Merry Christmas

 The Oxen

BY THOMAS HARDY

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.

“Now they are all on their knees,”

An elder said as we sat in a flock

By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where

They dwelt in their strawy pen,

Nor did it occur to one of us there

To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave

In these years! Yet, I feel,

If someone said on Christmas Eve,

“Come; see the oxen kneel,

“In the lonely barton by yonder coomb

Our childhood used to know,”

I should go with him in the gloom,

Hoping it might be so.

Our family start arriving soon, so I shall sign off for a couple of days and enjoy the time together.  Thank you all for your support throughout the year, and for putting up with my moans. No White Christmas here - just the expected grey skies and rain.

I make no apologies for putting up one of my favourite Thomas Hardy poems, as I do every year.

A Holey Greenhouse

Just to start the day off well, I looked out of the window and FIVE sheep wandered across our yard.  Remember we had trouble with a mama sheep and her lamb one year, and then another lamb the next.  Well, this is several generations of the blardy things so now I need to put a nail in the overgrown-by-holly original ancient gatepost and chain it shut to keep the blasted things out . . .  Finding nails in Keith's workshop should be fun, as he never labelled his tins of screws, tacks and nails so it is a case of opening each one to find what I need.  He of course, knew where to put his hands on everything . . .

Sadly, when the glass was unpacked for my greenhouse, one box was badly broken.  I was meant to have checked to see everything had arrived undamaged within two weeks of delivery, but of course a) I had Covid and was totally exhausted - couldn't have cared if everything was smashed back then and b) a pack of glass is very heavy to lift and I couldn't have moved them about easily.  I phoned the supplying company (who sell them to the shop I got the greenhouse from) and they were very prompt BUT have said that the delivery people are responsible and given them a bill for £130 + VAT worth of glass . . .  I will phone today and see what is happening - hope I don't get landed with that bill.  Already putting up the greenhouse is the same cost as the actual basic greenhouse itself and it's not finished yet!  I've told Keith, just as well we're only doing it the once!  So I now have a greenhouse, but with some gaping holes, and I still can't use it . . .  I wasn't going to pay him to put up the staging either so will slowly do that myself when I have time.  A trip to the Tip is called for today though, to get rid of the broken glass and the soggy cardboard boxes and cement/mixer bags.  

        We had the confirming letter from the Consultant about the change of medication yesterday and it said instead of the ones he'd been taking 3 times a day - this is a slow-release dopamine and a higher dose of blood pressure pills and this seems to have helped him.  He got upstairs no trouble yesterday and even got up to go to the bathroom in the night.  He is definitely MORE mobile.

        I'm now waiting for the District Nurse to come.  She said she'd be here between 8 a.m. and 8.30.  I had to set the alarm.  Then of course I woke (3.15 is an old friend) and was still awake two hours later when I heard Keith about.  I had to wait until I could help him back into bed - 6 a.m. then and at 7.30 the alarm went off when I was in a really deep sleep . . .  District Nurse still not here and it's 9.15 . . .Update - she just phoned, and after answering her questions, she doesn't need to come out. . . .

        Today I have prepping and freezing the sprouts to look forward to, and another head of broccoli, and the Braised Red Cabbage.

Breaking point and mini update . . .

 The Universe has decided it will test me to breaking point.  Keith had a bad day yesterday because he was awake for 3 hours in the night.  He struggled first thing - his legs weren't co-operating.  Then after breakfast he managed to walk up and down the kitchen with his 3 wheeled stroller - determined to try to keep mobile.  He's not been able to do this since Covid.     Then he sat too long and had his teatime medication late (my fault as I was so busy and we tried to keep it away from the meal a little but it took him an hour to eat his meal and pudding).

If I'd had my way he would have gone up to bed early as I could see he was struggling so, but he wanted to watch the end of a series he'd been watching in the day about Pirates.  To cut a long story short, we crept up the stairs SO slowly and then on the last three steps, with me leaning behind him to keep him from falling back, his legs gave way and he sat down.  He might only be 9 stone but he is a dead weight and not one muscle the least bit co-operative.  I managed to haul him a little way using the "ladder" (you pull against it to sit up, and it's fastened to the bed end) off his bed and tried to get him onto a chair but the legs were doing nothing thank you very much.  I dragged him along the hall - it took all my strength - and got him to the side of the bed but we still couldn't get him onto the bed, even at its lowest height.  The poor man has a carpet burn now but what else could I do?

