The Pig Yard

Jane's Arthroscopy

Having cancelled one operation date because of a cold, Jane was disappointed the night before her next date to be told it was cancelled because the hospital was too full!! The possible delay would mean a further 8 weeks before she could be fitted in under the NHS, The decision was made to go to Three Shires privately for the op which could be fitted in before Christmas. The thought was the sooner the knee was cleaned out the quicker she could return to normality (exercise).

We had been to Finchley Memorial Hospital (NHS) recently in London, a new hospital which housed Jane's Mother during her recuperation, so we thought Three Shires would be of a similar standard if not better bearing in mind the costs..... Well it really was not as good or as spacious. The attendant nurses were all pleasant Jane had never seen so many, she even saw her consultant three times.

Well is it better?  Jane was told she had chipped her thigh bone and they had removed the bits of bone, cartilage and stuff inside the knee but the cruciate ligament was torn and would not repair. She sees the consultant at the end of January, with a couple of physio appointments before then. She follows her exercise regime hoping that the tightness in the knee will ease. Looks like squash will be out of the question possibly for ever....

Christmas - Season of Bah Humbug

There was so much going on just before Christmas what with Jane's mum and Jane's knee operation we barely had time to think about the festive season. As always Jane was well prepared before hand and she has this uncanny knack of bringing everything together just in time. Steve on the other hand frets and frets about things being just right and of course does all his shopping the easy way - online (thank goodness for Amazon).

We spent Christmas morning sorting a few things out and then in the afternoon we went over the Sue & Graham's for a traditional Christmas dinner followed by an equally traditional snooze. We made sure we didn't outstay our welcome and were home by 11pm.

Boxing Day found us travelling down to Bletchley to visit our nephew and his partner. They were still in their nightwear at 11am, with the TV on, Christmas wrapping paper on the floor where it fell and a general air of abandon. What it is to be 40 and carry responsibility so lightly.

After Christmas Day it's always good to return to some semblance of normality and for all the razzmatazz and bon hommie to be over and done with for another year. Someone on the radio described the time between Christmas and New Year as the armpit of the year - how apt; it's like a dead zone.

Wood Stocks

Unlike previous years we haven't had the opportunity to get out into the fields and cut wood donated by our local friendly farmer. It seems he's keeping all the better wood for himself. As it stands we have enough wood, mainly Willow, to last us until the end of January and then I shall be looking to cut up the floorboards (if we had any).

There is a chance of getting some more Willow at the end of January when the local shoot is finished. Willow is such a poor wood because it is of low density once it has dried out. Willows grow very fast in wet areas because they draw up lots of water and therefore once it's dried out there's nothing left. Beggars can't be choosers so we take the Willow, cut and split it and then burn it on the log burner with an open draft, it's the only way to get any heat out of it.