Val's Cafe

toady

Hi all 👋

Well that night was no better; unsettled, indigestion, a stupid random leg twitch I get from time to time, topped off by unpleasant dreams about my mother 😕 I only didn't make tea because I couldn't muster the life force to do it 😄 I need lifestyle changes 🙄. But then I get resentful of people who can eat takeaways & fizzy drinks and play computer games half the night with less ill effects than me, who has done nothing wrong, & then I get mutinous about modifying my behaviour. Gah. Went for a longish walk to try & shake myself out of it but didn't work particularly. Ah well at least it's sunny and the outlook not too bad, will have to make do with that. Glad you squished your walk in between showers frog 👍️. The death clean is painfully slow is it 😔 I've just dropped off a bag at the charity shop, will I notice the space? Will I 'eck 😬. I mentally wander round the house at night sorting which I know doesn't help. I hope your mountain 'gives' a bit maybe you will get a slight avalanche effect now you've done some. Glad everyone's well and that you were meeting Kari, did you have tea at Al Fresco? (do they have a cafe bit?). Hope she's doing ok. Won't get much done today I doubt will just have to retrench and hope for better tomorrow. Have a good weekend yourself have you got stuff on, village things etc? Hope you get some sunny bits :) xx

Hello joan, oh poor Sue, hope she feels better quickly 😟 . Yes there must be so much that people regret buying, more than I'd like to think about! I hardly ever wish I hadn't really, most of my odd shopping is only cheap things; like we say it was even easier when you could do more in person shopping there was even less chance for things to be 'wrong'. I am sorry about Wilko it's Woolworths all over again, really one of the few shops left you can buy such a mix of stuff. I would have thought they'd do ok though 😕. People take advantage of online shopping too for example order loads of clothes and expect to send most of it back, even wear some of it first apparently. Hope your weekend is as well as poss, all the best to Sue :) xx

Hi bosh, glad you like the shortbread fingers 😄 mine would be more like twiglets, all knobbly joints, well I can't do it all with my right hand really, it's a good job it wasn't my life's ambition 🤨. Hope mxt day goes easy on you, not for us fried foods before airplane flights like certain littleys; half their luck! Glad they had a safe trip 👍️. I saw in your post to Toni you had bought some 'cheap' choc (I don't know what that shop is though sorry 😳), I bought some bagels today reduced to 10p so between us we are rolling in food-related savings 😂 the world is our oyster, as you say, houses for one & all. Glad the gluco-zade helped you get to Cost A Packet, quite right to acquire it from me here in the cafe, as a bona fide source, you know it would not be watered down lol. Not much doing with me as I didn't have a particularly good night, had a walk to the supermarket (they had taken down their perspex screens literally since I was in there a week ago 🤷‍♀️ ) but I haven't quite got the nerve to go in the cafe yet. Hope your evening is ok :) xx

Hi keef 👋 hope your mum is ok today, no reaction to the fall. How long has she been at the home (if you don't mind my asking)? Interesting that you've gone into oriental philiosopy/meditation etc quite a bit, do you keep it up on some level? I have most of my family's ingrained bad habits (very unchilled people, hang onto possessions etc), so it's not a good head start 😬 but I don't doubt a move towards that kind of lifestyle would be helpful. Hope your day is going ok neck not too bad etc, fingers crossed no more car trips etc x

Have as good a weekend as possible @Jewels1973 😘 xx

(Sorry to the 'wrong' Jewels I @-ed there first, do have a good weekend too!)

Love to all xx

bosh

Hi Julie

How are you today?

I’ve only just managed to read your post about your mother and uncle, that’s very sad indeed.I don’t get the same kind of neck and head pain that you described to be honest, the only time I got a very extreme neck pain was somehow related to the cocodamol the gp made me take once. I think you should mention it to the GP. I hope you get your referral. It took a very long time for my GP to take me seriously about my symptoms and to get referral etc.

Sorry you are in a lot of pain at the moment, in my case my pain is not too bad these days, but I have bipolar disorder so I’m having a few issues with my mood sometimes and to be honest peri menopause may be factor too, my gp has increased dosage of my mental health meds which is definitely helping, but I’m not always feeling like myself right now, hard to talk about of course though, especially in a public forum, things are better than they used to be though, had a few days of terrifying mood swings at start of June.

