BRUSSELS SHOPPING

I can't believe I bought sneakers nor what I paid for them, but these were just irrestistable.

UFO

I discovered something else yesterday. I was extremely bored and listless. Oh, I watched DVD's, Mansfield Park and the whole first series of Waking The Dead, and I also knitted but I was bored. So what did I discover?

Well, I can deal with the Monday - Friday being on my own. In fact I enjoy it and enjoy my own company. The weekend though, I really look forward to John being here and to go going out. Just pottering around the town or going to a mall. Don't have to buy anything. Just potter and have a coffee and maybe lunch.

Yesterday was just one day too many on my own and indoors.

He is home today, early afternoon. We have to go out to shop. The weather is appalling, gales and heavy rain. It is quite dark for day time. A couple of days before yesterday it was very cold but dry. I prefer that. The dogs prefer that. Somehow I doubt nature gives two hoots as to what I or the dogs prefer.

I am within a few rows of finishing a pair of socks. They seem to have taken the longest time to complete. I am very pleased with the pattern, so much so, I am planning a sweater using it. The yarn for these socks is a 75/25 wool/nylon blend that I dyed myself with food colouring. It is quite different to the Kool Aid yarn I dyed.

I have a third lot of wool/nylon yarn I dyed. Again using food colouring and again, quite different to the previous lots. I dyed each 50g hank separately and they look very different. I used the same colours on each but distributed them differently. Thus I am learning what will produce what. I think I shall knit them up as they are, quite different in look but the same colours.

My Doc suggested a while ago that I might not need the Colofac anymore for my guts. I stopped taking it a week ago. All was well. No pains, no nothing. And that is precisely why I have resumed taking it. No nothing! I realised yesterday morning that I had not had a poo for days and I spent yesterday bloated and uncomfortable. I do so hate being bloated. A most horrid feeling. No clothing feels right, I walk around feeling huge and full. Ick. Oh and the noises are back. Really, sounds like I am carrying around a whole construction site. You'd think a good fart would sort it out, but no, nothing doing. Perhaps I should get one of my DPN's? Stick it thru my belly button? If you see on the news that an unidentified flying object was observed in a strange trajectory thru the skies of East Anglia, you will know I used the DPN.

UP THE AISLE?

I have a dog show entered on Saturday but I am not going. I really don't feel I can physically handle it. Not just the getting up at 2am. It will be the hanging around and the walking I have to do once there. Yes, I only have to walk a short distance for a short time, but it is too much for me right now. I seem to have to make enough effort for just daily living right now.

I have had time to think about recent developments and I feel rather differently than I did at first. Yes, when I first discovered John's secret, I was devastated. I really felt it as betrayal and that he therefore didn't love me. How could he if he lied to me?

I now think that was the way I was programmed to think and wasn't necessarily the best way or only way to think. I was brought up to distrust everyone. No one could be trusted. I knew that was true because the people who taught me not to trust anyone, my parents, were most untrustworthy. I may have not taken their teaching to distrust so well had they not proved themselves to be so untrustworthy.

I know John loves me. I don't doubt that. I know he didn't do what he did because he didn't care about me. I can see how it snowballed and got out of his control and he became more and more frightened of it and of telling me. So he buried his head in the sand. I know this is his tendency. I took ages to get him to take his COPD seriously. I no longer have to fight with him to get him to take his medication, though I do on occasion have to remind him!

I feel for him when I think about the dark cloud he has lived under all these years. That tempers my anger at him for doing this to us. Yes, to us, because he has been very difficult to live with at times and I knew something was wrong and he kept denying it. Now at least, he is beginning to lighten up. My fear of 'it' has gone because I now know what 'it' is. This cannot happen again. As regards all matters legal and financial, I am in charge. Even our Tax person, though John is her client, deals with me.

We were talking the other day about getting married. I said we would have to find out from the tax accountant which was the best course of action. Until he told me we had to because if he dies, the IRS will want their cut of what he leaves me. The house! No way. So marry we will. Much to my surprise, he would like me to add his surname to mine. I will, of course.

The thing is, we don't want a big do. Just want to go and sign the papers and that is that. However, a few of our friends, female, are wanting and expecting a 'proper do'. I don't mind them as witnesses, we have to have witnesses but I really don't want Matrons of Honour!

