Moaning Minnie!

This week's motif has been pain. Mine. I'm sorry to be such a Moaning Minnie (a phrase from my Mother, but most appropriate), but I'm still in agony here. Not from the stings - they have receded to a couple of itchy spots on my feet. Nor from the sore throat, which has also receded and left me with tender glands (no, not those glands, Billy!). No, the next thing to strike was the ulcers on the tongue. Ugh, I hear you say, and quite right too. But just try 5 days of excruciating pain every time you swallow or try to eat, drink or speak and see how you feel. Now most of you will know that eating, drinking and talking are just about my favourite things (apart from Blogging of course)but I have been a stranger to them all week. Sometimes I have been desperate for food, and have forced down something just to keep body and soul together, but it's like trying to chew and swallow large lumps of acidic grit - no taste and all pain. The ulcers do look nasty, and so does my tongue. I believe it may be all to do with the Shiatsu treatment, because my therapist put a tiny magnet on my stomach last week - presumably to draw out anything noxious - and I guess it's working! Sleeping has been tricky too, because you tend to lie down and swallow when you go to bed. I realize that I'm stating the obvious, but it's not until you have something like this that you even notice normal bodily functions. Yesterday I gave in and went to see my lovely GP, who is very keen on holistic medicine too. He informed me that this is a virus which is doing the rounds locally, and might last for up to two weeks! And he warned me that I will probably feel worse before I feel better. I came away with some B Complex vitamins, and a devout hope that the virus will bugger off soon!

My week of pain was alleviated somewhat by a visit from Grandson. Daughter brought him over on Tuesday because I really wasn't up to driving there to collect him. She had been given an extra day's work on Thursday, so I had him until Thursday evening. On Wednesday we were both quite happy to chill, and anyway it rained non-stop. But on Thursday we ventured out. It was a lovely sunny day and we started with a visit to the Donkeys where we fed them carrots. (Grandson always eats a carrot too, to keep them company - and he always has a Gingerbread Man to follow.) We then went on to the other Garden Centre for lunch, where I managed to force down a gritty and tasteless sausage roll - but the Iced Coffee was such bliss and so cooling that I wanted it to last forever. Before we left home, I had tracked down the local "Jack and Jill" Windmills http://www.jillwindmill.org.uk/, because Grandson adores windmills, and I had been promising him a visit. So after lunch (I use the term lightly) we tootled off to see them. They are really spectacular, and right on the South Downs Way, with wonderful views over the whole area. The Windmills weren't open, so we had to be content with a look from outside, but I promised him we'll go back next weekend (Bank Holiday) when the Jill Windmill will be open. Instead, we went for quite a long walk along the South Downs Way. He was jumping in puddles, spotting butterflies, picking a few wild flowers for his Mum and getting very muddy, very happily.

Later, as we sat watching the Bedtime Hour on CBeebies, Grandson was asking if I would be going home with him. He was very sad when I said no, and replied "I think you should, Nana, because you love me so much." Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings...