*****Is going there and back to see how far it is.*****













Hi I am Jo…wife, lover, best friend and soulmate to Keith. Lover of all things to do with nature and the canals. I am passionate about the Waterways and its history.


I hope you will join me in my rambles and do please comment – I love to hear from and meet new people in blogland!

Life on the cut through my eyes.

Daisypath Anniversary tickers
*****Stay safe and warm out there..*****













Sunday 29 December 2013

Christmas and an Update on Keith.

Hi dear blog readers and friends.

As you know Keith came home from the hospital on the 23rd December in time for Christmas and what we hoped would be a fun time. Forget the fun time and Christmas, there was no Christmas dinner and festivities, because poor Keith was poorly. An hour after returning from the hospital he began being sick and then the Diarrhea kicked in. Oh deep joy he had picked up a bug from his time in the hospital. I rang the ward to let them know he had gotten a bug, so they could get their infection people involved in finding out where it had come from. I suspect it was the moved on the Sunday (22nd) from Hatton Ward to Dugdale Ward in the middle of the night. Dugdale ward was an overflow ward which had been closed down. They had to re-open it because A&E was full, as were the other wards. Because Keith was not a serious case, he and others due to go home were moved. So I think the bug came from Dugdale Ward. Christmas Day came and he got up for a while, but was soon back in bed where he began having the shakes and so was confined to bed. He did manage to eat something Boxing Day, but then he seemed to go down hill. Friday night (27th) he had the shakes four times and was seeing things, which meant he had a high temperature. I tried sponging him down and doing all the usual things to get his temperature down. On the Saturday (28th) December I rang 111 again and a doctor rang me back. He asked me to take Keith to the Out of Hours GP Surgery at the hospital. Now I was not happy at having to move him because of his back and the fact that he was as week as a kitten, but I got him dressed and up and Jacky our neighbour very kindly drove us to the hospital, where I had to wheel him in a chair to see the doctor. Keith was diagnosed with a water infection to add to his back pain. So he now has Antibiotics to take on top of the other tablet he is taking for his back, he has however been told to stop the Diclofenic, which may have been something to do with the water infection.

Today Sunday (29th).

Both Keith and I slept better, we were only up twice, and he has eaten some scrambled egg for breakfast. He still has a temperature, but hopefully the antibiotics will kick in today.

When I was leaving school, I had a desire to be a nurse. I never did go ahead with it because things changed as did my mind, but I did do First Aid classes, which included nursing and oh boy it has all come back, even to the point of doing bed baths. The only thing I do not have is the uniform. Mind you with Keith being in his present condition, me wearing a nurses uniform may just put his temperature off the chart, so we will forget that.

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I do hope that you all had a fabulous Christmas?

We are looking forward to a good New Year. So may I wish you all a Happy 2014.

Monday 23 December 2013

Hospital and back home again

In the very early hours of Friday morning, Keith was rushed into hospital with acute back pain, it was the worst he had have ever had. His back kept going to into spasms which meant I could not move him without him being in extreme pain. It was beyond control, so I called 111 and they sent an ambulance out. It took the paramedics a while to get him sedated enough to get him out of the boat and into the ambulance. Keith was rushed into hospital, where the doctors in A&E tried to settle his pain. The hospital staff were excellent, but because they could not stop the pain and the spasms within the 4 hour window he was admitted to allow the concoction of drugs to take effect. By Saturday he was up and walking, but had to wait until today, Monday, to be released this evening. It is great to have him back home where he belongs. Christmas can now begin on-board.
He needs to have an MRI scan early in the new year, but we also hope to have a chat with my local GP to discuss keeping a stock of suitable medicines on-board so that we can treat it when the problem occurs and hopefully save having to be admitted into hospital again. This year his back has been giving him more and more problems. But for now he is pain free and home.

Merry Christmas.


Thursday 12 December 2013

A Very Lucky Man.

Living on a boat, like with living on the land comes with its dangers, but we never take our safety for granted and this is especially thought about at this time of the year, when things become slippery and the water is extremely cold.
This piece in the Northampton Chronicle sent shivers down my spine, because it can happen to anyone on a boat and especially if it is your home.
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/health/health-news/boat-owner-minutes-from-death-at-northampton-marina-1-5743522.

Safety is at the top of my tick list in the Winter. Sadly we have heard of to many people drowning having fallen from their boats. So Please, Please stay safe out there. 

Friday 6 December 2013

A surreal day.

It has been a day of great sadness for so many across the world.

Last night I put a Lamb Shank on the saloon stove to cook overnight, this was to prove not such a great idea, because I spent the night waking up to the smell of the Lamb cooking. I have to say it did smell wonderful with the herbs wafting up the boat to the back cabin. Having had an indifferent nights sleep, we woke up at 7 am and I did the usual morning thing and put the kettle on for our first cuppa of the day, which was as always enjoyed in bed whilst watching the news on the BBC. The sadness came with the news that Nelson Mandela had died overnight at the age of 95 years old. Even though I had never met the man like many millions of people, I had watched his life unfold through the media. Mr Mandela’s struggle is his legacy to the world and will be ever lasting. I had tears in my eyes as the reports spoke about such an inspirational man, who will be sadly missed by all those who loved and knew him. The world has lost an incredible man.

