Chior Reunion! (by sarah)

Ok I know this was now over a two weeks ago but I promised to blog about it!

This was the reason we last trapps all the way to Essex - for the reunion of the Havering Youth Chior - I loved this chior I really did. I ended up being part of Summer on the South Bank with them, performing in the Shouting Fence by Orlando Goth 🙂 many moons agao. Through the chior I ended up singin at the Royal Festival Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall (thats the dingy brown one with concret pyramids on the roof next to the Royal Festival Hall!). We got used for conductor exams by the Royal School of music which was fun too 🙂

We did so many local concerts and Carol singing for local charities that I have lost count! On of the singers at our wedding was my friend from Chior - Clair in fact we started arranging stuff for the wedding at the first chior reunion. Then at last years I was heavily pregnant whilst we sang african songs and 'negro' spirituals 🙂

This year we did John Rutters Requiem and Te Duim (mmmm cant remember how to spell it!) - this last one was offle though - we renamed it to tedium! Next year I wouldn't mind doing Magrigals or some of my Jazz favorites like Birdland but we'll have to see!

I'm afriad I had to fall back on using the crutch as a day of standing and church pews where just too much! I nearly made it through the entire concert standing but 1 and 1/2 songs before the end I found myself sitting and a loud crash as I'd droped the crutch in the precoess - mew - opps!

Jean also decided to join in the concert - we just finish one of the more upbeat peices in the Requiem and instead of the silence that should have followed there were happy 'baby singing' sounds - well she had the rhythem! Apparently she also joined in with some precussion from the other end!

Jonh Morris seemed excited to have his chior back 🙂 and on top of that we had a great day and the concert raised over £300 for Age Concern Havering 🙂

Unfortunatly Football Mania had a grib of most people there - they all had minni TVs and lunch time a TV was specifically set up - it was the first match guys! Come on - its not even interesting until we get somewhere! - sigh - the church spirer was also showing its support!

Father’s Day! (by alaric)

Yesterday was Father's Day in the United Kingdom.

Now, Jean doesn't know this since she only just approaching ten month's old, but (perhaps due to recovering from illness) she was very affectionate today and always seemed to want me to pick her up and hold her, then was all fun and happy when I did. So I felt very loved 😉

Laryngotracheobronchitis (by alaric)

Poor little Jean! She was well recovered from her past viral infection, but a few days ago she started to drool excessively, went off her food, and became generally unhappy. We thought at first that she was just having more teeth break through her gums, which would have those effects, but she then started coughing, sleeping lots, she'd lost her voice, was hardly drinking any milk or water, and some spots that had begun to appear on her lower lip (where all the drool was running down) turned into nasty big red ones.

So today we phoned NHS Direct, who said that she sounded like she had croup, so we should expose her to steamy atmospheres. They also said they would contact the local out of hours doctor (our local surgery not being open today), who would ring us back soon.

So they rang back, and said they'd like us to bring her down to them to be looked at, if we could; after all, various other things have similar symptoms to croup, that can be a lot worse.

After a short wait, she was seen by a doctor, who summoned a colleague who specialised in children, and they said that it did indeed appear to be croup, but the one thing they couldn't safely check for was Epiglottitis since, if it was that, poking around in her airway to take a look might cause it to spasm, choking her. So they sent us off to the children's unit at a bigger hospital.

After some form-filling with a nurse, having Jean weighed and her vital signs checked, we were seen by a specialist who gave her a thorough examination, and pronounced that she almost certainly just had croup. He then had to go because of a shift changeover, so after a bit more waiting, another specialist came and said that he agreed, and that the nasty spots were probably Herpes. Sarah panicked a bit at this since she'd only heard of herpes as a sexually transmitted disease, and didn't realise it was the common coldsore, but that was soon cleared up!

So after even more waiting, they gave her some steroids to help reduce the swelling in her throat, and packed us off home.

Phew.

The NHS doctors and nurses we spoke to were lovely; noticeably different from the experiences we'd had in London! From the NHS direct phone people to the out of hours doctors at Stroud Hospital (which, alas, is currently fighting potential cutbacks), and the Children's Centre at Gloucester Royal Hospital, even though we did have to wait a long time for the senior doctor to come and see us!

Wiggly Pets Need a Home (by sarah)

Ok guys as many of you've been waiting ages for this - let me tell you that we have over 100 wiggly pets instock there are £2.50 to friends and family but if your getting them for other people (ie not as presants) they are 3.50!

I'll get the website and comic strip sorted and up as soon as possible too 🙂 🙂 🙂

Stupid NHS (by sarah)

Da Grrrrrr!!!!!

I've been waiting for an appointment - as I always am - first of all they sent me a letter saying they could now offer me an appointment but that I had to phone within two weeks of getting the letter - this was over Easter when they werent taking calls for like a week and then we were on hooliday etc..... So I finally got through and they said they had taken me of the list but that I hadnt yet been refered back to the GP so they could just put me on the list again.

I get a letter last week from them - finally - I phone today thinking I should have time still but no! The letter was sent out on the 31st of May apparently. I suppose I should have checked the date on the letter instead of just going by when it arrives - I bet it sat in the out tray for a week before it actually got posted 🙁 Fortunatly they hadnt refered me back to the GP so have put me back on the list - sigh - and around we go again!

On top of that I mis read the number and phoned the wronge number initially (sarah blushes)

Also the Water board have been muppets! I phoned them up when we arrived and said that it was us here now - blah blah blah and I got a bill and payed it - since the autum though we havent had a bill - now I didnt really pay much attention to this assuming that the bill was an annual one (yes mI know I should have checked properlly and kept a record and all the rest but I was doing all of this whilst breast feeding with laptop and phone being the only things in reach). Anyway it turns out they have been sending the bills to Babara and the reminders which of course she thought was for her bills so has been phonign them up saying she's payed etc...

Anyway they then sent her a thing saying they were getting solicators out - this was a couple of days after she realised the address on the bill was the Bakery and had bought it over - I had just sent it off that day but now after having phoned up and been assured no solicitors will show up and that the account has been zeroed (for credit check stuff) that check is no good to them so they have to resend everything - fortunatley they are not going to make us pay spring and summer together but splitting it for us.

Grrrrrr - bloody admin!!!!!

Ok rant over sorry it was a bit longer than I intended!