Daughter has had me worried sick for the last few weeks as she has been struggling to breathe. I’ve been asking her, repeatedly, to go see a doctor and have been met with the same old response, “Will do soon mum, promise.”
In the end, Hubs, who became so sick of listening to me airing my concerns, basically kidnapped her and took her to the doctor while I was out with a friend. Daughter was under the impression that she was being taken to a garage to repair a tyre on her car.
The receptionist at the doctor’s sent her to a walk-in who then advised A&E, which is where they were heading as I got home. Eight and a half hours later, at midnight, we finally escaped A&E, armed with a series of injections that I was to administer to daughter over the next few days.
While in A& E, there was a discussion as to who should dispense the jabs, so I offered, telling the staff that I was used to injecting a variety of animals and if I could manage ferrets and hedgehogs, I could certainly manage daughter.
How wrong I was! Clearly daughter is utterly unmanageable!
What I hadn’t taken into consideration was that she would spend an hour running away from me, refusing the injection, as the first one, given by the hospital nurse had hurt so much.
It was a large needle, granted, and the very sight of the thing sent daughter, who is highly dramatic at the best of times, into total meltdown. You should have seen us running round and around the coffee table, with me hiding the needle behind my back.
Eventually, I swore to daughter that I’d sit on her if I had to, something I often resorted to when she was younger, so, she gave in and finally let me get on with it.
To my delight, she said that my jab was far less painful than the hospital one, so the following jabs were child’s play….well ish….still lots of amateur dramatics to contend with!
You never know how or when skills can become transferable!
Daughter is much better now and breathing normally, thank God! A little rest sure works wonders. She has been so stressed of late as she and her partner have been decorating their new house, around the corner from hubs and I, that, along with flu, a full-time job and suddenly blossoming, had taken it’s toll.
Regarding the decorating, daughter and her partner couldn’t manage to wallpaper their bedroom. My advice had been quickly dismissed by daughter so I left her to it.
Oh…how I laughed when she told me that they had pasted the WALL, then ran at it, with a large piece of DRY wallpaper which they attempted to glue on……HORIZONTALLY, along an entire wall! How I wished I’d seen that! Apparently it was air-bubble galore and the paper tore and buckled terribly before it fell off.
So, I stepped-up, horribly a little smug and papered the room for them. At least they know how to do it now, although they still have an aversion to wallpapering. Once bitten and all that!
Of late, while walking the dogs, Sam has found several underweight hedgehogs which have spent the night in my empty outdoor hedgehog hutches. Hubs actually accused me of snatching them from the wild, saying that I was clearly suffering from empty-hutch syndrome. What cheek! They all proved to be tiny and covered in ticks. Other people have been putting small hedgehogs in my hutches too; little notes left on the front door let me know that they are there!
There has been a flurry of wildlife talks in schools recently, with one school inviting me back to discuss how to create a wildlife garden. Several schools are now doing this and growing their own food, such a wonderful development. The children all seem so keen. Bless their little cotton socks.
The rescue has been celebrating it’s fortieth birthday, which has resulted in many of us being involved in creating a video, certainly a new experience for me. Singing in a studio and then acting sure was a laugh and who knew lip-syncing could be such fun.
More artwork is needed for coasters and Christmas decorations for the rescue, two more images to go….
Buddy has taken to eating mice, here he is with a gripey stomach, please don’t ask me how I know?!?
Autumn has me mezmorised this year, it’s dazzling and utterly breathtaking. Scuffling through dry mounds of fallen leaves like a ten year old has become my favourite pastime while walking the dogs. Hubs unashamedly joins in!
The boys have a new game, hide and seek/play-fighting through the trellis….
And Finally….
I am quite certain that we have a ghost.
While sitting in the lounge over the last few days, the dogs have all taken to following something with their eyes, all completely synchronized! Yet we can’t see anything!
Doors are banging, yet no windows are open and hubs and I can’t work out where the sounds are coming from. Everytime we mute the sound, the banging stops. Sam, who never moves off the couch once the logburner goes on, got up a few days ago and stood staring at a corner of the room, wagging his tail! Obviously, he likes whatever it is.
The strangest thing though, is that all pictures taken in the lounge, on my camera or phone come out misty, like the one above, yet we can’t see any mist. Every other room appears normal. All very strange!
Oh, how true, yes we worry about our children whatever their age! I always trim the edges of wallpaper once it’s dry. Daughter is doing great now, thanks Chloris!xxx
I’ve got a bit behind with post reading. I hope your lovely daughter is well now. Worrying about your children is part of the job, even when they are grown up. She is lucky to have you to give her injections and then do her wallpapering. You certainly have many skills. I tried wall papering once but forgot to trim off the top bits before I stuck them on. Not a good look. The botttom looked good though.
Good to hear from you Katherine, hope all is well with you. I was OK giving the injections having had plenty of experience, but the precision required on a pregnant woman unnerved me a little. OMG…..you had to take blood? I’ve never done that!!! Respect!!! You actually practiced on yourself, that is the bravest thing I have ever heard! Blew me away completely! xxxx
I feel sorry you had to give the injections yourself but thank goodness they worked.You do seem to be having a really busy time lately.My husband believed strongly in ghosts yet he has never been back to visit me.Sometimes I had to take blood from him but I learned by doing to myself for a week.We don’t expect all this when we get married! He said I was better than the nurse.
An unusally bright autumn down here but colder than it was.So maybe it’s a rerun of last year when it snowed near Easter rather than Xmas.Keep up the good work
Glad to hear your daughter is better. Who knew that she would be the ultimate test of your skills with ornery critters?
Indeedy, who knew. Lovely seeing her well again. Thanks Jason.xxx
Glad that your daughter is feeling better – and well done with those injections! Apologies for the delay in commenting – I’ve had no internet for over a week! My Dad taught me to wallpaper; it’s a really useful life skill. I’d have loved to see your daughter’s attempt! I also love a good spooky story – can’t wait to hear more about your ghost! xx
Thanks Veganmummy, it’s great seeing daughter back to normal, kids eh? We worry about them forever! No internet for a week….sighs….what a nightmare! Glad it’s sorted now. My dad taught me to wallpaper too, certainly has come in handy over the years. xxx
Such a variety of interesting events and activities. Transferable skills take you places you don’t expect quite often. Oh my, did I visualise the antics you had to employ to operate with daughter. It’s good to know she has accepted and is responding to treatment now.
Emergencies can also get you unexpectedly trained into gaining transferable skills. It’s what happens when you don’t have time to think about what you are really being told, not asked, to do. So, my first ‘animal’ injections were on hubs!
Experiential themes are, no doubt, going to continue to thread through family life. If they are as amusing as the wallpapering, let us know. 🙂 It is so good to have a smile and a little giggle.
Animal life is lively chez vous. Spiritual life, if, that’s what it is, could be the same.
xxx
Oh goodness, how nerve wracking it must have been having to inject hubs without any previous experience! You’re right though, nurses do happily push these jobs onto women. I tip my cap to you, I would have been a nervous wreck without any previous experience.
Oh…that wallpapering event, how I wish I had a video of it! Thanks Menhir.xxx
I’m glad your daughter is on the mend. I must say I found having a pregnant daughter quite stressful, as a mother. But lovely when the baby comes, and of course, the wallpapering is done! Hope your lovely dogs are going to cope with a new baby around the place.
I’m sure the whole hedgehog population is grateful you are around, to help and advise!
Thanks Gerrie, yes, wonderful seeing daughter better again….it really is stressful having a pregnant daughter, as you say, you worry about everything, even wish you could carry the child for them! I’m sure the dogs will have their noses pushed out a little, in the early days, but will adapt beautifully. xxx
What a lot of things going on in and around your house.
So pleased to read that your daughter is on the mend … no matter what their age we still worry about them.
I think Autumn this year has been so lovely, the colours have been glorious.
Strange about your Ghost, I wonder do you know the past History of your house, it may shed a light!
Enjoy your week, and continued good wishes for your daughter.
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan, it’s a relief knowing all is well with daughter now, lovely having her around the corner too. It has been a delicious autumn for sure, all the leaves have gone now though, sadly, and it’s freezing as I type.
Our house is about eighty years old, a couple died in a car crash many moons ago, they left a little boy behind who was adopted by the lady next door. It’s a strange house, it becomes active for a while, then goes quiet, sometimes for years. Objects and chairs have moved, footsteps have been heard, even a baby crying once, and lights and mechanical items blow, one after the other. I’ve never felt afraid here though, even when alone, the house has a good vibe. xxx
Just wanted to stop back and say … pleased the house has a good vibe.
It’s so true houses do have a feeling (vibe) about them, you can tell as soon as you cross the threshold 🙂
Take Care
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan, oh yes, all houses have a vibe, couldn’t agree more!xxx
I can imagine how concerned you were about your daughter. Is this the daughter who is pregnant? Even bigger concern in that case…very glad to hear that she is OK now….and tell her, I also hate needles and actually had therapy years ago for needle phobia and it worked. I still don’t like them, but at least now I am able to go to the doctor’s without having a heart attack!
