Keeping it real

Whenever we are heading to middle England we go the pretty way and head up to Ross on Wye and then strike out across country. If we plan it right we get to stop at Jo's in Whitchurch, just by the turnoff that can take you to the Hedge Puzzle and Butterfly farm. Every table has a different cruet and as I was looking for a picture for this week and needed something to smile at I thought I would share what was on our table the last time we went.

Mr M frightened me on Friday by falling out of bed - again. He hit his face and arm on the bedside cabinet - again - and grazed his knee on the carpet. We don't know why he did this because we were both sound asleep until he hit the floor. Going from deep sleep to wide awake and struggling to get out to rush and help is quite an experience, but not one I would wish upon anyone. He had arthritis in both knees and his right shoulder so falling out of bed was the easy part. He can't kneel because it is so painful and he couldn't use his right arm to lever himself up. What followed was the most awful five minutes of our joint lives and we were both sobbing by the time he was sitting on the bed again. We have now acquired a side bar thing for the bed that should at least wake him and give him chance to stop himself falling.

When he took himself downstairs to make a cuppa he discovered that he had ripped his toenail off his little toe, just to add to the misery. I was useless at dealing with it and it was fortunate that his chiropody appointment was for Saturday so the lovely lady cleaned and dressed it for him.

We had a long talk about our general health and fitness and decided that we both need to lose weight urgently if only so we can pick each other up when we fall.

What surprised me most was how shaken I was. I could feel myself actually shaking the next morning and the tremors were still there on Sunday. Did we feel like going out as usual? No we didn't and when it was bed time I was reluctant to go and when I asked Mr M if he was afraid to go to bed he said "A bit".

Tonight we use the side bar and see if this gives us more confidence. Do you know I think this is what aging (rather than getting old) does to you. It saps your confidence. I know I am more careful when I am walking about because I know my reflexes are so much slower and if I lose my balance it takes just that fraction longer for my body to react. That fraction is the difference between wobbling a bit and ending up on the floor.

"Every decade brings its own reward" is something my granny used to say and I am beginning to hate that she kept harping on about it! Tomorrow I will be in a new decade I just hope things don't get to rewarding

Just keeping it real