Purple Dragon

I thought I would add a disclaimer to this entry before you read it - SIT DOWN!

The reason?

The plumber came back today to give us a quote. Honest. We appear to have a plumber!!

He says that he will bring some brochures of places where he buys his stuff so that I can choose a shower cubicle, some samples so that I can choose the aquapanel and some pix of actual showers so I can choose one of those as well. I will need a joiner to knock down the wall in the en suite to open up the room. I'm all excited now.

Took the kids to the pix to see Shrek The Third today. Everyone is right in that it wasn't as good as the others, but it was still enjoyable. It was Lala's first time at the pictures and she behaved as well as could be expected for a 4-year old on a sugar high. She konked right out in the car on the way home and is currently tucked up in bed exhausted. Bless.

It was also my first time at the pictures in Aberdeen. I ended up parking a heck of a hike away, and naturally it was raining when we came out of the picture house, but it was lucky it didn't rain on the way in - we were only wet getting home instead of for the whole trip.

We had our septic tank desludged today. Holy mackerel, what a niff! And yet, when I went outside to go and collect Lala, the air was clear the niff was coming up the plugholes.

Kids can really hit the bone, can't they?

Mum, you're not that smart, are you? You're not as smart as Daddy. Daddy knows hundreds of things YOU don't know. You didn't go to college, did you? Did you go to college, Mum? Mum? Did you go to college? You're not that smart are you?

Bloody thanks.

Smart enough to raise three smart mouthed wee shites.

Had a lovely evening yesterday. Well, late afternoon to early evening actually.

Managed to get the groceries done because my friend Debbie picked the Boy up from school to go play with her Boy.

Then we went round to hers and she cooked tea for us all (Boy, girls and me). It was really nice. Roast organic chicken with brocolli, roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes, mashed potato and salad. She also makes a cracking cuppa, which was nice. I haven't tried roast sweet potato before - only boiled - and it was luvverly! Naturally my lot wouldn't eat it. They have no sense of adventure, do they?

Another bit of good news - got my Toyota back yesterday. I really missed it. When I went shopping I had to squeeze the groceries into the boot, whereas if I had mine, it would have swallowed it all. Oh, and to steer - it is SO much easier. Automatic, instead of stupid manual. Bliss! I had also bought some stickers for the windows (which Himself wasn't too chuffed about). One is a dragon by Peter Pracownik. I like his work, and have some of his postcards, framed, on my downstairs loo wall. The other is an angel gazing at the moon and the third a fairy with stripy socks.

What else? I've still got a low level headache. I took one of those sinus pills this morning, hoping it was blocked sinuses, but it doesn't seem to be doing much good.

Oh, yes! I also bought a palm tree for my front garden. Living in hope we will get some sunshine at some point in the near future. The instructions said 'water in well' but I didn't really bother because it is chucking it down anyways. It is about 3' tall just now, but in optimum conditions can grow to 50' tall with a 20' spread. Not flippin likely in north east Scotland, but I hope it grows to a reasonable size nevertheless.

We also planted a wee lavender bush in front, beside the driveway. The smell in the car coming home after I bought it was fabulous. I want, at some point, to make a lavender garden (as inspired by sminchin's blog) but not just right now.

Lala came off the Nalcrom last Friday, because the GP didn't want to write another prescription until she had seen the consultant. Her face has broken out and is really sore. She is being driven nuts by the itching. Just goes to show that it really was working. There was a slow improvement, so I guess we didn't really notice it that well. She gets her replacement prescription today, so she can go back on and continue with them. Poor kid.

God, I'm knackered.

Friday night, I got the worst migraine I've had in years. I used to get these really bad ones, right up until I fell pregnant with No1Child. Between No1Childand No2Child, I didn't even have a headache. Not a one! Then, after No2Child, I started getting headaches again. Nothing bad. Then, after the last one, the migraines kicked back in. I've always taken pain relief at the first hint, as I get these advance warnings that it isn't just a headache but a bugger migraine, but this time I just didn't. I felt sick, I felt weak, my eyesight couldn't focus properly, but I still didn't click that it was a migraine coming. I went to bed but it was too late, and after a short while I found myself rummaging about in the medicine cupboard, unable to open my eyes to see what I was looking for.

