Hi Dita and all

[vannin]

Hi all and hope 'this year' is continuing well.

Spent one hour of today on phone being shuttled between my local hospital and the one, Stoke Mandeville', an hour's journey north of here which makes all the appointments for our three hospitals and to which many of OUR hosp. depts. have been moved including maternity and A&E. It is all regarding my imminent CT scan on Tuesday morning, which, by digging my toes in, I ensured would be at the local hosp which HAS a CT unit - yet, because the faraway one makes all the appointments - and loses records and fails quite often to link up information and blood samples etc - it also posts to the patient the necessary 'dye' preparation required to be taken before a CT scan. I await this with baited breath. Plus, the vital link, my consultant's secretary, only obtainable at Stoke Mandeville not the local hospital, is on holiday, it all falls apart.

It was made clear to me that my usual mode of transport - bus and walking - is out of the question, I must find a lift. I HATE ASKING, but finally called on my lovely friend from the choir. She will be free and, as I might be anything between 30 minutes and an hour on Tuesday, would drop me off and go home and wait to hear from me.

I also had to postpone the blood test which was due on Monday and now will be a week later.

Meanwhile Trixie has been curled up asleep from about 9 a.m. and it is now 3.30. It's a cat's life!!!

Viv

[Penny]

Wish you all the best vannin. Must say hubby had the same problem with Stoke Manderville but he walked out after waiting too long and got re-booked, no problem. If you get a chance, eat in their cafe. We ended up having breakfast in there and we both agreed, more like a first class hotel. Stunning food and very very cheap. If you get a chance to book by phone, try to make it early in the morning, there is less likelihood of anything going wrong as it often does during the day. Fingers crossed. cheers Penny

[vannin]

Penny, you are making my mouth water! The breakfast would be just the job - depending on what I was still allowed to eat - and if I was shunted back to Mandeville at this stage.

But as things stand today, my plaintive reminder to the Apptmts girl that my GP had told me it would be Wycombe , where they have a perfectly good CT unit after so many depts. have been moved, has (hopefully) ensured it will go ahead at Wycombe on Tuesday.

When I was an outpatient in Endocrinology at Mandeville, a few years ago, hubby was still well and drove me to an early appointment but we waited all through the morning, while people who arrived after us had been seen, he had to get back for a 2 a.m appointment at Wycombe with the cardiologist, I registered our disgust with the Mandeville staff and never got an alternative booking.

In 2013 I was under the Oral Clinic beside Entrance 2, too far away from the lovely restaurant - there was just a coffee bar, and it was afternoons - so much travelling, though I must say, this clinic had very good timekeeping and only started at 4 p.m. so was bound to finish by 5 so they could all go home!

Viv

[Penny]

Will keep fingers crossed for you. Hubby had the breakfast for £1.99. Could not believe it.2 eggs, bacon sausage, fried bread and baked beans, cooked fresh for each order. You can also watch the chef cooking it. Such a superior place All sitting under a huge glass dome. Lovely seating, tables, and everything handy to help yourself too, such as sauces etc. An old couple we know who live near there, use it for a lot of meals rather than cook. I think I would if I was nearer. cheers Penny

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, what a morning. Arose to lovely sunny day and within 15mins the heavens opened. So sorry doggie, extra hugs on the way. Can't believe it is 3rd already. Doesn't time fly at our age. Hope everyone is well and keeping free of this wretched cold bug that is going round. Son and family gave up down on the coast. The weather was so bad they could not get anywhere so came home. Granddaughter off now on a cooking course, following some ones footsteps me thinks. Hope pussies are curled up and warm, kisses on the wind. Take care all and have a good day. Keep warm. cheers Penny

[Andere Richtingen]

Hi, all -such a wretched, wet and miserable day .... we hoped to go to Salisbury this weekend but ended up cancelling it yesterday because the weather's so vile. We've both still got dreadful coughs left over from our colds and, as well as keeping each other awake, we'd be waking a whole hotel full of people with our hacking and spluttering. We would have been outdoors a lot of the time, too, and with more heavy rain forecast, it didn't seem sensible or fun to go and get soaked through. I'm so disappointed; it feels like ages and ages since we went anywhere. Lucy K doesn't care; she's been asleep on the duvet most of the day and won't complain if she can spend the next three days like that instead of going to cat-jail.

I wish you all the best for Tuesday, Viv and hope all the threads come together so that nobody loses any files and reports and you get your dye on time, etc, etc ....

[dita]

Hello Penny and all. I am very late today, doggie did get her walk though Penny, it was quite a nice morning as the morning progressed, big hugs on their way to you even if a bit late today and she thanks you for the extra ones too. My reason for being so late was nothing but laziness on my part really, we went for a quick shop around lunch time and on arriving back home made a cuppa and scanned quickly through the whats on pages to see what was on the tele worth watching tonight, noticed that Rebecca had just started on BBC2 and so decided to sit and watch it, of course had tea to prepare after that so only just managed to log on. I had been wondering how your family were doing during their few days away, bit choppy on the coast again. Keep smiling Penny and take care all.

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, what a dreadful night and morning. Garage floor awash, . Can't get anything done until better weather. Poor birds are soaked, looking very bedraggled and keep coming back for more goodies. Hope all are well, extra hugs for doggie, sorry about the walkies again. and I know where pussies are s big kisses for warm pussy cats. Might join you if this weather keeps on. Such chaos everywhere. One of my favourite lunches today, liver and onions. Take care all and do keep warm. cheers Penny

[dita]

Good morning Penny and all, sounds like you got a right mess to clean up in the garage, lets hope it soon dries up, the weather is shocking here too we are mud up to the hilts outside and poor little doggie objects to getting mud on her pure white coat, hugs a plenty needed Penny, thankyou. Good luck to Viv on tuesday, sad you had to cancel Salisbury Andere, Purrs to all pussy cats guess they will be sleeping. Nothing planned for lunch, could always pop to yours Penny, Keep smiling and take care all.

[Andere Richtingen]

Thanks, Penny - now I know what I'm going to cook tomorrow. You've inspired me. I was rummaging through the freezer earlier, trying to find something I fancied and there's a pack of lamb's liver lurking so that's solved!

It's actually stopped raining here but it's getting noticeably colder and the Rain Today site shows a load more wet stuff not too far away. OH has taken advantage of the dry spell to go to the library and the dry-cleaners. That was a shock; somehow or other, the dry-cleaning has always been delegated to me, even when it's his stuff. Gulp! He must have had a personality transplant.

Sounds like you've got a real problem with the garage, Penny - hope not too much damage done to the stuff you keep in there? Quite right about Lucy K - she's crawled under my pillow and is pretending she's not here. Pity about the end of the tail sticking out! As promised, I've put some pictures of our cable-car trip last weekend on the Photography thread. It seems like a lifetime since it was that sunny but it's only 6 days!

[Penny]

Morning Dita and all, a quick one for the moment, hope doggie manages a walkies today, along with warm hugs. not too bad here after a very frosty start. Hope you do some onions Andere, I cook them gently in margarine and then stir in sugar just before the are very soft. Delicious. Served with the liver Separate from gravy.. Kisses for pussies, expect they will look out and then skuttle back in again. Have a good day all and do keep warm. cheers Penny

[dita]

Morning Penny and all. Dry but turning very dull as the day goes by, did manage a walkies albeit a muddy one, she's only got very short legs and dont we know it, thank goodness for those warm hugs you sent Penny, really needed. Using up left over chicken for our meal, it in oven with added veg and very soon some home made dumplings, it always goes down well on cold days. Hope your garage floor drying a bit Penny, keep ya chin up Hows your new gadget going? hope you've mastered it. Take care of yourself Penny and all.

[Penny]

Pleased doggie managed a quick outing. A lady in our village called this a.m.to show us her new rescued dog. A huge bull terrier. Beautiful creature, hubby stood outside talking to her and called into the kitchen for me to have a look. What a beautiful creature, of course I was giving it lots of hugs and kisses and after a chat went to carry on in the kitchen. Seems the dog went mad after trying to get in to me, scratched the kitchen door and cried. hubby said it had fallen for me and the lady had a job dragging it away. Such lovey creature. Had to laugh. Still struggling with my pad?? Pleased last night, managed crossword then had no idea how to find another one. Talk about frustration. Must keep trying. Hope you enjoy lunch, sounded good. Take care and keep warm. cheers Penny

[dita]

Watch it Penny, Dolly getting jealous I did tell her that you had plenty hugs for all doggies. How odd animals are, it defo took a fancy to you, it will be escaping and sneaking over to visit you given a chance. I bought my Kindle Fire from Amazon and got a Crossword App on it, some are free and some you have to pay for, cannot remember whether I paid or not, it has different levels and I usually do the easy ones, I'm not too bright just wondered if you can get something like it on yours. Mi dumplings ready now. Take care xx

[Penny]

Hope you enjoy your dumplings. Hubby ate so much lunchtime he has been asleep all afternoon. Tell doggie, no way would I put her second in line. Extra hugs for tonight. I Can get the Evening Standard and the Gardian cross words but once I have filled one in I have no idea what to do next. Going to take me a couple of years to learn this one. Will have to keep trying until I can get son to explain to me. Hope Andere and hubby enjoyed their liver meal today. We had large lamb chops, chipolatas and mushrooms along with vegs. Don't know if you get to Cosco at all, their lamb is super. Take care and enjoy the rest of the evening. cheers Penny