domestic matters

BACK HOME after two weeks' break, which inevitably means engaging in sudden domesticity - especially interaction with the washing machine.  This of course means that the ironing pile has ballooned - I shall soon be once again waxing lyrical over it, I'm sure.

I also need to sort out the spare room so I can be all creative and inspiring.  Hmm.  I now have an in-tray / letter rack which is very exciting.  Does anyone else find stationery thrilling?  Or am I utterly alone (as well as utterly weird)?

Charlie (the rabbit, for newbies) is back with us - he  is getting quite elderly.  He has glaucoma in one eye which is advancing steadily - it's gone from mildly foggy to almost white.  His other eye is getting frequent infections and his hops are getting hobbly. He can no longer see the ramp in his hutch or have the confidence to navigate it - I board up the hole at night and put him in the upper level; during the day he either goes in his run (if weather is fine) or in the lower level (if weather is not fine).  While on his 'holiday' I repainted the  hutch.  It looked like this originally

and now looks like this, although I don't have a photo of the shabby in between - but trust me, it needed it.

The weather was rather mixed while we were away, but we were shattered so happy to be lazy.  It was nice to slow down my mind.

In the church office this morning sorting out this month's rota (for church services - worship leaders, techno, PA, etc); I'd done all I could quite early on so spent the rest of the time scribbling thoughts on memory for the book and reading the first chapter of Jesus in Disneyland by David Lyon, which I nicked off Andy's shelf.  Last time I read it was for my dissertation.  That feels a long time ago...

I hope you enjoyed the welcome and hospitality quotes I had posted in my absence.  Do you feel all welcomed out?!

breaking the block...

I always find it rather hard to start writing when I haven't been doing so for a few days...I get out of the habit and suffer a kind of blogger's block, I suppose! The best way to break any kind of writer's block, in my experience, is to start by writing anything, even if it's complete rubbish. So, here I am. (Although having said that, my parents are coming to stay on Wednesday, so I'll probably be absent yet again for a while!)

Andy had last week off work, after the busy-ness of Easter, and it was good to just relax and spend time together. We had a couple of nice days out, which I may recount here, at some point. (For less regular readers, 'at some point' can mean anything from next week to never.)

I have been catching up a bit around the house and cleaning out Charlie's hutch, giving him a bottom dunking as well, what joy. Started making some more bird cake since they are just about to finish off their third fat tube. They certainly do love it.

Not entirely convinced the goldfinches are going to continue nesting in next doors' tree. Not much activity lately, and I spied the blue tits stealing nest material from it last week, which isn't very hopeful, goldfinch wise. However, they are still coming through and feeding, together with the blue tits and great tits and blackbirds all in 'courtship mode'.

My, isn't this entry exhilarating....

Andy at a meeting this evening, so watched a Primeval episode recorded on Saturday before coming up here to get some stuff together for Youth Housegroup tomorrow. Andy has given up on Primeval but I am still watching it for a pleasant bit of silliness. OK, so the underlying plot is somewhat convoluted and hard to follow - and you can't work out if that's because it is too complex, or not complex enough. Like Steven, Cutter is now dead (killed by sinister amoral former wife Helen) and Jenny seems to be suddenly more like Claudia Brown's personality in this series, which is somewhat ironic as Nick (Cutter) was the only person who remembered Claudia's existence in the first place. (Except perhaps Helen, but I doubt she cares). Of course, dying in Primeval can mean anything really, and watch out for the clones, of course. Connor is as always looking apologetic and perplexed, and he and Abby continue to adopt mini-dinosaur-type pets without batting an eyelid. The acting is...mixed. The special effects are good. There are quintessentially British moments - when a huge dinosaur head, Jurassic Park style, raises itself to peer into the window of a plane, one pilot says with mild fascination, "now there's something you don't see every day".

(Pause for breath.)

All right, so most of you haven't got a clue what I'm on about, but never mind.
I did warn you it might be rubbish.

Sort of.

blog-tastic!