Anyway, having left the painkillers too too late for them to do much good, Saturday was a write off. I couldn't manage to get out of bed. I was supposed to be up and about to take The Boy for his last swimming lesson this academic year, but I didn't manage. Fortunately, Himself was here, so he didn't miss his lesson. I stayed in bed till Sunday morning.

On Sunday, I discovered that I had had another chick hatch at some point. It was old enough that it was completely dry and looking for sustenance, but I don't know when it hatched. I also realised that no one had changed the water in the goose house since I fell ill. Poor buggers. Between them not being looked after unless I'm up and at 'em, and them being stuck in the goose house until the goslings were old enough to fend for themselves against the local rookery, I decided that enough was enough, and I phoned the bloke who had been interested in taking the goslings, and asked him if he wanted the whole family. He was pleased enough, and duly arrived Sunday afternoon to help catch them and take them back to his smallholding on the coast. I know they will be well looked after. I *do* miss them, but I am relieved a bit to let them go because I just get more and more tired and less and less able to manage with all my jobs.

Today was Lala's follow up trip to the gasto-enterologist. The bloke seemed much more switched on and interested this time than he did last time. I can't decide if he just had an off day last time we saw him, or if it was because his boss was there, and also a student doctor. They have decided to do the test for coeliac disease after all, so she went up to the Day Ward for a blood test. They asked if she wanted the cream or the spray, the only difference being that the spray had an immediate effect and the cream took 45 minutes to take effect. Obviously, we took the spray, but never again! It isn't the only difference. With the cream, The Boy has never felt the needle going in. Lala certainly felt it, although the pain was less. She is to continue taking the Nalcrom and we go back in 3 months. If the coeliac antibodies show up in her blood, she will have to have a colonic biopsy, so fingers crossed it comes back negative. Oh, and the real fun part? The test she had today isn't 100% accurate, so even a negative result isn't conclusive.

My Toyota is in getting its wheelbearings fixed. I will get it back on Wednesday apparently.

The motor on the Safrane wipers is broken. We phoned the Autoparts people and it is £200+ to get a new one. Gah! We can buy a scrapper off eBay for about £100, nick all the parts we want off it and then sell it on to the scrappie for £80. Guess which route we're taking?

Well, I have some good news and some bad news about today.

Bad news
One of my outside chicks fell into the hen's water and drowned. The kids helped me bury it.

Good news
Honest to god, my are fairly well balanced - they don't get upset at all about it.

More bad news
My Mum got a phone call from the home where my sister lives. Apparently last night they went into her room to check on her, and she was in her bathroom rubbing hair removal cream into her head.

Good news Fortunately they have managed to save most of her hair, but they had to cut a lot of it to get the cream out.

Potentially bad news
One of the remaining goslings fell into the goose water and they aren't waterproof until they have feathers. God knows how long the poor little mite was paddling like bonkers trying not to sink and drown

Good news
One of my pals came round and wanted to see the goslings so we were able to rescue it before it drowned, dried it out, warmed it up and put it back with Mum & Dad none the worse for its experience

More good news
We had another baby born today - Norman. She is yellow

Got up this morning to the image of nature in the raw.

One of the goslings had managed to squeeze out of a tiny wee gap in the bottom of the door of the goosehouse and a crow had taken the opportunity for a free, effortless and (he thought) fairly danger-free meal.

Himself and I unpacked the gun and took a few shots, to no avail. I think, if anything, we just gave it a headache. Bloody bird.

So, now we only have two goslings. I'm gutted. One yellow and one green.

I've confined them to the goosehouse with their food and water. It is the only thing I can do to try and ensure they reach any age at all. I feel half mean and half optimistic but I'm afraid to tempt fate. I've blocked up the wee hole on both sides, so hopefully neither of the others will be tempted by the great outdoors.

What another horrid start to the day.

I'm about to put my son up for adoption.

No, not really, but the little sod certainly knows how to make a Mum feel good.

We're driving about the countryside this afternoon, trogging thru to Aberdeen to collect Himself, when The Boy leans over and jiggles the wobbly bits on my upper arm.

"Gerroff!!!"

"But, Mummy, it's funny"

Oh, the despair. Someone hand me a coupla cans on beans - bring on those exercises.

Just as well I love him to bits, eh?

Well, this morning when I left on my fun-filled day of trogging round Aberdeenshire in a borrowed car, I had four adorable little goslings.

On returning this afternoon from said trogging, I only had three.

