Daylight Robbery.

[Maywalk]

I have started to go to bed when Cliff goes now because I know he cant rest if he knows I am up just in case I have any more blackouts.

I told him that I cant sleep like him and the only way I will go to bed the same time as him is if I can read for a bit. He said he didn't mind as long as he could feel me at the side of him because if I do have an attack he would be awake in no time because evidently I shake a lot during the blackouts.

Anyway we came to that agreeance but I find it exteremely uncomfortable trying to sit up in bed to read. YES we do have an electric bed than can be raised or lowered at the head and feet BUT I dont want to raise the head part if Cliff is trying to sleep, hence the visit to the mobility shop when I went shopping yesterday with my lovely d-i-l to see if they had a back rest that could be put in five different positions because I had seen one in the ARGOS catalogue for £20. The bloke in the shop went off to get the big book that has all the goods in and showed me exactly the same thing that I am after BUT it was priced at £45.

I told him in no uncertain terms WHERE TO SHOVE IT. I thought it was downright disgusting because its exactly the same thing that is selling elsewhere for half the amount. I wont bother going there again.


When we got back from shopping we had time for a quick cup of tea before going to the docs surgery to have the flu jab. My d-i-l ordered the back rest for me from Argos and it will be here next Tuesday. Here is the website showing the backrest to explain what I mean.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... 650407.htm

[Corrie]

Hi Maisie, that was a nice gesture and I'm glad you've got it sorted now, but unless things have changed a lot since I left the UK you should be getting one of those from Occupational Health Services under the NHS?

[Maywalk]

It depends what the circumstances are Corrie.
Things have changed dramatically with many things to do with the NHS in more ways than one.
I do have a shower seat and a perching chair issued from the Red Cross but that is all.

[Corrie]

Hmmmm I wonder why things have changed so much - not bad to guess though!

[Dragon Lady]

That was good value in Argos, Maisie. It would not be any good for me though because it would doubtless frighten the cat! I read in bed but what I do is upend the pillow and stick it against the rails at the rear of the bed. When it's snuggle down time I simply move it to it's original position and reach up and pull the light cord. That way Mrs Cat is neither disturbed nor frightened!

[Rowan]

I find that the disabled sites are far more expensive than ordinary sites. Doesn't seem right though. I bought one of those backrests and it is absolutely no use!! I'm back to using my "V" shaped pillow which keeps me quite comfortable.

[Maywalk]

Oh dear Eve that has cheered me up, I dont think

I had one of those wedge shaped pillows but I found it hurt my neck so I put it in a charity bag.

[caroljoyce]

Maisie, have you thought of audio books? I listen to them in bed, in the dark, lying in my sleep position. All you need is a personal CD player or even a Sony walkman (tape) I use the tape player because I've got more than 50 talking books, all on tape. You could get one for round about £20.
You've no need to buy the audio books, the library have them.

They click off at the end of the tape so no problem if you fall asleep. The only downside is you'll wake up with headphones still on ... I often do.

[Anya]

Maisie - What a lovely and loving couple you are, so caring of one another. One of life's true gifts

Carol - the audio books sound a great idea, a number of people have said the same, they go to bed and it is like being read to, as a child, very comforting. They ALL also said they wake up with the earphones still on.

[Maywalk]

Hi Carol and Anya.
Thanks for getting back to me.
To answer your question about audio books Carol unfortunately I am deaf so have to wear hearing aids now having had my ears perforated and permanently damaged due to a land mine going off on our house during the blitz. They gradually got worse over the years and dont mingle with headphones I am sorry to say.
If I could understand how to work a Kindle I would go in for one of them but they look a bit complicated to my old brain. I must study them more.

[Lacemaker]

The Kindle is so simple to use, Maisie, and you can also change the size of the printing to suit your eyesight. As you know from the other place I bought one 3 or 4 weeks ago and I am so pleased with it. Your grand daughter could show you how to use it in no time at all.

Talking of rip offs, I had to buy myself some new walking shoes the other day and because of the diabetes I decided to go to a sports store that advertised its expertise in supplying shoes for diabetics. I was shocked at the cost of the shoes at $161.45 after a seniors discount (just on 100 pounds) but since I don't like buying things such as shoes over the Internet (I prefer to try them on) I decided to bite the bullet and I bought them.

When I got home I googled them and came up with a site in the USA, same brand, same name, and same code number - identical to those I had bought - for US$54.95 (around 35 pounds) and the site showed a lot more of this type of shoe but in fashion styles and colours some below this price and others not all that much above it. The website also stated the postage would be payed both ways if necessary. With the Aussie dollar on par with the US dollar and the shoes made in China and so exported to both countries, how come the huge difference in price ?


With my daughter's wedding coming up in Vegas in April, guess what I will be buying while I am there !

[Maywalk]

Thanks for telling me that Hazel.
I will look into the Kindle and I hope you get what you want when you go to Vegas.
I bet it will be a super do and dont forget the photos.

[dejavou]

Hazel, I'll take you to the best Outlet Centre in Vages, you may get an even better bargain there

[Rowan]

What's Kindle?

[Lacemaker]

Great, Deja - I'll look forward to it.


Rowan, Kindle is an electronic book device. One of these, roughly the size of a paperback book but less than half as thick can hold around 3000 to 3,500 books which can be downloaded from the Internet. I bought my Kindle from Amazon recently and since then I have downloaded at least 130 books free of charge. These books are not the latest editions - if you want those then you have to pay for them but they are cheaper than buying the physical books. Mine can read a book to me, play background music while I am reading and change the size of the text if you can't read fine print. It also bookmarks the page you are reading when you turn it off and then goes straight to that point when you turn it on again later. If you are particular interested in a passage in a book then you can save it to a clippings file or email it to friends so they can read what has impressed you (or otherwise). All books are delivered over the Internet directly you your Kindle and unlike the iPad you don't have to pay download charges. You can search for books from the Kindle itself or search on the Internet from your computer.

The books I have downloaded for no charge have been written by Sir Walter Scott, Rider Haggard, Jack London, Conan Doyle, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, Charles Kingsley, Tolstoy - most of those which are out of copyright although there are some more modern ones which the publishers or authors have allowed to be included on the free list. Lots of other books only cost from $1 upwards with a huge majority being under $10. If you decide to delete a book from the Kindle then Amazon will save it for you and then download it free of charge at a later date if you decide you want it back again.

My Kindle cost US$189 (just under 120 pounds) from Amazon and I bought a brown leather cover which also comes in various colours (Pink amongst others ) and costs US$59.95 and includes a built in light so you can read at night in bed. The battery is rechargeable and if the wireless function is turned off then the battery will last for about 4 weeks. You have to have the wireless connected in order to browse the book lists and to download new books (which take less than a minute to download). One daughter wanted me to buy an iPad and the other the Kindle but with the iPad the model I wanted cost over $1000 so there was really no choice - the Kindle does everything I wanted it for.

There is a model with a larger screen but it costs more of course. The screen is not glaring but just like a real book, in fact on a number of occasions I have found myself trying to turn the page over instead of just pressing a button !

The Amazon site for Australia is below but you should be able to link to the UK site.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?node=133141011