Yes, I now I have my own blog button! It is also displayed on my right hand sidebar, where the code is underneath if you want to use it. Thanks to Mrs M for designing it and also for being very patient with my dithering back and forth!!

The experience made me want to try making one myself, and I had a good opportunity, since Charlie has now started up his own blog! Here's his button which I created, which will also lead you straight there. What do you think?

Now I just need to do one for Thirsty Ground...

I've also moved the poll further down on the left hand sidebar, which will be closing soon.

Andy has taken this week off so I'm not intending to do much blogging, but I do hope everyone has had a good Easter Weekend.

bloggy business

Argh! Just wrote entire post then it disappeared, and auto-saved before I could get out! I shall try again, but may not be as cheerful as the first time (if I get through it at all).

I managed to win a free blog button designed by Mommy Designs Blogs courtesy of Angela over at Becoming Me, which was a surprise - so that will appear at some point! Thanks, guys.

Not sure whether anyone is so devoted to my blog that they would put my button in their sidebar! Well, perhaps one prospective blogger...you heard it here first, folks (unless you're one of the buns over at this blog, where I may have mentioned it in a comment!) - Charlie is in the process of setting up his own blog.

He's very fussy, as you may imagine, but hopefully it won't be too long before he enters the public blogosphere. I've told him firmly not to expect daily posts, since I get the impression I will have to do most of the work. After all, his typing skills are appalling, and just between you and me, his spelling is atrocious, too.

Went to our Chronic Fatigue Group meetup yesterday - not sure what to call us now that we're meeting up under our own steam...not that we have much steam between us! Good to see each other and have some laughs (especially when we forget where we are in conversation and lots of umming and er-ing ensues).

Am intending to write a Good Friday post tomorrow, all being well. Am going to Maundy Thursday communion tonight; not sure if I'll manage tomorrow's services but plan to be there am and pm on Easter Day. Lots of chilling on Bank Holiday Monday! Andy has taken some time off next week to have a bit of a rest, so hopefully it will be a nice relaxing time for us.

Now, for the second time, I am intending to go and tidy the bedroom. Beyond my side of the bed is what I call my Zone of Chaos (cue dramatic music) - need to get it under control for a little while. Before Chaos rules again...

Today: 3/10, medium high

BREAKING NEWS!

The goldfinches are nesting in next door's magnolia tree, which overhangs our garden. Cue breathless excitement and nauseating terror - in case next door go on a pruning spree. Please don't!!

houdini, or maybe not

Charlie had a mini-Houdini moment earlier. He scrabbles so hard at one of his hutch doors when his food is coming, that the door has become a bit wonky and difficult to bolt properly. It was lunchtime today when I realised the hutch door was open. Not realising that Andy had opened it to give him some carrot, I assumed it was from when I had opened it when I got up, or...well, I had no clue really.

Gave a mini holler and we both rushed outside, where, thankfully, Charlie was ambling cautiously round the patio. Relaxed. Making sure he couldn't get to the back gate (the main reason for worry), I approached, crouched down and held out my hand. He obligingly came up, had a little stroke, and was swept up and popped gently back in his hutch.

Not much of a Houdini, after all.

a (pictoral) guide to munching hay

munch munch
munch munch

munch munch

munch munch

munch munch

munch.

Today: 5/10, medium

don't ask me to predict the weather

After all my springtime comments, today it is snowing. The ground is too wet for it to settle here, although there is thin layer of slush forming on the patio. The plants, flower beds and lawns are all sprinkled with white. (Other places have been more strongly effected with blizzards.)

Charlie disapproves.

Today:3/10, medium high (v.high last night)

Charlie and the Snake

(Don't worry, not a real snake!)

To answer angeljoy's comment on my previous entry, I shall tell you all that Charlie seems to be doing very well. His weight is now good and healthy for his size, and he is very cheerful in himself. Occasionally I give him some painkiller if it looks like his mouth is sore, otherwise I stick to giving him pro-biotic powder which helps his system cope with more food. I am weighing him once a week in a washing up bowl on top of digital scales, which has varied results depending on his level of patience (and probably mine too!)