I had two options - call an ambulance so the crew could help get him in bed, or call our neighbour (he of the parcels).  Bless him, the neighbour  came straight away and helped Keith into bed.  We were SO grateful.

I don't know what today will bring but I will suggest he stays in bed until the District Nurse has been.  Obviously I have phone calls to make this morning to try and get emergency carers in on a temporary basis.  

This is my worst nightmare come to pass.  Now of course, it's the middle of the night and I am up fretting.  The cats know and I have had Ghengis sat on my mouse-hand, and then the computer - he couldn't get any closer!, whilst Pippi sat on my shoulder for ages.  (This is after she was attention-seeking and climbing the white kitchen dresser from which she had to be removed, protesting her innocence).

I'll go and try and read a bit now, but needless to say, all this has totally taken the gloss off the fact that the greenhouse frame is up and will have the glass in this morning.  I am just beyond caring.

Mini update - no emergency care available.  Fancy that.  Danette - brilliant idea about blanket.  Also have a giant bean bag so could somehow get him onto that at a pinch to sleep on.  Hopefully he will be better tonight though.  

Just to really cheer me up a whole pack of the glass is broken and of course the suppliers are away for Christmas already by the sound of things - I could only email or leave a recorded message.  So I still won't have a usable greenhouse.

Please Miss, can I sit down now?

 What a busy morning - I made a rod for my own back by clearing a space in the freezer for blanched Christmas vegetables, and removing blackberries and elderberries which I then had to MAKE something from.  Blackberry and Elderberry Jam it was and I made that this morning, but lots of standing and then lots of washing up.  It made 5 jars.  Here's the recipe:

Thank you Miss F McIntyre, now long pushing up daisies I should imagine as the book, Farmhouse Fare was published in the 1970s and these recipes go back to Farmers Weekly magazines for a generation before.  A nice no-nonsense recipe, the sort I like.  It will have set well as it was doing so in the pan!

"Rugged up"! and ready to go - Chocolate and Pear Jam.

Cheese & Mustard Scones

Tamzin's neat printing and my awful photo.  Hope you get to make it anyway.  It's scrummy.

Off to deliver a present to a friend now.  Enjoy your day.  Nearly at the shortest one, thank heavens.

A Day of Necessary Evils . . .

 Well, yesterday soon got swallowed up by said Necessary Evils.  The first was sorting out Keith's Levothyroxine prescription - the last one appears to have been a box sort of one strength and the other strength was half the amount we needed as it had been issued under an edict (take one every other day) which lasted 4 days with Keith before it was obvious that it wouldn't work - just too small a dose.  This was from 6 mths back and for some reason the GP never noted that she had increased his dose, so we were still on the smaller amount.  Anyway, we were virtually out of both.  Boots unco-operative (nothing new there) and insisted they had given the full script.  I went home and double checked the cupboard and then it was back to the GP and explain the situation there. The Most Helpful Receptionist was on (thank heavens) and with another GP's help, got it sorted and a script issued there and then, AND an appt. for a blood test for Keith today to see if he can drop back down.  Yeesh.   Anyway, I got some special chocs for her and a jar of my Hedgerow Jelly as a Christmas Thanks for all her help during the year and dropped that off today.  

Panel of the 12 Days of Christmas I hand-quilted (the TINIEST stitches too) a few years ago.  It comes out every year.

THEN it was the Christmas food shop, before Tesco's descends into absolute heaving mayhem and chaos (Aldi ditto, worse as it's a smaller shop).  I was amazed - a busy Tesco car park but the shop half empty.  Suited me fine, fewer germs (though I had my mask on).  I bought a double lot of seasonal veg (only 15p each in Tesco for large heads Broccoli, Parsnip, Carrots and Sprouts) and I must make the Braised Red Cabbage and freeze that in advance.  Ditto blanching a big head of Broccoli, Sprouts and a bag of Parsnips.  To make room for those in the freezer, Elderberries and Blackberries have come out and I will make some more jam with those tomorrow.

