2023 Diary - Page 29

28 January

The security camera is up! We were determined to get it back up before heading to Yorkshire so Jonathon scoured YouTube for any tips and hints and we finally got it up and set. It seems Terry might have put the original one "back to front" somehow but it now works so we're feeling pleased with ourselves.

In other news ... we discovered that our dishwasher wouldn't switch on so Jonathon phoned Miele this morning to make an appointment for an engineer to come and fix it when we get back home. Thankfully, we had taken out an extended warranty so it's still covered to the end of 2023 (phew!)

I went to the gym and did my steps for the day so I didn't need to go out for a walk later. I also did some weight work to try and build up my muscle strength a bit.

Once we'd got the camera up, I did a bit of tidying up in the garden. The ground's still very wet so I did what I could from the paths. The raspberries and gooseberries will have to wait a while.

Jonathon went off to a new venue for a photo shoot.

29 January

Gym (no class) then church. The service included a baptism and Bethany (baby) was very well behaved so all fine.

We have a new male fox visitor. He's very handsome but our "resident" stumpy tailed male is very nervous of him and Oli is none too keen. It will be interesting to see if he hangs around or is just passing through looking for a mate. I've called him "Bruiser".

We did various pre-holiday jobs after dinner, including most of the packing so we're all set to go tomorrow.

Skype wasn't working today so Mum phoned instead. They'd had a good night's sleep so they were both a bit brighter today but Dad is still in a bit of pain in his back following a stumble mid week.

Had a chat with Christine but she had no real news.

30 January

Gym for Ela's circuits class then it was time to pack up the car and head to Yorkshire for a few days. Jenny and Peter are all set to take care of Oli while we're away so we know he's in good hands. The cameras are working so we can see him if he's anywhere near a camera (including coming through his cat flap) so we sholdn't have too many withdrawal symptoms.

We stopped at our usual OK Diner for lunch then arrived at The Churchill Hotel in York where we'll stay until Friday morning.

I went for a walk, firstly to test out the route to the station for tomorrow and also to have a nose around and pick something up for a snack for tea.

31 January

Hard to believe we've already reached the end of January!

I went for an early walk, thinking that I wouldn't be walking much for the rest of the day. There were parts of it that were very dark but the river Ouse looked very pretty reflecting the lights.

1 February

Only a short walk before breakfast today so I stuck to the city centre, mainly around the Minster.

The train drivers were on strike so we both went to Knaresborough in the car. I popped into town to get Mum's shopping (baker and market) but there were very few stalls because of the strong winds.

Carole came round and we all went to Stanley's cafe (Barker & Stonehouse). Dad seemed to have deteriorated since yesterday and was really finding it hard to walk. He managed his dinner OK (as did Mum). Carole took them back home, Jonathon disappeared to prowl round the charity shops in Knaresborough and I went for a walk alongside the River Nidd. I was pleased to see a cormorant in full mating colours.

Carole met us back at Mum's having spoken to Radfield (carers), Dad's GP and St. John's House and we had a powwow (Mum, Carole and me) re what the next steps are re Dad because Mum is struggling to cope. Dad's booked in for respite care (4 weeks) from 13 February but I'll be surprised if he comes home again after that. His GP is arranging for some blood and other tests to make sure it's nothing other than old age. It was a really upsetting conversation but it's been coming for a while so no great surprise. It was just as hard having to tell Mum that she won't be able to stay in the bungalow on her own but at least I could reassure her that there's no need for her to put it on the market just yet.

Jonathon and I went to the hotel bar for a mixed deli platter for tea and ended up having a chat with some other guests before they went to the dining room and we retired to our room for the evening.

2 February

I knew we'd have a busy day today with meetings and lunch planned so I had an early moring walk over to Clifford's Tower and the County Court. Went to see where the Foss and Ouse rivers meet and had a good walk alongside the Ouse back to the hotel.

Angela came to the hotel for coffee and a catch up so we nattered on for about an hour and a bit before she went home and we went to Catton.

Lunch was with Christine and Gordon at The Gold Cup (very tasty) before heading off to Pocklington so Jonathon could trawl the charity shops.

Our final meeting was with Lillo Pisano, a wood turner who lives in Pocklington. He was seeking Jonathon's opinion about a new concept idea so they had a good chat about that. Lillo had just passed the tests to be accepted into the Register of Professional Turners so was looking forward to seeing wider opportunities for his woodturning business.

