suzeanna

I think our hamster is shell shocked! I was holding him and Candy came to investigate and licked him! Poor Little Mo, he wasn't expecting it. I've made my funeral wishes clear and as it would be Philip organising it, my wishes will go ahead. No music required!

Bet you can't wait for them to arrive! I was going to say it sounds as if they will be rather spoilt, but after their previous miserable life they deserve it!

Yantan, they probably have thought of this already, but when we had a foster papillon once, they sent her blanket that she'd had in her bed with her unwashed and frankly rather pongy, but a familiar smell for her. Can you ask if there's anything they seem to be attached to that can come with them?

I wonder how many of these new dogs people are getting in lockdown will be chucked out to rescues once folk go back to work, kids go back to school, and lonely bored dog wrecks the house? Oh poor Audrey, she's been through it! Hopefully this will be the last emergency! Our late dobe Saphyre broke both her back legs at five months old, put her front leg through a glass door and severed an artery at about 2 years and had mammary tumours at around 4. Some dogs just seem to be unlucky, bit like people I suppose.

I'm glad the little girl is getting treatment, hope she soon feels much better. Will you have the dog food by then Yantan? It will be one less possibly stressful change for them to have familiar food. I'm very disappointed in Zooplus's attitude over their mistake, I've dealt with them in the past and found them to be very efficient. I was chatting to the radiographers when I had my scan and told them there was a patient waiting in reception, wearing a mask but she kept stroking her fingers through her hair, then pressing the mask round her nose to make sure it was on straight! They raised their eyes to the heavens, and said it wasn't just masks it was gloves too. People put on disposable gloves then touch everything in sight and think that's fine. One of them said she even saw a man wearing a pair and picking his nose! Ugh!

We live between Chesterfield and Matlock. All the takeaways round here..Chinese, Indian and chip shops are open. My daughter lives the other side of Chesterfield, towards Eckington. None of theirs are open at all, she's most peeved about it. We have had a Chinese takeaway a couple of times, we asked the owner if she'd had any abuse or trouble of any kind and she said no, nothing. I contemplated getting a mask but then thought no point. As you said Blackmagic, it protects others, not you. I'm pretty sure I haven't got it but unfortunately the side effects of the tablets I take are very similar to the starting effects of the virus! As I've had them for several weeks now and I'm still breathing, I'll take it that it's the side effects. I have a CT scan tomorrow at Chestefield Royal, it'll be interesting to see how many people in there are wearing masks..staff excepted, of course.

Blackmagic, those sound like montbretia, also called crocosmia. They are either orange or scarlet, and yes, they spread, a lot!

Hope it's not his cruciate, Eve. Long job to heal. I think the weather is set to be wet for us all this coming week, but I have to admit the gardens need it. Candy will be happy anyway, she doesn't enjoy warm weather at all, I think she's a husky in disguise!

It threw it down earlier, took an awful lot of blossom off the cherry tree. Philip mowed the lawn this morning so at least that's done. Yantan, I don't think the Chinese have a good record on any sort of human rights, especially if people dare to speak up against them...they have a habit of disappearing! Griff, it doesn't bother me, it's only part of our driveway it covers. He said he tried to angle it so it only shows theirs but he couldn't. We have a rat! well, probably a family but we only see one at a time, thankfully in the garden rather than the kitchen. Cheeky blighter too, stands its ground if it sees you watching it. Philip swears it thumbed its nose at him, but I'm sure he must be mistaken! I remember years ago, before we lived in this house, one of the cats brought a baby rat in and let it go. It somehow managed to get itself into the back of the cooker and we had to take the back off to get it out, it promptly leapt into the basket the other cat was sitting in, she jumped a foot in the air and legged it outside! Philip intended to wallop it with a spade but my daughter persuaded him to put it in a box and take it to the playing field down the road.

My eldest grandson has put some dance moves of him and his little brother and sister on TikTok..otherwise I wouldn't have had a clue what it is! I know Covid19 is scary but some people are really being stupid. There was something on the News, family of a guy who was having bad chest pains, but wouldn't let them call an ambulance or take him to hospital because he might catch it and die. He was having a heart attack and guess what? Yes, he died. I'll be at our local hospital next Friday and one in Sheffield on the 11th May, I'll make sure I wash my hands before I go and after I come back, change my clothes and put them in the washing machine but apart from that..I'll just have to rely on the hospital cleaners to have been doing their jobs. Griff, my neighbour has got cctv on the front of his house, which also covers ours apparently, and a whopping big light at the back. All to protect his precious motorbike! (which he can't even ride at the moment due to the lockdown!)

I know some things are being started..the RSPCA says they can now adopt animals out, but you can't go to the shelter, they bring the animal to you.

Owl, the letter I got was from the NHS, not the council. My hair is growing..but still falling out, which is rather weird. It's nearly long enough to put in a pony tail, except at my age I suppose it's more of an old mare's tail!

Morning early birds! I've got into the habit of waking up every two hours during the night, it's very annoying. At least I've got my sunlounger to lie on if it's going to be as good a day as they promise, and I'll get Philip to crank out the big shade. I got some suncream in Aldi that might suit you Yantan (if you've got an Aldi?) It's Lacura, their brand I assume, it's for extra sensitive skin, no fragrance, hypo allergenic, factor 50 and waterproof. I'm fair skinned but since my cancer I am supposed to be careful in the sun and these tablets I'm taking can make you photosensitive, so hopefully the cream will stop me coming out in a rash. Griff, they may be complete ar*es, but I'm sure they wouldn't be stupid enough to do you physical harm?