8 am and it was time to fold away the bed and to get on with the day.

Paddy always gets walked first, after all a dog has to do what a dog has to do, so we walked along the towpath and back again. There was a lorry parked up on the road and as I turned to look at the gentleman standing by the side of the lorry, I realised his was having a pee up the front wheel. I though only dogs peed up tyres, but clearly not. It struck me funning that he was happy to carry on in front of passing cars and with me approaching, clearly this was not the first time he had done this in full view of those passing. Thankfully there were no children walking to school, their parents would have had some explaining to do Smile.

After smiling to myself after seeing that gentleman it was back to the boat, where I re-lit the back cabin stove. I had let it out yesterday due to the very high winds. So the stove was re-lit and the saloon stove riddled and replenished with coal. Marmite and Paddy had their breakfasts and then we had ours. Yes we know where we are in the pecking order on our boat Smile.

After doing the usual boat chores, and a Lamb Shank Casserole, which was put in the back cabin stove, we walked up into the town with a pair of my boots to see if I could get them repaired. They are leather boots and hardly been worn, but they are coming apart, so need sorting out, thankfully I was told they could be repaired and I will pick them up tomorrow (Saturday). I failed to ask how much it would cost, so I have to hope it is not an arm and a leg. With nothing else required in the town, we strolled back to the boat and to a very warm back cabin and the wonderful smell of the casserole wafting out of the cabin.

Lunch time came and went, so Keith put one of our Star Trek DVD’s on. He recently purchased all the films, so we will be ploughing our way through them. Whilst the film was playing, I got on with folding up yesterdays washing, which was now nice and dry. I do very little ironing on the boat, in fact I only iron clothes if we are going out some where nice. There is no room for an ironing board, so I use the work top in the galley.

4 pm the dumplings went into the stew and as I type are cooking nicely. Today seems to have flown by and now it is dark again and so the Christmas lights are on. Paddy and Marmite are waiting for their dinners and I am now waiting to watch The Paul O’Grady Show and later on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. I have loved this series.

Wednesday 4 December 2013

A day out in Leamington Spa.

So often I am dressed like someone has dragged me through a hedge backwards, because when working the boat, it pays to look that way, but today I decided none of that as I had filled the water tank yesterday and got the coal in, so I was going to have a clean and tidy day and a bit of a smart dress day.

On seeing how nicely dressed I was Keith asked “Are we going somewhere today”.

My reply was “No, I just want to look a little smarter today”.

His reply was “Shall we go into Leamington then”.

So we did, we caught the bus into Leamington. £8.90 for a day ticket for us both.

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The weather was lovely, with the sun shining and it was mild for the time of year. Our first port of call was T-Mobile or EE to upgrade our dongles for our internet access, our data limit has doubled to 2Gb a month and the download speeds are way faster, for only 1p a month more! So that is a major result, it only took an hour plus to sort it all out, but it was worth it.

With lunchtime approaching we went to the Oriental Star Buffet for lunch, we have eaten there before when we were in the town a few years back, so it was time we gave them a go again and it was well worth it. £7.90 and you can eat as much as you like.

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After lunch we walked down to the museum and art gallery where we had a look around.

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I do so love the town with its tall white buildings and stunning gardens. It looks so clean, smart and well loved. With the streets mapped out like a grid there is plenty of walking to be done to see all the shops. On previous visits we have not seen some of the town, so today we made up for that and of course visited the charity shops, which were very expensive.

Is it just me or have some of the charity shops begun to out price themselves. I noticed that they were asking £1.95 for a 100g ball of wool, that is day light robbery because I can go in a wool shop and buy the same wool for £140. I do feel some of these shops are over priced. I realise the money is for their charity, but people will not pay these prices if they keep going up.

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The town is like every other in the country at the moment, it is decked out in Christmas decorations and I have to say they are beautiful. I think they must look truly amazing in the dark.

We did not spend much money, but we had a wonderful day, we came back with our new dongles, a calendar and some fairy lights, but more importantly it was a lovely day out for us both, so dressing up this morning was well worth it.

Tuesday 3 December 2013

It’s that time of year.

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Hasn’t 2013 flown by or is it just me?

We are now officially into Christmas mode with the tree and decorations coming out from their box and they are now adorning the boat. I do so love fairy lights.

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Marmite has taken up her spot next to the tree and she has already shown interest in the baubles, so I can see her having some fun with them over the next few weeks.

I realise some may think we are early in putting up our decorations, but we always put them up on the 1st December.

I am so ahead of the game this year, I have already posted the cards etc to avoid the queues at the post office, well that was the idea, but when I got to the post office the queue was very long, but because I was in no hurry I did what us Brits are good at and I joined the queue and waited my turn, which was so Fifteen minutes later. My main worry about being in the queue was catching all the germs being coughed and sneezed whilst I waited. I found myself hold my breath every time someone coughed and then hoping I did not catch anything. What is wrong with people these days, they do not seem to know how to cover their mouths and noses when they cough and sneeze, and I did not see a hanky used by any of them. I always have a hanky or tissue to hand. Anyway I seem to have avoided their germs and I am so pleased I have done all I need to do. Now I can sit back and enjoy the run up to the big day.

What are you doing this Christmas and are you ahead of the game?

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