Belgians & Chocolate

It’s been an exciting week for me and a very busy one. 

 

First I need to clear my conscience. I have to confess to buying a bar of Lindt dark chocolate full of yummy, intensely orange bits. Not a small bar mind you but a large £1.50 bar. I came home with it on Wednesday afternoon plus a hot, barbequed chicken from our local supermarket. I’d called in on the way back from school to buy a couple of things we needed and I had a complete breakdown of common sense and into my basket went the chocolate. I got home and devoured half the chicken with a few tomatoes, without even sitting down.

 

Then it was time to take Harper to the Vet’s. I was worried about what was going to be said. I knew he was showing classic signs of dog senility but I didn’t know if anything could be done for him. One thing for certain was that something had to be done, he’d woken us at four that morning and I just don’t get back to sleep afterwards. Even if I did, he would only allow about half an hour before he starts crying again.

 

Anthony, our Vet, is very good. We started going to him when Catherine worked there as an assistant/receptionist. All Vets should be like him, no nonsense, explains everything, gives you the options and supports you in whatever decision you have to make. He advised some tablets, which are actually anti depressants, (for the dog, not me!!!) one dose a day. The blurb on them said to try for 2 months and if nothing happened after then, to discontinue. He said that’s rubbish for a start, we would know in a few days if they would work, so just gave me ten days worth, as he didn’t want to waste my money.

 

I came home, relieved and hopeful and then set about eating the whole bar of chocolate, whilst catching up with my emails. The good thing is, after a month of taking Oregano Oil capsules, my body seems to have got back into a more normal state and I didn’t get any palpitations after my binge eating.

 

One definite, I will not now be taking antibiotics unless my life depends on it, it has been very sobering over the last few months to realise how over-prescribing them has almost ruined my life.

 

Whilst not wanting to go on about it too much, it has been a huge discovery for me to realise that the palpitations and shortness of breath, which were diagnosed as panic attacks, are actually a reaction to sugar and starch. This is caused by the rampant Candida I get after having two courses of antibiotics, back to back, when I have had a really bad ear/chest/sinus infection.

 

The two times in my life I have ended up on Valium and Anti-depressants have been after bronchial pneumonia and a really nasty bout of flu. I now feel a much stronger person, as I know what has caused these difficulties in my life. As I spent most of my childhood on Penicillin, it’s no wonder I was considered a problem child, if I’m honest I do feel bitter about the life I didn’t have and the fact that the tablets that were supposed to be helping me actually made me ill. Anyway, as the kids at school like to say ‘Get over it!’ So I will, no use crying over spilt milk.

     

 

Harper had his first tablet that evening. We’ve had him in our bedroom since the crying got really bad and he stayed there that night, as we didn’t know if there would be any improvement.

 

They worked, it was brilliant……… well it would have been……..

 

At 4 am Mike woke and wanted the loo. On his way out of the bedroom, he kicked over the dog’s water dish. Large dish, lots of water! He had to get a bath towel to mop it up. Then he had to go and refill the water dish. On returning to bed he obviously wanted to test the effect of the tablet and fell over the dog. Harper just moved and went straight back to sleep, unfortunately, I didn’t. I’m now considering some form of medication for Mike.

 

Thursday night we put Harper downstairs, in the doorway to the sitting room. I asked Mike to put his food and water bowl in the hall. Mike decided to put them right next to the dog’s bed, so he wouldn’t have to go far if he wanted anything. The result of that was, Harper knocked his water bowl over. But last night was uneventful and we slept until 6.30, the first time in months. I hope we can continue like this.

    

 

I’ve been corresponding, by email, all week with two newly discovered relatives from my Welsh/Belgian line. I have always been intrigued by the idea of a Belgian great great grandfather, who I imagined to be dark haired and good looking. I was despairing of ever finding a photo of him; he was born in 1852 and died in 1891. My mother had seen a large photo of him when she was a child but no one knew where that had gone.  One of these new relatives said she had a photo of Paul and I was over the moon to receive a copy of it this week. I have to write up a family history for all the relatives I have found, which is keeping me busy, their number increases weekly at present.

 

 

 

This is Paul, we think, with his eldest son Edward. When I first saw it, I felt, 'Oh! It's you' He looks just like I imagined, it was as if I had always known what he looked like.

 

Little Edward died in his 20’s from TB, as did a number of my ancestors. One 3 x great grandfather died at 29 from Cholera. On my farming side, they all live into their 70’s but many of the manual, furnacemen died very young.

 

   

 

 

What a fuss at school this week! I was sitting in the classroom working on Tuesday lunchtime and thought I could smell cigarettes. In my innocence, I dismissed the thought and carried on. Then one of the dinner ladies walked by the door to the girl’s toilets and dashed inside. Sure enough, there was a very strong smell of smoke.

 

Detective George is now on the case! I went found the cloakroom sniffing the bags of girls I had seen go into the toilet. Sure enough, a prime suspect’s bag had a very strong smell. We had a peep inside and there were two, part smoked, roll-ups! This girl is ten years old and she had been coming into school fifteen minutes late, over the last few mornings, with no good explanation. Two other girls had been found to be involved. Parents were called in and there was a general weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. I’d like to think we’ve nipped it in the bud but, probably not.

 

  

 

Other things that happened this week. I have been volunteered to put on a Birthday Party for my sister in law in early July. I don’t mind but it could have come at a better time with my trip to Germany coming up and the Big Family Picnic at the end of June. Still, no doubt I will cope and she deserves it, as life has been very difficult for her over the last few years.

 

Simon and Tori have come for the weekend, I actually got 24 hours notice this time. They are going to Cardiff on Sunday for the final in the playoffs for a place in the Premiership. If they win, they will be taking my team’s place (West Bromwich Albion).

 

My cousin came over yesterday, with some old family documents he is giving to me, as I am now officially the Harper family historian and archivist. He wanted to see how I do my research on the computer and was amazed when I was able to trace his father’s line back to 1861 and discovered his 3x great grandfather was born in Portsmouth in 1814. He thought all his paternal line had been born in Leicestershire. We spent a lovely time together and were both shocked to find it was 7pm when he got up to leave.

 

My biggest laugh of the week was from my friend Catherine, who recently moved to France. She likes to read my Journal, as a way of keeping up with what’s happening here. She was quite excited about the unusual, sideways flying, hot air balloon in last week’s entry and was showing it to her work mates, until they pointed out what an idiot she was and it was simply a photo on its side. Never mind Catherine it gave us both a good laugh. Hope to see you for a decent cheese and wine session here soon.

 

My Catherine is doing well, according to her doctor but is feeling tired. Three weeks on Tuesday I fly out there!

 

The garden is calling, I have lots of plants that need putting in , plus I haven't been on Pooh Patrol this week, so no doubt there will be some doggy deposits that need attending to !