House Full!

I end the week with a house full!

Sophie drove Sam back late last night. She's going to work from home this week and Sam should be starting at Sainsbury's soon, topping up the cash for the Summer term.

I've been super good and following the advice of my Chiropractor. I saw him on Monday and then again on Friday. I've actually been off work today and tomorrow, signed off, Chiropractor's orders!! Feel so guilty being off when I'm not ill, ill!!! But as he put it " Do I have money to burn?" Each session is costing me £36 and doing an 8hr shift, is basically 2 steps forward, one step back. As he put it, I have to break the cycle and try and reduce the inflammation around the joint, so to keep reigniting the source of the pain is silly. He reckons as I've been suffering a minimum of 6 months, I can expect at least a 6 week recovery period. So I'm icing every hour, marching on the spot, doing a set of 6 exercises on repeat. Sitting in an upright chair, keep moving but for short burst. There is definitely improvement, so I keep going! Next appointment is on Wednesday and more massage, dry needling and manipulation to look forward to!!

I did go to Bristol as planned on Wednesday but ....

....just for a shorter amount of time than planned.

I popped into Primark, as someone had told me about these fab candles which I've put away for Christmas. Just need to remember where I put them!!

And then the real reason for my visit, the Commitments. 

The encore was the best bit, 20 mins of just fun!

Ice pack down the back of my trousers for the duration!!

Lynn cancelled on me on Thursday but it was good to rest, rather than a big walk.

I went once around the block, determined to find 'Spring' 

The weather has been cold, wet, grey on the whole. 

We need some warmth and sunshine.....please x

So, with Sophie and Sam now home for the next couple of weeks, I'm back to continually food shopping, meal prepping and feeding everyone. Jeff celebrates his birthday next week but doesn't break up until Friday, so still a bit of a slog to go. The clocks have gone forward, so we do have the lighter evenings to look forward to, now for a few warm, dry, sunshine filled days please xx

Mother's day

Gosh it feels like ages ago now but my week started with Sam coming home, a flying visit and lovely it was to see him too. He headed back to Cardiff on the Monday morning, I dropped him over to Wells to catch the bus before I headed into work.

After 5 months of x-rays, physio, exercises and no real improvement, I decided to pay to see a chiropractor on Tuesday morning......

 For the first time I feel we may now have found the source of my pain and can do something about it!! (Fingers crossed) I had a follow up on Friday and have another appointment booked in for tomorrow (Monday). I fell back in September which may have aggravated things. Work most certainly doesn't help being on my feet, on hard cold floors, running around for 8 hours and the menopause no doubt, has a part to play!! But he gave me a thorough examination, deep massage, manipulation and dry needling. I've been icing the spot every hour, marching on the spot and doing a set of exercises, sitting upright......Will have wait and see but I feel hopeful! He did want me to sign myself off work but I knew how short staffed we were, so I've managed my time today, putting myself in the kiosk every other hour, icing and attempting to do my exercises!! I can still feel it but it's not as painful as it normally would be.

He did say to continue with general activities but asked me not to go to physio, not to do yoga and consider signing myself off work! I did have a quiet day on Wednesday, just meeting a friend for coffee, then I walked with Lynn on Thursday, out at Ham Wall and it was lovely. Met THE friendliest Robin along the way. 

I always take a bag of bird food with me, not that they need that much encouragement.

So I had my follow up Chiropractor appointment on Friday and then met up with my sister on Saturday. She came over to me and we popped over to Middlewick for coffee, then a gentle walk up to the Tor. Lovely to have a catch up.

A sunlit Glastonbury Tor.

So today is Mother's Day. 

I spoke to my mum yesterday and sent her flowers. Jeff's mum is always in our thoughts, but always today, taken far too soon and much missed. 

My two gave me flowers last weekend, courtesy of Sam being home and hand delivered cards.

I worked. Got given a bar of chocolate as a thank you. My usual Sunday colleague has young children, so I think it fair that she has the day off instead of me, although I was envious of the sunshine today.

So another new week ahead. I have the Chiropractor in the morning, then work but for just the four hours as I'm in again on Tuesday. The weather forecast for the week ahead is wet, surprise, surprise! I'm going to Bristol on Wednesday, out walking with Lynn, weather permitting on Thursday, so a few things to look forward to but I'm making my back my priority. It's been painful for too long and I need play my part now in it's recovery.

Bit of a nothing week!!

A bit of a 'nothing' week! 

Woke up to a dusting of snow on Wednesday morning.

It fell on and off throughout the day but came to nothing!

The weather this week on the whole, has been grey, damp, cold and miserable!

You have had to search hard for any positives.

I made myself go out on Thursday, just once around the block....

....had to make the most of a dry patch!

As you can see Spring is trying to make an appearance....

....but it really does now need to warm up a little.

The daffodils are the only glimmer of sunshine at the moment x

The Magnolia is in full bud. Hoping we don't get a frost or a lot of wind once it flowers. 

