Things that should never be seen together...

...an 83-year-old woman and a balance beam in a children's playground!!
Yesterday however the two came into very close contact and you can imagine the outcome!  My wonderfully lively and active mother-in-law was enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon in the park with her 2 1/2-year-old great-grandson.   She decided to demonstrate to him how to walk on the balance beam which stood about 18 inches off of the ground.  (In the meantime said great-grandson toddled off to the slide and was not was even watching.)  So, here is my mother-in-law up on the beam...oh did I mention she was still wearing her high heels??  Next thing she knows she is flying towards the spongy mat.  Although the spongy mat broke her fall it also acted like a catapult and shot her sideways into one of those big spider web things with the nylon ropes and metal poles.  She hit one of the metal cross bars impacting at her ribs.  This was approximately 3:00 p.m.  It took the ambulance one hour to get to her and then a trip to the A&E.  Being a former emergency services person this is where I lose patience very quickly when I see that simple things just are not being done.  I won't name the specific hospital but let's say if this hospital was a person then this man's name would have been Lester!
Pam and I get the call at about 5:00 asking if we could come to the hospital after making a stop at mum's to pick up an over night bag etc.  We arrive at the A&E at around 6:15 to find that mum had just been assessed and was waiting to see a doctor.  She was having trouble breathing and they gave her some pain killers while she waited and waited and waited.  The A&E was like crammed full with people waiting everywhere.  For the first 4 hours or so no one seemed to move out of A&E.  They just kept piling up.  Finally shift change came and a nurse ,who I wish I got her name came, in and saw the chaos.  It did not take her very long to start sorting the place out.  She got the staff moving and before we knew it we actually saw patients going to X-Ray, being moved on to the ward, getting discharged.  It was an amazing transformation.  Although grateful that this woman was making such an immediate impact it just underlined that fact that the chaos could have been avoided in the first place if someone had taken charge as she did!  It still took a few hours to unravel this huge backlog and as a result we left the hospital at around 1:00 a.m.  So just a few words to the NHS...overall I think you are very good however there is room to improve and having an organised A&E makes a massive difference.  The ambulance crews were backed up 4 deep not being able to off load or handover their patients this in turn caused a shortage of emergency ambulances on the road.  Patients need to be triage and assessed faster and X-Ray needs to support great capacity.  I realise these are easy things to say but they are doable and would make the NHS a more efficient operation.  So, thank you to the unknown nurse who took command and kicked butt.  We need more of these people.  My mother-in-law is resting at home with her cat

Well Done Mother Nature

Wow! What an awesome day. Mother Nature out did herself today with the sunshine and the lovely warm temperature. It made it to 17 today! I hope that you had a beautiful day wherever you are. It is amazing what sunshine does for the human spirit. Life is tough for most of us right now but when you get a day like today it is hard not to feel a bit more optimistic. Springtime is truly here. What perfect timing as we move the clocks forward tonight. (I hate to lose that hour in the spring but I do love it when they give it back to us n the autumn.) Let’s hope that we get a repeat performance tomorrow of today.

Just had to share!

Today has been my day for elevator humour.  I'm not talking about funny things that were said in the lift but the actual lift itself.  The lift in my hotel this morning was made by Schindler....so of course my brain immediately said "Ha, Schindler's Lift!"

Then I go into the office and I guess I have never paid attention before but the name on this left was Porn and Dunwoody.  This is one for the Americans as "woody" has a specific connotation which does align with porn.  

Oh what fun can be had if you just look around you everyday!!