That was enough for us for today so time to go back to the hotel and relax.

Carole messaged later to say Dad had had a fall. He wasn't hurt but his GP had phoned for an ambulance and he'd been taken off to A&E. Carole was going up after she'd had something to eat and would update tomorrow.

3 February

Early morning walk alongside the Ouse - I didn't even know there was a Millennium Bridge in York but I found it this morning. Rowntree Park was closed (still before dawn) so I couldn't go in. Similarly, the Museum Gardens were closed so no visit there either.

Carole messaged to update that Dad had been transferred to the Acute Frailty Unit for a full assessment so it sounds like he's in the best place.

Jonathon and I went to get cheese to give to Peter and Jenny for looking after Oli but the cheese shop J had chosen was closed. Thankfully, he had a Plan B and the man in that shop was really helpful. We got three different kinds of Yorkshire cheese so hope they like it. We checked out of York and drove to the next hotel near Sheffield. It was completely different to the York hotel. It was a Best Western Plus in Aston, a small village, and set in lovely grounds.

My cough is no better so I decided to stay at the hotel while Jonathon went off to Sheffield to photo shoot the new Chicago Blues Brothers show. His main concern was finding somewhere to park so he set off in good time. As a £2 payment popped up on my phone I assumed he'd found somewhere.

Carole provided a further update following her meeting with Dad's doctor and physiotherapist. Nothing obvious other than old age but they will keep him in over the weekend and the physio will continue to work with him. Carole explained that Mum can't cope at with Dad at home so the medics will decide whether Dad should stay in hospital until 13 Feb when he has a space booked at St. John's or whether he'll have a stint in Ripon in between hospital and St. John's (or something different).

4 February

I had an early start so walked most of the streets of Aston and Aughton. There was a fair bit of new housing being built (same as most places) and it was really quiet (hardly surprising at that time of day).

I spotted some lakes on the map and decided to walk over to see them. By happy coincidence I got there as the sky was starting to turn pink. They were private fishing lakes and there were quite a few fishermen there but non-anglers were allowed to be there on the public footpath.

5 February

I wasn't up to going to the gym so went and got my paper and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast.

Mum was going to visit Dad in hospital this afternoon so we Skyped in the morning. She's dealing with Dad being in hospital very well but is obviously worried about him. Mum texted later to say Dad wasn't too bad, just very confused.

I got the potato sets put into the trays ready to chit. Jo is having 6 of the Charlottes and Gilda 3 each of the Roosters and Duke of Yorks so I've asked them both to bring an egg box before March.

I went for a nice sunny walk after dinner so got my daily steps etc. done.

Jonathon went to Tunbridge Wells to photograph Daisy Chute and Oli and I kept each other company.

I was half way through the pile of ironing when Christine phoned. I wasn't expecting to chat today as we'd only seen each other on Thursday but we still managed to be on the phone for about an hour. All the washing and ironing is now done so I'm feeling very virtuous.

My cold / cough deosn't seem to be getting any better. I'm in danger of having to phone the doctor if it stays like this.

6 February

No gym for me today - still not recovered enough so instead of being there at 7 a.m. that's when my alarm went off.

I went to get a paper and a bit of shopping, including ingredients for lunch. The sunrise was beatiful and promised a lovely day.

Jo came round with Coco and, after a bit of a Coco / Jonathon love-in, we went for a sunny walk. Coco enjoys whatever we do but I think she enjoys it more whan she can be off the lead and wander / run to her heart's content..

It was good to see our first crocuses out when I got back home.

Will, window cleaner, came to clean the gutters and the windows so we're OK for another year (gutters) and month (windows).

7 February

Had a quick walk to get my paper before work. The sunrise was lovely. It was a different story when I got to London with a very thick mist. Thankfully, the sun had burnt it off by the time I went for a walk at lunchtime.

Mum went to see Dad - he was quite chirpy despite the various tests that are being carried out on him.

Work was very quiet so I used the time to contact some of Dad's financial service providers to work out what they needed re the POA.

I met Nicola for dinner. Her Mum's not very well and her legal team have dropped her medical case so she was very upset.

