How Did I Get This Lucky? Part 2

A short while ago you may recall reading a post about how lucky I was to have such a marvellous husband.  You may also recall that I stated at the outset that I didn't generally consider myself a lucky person.  Today, or the last 24 hours, has been one of 'those days' and I am about to share it with you.  I will apologise in advance for the rather self pitying tone, but I am ill, so it's allowed :P

• Star refused to eat his dinner last night and there were tears.  And they were not his.

• On Thursday I was due to have someone come over and look after Star.  This is a paid arrangement so it's not someone 'doing me a favour'.  I had a text last night to say that she wouldn't be able to make it as she has a cold.  SO DO I.

• I had a miserably poor nights sleep, and woke this morning feeling, well, rough.  Bad cold, sore throat, sore tonsils, weak and feeble. Getting the picture ?  I don't usually get ill, and can only remember one other similar occasion in the last 12 mths, but more of that later.

• On the rare occasion that I do succumb to these types of bugs my usual strategy is to dose myself up to the max with cold care capsules so that I don't actually realise that I'm feeling under the weather, whilst taking mega doses of vitamin C to get myself better.  It works a treat.  However, this time I don't want to take said cold care capsules, just in case I may be pregnant.  I know that technically they are safe to take but I don't believe in taking anything when pregnant unless the ailment itself is likely to seriously damage me or the baby.  So I don't.  I have to rely on the vitmain c (yes it is safe in pregnancy), Manuka honey lozenges, and manuka and lemon in hot water.  Thank goodness for shrove tuesday.  I'm sure all this is doing a fantastic job of ensuring I get better quicker, but in the meantime I'm still feeling rank.

• Star decides that he is going to make breakfast difficult.  I hate difficult mealtimes and find it the most difficult thing to deal with.  This is usually the only meal of the day that goes without a hitch.  We get through it successfully, eventually, but today of all days!

• I go back to bed, having passed the parenting baton to The Daddy (note-first bit of good luck of the day) to sleep for as long as I am able. The Daddy will give Star his lunch and put him to bed if I'm still sleeping.  I am enjoying a lovely sleep, when stepson decides to slam his bedroom door.  Not in a 'I'm not very happy' kind of way, but a 'I can't be arsed to use the handle' kind of way.  The result is the same though as I am awake.  I make a concerted effort to go back to sleep, and am just getting to that lovely floaty, half conscious stage when stepson drops the toilet seat or lid down in the bathroom.  BANG.  Awake again.  This time I gave up, and got up.

• Star's lunch is well under way, the bread machine has been put on and the kitchen tidied.  All good things, thanks to...you got it.  I suggested that some KFC comfort food would be perfect for lunch and The Daddy went off to collect, whilst I put Star to bed.  KFC arrived and...oh, everything is in the bag...except mine.  I make do with a chicken leg and a hot wing. 

• Meanwhile, our power goes off.  Thankfully it is only off for 15mins, but long enough to ruin the bread. 

• I decide to do a blog post about my miserable day.  I go into Blogger, and start typing.  Blogger decides to apply the 'strike though' text to everything I type.  I try to remove it, but it won't let me.  I shut it down and go in again.  The same.  I open it in a different browser.  The same.  So, out of desperation I am doing this post in my posterous blog and hoping I can post it through to blogger from there.  We will see, but the way today is going I have a feeling this could be fraught with danger.

I think I'm feeling particularly miserable as the last time I felt ill like this I was pregnant and about to miscarry.  Can't help wondering if it's a sign that the same is about to happen ?


Oh, and I just read a blog post, which I'm sure you've all read, that says if you want to be a top blogger you shouldn't write posts that whinge and are miserable.  Well, I guess that means I'm out of the running for that particular mantle.  Still, my good luck charm will be home soon and things will be looking up.

Posted via web from geriatricmummy's posterous

How Did I Get This Lucky? Part 2

My Special Valentines Memory

Valentines day 2008 is one valentines day that I'll never forget.


In 2008 business was booming and The Daddy and I found ourselves in the very privileged position of being able to indulge ourselves.  In fact 2007/8 was a period full of what dreams are made of.  But, as you will know from previous blog posts, life is not all about what you have and where you go.


In October 2007 we started down the assisted conception road, and it was agreed that we would have three attempts at IUI, before the clinic felt we should consider IVF.  Not being desperate to have children I was thinking that IVF was a step too far for me so in all likelihood our three IUI's would be our only chance .  Our first cycle went to plan, with a single dominant follicle maturing nicely, but was unsuccessful.  Ditto the second.  On our third and final attempt, things did not go quite so smoothly.  At the first scan, I had one dominant follicle, at the second scan it appeared to be maturing, but at the third scan it had receded and another follicle had stated to grow.  This follicle reached maturity and on 3rd Feb 2008 we had the IUI, only one day later than previously. I was convinced that it couldn't possibly work.  The follice that matured was a 'last gasp' because the first one failed, and it didn't mature over the usual timescales.  I put babies, and pregnancies out of my mind and decided that we would have to seriously consider our options at some later date.


On Valentines day we were in for a special treat.  We had booked ourselves into Le Manoir Aux Qaut'saisons for the night, and would be enjoying the ten course tasting menu in the two Michelin starred restaurant.  It's an amazing place, with fantastic grounds, and an extensive kitchen garden in which they grow much of the produce they use.  It is all so beautiful that I cannot do it justice with the blunt tool that is my descriptive writing, but below are photos of both the hotel and our room (which even had a log burner in it!)