Anyway, the highlight of yesterday was making sure I had a walk around the Lake at Llandod.  Hadn't been able to do this for months, because of Covid, and it was an absolute joy.  Identifying the ducks and wild birds on the lake took my concentration and for 15 minutes I forgot to worry  about Keith and it really raised my spirits.  The walk along the lane with a neighbour's card and gift today was good for blood pressure but because I know it so well, not so lifting to the spirits.  Yesterday's birds - Swans, Coots, Moorhens, Mallard Ducks, the same pair of Muscovy Ducks who live there all year round and some wonderfully wild Mergansers who took off the moment they spotted me.  Plus the usual birds of woodland edge and a couple of big Carrion Crows who strutted about like they owned the place.   I have been amazed to hear birdsong in the mornings this week and yesterday what I can only describe as the familiar evening chorus.  A Thrush was singing its heart out just across the lane too - such a mixture of avian phrases that I had to use my Merlin app to check what was serenading me.  I haven't fed the birds this winter because Pippi is such a little hunter and I feel I would be luring them to their deaths.  They are managing well so far as it's been pretty mild, but if it snows/freezes hard, Pips will have to stay in so I can feed them.

Lulu played silly B's with me this morning - I was desperately trying not to be late for Keith's blood test.  Got Pippi in and thought Lulu was still out.  Went inside for something and Lulu was already there but fled past me and then played let's hide under the concrete cover . . .

As you can see, this is pretty Jennie-proof and the perfect den for naughty kittens!  In the end I thought I would just ignore her and then she came out, looking so innocent - little ratbag!  I didn't dare leave her out whilst we were away as she is wont to explore along the track and I didn't want her disappearing and I wouldn't know which way she'd gone.

I did at least try out a new recipe yesterday, for Chocolate and Pear Jam.  I was worried it would set as the pears cook up pretty slack, so I added some of my home made Crab Apple Pectin.  It did set and it occurred to me today it has probably set too hard to even get out with a knife and might need to be chiselled onto a plate and softened in the microwave!  It is specifically to go with Croissants or similar, but nice with Scones or crumpets too.

Tomorrow is return of the Handyman . . .  The greenhouse will go up.  Or at least, I hope it will!  I have seeds I would love to get started and I will be like a dog with two tails :)

Meanwhile, to cheer me up I have done some Family History research into my 3 x G. Grandfather Robert Adams, he of the non-Conformist persuasion,  and whose birth in 1791 has so far avoided detection.  Was it Plymstock?  Records don't seem to go back to 1791.  Were his folk from just over the river on the edge of Cornwall - possible.  Anyway, he married for a second time in his 70s and I have sent for his marriage certificate, so that should name his father.  

And THEN I couldn't find the blardy decorations for the tree!

Powis Castle grounds, which is about as far as I've managed to get this year.

The day has not started well (see below).  It then got suddenly worse when I couldn't find the box of decorations for the Christmas tree - I hadn't put them away in the attic, but asked Danny to do it for me . . .  The first foray drew a blank but I found stock for Fairs I had long forgotten about and really must give an outing to next year.  I also need to get ruthless and take a load of stuff to the charity shop.  That will be a job well done.  Anyway, a phone call to Tam, some laughter, and I girded my loins and went up again and found the right box this time.  So far the kittens have looked at the tree and are clearly thinking, WHY has she bought that into the house?  But not climbed into it yet, which has to be a positive.  Right, tree dressing to some Christmas music (Maddy Prior's Christmas Carols, since you asked) and then I am going to make some Pear and Chocolate Jam for Christmas presents.

I have always wanted to travel the world.  I would settle for America and visiting my childhood friend Rosie in NZ if I could ever have two faraway holidays but I'm not holding my breath.  Now my horizons are set at half an hour in any given direction, and there is absolutely nothing to look forward to doing - just the weekly grocery shop - my urge to explore has had to be totally quashed.  I've just read about one of my cousin's children and family jetting off to Lapland.  Another cousin is going to see her daughter in NZ and stopping off in Singapore, Thailand etc on the way.  A further cousin has just been to Amsterdam for a friend's wedding.  I am not a jealous sort, but oh how I envy them their travel.  I can't even make it to Ludlow, an hour away.

