Eating for health

A close-up of the Paul's Himalayan Musk which will soon go over now, as we wake to another day of rain.  I shan't complain though, as it means pollen levels are low.  Thank de Lord for that!  

I am gradually coming off the steroids now (4 days left) and hopefully I will be able to get to grips with my low-histamine diet.  I had forgotten how easy it is to make a BIG blooper over what I can eat and what I should avoid at all costs.  The steroid-munchies are not helpful - in desperation I swear you would be tempted by wallpaper paste!  

Yesterday we were manning the shop where we have a unit, and I packed what I thought was a sensible lunch - wholemeal pitta breads with Chilli Hummus, an apple, bananas for both of us, cheese and oatcakes for Himself, fruit squash, Earl Grey teabags.  The only trouble is, pitta bread and hummus isn't that filling when you have been awake since 2 a.m. and although I had had a cooked breakfast (hah! Fishfingers), by 10 a.m. I could have eaten a scabby horse between two mattresses.  I ate a rather large banana, and then later decided that I would have a bag of crisps and went across to the garage to buy one, then thought better of it and bought nuts - Peanuts to be precise. More nutritional value. . . I nibbled away at those the rest of the day and ate an entire (small) packet.  Then I realized - peanuts are histamine-rich, and Bananas release histamines . . .

We were late back - I wanted a quick tea.  Fish and chips.  No, change of mind due to calories in battered fish - smoked haddock instead.  I LOVE smoked haddock and better still, love it in Kedgeree.  We ate our meal and then I noticed how tight my trousers felt - the peanuts had me SO bloated.  Then I checked my list of what I could/should be eating - and smoked fish was a no-no as high in histamine.  It had quite an impact on my asthma too.  Lesson learned.  Now I have about 10 days at home where I can train myself up properly again and eat well and I desperately need to just REST.  

We actually have a gardener coming on Friday to cut the paddock which is going to now be kept under control and become a garden again.  I am also going to get him to dig and weed my veg plot as neither K or I can manage it for health reasons (K still suffering from a frozen shoulder).  Then I can mulch it heavily over the winter and cover it with sheeting to stop it reverting to grass, which is its main aim in life.  I am so ashamed of it.

I am 3/4 of the way through The Crow Girl which I found in a charity shop.   I have to say, although the content is thought-provoking (incest/paedophilia- something I would normally shy away from reading about) that part is dealt with unsensationally, and it is actually the psychology which is so interesting - multiple personality disorders and the like.

A selection from the donated books counter (charity donations) at Tesco's).

£2 well spent in The Works.  I really MUST make my Elderflower handcream today - picked the blossom yesterday.

This is a nice healthy meal (tomatoes high in histamine but balanced out by the red onions, cauliflower, butternut squash and sweet potatoes.  The latter two veg are NOT my favourites, but are Good For Me so I am forcing them down.  I did a huge vat of it the other day when I was "resting" and have 3 double portions in the freezer.

Right, enough wittering on about health issues.  I'll shut up now I've got it sorted in my head.  Onwards and upwards.

Well, THAT wasn't a very Good Day

This is the lovely Hybrid Foxglove Digiplexis that I bought last week.  I might have bought a friend for it today.  Both planted up and part of the movable feast.

Well, yesterday was NOT the best day either for my health OR my wealth!  Where I have had to be on a higher (and more prolonged) dose of steroids for a further week (then slowly decreasing for a further week), sleep has been at a premium.  Some nights I was getting just 3 or so hours, then 2 or so, then I went an entire 24 hours without a blardy WINK.  The steroids give you the energy to get through it, but my eyes have been turning into the proverbial you-know-what holes in the snow!  Plus the steroids have my face getting fatter - NOT a good look.  Thursday into Friday was where I didn't sleep at all - slept 10 - midnight on the Thursday and was then awake until midnight on the Friday into Saturday.  I watched a lot of middle of the night tv (some good programmes) and read my book, and then laid in bed, looking at the wall . . .  However, by Saturday, my asthma was showing signs of coming under control again.  Good News.

Another treat.  I have decided when I have worked hard and not slept well, I deserve something special.  This lovely Rosa mundi (R.versicolour) came home with me from the Garden Centre on Friday.  We had done the little Wee Flea at Hay and I made a Wee Profit, and this rose was one I used to have, but it was when we first moved here and I didn't know how poor the soil was and it sort of starved to death.  This one won't.

