Thursday 21 April 2016

Random

I have been unwell these past few weeks but I have remembered to take photos, so I thought I'd dump them here and give a brief explanation where necessary!

 Saint Catherine Laboure is our Little Flowers saint of the month.  The above is Pip's notebook page and on Monday of this week her craft was a foil replica of the Miraculous Medal.


 During a particularly bad week whereupon the kids fought like cat and dog, we were granted a reprieve in the sibling squabbles and spent a peaceful afternoon at The Midland Hotel for tea and biscuits.  Our usual spot in the main foyer was taken so we made our way to the Rotunda Bar instead.  The area is reminiscent of the 1950's, even the tea pots are bright red!  The mural on the wall was originally painted in time for the hotel's official unveiling in 1933, however since the plaster work had not sufficiently dried the paintwork crumbled and flaked as the years went by.  Two local artists were commissioned to restore the mural in time for the hotel's second unveiling in 2008.  If you want to know more about the history of the place then you can read about The Midland here


 I first came across this book whilst waiting in the audiology clinic with Pip.  It was given rave reviews in the national deaf society magazine so imagine my joy upon finding it on the shelf in our local library!  The author herself has a hearing impairment and some of the characters and experiences chronicled in the book are an account of her childhood.  El Deafo was her alter ego and by creating the super hero she was able to work with and accept her deafness and subsequent difficulties in daily life.  The book is set out in comic book style and outlines  the difficulties faced by those within the deaf community, it appeals to both adults and children alike. 

 
 We spent a lovely morning with Dave's Aunty Judith.  She has a whacky sense of humour which was just what we needed, having been told earlier by a not-so-friendly neurologist that Dave was not eligible for any MS treatment.  In his opinion folks with MS have a fifteen year shelf life post diagnosis after which its a case of shut up and go away!  Thankfully our regular neurologist is a man of woolly pullovers, compassion and a penchant for recycling :-)  He too is limited by way of helping as a result of the NICE guidelines for MS but at least you feel that he listens and cares.


 One Sunday after mass we made a trip to Barton Grange and bought a planter of flowers and a butterfly to place on Aunty Maureen's grave.  It was the first time that the children had visited.  Benedict was subdued and Pip in between crying hugged the ground and wanted to leave her teddy for Aunty Mo.  She is buried in a beautiful village church yard and her place over looks the hills beyond.

 Last week we managed a trip to Holker Hall to meet Dave's mum and dad.  The kids spent the afternoon up and down on the scooters and in the adventure play area.  It is quite expensive to visit the house and gardens but we did decide that next time the gardens really would be well worth a visit.  Dave's dad is famous for telling a yarn interspersed with an old joke or two, the kids have as much fun watching him trying to keep a straight face in the process!


 Last Saturday we had our usual make and cake gathering and I had offered to make the refreshments one of which was this paleo friendly strawberry cake.  The cake itself is made from almonds, eggs, coconut sugar and butter.  The cream topping is in fact whipped coconut cream!  Even if i say so myself it was a lovely light cake :-)


 Since the beginning of this week we have been chasing very unpredictable blood sugar readings.  On Monday lunch time Benedict encountered a very severe hypo with no warning, he started to fit and began to lose consciousness.  We weren't with him at the time but Shein managed to bring him round and stabilise his blood sugars.  Thankfully I had a spare sensor which has enabled me to track his blood sugar readings even when he is sleeping.  As you can see by midnight on the Monday his bloods were crashing so it was a case of pump suspension and me on duty until 2am.  It's been a long while since I have done a middle of the night stint and I had forgotten how awful the night shift can be.

My bed is currently topped with items ready to be packed as we are spending the week not far from Uncle Mike in Gloucestershire.  Dave's brother Uncle Andy is hoping to stop with us for a few days and it will be lovely to spend time with them both.  We even have wi-fi in the cottage, so with a bit of luck I'll be able to update here throughout the course of the week :-)

Thanks for reading, San xx

9 comments:

dorinalouise said...

Dear San, It's so nice to hear from you. I'm sorry it's so difficult to find MS help. It just seems so absurd. I'm glad your doctor listens, even if he cannot always offer what you want. You are always in our prayers and I know that your search helps to heal . . even if it feels difficult. Your cake looks amazing. Where do you find your cooking inspiration and recipes? I've still been doing my broths but I've had a hard time staying off sugar and wheat. I can feel the difference in my body and my moods. I will keep trying . . sometimes when one is around friends and family who are partaking in the foods one shouldn't have, it feels rude to decline . . . ah well . . I'll find the balance again.

I hope everything has stabilized with Benedict and that you are feeling somewhat better. Hooray for El Deafo! What an exciting library find! And the Midland Hotel was very interesting. I would like to watch a TV episode to see what it looks like. I thought the Rotunda Bar was nice. The decor felt a bit '60's to me . . like my childhood :P Sending you a big hug and lots of love . . Dorina

sustainablemum said...

I am sorry to hear that you have not been well and had a difficult few weeks. I do hope you enjoy you week away and I will be touch when you get back, honest!

Sandra Ann said...

I use the Madeleine Shaw "Get the glow " cookbook and I think there is a site called Paleo. Com.

I bet there probably is a you tube film on the Midland Hotel.

Thanks always for your love, friendship and prayers.

San and all xx

Sandra Ann said...

Thanks for popping by :-) X

Gerry Snape said...

hope you all have a great week away! xx

Unknown said...

I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog!….. I’ll be checking in on a regularly now….Keep up the good work


anaesthesia machine manufacturers

Sue Elvis said...

San,

It was so good to catch up with your news and look at your beautiful photos. I enjoyed the commentaries very much. Thank you for sharing your recent special moments.

I'm sorry you've all been unwell and have had a very difficult time recently. However hard life gets for you, I can still see huge smiles in your photos. I admire your courage. I especially like the photo of Dave and Aunty Judith.

I hope you all have a wonderful time away. Praying for good health for everyone so you can relax and enjoy your days together. Sending much love to you all. xxx

Kezzie said...

I missed this post! Just seen it in your Google+ feed! I'm sory about the illness and about the lack of MS treatment. My stepdad's sister had it and I know how horrid it can be!
Aunty Judith and Dave look very jolly together! I MUST look for El Deafo!!
That cake is amazing!x

Sandra Ann said...

Kezzie you are a sweet gal :-). The El Defo book is great and definitely worth a read X