A World Apart

I'm back in Richmond today and decided to get a proper lunch instead of a ready made sandwich which is my usual work day fare. There are some nice places very close to the office so I picked one at random. It was a lovely little bistro with an extensive menu. After ordering I sat and absorbed the atmosphere and conversation around me. (When eating alone what else is there to do?) I listened to the ladies to my left, it was a bit difficult not to actually. They were talking about choosing a boarding school for one of their daughters. I never knew it was important to have "quality shopping" in walking distance. I was also unaware of the specific requirement that the area's architecture needs to be interesting and "pleasing to the eye"! They mentioned their favourite so far featured"Neo Georgian mansions". I sat there thinking how yesterday I was on the farm where the conversation surrounded which sheep was next to lamb and a warning to watch the pile of sheep poo outside the door because SJ the "free range" sheep had been trying to get into the house again. How can life be so totally different just 130 miles away? I will say that my preference certainly falls towards the farm. My granddaughter won't care about the architecture around her school she will only care to know if her favourite lamb will be able to ride on the school bus with her.

Farm update

We have spent the weekend at the farm and it has been my responsibility to look after and feed Lola the two week old lamb. She has to be fed every 5 hours and boy is she ready when that time comes! It is amazing to see her growing along side all the other lambs.  Last night was quite an experience for me. I had just finished giving Lola her dinner and helped Rach get the sheep into the shed.  When one of the ewes, that Rach had been watching, started to have some difficulties. Rach called Simon for reinforcements as she knew this was not going to be easy.  Sparing you the specific and not so pretty detail, the ewe finally gave birth to her little lamb. Without the intervention of Rach and Si her lamb and potentially her own life would have been lost. Instead they have a healthy ewe and lamb to continue to grow the flock.  I have to say that helping out here has been the best therapy I have had for the Fibro.  The fresh air, constant activity and learning experiences have kept my focus on the farm and I have not given the Fibro a look in. This after a trip to Richmond and a bout of the plague before that I'm feeling great. Might have to think about retiring to the country. 

It was all going too well...

Today was an unplanned trip into Richmond from Northamptonshire. I got a call yesterday to be in the office to prep for a new client.  If you read this blog you will remember that my last journey to Richmond was a disaster. So, I was dreading today but much to my delight the trip into Richmond was surprisingly easy. So easy in fact that I made it all the way to the office by 9:00 and even the taxi driver from the Richmond station was lovely whereas last time my driver made me feel like rubbish for not walking to my office from the station.  No dramas I arrive at the office ready to go.  The rest of the day did not run as smoothly but that is work and you deal with it.  My luck held out and I actually found a taxi to take me to the station, this is a first for me as I always end up walking this bit due to a shortage of taxis.  I'm feeling pretty good now that I have finally cracked this route into London.  I arrive at St Pancras for the last leg of my journey. The train is boarding but I check with a train crew member that it is the correct one just to be sure.  I'm on the train for 10 minutes and it is almost time to depart when they announce the stops and I realise I AM ON THE WRONG TRAIN! I have to create chaos around me as I try to get off the train before it leaves. I make it off the train and now have to "run" two platforms over to get my real train which leaves in 2 minutes!  Can you believe it? The travel Gods were kind to me and I find a way to screw it up.  I did make to the correct train and should be home within the hour.  Phew!

Day 8 in the Big Virus House...

Day 8 finds Donna and Pam struggling to get back to some form of normal.  Yesterday we thought we might just be on our way.  However, today has dealt yet  another blow in this ever morphing virus.  I feel as if I have an elephant on my chest and with a chest as big as mine I do not need anything else on it!  Pam is trying to be brave as we have Mrs M on her way over for lunch.  We made this invitation on Thursday when we were fairly certain we would feel better by Sunday.  What the Hell is this thing and where did it come from?  Just when you start to get relief from one hideous symptom you get new ones.  Oh well, have to work this week since I spent the last week in bed.  I hope your Sunday finds you feeling well and you get to go out in the glorious sunshine that is streaming through our windows.  For me it will be enjoying the sun from the couch and watching England beat France today at 3:00.