I had a fright overnight as I thought that Keith's catheter had become blocked.  Now he is downstairs it would appear he just drank pitifully little yesterday ("I drink plenty") despite my encouragement.  I was up 3 times in the night for the bathroom, and checked on him each time, then lost sleep worrying, so feel very sorry for myself this morning.  The Pea and Hemp protein I got him has proved a total waste of money.  If you use the full amount, any drink turns to sludge and of course, it turns the medium you add it to green which Keith doesn't find very appetising.  I bought some ready-made Mango and Passionfruit smoothie today for him, to make sure he likes it before I start making my own.  His food intake is not good and what he can manage is getting more and more limited, which is such a worry.  Forget the brown rice, beans, pulses, most things green apart from broccoli and peas, anything nutritious - he has thought them "muck" all his life, and he's not going to change now.

To keep dairy-free, I bought GRO plant-based vegan yoghurt yesterday for him, and some Swedish glace ice cream.  He really enjoyed them both  and asked for 2nds, then his saliva production went into overdrive, but I cannot see that there is any ingredient in either which should cause this reaction, unless it is the sugar ingredients of the ice cream interfering with his medication but that shouldn't be the case.  We'll have to isolate which is the culprit.

At least I have dressing the tree to look forward to although I have to go up the steep attic stairs to retrieve the box of decorations.  I got a lovely tree on Friday from the estate of the Big House just above the Showground.  I chose a Noble Fir and asked Pam to come and help me put it up as you need more than one person to manhandle it into the holder.  She doesn't bother with a tree or decorations and had never had a "proper" tree and seemed surprised that it wasn't the regular form of the plastic variety . . .  Then I read up about Christmas trees and kitten-cats and although one site said the Noble Fir wasn't poisonous to cats, another highlighted about a dozen dire possibilities should a cat lick, nibble, climb into any Christmas tree and so they all got shut in the kitchen last night or I wouldn't have slept for worry.

I am trying to get myself geared up to make some jam for Christmas presents but the spirit is definitely lacking today.  Sorry to moan.  

Starting the day in overdrive

 It turned out to be one of those days where it was foot to the floor with the gas pedal from the moment I got up as I woke to hear Keith coughing, so he was clearly awake.  He would have got himself to the bathroom, were he not tethered with the overnight bag for the catheter.  He has it reviewed next week and a trial period without it.  There was washing to do, dry things to fold before the new load could be hung up (that is always a trial for my slightly arthritic neck) and the usual morning chores here involving puss-cats.  

The Sloe Gin turned out very well and filled 3 bottles exactly.  In front is the big Cheese Scone roundel which I made for when our friends Pam and Duncan came to visit on Tuesday.  I had a slice (it makes 8) and got them to take the rest home with them, along with the Lemon Drizzle cake I made (their favourite).

The handyman was here around 10.30 to start on the concreting.  I contacted Danny to say was it still all right for this afternoon (to go to Carmarthen and pick up their Christmas gifts and some of their lighter belongings to bring home.)  Then I found out he had a meeting this afternoon so I had to get down there pronto.  It was into overdrive then . . .

I went to Charlies before meeting him and gave myself longer in there, forgoing the planned trip round TK-Maxx.  A couple of gifts came out with me, and some very small glass jars to fill with fresh spices as Christmas stocking fillers for the kids.  I got one of the last parking spaces at Wilko's and paid £1.80 (for 2 hrs parking) but only ended up staying 15 mins!  Then it was a quick shop in Tesco - the layout of which didn't seem to have changed much since we shopped there regularly so I knew where to look for things.  

I blew the dust off my sewing machine this week and set to and made Keith a neck support for mealtimes, to stop his head tipping forward if he is tired.  It is nice and soft and not a strangling device - honest!! The one requested by SALT from Physio was not forthcoming - I seem to remember them saying they didn't issue them any more.

Anyway, when I got back home, the Handyman had made good progress BUT, oh my goodness, had had to summon an ambulance as he had had chest pains, broken out in a sweat and thought he was having a heart attack.  They said he seemed to be ok, but strongly advised him to go home and rest.  Well, stubborn man, he just rested here for a couple of hours and then carried on!  He finished the job and was here until gone 6 p.m.  I kept going out to check he was still standing, and goodness, am very thankful I didn't come home to a stiffening corpse!

So, a busy day and I am looking forward to resting a bit now.  Keith sat too long whilst I was out, and ate late, and I know it will be a very slow journey upstairs to bed in a little while.  My bed will be very welcome too and hopefully I will have a day tomorrow where I can rest up a bit.  All week there have been visitors, as friends and medical providers, planned and "are you in today?" but all for the best.