Sunday 17 December 2023

And THEN I couldn't find the blardy decorations for the tree!

Powis Castle grounds, which is about as far as I've managed to get this year.

The day has not started well (see below).  It then got suddenly worse when I couldn't find the box of decorations for the Christmas tree - I hadn't put them away in the attic, but asked Danny to do it for me . . .  The first foray drew a blank but I found stock for Fairs I had long forgotten about and really must give an outing to next year.  I also need to get ruthless and take a load of stuff to the charity shop.  That will be a job well done.  Anyway, a phone call to Tam, some laughter, and I girded my loins and went up again and found the right box this time.  So far the kittens have looked at the tree and are clearly thinking, WHY has she bought that into the house?  But not climbed into it yet, which has to be a positive.  Right, tree dressing to some Christmas music (Maddy Prior's Christmas Carols, since you asked) and then I am going to make some Pear and Chocolate Jam for Christmas presents.


I have always wanted to travel the world.  I would settle for America and visiting my childhood friend Rosie in NZ if I could ever have two faraway holidays but I'm not holding my breath.  Now my horizons are set at half an hour in any given direction, and there is absolutely nothing to look forward to doing - just the weekly grocery shop - my urge to explore has had to be totally quashed.  I've just read about one of my cousin's children and family jetting off to Lapland.  Another cousin is going to see her daughter in NZ and stopping off in Singapore, Thailand etc on the way.  A further cousin has just been to Amsterdam for a friend's wedding.  I am not a jealous sort, but oh how I envy them their travel.  I can't even make it to Ludlow, an hour away.

I had a fright overnight as I thought that Keith's catheter had become blocked.  Now he is downstairs it would appear he just drank pitifully little yesterday ("I drink plenty") despite my encouragement.  I was up 3 times in the night for the bathroom, and checked on him each time, then lost sleep worrying, so feel very sorry for myself this morning.  The Pea and Hemp protein I got him has proved a total waste of money.  If you use the full amount, any drink turns to sludge and of course, it turns the medium you add it to green which Keith doesn't find very appetising.  I bought some ready-made Mango and Passionfruit smoothie today for him, to make sure he likes it before I start making my own.  His food intake is not good and what he can manage is getting more and more limited, which is such a worry.  Forget the brown rice, beans, pulses, most things green apart from broccoli and peas, anything nutritious - he has thought them "muck" all his life, and he's not going to change now.

To keep dairy-free, I bought GRO plant-based vegan yoghurt yesterday for him, and some Swedish glace ice cream.  He really enjoyed them both  and asked for 2nds, then his saliva production went into overdrive, but I cannot see that there is any ingredient in either which should cause this reaction, unless it is the sugar ingredients of the ice cream interfering with his medication but that shouldn't be the case.  We'll have to isolate which is the culprit.

At least I have dressing the tree to look forward to although I have to go up the steep attic stairs to retrieve the box of decorations.  I got a lovely tree on Friday from the estate of the Big House just above the Showground.  I chose a Noble Fir and asked Pam to come and help me put it up as you need more than one person to manhandle it into the holder.  She doesn't bother with a tree or decorations and had never had a "proper" tree and seemed surprised that it wasn't the regular form of the plastic variety . . .  Then I read up about Christmas trees and kitten-cats and although one site said the Noble Fir wasn't poisonous to cats, another highlighted about a dozen dire possibilities should a cat lick, nibble, climb into any Christmas tree and so they all got shut in the kitchen last night or I wouldn't have slept for worry.

I am trying to get myself geared up to make some jam for Christmas presents but the spirit is definitely lacking today.  Sorry to moan.  



27 comments:

  1. Could you try Liquid IV powder? Fruit flavors you mix with water to amplify hydration. It is on Amazon I hope you both get some rest.
    Sincerely,
    Bun

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    1. Will check that out Bun. Keith has lost over a stone in weight since the summer and needs to try and regain some, but we can't go down the Dairy route as that seems to stop his meds working.