8 February

Very atmostpheric mist over the Thames on the way in to work today. Work was surprisingly busy! Niamh bought me some beautiful roses to cheer me up which was a lovely surprise.

Carole visited Dad. He is going to Ripon for a couple of weeks then St John's but they can only provide a bed until 10 March so Carole and Pauline are on a mission to find somewhere else for Dad to go after that, either permanently or until St. John's or Boroughbridge have a space for him. Carole has cancelled Radfield Care because Dad definitely won't be going home.

Jonathon and I went to see Choir of Man. Although he was told at the door and by one of the cast that he could take photos, a theatre official / usher told him his camera was too big. He had managed to get just a couple of shots before that and now has a contact person to apply for an official photo pass for another show. The show was just as good as I remembered despite there being one or two changes to the cast members.

9 February

I was going to have a sleep in this morning then remembered Blu-Lite were due early this morning so got up. Thank goodness I did - at 8 a.m. they were here and I had to go and get Jonathon out of bed to deal with them.

They were here all morning, measuring, checking and chatting with Jonathon about what does what and what could be better etc. Their report arrived this afternoon but I've not had tie to read it yet.

I popped round and delivered those. I went to Sainsbury's to get some bits and pieces for Turkey and Syria and delivered those to the collection point then went to Sainsbury's and got our shopping. I decided not to go to the theatre tomorrow so put the tickets on a local sharing site and they went within minutes.

I spent a while in the afternoon working on Mum and Dad's finances. Virgin Money re-confirmed my opinion of their unhelpfulness - such a difference copared to both Yorkshire Building Society and NFU. I expect I'll just have to go to the Harrogate branch and take pot luck that someone will be able to help me on the 17 March when I'm next in Yorkshire.

Mike (Amelie's dad) was due home today but not early enough to collect her from school and deliver her to Brownies. I did a short, late afternoon, walk round Thornet Wood. We had a bit of time to kill while we were here so we started a jigsaw.

Jonathon disappeared to a photo shoot and I flopped in my chair!

10 February

No gym today still. Not because I didn't think I'd manage Tai Chi but because I had a bad night's sleep so cancelled my attendance in the early hours and slept through as long as possible.

Jo and Coco brought half a cauliflower round. Jo and I both think a whole cauli is too much (J's not keen) so we decided to share one. I had lovely cauliflower cheese and salad for dinner while J had pizza.

I got quite a bit of gardening done today. The snowdrops are looking lovely and crocuses, primroses etc. are starting to peep through. I managed to fill four big sacks for Jonathon to take to the tip and the garden looks a lot tidier for it.

My main supervisor only joined me towards the end of the pruning - he was very busy being asleep in his bed before then! He probably thought he was supervising Jonathon as they were in the same room.

11 February

Back to the gym for me today - hurrah! I did a gentle hour of treadmill and that seemed to work quite well. Not sure I'd be ready for a class today but I'm definitely getting better.

I did some more gardening after dinner - pruning and sorting out the fruit cage. The gooseberries and raspberries are now cut back and most of the weeds dealt with. I'm not sure why we call it a cage when a lot of the netting has been ripped by the foxes - perhaps I'll have to think of how better to net it up.

Had a Skype call with Mum. She's overwhelmed with everything that's happening with Dad but we think we've now found a suitable home for him to go to when he gets out of hospital. Mum and I agree that we should get Dad sorted first then start to think about selling the bungalow etc. rather than trying to do too much at once.

12 February

When I went to the gym it was damp and horrible and stayed that way all day. I intended to have a nice, hot bath when I got home but Oli had decided that would be a good place for his morning nap so had a cup of tea while I waited for him to move. I finally got my bath while the chicken was cooking for lunch.

Spoke to Christine for ages on the phone about everything and nothing.

Jonathon brought teacakes home so I toasted those for tea.

Mum messaged to say that Dad was on better form. He was very tired but had a good chat with Graeme and enjoyed the kitkat she'd taken for him. He was ready for a sleep when they left.

13 February

I feel a lot more human today so I've cancelled my GP call that was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon!

Went to the gym for Ela's class and managed it quite well but was quite stiff later in the day.

