Disabled and desperate

I thought maybe that was what had happened too...

There's something they talked about at that core stability exercise group I went to a couple of years ago.  If I remember correctly... a lot of us who have good days and bad days tend to push ourselves harder on good days and end up exhausted and in a boom and crash cycle.  They suggested that maybe we should pace ourselves to what we can do on a bad day, including on good days, and by doing that get out of the cycle.

Of course there are times when good ideas like that go out of the window... and moving is definitely one of them!

I guess I do do it a bit.  I try not to go mad when I'm feeling full of energy, and push through a bit when I'm not.  But with me exercise is definitely good for me unless it's really extreme, so often if I push myself to exercise on a bad day I end up loosening up and feeling better.  I guess it probably wouldn't work the same for you.

I'm slowly making headway on all the boxes and crates and things .. now searching the web for a really good 'A+' economy rated frost free 50/50 fridge freezer .. 

 I've already located an excellent corner wardrobe .. goes 3 feet along each wall .. then comes out a bit then the doors go across at an angle .. so a bit like a 'mini walk in' wardrobe .. it has 2 hanging rails on one side (6 feet hanging space) .. and the other side is large shelving blocks .. a nice chest of drawers and that'll be the bedroom sorted ..

Haven't put any curtains up yet .. but the lounge does have those vertical strip fitted blinds if I feel I want to shut the world out .. and the bedroom isn't overlooked .. I have some very nice Jacquard curtains in cream for the lounge .. 90x90 fully lined heavy weight material .. the subtle woven in pattern is butterflies .. for the bedroom I have some 'suede' material in a rich aubergine (plum, mauve, deep purple) .. they are rather nice .. but I also have some lined voile dandelion head pattern curtains that are very 'fresh' looking .. can't make my mind up .. !! And I LOVE the kitchen trolley it's in the Argos catalogue !! Once I get rid of the rest of the boxes I think it will all come together quite nicely .. and I've been able to get just what I want at good prices so I am very pleased all round ..

Oh well done, Patootie, it does sound as if you're making progress every day, and already have nearly all the big structural elements in place. Those are the ones that take the money and the courage, and once you have those set you can enjoy adding the little bits and pieces that make it home. I couldn't quite imagine your wardrobe, but it clearly has all the space you need, well arranged, and will as you said provide everything you need in the bedroom in one tidy package.

The woven butterflies sound perfect for a sitting room: enough patter not to be dull, but subtle enough not to take over the room. The choice for the bedroom is a bit tougher: might depend partly on how the light falls, and whether you want to brighten or darken the room? Anyway, you'll know when the time comes.

I hope you're going to be able to start enjoying life before too long. Another couple of weeks and you should actually have time to start going out and exploring! It's just amazing what you've done in only 6 months, Patootie. You are a real inspiration!!!

And Rowan, your idea of pacing yourself by the hard days is a very sensible one. I think we all have a tendency to push too hard, even those of us who are lucky enough to be healthy, and probably we would ALL be better for following your advice!

Very busy weekend here. Mr C is churchwarden and we have the bishop of Gibralter here this weekend: ordination of our new curate today, confirmation tomorrow, followed by birthday lunch for a friend. By tomorrow night we are all going to be shattered! But it's all good fun. Only thing is, I'm falling asleep, so I'm off to bed! Night night. xx

Oh Patootie, that's really palatial! It sounds like such a lovely size for one person---really spacious but still manageable. Sometime can you describe the setting? I mean is it a single X-story block of flats, or is a number of smaller buildings? How are they arranged? Do you look inward toward other flats or outward, and if outward, what can you see?

As to the table and chairs, hang in there! If it's just what you want, it's worth waiting for, and they're bound to get it right eventually ))

Had a very busy weekend (we had the bishop visiting our church this weekend, he did an ordination on Saturday and confirmation on Sunday, and as Mr C is churchwarden and I'm in the choir, we spent both days racing around collecting and delivering things and people and preparing for, attending, and sorting out after services!) so I'm off to bed now. Sleep tight!

