General Chat

Hello Sallie, Roly's blood pressure is going in the opposite direction now, he was down to 117 over something this morning.
I think he needs a medication review, but he took a sleeping tablet last night, and I am wondering if that has something to do with the low B.P reading.
It does worry me, but as our doctor has said, he is not suffering any other side effects, ie dizziness, giddiness, or light headedness, so she is not to worried about it.
Honestly you can't win, it's either sky high, or lower than it should be.
We are supposed to be going away Friday, so I just hope it sorts itself out before then.
The dog is behaving himself, at the moment anyway. He still wont eat out of his bowl, and we have to stay in the kitchen whilst he eats from the kitchen floor.
Our grandaughter contacts me every night to make sure he is o.k.

When is Aluns appointment at the hospital ? It has completely slipped my mind the actual date of it.

No news from our Jean, I do hope she is o.k.

Sending best wishes to Sylvia, Marie, Ann, and Huia, and hoping they are all well.

Take care everyone, hugs Mo xxx

Hi,Mo and ladies, still in the land of the living, :-D :-D I have been very tired lately and a bit bored , with no cards to make, hope to take a boxful into a charity shop soon,
D took some into work this morning , but still have two lots in boxes. maybe its time to have a look at the christmas box and see how many I have from last year ;-) ;-) ;-)

I have been doing a walk each day, going a bit farther each time, so hard for me to do...also trying to off load some weight, thats so difficult to do too. :-| :-|

I hope Roly can manage to regulate his b/p my friend has parkinsons and diabetic , she is really struggling as her blood count was down to 2 she does do her own injections but its quite worrying....

Hope everyone else is coping with any problems they may have....

lifes a B***h at times

take care , one and all....love Jeanxx <3 <3 <3

Mo, I hope that Roly will be okay so that you can can both go away on Friday, the holiday will do you both, the world of good. Let's hope that Roly's blood pressure.behaves' iiself from now on..

I only have to see a bp monitor and my bp goes sky high. lol! Alun has had to check his blood pressure over the last five weeks.so that the Specialist can check that it is staple, but it is up and down, so don't know what he'll make of it. Alun's appointment is on Saturday morning at half past ten



Jean, well done on doing some walking and going a bit further each day each day.

Trouble is Jean, you have always kept yourself busy making cards, so you are bound to feel a bit bored, going from making lots of cards to doing none at all.


Huia, well done to you too, it;s great that you are able to jog on the spot


Goodnight girls, sleep well.


Will chat soon.




Love, Sallie. xxx

Hi everyone

Mo .... sorry to hear that Roly's bp is bouncing around!!

Did they give you any instructions for taking his bp at home??

I've had to take my own bp for the last 12 years, and have been given the following instructions. Unfortunately, I wasn't given them all at the same time ......... ones have been added as the years have passed, and drs have wondered why there are differences!

1. Take the bp at about the same time every day, unless the doctor has told you otherwise.

2. Sit comfortably with your arm supported ...... being able to lay your hand and lower arm on a table or arm of a chair is ideal

3. Sit with the feet planted firmly on the floor. Do NOT cross your legs or ankles.

4. Be sure you have applied the bp band correctly

5. Take 2 or 3 readings at 5 minute intervals

6. Do not drink coffee or other stimulating drink within 1 hour before taking the bp

7. Do not take the bp immediately after eating.

8. Do no talk while the readings are being taken


Hope this helps

Hello my darlinks,
Thank you for the advice Sylvia, when we saw the doctor last time, she told us most of your reccommendations.
I am pleased to say, that for the last couple of days, the B.P has been pretty constant, making us believe the problems were caused by Roly taking a sleeping tablet, for two nights on the trot.
Bless him, he can't win, it's either take the tablet and sleep all night, or wake up several times a night looking out of the bedroom window, or running to the loo.

Sallie, when I worked in the Pharmacy, and was trained to take B.P, we were told of people who suffered white coat syndrome, ie, fear of doctors or nurses who have to take patients B.P. It sounds like you could be a sufferer sweetheart.
It surprising when we go to our doctor for ours to be checked, there are stairs we have to climb, or we could be lazy and take the lift, and nine out of ten readings are really good even after the climb upstairs.
Roly's seems to climb when we are at home.....but then that could be my moaning that causes that LOL
I do hope things go well for Alun on Saturday, I shall be thinking of you both love.

It's good to hear from you our Jean, we have missed your lovely smiling face.
Well done on your having daily walks, not only will it be goood excercise, but the fresh air will work wonders in lightening your mood my darlink.