Gilda came over and we went for a lovely, sunny walk. The crocuses were lit up beautifully in the winter sunshine and it was good to see the ponds full. Jonathon met us at The Black Horse in Locksbottom. We weren't expecting too much from a chain pub but were pleasantly surprised and will definitely go there again. Gilda and I caught the 61 bus back to Orpington but Jonathon went to Sainsbury's first then caught an R3. Little did he know that the "R" buses go all around the houses - he'll know for next time.

Liz put an SOS out for seed trays for the "Mind" charity allotments so I fished some out of the shed and took them around.

Pauline messaged to report that Mum had approved Ashlands Home and that they'd booked a space for Dad for when he comes out of Ripon hospital so that's a big tick in the box.

14 February

I was lucky enough to receive two Valentine's cards today - one from Jonathon and the other from Oli!

The sunrise on the way back from the gym was lovely and the rest of the day was beautiful and sunny, albeit that I was stuck at my desk most of the day.

I had a nice walk by the Thames at lunchtime and skived off from work a bit early.

It's half term this week so a lot of people are on holiday from work and there are loads of tourists in London, aimlessly wandering around!

Jonathon took two car loads of rubbish to the tip so I've got plenty of empty bags to fill up again.

Pauline reported that Dad was better physically today - up and dressed. Still very muddled and no real idea where he is but he recognised Pauline and seemed in good spirits.

15 February

Oli had been poorly overnight so lots of cleaning up to do before I could go to the gym. He was absolutely fine by then and we had a quick game of "chase" on my way there. Again, the sunrise was amazing.

Work was work! We had a Webex call and, as there were two of us, we decided to use one of the posh meeting rooms instead of sitting at our desks. The view in the bright sunshine was lovely.

Jonathon did a final (for now) tip run and prowled the High Street in West Wickham on the way back.

Mum went to see Dad. He was asleep most of the time she was there but managed to eat a Kitkat then went back to sleep.

Had a chat with Carole to do some contingency planning. Carole now has the POAs at home in case we need to move more quickly than mid-March.

I met with Mark for dinner after work. We went to Taberna Etrusca - somewhere we haven't been for a while and it was good to be back.

16 February

Didn't sleep well last night so got up early and went for my paper before breakfast.

Went to Tabata (Sarah instead of Ela as our teacher today) and Pilates so came home feeeling energised and well stretched.

Spoke to Alice Hood at Stephensons about the three-cornered field. She kindly agreed to look through their files and see if she could find a copy of the agreement (if any) between Dad and Dean Hullah. Hopefully, she'll get back to me next week.

Carole went to see Dad who was in slightly better form today, up and awake and quite chatty but still very muddled.

Teresa came and did the cleaning as usual.

Gilda came over and we went to a Q&A with the author Peter James before watching the stage adaptation of "Wish You Were Dead", one of his books.

17 February

Tai Chi to set me up for the day. Back home for breakfast then Yoga. Maria was covering for Sally and I found the class really hard but I'm sure it did me good!

Had my hair cut. Zara this time even though I thought I'd booked Mariam. It didn't really matter - she seems to have done a decent job of it.

Jo, Coco and I went for a lovely wander round Crofton Woods. Marcia was going to join us but she wasn't feeling too good so didn't come. Coco was really pleased to see Jonathon (as always).

Miele came and mended the dishwasher so that's all back in order. It took longer than expected but it's done now.

When we got back, Jonathon and I saw this strange coloured parakeet. We are used to seeing lots of green ones but haven't seen one this blue colour before. Perhaps a pigmentation thing or another species - we might never know.

Pauline and Paul went to see Dad (having done some clearing out work in the garage for Mum). Dad was asleep when they got there but woke up, recognised them and was quite chirpy.

Jonathon went off to Toulouse Lautrec, despite his train being cancelled.

18 February

I had a list of jobs to do today the first of which (other than usual stuff) was to take a couple of raffle prizes round to Peitra's for the Orpingotn Cat Rescue raffle. I walked through Priory Gardens on the way there and met Kerry so had a good catch up with her. I finished my steps off in the gym so I could garden in the afternoon. That was the plan - the weather thought otherwise - far too damp to be outside in the afternoon so the freezer got defrosted and the fridge spring cleaned instead. To be fair, the freezer was already on my list.

Sent an email round about the next batch of Sadlers Wells shows to see who wants to join me. All the emails that were addressed to btinternet.com users bounced back - no idea why. I've re-sent them so hopefully they'll get them this time around.

