What a nice little sleep. It started late and kept going until morning. The doggies were calm and quiet.
I didn’t fancy the desiccated rolls in the naked fridge so fed T remaining pie and I ate fruit.
We were due a scheduled power outage starting at 09.00 and continuing until 15.00.
Early showers were the order of the day, if we wanted warm ones, then out with our doggies. In the event, the power cut started at 10.00 and finished around 14.30.
It was sunny this morning but was due to end up wet. Which is how things panned out. The meadows made for a lovely walk along with dog treats and the ball today.
I nipped into Waitrose to buy ingredients for the Easter coffee morning where the theme is chocolate and mince pies. Forget the mini mince pies- they only had the larger variety. I plan to make chocolate drizzled flapjacks and brownies. I left T in the car which is always dangerous because he searches through paperwork etc.
Somehow, somewhere, he found some strange digestive biscuits, McVities ones, in a green packet, but which were a relic from our trip to Greece. I can remember not liking them but not the reason why. Hasn’t stopped T though. I shut him up with an ‘intense’ Magnum before he could complain about the length of my shopping absence.
We returned Minnie to her owner who was on the phone. Her other owner being at work, prior to meeting Fleur at Heathrow.
We returned home to cheese and biscuits, in the absence of power, cooking was not possible.
The Easter baking would have to wait until later in the day, before I hide the results so T cannot get at them, which is what he did the last time I baked for the coffee morning. I left the results of my cooking out and they remained untouched for some strange reason or other.
I listened to a very interesting programme on 5 Live about Alzheimer’s and its links to music . Music is very important because it works on different parts of the brain. Challenging the brain with mind puzzles / Sudoku etc/ is also important but learning something new – eg a new language, or skill, or a musical instrument, engages the brain in different ways. Music resurrects those absent brains. A lot of musical activities take place at Cholsey.
Physical activity is also very important – but here is the nub – physical activity that simultaneously challenges the brain is even better. Eg dance and it’s timing and moves. And I imagine physical games where strategy and ball placement are involved are equally important – hockey for example. On an individual note, artistic swimming to music should meet all requirements. It was once called synchro swimming.
Things like diet also matter. But, and here is another nub, and obvious, because I hadn’t thought it through properly. Hearing matters because it reduces social isolation and avoids ‘pressing the off switch’ . I had better get T’s ears tested.
Tony Christy of Amarillo fame, was interviewed at length. And yes, he’s on a high dose of medication but his music and performing keeps him balanced.
Alfreda has been at work due to not calculating timings correctly. I’ve got snap jacks – guaranteed to break your teeth – as opposed to flapjacks and the most awful brownies ever.
That is a costly mistake to make and will require an early start to make a new batch.
Update- my early start was at 03.30. I cooked a new batch of flapjacks for half the time – they look as thought they will crumble apart. Perhaps drizzling them with melted chocolate mightglue them together.
FFS – I thought every 3 yr old could bake successful flap jacks! This must be the beginning of the end.
T brought me a strange glass of drink at bedtime. His normal bedtime role is to fill my glass with cold water. But today he appeared with a warm glass of what looked like freshly diluted cowpat. I had to decline it! He often brings me water in mugs which I find equally annoying. Perhaps I should be glad that the thought is there. Sometimes.
There was some good news. The nice dementia adviser from Oxfordshire services rang me back to say they would do a carer’s assessment on the phone. But in the meantime, I should be entitled to a generously awarded one-off annual payment of £300 in recognition of my self- sacrifice, and hard work, as nurse, cook, cleaner and entertainer of my husband. To receive it every year I have to remember to apply every year.
I think the idea is you treat yourself to a cleaner, or a gardener, or pampering. Once or twice.
Fleur is back safe. George and co had a big blizzard in La Thuile, Italy. Lots of new snow.
Thought for the Day
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