How Was Your Week? Running Out of Steam

If we were having coffee, I’d confide that last week was a challenge. Poor Mr Piglet caught a bug. Not a straight cold, cough or upset stomach. Nope, it was a combination of ALL three. He tried to soldier on, but it wiped him out for several days. Now, under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t matter if he skipped his chores to rest, but not so much in the winter.

Keeping Warm

Unfortunately, I have Raynaud’s, so keeping warm is very important. Our heating is via a log fire, so logs need to be brought in from the small feeder stack, undercover on the terrace. This is most definitely a Mr P job, along with maintaining the fire. I couldn’t let the house get cold, so I dug deep … Wearing his thick leather gloves, I prayed I would not find any bugs or vermin as I carried in a few logs at a time. It took ages of cursing, humping and huffing.to restock the inside log basket, and with the feeder store now depleted, I looked at the main log pile. No way. That would definitely have ‘things’ living in there under the warm taupaline sheet. I considered the gas central heating for when logs ran out. Nope, radiators would need to be bled through lack of use, and we’d need another gas bottle within a couple of days. Sigh…exhausted after an hour of humping wood, I relit the fire, made a cup of tea. Craved comfort cake. Just as well the cupboard was bare!

I decided to leave the rest of Mr. P’s chores as I still had to go shopping, wash the dishes (dishwasher is broken) do the laundry and cook dinner et al..

In that moment, realisation dawned that we are not getting any younger and managing another winter of log fires without a 21st-century reliable backup at the flick of a switch was essential. Decision: We need to install aircon/heater units at some point.

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and then there was the matter of the cuboards. I am vertically challenged and stumpy, while Mr. P is over 6′ with very long arms.

What finally prompted me into action on reorganising my cupboards?

After shopping, more chores and plant watering, I wanted, no, needed a glass of wine. Our son, Mark, bought me a brilliant battery-operated corkscrew for Mother’s Day. I selected a bottle of wine. found the magic corkscrew…. cork half out … it stopped whirring. Dead. Where were the batteries? In the highest cupboard in the kitchen, of course, so well out of my reach. I stamped my foot (as you do) Mr. P was in bed asleep.

…and it seemed everything I wanted was out of reach or I couldn’t find. It made me realise how much of a team we are, each with our own area of responsibility, but not fine when the other is incapacitated.

I don’t say this lightly, as my brain refuses to think old. I was feeling old, frustrated and pathetic…and… useless. Everything ached, and my body went on strike, so I had a duvet day in the armchair. Dear friends did offer to help but having moved the logs, I will pocket the offer for another time.

So far, I haven’t caught his bug. Let’s hope it stays that way!

The NEWS … I’ve tried not to listen, watch or doomscroll, but failed. Dismally. Have you noticed how social media is addictive? The world teetered on the edge of WWIII, and the British Prime Minister proved himself to be the muppet of indecision on the international stage as well as at home (I still think of England as home). I am not going to debate the rights and wrongs of the war as I’m far too weary and my opinion is irrelevant. But it will affect us all in some way.

God grant me the serenity … anyone else know that prayer?

To end on a positive note, today, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I retreated back into my bubble with a good book.