A Weird Week… Thursday…

I thought Thursday would be the most ordinary day of the week.

Just shows what I know.

My left foot has been very painful, and I have been determined to find out why. I run around a lot with no shoes on, indoors and in the garden. I am constantly bumping my feet, and this sometimes causes problems. The lump that had appeared on the side of my foot had to be something I had trodden on.

When the lump began to go purple and hurt a lot, I knew it was time to be a nuisance somewhere. But where?

I have almost worn out my welcome at the doctor’s, so maybe I should look for a podiatrist, if that’s what you call them.

The receptionist at our doctor’s directed me to our local hospital, which is running a minor injury clinic. No appointments; just turn up and wait.

On impulse, I decided that Thursday was the day of reckoning. The worst that could happen, I thought, was being told it was another thing I would have to live with.

Our local hospital is what they used to call a Cottage Hospital, and it never feels like the big boys. I had been there several times before for blood tests and the occasional X-ray. It has a different atmosphere altogether, and everyone is so helpful.

Expecting a lengthy wait, as there was never a sense of urgency, I settled in the large waiting room with a book. I didn’t get to read much, as people-watching is far more interesting, and there were enough people there. A stream of people poured through the doors, many limping like me.

I was triaged very quickly, and I waited for the cue to go home and stop wasting their time… but they seemed to think it was serious after all.

Next, a cheerful nurse had a good look and thought the lump could be due to a foreign body, and I was taken for an X-ray.

Back to the waiting room and people-watching. Old and young, characters of every description came and went, and I couldn’t help but be surprised by the efficiency of it all.

I was still expecting to be sent home with a sticking plaster, but that was when Thursday became very weird.

When I was called into the medical room, the young doctor seemed very amused, a huge smile lighting up her face. She explained that the lump was soft tissue and asked when I had damaged my toe.

I hurt my feet daily; the times I hit that toe on the edge of furniture are almost legendary, and I couldn’t remember the last time.

I had to ask the question because I wasn’t getting much of an explanation.

“How can soft tissue hurt so much?”

“Oh, it’s not the lump that hurts. It’s the broken bone underneath…”

That was the exact moment that weird arrived.

I had never broken a bone before, something I have always been proud of, me being such a klutz, so to be told I had one now was quite a shock.

I must have looked doubtful, for she showed me the X-ray. The break was clear, and the lump of tissue was lying right on top of the break.

The bone should heal in six to eight weeks, and the lump should disappear. If it doesn’t, it will be time to see a podiatrist.

The family had a good laugh about all of this, and I must admit, I did too…

Good excuse to take things easy…

A Weird Week… Monday…

I started thinking like this yesterday morning. There was definitely a touch of the weird going on. What I didn’t know was just how strange it would get.

I felt really happy for a start. It was not my usual mindset for the beginning of another week. Usually, I hope for the best, but by lunchtime, things have slipped into the typical frustrating pattern. You know the one.

You can try, but you know it isn’t gonna work. No matter how much optimism you pour into it, someone somewhere will say no, or you must be joking. Or go away and don’t return until you know what you’re doing.

When lunchtime approached, I realised that none of that had happened. Had I stumbled into another world where things go my way for a change?

It was starting to look like it.

I raced through all the reading, checking, and posting that goes on every day without fail and came out the other end feeling even better.

What was going on?

That’s when I remembered that I had a doctor’s appointment. It was time to visit Grumpy to be told I was getting old, and what else did I expect. Not forgetting it was a sin to mention too many problems at one visit!

I put on my brave (rapidly ageing) face, strolled in, sat down, and asked how she was today. She was doing something complicated, using both monitors and barely acknowledging my presence. For ten minutes, I twiddled my thumbs and stared at everything in the room, thinking weirder was getting worse. In case you’re wondering, my name was not on either screen, so whatever she was doing, she was doing it on my time.

When she finally turned to me, she apologised and asked me how I was.

‘You asked to see me…’ I said.

‘Oh, did I?’ and started scrutinising the monitor again.

After I reminded her of my medical history, she remembered why I was there. A brief reminder that I must never stop taking the corticosteroid, as it was dangerous. I waited three weeks for this appointment and felt weird again. Surely, she could have emailed me with that information?

Weird gave way to mischief, and I mentioned my newest ailment.

‘I have another problem; can I tell you about it? You can say no…’

I could tell by her face that she remembered the last time and knew I had wanted to hit her after rudely telling me that my time was up.

