Jacquie's Diary for 26^th May 2008

Hi everyone,
You might have thought that last week's diary was a bit strange. Let me explain. Over the past few months Lew has not been well, nothing I could put my finger, but I knew he wasn't well. Being a paramedic makes them dreadful patients and getting him to a doctor was impossible in England, here it was never going to happen, but last Saturday night he was ill all night finding it difficult to breath. Sunday morning he said he would see a doctor. I didn't let the grass grow under my feet; I left Sian and Woody sorting the animals and took Lew to the hospital. Luckily the first person we spoke to was a doctor who spoke English. The triage doctor saw him within a couple of minutes. They took his blood pressure, which was high; they started him on a drip and hooked him up an ECG machine. Those tests done he was sent for a chest x-ray because he has had a bad cold. We then had to go to see the doctor at the chest clinic. There is a slight infection but nothing to worry about, he has tablets to clear this up. Then down to the cardiac department where he was hooked up to another ECG machine and had his blood pressure taken again, then they looked at his heart on an ultra sound machine. He has a weak muscle on the bottom of his heart, which is why the blood pressure is high. The doctors have put him on seven lots of tablets and he has to give up salt and alcohol and take it easy. He is on light duties milking in the afternoon, spud bashing and e-mails. I couldn't tell you this last week because I hadn't been able to contact all the family. What does this mean for Growing Care? Growing Care will continue as usual. We are going to cut back on the pig stock because they are heavy work but we will ensure that we still have pork for the families and the Children's Home. At the moment the Clubs that were to start have had to be put on hold until I have the work here sorted out. The vegetable plot will not be as big as I had hoped this year. A house, in place of the caravan, has become a little more important, but at the moment the compactness of everything is an advantage.

But we will still be here, helping where and when we can.
Lew in himself, is feeling better now he knows what is wrong, the tablets are working and his blood pressure is down. We will come back to the UK later in the year so that he can talk to our own doctor and I can find out exactly what he can and can't eat. I have been on the net to check but there is a great deal of conflicting information. Luckily I gave up cooking with salt several years ago so now it is just a change in what we eat.
But on with the diary …

Monday it was a cold start to the day but the sun soon came out. The water was off until nearly nine, which does not help with feeding. When that came back on we lost the electric … great. While I was putting the sheep and goats out in the garden I noticed we have a great many poppies, we need to collect them for drying this evening, Sian and I want to use them on cards. After breakfast (lunchtime) I jumped in the pick-up and went to pay the television in Murfatlar (which was Basarabi) and the electric in Medgidia, these are things Lew usually does. I got back just in time to swallow a coffee before feeding. Sian sorted dinner and Woody and I fed. Lew was taking things easy. Sian and Woody fed the kids this evening. Woody said to give him a shout for feeding in the morning.

Tuesday I didn't wake Woody, Sian and Woody will need to go back to England soon and I needed to know that I could cope on my own in the morning. I think my working day will get longer but there is nothing I can't cope with. Sian, Woody and I cleaned out the pigs and the walkway. Then Woody cut some more weeds and Sian brought them down for the pigs. Lew felt well enough to milk this evening, you might remember that I said milking was very calming, and peel the potatoes for dinner. He is keeping up with the e-mails, there are several a day keeping us up-to-date with the appeal for money to pay Nicoletta so that she can keep her family together. The water went off again this evening. It was a very late dinner. It was nearly four o'clock before I got to bed I couldn't leave the diary another day.

Wednesday and it was hot. It was affecting Lew so we had to get the fans out of the loft. It was already 32C at 10.30; the temperature rose to 39C. The goats and sheep were looking for shade; the sheep will be pleased when it is time for shearing. The water came back mid morning and we had another power cut - somebody doesn't want me to get any washing done this week. The kids had food before their bottles this morning.

