Hi, folks

Long time, no post, eh? ;-)

I got homesick today.  Actually, what I mean is *more* homesick than usual.
It's not that it's not nice at my aunt and uncle's, it is, and I am being
looked after really well, I've hardly lifted a finger since I got there and
on Saturday my German friend Nüle arrived and stayed until this morning when
she left to continue her tour of all the best English gardens and
rosegrowers before returning to Germany on June 9.
It was great to spend some time with her again and meet her mother for the
first time. I have not seen her for almost a year and had almost forgotten
how I enjoy her delightful turns of phrase. For example;  she brushed her
hair just before going out yesterday and I told her she looked nice (which
she did)  She said "Well, I don't think it will hurt anyone to look at me.."
After she had left, I decided to go out for a walk for the first time, I
felt unsettled.  I managed ten minutes there and ten minutes back, very
slowly up unfamiliar streets, just looking at the flowers in people's
gardens as I went past, which was all very nice as I like to be nosy and see
what plants others have in case it gives me an idea myself.

BUT- there's no place like home and I wanted to see the cats.  I get visits
from a counsellor from the Employee Welfare Service which my employers
provide, but yet he is independent from them and does not report back, thank
goodness.  His name is Simon and he has seen me through 6 months of
depression and all my eye ops and now this.  This afternoon he came to see
me at my aunt's.  Where, I might add, cards from RPCA have been arriving for
some days.  Uncle Bryan, who had a stroke 2 years ago and can't speak too
well now, comes in from the porch and says  "all yours, fan mail."  <g>
Auntie has put up some thread between nails on the wall and there are three
threads across the wall, full of lovely cards from you all.

Simon was easily persuaded to take me home - half an hour's drive.   When we
got there, there was an avalanche of cards in the porch from my rpca friends
forwarded from the hospital!  I still wonder what all the nurses think about
all my get well cards - no-one on the ward had so many, nor so many flowers.
One of the nurses said  "I think you must be a top-class h**ker!"  I said
that if so, my career is now over and she said she needed another job anyway
and would take over from me!!

So. I got home, opening the front door and quickly through the house to the
back door to open that.
Both the cats were in the conservatory just outside the back door when I
opened it.  Kitty FC came in straight away without raising an eyebrow, like
I'd never been gone.
Boyfriend was on top of the freezer, where I put a blanket ages ago, as he
seemed to like to perch on it.  When he saw me, his eyes became like
saucers.  He could not believe them, that I was back, so I am staying here
until tomorrow evening.  I can manage to feed the cats and myself (if I just
push something light that will bake in the oven for now) until tomorrow
evening when I have to go back for my cousin Margi's daughter's wedding on
Saturday.

I am going to negotiate a return home with my neighbours, if they will agree
to continue caring for the chickens, because I am not allowed to lift
anything heavier than a kettle for 6 weeks, so I can't change their water
daily, and if they will I can be here for the kitties without putting my
recovery in jeopardy.  They like their routine.  BF likes to sit on the
windowsill and look out of the front window.  He soon did that.  He likes to
snatch a few zzzzz's on the spare bed too, although he knows that, strictly
speaking, it's not allowed for a cat to be upstairs.
So I was in the bathroom tonight and I saw his butt disappearing into the
spare room to check out the bed, and left him to enjoy it.

Just a little hospital stuff now, particularly for Howard.
It was as I thought.  Just exactly as I thought it would be.  After a major
abdominal operation I had a self-operated morphine pump.  Let no-one tell
you that morphine takes *all* the pain away but it makes it tolerable.
I had the pump for 24 hours only, then the staff took it away and gave me
paracetamol!! which is good for a headache.
On the 2nd day I hoped I would die very soon.  A nurse said I had to get out
of bed and walk across the room.  I could only do fairy steps and it was
absolute agony, almost unbearable.  I went about 15 feet and stopped, unable
to go on, whereupon she said "you will be walking to the dining room
tomorrow for your meals, otherwise you will go hungry."  I said that I did
not think it would be possible, and would she let me go back to my bed now
as the pain was too much.
She said no.  It was just like torture, impossible to tolerate. She
continued to try and make me walk further, 1 day after a major abdominal op,
how stupid is that?
I am ashamed to say I then had a tantrum.  I told her to get off me, leave
me to make my own pace.
She forgave me when I went home..

I would like to send purrs and prayers to anyone who needs them.  I have
more than 5000 posts to read, and I won't be able to do it in the one day I
have here at home.

The cards I have received from you all have cheered me up no end, thank you
very much indeed.
I would like to name some of you for exceptional cards.  Obviously I can't.
I loved every one I got.  Thank you all so much.

You are all just the best

Tweed