It looks like we are to have rain tomorrow for our journey, yuk, not nice for driving long distances, especially with all the lorries on the road kicking up spray.
If I have forgotten anything, well it's tough, we will have to go and buy it.
So my friends, I shall speak to you all again, on our return.
Please take care of yourselves whilst I am away. Love to you all, Mo xxx

Hi, had not realised that I have not posted for a while. Thought I had but must have been on another thread. We seem to have been busy bees this week.

23 May It was the start of the three day tall ships Festival in Gloucester Docks. Saturday was forecast to be the best weather of the three days so we chose to go then. As we walked through the town it was obvious from the number of people that something was on. To tie in with the festival the town centre had a sea shanty weekend and the four cross streets were decked out with the Union Jack. Arriving at the docks all we could see were people, hundreds of them. Although there were only four tall ships in this year there was also a large food and craft fair on, plus a fun fair and various musical and other acts. We walked right round the docks taking photos. We were very fortunate as there was a clear blue sky, the sun shone and it was warm. It was lovely to see everyone so happy and smiling.

We had lunch in Zizzi, they were crowded as well and we had to wait a while for our main course, having started our meal with a bread basket and oil and Balsamic vinegar dip. Tony had a skinny pizza and I had mushroom risotto, both very nice. After our meal we went into the Quays shopping centre and bought a couple of things in M&S Outlet shop.

We finally made our way back to the town centre people watching as we wandered through the unaccustomed crowds. We stopped to look at the stage set up in Kings Square but the act on there were only just warming up their guitars etc so we didn’t stop. It was a good day out and great to see so many people enjoying the sunshine and the spectacle.

25 May we drove to Malvern where there was a huge Flea Fair, too many stalls to see all of them but we spent two and a half hours wandering around looking. Didn’t actually buy much except for some plants and a chicken and ham pie. We had taken lunch so we ate that in the car before driving home. The car was actually absolutely covered in dust when we got back to it. Black is so not a good colour car to have.

26 May we drove to Homebase in Cheltenham, had coffee in Dunelm first though. We decided to buy a lighter weight lawn mower than the one we already have, keeping the heavier one for the first cuts of the season when the grass is tougher.. We bought a fairly cheap qualcast one that I can actually lift. I can’t lift the bigger one out of the shed. When we got home we both worked on the garden for an hour or so and started to clear out and tidy the shed. took a load to the dump.

27 May we attacked the shed with a vengeance. Really got rid of a lot of stuff and took another load to the dump. We can actually get inside the shed now.

Today was grocery shopping day and now I see that T has the water feature in pieces doing something to it. Always something to do in the garden isn't there.

Jean, keep on with the walking, even little bits help.

Sallie, hope all goes well for Alun on Saturday.

Sylvia, some good tips there, not that I take my BP at home Just have it done annually.

Mo, hope you have a lovely relaxing week and that the sea air and change of scenery does Rolly the world of good. :-) :-) :-) <3 <3 <3 <3

Hello girls,

Mo and Ann, Alun went to see the Specialist this morning, he told him that the leak in the mitral valve is quite severe and that it will either need repairing or a replacement valve. He will need to go for an angiogram soon to find out if there are any blockages, if so when they do the valve they wil also do a by-pass. Specialist did say that it would take a few weeks to sort out, but did say although it seems quick, Alun is not to worry as it isn't life threatening at the moment.

Mo hope that you and Roly are able to go away tomorrow and that you will both have a lovely time.


Yes Mo, my cousin who is a nurse first told me about white coat syndrome and then the doctor also mentioned it to me.



Ann, sorry I keep forgetting to tell you how lovely all your photos are of your garden etc Thanks for sharing them with us all.

I'm sure that you and T go away soon, but can't remember when you go.


Jean, where are you? Hope that you and the family are all okay.


Sylvia, Huia and Marie also hope you and your families are okay too.


Take care everyone.



Love, Sallie. xxx

Hi Mo, and everyone

we are slowly recovering form the visit of our daughter and grandson! He's a real live wire, who needs lots of attention!!


Mo ......... the other thing to watch for when taking bp that I forgot to mention is to make sure that you don't need to pee :-D


Sallie ....... glad to hear that Alun has had his meeting with the Specialist, and that you now know what is wrong. I do hope he does not have to wait too long for the angiogram and then the operation


Ann ........ you've been busy :-)


I also suffer from white coat syndrome ........... that's one reason why I take my bp at home. The doctors now take my home bp results over those that show in the office!

