Retirement Life in the Week Ended 27 April 2025
My Dad is still in hospital and has been really poorly again this week. There was even enough improvement for him to be transferred to the community hospital in town. But then he got unwell again and was ambulanced back to A&E. It’s an unsettling time for my family.
But life goes on somehow. It has too. I’m still writing most days to record the minutiae of life even though none of my single topic blog posts have reached fruition. Something has to give I suppose. But I’ve started my Disney inspired mosaic and also made progress on my book. Here are some of the other things that I’ve been up to this week.
What I’ve Been Trying Out
I’ve been thinking of buying a foot spa for about a year. Firstly my feet ache a lot and I thought that dunking them in bubbly hot water might be soothing. They also get quite grimy from all the allotment action and I reckoned they’d easier to clean with a good regular soak. I thought it would save some of the bending down in the shower. Finally I bit the bullet and bought this one, the Beurer FB35. It arrived last Sunday.
I reckoned these things are a bit of a gamble as to whether you’re actually going to get any use out of them. Since buying mine and mentioning it to a friend I was offered one from the back of her cupboard that she’d been gifted and used once. I didn’t want to fork out on a new one and find it wasn’t to my liking so I turned to eBay for a cheap secondhand deal. It can always go to the charity shop if it’s not for me. In the space of the week I bought two!
However I got a swift refund on the first. It was leaking from the motor housing. I’d already dunked my feet int it and was lucky that I didn’t get electrocuted. The second the Beurer FB35 has been more successful. I bought it for about fifteen quid and have now used it a few times. To be honest it’s not the most exciting purchase I’ve ever made. I wouldn’t say it’s lifechanging and it’s rather noisy. But my feet do come out nice and soft. I do wonder if they are a little less painful after their soak. But maybe my physio appointment in a couple of weeks time will shed more light and provide a more effective solution.
What I’ve Finally Got Around To
I bought this poster of Leonard Cohen yonks ago. I think I had it before I moved into this house so it must have been in its tube for at least ten years. How’s that for procrastination! I I try to be more timely these days and think that I’ve got better at keeping up to date with my chores. This little task had passed me by as they sometimes do so I thought I’ve get it done, dusted and off the to do list.
Now lovely Leonard has to be my favourite artist ever. He was such a gracious man and his lyrics are sheer poetry. They’ve helped me through some difficult times. I’m such a massive fan you can hear me on the soundtrack of his ‘Live in London’ album. Yes I was there in a seat about twenty rows from the front whooping enthusiastically. It was one of the pivotal moments of my life. When Leonard died in 2016 a fair few people sent me their condolences.
Anyway I finally got around to buying a mount and frame for that poster last week. Leonard is now proudly displayed on my bedroom wall at long last. I like to think of it as grown up version of the posters of Donny Osmond that I had on my wall as a child.
What I’ve Been Making
I’ll have to show and tell my garden soon. It is in the process of being transformed from a jungle of invasive bamboo and rotting decking to something far more pretty and useful. The stone for the paving arrived on a big pallet with wooden sides last week. It was ripe for an allotment recycle!
Our friend Kev took on a plot near ours last year and has recently taken out some flimsy beds, again made of pallets. I thought that I’d reclaim some of the wood. So I’ve combining my finds to make yet another compost bin. It will hold the compost that’s ready to be used on my plot. I’d hoped to show it off this week but it’s not finished yet.
Kev and Paul, my partner too also made wonderful use of more of that scrap wood so I do have something to photograph. They surprised me and knocked up this asparagus bed.
I tried growing asparagus directly in the ground last year but only a few have survived. A raised bed should improve the chances of a new batch that I’ve ordered by giving them better growing conditions. Some time this week we’ll be filling the bed with a mix of compost and masses of free manure to give the new crowns a fighting chance.
What I’ve Been Eating
The avocados that were delivered from Crowd Farming last week were ripe. I’ve been eating one a day. Here’s one of my favourite breakfasts, smashed avocado on toast with marmite. I’m very happy to say that no-one else in the house likes those toppings so I’ve had them all to myself. Yum!
And while we’re on the topic of food I must mention that my favourite fish and chip shop in town is open for the summer season so we had to go and treat ourselves. The resident gull that begs for chips is back too!
What’s Been Helpful
I thought that I’d mention that I had an telephone appointment with the Carer Support Worker at my GP practice this week. I didn’t hold out hope that she’d be able to offer me any meaningful but thought that it was worth a try. I’d already registered with the local Carer’s Support Organisation. That gives me free hospital parking when I visit Dad. It’s helpful when I can actually find a space!
There were some things on offer that I didn’t need. For example I have a big enough support network already so carer’s groups aren’t necessary. I’d just like more time to spend with my own friends. But I have accepted the offer of six free sessions of counselling. It would be helpful to reflect on the sense of lack of personal control that my current role seems to have evoked. Before I had the session I thought that this would be something that might be helpful. The support worker also had one more surprise up her sleeve.
She’s given me a grant to do something nice. It’s going towards my trip to Manchester for Marianne Williamson’s workshop. I have so little regular income at the moment but am amazed how money seems to flow to me when I need it.
Anyway I’ve mentioned this because I know that there are others out there who wear similar metaphorical shoes to my own. as a carer It might encourage you to make contact with local support networks. What’s on offer might vary geographically but it’s worth having a look to see what’s available in your area.
Disclaimer
This post contains links to companies and organisations just because I’m happy with the products or services that they supply or I’m spreading the word about what they do. There may also be affiliate links to Amazon for books and other items that I am personally recommending. If you decide to make a purchase from them, I might get a little bit of commission at no cost to you.