I bought several of these documents from another trader at the Carmarthen Fleamarket yesterday.  I found a couple of other nice things which are destined for the 2 day Antiques Fair at the Botanic Gardens next month. They were a small positive in what was an absolutely dire day, both for selling, and for my asthma.  Our stall is inside the big agricultural building on the showground.  There are outside stalls too, but it rained and so lots of folk left early.

By lunchtime, my asthma was getting worse and worse and it felt like a hand was throttling my lungs.  I think the building was full of trapped pollen, plus there had been a YFC show there the previous day and so there would have been dust from hay and straw (which I am also allergic to) in the air.  

No-one was buying much at all inside (yet again - this has been getting worse and worse over the past two years) and we barely took enough money to cover what it cost us to stand.  By 2 p.m. I decided that enough was enough, and I was going to end up in A&E if we stayed any longer, so we packed up and left (with help from our dear friend Pam, who helped pack and carry.  (I was beyond carrying and had to just sit in the car).  K worked so hard too, as he carried all the heavy things.  I felt guilty just sitting.

When we got home, the car stayed packed until this morning.  I was glad I had half a risotto in the fridge which I could just put in the "popty ping" (microwave) as otherwise it would have been beans on toast!  

I took a further 3 steroids (having been dropping down and got to 5), my Vitamin D, my STRONG old fashioned anti-histamine (Actifed) which is the ONLY thing which helps at such times, Magnesium, Diet Coke (for Caffeine which also seems to open my airways), washed my hair, changed all my clothes (pollen ones into wash), and took off my makeup and washed my face to get rid of any pollen on my skin.  I sat down quietly - I could do no more.  I did manage to make it to 11 1/2 hours before taking my inhaler (should be 12 hours but if I'm good I can go longer).  I managed to sleep about 7 hours and have been feeling better today. I am stepping down off the steroids again now.  I have to see if I can manage without and if not, then it's back to the Dr's.  

Another treat - it's a quarterly baking magazine I usually get and it cheered me up when I was feeling so miserable.

Back at home, the cats were just enjoying life and happy to have us around to feed them.  Alfie with his mum Miffy.

Pollen levels are back to very high again, which is a pain as I had hoped they had peaked.  Ah well, all I can do is keep inside as much as possible.  Thank you for listening to my moaning!

I love my garden - and a movable feast

I have been enjoying my garden this summer.  It's frustrating because I can't get out there and garden 8 hours a day which is what I really need to do to get totally on top of it before the end of summer/sunshine, but hopefully in a couple of weeks I shall be able to garden when I want again - AND go for walks again.

Anyway, I have managed a bit of pottering, mask on, Haymax balm round nose etc and a hat on to keep the worst of the pollen away.  I have also been inside looking out, and thinking that the "stone garden" - the right hand side where the wildlife pond and the rockery are, and which has a slate slabs and chippings base, was looking very empty now the Aquilegias had gone over (v. quickly this year too, due to the heat).  Then I thought, well, I have LOTS of things in planters, and they are a movable feast, so I have been reconfiguring the area, and putting roses where they will make an impact, with a view to planting them in their new situations, and giving that side a totally different look.  My garden has been reinvented a lot down the years, and this week I have the "move-its" again!

The first rose to get moved was the splendid Tess of the D'Urbervilles, who now brightens the corner of the bay window.  I'm not sure I can plant her there without some industrial digging, but I will see what I can manage.  Until this spring, this corner was absolutely PACKED with Monbretia corms about 6" deep, and then I got ruthless . . .  A couple of little plantings and it is looking pretty.  

You will have to ignore the pile of cut down Aquilegias in the middle there, but I like the way the Delphiniums almost glow against the dark backdrop - they really draw the eye to the back of the garden.  The white rose left is Lichfield Angel (not Cathedral as I wrote the other day).  I think that will be planted there in due course.

View from the pathway across the same area.  Zepherin Drouhin, on her support, has been joined by a big Lidl Salvia, and two Lupins, plus the two rescued Hollyhocks which won't do anything until next year now.  The pot behind them has a bright pink Clove Scented Pink which exactly matches ZD.  The blue pot on the right hand side front of the wall has the little arching Fuschia I got from the Nursery on Tuesday. I can't remember if the Pinks with  it are white or pink, but  'twill look pretty anyway.

