Broken bones

Had a so,so night, its not easy sleeping with your leg up; but I did sleep a little better than the day before, still woke up to early this time it was 4am better than 2 I suppose.
So here I am waiting for Hubby to wake up reading my book and post a little on face book and my blog. Eventually he wakes up and by now its 830 am sure he had a better sleep in the spare room.

He helps me to get a wash and brings me breakfast....So now I have been fed and watered on Weetabix and coffee, and am back seating with my leg elevated and reading my book am doing well, so long I don't put my foot on the floor I'll be fine, I still feel twinges but its bearable don't really need to take painkillers anymore. Jennifer and little jaylee will be arriving soon to keep me company. Jennifer is cooking dinner for me one of her signature dishes  (((Chilli-con-carne))) I wont starve that's for sure....I have decided to cut carbohydrates from my diet while I am unable to walk, therefore not burning any calories although I will miss my pasta...

I cannot afford to put on anymore weight than I already have since I packed up smoking over two years ago, as hubby keeps telling me, you are to big he says.... that's why I have trouble heaving myself up the stairs, he is right I know....So know its salads vegetables a little meat or fish and fruit.
By now the cast is feeling very loose and it hurts when I stand on my crutches it scraps on my ankle, I phone the fracture clinic and they make an appointment  for me to go there on Monday. They informed me that it takes forty eight hours for the cast to harden and that was the day before that I had it done which was on Saturday, so I stay upstairs the whole weekend...I have been so bored can't even look at my garden lol..

I am a little worried we are going to the old homeland in October and it'll take five weeks for the cast to come off which will just a few day's before we fly out, am wondering how am going to cope Madeira is not easy terrain to walk with its inclines, one thing is for sure I wouldn't be able to do my walks which I love, but I have to wait and see.. So am here seating on my bed propped up with cushions with my leg up having lunch smoked mackerel salad with little Jaylee seating next to me eating bread with peanut butter.

My Sister Elsa popes in and keeps me company and she offers to come round on Sunday to help out... But with the girls coming over and now my sister, so I said thank you, but Luis would want to be the one helping at least on the Sunday I think he was feeling pushed out with the girls making a fuss of me and my sister now...It was quite funny on Saturday Mia had left a bell by my bed so that I could call for help is it was needed....Hubby was downstairs preparing my breakfast and I needed his help so I rung the bell and he goes oh! what is that? you think you calling the servants and we both fell about laughing it was so funny glad that he could see the funny side......

Missing my walks and my talks with my friend Paula we always had a good walk and a laugh out in the footpaths of Essex way

Lake by gravel pit

footpath by the lake

Gelder and gatekeeper

Gelder rose

Broken bones

Day 5 Still hobbling around, Hubby helps me up and breakfast is served, bowl of fresh fruit and plain yoghurt, then to the bathroom and another struggle to get downstairs....Have a hospital appointment at 10am so soon after 9 hubby helps me to the car it very exhausting hopping on one leg, we arrive at the Hospital and hubby goes to get a wheelchair  no way could I hop in my crutches all the way...

My name is called and was told that am having a full cast fitted so off I go to the plaster room to get truly plastered ((ahah)) then was sent to take another x-ray then back to see the Doctor where he informs me that the break has not shifted since the first x-ray was taken and that I did not need to be operated, thank goodness for that at least. Before I leave the nurse tells me that I should seat with my leg up higher than my waist, and that I should not be going down and up stairs putting  strain on  the leg...

Decided to take the Hospital advice and stay upstairs with my leg up...Had a bad night woken up at 2am and that was that, felt sorry for hubby I kept him awake with my tossing and turning, well not exactly turning....So its decided from now on, or until I get this dam cast of his sleeping in the spare room like that, he at least will have a goodnights sleep.

Am feeling so useless am really missing my walks with my friend Paula, Although she has found a new playmate ((Haha)) missing my garden too... my husband and my girls have been wonderful Jennifer bless her cooked us a fish pie yesterday and it was delicious should've asked Hubby to take a picture. Today is Mia's turn bless her its her day off and she offered to come cook for me to... Mia phones and asks if she needs to buy anything I say no Daddy has gone to buy veggies, and pork steaks was taken from the freezer. She asks so what am I cooking? Then she say's so you give me a bag of groceries and then what! (((Ready Steady Cook))) I laugh and say ok surprise me....