PART 1 

It's a two story building .. I am in one of the upper flats .. I have a really good flight of steps about 40 feet from my door and at the top of the steps is the lift .. so on my good days I can use the steps .. bad days the lift .. the complex is a fairly big 'U' long/narrow shape (but with straight lines not roundy) ..  .. at each end of the building is an electronically (and key) operated entrance way .. and just to one side of my flat is the main entrance .. if someone buzzes up to me I can see who it is if I look out of the window .. so no 'surprise' visitors and I can 'hide' if I want to hehehe

I am in one of the 'narrow' parts .. so I look out on both sides of the longest part of the building .. I have a small kitchen window that rather 'oddly' looks right through the corridor and I can see out of the corridor window across to the church graveyard .. (I've lived next to a cemetery twice before and also lived in an undertakers where my bedroom was the old laying out and viewing room) .. it's a large graveyard and surprisingly well visited .. some of the gravestones date back to the early 1800's and there is a little pathway through so I can ride my scooter in there .. very interesting looking at all the old gravestones .. there is a massive (obligatory)  yew tree alongside the pathway .. and lots of rose bushes with some of the most fragrant roses I have ever had the pleasure of smelling .. so I always stop for a quick sniff

The graveyard has dozens of trees and large bushes so is often filled with birds and provides a quiet and tranquil view .. when I am sitting down in my lounge I can see right through the kitchen window to the trees .. and of course see the birds flying around .. I can also see a tiny bit of sky above the tall trees .. clear blue sky this morning ..

On the lounge side .. I look out onto a view of the car park .. now that might sound a bit of a 'nasty' view  .. but it's actually a very pretty car park .. right in front of my large window (an 'L' shaped corner window 4 feet along one leg and 6 feet the other leg) .. and I DO mean right in front is a large cherry tree .. below which is various bird feeding stations .. right now I am sat next to the window and the birds are no more than 5-6 feet away .. there is also a squirrel that dashes around up and down the tree in the early mornings and late evenings .. he jumps off the roof right above my window and leaps onto the tree .. sometimes I can just see the little tail or a pair of feet hanging over the gutter .. then wait for it ... wheeee .. there he/she goes dashing along and down the tree to grab food from the bird stations ..

PART 2

The car park area has room for just 11 cars .. 3 sections with 5 spaces, 4 spaces and 2 spaces .. the roadway is a nicely tessellated herringbone pattern dark grey brick .. the pedestrian pathway is done with creamy coloured bricks in a block pattern .. around each of the little car park areas are well tended, pretty gardens that are full of flowers .. there are also flower borders and lawns right around the whole building .. and there are loads of seating areas so people can sit outside and either enjoy the sunshine or move into the shade whichever they please ..  

Right along the roadway and parking areas are really nice Italian styled lamps .. the big glass globes when lit up in the evenings make the whole area look rather like an Italian Plaza .. honestly, I half expect to see sets of chairs and tables laid out with folk taking coffee in the evenings ..  .. across the car park is a tall hedge of trees that pretty much block out anyone overlooking the complex .. so whilst I am only 1/2 mile from all the shops, library, doctors, dentist, freshly baked bread shop etc it's usually pretty quiet .. even though a busy main road runs less than 100 feet away .. the trees 'absorb' much of the noise .. and the air stays surprisingly fresh and unpolluted ..

One thing that does surprise me is that I don't get any moths or 'nighttime' flying insects inside .. I always leave my windows open .. but other than one solitary fly in two weeks nothing else has ventured in  .. where I was before you only had to turn on the light in the evening for a few seconds with the window open and the ceilings would be instantly 'alive' with wildlife .. even with the windows shut very often my kitchen window panes would be thick with moths etc trying to get in to the light (it was a constant fascination for me that there could be so many different shapes, sizes and colours) ... so it's rather odd that here there simply aren't any moths flying around here at night .. maybe all the late evening birds and the bats eat them all before they get a chance to come in ..

All the communal areas are very well cleaned on a very regular basis .. the warden opens all the corridor windows as often as possible .. so it's a very nice, light and welcoming atmosphere .. pretty vases, trinkets and fresh flowers sit on the window sills and some rather nice artwork is dotted around the walls .. I really do like it here . and in a sense I feel I've been given a welcoming 'hug' every time I enter the building .. it really is one of the nicest places I have ever lived in ..

Oh Patootie, it does sound just lovely. I try hard to imagine it from your description. I'm getting that this is a deep U shaped building, with the short bit facing the entrance (and you live in that bit, above the front door) and the two 'arms' reaching back, away from the main road and toward the graveyard which is behind the complex, is that right?

