Today I shall be Mainly...

[Wendyf]

I started off thinking I would like a random pattern but something in me wanted to create order! I even found an Excel programme to download where you enter the number of tiles and the colours and it creates random patterns for you.

[Stanley]

These obsessive compulsive personalities don't half make it hard for themselves....
Just cleaned up Kev's name plates in case he calls in for them.

[PanBiker]

I can't eat square toast, l aways cut it on the diagonal into triangles or rhomboids. Sally thinks I'm weird!

[Marilyn]

Now...I ADMIT I have mild OCD tendencies...so I quite understood the situation when my toddler went into complete meltdown if I served his morning toast cut into squares when he had his heart set on triangles....or 'soldiers'. I found it best to ask what he wanted each morning, as his desires changed daily. We still laugh about it today, and he is 34...though he still feels it was an important thing and cannot see the humour.
I am quite artistic and adore every colour except green, but would not choose random tiles. I can appreciate contrasting borders or tiles with a two toned affect...but 'random' would drive me nuts. The grout must also be of the same thickness, so they have to be laid consistently and straight. Floor tiles must line up with wall tiles at any point they meet. We had a very intricate diagonally tiled border running around the kitchen, dining and family areas of our last house ( it was quite mathematical) and I found the tilers were not up to the job. I would take up the incorrectly laid ones overnight and make them relay them the next morning. It may sound drastic, but it was me that had to live with them long after they had gone.
( they hated me). But if you are going to do the job, it must be done right...and they produced a beautiful glossy brochure that showed fantastic tiled floors and I wanted what I saw!
My slight OCD tendencies are an asset to my hobby of patchwork/quilting where precision is needed.
( it is also a source of hell now that we have our son's dog living with us and dropping hair everywhere...you would not believe the hours I spend cleaning each day...and it is no fun at all).

[Wendyf]

It surprised me that I preferred a pattern, as I tend to be very easy going about most things these days.

[minimiller]

I've been running around Centre Court all day and am now in desperate need of a cold beer.



Ah, there yer go.

[Stanley]

I shall largely be attending to a major problem in the LTP reload.

[Wendyf]

Doing the gardening that I should have done yesterday afternoon. The after effects of a walk to Earby & back in the morning combined with Wimbledon kept me glued to the sofa for the rest of the day. If I do outside stuff this morning I should be able to fit housework in around the ladies final.

[Sue]

I don't like tennis, bad experiences at school!

[Wendyf]

Our tennis lessons were a good opportunity to skive. The tennis courts were dotted around the school grounds so the teacher could only get round once or twice during a lesson. I think those of us who were averse to any physical activity were left to our own devices!

[Cathy]

I had no interest in sports when I was younger. High School involved netball, hockey, baseball, cross country trecking, relay running, keep fit excercises etc., (think I may have blocked out a few activities... ) It was never my thing. I seem to remember that my longjump on a particular Sports Day impressed the powers that be, but didn't encourage me in any way.
When i started having back trouble, a chiropracter (tor ) told me that my lower back was tight because I hadn't done enough sport as a youngster.

You're either into it or your not.

[Sue]

I loved hockey and running. Inspired by Ann Packer in the Tokyo Olympics circa 1964 I took up running the 880 yards. More fool me!

[Stanley]

Me and three of my mates managed to persuade the gym master at the grammar school that we got more exercise from riding our bikes than organised games or cross-country runs so that was what we did. They were amazed by the distances we travelled on a sports afternoon!
Today I shall be working on the LTP, having my afternoon sleep and watching the FI.

[Nolic]

I'll be giving Cath as much support as possible. Her dad is going to need permanent nursing care and will not be discharged home form the rehab unit. Cath's mum cannot accept that she is not fit to look after herself let alone him so we might be looking at 2 places in a nursing home as she needs permanent supervision. As if that is not enough some bad things are crawling out from the wider family and the vultures will be circling soon. Not good times for poor Cath and her nephew. Nolic

[Sue]

Today is due to hit over 30 degrees. We are having friends round for a late lunch out in the garden. Looking forward to it as it is the first time we have managed this in 3 years.

