Thursday 29 December 2022

Resting up

 I was up and running this morning, the moment I opened my eyes and saw it was 8.10.  The GP's surgery opens at 8.15 to take calls and make appointments and Keith needed an appointment.  He has been sleeping badly over Christmas (which means I have too) and we needed some advice about changing his medication.  Unfortunately, only the PD nurse can do that and we are waiting to get a reply from our message to her before Christmas.  Instead Keith has different medication to help him sleep if he has a bad night.


A cheering-me-up picture - a reminder that it won't always be winter!  (The Elan Valley).


So, having spent the morning getting ready for/at the Dr's/Pharmacy, I came home and tried a power nap.  Nothing doing as two kittens were using me as a speedway as they hurtled up and down the gym (e.g. sofa!)  I went back down and collected the prescriptions and as we watched an Hercule Poirot film (Evil under the Sun), I did fall asleep though I woke up just in time to find out who done it.




Three more lovely books from a good friend of over 50 years standing.  When we were still in Dorset, we used to walk together in the Purbecks and enjoy the best pubs down there.  Happy Days.  Great books - have plenty to keep me quiet this week whilst we rest up.


This was the vegetarian option for Danny's girlfriend on Christmas Day.  Mostly made by Tam to a recipe from BBC good food's Homemade Christmas magazine, this is Squash, Winter  Herb and Crispy Butter Bean Pie.  It called for 3 HEADS of Garlic.  That is the entire bulb x 3, not 3 cloves!!  It went down very well.

Off to put my feet up now. From tomorrow, various Christmassy bits will gradually be taken down and put away for another year, but I will leave the tree until after New Year's day as it hasn't been in long.


16 comments:

  1. That pie looks delicious, and five entire bulbs of garlic should have the tastebuds positively zinging! Garlic over here (New Zealand) is hugely expensive, unless you're prepared to buy the Chinese stuff, which I'm definitely not. I hope the new meds give Keith some relief. Getting medications right is such a chancy business, isn't it. Happy New Year to you... it's the 30th here, so I'm not that much too early.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Apparently it was. I'm not mad on squash, so didn't even sample it. I avoid Chinese garlic too. Normally grow my own, but didn't this year.

      Sleeping tablet given is such a low dose (Diazapam) that it soon wore off and he woke up struggling to breath this morning, so we will have to try and prop him up a bit more.

      Happy New Year to you too. Enjoy your summer!

      Delete
  2. I was interested in the picture of the woman riding side saddle with the very high strung looking horse and the bit she was using. Wishing you well for the New Year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stunning horse isn't it, TB I expect. Looking at the picture properly, without the camera glare on it, the horse is wearing a double bridle with long cheeked curb. Happy New Year to you too Marlane.

      Delete
  3. 3 HEADS of garlic???? I love garlic, do not get me wrong, but...3 HEADS???? No vampires trouble you, do they?

    Last night I was watching the lights on the tree. I discovered that I don't want to take mine down just yet. I'll wait another couple days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup! My goodness, their bedroom stank the next morning!!

      I love the tree and its lights too, though just at bedtime, Lulu finally discovered it and was batting at decorations and lights! It didn't go up until 23rd so I feel I need to enjoy it a bit longer this year.

      Delete
  4. That looks a super veggie pie!
    Hoping you get all the meds sorted soon..and get some rest!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It certainly did for half a dozen BIG portions - Tam took half of it home with her (poor J).

      I was absolutely shattered yesterday, and though I hope to get out for a walk today - something I've not been doing regularly all year - I am going to just catch up with things that need doing this morning and rest after that.

      Delete
  5. There's adding garlic and then there's ADDING GARLIC - good grief!
    Hope Keith's medication is sorted - you both need a good nights sleep if you can

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like garlic, but three entire heads is a bit different to the two (or three at a pinch) cloves that I would use. I think we need a change of one of his medications but that is down to the PD Nurse. GPs won't do it.

      Delete
  6. You always have the most interesting books BB. Please start walking again, I love coming along with you. We went out yesterday afternoon, just our usual loop, and as we were walking along the bridleway a most beautiful grey horse (and rider) appeared out of the shadows. We saw our kestrel hovering (a kestrel is coming regularly into our wood shed - actually a field shelter in the meadow with two open sides - and causing a commotion amongst the resident voles). The water in the streams was gushing noisily over the rocks and the flooded water meadows were glistening in the late afternoon golden light. We had a sit down on a bench in the churchyard just listening to the birds and watching the sun sink. The pie looks very worthy - pastry, squash and butter beans are all much the same texture so I’m not sure I would enjoy this combination. I made shepherdess pie yesterday with Puy lentils, shallot, carrot, celery, leek, fresh thyme, tomato purée and red wine for the base and celeriac and potato mash topping. After supper we lit the fire and watched Whisky Galore!, the 2016 remake of the famous film, which was good fun. Another pouring with rain day today but we will keep an eye on the weather and get out for a walk at some point as it makes us both feel so much better. We know lots of people laid up with Covid at the moment so are keeping to ourselves. Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I want to get out Sarah - will force myself tomorrow. I am so down at the moment that doing anything is a challenge. I loved hearing about your walk, esp. the grey horse. I may do a walk at the edge of town which follows the path of a stretch of Sarn Helen - and ends up as a x-roads of carriage-ways (yup, rather than bridleways). I don't like to leave Keith long but my sanity is being threatened.

      Your Shepherdess pie sounds tasty. I am a tomato-y sort of person so the butterbean and garlic pie didn't appeal to me. Saw the last 15 mins of Whisky Galore but recorded it so will watch it tonight. Hope it stops pouring with you - just steady drizzle here most of the day.

      Stay Covid-free.

      Delete
  7. Wow, that pie looks delicious and different to the usual veggie Christmas offerings.
    It feels like we all need to rest up following the festivities this year - more than usual - I'm wondering if some of it is that during covid we all had enforced quiet Christmasses?
    Alison in Wales x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Made a change - Tam enjoyed preparing the garlic, which needed boiling, caramalising, smashing etc. I did the pastry and prepared the wretched b/nut squash - hurt my fingers doing that.

      Busiest Christmas we've had for a while due to having a little one (kept up late).

      Delete
  8. Ooh, three heads of garlic, that must have been amazing. Even though I still have no sense of smell, when I eat a lot of garlic I can 'sense' it on myself, it's actually a very warm and fuzzy feeling.

    I hope that 2023 turns out to be a good year for you and your family ... and all the little furry members too. Happy New Year. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pungent! I think anyone in our vicinity would have certainly noticed it! Very healthy though :)

      Happy gardening this year. In your wee garden, the only way is UP now - hanging planters on the walls perhaps.

      Delete