Monday 31 March 2008

Broken Arms & No Heating

What a weekend! Saturday was enjoyable as R and I went out for a bite to eat at Blue Soleil. This is camp site - no let me finish - that has been recently bought by a very friendly couple and on site they have a small, immaculate restaurant (also shop, heated pool, various other amenities) where they serve the tastiest food at extremely reasonable prices.

We then came back home, lit a fire and spent a quiet evening watching tv and then on Sunday R & I were on our way to visit my brother - who is 30 today, Happy Birthday C - when R's mobile rang and it turned out to be his mother.

Poor m-i-l had fallen down the last five or so of her stairs and landed on her good arm (she broke her elbow two years ago and has suffered various operations since and had a replacement knee op only a couple of months ago). She somehow managed to get to the kitchen and knocked her phone off the table with her walking stick (R has given her a mobile to carry at all times but she can't be doing so) and thankfully as we were only a couple of minutes away, we arrived at her house in no time. An ambulance was called and they took her and R to the hospital. She has a broken arm but insisted on returning home and although she has close friends and R who is wonderfully helpful, I'm not sure how she's going to manage. She may be nearly 80 but she certainly knows what she wants, which is a good thing.

Having put all the clocks in the house and cars forward I was sure that I hadn't forgotten anything until this morning when I forced myself out of my warm bed and remembered instantly what R & I had forgotten. Yes, we hadn't changed the timer on the heater/hot water and so had to wait for everything to warm up and R tells me he intends turning the heating off next week. It'll have to be a darn sight warmer than this for me to do without heating.

12 comments:

DAB said...

The PIC is out this evening, have turned the heating up, the rads are boiling, it's sheer bliss! TFX

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

tom foolery - what a good idea, I think I'll do the same thing. Hah!

Lane Mathias said...

poor Mil. Hope she recovers quickly. She sounds like a strong lady:-)

R is turning the heating off?? I don't care what month it is. If it's cold, it's cold!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

lane - she is v strong and should be fine but it was a bit of a blow for her.

I know, how can he even contemplate turning the heating off. He hasn't yet though and won't for a while if I get my way.

Anonymous said...

So no hot water? I always put heating on in the morning and D always turns it off!!! Its way too cold not to have it on at the moment.
Mil sounds like a determind lady! Im sure she will be ok.
That was funny what you told me about your sisters child!!

HelenMWalters said...

Oh poor, MIL. Hope she feels better soon. We can't turn our heating off as the boiler leaks when it's cold! British Gas Home 'no we don't' Care have said it may take some time for the part to arrive.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

motherx - I hope D isnt driving you too mad with the cleaning and the heating. Im sure MIL will be fine too.

helenmh - thanks. At least you have a good reason to keep the heating on then, mind you wont be fun in the summer I suppose.

Faye said...

How fortunate that your mother in law is independent, even though she may not be totally alone-worthy. I don't have any friends who are not dealing with care giving issues for elderly family members. Just try to do the best for everyone concerned and go on with living is the best approach, I suppose.

Sounds like you had a lovely start for the week-end though except for heat shortage and time. In the southern U.S. we have a dogwood and blackberry winter which means that it may be cold into May. Sometimes women have to wear coats over their Derby frocks the first Saturday in May.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

faye - I agree, it is good that she is independent and still wanting to be. She lives in a house and I do wish she would move to a flat or something on one level as the stairs worry me.

I love that saying dogwood and blackberry winter, sounds beautiful, if rather cold.

Karen said...

Sounds like you need a week off to recover! Glad M-I-L is okay.
I nearly zoned out when I saw the words 'camp-site' but it did sound rather a nice one :o)

We spent last Christmas without heating, as our boiler packed in on Christmas Eve. It was like living in Victorian times.

Unknown said...

Poor m-i-l - I hope she recovers quickly. It's always a worry, isn't it.
Ha, heating... I remember when we moved to Guernsey and experienced our first clock change - what a disaster! At least you remembered to change most of yours! :-)

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

karen - I really am the very last person to go camping - tried it once at Reading Rock Festival (many moons ago) with b/f and was told by our friends that I was never to go again as I kept using the drinking water to wash and wouldnt leave the tent until I had done my eyebrows.

Thanks re mil.

Isnt it typical that the heating always goes at the worst possible time when there is no chance of getting it fixed.

absolute vanilla (& atyllah) - thanks, she is a bit of a worry but refuses to move to somewhere without stairs.

Mil is actually from Guernsey funnily enough. It does make life a little easier now the clocks have changed as my mother is only 1hour ahead now instead of two (and I always forget if she is ahead or behind us, timewise).