This last few days has been difficult pain wise. I have had to sleep sitting up three nights in a row because of intercostal spasms and my hands especially have been painful. I did swim Monday and Tuesday and I will today and tomorrow. Wednesday is my day in the week for not swimming.

Yesterday, I bathed two dogs. I also went into town on my own. I wanted some cards from a shop. I had bought some at the weekend. They have a Lhasa Apso puppy on the front. I wanted more. I went, hoping to park directly outside the shop but could not and had to park further away than I felt comfortable with. However, I wanted the cards so I did it. I walked slowly. I got my cards and walked back more slowly because now I was carrying stuff. At one point I lost my balance but did not fall. This sometimes makes me feel self conscious and I worry that people will think I am drunk! If they even notice anyway. Back at my car, I went to the passenger side first, sensibly, to put the shopping in.

As I was so doing, I dropped one of my sticks. Oh, bugger! Just then a man came up and picked up the stick for me. When I looked up, it was Simon who lives across the road. He and Libby recently got married. I was relieved I didn't have to try and get the stick myself.

I have made myself a cashmere scarf. I also started on a cashmere sweater on the machine. I gave up after almost completing a sleeve when I realised I had miscalculated. I will try again today maybe.

SHOP TILL WE DROP

We were out most of yesterday. Did a huge grocery shop at Morrisson's , by far the best supermarket but is 28 miles form here. However, we decided yesterday to make this a regular monthly trip and only use Tesco's for the essentials in the meantime. We have enough freezer space, one as part of the fridge and another dedicate done upstairs.

The we went to Springfield's because John needed new suits for work. He only wears double breasted but they seem to be like hen's teeth so he ended up with two ordinary ones which he is happy with. Also bought shirts and I bought one winged collar one for my dog shows. Oh, and I also bought some pink sailing trousers. The saleswoman tried to sell me baby pastel pink. Ick!

We bought some crockery. Even John did! I like to collect coffee cups or tea cups. Never more than £5 each because I don't have good grip any more and I drop things easily.

We saw a fabulous vase and though it cost a small fortune, we bought it. It really is nice. I am going to photograph this and my cups and stuff later. ( I think I will photograph the stuff I bought in Austria and Hungary too.)

Oh and the photographs on this post? Well, they are Kickers and they just sort of arrived after I accidentally clicked on 'buy it now'. (I told you, my hands lack dexterity now. This happened at least twice more too but I have not seen the result yet.)

I did not go swimming today. I intended to but just couldn't get up at the required time. Probably just as well as I have a church service to take today.

Below is my Brother 940 with the garter carriage on it, knitting the orange garter stitch design you can see.

WHO'D HAVE THUNK IT?

I have been left exhausted by two women!

Jane from Eindhoven in Holland and Lia from Sandhausen in Germany. We have all met a few times before and originally because of the Socknitters list.

A very bad influence on me. Who knew this small town could have us shopping for 5 hours?

Last night we ate at the Plate and Porter. Very good food.

In between shopping and eating, we chatted and knitted and petted the dogs who were delighted as always to receive guests. How about this? Seven of them ranging in age from 15 weeks to 11.5 yrs, including to mature stud dogs, and there was not a grumble or snap to be heard whilst they competed for who would get petted. As You can see, Micah and Luque parked themselves on Jane and they are the two studs . Not a growl from either them.

We will all meet up again, I hope for Xmas in Sandhausen.

(For those you concerned that I am being hurt or am upset by Anon-I am not! This type of attitude stopped hurting long ago. I am baffled by it and I find the lack of self awareness astonishing. I still have enough faith in humans to believe that one day such people will think more positively about those who seem to be different.)

Lia with Whitney.
Jane with Micah (left) and Luque.

Hip Hip Boo Hoo

Okay we managed to get some of the shopping we went for done but really my damned hips would not give up belly aching. Whether standing or sitting in the w/chair they hurt like hell, despite the drugs. arrgh! I hate anything to interfere with shopping. Shopping is one of life's essentials. Oh that reminds me, I overheard this conversation: 'what do you want from Lakeland?' said one person. 'I don't know but I am sure I will want something.' Now that reply was from someone who is just like me.....