I finished the latest knee blanket so Jonathon can take it to Jess at the YMCA tomorrow. Oli didn't claim this one!

19 February

Had a bit of a sleep in this morning then did some jobs around the house before I went to the gym for a long, cardio workout.

We treated ourselves to steak and chips for dinner - yummy.

I got out into the garden after dinner. I was closely supervised by Oli and the foxes. Oli found a different vantage point to sit and watch me. The fish have come out of hibernation and seemed very hungry. I was very happy to get the two veg beds thoroughly weeded before the sun started to disappear.

There have been no trains from Orpington this weekend so Jonathon has been grounded!

Had the usual chat with Christine then we had an evening in watching TV.

20 February

Circuit training with Ela to start the day then home for breakfsst before Gilda came over for a walk and lunch. We went to Goddington Park and Lilley's Wood - it was lovely to see some blossom on the trees.

Jonathon joined us at Masala Dabbas for lunch. He was very tired when we got home so went to bed for a nap while I cut the cornus (dogwoods) back and tidied up the front garden a bit.

Jonathon went to Toulouse Lautrec for photos and I stayed in with Oli.

Pauline went to see Dad -no real change.

21 February

Gym then work today so a fairly typical Tuesday. The main difference was that all three of us (Chris, Shane and I) were in the office at the same time - it doesn't happen very often.

We were supposed to be going to the theatre but there was sickness in the cast so it's been postponed to 1 March. As it was Pancake Day Jonathon suggested we have pancakes instead but then couldn't find any eggs in Orpington. Thankfully, M&S at London Bridge had some so pancakes were on the menu after all (very yummy they were too).

Mum went to see Dad. He's very fed up but the physio managed to get him standing up and shuffling a little bit which is an improvement.

22 February

Pauline's birthday today and she seemed very pleased with the present Carole and I had bought her.

My day was a fairly typical Wednesday - gym, work, walk by the Thames at lunchtime.

The evening was far from typical. Jo and I went to see The Lehman Trilogy. It had had brilliant reviews and I'd found some really cheap tickets so we weren't sure what the seats were going to be like. They were excellent for £20 each! The play was mesmerising. How the three actors remembered all their lines (3 hours, 20 minutes including 2 intervals) I'll never know. They were amazing. We were really pleased when Jonathon offered to pick us up from the station and chauffeur us home because it was very late by the time we got back to Orpington.

23 February

Bruiser Fox was in the garden when I got up. I've not seen our "resident" male for a couple of days so hope he's OK.

Jonathon disappeared off up to London to go see a photographic exhibition with Derek (plus lunch).

I spent the morning in the gym - Tabata, treadmill and Pilates - then met Mark at A Mano for our lunch.

We were going to Keston for a walk but the 353 bus decided not to run so we caught a 61 and went to Petts Wood instead.

I saw the male fox when I got back. He is quite badly injured on one of his back legs so I think Bruiser must have attacked him, poor thing. We'll keep an eye on him but I'm not sure there's much we can do in practical terms.

Alice from Stephensons phoned. They can't find a copy of the tenancy agreement between Dad and Dean for the three-cornered field so we will need to give him 12 months' notice. I asked Alice to give me an idea of value for when we talk to Dean in case he wants to buy the field.

I went to a community choir gathering with some of the gym girls in the evening. It's every other Thursday but this week is the first time I've been able to go along. The ceiling in St. Barnabas church was really beautiful.

Jonathon got his dates in a muddle. The appointment in his diary should have been for yesterday so he stayed in tonight.

24 February

Usual Friday morning with Tai Chi first thing then home for breakfast before heading back to the gym for Yoga. Dawn came to Yoga for the first time and seemed to enjoy it but Jo was out for the day on her first ever coach trip so she missed it.

With Jo not around, I didn't expect go for a walk in the afternoon. I came home from the gym (both times) via Priory Gardens to get some steps done but I was still well short of what I normally do. I try to stay out of the main gym on Fridays and have a cardio-free day.

Gilda and I booked a load of Sadlers Wells tickets so that's another job off our lists. Part way through our phone call, the sun came out so I went for a short walk and got my steps done in the end!

