summer I told you about the five young Blackbirds I had in my garden that were having great fun in a bath that I had put out for them as the weather was so dry.  They are still coming to our garden even this late in the year.  Usually young birds disperse and leave the territory for their parents but these young ones are still altogether and we still have five which I think is remarkable in itself with all the cats we have around here. The adult birds still come and try to get  in on the action but the young ones as I call them stand their ground. They have all learned to feed from the bird table as well as clearing up under it.  We also have Blue Tits, Great Tits, Dunnocks, Green Finches, Coal Tits Collared Doves Wood Pigeons and the sparrows, not so many now as there use to be as the common little sparrow is going through a hard time. Don't know if this item will be of interest or not but in this cold weather we have to spare a little thought for our feathered friends and a little water. 

        Did our food shopping today and boy did we take bad with it that's the first time we have been to Tesco's on a Saturday for almost a year we usually go on a Wednesday or Thursday but with all the happenings this week we had to go today and boy was it busy. Not the usual stroll round but a queue all the way. Hope we get back to our usual next week. Been gathering together all the ingredients for our Christmas Cake or what should I call it our Winter Cake doesn't sound the same some how as it will soon be time to fill the house with the lovely aroma of the cake baking in the oven one of my favourite smells. Well I think that about it for today hope you all enjoy your day evening wither its the X Factor or Strictly Come Dancing enjoy.  Love and take care,

Saying Hello

 

Good Morning, What a wonderful morning it is up here thick white frost its like it has been snowing and wall to wall sunshine, hope you have sunshine too wherever you are. You all seem to still be having problems with saving as I am getting a lot of test pages so I thought I would put in a wee entry to see if I still can.  We are going to get some food shopping as the cupboard is looking a bit bare.  Hope you all have a good day whatever you are doing or not doing. Love

Friday 18 November 2005

Double Celebrations

 

            

             Good Morning friends two things to celebrate today STUART IS HOME and settled in and feeling well the news from the hospital was all good no heart attack no blood clot and he is not diabetic what more could we ask for.  It must have been the forward email Joan sent last night the one about your luck will the other reason for celebration is THE DISHWASHER HAS ARRIVED and not before time I hear you say so with any luck my nails will grow again. Have a thing about my nail as all the time I worked in supermarket we were not allowed to wear nail varnish and as I was in and out of water all while on the Deli my nail never grew. Since I retired I have been able to let them grow and wear my nail polish.  Well I better go now and see to the pot of soup I've got on the cooker. Speak to you later.  Love and take care

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 17 November 2005

Homeward Bound

 

              

Good Evening arrived home from the hospital a approximately 5 o'clock sat down phone rang ran downstairs to my phone nobody there back upstairs 10 minutes later phone rang again i'tsStuart I'm getting home tonight. Great. Our son was going to the hospital tonight so he is picking his Dad up and I will get everything ready here.  The scan went well this morning and the rest of the tests were negative so all seems well. Better go now as I still  have a few thing to do will update tomorrow.  Thank again for helping me through this you have all been a great help to me.  Love and

                                                                             Joan.

Thursday is it really?

 

Goodmorning, I don't know where the morning went I have just said goodmorning but I looked at the clock and it is 12-20pm so I should have said good afternoon.  Been a busy morning with phone calls which are not that easy for me with my hearing I have a special phone but it is in the kitchen and I have been upstairs most of the morning so when it rings I have to belt downstairs before the ansering machine takes over. I have been lazy lately and did not know how to work it as we have not had this one very long well about 6 months ok with the phone but the ansering machine is attacted this time and it is not so easy ss the last one which was a seperate unit.  My that was a long story about nothing, sorry. Stuart has made it to Dundee this morning for his scan. He phoned me from there and it has been done and he is waiting for tranport back. He sounded really fed up today perhaps it was being taken to Dundee in a freezing cold Ambulance.  I will be going up to Perth to see him as soon as he gets back.  It a beautiful day here wall to wall sunshine but the white frost is still lying on the ground even at this time. Hope all this carry on with the journals has settled down now there is nothing more annoying than writing your entry and then loosing it as you never get it the same the second time and by the third you just give up I could have done without the hassle this week of all weeks but so could you no doubt. Well I will love you and leave you and go and have some lunch a toasty I think. Love and take care.

 

                                          Joan.

 

                                      

Wednesday 16 November 2005

Wednesday late.

 

 

Good Evening, have been trying to write this since I got home from the hospital on and off.  I could not find a way to 'Add an Entry' I did find a sign on this time it was lurking off the page at the right hand side, its been there all the time no doubt silly me.  Just wanted to thank you all for all the comments and emails you have sent me since Stuart has been ill.  He was in good spirits this afternoon when I was up and I have just had a phone call from my our son and his wife they have been in this evening to see Stu and they said he was fine.  Hope he gets more sleep tonight he was telling me the man accross from him in the ward is on water pills and was up and down 100 times during the night. When he did get to sleep someone came and wakened him up to take blood they had a long conversation and he told Stu to just call he The Vampire so I am pleased that at least Stu has not lost his sence of humour.  Well I will close now and with you all Good Night and hope this saves after all my typing.  Love

Update

Hi thought I would do an early entry to update you on Stuart and to thank you for all the good wishes and prayers I did appreciate them. When I phoned this morning the hospital said Stu had a good night.  Thats the phone...... That was Stuart he is going to be in hospital for the rest of the week. They don't think it was a heart attack but a clot on the lung and also that he may be diabetic so not good new this morning at all.  He has to go to Dundee for a scan on his lungs so we will have to wait and see.  I will be going out about 1pm till late so that is why I am here early or it was early when I made the first attempt at this but AOL still is not well either.  Thats about all I can say just now.Bye Love Joan.