It's so short lived as it is. This time two years ago, it was in full flower by now.

Friday morning has been the highlight of my week so far. 

Coffee, pancakes and a long overdue catch up with a friend. 

Two hours non stop chat, menopause symptom comparison and generally making each other feel better.

Then in the evening easyJet announced their cheap December to March flights were out, so we booked up for December. Malaga again, as it was so nice and easy last year but we plan to take the train up to Cordoba for a few days and have just the one day in actual Malaga. It was a much needed break last year and I think will become an annual trip, before the madness of Christmas begins.

Just taking stock on what we have got booked for this year. Just 4 and half weeks until Jeff and I head off to Rhodes, leaving Sam behind to look after the house!! Then we have a family holiday booked for July, as we cancelled our last family holiday back in 2020 due to Covid and everyone was up for a holiday together (I can't think why!!! the bank of mum and dad!!) I've offered our house to my Mum and Dad, give them a break and a chance to get away. Sophie and I are off to Amsterdam for a few days, once Jeff starts back after the Summer and Sam is back at uni, going halves now she's working. Then in October, I finally get to go to Barcelona, originally booked for my 50th in 2020. I wanted to go when everything was back to normal - busy, no masks etc, so I hope it'll be worth the wait. We've added on a couple of days and actually fly back from Girona, as we really liked it when we went in 2019. And then finally, Malaga! So Jeff gets 3 trips to Spain to practice his Spanish!!

The forecast isn't great for the week ahead. Sam is supposedly coming home tonight, back to Cardiff on Monday. He was out with friends in Bristol, so it will be nice to see him. Jeff is out, at his Year formal tonight. I'm working Sunday and Monday this week, have booked myself in with a Chiropractor on Tuesday, as my back pain hasn't improved after 5 physio sessions. Think it's time for another opinion and honestly, I will try anything to see/feel any improvement. I do think this is down to a fall I had back in 2016 but every time I do something small now, the pain increases and stubbornly remains. I blame nearly everything else on the menopause and this may be connected in some way but I can't continue the way I am indefinitely!! I feel I try and do everything to remain fit and able. I work hard and walk and do yoga (as best I can!!) This getting old malarkey is no fun!!

Pinch and a punch......

.....hello March!

Out of the winter slog but saying that, snow is forecast for this week!

Farewell February! Whoosh and you came and went!! 

It started slowly, jigsaws, walks, cinema trips and good telly! Health niggles with watery eyes and ongoing back physio, blame it on the menopause!! Half-term holidays, Valentine's Day, a trip up to Cardiff to see the kids and a day trip to Clevedon to see the sea. Solo day trip to London to see Yayoi Kusama at Harrods and the Evanescent bubble installation and a few days in Cornwall to see my mum and dad. Throw in lots of spring flowers, snowdrops, crocuses, catkins, primroses and daffodils and we will have survived winter! Marching into March and Spring with positivity!!

My bargain bunches of daffodils have filled the house with pots of sunshine this week x

I worked my Sunday, Monday and went in after a physio session on Tuesday. 

Had a physio session with two people and this second new lady was brutal but in a good way. They can do anything if it means there is improvement. They think they may know what is causing the pain and I have to work on lengthening a space where my pelvis and spine meet. So Jeff gets to pull on my leg!!! He looks like he's enjoying inflicting pain far too much!!! I have to wear ankle weights and swing my leg, whilst stood on a step and do ragdoll roll downs (yoga move). I fell backwards off a table 7 years ago and jarred my back, might of damaged it then but although aggravated now and then over the years, it's this past 4/5 months where I've been in real pain. Fingers crossed I start to feel some improvement.

Had a lazy day on Wednesday, got things mixed up! Thought I was meeting a friend for coffee but it's next week!!! I'll blame it on my menopausal brain!! Anyway made up for it on Thursday and went walking with my friend Lynn. 

She took me out this week and we walked locally to her.

Always lovely to see daffodils in the wild.

Friday was hair day! 

Over to Shepton for a colour and then Di came over in the evening to cut it. 

Then on Saturday I drove over to Clevedon to meet up with my old Uni friend. I cancelled on her a few weeks ago when I felt poorly. We haven't seen each other since Covid, so lots to catch up on! And, as it is with a good friend, it's like it was yesterday, 3 and a half hours of non stop chat!

We did everything together in our last two years at uni! 

She was there on the night I met Jeff! I was her bridesmaid. 

We had the best time together xx

Then in the evening, Jeff and I popped over to Wells.

We had a fab evening at Wells Cathedral, listening to the London Film Music Orchestra, play the music of Hans Zimmer and John Williams. Loved the ET and Indiana Jones theme tunes the most. We don't normally do things in term time but as this was just up the road and was finished by 8:30 it was doable.

So a busy week and a day late posting my blog! 

I worked yesterday and am in Monday and Tuesday this week. The new Financial Year started yesterday and so with it, my new hours. They'll take a while to settle into a proper cycle but tonight, I do just 4 hours instead of my usual 8!  Yay!