He enjoys jumping off his ramp in his hutch (Charlie likes any kind of jumping and leaping) and goes somewhat crazy when let loose in the lounge, hopping and binking all over the place. I only learnt it was called binking the other day - a kind of little twisty jump kick which is very cute :) He'll have another check up in March when he gets his jab.

The other thing I was going to share with you, for the benefit of the crafty ones (!) among you, was this snake card I made for my nephew's 8th birthday at the end of January. It took quite a bit of time and needed lots of reinforcing because of the shape, but I was quite pleased with it. So not a real snake, and nowhere near Charlie. But it sounds like a book title, doesn't it - Charlie and the Snake ?!





Today: 3/10, high

photographs

Here are some of my first attempts.




And the following I cropped afterwards, taking advantage of the high resolution.



This is our friendly blackbird. He likes me to throw out raisins for him. When I'm in the garden he hides in the bushes and sings very quietly. The first time I heard it I couldn't work it out, but then I spied him warbling 'under his breath'.


And of course there had to be one...

Have you quite finished?

Today:3/10, medium high
Yesterday: 3-4/10, medium

yesterday

My dad came through the operation okay, although he was still very dozy when my mum saw him yesterday evening! I expect I shall hear more today. It was a long time before he got back on the ward from the theatre. Thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers. He'll be in hospital for the next few days, which I'm hoping won't be too difficult for him.

Charlie's visit to the vet was also fine; he has managed to gain quite a bit of weight in a week which is very good. We are to carry on as we have been doing and then revisit in a week. She doesn't want to put him under anaesthetic unless absolutely necessary. Charlie is happy as he loves eating, and this pro biotic stuff seems to be helping him do so! He is very obliging when taking his medicine. I offer him the syringe, he grips it in his mouth, and I sink the plunger, as it were. It obviously doesn't taste too bad! I have to remove it fairly quickly as he tries to bite the end off in his enthusiasm (he did this with the vet's little tool as well as she tried to look in his mouth - let go! she had to say, which made Andy and I exchange a smile).

Went for a skittles evening last night.

Yesterday: 4/10, medium - high
Today: 4/10, medium

what to do with all of us?

I think the fish is the only healthy creature in our household - both Andy and I are feeling pretty rubbishy today. Charlie is doggedly eating his increased food intake in spite of the fact that it has been snowed over by pro-biotic powder. Hopefully it will help his tummy manage it OK. He does not seem any worse, and is just as enthusiastic about lots of fussing and stroking as ever. He accepts my syringing his medicine into his mouth as long as he gets a few strokes at the same time.

I am feeling very tired so that all sorts of little things are adding to it - no major crisis but a kind of wearing down. Not necessarily bad things, but things that require thought, or organisation, or remembering what they are in the first place. What are we to do with me, hmm?

I'm reminded, oddly, of when I was a child and my sister Louise used to say 'What are we going to do with you?' and I would reply gleefully: 'Put me in the dustbin!!!' and go into gales of laughter. Just a little snapshot there (!)

Have to be reasonably 'with it' tomorrow for the group meeting. Eeech. Shall go and be death-like for a while in the dark for now.

get well soon, Charlie

The vet's appointment yesterday didn't go so well. I've been concerned this past week about Charlie having a weepy eye, and a wet nose - on the same side - which from past tragic experience with the guinea pigs I know as warning signs, and the vet had the same concern (i.e. about his teeth and mouth). His weight has also been worrying me this year. Charlie has dropped a whole pound since his last checkup, which is a lot for a rabbit his size, and he still has his lopsided expression which I mentioned to the vet last time. (This time was our second time at that surgery, with a different vet this time, who really knew her stuff as far as rabbits were concerned.)

The first thing she said was 'there's not a lot to him, is there?' and then 'He's lopsided,' - the first person to notice without me pointing it out. Although last time the other vet found a small spur on his teeth, but considered it not large enough to worry about, this vet couldn't even get to see the area because Charlie was in such obvious discomfort. She didn't give him his myxo jab because she felt he was in such a bad way. I have pro-biotics to sprinkle on his food to see if he can tolerate more food and gain some weight (which has always been the problem with Charlie's digestion) and some painkiller to administer orally to see if it enables her to have a proper look at the problem part of his mouth (and side of face) next week.

