turning the corner …

Having woken at 6am and got up, I was feeling so grim that I went back to bed at 1030, and didn’t wake until about 1300. A massive change – I think I’ve turned the corner after nearly a week of this lurgy. Temperature close to normal, headache diminished, coughing and snottiness reduced, and not feeling completely incapable, though it’s been a question of “doing things” for twenty minutes followed by resting for 40 minutes!

Glorious sunshine this afternoon, which meant that I could have doors and window open, boiling up pickling vinegar while picking remaining tomatoes and cutting down the plants. There were very few nearly ripe ones worth putting on the windowsill to see if they change colour, but no problem getting the 3lb of green tomatoes my chutney recipe needs. Plenty of windfall apples to add in, though these are still mainly the ones that have fallen early due to codling moth infestation so need a fair bit cut out before use. The last, glorious, Deacon’s Pear picked to have at supper time – unless severe gales are threatened, I’ll leave the Worcester Black Pears, picking them in November and storing until February/March before use.





urgh!

I went down with a vile sore throat last Thursday, so didn’t go over to Green Mount for the weekend. It’s progressed to coughing fits, general snottiness, headaches, and a mild temperature whenever the lemsip wears off! The fire has been lit for periods of most days…

It’s always a bit chancy deciding when to stop encouraging new flowers by dead-heading sweet peas and start allowing them to set seed to save for next year. This year, I got it rather wrong! Too late, and many of the seed pods started getting mildew and other things due to the extreme dampness of the past few days. However, I found a couple of dozen pods that dried out OK. The variety is the original sweet pea – “Cupani”, dating back to 1695.

Risograph stuff

Riso ink arrived last weekend while I was away. The outer box was of course sodden, but the contents are fine. Paper arrived on Monday. I’ve been too unwell to deal with any of it until today, but at least most of the paper is now in the cupboard, and the rest is neatly stacked with the ink on top. A proper sort-out will happen next time have the printer out to use.

Also arrived was a pack of 10 stripper pads – not easily available here, so ordered from the USA at a cost of some £15. Hopefully, fitting one will finally cure the multiple pick-up issues I’ve been having, but that’s a project for next week, once I’m feeling a bit better.







Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome …

I’ve been having pain in my right hip for a couple of weeks, so contacted the GP. They referred me to a specialist musculo-skeletal physiotherapist, down in St. john’s medical centre, who I saw two days ago.

I’d been a bit worried – “atypical femur fracture” is a possibility, as I’ve been taking bisphosphonates for my osteoporosis. However, a fairly thorough session of “stand on one leg … put you hands on the wall and raise each knee in turn … lie on the couch and I’ll wiggle your legs in all kinds of ways … ” was reassuring. Apparently, it’s the tendons and bursa that are affected – the one that connect the bum muscles to the femur. It’s basically inflammation, so take things easy, gentle exercises as prescribed, should clear up in ten or twelve weeks.

It’s a considerable relief. I caught a cab down there, as I wasn’t sure quite where it was, but took the bus back. Cycling not really possible – that involves using all the hip joint and bum muscles that are affected.

RSV stuff

I was on the clinical trial panel for trials of the RSV vaccine, which has now got approval. They’ve now unsealed the blinded list, and (as I thought) I had received the placebo both times. So I’ve now been given the opportunity to have the vaccine for real, as part of  followup study (I think to see for how long it remains effective).

So, over to Birmingham today, to see the hunky Dr Peter Keighley and the team. The usual mountain of paperwork, chat, a quick physical, and then the jab. Followed by a compulsory sit under observation for 30 minutes – I suppose it’s necessary, but I was starting to get antsy about catching the train. The 1556 is about the last train that there’s the slightest hope of getting a seat on – and I did catch it with 4 minutes to spare. Usual rush-hour buses in Worcester, but I did get the last seat on the #35, so home about 1700. So far, my arm isn’t objecting to the jab, but it’s early days …

Riso

The Riso engineer last visited a year ago. Yesterday, I had to have the engineer out again! Perhaps it’s the time of year … Anyway, the reading yesterday was 2,371,900 – so I’ve done just over 400,000 copies in the last year. EEEK! Mostly double-sided, but still not far short of quarter of a million bits of paper.

Knowing the engineer’s early habits, I’d got the machine out the night before. He rang very shortly after 9, and arrived around 9.30 – which is about the earliest that there’s a reasonable chance of on-street parking round here.. Riso now fixed … there’s a queue of around 6,000 to do (12,000 sides), with about the same again promised for next week.

daylight …

After some five years, the “daylight” bulb over the plants in the dark corner of my room expired. As always, it was a bit of a hunt to find a replacement (GU10, 6500k, 38 degree, 6 or 8 watt), but one finally arrived this morning. Such a relief to be able to put it in, to replace the “emergency” warm white 110-degree horror that’s been standing in for it.

autumn cravings

Dark evenings and cold drizzle have triggered a massive carbohydrate craving! My body is clearly trying to store up fat for winter hibernation … and it’s succeeding: 1.5kg (about 3 lb) put on in the last week, which is not good.

I’ve still got the last quarter of a lemon-and-caraway-seed cake to finish, ditto large apple pie (bought pastry, homegrown apples), and the second half of a cottage pie is nearly ready for supper. Sensible diet to resume tomorrow … probably.


runner beans old and new

The runner beans are dying back (partly because I didn’t water them during the recent dry spell). Soon it will be time to bring in the pods to finish drying, hull, and store the beans for winter soups and stews.

Nearly the last of the 2023 beans were soaked overnight, boiled briskly this morning, and will go in the slow cooker as part of a bean/lentil/onion/chorizo stew for tonight.


garden bits

It’s truly autumn! Aching bones due to pervasive dampness, despite an indoor temperature of 22C when I got up this morning (though the heating has not been on for several weeks). Outside, the Deacon’s pear and Worcester Pearmain apple are both just about ready.