I wanted a teapot and teacups to drink proper loose tea from. I saw plenty and they all cost around the £40 mark. The I especially liked was blue ware in fine bone china, £40 for just the pot. I ummed and aahed over it because I cannot trust my hands and £40 is a lot to drop. I decided to come back if I decided I wanted it. I am glad I did cos later I saw some blue ware fine bone china teapots and tea cups and saucers on sale. the teapot was £10 and the cups £5. I now have what I wanted and if I break it, well it's not so much dough to drop.

Shameless is being ever so delicate, staring at me all the time and wanting to be next to me. Yes it's cute but really can be tiresome too, especially when one is eating. She is about 10 days away now. I laid my hand on her belly and could feel the puppies rolling. Even after all these years, it thrills me.

That's it for me. My shoulders are joining the chorus of my hips. I took my drugs. I counted the evening ones and it comes to 12 of them down the hatch! Then there is 7 in the morning and another 4 half way thru the day. On a good day! I hadn't really noticed how many I take. 5 for my heart, 3 for my gut, 2 for my muscles and the rest for pain. If you have shares in drug companies, you really ought to nice to me as I feed you.

I KNOW!!!!

I KNOW that not all Americans are religious freaks so no need for anyone to tell me that. However, those that are not, seem to be allowing those who are to hold sway. Teaching Creationism in schools? Book Banning? Not voting for people who are not Xtian? A fundy President? See what I am getting at? Your constitution has been flouted. Church and State are supposed to be separate and it it clearly is not.

Good news regarding the anti gay marriage law in California. It looks as though it may well be overturned now that the State Attorney, who voted FOR it, has decided it is unconstitutional.

Up early here to go to Peterborough as this is the only chance we have before Xmas and the days after Xmas are going to have to be spent Shameless watching as she is due to whelp then.

We will also spend this break over Xmas sorting out my machines etc ready to sell. There is much to be sorted. Have to find all the bits and pieces to go with each machine and the instruction manuals etc.

A Bigger Splash

I have been and done my swim. 80 laps this morning. I didn't want to get up either but the dogs don't let me lie in. I have increased my laps because 64(a mile) had become much easier to do and faster, without me trying to increase speed. In fact, speed is not what i want but endurance-better for my heart, my joints. My left arm went to sleep more or less as soon as I started this morning and it is still not right now. It'll wake up at some point, it always does. It feels strange though until then.

I also went to Tesco on the way back from the pool. They are refitting it and there is very little disabled parking out the front now and many of those spaces are taken by non disabled badge holders. Not only did I find a space out front but the store was actually stocked!

I bathed Nechung yesterday, much to her disgust. Shameless is being groomed daily and has 20 days to go now, though probably only about 17 as mine tend to come early.

I am dying to show off my new twisted stitch socks but will not until they are completed. Almost there. I am also on the final sleeve of the sweater I buggered up by doing raglan sleeves for a set in body!

I am eyeing some cashmere/viscose I have in a deep purple/blue. I think I shall turn it into a plain raglan sleeved sweater with a roll collar.

I am still hoping someone out there is going to offer suggestions as to what to do with my 16 machines and tonnes of coned yarn. Anyone interested? Is ebay the way to go? Whatya thunk?

Drunk again

Yesterday was an odd day. My balance was crap. Don't know why. I fell getting out of the pool and I had almost fallen whilst getting in. Fortunately, as always, one of the guards, this time John, was waiting to hand me my stick and his reflexes were fast. Only my stick ended up in the water. Later, I stumbled about 3 times more, once at home and twice out. My speech has been odd too. Yet I am having a better period pain wise. I only took pills yesterday so I could sit still to watch a film.

John and I had gone str8 to the huge Tesco at Serpentine Green when I picked him from the station in Peterborough. He said he wasn't tired but I thought he looked it. My wheelchair was wobbly and we noticed that one of the wheels looked like it was coming off. So we used one supplied by Tesco until we got home. Even though Tesco couldn't get their act together though - they had run out of all sorts of foodstuffs. Typical. John slept in the car on the way home, at home in the armchair and all night too. No he wasn't tired.