Thursday I think I told you we were looking at fridges, well the change in Lew's diet will mean I have to have a bigger stock of fresh food - the fridge has become important. Lew sent Sian, Woody and I out to get the fridge. We decided on one but it would have to come from the warehouse, we are outside the free delivery area so I will pick it up tomorrow with the pick-up. That organised, we did some shopping and headed for home to start feeding. I was getting Patch Hound from her day house to bring her in for the night when I saw the lightening flash over the field, the temperature was dropping we were in for a storm. I shouted to Woody so that he wasn't surprised if the pigs got restless, some were still outside waiting their turn to go in and be fed. I brought Petra Hound in and prepared the rabbit hutch for bad weather. The little chicks' house and run were covered with plastic to keep off the worst of the weather. Mum and her two chicks with their house were moved inside. Sian and Woody drove up to the irrigation to watch the lightening, you get a better view of it heading towards us up there. But, although the thunder and lightening rolled around us for most of the night we didn't get any rain.

Friday No water for feeding again, I have plenty stored so we are ok it just takes longer, the water came on about twelve o'clock. We had no water in the tap but plenty from the sky, the thunder and lightening came back this morning with it the rain. I didn't have my brain in gear this morning two swallows flew into the awning and one flew into the caravan, it had to be rescued before Panda, the cat, caught it. I opened the front door and let the other one out. I should have taken a photograph while Lew was holding it, I didn't think, it had beautiful colours and markings. After a couple of minutes, to let it calm down, Lew went outside and let it go, it flew off to join its mate. After finishing the feeding Sian and I headed for town again. Woody decided to get on with fence this afternoon he wants to try and get it completed before they return to England. We are sure that someone will help two 'helpless females' load a fridge into the pick-up. We went into Metro to pick up some freezer stuff and were just leaving there to get the fridge when Lew rang. Our friend Alex had borrowed the pick-up to collect some people from the airport Wednesday night, the pick-up came back Thursday morning and Alex gave Lew the keys. When I left today I picked up my set of keys unfortunately Alex had given the keys to the cage which covers the back of the pick up to Lew. We had to drive all the way home to collect the keys and drive into town again. We collect the food from the supermarket for the family and some vegetables and fruit for us. Then we had to wait nearly an hour while the store found a trolley to move the fridge but then they sent one of the boys out to help us load. He thought he was going to have to load it into a car and was relieved to find we had a pick-up and even more relieved when Sian threw me her handbag and helped him load. By the time we arrived home Woody had fed so it was unload the fridge (I should have said it is a fridge freezer). Now the door into the awning was never meant to be as permanent as it has become and was not built for anything to come through which meant Woody had to take the door and the door frame off before he and Sian, under Lew's supervision edged the fridge through the gap with 5 centimetres (2 inches, I think) to spare. Then he put the frame back on and re-hung the door. I now have big white fridge freezer in the 'kitchen' and what do we ladies decorate such things with … children's pictures - I have one from Amy and Jason, our grandchildren and Sian made me another. I'm sure Amy and Jason will send me more now they know I have a fridge to put them on. We had a very late dinner.

Saturday The end of last week Sian planted some beans, today I realised I would need to get them out of their pots and into the ground in the next couple of days, they have grown well. Sian and Woody were working on the fence all day. Late afternoon woody was digging the next hole when the new post holer bent!!! That and the returning thunder stopped work for the day. I popped down to the family with their weekend groceries, everyone is fine and she is hoping that the baby can come home on Monday. When I arrived back two men were waiting, they wanted to buy a pig. By then all the pigs were in bed, so we had to wake them. One was chosen but we could not agree a price, so they went home without a pig. Shut them down again and start dinner.

Sunday Today I sorted the food shelves, most of it now I don't think Lew can eat, most canned foods contain salt, which is fine for most people. I will send it bit by bit down to the family. Lew borrowed our neighbours post holer again and Sian and Woody worked on the fence, they don't have time to take Sunday off if the fence is going to be finished before they go home. The people came back for the pig and paid the price I wanted, I know my market.

What's been happening in the village this week? The tractors are still busy planting, which does seem a bit late. Teams of ladies are out on the fields knocking back the weeds from around the sunflowers and maize. The vines are growing well, Sian tried getting a cutting to grow but it wasn't very successful. The children are wandering about enjoying the sunshine; the older ones will soon be sitting their examinations. Election fever is still running high and posters are springing up all over the place.

Well I think that's all the news from Siminoc this week …
So I'll say cheerio for now …