Yesterday

No fall-out yesterday! I take this to mean that Ma thoroughly enjoyed her weekend away and wasn't stressed about it at all. Bryan and Lily took her at various points to see both daughters, grand daughter and great-grandchildren which Ma would have loved. So yesterday she was in an ok mood for most of the day and ate reasonably well. I did have to jolly her along for a while and persuade her out of going to bed at half 6, but that's about all.

This morning she was all for wearing shorts and a backless top on the greyest coolest day we've had and would not be persuaded otherwise. After wandering in the garden with the dog for a few minutes she then appeared in a velour tracksuit, fleece and woolly socks! Sue arrived for my Carer's Assessment meeting so I sorted Ma's breakfast and we went to sit in a different room to Ma because she was watching tv and we needed a bit of quiet to fill in the forms. This didn't go down very well unfortunately. After Sue had left I found Ma in the living room wearing her coat and shivering. I asked her why she hadn't put the heater on (something she can still manage to do) and was told, in that particular tone of voice that it didn't matter. Although I knew, I asked what was wrong and she stated that she didn't think it was right and that she should be around when I was discussing her. When I said that actually we were talking about me and my needs not her I could tell that she didn't believe me. The only thing I can do at times like these is to be quietly assertive and repeat what I've said, without heat, until she accepts what I'm saying. It can take a while...

She's just had a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich and a hot chocolate and is quite happy again, dozing in front of the news.

Update later...

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Food things for those who are interested...

I'm back on low carb with a vengence. I just cannot continue to expand like I have been doing and the only thing I can stick to for any length of time is low carb. But without all the farting around which has crept in, making it very-not-low-carb-at-all and therefore makes-you-fat-very-quickly-and-efficiently. So with that in mind... for brunch I did a really gorgeous frittata with chorizo, courgette, feta, mint and basil. Then I poached a large chook in the afternoon. Ma had it with new potatoes and a few veggies. I had it with courgettes, leeks and celery in a cream and stilton sauce.

Courgettes are likely to feature highly for the next few days because I came back from Cornwall with a carrier bag full of them courtesy of JT! I also stripped the chicken carcass and shoved it in the stock pot with the usual suspects and then left it in the bottom of the Aga overnight. Easiest way I know to make proper stock :) So some sort of soup is on the agenda. I rather fancy cauliflower. Maybe. Or...watercress and celery. Or spinach and stilton. Or all of them!

Breakfast was a couple of sausages, a few very thin slices of tomato dressed with a little salt and a few drips of cider vinegar and a slice of lovely slumped Brie.

Lunch will be chicken, coleslaw, gherkins, green salad and cheese.

Just about to cook a piece of ham for later. Not sure what I'll do with it yet.