And she did! Pork steak in a mushroom sauce with carrots French beans and broccoli delicious my babies are very good cooks.... Missing my walks and the open countryside...

Broken bones

On the 26th of August walking through my sitting I go and slip  and crush with a great big thud on my bum with my foot trapped under me, my Daughter jumps up to help I was so winded that I could hardly speak....

Should've gone to A&E but thinking it was only a sprain I did not, but after a restless night Hubbie made me go to hospital, where after an xray was told that I had broken my ankle, and now am in plaster and feeling useless.

Hade a barbecue planed for the 28th, I phone my brother and told him if he doesn't mind helping that they still should come up, on a time like this I needed people around me....they come up on Sat and what a great help they were! Rui and his wife Salvina Baked an orange drizzle cake from one of my recipe's and marinated the meats for next day....

On Sunday again they did most of the work bless them....then my sister arrives and she also gave a helping hand, when the rest of my family arrived everything was ready to go....Am so glad that I had not canceled..... its on situations like this when one needs the family around, I felt loved and cared for.

On Monday day 3 Hubby is looking after me, he makes me breakfast of fruit and natural yoghurt, then he helps me get washed and dressed. Coming down stairs was a very funny affair leg in front of me and bumming step by step a lot easier than going back up in the evening, what a struggle that was! I feel so weak no strength in my arms so that I could heave myself up but I did it with my husband behind me shouting instructions on how I should be doing it, Quite comical really.... in the end I shouted back that I was the one with the broken ankle and that I was the one feeling the pain. lol!!!!

Day 4 not much change from yesterday, still crippled!!!!! Had a shower lol what a performance!!!! With hubby's help I hop in the bath...did I say hop ahah that's a joke! What really happened was I seat in the bath with my good leg over and then hubby lifts my plastered leg over and that's when I hop to the window sill which is just above the bath, what a nightmarish event.....But I get washed without falling>>>>> of course hubby had to help.

Breakfast  was coffee and a banana, going to see if I keep of carbohydrates while I am incapacitated, since am not doing my walks its only day four and am already finding it very hard not being able to go walking or gardening am missing my chats with my friend Paula and the countryside!!! Paula popped round with a bag full of books bless her at least I'll be excising my brain, if not my legs...Have I mention that my girls have been making sure that am ok! well Jennifer cooked our diner on Tuesday roast pork with caulycheese and green beans, on Wednesday fish pie...

.And on Thursday

Missing walking by

 Mia came over and did her ready steady cook.... That's what she called it... quite funny really she phoned to ask if she needed to buy anything so that she could cook the dinner, I said no Daddy had gone to get vegs and he had taken from the freezer pork steaks, and she say's! So what am I cooking then? And then she say's oh you give me a bag of goods and i'll do ready steady cook and see what I come up with....I must say she done herself proud...She done the pork in a lovely mushroom sauce with beans carrots and broccoli (((delicious)))

Memories

Once again I have been made to remember the happy times that I have had of my childhood< But its not that way with all my siblings. Yesterday tried to speak to my sister who is three years older than I, and she starts with I am not in a good place today!!!!
Am in hell....She says that for 27 years after Mum died she has had no piece of mind!! You see when my lovely Mum passed away she was there at the hospital... Few days before I went to visit Mum at the hospital before we went to the homeland for our annual  holiday, we did not expect Mum to die so soon...

So we say our goodbyes and we left.... then I don't know what happened I ran back and give her a big hug I suppose I had a premonition that I wasn't to see her again... My heart weighs heavy to..... for that great loss that we all felt at the time, and my memories are of the happy times and of the wonderful Mother that she was to us all....

So why does she feel so bereft, she has this idea in her head that Mum did not like her and I can't for the life of me, understand where that is coming from, Mum had a hard life she had a large household to look after and at times she used to get angry with us when we did not help but I don't think that is reason to think that she did not like any of us!!!! 