Needless to say the food is exquisite.   As I clearly wasn't pregnant, I decided to make the most of the meal, and drink the wines which the sommelier selects to go with each course.  That's alot of wine.  I had also had a G&T on arrival at the hotel, and a glass of champagne before dinner.  On returning to our fabulous room, I felt, rather 'squify' shall we say, but it had been a truly memorable evening.  The food, wine, service, setting and company had all been first class. 


The next day, we were collected and taken to Heathrow to catch our Virgin Upper Class flight to Dubai, where I spent five glorious days.  Again I had a glass or two of wine with dinner each night, as my self imposed 'teetotaldom' that had lasted the preceeding 20 months was now over.   


We arrived home, which was day 31 of my cycle, when I was under orders from the clinic to do the obligatory test. I knew it was a waste of a test, but I did it anyway, and as I'm sure is obvious to you, got the shock of my life.  The first thing I thought was...OMG all that alcohol!  The rest, as they say, is history.

My Special Valentines Memory

Things That Have Made Me Happy This Week

Those of you brave enough to have read my last post will know that this last week has had it's trying moments.  But there have been some fab ones too which I thought I would share just to brighten the mood a little.

• Star made some Valentine cookies and a card at nursery.  Well, when I say he made the cookies, I'm not sure that is entirely accurate.  What I can believe though is that he had a hand in (literally) applying the icing and the sprinkles.

• I bought myself some new kitchen scales.  This purchase has brought me unimaginable pleasure.  I use my scales every day, as every day I bake a loaf of bread.  Needless to say this required the weighing of various ingredients, and water.  My old scales have had, for as long as I can remember, a button missing that meant every time I wanted to turn them on or zero them I had to find a pen or a pointy implement of some kind to poke in the hole that the missing button left behind.  Clearly this is not an arduous task, but it is annoying.  One day I decided that given that these scales are used everyday I could surely stretch to getting some new ones.  Well, let me tell you, these new scales have made me beam with delight every time I use them.  You see they not only work perfectly without poking, but they measure the water for my bread too.  When I come to add the water to my breadpan, I press a button to tell them to measure in ml and tip the water in until it gets to the required number.  How brilliant is that!

• I got awarded the Sunshine Blog Award...twice!  Getting blog awards is not commonplace for me, so I am always bowled over to receive one, but to receive one twice in a couple of days - wow!  I know that I'm not a great writer, I know that my grammar and spelling is often not as it should be and that my blog can be rather, well, lets be honest, miserable at times.  When I get an award it tells me that someone out there actually likes to read my diatribes, and perhaps they even like me...in an anonymous cyberspace kind of way.  And that makes me very happy.  I will do a proper Sunshine Blog Award post soon, but in the meantime, thanks everso The Moiderer and Make Do Mum

• I got more flowers from The Daddy today.  Carnations and Lilies this time.  They are beautiful.

• Last, but by no means least, today I received my Secret Post Club parcel.  It was from Is There A Plan B and I was thrilled.  I was thrilled to find it on my doormat, I was thrilled to read the enclosed postcard, and I was thrilled with the gift.  It was a set of kitchen cutters in various leaf shapes which are already well loved, and over time will be well used.  I had been feeling rather sorry for the people that get me to send to because I know I'm not easy.  I supplied quite an extensive list of likes and dislikes, and knew that I would have excluded some of the more obvious 'gifts for girls'.  But Plan B came up trumps, and with little time this month.  She also has really lovely handwriting and wrote me a super little postcard.  Thankyou Plan B, very much. 

Oh, before I sign off, one more thing that made me happy this week...I got to 50 followers.  50 I tell you!  How did I manage that ?

Things That Have Made Me Happy This Week

How Did I Get This Lucky ?

In the last 24 hours I have had cause to reflect on what a truly wonderful husband I have.  Generally I don't consider myself a 'lucky' person, but maybe I used up all the luck anyone can expect when I found The Daddy.  Here, in no particular order, are just a few of the reasons that I love him so...

•  He makes me laugh like nobody else ever has, or ever will. 
• We share what I'm sure is a unique sense of humour, enabling me to rediscover my inner child.
• We share many values and beliefs.  Even on subjects that I'm sure most people don't even think about.
• He is a wonderful provider.  Finanically, as a family we want for nothing.  Practically, if there is a problem he will find a solution.  Every time. With no fuss.
• He looks after himself.  At 39 he is slim, toned, fit and stylish and works hard to stay that way.
• He is domesticated.  He does most of the washing, all of the ironing and all housework over and above that which is done by the cleaner (whom he pays for).
• He is very bright, both in an intellectual sense, and in his general disposition.
• He is confident and charming.  After 3.5 years of marriage he still opens the car door for me to get in and I am always very proud to introduce him as my husband.  He is one of those rare individuals that can light up a room.
• He understands me as well as I understand myself.
• He is loving and affectionate, without losing his masculinity.
• He is thoughtful.  He went to Sainsburys for me this morning and brought me back a beautiful bouquet of flowers - roses and lilles.  He said that he thought I might like them, and just in case I didn't he also brought me a bar of Fruit and Nut Toblerone.  You would think that was enough but he also brought home a new baking tray as he knew how frustrated I get with my current one sticking.  He was confident that one of his gifts would put a smile on my face.  As it happened I was happy with all three!

I could go on, but as usual there is too little time.  Star will be awake for his lunch shortly so to the kitchen I must go...counting my lucky stars ...

How Did I Get This Lucky ?