Saturday Snippets (15)

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has emailed to see whether I had fallen off the edge of the world or not.

What can I say? It's just been one of those times, like they used to say in the Friends song - not my day, week, month or year.

We had a wonderful break visiting with my family in Poland. Lots of catching up to do as we hadn't visited with them for four years. We are not going to let it go that long in future, and I have herded most of them up and on to Facebook now with the sole purpose of keeping up with them all. Time is so precious and as the years go by I feel proud of my continental heritage and determined that we return to being the close extended family we used to be when the previous generation was alive. It is too easy to be busy to bother to pick up a phone or write a letter, but I am determined to become better at doing it. (Although now I can use emails which are much more instantaneous.)

Sadly, since we returned home my MIL has become quite unwell. She is 88 bless her, and has always been bright-eyed and bushy tailed and a pillar of her little community. She involves herself in raising money for various charities, helps out in her local Church, drives around and does numerous errands for other elderly people who are not as mobile as she is, and literally has her finger on the pulse 24/7. Now she has big problems with both her left shoulder and her right hip, and is rendered immobile and can only shuffle around with the help of a zimmer frame. And this only happened two weeks' ago. We are doing what we can, and the Doc is involved, but she is unable to take any more medicaments due to the number she is already taking for her assorted 'conditions'. At this stage we are not certain what can be done or what the outcome will be. She is getting very depressed to suddenly find herself so dependent on others. So any prayers sent her way would be absolutely great, if you have time. The shoulder is osteo-arthritis and it may mean a shoulder replacement, which is scaring her to death, and the hip is inflammation of the joints both in the hip and lower back; she has some cream to rub on and has to sit with packs of frozen peas - which is very difficult and tiresome.

Whilst on the subject of various medical conditions, I am having my frozen shoulder "unfrozen" next Tuesday. 

As Cat will know, this is not a procedure to be sneered at. Over here in the UK they will not give you much in the way of a sedative when they carry out the procedure, and when I had my right shoulder done a couple of years' ago, it nearly killed me. But I have to say that now it is completely back to normal. I am hoping my left shoulder will soon feel a lot better and that I will be able to lift my arm properly once again.

Unfortunately my right hand and thumb are not as easy to sort out, and I am waiting to see another surgeon to get a second opinion before making any decisions, but it is now very difficult to type (use the spacebar) and to do silly little things like use scissors, undo jars, write. So I will let you all know that transpires.

To be more positive, after the thunderstorms,the rotten English weather seems to have improved over in our part of England. Lots of warm air and sunshine. At last I can get out in the garden and fight the weeds, plant lots of annuals in my terracotta pots, and hoe between the roses. 

These are three of my roses

Just looking out of our bedroom windows in the early morning and breathing in great gulps of fresh air is so therapeutic and feeds the soul. Everything is so green and vibrant.

We are going into 'twilight' and at 11pm it is only just darkish and by 3.30am it is getting light. I just love it - but am only too aware that the midsummer solstice is just around the corner, then the Earth will be tilting the other way and our nights will start to gradually draw in once again.

Our life of Spanky Panky is pretty much just ticking over at the moment. Dan has proved he no longer needs even 'small' prompts in that direction. He will never be an 'in the moment' sort of guy where spanking is concerned, but he has a memory like an elephant, and very rarely does anything escape his 'eventual' attention.

The day before we went on holiday he ensured my bottom and the little nipper had a session worthy of a wrestler going at least ten rounds. 

Rather stupidly I gave him a choice of that or the Rose paddle; so Dan being Dan, he used both of them to hammer his point home. It most certainly worked and we had not a single snarky word whilst we were away. 

I was telling Katie that Dan has certainly got used to the 'sudden swat on the bot'. Mostly for fun, he sometimes gives me a swat that makes me fervently grateful that I am wearing jeans. (usually anyways) In fact he gave me a swat whilst in a shop the other day, and it was so embarrassing. Even he was embarrassed because he just did it without thinking where he was! Several people looked really askance at us and I couldn't wait to get out of there. All I can say is that these swats do their job. Sigh. These days I am not much for pulling the tail of the tiger.

When walking around the market whilst on holiday, I spotted this stall.

I couldn't resist buying a few items for my kitchen. I was like a child in a candy store. This is the new addition to our toy stash.

All I can say is that it is far too painful to use as the heart has sharp edges and digs in, and Dan just thinks its funny. So it has been returned to the kitchen, where I pray it will stay.

Hopefully I intend to try my best to get back to reading and commenting on people's blogs once again. I do enjoy it but life has just been rather mad around here. So please forgive.

And finally, I would like to introduce you all to a new lady in Blogland. Her name is Sarah Coltman. She hasn't got a blog yet, but she is going to be working on it very shortly. Until then, I have agreed to share my blog when and as necessary.

You see, my friends, it has been a long time coming, but my very first book, Beating the Bounds, is due out shortly. It is with Blushing Books and will be on Amazon, and my pen name is Sarah Coltman. In case you are wondering, she was my extremely great grandmother who lived in the 1700s. Outlander springs immediately to mind.

This is another reason I have been in short supply around here - I have been up to my eyes in edits and trying to decide on a cover. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be joining the writers here in Blogland. Many thanks here to PK who has supported me throughout. 

I will let you all know the release date as soon as I know it, and then I will do a bit of cutting and pasting! And of course, I will need a good title for my new blogsite. Any ideas will be welcomed. Just remember that I am a Martha Stewart sort of a gal!

Whilst on the subject of books, I hope you have all ordered your copy of the new PL James book "Grey" which will be out this month. 

I've already ordered it for my Kindle. It is from Christian's point of view and should prove interesting. I have such a soft spot for good old 50 as it literally changed our lives. I am very grateful indeed.

Love and hugs

Ami