I'm supposed to take my bp 2 or 3 times a week ...... sometimes 2 months go by :-( I'm trying to do it every other day at the moment as I have dr's appointment on June 8th, the first one since early December. It will also be my 6 monthly post-mastectomy check up.

Morning all, I know what you mean Sylvia, lovely to see the littlies , but peaceful when they go, Their energy astounds me... but its lovely when they come , we all seem a lot younger joining in the fun and games....our ggrandson is two and never stops talking , he has a wicked sense of humour and has us in stitches, we are all going out for my birthday meal next Saturday, last time it was Jeffs birthday and he didnt really understand it , but this year will be a lot different.... especially as its the big 80 this time, goodness knows what my lot has planned ..... I am not a party person these days , years ago I loved parties now I am quite happy staying put and have a hot chocolate :-D :-D :-D.....

I hope the weather behaves for Mo and Roly, it poured down most of the day yesterday but the evenings are lovely still quite cool though...

Sallie you will have a new man in your life when Alun has his op, its good that Jennie will be with you , when Jeff was so ill 4 years ago ( can you believe it how time flies) it was lonely during the day and hectic at night with the visiting..
we will continue in our love and prayers for him and all your family too...

I have had trouble with cramps, nightime isnt too bad now but its started during the day always does it when i walk more, then gradually calms down... very painful at the time. :-| :-|

Love to Marie Huia and anyone else who looks in... take care ...

Love Jean xxx <3 <3

Hello girls,

Lets hope that the weather be good over the next for Mo and Roly,and that they will have a good time.


Jean, I'm sure that you will enjoy your meal out with all the family next Saturday, to celebrate such a special birthday.


Not sure about Alun being a new man lol!!, but I shall feel a lot happier when he has had the operation, Jean.



Sylvia, it's surprising how many people suffer from white coat syndrome, the Therapist
that I see at the moment, also suffers from it, in fact he hates anything to do with doctors and hospitals etc,,,,

It's nice to know that we are not the only ones that suffer from it.lol!!


Ann, hope that you and T are both okay.



Huia and Marie, hello to you both and hope that you are both OK.


Take care everyone.




Love, Sallie, xxx

Sallie ...............

I once had a doctor who hated having injections ..... so he would not go to his doctor to have the flu injection that all health workers were supposed to have!

He just trusted to luck :-0


He was a great doctor, I just loved him ......... but did find it hard to be sorry for him the day I went to his surgery and he had a broken rib and a cough. He was complaining of the pain, but then admitted it was his own fault 'cos he had not had the flu vaccine

In fact, I had to laugh at his story of how he had broken his rib.

His doctor had told him he was too old to do as much skiing as he was doing (he also suffered badly with arthritis). So, he had decided to try snowboarding :-0

This one time he had fallen ..... but having played rugby in his youth, he automatically did what he had been trained to do back then, ie, curl his arm around his chest with his closed fist near the armpit as he fell.

You don't do that when snowboarding on hard snow!

His own fist had broken his rib :-D

Sylvia, I love it,really made me laugh :-D :-D. It's funny to think that a doctor can feel the the same way about injections, doctors etc., as the rest of us 'mere mortals. :-D :-D

Jean, where are you? Hope that you are okay and resting in time for your birthday bash.lolol!!



Love, Sallie.xxx <3 <3

Hi, Sallie, we were hoping that C and S was coming this afternoon, but S has tonsillitis

D said he sounded rough, so best to stay at home, he does a lot of travelling with his job, tomorrow he is due to go to Scotland, I think he is very tired and run down, but he loves his job and has done very well....

Change of plan re; birthday bash, we are having an afternoon tea party at home and during the week J D and I are going to a chinese restaurant were the chinese dine I have been before and its a traditional one lots of dishes in little bamboo didshes, I love it, dont know if J will though...lol.. D and her friend go often....so quite looking forward to it.... I have been card making today, mainly sympathy cards hadnt made any, also some small pretty cards..... I got the tattered lace mag and the free die was a spray of leaves its a lovely die and I have cut quite a few...lots of info about different ways of using them...

A very good site to watch is youtube tutorials, by Sue Wilson, I just put it in the search slot and loads came up , she is very good and explains everything clearly... worth a look...

I am just going to have a cuppa nd a custard pie. so will see you later...