Delivery Guys

Can someone tell me if you are a delivery guy do you have a set amount of time you wait for the customer to reach the front door? Something like .005 seconds? We just had something re-delivered (so Mr. Delivery Guy we really do want this item) do you think you could wait longer than the nano second you usually do? Our house is very long...it used to be cow sheds in the 1700's and they had a lot of cows! It takes us about 30 seconds to get to the front door. Is that too long to wait for someone? Come on guys give us a break here. This morning I almost ran to the front door and by the time I got there Mr Delivery Guy was on his way back to his van. Due to this virus I was wheezing like a stream train by the time I made it to the door! We all know you need to get to the next drop off but how many times do you want to re-deliver to the same address because you didn't wait long enough? I need a nap now!

The virus from Hell

I know we should not really complain because we have not had even so much as a cold in the last two years (a new record for me). However, this virus that has been doing the rounds finally made its way to us.  All the kids and grand kids had it then Pam's mum (who is 83) got it then finally Pam came down with it the day before we were going to Cornwall and I started on Sunday. 
We have literally been in bed since Sunday evening.  Nothing has ever hit either of us like this.  If this is the same thing everyone else had how whimpy are we?  The kids all had to work and look after their kids  plus Rach and Si are lambing and Pam's mum, at her age...how did she cope?   It is Thursday and I only know that because my iPad tells me that is what day it is.  We have lost all concept of time we would not even know if there has been a major catastrophe in the world.  Today for the first time this week we can start to see some light at the end of this very long tunnel.  I have never been in a state that I could not muddle through work after a day or two.
If you have not had this yet then I hope you luck out and miss it, if you have had it, my heart goes out to you for your suffering!  Hopefully life can start to return to normal.

One Woman's View Site

If you are still reading the blog from Facebook then here is the link to the new site. The site contains a few more pages with some of my favourite links and a Recommendations page to some very special places.  Please come and check it out.  www.onewomansview.net

Cornwall continued

We set off on our adventure, not knowing where we were going to end up but it didn’t matter as long as this sunshine continued.  We reach Rock and decided to take the ferry across to Padstow.  Still not believing our luck with the weather we enjoyed the trip across the open water.  Padstow was busier than we would thought. The galleries, gift shops and pasty shops were open and doing a good business. We walked through the streets and popped into the shops just enjoying this lovely place without the crowds that would soon arrive as the weather gets warmer.  After a few hours we head back to our little cottage. Pam’s scones and homemade jam were calling our names.  Champagne opened we sit down to have a wonderful cream tea.  Later it is up to the sitting room (which Pam transformed with lit candles) to have a chat.  We could not believe how cosy this little cottage had become just by having people in it. The fresh air was doing its trick and everyone was content and ready for a relaxing evening.  For the next few hours we sat in the candle light drinking Baily’s and swapping stories.  I looked around the room and again the magnitude of how good my life is hit me.  Sitting in a cottage on the Cornish coast with my beautiful Pam and my dear friends.  These are the times we need to absorb and keep with us to help us through THOSE days when then occur. Sunday arrives and it is time to leave.  The transformation takes place once again.  All our personal touches are removed and the cottage returns to its natural state.  This place that only 48 hours ago seemed dreary now has a special place in our hearts.  Cars packed we are ready to leave and we realise that we have been here an entire weekend and still have not found the Co-Op!  Oh well, we found loads of other places we will come and visit again.  However, you will never get me to go to Cornwall in the summer.  I can’t imagine trying to unload your car with summer tourists honking their horns behind you and screaming kids wanting to go to the beach after being stuck in a car for hours.  No thank you…we will stick with our off-season visits.

Cornwall in March

We have returned from a wonderful weekend in Cornwall. When the weekend began we were not at all convinced that it would indeed be wonderful. Our dear friends had booked a cottage in the lovely village of Port Issac. However they warned us in advance that the cottage came recommended to them by one of their sons who has a different view of "warm and cosy", so we were all a bit tentative. Our Sat Nav did a brilliant job getting us to the village and on to the street leading to the cottage. As we were approaching the address the street was getting more narrow by the foot. By the time we arrived at the front door the street was only wide enough for one car and there was nowhere to park and we had two cars to unload! Quickly we devised a plan and assigned tasks. We all grabbed bags and coolers and dropped them in front of the cottage. Pam and Helen went in search of parking while Ann and I took everything in and had our first look around our home for the weekend. The kitchen was okay and there was a log stove in the dining area. Two small chairs with throw covers stood near the fire. In general it appeared tired and worn. Mind you, it was probably built in the 1600\'s. We head upstairs to look around. Things up here are not as pleasant as downstairs. The bathroom had a toilet, tiny sink and a shower that you had to turn sideways to enter. There was a further flight of stairs leading to the bedrooms. Overall it was bare and not overly comfy looking let alone "warm and cosy". Ann was fearing the worst as she thought Helen would not want to stay in this dreary little place. So, we set to trying to make it feel more like home. We put away the vast amount of food that Ann and Helen brought. (We were under strict orders not to bring anything as this was their treat for us). Ann started to work her magic on the kitchen. The intrepid travellers took ages to return from the parking wilderness. They were both keen to make the cottage liveable for the weekend mostly because there was no way they were walking back to the cars again that night! Helen hit the kitchen to prepare dinner, Ann opened the wine, I set out to build the fire and Pam was unpacking. Fire now built using paper and a fire lighter, I was ready to light it. First small hurdle, no matches. We look through all the drawers and cupboards but no matches or lighters anywhere. Helen heads over to the pub in search of matches. She returns holding a small dish with a lit tea light in it, shielded by a newspaper. Owing to the fact that pubs are non-smoking now finding matches wasn\'t so easy. Fire now roaring our first night was a success. In the morning Pam and I come down to a beautifully laid table for breakfast. Ann and Helen are there and announce that the one item that somehow missed the journey south was the tea bags! Pam says "no problem the pasty shop has coffee and biscuits for sale in the window I\'m sure they also sell tea". Off she goes...about five minutes later Pam returns empty handed saying "she does not sell tea bags and told me to go to the Co-Op". Pam said it is at the top of the village on the left and according to Mrs. Pasty all roads in the village lead to the Co-Op. Fine, we settle for coffee instead saying we will buy tea bags when we go out. Breakfast finished we head out for a day of adventures. As we pass the pasty shop Helen says "hey look it says they serve fresh coffee and tea." At the same time we all think the same thing, why didn\'t Mrs. Pasty offer to se cups of tea to take away? We will never know the answer to that one. Needless to say we did not return to the pasty shop gain. We hit the road looking for the Co-Op on our way out. We reach the next village and Pam asked "did anyone see the shop?" none of us had seen it, this shop that all roads led to. Tomorrow I\'ll tell you about the rest of our weekend.

Alarm didn't go off, no time for coffee and fog!

You know when it is going to be one of THOSE days.  As you can tell from the title of this post I am having one of those days today.  It started with the failure of the alarm to go off.  Pam said "wow, it is really light outside".  At that point my internal alarm went off..."oh &^%$£  I'm late!"  In the shower, get dressed look at the clock and realise there is no time to even make my "in the car" coffee let alone breakfast.  Go outside and have another surprise...fog.  We are still at the farm so we are in the hills of Hereford so I'm talking mega fog.  Simon comes out and says that it should be better when I get down the hill.  (Keep in mind I have to navigate their little lane, dodging sheep, geese and Guinea fowl for 1 1/2 miles before I even get to the road.)  I finally hit the main road and the fog has not changed.  As I approach the bottom of the hill towards the A40 I see that the fog is even denser!  All I kept thinking was "just get the office and soon it will be 9:00 and the coffee shop will be open".

So, here I am with my coffee in hand and a day full of meetings ahead.  I'm hopeful that I have had my fill of bad stuff for one day.  I'll let you know.