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  2. I am not decorating this year, first year ever. Getting into t'attic is out of bounds now. Hoping the little minxes keep out of mischief for the duration.
    re: your found fair items for next year, I do apologise but St Anthony is here! lol

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    1. Oh what a shame. I hope you can put up a little nod to the season that is easily found (or bought). So far, said little minxes have just given the tree a passing sniff . . .

      I'd forgotten I'd put them up there.

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  3. Oh dear, I’ve just left you a long Pollyanna-ish comment! Honestly BB, why not follow my lead and ditch the Christmas tree and just bring some greenery in - which is what our ancestors did before that photo of V & A and that small tabletop tree was published in the newspaper. I always feel such a Scrooge at this time of year because I don’t do tat from China but instead I follow my heart and have lots of fun doing my own thing and trying hard to ignore all the greed and waste. I’m listening to Dead Ringers and making my wreath now. Btw we eat porridge for breakfast and homemade soup for lunch most days and dinner last night was potato, celeriac and leek gratin (with cream and cheese) followed by rice pudding made with milk and cream and a bit of butter and flavoured with cubes of fresh quince. It was so good and S had extra clotted cream on his. Yes we have a tub of Rodda’s in the fridge (village shop sells it) as S always has a dollop on his warm mince pie. I went to bed early but I am sure S finished the evening watching Match of the Day with cheese. And yes, he weighs 9st 4lbs!! Tonight it is venison casserole from the freezer with mashed potato and chard and the leftover rice pudding as we’re out at the Carol concert this afternoon. Honestly BB, what you are buying for K sounds pretty horrid (and someone is probably making a pretty penny along the way) and I truly believe that offering him small amounts of the sort of food that he enjoys is the best way forward. Btw frozen yogurt is delicious. In the summer I mix natural yogurt with fruit such as raspberries and freeze in small ramekins, no sugar needed, and we eat it instead of an ice cream on a hot day. I’m sure plant-based yogurt would work as well but do check the ingredients on these vegan products. Best of luck with everything. Sarah x

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    1. We have little "I" here at New Year and she would be very disappointed not to see a tree. Dearest daughters would say something too as it has always been the tradition to have a good tree and favourite decorations. I have at least got the ingredients for the wreath now, though I can't remember where I got the Willow wands from last year, so have had to cut some slim Ash wands and some Honeysuckle to wrap them - amazingly coming into leaf already!

      Keith doesn't enjoy soup - the only one he eats is Heinz chicken soup. He's gone off porridge too - though I did try coaxing him. The supplement was a desperation move to try and get protein into him which wasn't whey. The glace ice cream is lovely and the yoghurt really tasty too (though of course nothing is cheap the minute you try to find alternatives to dairy). I have always read the Ingredients but have to be more scrupulous now. Keith has always been incredibly fussy about what he eats, and now cannot easily eat what he does like for fear of choking and so I am going to have to blend certain things. His form of Parkinsons has quickly worsened, sadly. We used to have frozen Yoghurt when we went to Badminton Horse Trials - just the thing when you've walked the course!

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  4. Pea and hemp protein sounds horrible.
    Hope you get time for a rest today after doing all those jobs.
    I've never known a cat eat a Christmas tree - play with the hanging things maybe .

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    1. There didn't seem to be much else non-whey as an alternative in the health food shop. Rest - well, not really. Got some things ticked off my to-do list though, including getting the base for the wreath and making the Pear & Chocolate Jam. Let's hope it sets after a fashion. It had the juice of two lemons in, a couple of tablespoons of water, and a goodly amount of sugar, and even so I had to add some home made Crab Apple Pectin to encourage it to thicken.

      I have never had a problem with cats and trees other, other than baubles being batted about.

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  5. I had a good laugh at the lost Christmas decorations, as well as the discovery of all the things you forgot you had. It sounds so very like me! I never had a cat that climbed the tree, but I had cats who made it necessary to put the breakable Christmas things up high. Any glass baubles would wind up off the tree and batted around the house until they exploded against something. One year, we even bought a box of plastic baubles to put on the floor for just that. They were not nearly as enticing as the ones on the tree!

    Traveling: I know the feeling. I remember flying into England, finally, finally, FINALLY, and, and as we were coming in to land at Birmingham, seeing all those squares of land hemmed in by their hedgerows, and I actually got quite emotional. I had rather lost hope that I would see these things with my own eyes. That month is something I will remember all my life. If you ever do make it to the US, I will meet you at the airport!

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    1. It was very frustrating, but when I spoke to Tam I saw the funny side of it! I am well known for losing stuff . . .

      Which part of the States did you grow up in? It sounds like you wanted to come to the UK for a long time. I would love to go to a Rodeo, ride in Montana, go to umpteen quilting shops, see Amish people, go to the Rockies, see the Fall somewhere spectacular and how wonderful it would be to meet my friend Sharon at Morning's Minion. Sadly I doubt it will ever happen, but I can dream.

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    2. What a fun view of the US you have! That all sounds so fun. I hope someday you get to visit here.

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    3. I live in northwestern Pennsylvania. Fly into Philadelphia or New York City. I can show you Niagara Falls. You can meet the Amish. Grandma can show you her quilts. If you come down during the fall, we'll drive you on the Blue Ridge Parkway where you will see fall in all it's spectacular glory. We'll hand you off to Sharon in Kentucky! It may never happen, but it's always fun to plan a trip.

      I always wanted to see the world. I got a taste of it while I was in the army, but it only whetted my appetite for more. Life never does go quite according to plan does it? I wanted to see England so badly because that is where my globetrotter daughter has settled with her globetrotter husband. I had not seen her for a couple years and I just wanted to see her badly. But there was covid and everything was closed down. I honestly thought that I'd never get there. I did. I had hoped to make it an every other year thing, but now Tim's health issues are keeping us kind of close to home until we are certain about how it is all going to shake out.

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    4. Oh I can dream Debby. Your schedule sounds delightful. I hope that you will get to England to see your daughter and family. You could always do a detour via Powys!! Hoping that Tim's health issues allow you both to travel and satisfy that yearning.

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  6. That green drink sounds horrid, I think I would be sick just looking at it. It must be a worry for you to get some nourishment into Keith as I seem to remember he's not an adventurous eater. Fortunately my OH eats whatever is put in front of him, good thing really as he can only open a tin of soup/beans. Have the kitties explored the tree yet? Daughter's are highly suspicious of it and girl kittie Eccles has taken to peeing on the living room rug. Hugs Gill Xx

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    1. It didn't look too appetising made up, I must say! Probably ok in mashed potato or something then covered in gravy! No, Keith very unadventurous (I blame his mum) and it is a real challenge getting good food down him. Lam leg steaks in the slow cooker tonight, so that will be welcomed.

      Kitties have ignored the tree, although Lulu has sat beneath it a couple of times. They surprise me. Sorry that Eccles had gone off the rails a bit - perhaps she thinks it is Highly Dangerous!

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  7. You take on too much! I switched to an itty bitty faux tree and some greens tucked around. Good enough.
    Can you fill litre bottles of water for the fridge and tell K he must finish each day? That way you could monitor his intake. And--jarred baby food?

    Your travel dreams made me smile---you couldn't pay me a million dollars to go to , say, Singapore. Yeesh. Tho I suppose I'd love the flea market of France and UK, German Christmas markets.

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    1. It has always been part of our Christmas tradition. They still come to us at Christmas. When it's the other way round then it can be sidelined. There is truly a limit to what he can drink and if he has a lot it affects his saliva production.

      Keith always wanted to return to Singapore but it never happened. He loved it there when he was in the Army, but that was before all the skyscrapers were built, nearly 60 or so years ago.

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  8. I do hope you find something to tempt Keith with that gets some weight back on. I had to laugh about your lost decorations. Two years ago I bought a beautiful hand painted bauble half price in a shop that was closing as a gift for my daughter in law. We didn't see them last year so I kept it until this year but can I find it? Not a chance. it will probably turn up halfway through the year. We always used to have a real Christmas tree, in the days when the boys were small and we were poor I'd buy a cheap one in the last few days before Christmas, hide it in the garden and put it up on Christmas Eve for them to discover on Christmas morning. Then when we moved to Devon I used to bring home the enormous school tree at the end of term. With a little lopped off the top we jammed it into the sitting room and I went to town decorating it in red and silver. (We never had a tree when I was a child.) Moving here I down sized my ideas and made a small driftwood tree which is decorated with non traditional items but I still sneak some baubles and tinsel around the place and even buy one or two but only if they are very beautiful and in a charity shop.

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    1. It's mainly muscle he has lost and only being able to use his arms and legs well will help that as well as the nutrition. What a shame you can't find that delightful hand made bauble. Some neighbours of ours in Carms had the most gigantic pretend tree - 15 feet high or so - and when they did work on their cottage it was finished with a gallery around the top (for the tree to go into). Not sure whether the galleried area was the idea from the start, and then they got the tree, or vice versa.

      A driftwood tree sounds nice - they have some similar ones for sale in town. When I was little we would get a twiggy tree branch or even a piece of gorse, and paint it with flour and water and then sprinkle glitter on it. Very effective and FREE!

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  9. I add pea protein powder to soups and pasta sauce and the one I use is fawn colour so doesn't change the look of the things you add it to. I don't know if this would help you it must be so hard watching everything for ingredients that bring a reaction on.

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    1. Keith will only eat Heinz cream of chicken soup . . . Not sure I could smuggle it in there without greening that too! If only he ate MY home made soup, but no . . .

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  10. I have done some traveling, but the yen to do more is strong. I can sympathize. I am in the States and it's a lot just to get across the ocean, but there are plenty of places here I've never seen. I hope your chance comes along.

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    1. Thank you anon. I can dream, that's for sure. I hope you get the chance to travel a bit more too.

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  11. I do hope you can figure out which item caused the saliva build up that Keith got and that you can get him to put on a bit of weight.

    Don't put those tinfoil icicles on your tree as they can cause big problems in cats (and dogs for that matter).

    God bless.

    God bless.

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    1. Neither of them, as he's had them separately since and no reaction. Then today his saliva is on overdrive, so we can only put that part down to his illness.

      Thanks for the tip about the tinfoil decorations.

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  12. Christmas trees and cats - if they won't leave it alone, tie a string round it and attach to the wall behind so it won't fall over but most won't bother a needle tree. Mine never climbed in the tree but did smack the baubles so keep the good ones off the bottom area. My cats generally just sleep under the tree and feel (I think) that they are in the forest so leave a space for them to get under it. I had one who waited patiently for the tree skirt and as soon as it went down, she lived under the tree throughout the Christmas season - it somehow comforted her. No matter what you read, cats don't really eat parts of a tree as they don't like it. I have never seen a cat eating the forest behind me. They walk with me there and have never chewed a tree. Nor have they climbed a fir or spruce in the forest. I don't think they like the needles. They prefer to climb non-needle trees. As to your hopes to travel to the US - avoid the rodeos - especially the local ones. The animals are sometimes mistreated and it isn't as lovely as it sounds. Even at the largest rodeo on earth in Calgary Alberta Canada, some events are difficult to watch and they have stringent rules. Merry Christmas from Atlantic Canada.

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    1. Hello and welcome Linda. Fortunately they have ignored it thus far. Other cats we've had have been up into the tree and causing mayhem in years gone by. Perhaps it's below the dignity of a pussum who "Is Half Siamese You Know"! to stoop so low.

      It doesn't surprise me to hear that many of the rodeos are not good places to go to if you care about animals. I follow several Mustang-saving sites on Instagram and it is ghastly to read what happens to them before they manage to rescue them and save them from slaughter.

      Merry Christmas to you too.

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