It‘s nice to meet you too

bye for now take care xx

bosh

Hi toady

sorry you had a bad night with your leg and stomach

how are you feeling now?

The knobbly twig leg joints that was funny lol

yes I totally agree, fry ups before flights would be ookey for me too lol

also both the littleys were given “adulk” portions - oh dear.

what bill is eating in Portugal I dread to even imagine, I wouldn’t be surprised if he causes the great pilchard famine of 2023, a kind of Irish Potato Famine equivalent I guess lol

mum is not too bad today thanks

mxt - yes well I still get a bit of nausea to be honest, it’s not extreme though, i find that sugar free gum helps though I know it’s not good for the lower intestine, still it’s got to be better lobster with WB cereal or whatever King Bill is feasting on for breakfast these days.

The health food shop? That was just my silly rhyming slang lol, H & B - starts with “Holland” 👍

Yes we are the savings - queens and property tycoons now 😂

Yes I drank the gluco - zade “neat”, lol, thanks for that toady.

Again there was the curse of relocation lol, I hope you have a better night toady bye and tc. Xx

Skinny Keef

Hey Toady, mum fine today, she’s been in the home for a little over a year. It is very expensive but the care is first class and visitors are made to feel very welcome. I go to the kitchen and help myself to tea and coffee and cakes etc and the staff absolutely adore Sucré and he gets SO excited when we pull up outside. The have disabled parking right outside and a place for my bike if I go on that and they take really good care of mum which is obviously the most important bit, after the bike parking 😉

unfortunately she has vascular dementia and her short term memory is completely shot, somedays worse that others but she no longer gets stressed about it now she just accepts she can’t remember short term, and has only once taken a few moments to recognise who I was when she was really under the weather with other stuff.

bosh

Hi Toni

how are you?

mum isn’t too bad thanks

I’m feeling a bit nauseous sorry

bye tc xx

frogmorton

Morning everyone

Feels like Autumn!

Morning Joan. I went for a walk with Kari yesterday which was nice then we both did a Tesco shop I got some stuff for Lucy. She is feeling very much like you said because it's just her and the cat or it was 😔 I saw my friend with the Yorkies on Wednesday she is doing a little better thanks. Love to you and Sue ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi

I hope today isn't too bad for you and the nausea has subsided a little ((()))

Of course I also hope your Mum is doing ok.

You managed WR well done I went for two walks one on my own and one with my sister.

It's pouring down here and tomorrow we are at an outdoor musical event, but we do have a cover over our pitch. It might be alright maybe.

I was supposed to walk the dogs with Charley this afternoon and Paul was supposed to go to watch the little local town play football🙄

All BIL's must also be accompanied by an adulk. Namely your sister! I hope they are all having a lovely holiday?

Take care.

Morning Julie hope you are doing ok today and the family are all well. I think maybe you are really struggling with your neck so sensing some ((()))

Morning Keef

Oh a mug with Diego on it!!!!!!! How gorgeous😊 I see plenty more for us to see in the future. Gosh Loanda loves Hallowe'en!

I am most miffed with this weather.

Rain stops play for sure😡 Please go and turn it off now. Hurry up!😉

I am glad you got to support your Mum after her fall, but absolutely not that you had to go in the car. I do hope today is a better day for you ((()))

Bless your dear Mum she sounds to be in a fabulous care home! That's great. My only tip with care homes is to do what you are already doing. Keep in with the staff and visit frequently. My eldest worked in one for some time (she's now in the hospital on the lung ward) and she says 'some' (not all) staff treat patients whose families visit regularly best.

Swedish death clean isn't as depressing as it sounds! It's a mega mega clear out? You do it when you are not at risk of dying! It's to prevent your family having to clear our decades of belongings?

"....Swedish death cleaning is a well-known concept in Swedish and Scandinavian culture, where you work on eliminating unnecessary items from your home, so loved ones won't be burdened with the task after you pass...."

Well on that note (sorry) I'd better get on! hope your day is good.

Morning Toady

Another rotten night for you (I hope last night was better?) that's so unfair I am exactly the same. I can't eat for 3 hours before bed, never drink fizzy stuff no caffeine still have trouble, but like you can have awful nights. I tried propping up the bed head end, but it did my back in🙄 You are absolutely doing your best a walk should help at night so 'they' say. Sending ((())) to you too. Gosh we all need them today don't we?

If I wasn't so ashamed of the 'before' pic I'd show you how much I achieved Thursday!😳 Like you the charity bags so far seem to be making minimal impact. An avalanche would be fabulous yes 🙏

You are a ruminator like me! That is part of the sleeping problem Toady it definitely is. I bought an earphone which slots over the ear to listen to podcasts stuff I don't mind falling asleep to. That can help getting off but not staying asleep.

My sister is on a diet (over 2 stone gone already) so no we dodge anywhere like cafe's ATM. There is a costa packet next door and a café in the Al fresco. In a few month's time we might risk it😊

I hope for both of us that this rain lets up!

Take care

Skinny Keef

MMS

dachshund

Good morning everyone

I Wondered where we all are a round the country. We are in Swindon in Wiltshire.

Kitty (()) Have a good day (()) love to you and your carers (()) and Anita (()) and Val (()) and Emily (()) and your Dad (())

Toady (()) I hope you have a better night tonight (()) Have you got tension in your neck that can make your leg twitch when you are in bed (()) thank you Sue is better today.

Barbara (()) Love to you and Mr B (()) and your son (()) and Niamh (()) and your brothers girlfriend (()) and your niece (()) and her fiancé (())

Toni (()) the weather is supposed to be better tomorrow.good luck. Yes I do a Death clean but things make their way back in. Love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi love to you (()) and your mum (()) have a good day.

Keef (()) love to Loanda (()) and Sucr’e (()) and your mum (())

Julie (()) love to your family have a good day.

bosh

Good morning Toni

how are you?

sorry you’re having so much rain

Im not feeling nauseous right now thanks

but my stomach was not good last night, I had a chicken salad from WR, possible it was too much roughage or something like that

im ok now but being very careful with food

mum isn’t too bad today thanks

I think RR is feeling ok he just has verbal diarrhoea and a complete lack of sensitivity, J the organiser was seriously ill a few years ago so she can’t have liked the topic either.

glad you had a good walk yesterday

ok a bit tired now,

so bye for now Toni tc xx

ps more odd translation- I can find the monkeys though, they’re in Portugal lol xx

bosh

Hi again Toni

how are you?

I just got a letter stating I’ve got a psychiatrist appointment on Tuesday 15 th August, outpatient appointment at the psych hospital with a male psychiatrist, which is fine, good really, but I wasn’t told about this beforehand and it will be a bit embarrassing to say the least, but you’re right, I’ll make notes in advance thank you👍

Two days ago I had a bit of a strange mood, it wasn’t an extreme one, but things weren’t quite right, anyway it will be good and very much necessary to get this proper psychiatric assessment.

Did your event get cancelled because of the rain?

LA told me recently that naughty boy Lorenzo told him that good morning in Italian is Buongiorno and that I didn’t know that, so I nodded my head in agreement in quite a terrified manner, otherwise for me it would’ve been just porridge mixed with undiluted squash for breakfast with no pilchards floating around in the middle for the bowl - the only tasty option was a chicken nugget and fruit smoothie if I agreed to allow our great linguist to watch Paw Patrol on tv all day long, oh well looks like I’m having blearios with a side garnish of Lego pieces for supper, ookey.

ok bye for now Toni take care xx

ps rather worryingly poor translation lol xx

bosh

👋toady Joan Keef and Julie

how are you all doing today?

im rather tired but ok thanks but presumably not as tired as the man mentioned in pic below lol xx

bye for now tc xx

toady

Hello all 👋

Better day for me after a better night 👍️ apart from the stinking weather 🙄 so sorry it's fallen badly for your weekend frog. I swear a nice weekend was forecast as of only yesterday 🤔. Hope it will be okish undercover tomorrow but that doesn't salvage your walk & Paul's football 😔. I slept much better thank you, it's a good job I had the walk then, no chance today. At least it was a change of scene even if it was just to the reduced to clear supermarket section 😂 (from choice/bargain hunting btw in case anyone worries I'm on my uppers). One of my local clothing banks had gone I noticed, so no taking anything there. I think a lot of the problem with my sorting is that so many of my parents' things weren't straightforward to deal with - I know that's true for a lot of people, things can cease to be just a wooden spoon if it's your mother's special wooden spoon &c, but they seemed to hardly have one book that wasn't signed, or was their great-somebody's, or a prize, or had letters in it, or a photo &c, nothing is just a book 🙄. And my mum kept her mum's letters, and her own letters to her mum that came back to her later 😱 if that generation had death cleaned yes I would be sorry to have no photos or family history, but it would have been less of a headache! Anyway you sound like you have made positive inroads on your 'stuff' 😬 keep it up. Hope you slept ok too, I did find myself a good audiobook & even though I was online lateish in an unplanned way it was a much better night. Is there rhyme & reason to your bad nights, given that like me you are already 'behaving'. Well done Kari that's a brilliant result from her diet 😊🏆️. Did you see Charley today in the end? or was it all up, given the weather. Have as good a Sun as poss :) xx

Hello joan, very glad Sue is feeling better 😊 you are alright too I hope. That's an interesting thought, whether my neck is connected to the twitch 🤔 it's a good theory - my neck is very stiff and I hold it tense too, consciously and unconsciously. I should help it more with physio etc but I worry about moving it the wrong way. I might think about looking into heated scarves or something especially when it's colder. Hope it's not too horrid in Swindon today and Sunday not too bad🤞xx

Hi bosh, oh gosh H&B, what a dimwit 😂 I even got as far as dutch etc no idea why I didn't get it. Thank you 😂. I smiled at the great Pilchard Famine too 😄 well he can have mine at any rate. I had a much better night thanks hope yours was not bad. Hope everyone else ok too, are the EF sending more snapshots of meals and so on, not every single one hopefully while you are being careful with your stomach it's not quite what you want to see 😱. Have spotted that you have an appointment booked, v good luck with that. Not much going on with me too wet for walks etc. I love the forest monkeys sign, I feel that somewhere in there is a profound meaning 😄. Hope your evening is ok :) xx

Hope things ok with keef too, glad it's such a good home your mum is in, from experience it's a horrible decision to make, so it's one less thing if you're all happy with the place and the parking . Sorry she has memory problems glad she's not too far away from you for visiting & it means Sucré has good contact. Have a good Sunday 👋 x

Hi to @Jewels1973 - when are (or have you had) the blood tests? Hope they help - have a good Sunday as little pain as possible🤞x

Love to everyone 😘 xx

Skinny Keef

hey all. Went to colchester on bus in chair. Big mistake. Bounced around in chair rolling around town and now pain is off the scale. Not to mention getting soaked even with brolly. Fed up. Really fed up. At least Sucré had a good time screaming every time the brolly went up on auto coming out of a shop or whatever. Took him in the castle museum which he loves.

I feel like never going out again it hurts so much. Sorry to put a downer on the day.

toady

Ouch keef so sorry, that sounds awful, what a day 😕. Don't worry about being a downer, not sure any of us are on enough of a high to be brought down at the moment (a setback or so away from hysterics more like, usually, in my case 😬). This blasted weather does not help. Sit in a warm corner of the cafe & grunt vaguely for more tea or coffee for however long you want ☕️ hope the pain sods off as much as poss very soon. xx

bosh

Hi Keef

Very sorry to hear that, I hope you manage to get some rest tonight.

good night Keef and everyone tc x

ps a West Bengal Indian temple pic for no apparent reason lol xx

bosh

Good morning everyone

wppl xx

ps Jaipur India - as far as I remember anyway lol xx

frogmorton

Actually it seems to be dry. There was a lovely rainbow and I thought maybe it will be dry.

Morning Joan You're right it is much better - dry at least. Also true about things sneaking back in after you've cleaned! So annoying isn't it? Take care ((())) xxx

Morning Reshmi

What excellent (if slightly nerve wracking) news. An appt with areal psych for 15th. You have had a very good response with the pysch nurse helping, the GP upping meds - all while this appt was coming through.

The Indian temple pic in Bengal is lovely actually well worth seeing.

I'm a bit concerned that the dogs are expected to clear them up while on their leashes though😁

I see your Italian was a bit weak and LA could have caught you out. You have time to brush up on your Portuguese before they get back!!!! If you're quick. That boy will at least know hello goodbye etc. To be fair though how is a woman to remember her Italian on the sort of breakfast you were eating? Blearios indeed!!!!

How do you nearly die yawning??

I've googled it it dislocated and saliva was blocking his airway gosh!

On that cheerful note - the event is on but I will have to wrap up warm 18 degrees.

Take care ((()))

Morning Keef

I hope today is a bit less painful for you. Not good that the bus made things worse.😕

Don't think you'll drag anyone down here you can pick someone else back up when they need it. It's waht we do in the café (()))

I am glad Sucré had a lovely time at any rate that makes it a lot less bitter a pill to swallow doesn't it? I do miss Colchester must take my husband there don't think he's ever been. There used to be a McDonald's on the high street and there was a worker in there an older lady used to chase the kids out if they nurse one drink between 6 of them for to long. I expect she's long gone now.

Loved the mug BTW😊

Morning Julie

Hope all is well with you all. Sending best wishes to you ((()))

Morning Toady

It's dry! That's something at least. I am going to be sitting outside eating picnic food under a gazebo it might be chilly but we will take our own chairs, rug and food. Its from 3 till 8 so at least I'll be in bed on time.

I'm very glad to hear your sleep was better - phew! Well done getting some bargain food too. Actually if you're eating it today it is the way forward saves waste and sometimes gives you ideas what to cook!

I am just a ruminator I think and of course when a hot flush wakes me I ruminate some more....🙄

Paul went to the football (and got soaked) I went to Charley and Annie's and had a coffee and we braved a quick walk with the dogs. They were so well-behaved bless them. The dogs I mean😉

Exactly. That is the problem with leaving it all for your children to do after your death. They don't know what is important and what is not (I wouldn't have had the first idea with your parents' belongings - crikey). That's why it's such a good idea. Somehow I need a plan to keep things coming back in, like Joan says though, when it's all done🤔

Photos and albums are good you can keep them or pass them on to the next generation now.

My biggest disaster yesterday was a filling I flossed out yesterday morning, but gosh how lucky was I? I called into the dentist to make an appt for ASAP. Would you believe my actual dentist saw me and told me to come back at 11.30 and filled it!!!!!!!! How's that for service??? Probably because she has a huge soft spot for Lucy and thereby me. So I actually feel very lucky.

Hope you find time to get outside😊

This will be me later!!!

Skinny Keef

MMS

Skinny Keef

Staying in today !

dachshund

Good Morning Everyone

Kitty (()) Some dry weather at last. Love to Anita (()) and Val (()) and Emily (()) and your Dad (())

Toady (()) yes there are a lot of memories in old photos and books. We have not got any relatives to leave our things to. I hope you have a good day today.

Barbara (()) Have a good day. Love to Mr B (()) and your son (()) and Niamh (()) and your brother’s girlfriend (()) and your niece (()) and her fiancé (())

Toni (()) The weather is better today. I hope you didn’t get too cold yesterday (()) that’s good you had your lovely Dentist could fix your filling. Have a good day today. Love to Paul (()) and Charley (()) and Annie (()) and Lucy (()) and Tia (()) and Kari (()) and your friend (()) and your lovely neighbours (())

Reshmi (()) That’s good you have the appointment write down everything you would like to say to him. Love to your Mum (())

Keef (()) sorry about your pain I hope you feel a bit better today (()) love to Loanda (()) and Sucr’e (())

Julie (()) love to you and Mr Thomas and your family (())

Skinny Keef

Loanda asked for an ice cold squash ….

Ice eyeballs lol.

bosh

Hi Toni toady Joan Keef Julie

hope you’re all ok?

mum is ok today thanks but still feeling a bit weak of course

HV - House Vesuvius for the uninitiated, lol, is v much in full lava - flow

I’m ok thanks, but my stomach isn’t, may well be psych appointment- related nerves.

EF are fine as far as I know, bit LA hit a carer recently, encouraged by little Mafia member Lorenzo, oh dear ookey

Dad is being about as evil as he can be.

I’ll go for now very tired, have a good afternoon everyone tc xx

ps toady I’ve found you a doormat lol xx

toady

Hi all 👋

One for us tired people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf2iTxzrYHc 'I'm so tired sheep are counting me' 🐑😉

Ok not quite that bad but it does seem one day on one day off at the moment, too much to ask to have two days the same in a row? 🙄 Now I know the dangers I shall yawn very cautiously 🤐. Sun is shining anyway, hope it holds into the evening for you frog. Don't like this talk of rugs and wrapping up warm but I suppose you have to be realistic 😬. Brilliant that you could nip in & out of the dentist practically like a revolving door, no hanging around, best case scenario! No toffees for you (me either! I live in horror of a rogue stalky bit or hard seed or pip in something when you aren't expecting). Nothing much doing with me, I have been outside though, Mrs B is well down to the new quills now as far as her tail is concerned. She was having a nice bird bath I expect new feathers can be a bit scratchy til they're through. Have nearly finished my major old telephone pads/scraps of paper sort, never will it get as bad again hopefully!! As far as possessions go, it's a shame you can't store more things virtually - there must be an awful lot of cloud-based photos and so on out there now, some that people's relatives won't be able to access or even know about. Doesn't work for a vase or a sideboard though, unless a picture of it will do you. No doubt there is a VR equivalent on the horizon. Glad you did see the girls yesterday and hope you have a good evening :) xx

Hello joan, I was saying to Toni, there must be a lot of paperwork and photos online now, so people have to leave instructions for their virtual estates as well as their physical stuff. It must cause a few headaches. No younger generation to leave anything to for me, and they might not thank you for it anyway 🤔 some are more interested in family history than others I suppose. Hope Sue is still ok and you too. Few nice spells of sun today :) xx

Hi bosh, sorry it's wall to wall HV today 😕 sounds like certain people could do with a little slap from LA. Hope things settle down & your stomach too (silly stomachs, they shouldn't react to every little thing and nervous situations, can't they just mind their own business 🙄). Thank you that is the doormat for me 😂😂. I had an email from nosegay saying 'don't buy a doormat, DIY your own!' - I was intrigued - they basically meant spray stencil welcome on a plain doormat you've bought. Um that's not what I call 'not buying' something, or DIY. I have to pack a parcel myself the buyer seems to leave a fair few nitpicking neutral feedback I will have to make sure everything is just so - the horror of getting bad feedback 😱. The only time for ages I left someone neutral (I did have good reason but I'm usually nice 😉) is because they were SO combative with people who did, leaving long narky replies to their comments, that I knew they would hate it haha. Wish you a better evening :) xx

Hi keef, couldn't the weather have done this yesterday 🙄. That's my fave MMS so far I think 😀 I've never seen those eyeballs, trying without googling to think how you do it, something in a mould first I guess. Hope family all ok today 👍️ x

Love to all kettle will be going on shortly 😘☕️ xx

bosh

Hi Joan

how are you and Sue doing today?

mum is a bit weak but otherwise ok thanks

im tired but generally ok as well thank you

I am going to make notes before the appointment thank you that’s a very good idea 👍

dad is being extremely insensitive to mum and just plain nasty

my stomach is a bit unsettled but that sometimes happens when I’m nervous

hope you both have a nice night take care xx

Ps A failed translation sign that’s most definitely for Bill’s benefit lol xx

bosh

Hi toady

how are you?

sorry I’m not replying properly right now

just wanted to say I managed to read Balzac for about ten seconds today, lol, but I came upon a lovely metaphor, he was writing about people who live together with nothing in common- reminded me of HV in some ways lol and he called it “ the interplay of unoiled cogs” , so maybe if I put some WD40 in my dad’s cereal - all will be very much well? Possibly not haha.

oh dear parcel - packing, I’m v bad at that, 100 % negative feedback for me.

hot weather tomorrow apparently- ookey in bosh’s eyes at least

good night toady tc xx

ps another doormat lol xx