What a beautiful autumn it has been….the colours have been breathtaking and all in all very good weather….it’s been quite a year.
Dear little Buddy – what can I say….a HUGE congratulations to the animal shelter on their forty years of service, and i love your new Xmas design…beautiful – it makes me smile:)
Continue to enjoy life and take my advice stay way from wallpaper 🙂 xxxx
Yes, this is my only pregnant daughter, as you say, injecting a pregnant woman is pretty scary, especially with such a large needle, precision was certainly called for! Gosh, I’ll certainly tell daughter about your aversion to needles, she is getting better but does hate them, especially having blood taken.Thanks Janet. Hugs to you.xxx
Lots of activity going on in your household – not surprisingly! It sounds as if you’re becoming well-known in the neighbourhood for being a drop-off point for needy creatures especially the hedgehogs. The 40th anniversary events must have been fun. Not so your daughter’s breathing problems and response to the injections! I hope she’s on the mend. All’s well with the wallpapering thanks to your practical skills and help. Buddy sounds like he’s a dedicated ‘ratter’ or just very bouncy, curious and playful with anything that’s moving. Shame that he made himself ill as a result. Have you done any research on who lived in your house? I take it that it’s quite old and has a history. The goings-on and the misty photos are very strange.
The locals have been dropping hedgehogs and birds off here for years, most I take straight to the vets, how I wish they would do that, it would save animals from suffering. I’m so pleased to see daughter back to normal, her breathing was scary to see! Oh, Buddy is certainly a ratter, I know he eats mice now to hide the evidence to avoid being told off.
Our house is about eighty years old, a couple died in a car crash many moons ago, they left a little boy behind who was adopted by the lady next door. It’s a strange house, it becomes active for a while, then goes quiet, sometimes for years. Objects and chairs have moved, footsteps have been heard, even a baby crying once, and lights and mechanical items blow, one after the other. I’ve never felt afraid here though, even when alone, the house has a good vibe. Thanks Linda.xxx
I kept wanting to know what the transferable skills were… but I don’t think your example applies. It’s the same skill in my opinion, regardless of the living thing you’re jabbing. On the other hand, I guess there are some animals that are harder to deal with than others. Too bad you don’t have more experience with monkeys, for instance. Sounds like you have to deal with a lot of monkey business from your progeny. Couldn’t you have asked her partner to hold her down while you jabbed? Of course, if I had someone staying with me who kept me laughing like that (the wallpaper trick was priceless), I’d pay them by the hour. I loved the picture of the cat in Santa Claus costume… and many of your others too. Best wishes to Scarlet. xxx
Yes, you are right Shimon, mammals are mammals, but as you say some are harder to deal with!!! I did threaten her with being held down by her partner, she gave up at that point! Oh….that wallpapering incident, how I wish I had a video of it. Thanks Shimon, you do make me laugh!xxx
Glad to know your daughter is getting alright now. You are so brave. I’m most afraid of the injection thing. I can’t bear the sight of others being poked by needles even.
A question here: Are they going to share the video on Youtube or somewhere online? Do share the link here if they do. I’d be keen to watch you acting in it. Ha ha!
That cat in Santa’s costume is super cute!
So are the two ‘boys’ playing around the trellis!
I do believe that is ghost. How scary! I don’t think I can stay home alone if I were to hear or see or sense one in the house!
Daughter is well now, so that’s a relief. Needles are pretty scary to many people, I’m not terribly fond of them either. I’ve posted the video…..I look ridiculous, but it was fun.
I think if we do have a ghost, it’s a friendly one, Sam seems to think so anyway, and there are no bad vibes. Thanks Jade.xxx
Interesting post and images. Hope your daughter is well now. A & E can certainly take time.
Thanks Peter, yes, daughter is fine now, thankfully. Oh, A&E is always a long wait, we are grateful for it though.xxx
So glad your dear daughter is well and has you two to help her stay so, Dina! What a lot of stress in her life right now…would love to see your beautiful wallpaper job!
Yes, neighbors and friends get to know where to turn when other animals are in distress, don’t they? You are a blessing to them all.
Your gardens look beautiful, Dina! What a lovely autumn you’re having! ours was nice but has ended and it’s already snowed. Just a dusting, but lovely.
You sound so busy with the children at school: again, what a gift you are. I so loved my after-school kids and our gardens…we planted in the spring and then had a Thanksgiving dinner with their parents in the fall: such fun!
Happy anniversary to all at the Rescue! Your artwork is gorgeous, as always. Is there a video on You Tube? It would be so much fun to see singing and acting! 🙂
Do you know the history of your home? It sounds like a spirit or two are visiting! I love the dogs’ reactions; the visitors sound friendly.
