Saturday 13th to Friday 19th
The Pennies Pinched..........................
Remembered to use £1 parking ticket voucher in Asda so free parking
Made batch of pizza bases to pop in freezer
Mixed up a box full of crumble topping for freezer
Took flask and snacks when going to hospital
Tap water run into jug while waiting for hot water - used to flush loo.
Knitted 2 dishcloths
Repaired a bird peanut feeder
Cut my own hair
The Spending..........................
Hospital Car park and Park and Ride for the week £11.50
Cat Food £12
Diesel £26
Batteries from Original Factory Shop £4*
Asda and Lidl Shopping..... Things that were gone from or getting low in the freezer - gammon joint, butter,baking fat,frozen peas,bread + cheese, fruit,salad,milk etc. £25
Clothes £3 ( shorts to fit my big bum from charity shop - rare find!especially in mid winter)
Xmas £2 ( two small gifts for friend from charity shop)
Phone Top Up and D/D for Cols phone £17.50
Borrowing DVD from library £1
Total for week £102
The excuse..........I wasn't expecting the DVD to arrive with the January mobile library!
The Fail...............Used the oven on two days to cook just one thing - tut,tut
The Bravery!............ I went home from hospital visiting via friends just over the Essex border. This is the first time I've driven there and back on my own. Very Exciting!
The Good News...........Colin is home from hospital. They decided that provided his blood pressure was OK on Thursday morning he could go home and I finally got a call from him late afternoon to say he was just waiting for tablets so just as it got dark and started to rain I set out to pick him up. He was so glad to get out as a really obnoxious, noisy and nasty old man had been causing hell for his family, nurses and fellow patients for the last 48 hours.
We eventually got home just after 8pm and he went straight to bed. Now we start the slow road to recovery again. He is incredibly tired and energy is non-existent, he's lost a lot of weight again and as for muscles - gone! Now need to keep him well so he doesn't have to go back again.
* On the subject of batteries - that is small AA ones for clocks and TV remote etc - has anyone bought a battery charger lately? We had one for years and it used to work really well, then it seemed to not be charging so we got some new re-chargeable batteries to see if they were the problem. But no, it's the charger not working. I want to get a new one but not sure what sort is best nowadays. In the meantime I have bought a pack of 8 Duracell AA for £4 which seems the cheapest decent ones around.
At least nowadays batteries can be recycled but I'd still prefer to use re-chargables if I can.
Back Monday
Sue
So glad Col is home. Good luck on the road to recovery.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteI’m so pleased that Colin is home again with you. It must be such a strain doing the constant trips to Hospital. He is best in his own home away from all the viruses and bugs going around this year too. All the best for his recovery and look after yourself, so important. I’m off to have the Flu jab this morning. I’m 64 so not eligible for the NHS one but getting a bit concerned about how bad it is so decided to get one from Boots.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed it's just once a week trips now
DeleteGlad Col's home.
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteGlad Col's home. wishing him well. x
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteGood to hear that Col is back home.
ReplyDeleteI love our two cats, but goodness do they cost a fortune to feed; I could feed two or three big dogs for the same price!
I hope your own battery charger is working well.
Best wishes to you.
Our one small cat eats two pouches and a bit of dry food every day - seems to cost too much but .............
DeleteSo glad Col I home, the best place to recover. Another 2 cat household here, I spend more on their food than mine, dare not buy in bulk as they go off things, I love them.
ReplyDeleteJust one small cat, who is relatively cheap compared to some but she's a dear little thing so we'll keep feeding her!
DeleteGood luck to Col - really pleased to learn that he is back home with you again.
ReplyDeleteI buy excellent long lasting AA batteries from Ikea - 10 for £1.95. As they are not on my doorstep I usually get more than one pack at a time. The Pound Shops are another good source of batteries and sell different well known brands.
I got some from Poundland and they lasted just 24 hours in a clock!
DeleteSo pleased to read Colin is home Sue and hope it stays that way. Remember to be kind to yourself Sue for you have been through the ordeal with him. Have a nice weekend my grand daughter (24).is coming with me and her Mum to choose curtains and a sofa for my new home. I really did not want a new sofa but just can not find a nice secondhand one and I am getting desperate now. Hazel c uk
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the sofa buying - big expense I expect.
DeleteBrilliant news that Col is home, now you can start to gradually feed him up with good home cooking and he will be able to get some uninterrupted sleep ... two very necessary requirements to recovery.
ReplyDeleteI just stock up on batteries when they are on offer, it was buy 8 get 8 free in Asda just before Christmas. We bought a charger and batteries just before one of our moves ... we never saw them again!!
Have a lovely weekend with Col, love to you both. Xx
I'm glad I'm not the only person to lose things when moving. Still puzzling over the simple plug in phone!
DeleteWonderful news!
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important elements for recovery is rest and lots of it so home is the best place for Col.
I think a hospital environment is not always the best place to be. It's certainly not restful!
Col being home will save you time, energy and money by not having to visit him but your energy will be used up in different ways.