[Tizer]

Nolic, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you and Cath are facing - you've probably seen the posts from members such as Wendy and me describing experiences with helping elderly parents. We're entering a new age of `care for the elderly' but the present systems can't cope with it and little seems to be happening in the way of preparation for the what's just around the corner. Besides our own experiences there's the example of a journalist working on The Times in London who relates how she had a phone call last week from her mother's care home telling her she needed to collect and wash her mother's clothes because they haven't got time to do it - and the care home is in Yorkshire! The journalist is an only child, has young children to look after and there's no-one else in the family she can ask to do it. My dad currently has a serious problem with his Extra Care flat (loo not working properly) and we've been trying to get the council to sort it, so far with no luck. The care home staff should be getting the council `homes' department to do it and there were several visits but it wasn't fixed - I've had to take over and have now spoken to the boss of the `homes' department. We're waiting to see if even that will get any action. On top of all that, there's the raft of problems we face due to all sorts of organisations not being able to cope with the requirements of the elderly. It's going to blow up into a really serious issue.

[Nolic]

Thanks Tizer. There are a number of issues that are causing some upset at the moment which are not appropriate to go into. However the biggest shock is that in the space of 3 weeks Cath's dad has gone from a reasonably healthy and active 80 year old carer to a vulnerable dependent old man and its heartbreaking for her. She needs to grieve for this "loss" but mum is constantly demanding re-assurance that husband will be back home soon and cannot , or will not accept the reality of the situation. Just managed to persuade her to sit outside enjoy the sun and have a read and leave mum with me for a while - "too cold" outside for her??????????? Nolic

[Wendyf]

What a distressing situation for you all Nolic, you have my sympathy.

[Stanley]

Comrade, commiserations to you both especially for the external pressures you hint at. Only good thing about it is that you have some control over how you spend your time mow. It's a bugger......

[Tizer]

Like you Nolic, we have one of those issues that is "causing some upset at the moment which are not appropriate to go into" regarding Mrs Tiz's parents. It can get very complicated, trying not to offend anyone, getting the best for the parents when they seem to be doing things to obstruct you and so on. Regarding mum not accepting the reality, when my mum was dying we couldn't convince my dad about what was happening in her last few days even though the nurses were giving out all the signals they could without actually saying "She'll soon be gone" and she was very obviously coming to an end. He believed she would "get better". Optimism and positive thinking is useful but being unable to accept reality is not.

On a positive note, my dad is benefiting at last from having people to talk to. He was very resistant to moving into a `sheltered flat' where he was close to other folk and forced to speak to them. We annoyed him by putting on pressure and we put up with a lot of grumpiness from him and lack of cooperation. But now he's there he's found that conversation among a group can be a pleasure and he even goes out to lunch with a `pal' from across the corridor. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.

Yesterday he was complaining about his hearing aids not working and not being able to hear the people talking at his daily communal lunch - in the past he often left out his hearing aids and complained that his hearing was OK; it was us talking too quietly that was the problem! Wanting his hearing aids fixed is a good sign, although it has taken 5 weeks since he was tested and fitted for new ones and they are still not ready.

[Cathy]

Please excuse/ ignore me if I have this wrong, but I have heard thru other people's experiences that if the caring of a person is taken over by other people / organisations etc., the original carer then somehow loses what they believe to be their purpose in life (and especially if they are aged and have health issues themselves), they quickly, and possibly in despair, give up themselves and deteriorate. Maybe they feel they have been released in some way? All very sad and I feel for you all that are trying to do your best for everyone concerned.

[Sue]

I am so sorry to hear all the problems that you are all having. I really relate to what you are all saying and experiencing. I wish you all the very best and happy solutions for everyone concerned. It brings back the last 17 years of my Mum and dads life. So sad.

[Stanley]

And such attrition on the carers Sue.... That's why it is all so unfair.....

[Nolic]

Cath managed a laugh last night with her mum. In a now rare moment of lucidity yesterday her dad told mum that he wanted to go into a nursing home and she should come with him. After explaining numerous times to mum last evening what this meant she asked Cath what she would do if I was in the same situation as her dad. " I'd put Colin in a nursing home" said Cath, " Would you go with him if he wanted you to?" said mum " No, I'd find a different one" came the reply. Mum had a chuckle at that.
I'm not sure Cath was joking though!!!!!! Nolic

[Sue]

Lucid conversations with my mum stopped in the last few years until days before she died when she chatted to me endlessly. Dad was lucid bur forgetful , then he got frustrated and angry. When he went in the home he didn't change but at least he was warm, comfortable, well fed and safe.

Today we are going down to Carentoir to watch the Tour de France pass through.