We've used click and collect in the past, Jazz. Our Tesco has a van sitting in the car park with two spaces next to it allocated for c&c customers, you just drive up, park and give the driver your name and address and he gets your shopping out of the van in the usual way. I was going to say typical of a certain sort of American, but since she's a friend of yours, I'd better not Owl! Oh go on Eve...if it's warm enough, wear one! If your neighbours don't like the view they can always draw their curtains. It always made me smile when we were in Greece, us Brits terribly aware of our less than perfect bodies and hiding behind sarongs, when other nationalities wore what they liked regardless of their shape. The older Italian men in their budgie smugglers made me wince rather, and Philip took a long time to recover one memorable day when he'd accidentally walked into the nudist part of the beach and a rather large elderly lady wearing nothing but a yellow sun hat bent over in front of him to pick up a shell. He came back muttering about needing to bleach his eyeballs!

Whatever it is, cream it Owl! I'm a happy bunny, grabbed a priority slot for this Friday! Any time between 10 and 6, but they text to tell you when apparently. If things are missing from the order that don't have to come from Tesco, at least Philip can go and inspect the wonders of Aldi when they are quiet.

I phoned that number, Blackmagic, and I have been put on the list for priority. He told me to keep looking at the pages, as they don't release all the slots at one go. That's good, Yantan. Don't think there's anything like that around here. Lovely sunny day here but a cold wind. Well, I find it cold anyway, but then I'm always ruddy freezing. Philip reckons I could walk across the Sahara and still have cold feet!

I got the letter, but it does say you are advised not to go out..not you are ordered not to go out! No Eve I can't get a delivery either, Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrisons and Iceland all solidly booked for the next three weeks. Thankfully Philip can get out, but I worry for him as he is asthmatic. Mind you..I have nipped out to Aldi a couple of times before I got the letter and so far, no problem. My oncologist is Romanian, and he said in Romania the army were on the streets making sure no one went out!

Hmm..that's another change. Councils being told NOT to shut parks..

They've changed the rules here..don't know about in Scotland? You can drive somewhere for exercise, so long as the time you spend in activity is longer than the time it takes to get there. So, if there are any parks in a short drive away, you could take her..if the rules are the same? Candy is looking rather scurfy, so we popped her in the bath and gave her a shampoo. She now looks like a curly coated retriever! Philip's taken her to a walk to help her (and him!) dry off.

Owl, there were some crows in the big trees behind us the other day and one was making a sound I've never heard from a crow before, sounded more like a pigeon cooing, but definitely it was the crow. Then I realised his attention was on another crow a branch above him, so I imagine he was wooing a lady. Didn't seem to work though, she flew off after about five minutes!

I've taken some paracetamol, hopefully they'll help. It's not too bad until I have to go up or downstairs, or bend. Hadn't realised I'd hurt my shoulder too until I went to lift my arm. I only had two vodka and cokes last night, honest! My eldest grandson has put some videos on TikTok, had a look at them earlier and I can't believe how grown up he looks. We saw them at Christmas, but he seems to have changed just in this short time. He's 11 now, his mum says he's getting very moody...early teenage strops, obviously. His twin brother and sister are six, so she's got a few years before they start, although with Jamie having autism, he's the master of mega strops already. Is it me, or is it cold? I've put the heating on!

I saw my oncologist this morning, very odd walking into the MacMillan Centre and finding only about half a dozen people in there, it's usually packed. He's not happy about the lumpy thing on my collarbone, which is growing noticeably, so he said if I'm willing to go over to Sheffield to Weston Park Cancer centre where he's based, he'll attack it with targeted radiation therapy. Take about five sessions apparently. I said ok..not much else I could say really. The post came shortly after I got home, with THE LETTER. You are a vulnerable person..blah blah blah. Advised to stay indoors for the next 12 weeks more blah blah blah. Keep away from others in the house..bit late for that! What made me smile was the signature..the oncologist I saw this morning! He does make me laugh he finds it so hard not to touch, he went to hug me when I went into his consulting room then remembered and put his hands up, he started out with his chair well away but got closer every time he was explaining something and he did a quick arm round my shoulder when I left. I hope you and Wispa soon bounce back Owl, I think even if we are not consciously thinking about the virus it's lurking somewhere in our brains, and that can make you feel tired . Flight or fight and all that.

Philip was chatting to Tracy just now when he was walking Candy and she was walking Cookie. She's the one who had a double mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. She said the healing was going ok but it was still very sore and hurt inside and they just don't feel like hers! He assured her they look fine (strange chats, my husband has!) Then a woman came out of her house, ready to join in the clap for the NHS, wearing her dressing gown and flung it open to display what she was wearing underneath...he said he beat a quick retreat before anyone else joined in! Honestly..it's not safe out there for a male on his own.

When I had the ancilliary strip under my arm I developed a huge seroma...looked as if I'd grown another boob! They drained it and got a litre of fluid out the first time, half that the second and less the third. Didn't hurt at all to have it drained. Smaller amounts will reabsorb by themselves, but if they say she needs drains it shouldn't be uncomfortable.

It's about 6 here according to my phone, I've put the heating back on! even Philip was saying he was cold and he usually is warm when I'm going blue! Griff, I hope your friend will be safe. It seems too many women shrug off abusive behaviour until they end up badly hurt or worse. I was reading something in the paper that really made me laugh (shouldn't have I know). A French company planned a treat for a colleague who was retiring, he didn't know until he got to the airfield. A flight in a fighter jet! Yes...well. He was expecting a gentle angle takeoff, not 47 degree! Apparently he screamed in terror, grabbed at something to steady himself and oops! it was the ejector handle, so he promptly left at speed. Must have given the pilot a shock and I can't imagine how the poor bloke felt. Anyway, parachute opened automatically and he landed with only minor injuries. They say they will review the way civilians are instructed before any future flights! Bet he needed clean underwear!