Blessings on Buddy; i hope his mice-munching is a phase; it doesn’t sound at all tasty, but I’m a picky eater! 🙂 (Not really, just meat, and especially, mouse).
Blessings on your new week and all your merry adventures!
It’s a relief seeing daughter back to normal and having them settled around the corner. Moving is always such a nightmare. Oh yes, people do latch onto where to take sickly wildlife, it’s a regular thing around here having someone knock with a bird or hedgehog.
It’s lovely seeing so many schools sorting wildlife gardens and growing their own food, I can imagine how much you enjoyed it!
Our house is about eighty years old, a couple died in a car crash many moons ago, they left a little boy behind who was adopted by the lady next door. It’s a strange house, it becomes active for a while, then goes quiet, sometimes for years. Objects and chairs have moved, footsteps have been heard, even a baby crying once, and lights and mechanical items blow, one after the other. I’ve never felt afraid here though, even when alone, the house has a good vibe. Thanks Kitty, for your lovely comment, as always. Love and hugs to you all.xxx
That wallpapering misadventure would’ve garnered a gazillion views had it been posted to the interwebs! Oh what a sight that must’ve been. Rivaled only by Dina and Daughter going round and round! I’m glad she’s feeling better — and that you are, too. Love it that your skills with the animals have come into good use.
We’ve the beginnings of cooler evenings and my pomegranate tree’s leaves are turning golden (they kind of turn quickly and drop off all at once). So glad you are enjoying a gorgeous autumn.
Oh, I truly wished I could have witnessed and recorded the wallpapering, and the injections come to think of it. It is a relief seeing daughter back to normal. I would have been incredibly nervous administering those jabs without any previous experience, the needle was huge…..Lovely to see your sunshine, it’s freezing here. Thanks Anne.xxx
Transferable skills, indeed! It’s good that you’re able to take care of your daughter’s needs in that way, and especially good that she’s feeling better: even if her inner five year old threatens to break out from time to time!
You’re getting the fall that we’re missing: or have so far, at any rate. It’s a bit roller-coasterish in terms of weather right now, and I’ve had to turn on the heat for the first time this year, just to be sure everything’s in order when it’s really needed. I notice you mentioned a log burner — could there be some sort of haze associated with that? Or might you have a camera that’s fogging up? If there’s some sort of temperature differential, and enough humidity, it could happen. For example, if you keep the camera in a cooler room, and then bring it in where the humidity’s higher because of things cooking (or whatever) it might fog. Have you tried a different camera?
It’s not that I’m opposed to ghosties — I just like to sort through all the rational explanations before making the leap!
I was relieved to have had experience of injections previous to daughter, jabbing a pregnant woman is no joke, utter precision was required!
I’m with you re seeking a logical conclusion to seemingly odd events. I tried the iPhone camera which was blurry, yet the video was clear as a bell, I cleaned the screen too. Exactly the same happened with the cannon, blurry photos yet crisp clear video. It’s still the same in there whether the burner is on or not, most peculiar! Sam’s behaviour was the strangest….it takes heaven and earth to shift him once he settles. Thanks Linda.xxx
Oh, gosh… I too hate syringes… But I can figure out how was fully to run after your daughter to give her an injection! Hope she will get better soon, this isn’t the right period of the year to get sick.
About animal in distress: here is raining since 10 days and I’m concerned about the bird’s houses with the seeds. Everything is humid and the woods of the little “houses” is wet… I did take the bird’s houses down the trees to put them in front of the fire to dry up. But maybe I shall see to find another place (more protected from rain) the hang the bird’s nest houses.
Hugs and kisses :-)c
It certainly was fun and games chasing daughter, how she hates injections, I suppose we all do to some extent. She is fine now, thank goodness. My bird feeders get wet but the birds don’t seem to mind, how lovely that you take the trouble to dry them, Thanks Claudine, love and hugs to you all.xxx
Yup, you have a ghost, all right! Seems like a friendly one at that.
Good on you for taking such care of hedgehogs. They’re sweet little things that we don’t have here in Canada. Only in pet shops (which I abhor) as I feel animals should be free.
Nice that Daughter is living so close. Hope she continues to feel better.
That mist is still there, whether we use the logburner or not. Most odd! They must be pygmy hedgehogs being sold, I have an unwanted one here, an awful business keeping them as pets. Thanks Wendy.xxx
Good to hear your news. Well done taking daughter to doc’s and INJECTING her yourself!!! Glad she is on the mend…. Great to see the garden and everything…..