So he is not a very healthy bunny, and causing some concern. He may need putting under anaesthetic to check out what is really going on in his mouth - but needs to put on some weight in order to reduce the risk that comes with going under anaesthetic. But there is a risk, and he's not very well, so it's all a bit worrying. It's not cheap, either, of course. But hearing her talking about him and his state of health in the terms she did made me struggle to compose myself at times, as he sat meekly on the table while I stroked him.

I hope we can put some weight on him and bring him through.

Get well soon, Charlie.

Today: 3-4/10, medium
Yesterday:4/10, medium

Charlie's moment of fame

He's gone and done it. Charlie is the official 'Disapproving Rabbit' of the day. Check out the entry here. He is extremely proud, of course, and would like to thank all his loving fans.

I, meanwhile, would like to thank people for their kind comments on my previous entry. I have managed to have a positive day in spite of such weariness. So thank you.

Now, go check out our rabbit!! :)

yesterday

Yesterday I had my first group session with the CFS/ME service (which I mention here). It went well, in that I felt very relaxed - once I was there - and there is something rather free-ing about being with others who understand. You can see the relief dawn on people's faces when they realise - I am not the only one.

Of course, and ironically, I was absolutely shattered afterwards. Thankfully my bus arrived as soon as I'd arrived at the bus stop and ferried me home (can a bus be said to ferry?!) And my headache, frustratingly, became ferocious.

There are another 4 weekly sessions to attend then I'm back on my own, although I'm hoping to establish some contacts with others through the process. I may join a regional support network eventually. there was one in the area where I grew up as a teenager, but I never wanted to have anything to do with that at that age. I was so fed up of being labelled, and leery of being different in any additional way (it's hard enough being a normal teenager, isn't it?). I think the main thing was that it gave it a kind of definiteness, a permanency which I couldn't bare to adhere to it - as if by grouping myself with other sufferers I could never shake it, nor the label of it.

It's different now of course. No longer an embarrassed teenager, I have come to recognise the benefits of the support of others, and through this programme appreciate the relief it can bring - being able to share a similar experience. Also, I suppose after 15 years of having it to some degree, I am no longer afraid of making it feel definite and real and permanent - it's here, and that's that. I was much better at various points in that time. I don't want anyone to think I have been the way I am now for all that time. I had a relapse a couple of years ago so it has been bad since then. Prior to that I was managing, albeit not as strongly as someone without it, but still managing.

And I do believe I have received healing at various points along the way - that through the prayers of others I have been kept safe from getting worse at times, and have made significant, renewing, improvements. One of these was particularly notable, when I felt a dose of energy from God which blasted out all the rotten fatigue. I don't believe a relapse now negates the healing then.

Anyway. Today I have some things to do, including cleaning out Charlie. He is inside because this week is the week of Nov 5th - Bonfire Night here in the UK. Not that he is particularly fazed by loud noises, laid back horizontal bun that he is, but I wouldn't want him scared. (My old dog Misty was terrified, even of thunder).

Now, didn't I just say I had things to do?!!


Today: 4/10, medium - high
Yesterday: 5-4/10, high

for fans of Charlie...

Charlie has been protesting that there have not been any posts dedicated to him recently. He feels he is disappointing his fans. So here we are, some Charlie pics. The first three are his 'stroke me, stroke me' expression. He goes completely goofy...



In contrast...

"You really think these bars will keep me from taking over the world?"

This effect is slightly spoiled by...

"Wahey! Check out my ginger neck!"

chilly

My right hand is freezing, probably because it is the one using the mouse. But then, my right foot is freezing, too. How bizarre. The weather feels very wintry today. Charlie agrees, and looks most gloomy, despite his roomy hutch. May have to give him an indoor outing to cheer him up.