Jonathon was expected in two places tonight so had to do a bit of logistics planning to keep everyone happy. Thankfully, he doesn't have to pay for public transport now he's over 60 so he can bounce around London for free in the evenings.

Carole phoned with an update. It now appears that Dad needs a care home that has a residential dementia unit so Ashfield is no longer a suitable option. Instead, C&P have been to see Larchfield Manor and decided that is the best option. The care services people didn't call Carole today so she is expecting a call from them sometime next week. The hospital and Larchfield are both aware that we are waiting for the care assessment before Dad can be moved. As the hospital would prefer him to move on, they will try and encourage the care people to deal with his case as soon as possible.

25 February

Oli was very "helpful" today. This morning he decided to check out the cupboard where some pans live when I took out the ones I needed for dinner. This afternoon, he helped with the gardening by curling up in the rubbish pop-up bags.

I did most of my steps at the gym so I could spend the rest of the day at home and get some gardening and other bits done.

After dinner, I went down to my shed to get my secateurs and wheelbarrow only for the rain to start by the time I got back up to the house. It soon dried up so I got done what I needed to do.

26 February

Today is our 18th Wedding Anniversary so we celebrated by having lunch at Chapter One, one of our favourites restaurants.

Before that I went to the gym to do as many of my steps as I could in an hour and a bit on the treadmill then went to church. I managed to sing the first couple of songs with the Music Group then stayed in the congregation for the others because I was worried about coughing.

27 February

A lovely sunny cold day but it was very chilly - not as cold as yesterday but I still needed hat, gloves, scarf and warm jacket for my walk with Gilda.

First up was Ela's class. It's moved into a bigger studio so we can be up to 30 people now instead of the 14 to date. It's also 45 minutes instead of 30 minutes so feels very different.

Gilda and I went to Crofton Wood for our walk then met Jonathon at the Black Horse, via a posh, gated estate (Farnborough Park). Gilda agrees with me that the houses are very showy and there's no sense of community there at all. If I had the millions of pounds those houses cost I'd need quite a bit of land around me rather than the standard metre at either side. Each to their own.

Carole phoned to say she's now spoken to the Social Services and things are in motion to get Dad moved from Ripon hospital to Larchfield Manor. We'll all be pleased to see him settled. North Yorkshire County Council's brokerage services will speak direct to Larchfield and sort out the finances. Larchfield will invoice them and NYCC will invoice us. Neither Carole nor I knew this service was available to people paying for their care but we are both delighted that it's been offered as it will take a lot of stress and worry off our shoulders.

Jonathon went off to Camden for his photo shoot this evening while Oli and I stayed warm with the fire.

28 February

Gym and work for me today. This was my view for most of the day (obviously with something on the screen but confidentiality prevents me from sharing!).

Ulrike phoned to let me know she will be retiring at the end of the year. She's about a year older than me and feels the time is right to call it a day.

Jonathon went out to a photo shoot and I did some admin for Mum and Dad then watched TV.

1 March

Gym then work (it's getting a bit monotonous!)

I went for a different walk at dinner time, mainly to check out where I was scheduled to go in the evening. Southwark Cathedral was looking lovely as always.

Liba and Fiona (at work) have both tested positive for Covid so we are on alert in the office.

Gilda, Jonathon and I went to see "Windfall" at Southwark Playhouse in the evening. It was a "Mischief Theatre" production so we had high hopes for it but it was awful - probably the worst thing I've ever seen at a theatre. We left at half time!

2 March

Tested for Covid just in case but, thankfully, it was negative. As I feel fine I wasn't expecting anything different. Next test is scheduled for Monday.

Did a few jobs then went to Tabata, treadmill and Pilates.

I popped into Jo's to check all OK (it was). Her balcony is looking lovely with all her Spring flowers.

We had a Daily Mail delivered this morning - definitely not for us!

Teresa came after dinner to do the cleaning.

I took some bamboo canes round to Liz for the Mind allotments then to a local newsagent to find out why we'd got the paper. Apparently, the lady's husband had written the wrong address on it so mystery solved.

It was such a lovely day I spent the rest of the afternoon gardening so there's quite a few bags for Jonathon to take to the tip now.

Carole took a load of stuff to Larchfield Manor ready for Dad's move there tomorrow.

Relaxing and TV with Jonathon and Oli for the evening.

That's it for this page so onto the next one: