Life!

Got up at 6.30 having slept really well again. Had shower and took Suki out to Parke for an hour.  When I got back Lee and Emma were up so we all had porridge again.  I went ringing and to Holy Communion.  Bob announced that police report on Gavin death showed accident or misadventure and they did not think it was suicide, which is something of a comfort.  When I got back Emma had taken dogs out for long walk. Lee had cleared all round the pond and was clearing out the water gunnel Jack built.  I cooked all the sausages from Trago to make sandwiches for lunch.  Lee and Emma deferred until later so I had one for lunch.  Went to see Mary in the afternoon.  Lee and Emma took the dogs to the pub in the evening.  I went over to Exeter and rang handbells with Tim, Lynne and Barrie Hendry.  It was nice to see Barrie again.  We had intended to go for a peal of Yorkshire but in the end we just practiced Yorkshire all evening - about half way through Tim asked me to swop with Lynne as I wasn

Made porridge for us all. Lee got started on the garden and Emma and I took the dogs out for a long walk.  We walked through  Mill   Park  to Parke and then up by the river and back along the lower woodland path.  Went to the café and had hot chocolate and cheese scones.  When we got back Lee had already done wonders with the back garden. Emma and I went to Trago to get some mortar to rebuild the flowerbed wall and I also bought some plants and wild flower seeds.  Was able to use my £20 off voucher which was a bonus. In the afternoon we took all the dogs in my car to the plantation and did the usual circuit from the Liverton car park.  In the evening I cooked the remaining guiness and steak parcels from the freezer with mash, cabbage and remainder of sweetcorn from the freezer.  We watched Crufts then Lee and Emma took the dogs to the pub and I went to bed and watched  Jonathan   Creek  on ipad and had very early night. Suki came to bed much later.

Went up on the moor again in the morning – it was a glorious day with lots of sunshine and blue sky peeping through the clouds.  Went to far car park and walked up Saddle Tor then across to the quarry on the left of hay tor then down to the bottom tramway – then up to the ridge and along to the small car park, then back to the proper quarry where suki played her favourite lose the ball in the water game for a while, then back over Hay Tor to the car.  I was out for nearly 3 hours- it was wonderful. Practiced some  Woodstock  until I remembered it was  Yorkshire  with a 1-8 lead end!  Lee and Emma turned up about 6 and we had some soup and bread I had got out of the freezer.  Then took the dogs out and went to the Cromwell for a drink.  Walked back and watched some tv then went to bed about 10.30.

Slept really well and felt like a different person.  Black mood completely lifted. Went for a long walk in the plantation and then went up to see Mary until lunchtime. Had the rest of the soup and bread I had brought with me for lunch.  In the afternoon made up the beds for Lee and Emma and then did all the Middx membership stuff on the database.  Pleased to have it all done by the end of the day.  Had veg sauce and pasta again in the evening and another early night.

Set off for  Devon  at 10.30 am – Carolyn got a taxi home about the same time so saw her again which was nice.  Had a good journey down and arrived at 1.30. Had a quick cup of tea and went up on the moor as the sun was shining. Walked for about an hour from small car park round to Black Hill then down to the tramway and back along that. Didn’t stay out as long as I intended as I began to feel a bit lightheaded and odd.  Should have had something to eat first probably. Had some soup and bread when I got back then did some stuff on the computer – noticed space bar now working only intermittently on vista laptop. Nodded off to sleep for 30 minutes sitting on the bed. Cooked myself pasta and veg sauce later and just as I was dishing it up at 8 pm remembered that I was going to go to the Ash Wednesday Compline service at 8 at PPT.  Shame as I have never been to a compline service. Having given up alcohol and computer games for Lent I had a cup of tea and then a milky drink while watching l

Friday’s black depression still hanging round my head.  Mike cooked pancakes in the evening – they were delicious and done with good humour too.  Lorraine  and Carolyn came back from  Edinburgh  and were so tired Carolyn came to our house and stayed overnight.  Saw them briefly after choir practice! 

Mike went to work – and sent me an email with the monopoly rules! I tried to progress the paperwork which had built up while I was hospital visiting.  We were having trouble with the internet connection, particularly over wi fi, so I hitched up the old laptop by Ethernet and did all the online stuff in the front room.  About midday Patricia rang for some help so I popped over in the car and had lunch with her again and helped finish off the form.  Finished off my own paperwork when I got back.  Felt uncomfortably bloated and unwell in the afternoon and evening and decided not to go to Chiswick.  They only had 4 people and decided to call it a day and go to the pub – others turned up just as they were locking up.  Mike not pleased!

I slept really badly and woke up feeling muggy and ill.  Could hardly function in the morning and did the usual round of church, breakfast and ringing in a haze.  Had a chocolate croissant in the hope of it perking me up (well that was my excuse).  Went home to get Suki and then drove to Petersfield for lunch with Gill and Martin.  Simon was in good form and gave me a hug to thank me for the birthday money.  After a nice lunch we played monopoly along house rules, as it was raining too hard to go out.  After an hour or so I needed to take Suki out, and my strategy of trying to go bankrupt had not worked, so I gave all my property to Simon to battle it out with Mike (who was easily winning at that time) to the end.  I did have  Mayfair  and  Park Lane  with houses on but not much else.  Gill and MikeH came with me for a walk round the lake, while Martin stayed as banker – or more like referee by that time.  When we got back Simon had won.  We had a cup of tea and some cake and then dr

Lee came round about 9.30 am to collect Suki and borrow a drill.  Mike and I went off to St Michael’s hall for a singing workshop which was very good. We were there from 11 to 4 pm and worked on techniques and on pieces from The Creation.  Was somewhat hoarse at the end, what with having done all that hymn singing the previous night.  Got home at exactly the same time as Lorraine Carolyn and Leanne turned up.  We had a cup of tea and Carolyn opened her presents, then Suki came home!  She sat in Carolyn’s suitcase and put dog hair on her clothes!  We went out to eat at Bill’s and had a lovely meal and wine.  Then  Lorraine  and Carolyn caught a train to Gatwick – they were flying to  Edinburgh  the next day for a two day trip ( Lorraine ’s birthday present to Carolyn).

Tuesday Mike was just the same.  He didn’t go to Choir and I came straight home afterwards.  When he threw up again on Wednesday decided to go to A&E.  Emma came and got Suki and we went to A&E at  Hammersmith   Hospital  on the 272.  Got there at 5.  Mike had some X-rays and at 10 pm they admitted him to a ward to await a CT scan.  I went home then – having had nothing to eat or drink for 5 hours.  Grabbed a sandwich and a hot drink when I got in.  Mike was transferred to  Charing Cross  in the night and the next day had surgery for a suspected perforated duodenum. However when they opened him up they didn’t find one, nor anything which could account for him having liquid in the cavity.  So they cleaned him out and stitched him back up again and left him as nil by mouth until Sunday with tubes going in and drains coming out!   I went to visit every day for a few hours to try and cheer him up and also to give him updated computer each day.  At the weekend I went for