Last night was watched Le Vie En Rose, a French film about Edith Piaf. It was a very well made film and I found it moving to say the least. I felt rather melancholy by it's end. the performance given by Marion Cotillard in the lead role was astounding. No wonder she won the Oscar for it in 07. The first ever given to a performance entirely in French. If you do not object to subtitles, this is a film well worth watching.

Further to my post about the knitting disaster, I can't use those sleeves for anything because whilst the sides of the sleeve head were decreased as if I were doing a raglan, the top was not!

I finished off a second sock still left over from when I was knitting one sock at a time. Now I knit both at the same time to save this happening.

We took a car load of stuff to the tip yesterday and still my rooms upstairs look hardly touched. I have still to throw out so much.

I am going to be selling my coned yarn, not all of it, but a lot of it. So if you want anything, tell me and I will see if I have it. ALL my yarn is unbranded top quality natural yarn. Many different fibres, many different weights from 2/60 to 2/6.

I also will be selling off machines, punch card Brothers mainly, maybe a Silver fine gauge punchcard and Passap parts and possibly an MB75 motor.

Oh and my Dr reckons I have hay fever. Never had it before. However, my nose is running all the time and when I return from the pool, I can barely keep my eyes open, they sting and stream. I wear goggles swimming so not that. Sunlight thru the car window makes my eyes really run and sore. Weird. My eyes recover more or less half an hour after getting home, and my nose might take all day to stop being runny. Annoying more than anything else.

Socks n Stuff

This pair of socks is knitted with OnLine Beach colour number 942. The composition is 45% Cotton, 40% Wool and 15% Nylon. 380m per 100gm Knitted on 2.25mm needles, one circular pair, at the same time, each on it's own needle. I used 3x3 rib. I knit 208 rounds in total(not including heel turn), over 66 sts. I knit from the toe up, used my Andersson Heel Mach 2. Same recipe as my Tundra socks tho a different gauge - 34sts and 48 rws to 10cm (8.5sts and 12rws to inch).

POLICE PEOPLE

Yesterday we went to Springfields (shopping mall-outside) to exchange a pan and buy two new Titanium pans. What we did not know was that there was the annual Flower Festival on in Spalding and the parade was starting at Springfields. I pulled up by the road closed sign to ask the policewoman what I could do. Before I had a chance, she started mouthing off at me and told me to move NOW! I was rather pleased to find I did not scurry away but held my ground and just kept repeating 'will you listen to me please' until she did.

A policeman came along and they decided to let me thru. We were stopped at the next roundabout by two more policepeople who were even ruder and we were forced to do a U Turn.

Well, now I was really annoyed. First off, have these policepeople forgotten that they are there to serve us and that we are not there to serve them? I didn't give in. I went around what I guessed to be correctly, the back way.

I came across another policeman who indicated me to pull over and I did. I opened my window and, held my hand up and asked him to listen to me before he started shouting. This policeman was very pleasant. Even though I had been forceful to him before he had a chance, he did listen and saw my predicament. He said he couldn't help me though. I asked him how far I was from Springfields and he replied I was 5-10minutes away on foot. I explained I would be using a wheelchair. During our chat, I noticed a parking spot beyond the barrier. I asked him nicely if he would allow me to park there. He asked me if I had a Blue Badge (disabled drivers parking permit) and I pointed to it on my dashboard. He said I could park there but not to tell anyone he had told me so.

So we parked and wheeled thru the crowds which was a mixture of very pleasant people who were helpful, some overly so, and those who were downright ignorant or complete wan**rs.

John had wanted to turn around and go home at the first policeperson. He is very British that way, don't make a fuss. Not me. I will not be doormat. It is this 'don't make a fuss' attitude that service here is so awful and why disabled people get treated so badly. I made a fuss, firmly, no swearing, no threats. I got what I wanted which was to be treated with respect.

OH BOTHER

One negative consequence of the weight loss is that most of my clothes do not fit me. None of my light weight jackets, a lot of my Bavarian shirts and a couple of the jackets. I am really disappointed. Not by the weight loss obviously! I really though they would still fit me because My shoulders would stay the same. No they did not. Even my sweaters are too long in the sleeve now.

BRACES

I wear braces all the time now. The trousers I wear are a size larger than I need but they feel more comfortable when held up by braces. I have been doing this since the IBS got bad. I don't like anything tight around my waist or hips. The braces are really so comfy and I am not forever having to rearrange my bits every time I sit down or get up.