Make sure, as much as possible, that you rest too. Hibernate for a while; that's all our weather is fit for at the moment. As the war poster says, “ Keep calm and carry on”.
Enjoy your weekend, Sue
He is certainly resting - no energy for anything except getting dressed and walking to the loo!
DeleteWhat a relief for Col to be back home, rest and recovery is best done at home away from the hospital and all the commotion.
ReplyDeleteHis last 48 hours there were really awful, I think he was getting very depressed
DeleteSo glad Colin is home. Gave up on rechargeable batteries as they seemed to need recharging with more and more frequency. Also had a charger that would recharge ordinary batteries but after a couple of times of use they would start leaking. Buy my batteries from Aldi now, they are at the till display, or Poundland 12 for £1 Kodak or Panasonic.
ReplyDeleteI had some 12 for a £1 Kodak ones and they only lasted 24 hours in a clock!
DeleteThrilled to read that Col is home! Very best wishes to you both xx
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteBrilliant news that Col is Home. Well done for your bravery. I hate driving out of my “zone” If OH was out of action I would have to and that scares me.
ReplyDeleteI was terrified the first time I drove on busy A14 at night, couldn't judge the distance of cars overtaking, but getting used to it now
DeleteI had a John Lewis battery charger once, My experience similar to Veronica Betts above. In fact it was pressed upon me by an enthusiastic member of the sales team in electrics and I wonder at my reason for ever falling for it such is my annual use of batteries. I am pleased for Col that he is back in his own bed in his own surroundings.
ReplyDeleteHe is very pleased to be in his own bed too and in a room where no one is shouting and swearing which was what he had for 48 hours on the ward before escaping!
DeleteThat is good news that Col is home - wishing both of you all the very best. I'm another one who never got on with rechargeable batteries. Aldi batteries all the way for me now.
ReplyDeleteI shall try Aldi next time after 2 recommendations
DeleteVery, very glad that Col is home with you again. Just what you both need. And I'm most impressed with the bravery - I'm another who hates driving to new places. I'm obsessive about planning the route and I even 'drive' it using Google Maps and still I lose sleep over it.
ReplyDeleteJ x
I'm glad I'd driven places with Col with me before having to do it on my own, he has some sort of inbuilt map in his head and always knows his way everywhere!
DeleteWell the sentiment is all the same, Col is safe at home hurrah. Expensive cats/cat you own, dogs seem cheaper, though of course one has to add in medical insurance for them, which comes in the same price as my dentist's monthly fee. One of the things when I bought my small Kia was not paying road tax but still having to go to the post office to register the fact!
ReplyDeleteJust one small cat and she doesn't eat much but still seems blinkin' expensive even without the annual cat flu jab at the vets
DeleteSo pleased to hear that Col is finally home...nothing like your own home to aid recovery. Have a lovely weekend together, doing what you fancy and enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside.
ReplyDeleteMuch resting in order for the weekend for him and some for me too
DeleteGlad you have Col home again, Sue, as you will be able to cook him good food in a quiet, comfortable home to help his recovery. He’s a brave man and I admire your strength in these worrying times. PS well done on the haircut-I have let mine go au naturel over the last year and had it cut short. Catriona
ReplyDeleteHe's very pleased to be home and in the quiet
DeleteWe got our, Novete, from Amazon, takes all different size batteries and works well. Colin is in the best place to gain strength and get well, enjoy having him home with you.
ReplyDeleteI shall investigate that make - thank you
Deletelovely news that Col is home.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sadie
DeleteI had a feeling that Col was going to be coming home for this weekend. He must feel so weak, and only up to being a bookend for a while, but at least he will have decent food again, and your company, and can just be him, instead of a patient and to be able to SLEEP without being woken up for BP tests, and being poked and prodded and needled. What is up with some folk (e.g. the abusive patient next to him)?
ReplyDeleteI just have a mental list of what we have spent this month, which suddenly got a blardy sight huger with the repair bill for the Doblo, and paperwork/deposit/tax on new-to-us car. Needs must, and never has my fridge has so few left-over bits in it - every last scrap being utilised in one way or another. Lidl shop today for the week to come: £21.06 and it was only over £20 because they had fresh cherries on a 99p special so we got two trays as they are so good for you.
He is totally exhausted after 48 hours with almost no sleep.
DeleteCar repairs are a painful necessity - we had so many years with Col able to do everything himself.
Glad to read that Col is home. Such a welcome relief for you both.
ReplyDeleteI never liked driving to different places, although I have driven on the M1 and around Spaghetti Junction, but was so relieved when I reached my destination both ways. Don't drive any more so I've given my licence back.
Take care, both of you.
Joan (Devon)
I hope I NEVER have to face spaghetti junction on my own! I shall stay in Suffolk.
DeleteHappy to hear that Colin is back home. Being back home will do him a world of good.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Much more restful at home for sure
DeleteI am so glad that Col is home.