Not seen my daughter for way over two and a half years as she now seems to be settled in Miami…. Her two young dogs produced a litter of puppies a while back. Tabs was out at a nightclub very drunk and had a call from the boyfriend to say the female dog was very restless and walking about a lot and he had just found a puppy on the floor. Daughter rushed back home and helped with delivering the next four puppies drunk as she was to start with and then horribly hung over! All thrived and I have been enjoying the videos… All puppies rehomed now and Tabs in touch with their new owners…. to make sure her puppies are all happy and being treated well!! xxx
How great to hear from you, I often think of you and wish you’d get back to blogging!!!
You’ll have to have a holiday in Miami one of these days! I can imagine Tabs sorting the puppies then monitoring their new homes, she SURE loves her animals. Good to know she has settled happily abroad.xxxx
she rescued several drenched very tiny kittens in the great storms that were randomly in a car park, drowning and was bottle feeding them for a few days every several hours till she found a lady who does that in an organised way…. So for a while she had five puppies, four tiny kittens as well as the two dogs… So she has a great heart bless her! Yes… I will have to go out to Miami and visit one fine and splendid day.
I do miss the old blogging days…. that was all such fun!!!xxxx
What a sweetheart she is! No doubt she’ll start a rescue one day! Those days sure were fun! Where do the years go eh?xxxx
What a time you have had! That mist really is spooky. Do we get to see the film?
I have posted the film on my recent post, don’t laugh now!!!xxx
So glad to hear that your daughter is on the mend, they can be so worrying in spite of not being children any more can’t they!
Your posts are always so interesting and hilarious in places, I can relate to the wallpaper episode.
The hedgehogs have come to the right place, they will surely improve under your care.
Don’t know what to advise about the ghost!
You never stop worrying about your children, it’s sure a lifetime job! Now I wonder what your wallpaper story is? Thanks Pauline.xxx
This is a real roller-coaster of a post. I hope that your daughter feels better soon. Well done with the hedgehogs. Good luck with the ghost. xx
Thanks Flighty, daughter is fine now, thank goodness. The ghost is lingering!!!xxx
Glad daughter is on the mend…..Can be rather troublesome treating one’s children…worse when grown up. 😜 Strange Autumn down here as well. Not complaining, though; making the most of it…..Mind the ‘spooks’.😨 Hugs.
Thanks Bushka, yes, keeping an eye an adult children is far harder than caring for them when they are young. I think winter has hit now, not a leaf left on the trees.xxx
Like Rusty Duck says, it’s all happening at yours! Glad your daughter is on the mend, well done to both of you for metaphorically pinning her down! And well done for all the hedgehog rescue as well, your husband made me laugh, accusing you of abducting them. CJ xx
Thanks CJ, there always seems to be something going on around here for sure. That little hog is doing great, weighs over 600grams now. It is a huge relief to see daughter back to normal.xxx
Oh-er, it all happens at your place!
Glad that daughter is recovering!
Doesn’t it just! Thanks Jess.xxx
I think I scared Mick to death the other night. Archie often sits and looks beyond me when there’s no one there, I said to him “Can you see someone behind me?” and Mick, who was at the far end of the room shot over to see why I was asking him that. Of course, we couldn’t see anything, but Archie kept looking at the same spot. Things like that gives Mick the shivers. I can just imagine you chasing your daughter round with a needle, fun and games, I’m glad she’s feeling better though now. As for the decorating, I’ve never hung a piece of wallpaper in my life, something I leave to other people. Poor Buddy, he looks totally out of it, I doubt he’ll learn his lesson though, dogs rarely do.
Poor Mick! Hubs is a total unbeliever. Animals do enjoy following things we can’t see don’t they, particularly cats. I’m glad the injections are over and that daughter is better. Hopefully I won’t have to inject any more people! I have to agree with you re Buddy, I think his eating of the evidence is his new thing! Thanks Jo.xxx
Poor Buddy……..
Utterly self-inflicted!!!xxx
Spooky….
I love the game the dogs play with the trellis, so cute.
I hope that daughter progresses well and no issues return with her breathing.
Wallpaper episode is hilarious.
I am feeding two juvenile hedgehog each night in the garden. They are both eating well.
They are both using hedgehog houses with nesting material during the day.
I am hoping I am doing the right thing ??
I want to leave them wild as they seem at this moment to be healthy and happy.
I
Thanks Cheryl, good to know daughter is well and around the corner.
I’d weigh the hogs, they have to be 600 grams bare minimum to successfully hibernate, 800 grams is the ideal. If they don’t weigh that they need to be fed and kept warm, maybe add heatpads under towels to keep them warm day and night and place the feed inside their houses. Good luck, what an angel you are for looking after them! Email me if you have any concerns. xxx