To Belgium

We are off to Belgium in the morning.

The dogs are all going to our friend, Lorraine, tonight. The house will seem strange with no dogs in it.

Unfortunately, it looks as though the weather is going to be wet. Tried looking elsewhere to see if we could change destination but it would seem the whole of Europe will be wet!

I seem to be having a flare right now. No swimming yesterday and still in a good deal of pain today. Thursday night was awful but last night I slept very well though had trouble getting up this morning. I managed to swing my legs over the edge and the rest sort of followed till I could grab the radiator and haul myself up.

I started another pair of socks -OnLine Beach Collection-wool / cotton mix. I am using only 66 stitches for these and a 2.25mm needle.

I wonder what sock yarn I will see in Belgium. Hopefully something different to the stuff I already have.

Ghent (Gent) and Bruges (Brugge) are really old mediaeval cities so there ought to be plenty to see. Museums and galleries and such and I believe there is an old castle on one of the cities or in both. At least much of what we can see will be under cover should the forecast of rain be right. We both have long grey rain macs which we bought in Trier Germany when we got caught by rain. Trouble is, in my wheelchair or on my sticks, I can't move than quickly to get out of the rain!

As we are only going to be away until Thursday, we won't have to take a lot of clothes, so there won't be much to haul. We intend to do grocery shopping for condiments and coffee. yes, the coffee there is better quality and much much cheaper than here. They do all different types of beans. I am mainly after decaffeinated ready ground as my bean to cup machine takes that too. Decaf for the evening. I want to find a dark roast one. It is hard to find dark roast in decaf. For reason they seem to think decaf should be weak in taste!

Also their condiments are very varied. Like light yoghurt salad dressings. For some reason no one has the wit to sell such stuff here and coffee beans here are about four times the price.

Shopping is very much part of the fun on these trips. For me anyway.

Wonderful Day Times Two

My friends arrived at 9am. We had a good day just catching up. In bed by 7.30pm.

Our day started at 2am. We got up and did what we had to do with the dogs and ourselves. We left by 4am and were at the N.E.C. by 5.30am. We unloaded the car, put the dogs in the show trolley and all our stuff, and made the long trek from the Disabled Car Park to our hall. In typical British fashion, we could not go in by the normal route and we had to struggle another few hundred yards to the entrance they decided we must use. Still, we were at Cruft's so we just got on with it.

We got in, set up and sat down to gather ourselves again, drinking coffee and looking around.

We were very surprised and pleased to find that our friends, Laurent and Francois from France and Frauke from Germany were also there. This on top of seeing my other friends was a real bonus.

Time to show. Now I fully expected to not do well here and was just there because of Karen and Gitte from Denmark staying with me. I could hardly not go!

I went into my first class with Micah. There were 20 of us. She pulled me out along with others and when I looked down the line I realised that she had only pulled out 5 so Micah was at least going to be placed. Much to my surprise and pleasure, she placed Micah 2nd.

My next class was with Shameless. Now Shameless is a little tall for my liking and by this time I realised that the judge preferred smaller too. However, Shameless is a real show off, loves to move around the ring, eyeing the crowd and posing. She is also well made. Anyway, the judge gave her 5th, with the 4 in front all being shorter in height.

I was very pleased to say the least with my dogs' placings.

The breeder of Micah's father won Best Bitch with her girl and this made her a Champion. She burst into tears. I, along with others, was very pleased for her.

The following day, Friday, John and I took Karne and Gitte into Peterborough for shopping. Shopping is always good fun though Karen and Gitte were appalled by the poor service we received everywhere but Cafe Nero, who provide very good service. I had previously told Karen how awful service in this country was and now she knows I was not exaggerating. Even John Lewis was appalling.

Of course all this has left me exhausted and sore but it was all in a good cause.

The trouble I have with my ribcage at night is back with a vengeance, four nights in a row now. I found a solution last night which may work again: I got up and sorted the pillows out and added the v -s shaped pillow, so that I was lying with my top half propped up. This stopped the pain immediately and I was able to get more sleep.

My next dog show will be in April and then they are every month thru till November.