ReplyDeleteI have a Duracell charger for AA and AAA batteries. It works OK but takes quite awhile to charge. Supposedly some of the newer rechargeable batteries will hold a charge after you charge them but before you use them. But I've probably charged them too far ahead and I never seem to have a fully charged battery when I need it. So I often buy " regular" batteries on sale at a drugstore (CVS). The batteries sold at Dollar Tree (equivalent to your Poundland) are not good.
My Poundland batterys lasted just 24 hours!
DeleteI'm so pleased to read your husband is home- there is nothing like home-- all good wishes for his recovery. Congratulations on the driving I don't like driving when it gets dark and I'm not very good at driving new places = good for you. I hope all goes well, I'm sure just being in his own bed will feel great. Jean/Winnipeg.
ReplyDeleteGot to try and keep him well now while he gets over the stem cell transplant
DeleteFantastic to read the news that Col is home.
ReplyDeleteHugs-x-
Thank you
DeleteMy car has just cost me £1000 for a clutch and coolant system repairs so that was goodbye to a no spend January!! :(
ReplyDeleteWhat an expensive bad start to the year for you,hope it runs well for the rest of 2018
DeleteIt had better do!! :-)
DeleteGetting Colin home was the best reason to drive on the A14 and in the dark. It really can be a scary drive. I bet home never looked so good to both of you.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you might consider writing a column on the good and bad of staying in hospital in the U.K. as I believe many of your followers are from outside the U.K.
Best wishes to you both, stay warm, sleep and eat.
I've done the drive several times now in the dark and it always seems to be raining - horrible spray from all the trucks
DeleteSo pleased Col is home. Well done on your driving in the rain and dark which I hate. I have two battery chargers but don't use them anymore as I find the charge doesn't last long so use good batteries which last ages.
ReplyDeleteIn theory they ought to have improved since the 90s when they first appeared but seems not. I'm undecided
Delete:) xxx
ReplyDeletegreat news that Colin is home.It gets him away from all these bugs are going around at the moment.My daughter had flu last weekend and ended with pneumonia.She is a Type 1 diabetic which really complicates things.She ended up in A&E having intravenous antibiotics but they did not have a bed so sent her home at 5 o'clock in the morning!
ReplyDeleteBest news that Col is home. Sorry to hear of the obnoxious man in his room. My mom had a mean roommate in the nursing home. My mom finally moved to another room when a bed became vacant. I used to buy Panasonic batteries from Dollar Tree. They didn't last long. I buy Duracell or Energizer batteues when I need then. One of these companies has recharged and some do more than one size. Pricey but does save even though you have to use electricity. I ordered two instantpot cookbooks from library. One arrived on Wed. It answered a question my manual didn't have about mine I got for Christmas. Good way to cook things fast. Cheerio and have a good weekend with Col at home in a quiet house.
ReplyDeleteReally pleased Cole's home. Lots of tlc. Lisa xx
ReplyDeleteIt must be lovely having Col home, I hope he continues to go from strength to strength. I always take my used batteries to the supermarket for recycling so I don't feel guilty about buying them. great low spend!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear that Col is home! That's a much better place for recovery than a hospital. When my husband got home from a major surgery and then started chemotherapy, he was shockingly thin and weak. A nurse practitioner advised me to feed him lots of warm, protein-rich foods and to encourage him to walk outside a little bit each day (weather permitting) to build up his strength. It was a slow process, but every day brought tiny improvements that really added up over time.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you both!
So glad to hear that Col is home. Own bed, own chair, lot of good home cooking and tlc, not to mention a decent cup of tea! Wishing you both all the best in this time of rest and recovery!
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful news that Col is home! A much better place to rebuild his health. Fresh air and good home food with sleep anytime he needs is just the ticket.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear Col is home! Much better for you both! Your spend for the month is not bad considering you were driving back and forth to the hospital. You are quite wise at handling finances. I bet you could teach a course in saving money!
ReplyDeletePleased Col is home, it is a wonderful feeling to sink into your own bed. Batteries cost a fortune in Canada and never seem to go on sale.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased Colin is home - for both your sakes. A noisy hospital ward can be very frustrating when you are trying to rest. Not sure why but my cat is cheaper than yours! Half a Whiskers or Felix pouche am and pm and biscuits in between. He is quite a big cat.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that Col is home! We're all cheering him on and wishing him well. It must be such a relief! Good for you for driving somewhere new. I'm a little bit of a chicken and tend to stick to what I know lol
ReplyDeleteSo pleased to read that Col is home! It must be such a relief.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad Col is home from the hospital! I hope he soon starts to feel better.
ReplyDeleteExcellent new about Colin coming home. Well done on the driving as well. xx
ReplyDeleteWonderful news to hear that Colin has come home!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that your husband is home from the hospital. I hope he regains his strength and energy quickly.
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear that Col is home.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
So pleased to hear that Col is home :) Eilidh x
ReplyDeleteVery happy to hear Col is home. Sending him good karma. You are very brave doing all that driving in the dark and cold. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled for you both that Col is back home. X
ReplyDelete