Want to write something profound, but my brain is slushing around not really very capable of coherency today. Unearthed another old poem today; thought I may as well post it.

blank, like a stormless sky
wordless, like a picture's story
what do I feel when I feel nothing
but something, somewhere, somehow

weary, like a traveller
quiet, like still waters
what do I feel when I feel nothing
but something, somewhere, somehow

not sad, not happy
not peaceful, not frantic
just restless
what do I feel when I feel nothing
but something, somewhere, somehow

disturbed, merely by simple stirring
of mind and energy
lonely, and yet desiring undemanding solitude

wanting to feel wrapped up in sunshine
gently cradled in hands bigger than these
warm, unhurried, safe.

On somewhat more mundane subject matters, I notice that the font I use for my entries does not show up on Firefox, Google Chrome, or any other browser except Internet Explorer - being trebuchet, which I believe is a Microsoft font. I'm hoping that the way it's displayed in other browsers is still readable and comfortably readable - I'd be interested to know your opinions. I also think my label cloud doesn't show up either - do you just get a list (it must be VERY long) under labels?

My right hand is STILL freezing. My right foot is simply chilly.

Today: 4/10, low -medium- high (!)
Friday: 4/10, medium
Thursday:4/10, medium

weekend away

We have just come back from a weekend away...we stayed with Andy's parents, went to Greenbelt on Saturday, went to a family gathering of my Dad's side on Sunday (an annual event), and saw some friends today. So a bit of a mixture! Charlie came with us and is now glad to be back in his roomy hutch after being consigned to his old hutch for the bank holiday weekend. I'm going to unpack my bag...back to normal tomorrow - mixed feelings about that! Can't be bothered with ratings now. Will try and remember tomorrow.

our beautiful flying rabbit

Went to put Charlie in his hutch yesterday evening. Took the cover off the run and within seconds he had taken a flying jump, staggered by briefly landing on top of his carrier, which he uses as a hidey hole in his run, before flying over the side and landing in a flower tub, sprawled out looking somewhat stunned. 'Woh, there!' I said, startled and amused. Helped him out of his undignified sprawl but had to go round other side of run to retrieve him. Wasn't particularly worried until he decided the plants were worth nibbling. 'Don't eat the sweet peas!' I hissed at him, dragging him away from them (note: I was worried about poisoning the rabbit, not the sweet peas!) He got a bite in but seems to be none the worse for wear. I've always known he could jump it if he tried (especially since he landed on the sofa with me) but wasn't expecting it quite at that moment. He'd obviously been planning it all evening. A rabbit version of Chicken Run. Rabbit Run. Er.



He's super confident in his new hutch now - I have to be very careful when I open the doors that he doesn't fly out of there too. He's got used to me being able to crouch in front of him and give him cuddles, so he dangles his head off the edge and looks dopey.


Today: 4-5/10, medium

Charlie's new house

Here, at last, are pictures of Charlie's new hutch. To give you some perspective, this is what he used to be in, when not in his run or the house:


Not great on the days I can't let him out for whatever reason. Really I should have taken a picture with him in it to give you the idea - he filled up a lot of the main compartment.

So.....here's the new one!
It is wider, deeper and higher - the individual levels are higher than his old hutch. I had to coax him up the ramp the first time, with a bit of food. He followed, wobbling, as if thinking not to sure about this, but if there's food involved...

When we first put him in he raced about kicking his legs like he does when he runs around the lounge, which was lovely to watch - enjoying the freedom of space. When I'd coaxed him up to the upper level, he did the same there. He's up and down the ramp all the time now.
Today: medium, 4/10

waiting for a storm

I am waiting for a storm...literally. The heat is simply too much now. It needs to break. You take a shower and feel like you need another one ten minutes later. What happened to nice sunny-but-not-brain-clottingly-humid weather? Does it even exist anymore?

Charlie has a new house. I will post on that a bit later, as I took a pic to show you especially.

Yeech, this heat is no good for my head :-(

Today: 4/10, high
Yesterday: 4-5/10, high
Saturday: 4/10, high