Mother and son - Miffy broke into a run when she saw me, obviously thinking "food", whilst her son, Little Whale,  was doing a Perambulation of the garden to see what I had been up to.

Right, this won't do.  My bed is calling me, and let's hope I can sleep better - I had another 3 1/2 hour night on Wednesday and was so dizzy all day long afterwards.  Stepping down off the steroids now, so fingers crossed I will be ok after.

My garden roses

This is Teasing Georgia.

Litchfield  Cathedral, with insects settling down for the night!

A baby of my rambler rose given by a neighbour (and then "spawned" from a cutting back and abandoned heap of foliage during a wet summer).  This one comes from the gardens at Gelli Aur (now owned by the Council) and so I call it the Gelli Aur rambler, though I think it is a white Rosa Banksia normalis.

I think this is a rambler with a French name - forgotten in the mists of time.  It just flowers the once and has a beautiful delicate perfume.

L D Braithwaite I think.

Roserie de l'Hay, who is always the first to bloom.

???

My Albertine climber - one bloom past her best.  I'll take a photo of it against the wall now, looking pretty.

Cardinal de Richelieu in his royal purple.

The lovely Tess of the D'Urbervbilles.

I think this is Graham Thomas.

No mistaking the Belle of the June Ball - Paul's Himalayan Musk.

Zepherine Drouin, happy now she has a display pillar to climb up.

Raubritter, Vielchenblau and Pink Perpetue are now coming into flower, along with Tuscany Superb.

Right, you've had all that's left in my brain for this evening, as I've been awake since 3 a.m.  I watched Sunday's new Poldark programme, and sewed up ends on Tam's quilt.  Went back to bed, but couldn't sleep, and came down and gardened in the cool of the early morning, hair covered, mask on, pollen balm round my nose beneath it, and caught up on some weeding, then watered round.

We thought we were manning the Shop today (where we have our Unit) and loaded up a fresh change of stock.  Got there, and found we had the wrong day!  How typical is that?  Anyway, we had our change-around anyway and it has had a refreshing makeover.  

This afternoon I polished some copper jugs I bought back, and some pretty spoons which are going out on sale again, and we visited our smallholding neighbour with the donkeys and took her the well-grown purple cauliflower seedlings I had spare (her hens have been destroying her veg patch) and she gave us eggs and Rhubarb in return, so I've just stewed up the latter with a pack of crystalised ginger strips and that will go in the freezer when it's cool.

Now my bath is calling me.

Hay-on-Wye in bloom - a celebration of roses

We were at Hay again yesterday, and I defied the pollen (bad move, as it turned out) to go for a walk round the town. I got SO much pleasure just from strolling round with my camera, and as you can see, Hay was looking absolutely wonderful.  You would think that the roses beat everything else hands down for sheer numbers, but no, it was masses and masses of Valerian which I kept seeing.  Just lovely.  Not much in the way of words, as I don't have ID's for the roses, so just enjoy.

I have had to confine myself to barracks now.  I need this last course of steroids to actually work and so I have just popped out now and again to do a quick garden job, wearing a hat, and a mask (though the latter is suffocating.)   K helped me water round earlier on, but I know he thinks that growing veg is a waste of time, and so everything would have just had a quick sprinkle when it needed a good soak.  

I have been out briefly a few times, moving around a lovely old antique wholepiece hand-quilted Welsh quilt which I washed (again) first thing.  When I bought it, it was absolutely filthy, but one hand wash in the bath still left a tide mark on the edge of the fabric, so I decided to take advantage of the weather and do it again.  I dried it flat on an old duvet cover and it's now over the Betty Maid in the kitchen to dry out completely.  It is lined with hedge-pick wool (and dates to about 1900 or so) and was For Best in its day (hence the wool lining).  It will be going to the big Antiques Fair with me, and will hopefully attract a buyer.

3/4 of my peas in the planters haven't come up and I can only assume something has been in and eaten then so I have some more soaking and will sow those tomorrow.  Keeping the tubs damp is the problem at the moment as it is so warm in the day, so they will have to have a good soaking and be kept moist.  I still haven't sown my Mange Tout peas, but they will go in tomorrow too.  I still need to make Elderflowr Handcream, so that is another job for the morning.  I do feel better for having been indoors most of the day, but to be honest, I am absolutely exhausted as once again I spent most of last night wide awake.  I slept between 12.30 and 1.30 a.m. and then had to come back downstairs, and came back up at 4.15.  I fell asleep, but woke with a nightmare ten minutes later and only drowsed after that.  I hope I do better tonight.  I shall be glad when the pollen season is over, and hopefully it will be earlier this year due to the sun, as everything seems to have flowered briefly and then gorn to seed.

We had a stroll around the car boot sale first thing, and got a couple of things, but there wasn't much about and I didn't want to linger as it was hot and humid even at 7.30 and the pollen was low.

I hope you have all had a pleasant weekend.

An afternoon stroll in Gloucester - buildings

UPDATED: Asthma taken a downturn again and after a night of just 2 1/2 hours sleep I took myself back to the Doc's and have had to up my steroids again and a full week's dose then a week of weaning myself off them.  A necessary evil with pollen levels this high.  Ah well, needs must.  I am looking forward to being able to go out for proper walks again though.  Have a lovely weekend.


We had fully intended to have a slow wander around the Cathedral, but unfortunately it was closed for half an hour due to a private service, so we will go next time.  I managed  a couple of photos to show how it looks after being spruced up, and renovated outside following the removal of the car park which used to be there.

The remains of St Oswald's Priory, near the Cathedral.  It has a prestigious history, having been founded by none other than Alfred the Great's daughter Aethelflaeda around AD900 and by 909 the bones of St Oswald had been taken there and it was dedicated to him.    Full history HERE.  I've been told there are celebrations there next week, in celebration of Aethelflaeda, Gloucester's Warrior Queen.  I'd love to go, but it's a long way for a day out.  (We were in the area for a reason last week).

This is where Bishop John Hooper was martyred on 9th February 1555.  His full history is HERE.  As you can tell, this is a post I have researched!!!

St Mary's Gate, t he entrance to the Cathedral.  Lovely old buildings remaining again.

A lovely old building, Robert Raike's house, 38

Southgate Street.  Many thanks to Wikipedia again.

Costa Coffee is housed in the most splendid 17th C Jacobean Merchant's House in Southgate Street.  I think it was originally a building called the Bell Inn.    I'd love to see inside . . .  It's apparently haunted by a ghost called Elsie, who has a penchant for moving the cutlery around! 

This one I HAVE identified, as it is the Baker's Clock.  It shows Father Time and the other four figures appear to be representing the four countries of the United Kingdom.  

The New Inn - which apparently has a fabulous courtyard out the back.  Built on the site of an earlier inn by John Twyning (a monk) in 1450, it was used as a hostelry for the former Benedictine Abbey of St Peter.   Following the dissolution the inn became the property of the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral, and had tenant innkeepers until its sale in mid-Victorian times.  (For that history, many thanks to Wikipedia.)  It too has a ghost, which pushes glasses around on tables (there is a Youtube film of this if you care to look for it) and HERE is a little write-up.

Ye Olde Restaurant and Fish and Chip shoppe.  8 Hare Lane, Gloucester.  A fabulous old building.  This is an early 16th C merchant's house with jetties.  Perhaps we could have lunch there another time, and have a nosy round upstairs!

A strange street name I thought, and apparently it derives from "ox" and "blood" so this was probably the shambles area of Gloucester in Medieval times and earlier.  Here is a lovely link to lost buildings/streets of Gloucester, found whilst looking up Oxebode Street.  There is a picture of what the street used to look like and yes, it did lead to the nearby cattle market.

Ox Eye Daisies and Wild Barley growing on rough land between the canal and the Priory.  When we were kids we used to palm a Barley head and then pat someone on the back to make it stick there.  We did the same with Goosegrass (Cleavers) and called it Sticky Willy!!

Ox Eye Daisies also have a medicinal use and were used as an antispasmodic, diuretic and tonic.  It was also used to treat asthma, whooping cough and nervous excitability.  Also used as a lotion for wounds, bruises and ulcers.  It was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of women.

Common Mallow nearby.  Its Botanical name (Malva) comes from the Greek word, "malaxos" meaning slimy or to soften.  Its use in herbal medicine was as a remedy for asthma, coughs, throat infections, emphysema etc, and it contains Vitamin C, mucus, tannins and flavinoids.  It was also used to treat wounds or inflammation of the mouth, throat, stomach etc.  Not too surprising that it is growing near the Priory then.  Please follow the link - it's a really interesting site.