Tuesday 15 November 2005

Later Tuesday.

Good Evening, Just came back on to say that Stuart is now in Perth Royal Infirmary with a suspected heart attack.  He says he is feeling fine but they are going to keep him in to see if there is any damage done. Feeling very low myself as I am alone and thought I would do this to pass time till bedtime.  Everybody has been very quiet today I think you must all have been having  trouble saving entries like I was that is why I have made two today hope it gets better.  Bye for now   Joan.

ps wrote the previous entry before the trip to hospital but AOL was being AOL

Out and About.

Good Afternoon, Lovely day here and we have been out and about.  We have been away to  a neighbouring village to collect Stusrts framed pictures for the art exibition. They look absolutly fabulous what a difference a good frame and mounts make.  We have taken picture of them but it is very difficuly if we take them in the house the flash goes off and we get a reflection. Today we wnt outsind but the sun was very strong and I don't think they will be any good. I have not had time to download the camera yet so I will see what they are like and post them as soon as I can.  Will have to go now as Stuart has had a pain in his chest again this afternoon after he went out for a walk in the cold.  I did not go with him as I was hoovering etc and when he goes out alone he walks too quickly, when I am with him he walks just a tad slower, yuou see he still walks lide he did when the Old Man of the Mountain tailed him (See Halloween for story) I don't think he ever will slow down. So i will say bye for now and take care.  Love Joan.           This entry was written a 4 pm.

Monday 14 November 2005

Monday Monday.

Good evening not a lot been happening today so this could be a very short entry. Stuart and I went for our morning walk this morning it was cold very damp heavy drizzle and windy we were out about 40 minutes which was long enough.The picture is what happened to my brolly this morning but sorry I did not have a picture of a female.  This afternoon we have been playing Mahjong.  Then it was time to cook the tea I made a sausage hotpot kind of thing and it was really tasty.  Had a letter today about our new bus pass hate these words they make you feel about 100 however we are to get new ones not that I have ever used the one I have but the new one will cover the whole of Scotland so that meens I will be able to go to Edinburgh for the day free no bridge charges or parking fees so I might just use it. Starting date is 1st April. Sorry got sidetracked there what I was going to tell you was the it was addressed to 'Older People and the elderly' was not very happy with that at all but still better not look a gift horse in the mouth.  Well I will go now and get on with my knitting and for those of you that are interested I am knitting a very long scarf for Stuart its black and purple he chose the colours not me and now my eyes hang out on my cheeks by bedtime as it is so hard to see what you are doing.  Bye Now  Take good care Love

Sunday 13 November 2005

The Weekend

                                                                          

 

 

  

Good Afternoon, We have had a really busy weekend.  The weather has been beautiful very cold but sunshine all the way. It has felt very much like the perfect winter weather the kind we all like.   We have been out and about all weeken.  Yesterday we went to St Andrew as you know this is one of our favourite places for a day out.  We did a bit of shopping bought a lovely new jumper for myself black which I really like with a nice neckline a sort of folded down polo neck which is what I like as I cannot stand being muffled up what with the dreaded hot flushings etc. After I spent all the pennies we had a trip down to the beach the above must have been what I looked like all wrapped up and did a bit of birdwatching which is always better up here in the winter.  Had late picnic lunch and watch the guys on these sand kites on wheels I don't know what they call them but they can move very fast over the sand. On our way home I took this picture and some others but a cable on a pylon was right across the middle I will have to remember to watch out for that in future but it was getting dark and I did not see it.

Today the weather was even better not a cloud in the sky but again very cold. Today is very special to us you maybe remember a couple of weeks ago I told you a bit about myself and left you when Stuart and I stared to go out together well the date was Friday 13th November 1959 so on my calculation thats 46years today and  never a cross word HAHA.  So being special what did we do we went birdwatching just for a change LOL.  Am going to say bye now and hope you all have had as good a weekend as I I have had.  Love

                                            

 

Friday 11 November 2005

Calmed Down a Bit.

Good evening  well I have cooled down a bit I have been out for a while this afternoon at an Art Exibition with Stu.  The other local art group were having there yearly exibition so Stuart wanted to see what the other half does. They were very nice but Stu feels a lot better seeing what was on offer.  Was out for while last night as well wow out at night twice in one week it must be Christmas.  Our local garden centre has a Christmas evening in November for members and we get 20% off everything so its a good deal. Mulled wine and mince meat pies are served and a good evening was had by all.  Did not do much Christmas shopping but did get a new Christmas tree one of the fibre opic ones so we won't have all the work with lights etc. Stu always did it for us but he gets too tired these days so this should suit fine  and will not take up so much space. Dont know why my type face is so small in my journal as I set it at 14 but it comes out very tiny once I save it. There does not seem to be anything I can do about it so you will have to put your specs on until I find a way round this.   Am off now to have a quite evening gardening programs the the West Wing and my knitting so thats a good evening for me that is after I have down up the dishes again.     Love

                                        

Trials and tribulations.

          

Good Morning just a short entry just now to let you know the the dishwasher will not be coming till next Friday. I got Stu to phone before he left for his art class to check if we were on the delivery list for today and was told it is the 18th November did'nt say what year but hope she meant 2005. Would cancel this order but they have already taken the money out out of ou bank account so we will have to wait. Will do a proper entry later as I am still hopping mad about this..Love Joan.