Love Jean xxx <3 <3

Hello my darlinks, I am back home.
What a time we have had. We travelled up to Yarmouth in the pouring rain, past all the flaming lorries that scared the pants off me spraying rain up from the roads.
Saturday morning, we managed to get into Yarmouth to take a look around, then lo and behold, the darned rain started again.
Sunday it was raining cats and dogs, then the wind got up and it was generally horrendous.
Monday we managed to get out for a couple of hours, before the weather changed yet again.
We were both absolutely freezing cold every night in bed, that was with even extra bedding on the bed.
When we got up yesterday morning, we decided to cut our loses, and come back home.
How can two of us make so much washing in such a short time. Three loads later, I have got it all washed, dried and ironed and put away, what a good girl I am LOL

Sallie, Alun will be fine sweetheart. Thank the lord it is something that can be sorted out quite easily for Alun, and that it's not life threatening.
I know you will still be worried, but try not to my love.
I was thinking of you on Saturday, dodging in and out of the rain drops.
Roly had the angiogram done up through his groin, but his cousin had his done last month, and they went up through his arm, because he had had so many done in his groin there was to much scar tissue for them to get through, Tony has had so many heart attacks in the past, he is one lucky man to have survived them all. Thank the lord he has though.

Hi there Jean, Sylvia, Huia and Ann, I hope you are all well.
Bye for now my friends speak to you tomorrow, love and hugs Mo xxx

Oh Mo, what a shame that you couldn't stick it out as the weather is supposed to change now. Never mind you will be warmer at home now but I am so sorry your holiday had to be abandoned.

Hello girls. I am having a forced break from scanning negatives, as the scanner has a problem. It will still scan photos, but not negatives. I went to town this morning to see if I could buy a new one. The one I have is just a small one but did the job fine, but now they aren't making that size anymore, and the next size up will cost twice as much. But I have so many negs to scan I am having it anyway. The only trouble is they don't have any in stock and it will be a month or so before they get it, presumably from overseas. Ah well, I can continue scanning photos for which I don't have the negatives.

Hello to all my friends and hope that you and your families are all okay


Richard and Christie went to Cardiff this morning until tomorrow night. They are going to see the band, Manic Strret Preachers playing at Cardiff Castle tomorrow night.....so looking forward to it . Once they have seen the show, they will have to start
their journey home, as they couldn't boo ka hotel for tomorrow night, even though they first tried in January'



Mo ,sorry that you had to leave your holiday early because the weather wasn't very good. At least you managed to have a few days out while the weather wasn't too bad.

Hope that Roly's bp is ' behaving itself ' so that he is okay.

Gosh,it sounds as though Roly's cousin has had a lot of health problems over a long while, I hope that the doctors will be able to get it all sorted out for him.




Jean, have you made any cards today? I have started on making Christmas cards, so hopefully I wiil have them all done in time for. Couldn't make any at all last year, so had to buy them, but they were not the same quality as the cards that we card makers make.

I got your email Jean, but unfortunately not the pictures of your cards,sorry not to have had them.




Ann, I wondered where you were as I hadn't seen you around for a few days.



Huia, sorry to hear that you have to wait a month before you receive your new scanner,although you never know it might arrive a bit earlier than the date the shop gave you. Let's hope so.


Sylvia, hope that all is well with you and OH.



Marie, hope all is well with you and yours.




Must go now, speak to you all soon.



Love, Sallie. xxx <3 <3

Just one Sallie for a friend who fell and broke his hip. just let him know we are thinking of him... I have spent most of the day making up a book of paper bows about 20 all different sizes, and some flowers, just sticking them together ready to use....
Sorry you havent recieved the pics, I sent some more just 4 in case your mail box was full.. dont know what else to do......

Jean, received the pics of your cards this evening, thanks for sending them again, they are lovely. I especially like the first pink card and also the blue.

Love, Sallie.xxx

Hello girls,
Coo Sallie,Richard and Christie would have had a lovely evening seeing the Manic Street Preachers. Such a shame that they couldn't get a hotel for the night though.
My daughter is a great UB40 fan, and used to enjoy goes to their concerts whenever she could, but now she is that much older, I don't think she can stand the pace, reaching nearly 50, she thinks she is to old to attend, but then if you are a fan you are a follower whatever age you are. Look at the Status Quo fans, all aging rockers, but still drawing the fans in.

Whilst I think about it......it's our lovely Jeans birthday tomorrow soooo

**********************************************************************************
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART, enjoy your special birthday.
Love and hugs from Roly and myself. xxx
***********************************************************************************

Phew. what a lovely day we have had today, mind you, the rain, thunder,and lightening during the night was not very nice, it woke me up lashing against the bedroom windows, I thought for a few minutes I was still in Yarmouth.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, hugs Mo xxx