Lunch out with friends

Our boating friends, Clive and Wendy visited today with Daisy the dog.

We went to a nearby pub for lunch, Clive and I had roast turkey, Steve and Wendy had the triple roast, turkey, beef and pork. Both these meals were served with lots of veg, a large Yorkshire pudding and gravy. We all managed a pudding too, Wendy and I had creme brulee, Steve had a brownie and Clive had fruit crumble. We came home for coffee and more chat, Steve has been quite cheerful all day. 

I'm sure if he would socialise more he would be in a better frame of mind but he does love a good sulk.

Rambler, yes Steve is on anti depressants heaven knows what he'd be like otherwise.

I tried, i really did.

Steve is really unhappy here, he is refusing to mix with 'all the old people'. I'm gritting my teeth and ignoring his complaints, it's not like I can make our neighbours any younger is it.

I'm hoping that when the weather improves he will meet more people but he is extremely stubborn.

He used to enjoy gardening when we lived in a house and he could do that here, there is a bed that is ours and he could plant things in it. I don't make many suggestions as he is constantly looking for an argument and I'd rather not give him the opportunity.

When I go to the summer house to chat with the neighbours I often suggest he should come to, but he refuses. I know he's finding it difficult and he can't understand why I'm not putting the flat on the market and rushing to buy another boat.

To be honest he used to complain endlessly when we lived on a boat, especially towards the end when he couldn't actually manage. He was always full of plans to travel the Thames, including the tidal part, or even to take the boat across the Wash. No doubt in a few years he will have convinced himself he did all these things.

I found life on the boat very hard, not only did it require muscles I no longer have, so operating the lock gates was difficult. But also I was very isolated, before we gave up the boat I made various suggestions that would have made my life less isolated. Such as moving to a marina where there was a club house, or to a busy mooring where there were people around. I suggested moving to a mooring near Stroke Club so I could continue to cook for them. 

Steve was adamant that none of my suggestions were workable, so eventually I told him I was no longer well enough to continue boat life. I did suggest I look for sheltered, rented accommodation and that Steve could stay on the boat. He refused!

Prescriptions by post.

I've just ordered mine and Steve's prescriptions by post, it will save hiking to the pharmacy to collect them. I really hope they work out ok, I will get such an earbashing if they don't!

It's got to be easier than trying to catch numerous buses to collect them. Mind you setting up the orders has taken me four days and it wasn't all my fault.  Steve cannot understand what I've done and keeps panicking and yelling at me!

Hey ho if it works it will be good.

Mrs G, I will look into that software, so far I've only found it for phones and I use a tablet.

Chinadogs,  I'm hoping to find a neighbour who would walk with me occasionally, it would do Steve good to walk more but he is currently enjoying his post Christmas sulk.

Joan, I will look in to Sense and see what they can offer, thank you.

Flis, you have all my sympathy, it's not easy is it.

Sporadic posts

New year, new blog post.

Another year and  as usual some people are starting the the new year with a financial challenge. Counting up their money and money off coupons and seeing how long they can make 11 shillings and sixpence  last. Some of the challenges are interesting but some are just a litany of unlikely boasts.

Each to their own, I shan't be doing this, I shan't make any New Year resolutions either. I shall keep plodding on. My blogging is sporadic, some times I struggle with Steve's behaviour. He thinks he is behaving normally but he isn't. He is very unreasonable. I also struggle with my sight as it is failing and some things are difficult. I have very bad double vision, I have glasses issued by the hospital that sometimes help but not always. On days where it's very bad, walking Beano is to risk life and limb. Sometimes Steve will walk with me but not always and not at all currently as he hates Christmas and sulks for weeks.

We are having a lot of rainy days at the moment and Steve and Beano both hate the rain.

Steve met his friend Bob in Reading y'day and came home drunk as a skunk and irritable to boot, mind you, irritable is his default setting. I may try and persuade him to come to some of the afternoon meetings in the summer house. I feel his determination to hate the flat and everyone in them has meant he is unhappy and isolated. I know how he feels as I found the isolation of living on the boat very difficult to deal with.

My eyesight is also the reason my posts are sporadic, sometimes I know what I want to post about, but after typing the same four lines numerous times and only managing garbage, I give up and  don't bother to post at all.

 Wishing everyone a Happy New Year

Reply to Chinadogs

 Chinadogs. Steve has no concept of how upsetting his behaviour is. He is very unkind and hurtful but if I try to explain, he cannot grasp why I am upset.

The article I shared previously was also about a stroke survivor, it's not that rare unfortunately but mainly seems to affect men!

When I find his behaviour completely unacceptable I tell him, calmly. There is no point getting upset as he just gets defensive and angry.

I have to admit that I mostly step back and ignore him, he has had friends comment on his behaviour, his friends, not mine. But he always has an excuse.

I assume this is his basic personality and maybe he tempered his 'honesty' to appear more acceptable, who knows? According to some Drs this isn't a known side effect of having a stroke but to the staff at the stroke club we used to attend, it's actually very common.

That's it for another year

DS1 and his GF have just left, it was lovely to see them both, it's easier for people to visit now we are on dry land.

We showed them round our new home, which took about 5 minutes. Then we had lunch, I'd bought some nibbles which were all eaten. I can't do a cooked meal easily as we don't yet have a table. They bought me a bunch of roses which are currently sat in my spare kettle as I don't seem to have a vase. I must buy one next time I'm out.

Steve seems to be sulking yet again I have no idea why and zero interest in discovering the reason.