Some bastard predator - crow, hawk, somefuck with wings anyway - lifted the poor wee thing before it had even managed either a week alive or a day of sunshine.

Bastard.

Here is a link to some pix of me and mine, and also my birdies

http://www.kodakgallery.co.uk/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&localeid=en_GB&collid=95514822733.775440247133.1182236971908&page=1&sort_order=0&navfolderid=0&folderid=0&ownerid=0

Sorry it isn't one of those nice little short links but I've never caught the knack of those

I have just been outside and discovered that my clever geese have FOUR goslings.
They are the cutest things you've ever seen
There is another egg there unhatched, and I don't know whether it will hatch or not, but as there is no way the geese are letting me near the goosehouse, it makes no difference either way.
I'm trying to get some pix, but if it is a choice between pix and being attacked by two exceedingly pissed geese, then you'll have to guess what they look like

You know, I have seven cars. Yes, seven. And I can't get to the shops because there is something wrong with every single one of them that means I can't take them on the road.

Well, my latest egg hatched this morning (Lenny) and she is fine. She's still in the incubator because she is still a bit on the damp side, but I have put a wee bit of water in there and se is drying out nicely

In other news, one of the hens that was sitting outside has had two eggs hatch, and abandoned the other 4. I thought she only had 3 under her! I have lifted the 4 she abandoned and shoved three of them in the incubator.

One was a dud. Anyway - I'm hugely relieved that Lenny is okay - I was worried to bits that she would be deformed like the last baby was.

Echoing several bloggers of my aquaintance - how the HELL did it get to be this time on Sunday evening without anyone noticing?

I have a wheelbearing going on my new wheels Bugger. Oh, well, could've been worse. Himself was nervous it might be the diff away. No, I have no idea either, so don't bother asking.

Had my inlaws round today, along with BIL and his bidey-in. I wasn't told they were coming until after I got back from grocery shopping last night, so I was in a bit of a panic about having enough in for an extra 4 adults, but it was fine. Thoroughly enjoyed the company as well.

I also got the pool table out of my dining room (as it has been too heavy for me to lift and BIL is strong enough with Himslef to lift it away) which was a result. I now have my dining room back

BIL brought me up a pistol. I haven't ever used a handgun before, only a rifle, and I was rubbish I shall have to practice. I only had time for 3 shots, and missed twice.

Mind you, at least I wasn't the one who lost the crossbow shafts in the garden I shall have to go out there with the metal detector before the gardener comes next week, otherwise he might end up trashing his mower. Hehehe.

Oh, well. I guess sitting here isn't getting the ironing done, is it?

Mum's been up, so I'm way behind on my blog-watching. I don't really know what anyone is up to, but I shall take a slow catch up and see what you've all been doing.

I've had a really shitty day today.

I woke up to find that my latest chick had hatched, but it was hideously deformed. It must have been in absolute agony. At first, I didn't understand what I was seeing, and then I was horrified when my mind finally wrapped itself around this poor baby bird and I realised that it had to be euthanised immediately.

My hips were killing me, so I had to take my meds, but I can't take them without food, so I then had to force myself to eat breakfast.

My period started, and so I am covered in spots. (Told you, sminchin!) I have bellyache, sore hips, I'm tired as anything because my painkillers keep me awake. I also have a cold, with one itchy ear and one itchy and sore ear.

Tomorrow will be better.

You know, I'm fed up.

The things that happen 'nationwide' that seem to actually only involve England - the events that take place I mean. I think the same thing happens with Wales.

I have just been looking at AnimalAid's National Roadshow - they stop at Edinburgh and Glasgow. Apparently that is as far north as the English seem to think we go.

I suppose that the benefit it that very few people bother to come further north, so we manage to keep out peace and serenity snas sassinachs.

I've always been drawn to the 'alternative' side of life and lately I have been feeling more and more like I want to get more involved in things.

I've been looking at courses in aromatherapy, reiki, reflexology and so on and I recently bought a book on Healing for Beginners (crap title, eh?).

Anyway, I started reading it tonight. I really feel like I might have something, and it says that if you think you can channel healing, then you are probably right. So I've been reading the book, all enthusiasm and confidence, and then I start thinking "who the hell do I think I am, to think I might have some sort of gift?"

Is that just lack of confidence? Well, I guess if I don't give it a try, then I will never know, will I?