I think your cherry tree sounds brilliant! The birds are obviously very used to the building being there, and they come and go without feeling at all wary. That in itself is wonderful to be able to see. My parents used to have a hummingbird feeder just out the window, and they used to love to watch the birds coming and going.

Most of all I like your account of the atmosphere. Clean, light, warm, personal, with nice homey touches like pictures and vases.....oh WELL DONE, PATOOTIE!!! It sounds like a beautiful, beautiful home!

Ummm .. I live roughly 1/3rds down the 'long' part of the building .. lift is fairly central .. stairs middle and each end .. and the 'arms' are about twice as wide as 'my' bit .. there is only 29 flats so it isn't a huge building really ..  about 50 feet deep at the 'arms' parts .. 30 feet deep along my 'thinner' bit and perhaps 180-200 feet long altogether .. but it has little angles and nooks poking out here and there .. very visually pleasing ..

 I've worked out that in winter if I feel the urge to walk .. I can go along my top corridor to one of the end 'arms' down the stairs .. along that bottom corridor until I get back to the middle .. and if I have enough energy I can walk along to the end of the other 'arm' .. up the stairs and then back along the top corridor to my flat again .. or I could go just half way and nip back up in the lift .. so even the very worst winters day won't mean I have to stay in my flat .. and folks often gather in the communal room so always someone to chat with ...  

 Come on over hhehehehehhh

5am .. I was up watching the squirrels again this morning .. there were 7 .. yes SEVEN .. I think they were playing Tag .. tearing around chasing each other .. up the trees .. down the trees .. round the flower pots .. under the cars .. over the cars .. then they all leapt into 'my' tree and dashed up and raced onto 'my' roof .. 

They are so funny to watch .. 

How sweet!

I saw a Japanese woman shooing one off in Hyde Park the other week. I very nearly shooed HER off -it's his home after all, not hers!

Oh Patootie, what a wonderful vantage point you have there! And how like you to have already discovered it. Before very long you will probably be able to spot individual squirrels and get to know them. My parents (who lived in the country) used to put out food for the wild deer, and they got to know all the members of the herd (or pack or family or whatever wild deer live in). As the autumn comes on and they start getting ready for winter you'll probably have quite a circus out there!

Screamy, you were quite right---the squirrel was there first, after all!

We've been waiting all night for rain but it hasn't come yet, so it's going to be a sweaty cycle into work, I'm afraid, even if I don't rush. Oh well, it's a sight better than having to stand in a horrible overcrowded railway carriage!

And you look out, Toots---I'm coming up your way in September and I just might pop out to see you )))

The squirrels apparently use my bit of roof as a 'causeway' from the trees in the adjacent graveyard to 'my' tree and the housing complex grounds .. and beyond the graveyard is a little park .. so there must be quite a few squirrels dashing around every day ..

Blimey .. better get the cushions fluffed up and the floor swept .. visitors imminent .. heheheh ... you would be more than welcome Gentle Chugger .. hopefully by then I will have finally got everything put away .. and remembered where I've put it .. hahahahha  

With any luck you will be able to get to know the individuals, Patootie, and perhaps understand some of what they are up to. I don't know anything about the behaviour of squirrels, but with your ringside seat, I bet you soon will!

And don't bother tidying for me, it's a waste of time. I bring mess with me )) I really might get out to see you though!

Lovely weather here, bright and sunny with a nice breeze. The trouble is, we need some rain! The garden is very dry at the moment. Still, it always comes eventually, so I suppose we should enjoy the fine weather while we've got it.

Did I understand you to say that the graveyard might be the starting point for some interesting local history??

I like squirrels, they are clever little chaps.

We had one that kept trying to swipe the fat-pecker from the magnolia tree in the front garden. It had gnawed through the string but it was too heavy for him and it was left lying on the ground. I hung it back up twice.

Eventually though, enough fat had gone for it to be light enough for Mr, Squirrel to carry and I came home one day to find it  had gone.  

I am doing a local history study for my degree course. Very interesting but so easy to get sidetracked.

"Gentle Chugger said : Did I understand you to say that the graveyard might be the starting point for some interesting local history??"

 Yes .. and I've already spotted some of the names I have been reading about on a local history web site ... family names that go back generations ...