PRESENT AND UNPLEASANT NEWS

At last I have finished clearing space for the Christmas ornaments; they are all laying on one of the spare beds upstairs waiting to be put in place. I'm still worried I won't have enough room but there is no way I could choose some to go out and some to not.

I remember so well the first time I put up the Christmas decorations after meeting Mick. I sent him down the pub (he's a good lad and didn't argue!) and got on with the task in hand. Manda came and helped me. We drank plenty of brandies and coke while we were doing it, and sang along to a Richard Clayderman tape. I know it's piano music but after a few brandies it's easy to make up words - our favourite is "My lamb chop's got no mint sauce". The decorations looked fantastic. We didn't have so many Christmas ornaments in those days but the ceiling was covered in criss cross garlands with Christmas hangers draping down. The tree was beautiful covered in baubles and lights and we had lots of Christmassy flower arrangements in vases. Mick came home and CRIED; he was so emotional; he said he had never seen anything so beautiful and since then it has become a family tradition for Mick to go down the pub while I do the decorations. Sadly last year, as it will be this year, Mick won't be able to go to the pub; but I shall tell him to keep his eyes tightly shut - no peeking - until I have finished.

This is the Christmas cracker Nicole has made Mick and I. A blue end for Mick and a pink end for me. Manda is getting the children at school to make some for the School Christmas Fayre and so Nicole has been experimenting and making a prototype.

I finally got around to getting some presents wrapped today. I gave Mick his Monday morning pamper, shave etc. and he sat in his armchair as I did the wrapping. It gave me a chance to go through all the presents we have bought and tell him what is for who. The sun was streaming through the window so I had to put Micks' sunglasses on him!

Unfortunately I'm coughing and sneezing a lot but thankfully Mick seems to be doing well; I just wish I could get him to drink more. Although he is not choking so much now he still seems reluctant to drink. He is eating well though so I am trying to make sure he has extra milky porridge, soups and liquidy desserts to try and prevent him becoming even more dehydrated. This evening he quite happily chewed away at the pasty I'd made; I only cut it up into bitesize pieces; no mashing or pureeing.

An unfortunate piece of news. My friend Sue's son-in-law is back in hospital. He was having really bad headaches and feeling sick. His wife phoned the doctor who told her to get some strong painkillers from the chemist - I think considering his recent medical history that the doctor should have at least come out to see him!!! He tried the painkillers but still became increasingly worse. After 2 or 3 phone calls a doctor finally condescended to come out and after checking him over immediately called an ambulance to get him to hospital!!! Even that's not the end of the tale - he then had to wait over 4 HOURS for the ambulance to come!!! The hospital are going to do some more tests - hopefully.