So I suppose that I to am in hell too, but only because my sister has this thoughts My Mum loved us all and I never felt growing up, that it was anything other than love for her children.... My heart goes to my sister but her memories are so distorted from mine! we grew up side by side and at times I think which house has she grown up? We grew up in a small quinta surrounded by trees and sugar cane, that was our playground too, we climbed trees  like any other child.......

Memories

Why is it that families disband when our children grow up. I thought we were a very close happy family! we used to get together at Christmas and it was one long party with us all together having a merry time....But looks like I was looking through a gossamer lining not really seeing the cracks that must have been there.

Am so sad when I think how things were< and how they are now....Since my younger sister died everything disintegrated. My elder sister decided that she does not need anyone in her life....When asked she say's that shes got her daughters and grand children and that is enough for her...its so sad I couldn't live like that I need my family not just my daughters but I need the rest of my family like Brothers, Sisters, nieces, cousins and of course friends....

I don't understand how all of this has started, but it did soon after my dear sister passed away...I have tried to see if she relents but everytime I ask her to visit she declines.
I feel so hurt that at times its unbearable. But its not all bad the rest of the family still in touch even my Elder sister children are in touch with me and at least once a year they come to visit. (((bless them)))

My once happy family

My lovely brothers.

Walking the Essex way

This week the weather has been far to hot! I cannot cope with this heat, one of the reasons why I don't go to the Homeland in the summer is the heat.... Because not only do I have to contend with the heat but also the inner heat, It seems that when the temperature rises so does my power surges.....

Anyway Paula and I take to the footpaths with our legs and arms covered,  hiking boots too.
We make sure that we are well covered otherwise we arrive home covered in scratches we tend to go out of the beating track, sometimes we have to beat a track through the woods, my friend always says think of it as an adventure and I do....

On Monday we walked to the old airfield, looks like we missed the daises but there was plenty other wild flowers to Photograph and butterfly's.... We walked on and climbed the bank wish was created due to the gravel extraction, nature is already claiming it back covered in wild flowers the insects loving it.
On the other side a channel of water is establishing itself it looked like a mini river with the rough banks on other side.

Leaving all this nature behind because we could not linger,  were not supposed to be here but we are intrepid explores  Paula and I, we just love to see what nature has thrown back at us....So we carry on and this time its on the right path, to the Kelvidon road.. The post box has been invaded by bees the local beekeeper was informed by Paula.
It has been a morning full of surprises at the airfield we see a kestrel and on way home a buzzard by then we were on cloud nine.

On Tuesday another walk another adventure, today no walking am meeting with friends for lunch.
Looking forward to tomorrows walk I wonder what we will find!

Airfield that was....

Hanger

what is left of the old airfield

Haystack

Scabious 

Ragworth

Water channel

Kestral

Buzzard

And the lake on way home

Walking the Essex way

This week the weather has been far to hot! I cannot cope with this heat, one of the reasons why I don't go to the Homeland in the summer is the heat.... Because not only do I have to contend with the heat but also the inner heat, It seems that when the temperature rises so does my power surges.....

Anyway Paula and I take to the footpaths with our legs and arms covered,  hiking boots too.
We make sure that we are well covered otherwise we arrive home covered in scratches we tend to go out of the beating track, sometimes we have to beat a track through the woods, my friend always says think of it as an adventure and I do....

On Monday we walked to the old airfield, looks like we missed the daises but there was plenty other wild flowers to Photograph and butterfly's.... We walked on and climbed the bank wish was created due to the gravel extraction, nature is already claiming it back covered in wild flowers the insects loving it.
On the other side a channel of water is establishing itself it looked like a mini river with the rough banks on other side.

Leaving all this nature behind because we could not linger,  were not supposed to be here but we are intrepid explores  Paula and I, we just love to see what nature has thrown back at us....So we carry on and this time its on the right path, to the Kelvidon road.. The post box has been invaded by bees the local beekeeper was informed by Paula.
It has been a morning full of surprises at the airfield we see a kestrel and on way home a buzzard by then we were on cloud nine.

On Tuesday another walk another adventure, today no walking am meeting with friends for lunch.
Looking forward to tomorrows walk I wonder what we will find!

Airfield that was....

Hanger

what is left of the old airfield

Haystack

Scabious 

Ragworth

Water channel

Kestral

Buzzard

And the lake on way home