To be fair, she smiled. ‘Go on then…’

To cut a long story short, I will have more tests to find out why I am having trouble swallowing…

That should be fun or not, depending on the day…

Six on Saturday… #Flowers for 2024

It is Saturday again, time for more lovely flowers but this time from the future!

Click on the link to visit them all over at Garden Ruminations!

http://gardenruminations.co.uk/2023/09/16/six-on-saturday-23-9-2023/

I have decided to sacrifice a strip of lawn ( I use that term lightly) to create a new flower bed next year.

So I have been daydreaming about the flowers I shall be putting there.

First up are fuchsia. I have been seeing them everywhere I go lately, such lovely flowers…

Then there are aquilegia, or granny bonnets, as we used to call them. We get the odd self-seeded specimen, but I need more…

I couldn’t not include astilbe. Such ethereal, magical flowers…

Rosemary was the source of this latest plan. Someone mentioned how good it was for peace and tranquility, two things we definitely need more of. So there will be at least two of these.

There will be dahlias, of course, and hopefully better colours this time! There will probably be several kinds of dahlia, as I love them all, and I won’t be able to stop at just one…

We have a blue astrantia in the front garden, and I have become very fond of this strange flower. So, there will be at least one in this new bed, that’s if I can choose which colour!

Dreaming of next summer…

WWWWednesday ~ 20th September 2023 #wwwwednesday ~ #bookblogger #booktwt

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially, you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws): What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

I wish I could read faster, for my reading list isn’t getting any shorter!

What am I currently reading?….

This is going to be the longest week of Washington Poe’s life…

Detective Sergeant Washington Poe can count on one hand the number of friends he has. And he’d still have his thumb left. There’s the guilelessly innocent civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw of course. Insanely brilliant, she’s a bit of a social hand grenade. He’s known his beleaguered boss, Detective Inspector Stephanie Flynn for years as he has his nearest neighbour, full-time shepherd/part-time dog sitter, Victoria.

And then there’s Estelle Doyle. Dark and dangerous and sexy as hell. It’s true the caustic pathologist has never walked down the sunny side of the street, but has she gone too far this time? Shot twice in the head, her father’s murder appears to be an open and shut case. Estelle has firearms discharge residue on her hands, and, in a house surrounded by fresh snow, hers are the only footprints. Since her arrest, she’s only said three words: ‘Tell Washington Poe.’

Meanwhile, a poisoner called the Botanist is sending the nation’s most reviled people poems and pressed flowers. Twisted and ingenious, he seems to be able to walk through walls and, despite the advance notice given to his victims and regardless of the security measures taken, he is able to kill with impunity.

Poe hates locked room mysteries, and now he has two to solve. To unravel them, he’s going to have to draw on every resource he has: Tilly Bradshaw, an organised crime boss, even an alcoholic ex-journalist. Because if he doesn’t, the bodies are going to keep piling up . . .

(this one is crazy good, and I’ll be sorry when it’s finished)

What have I recently finished reading…

Blackthorn Ashes was meant to be their forever home. For the first six families moving into the exclusive new housing development, it was a chance to live a peaceful life on the cliffs overlooking the Cornish sea, safe in the knowledge that it had been created just for them.

But six weeks later, paradise is lost. Six people are dead. And Blackthorn Ashes is left abandoned and unfinished, its dark shadows hiding all manner of secrets.

One of its surviving residents, Agnes Gale, is determined to find out the truth about what happened. Even if that truth is deadlier than she could have ever believed possible . . .

What shall I read next?…

A psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat!

Tyler Thompson is Australia’s young, brilliant and charismatic Prime Minister, riding high on a wave of popularity. But the past has come back to haunt him, and there is a shocking secret from his childhood that he will do almost anything to conceal.

The one man who knows what happened twenty-five years ago is back – and he is hellbent on revenge. Tyler’s precious wife and baby have disappeared, and their safe return will cost him everything: family, career and freedom.

But even that may not be enough to satisfy his nemesis – and the truth may be more terrible than he could possibly imagine.

A political suspense thriller that takes you from the remote Australian outback to Parliament House in Canberra, with twists and turns that you will not see coming. 

What does your WWW Wednesday look like?

Jaye’s Week… The Order of Things…

I wonder what this week will bring?

For a start, I will see if I can go a whole week without complaining, as I seem to have done a lot of that lately.

I cannot do it indoors, so why do I think it’s okay here?

Of course, I shouldn’t moan about anything, as my life isn’t that bad at the moment. Some parts could be a little better, but to be honest, I don’t think that is possible, all things considered.

On a positive note, the writing is going well. I am enjoying the latest book I am reviewing, and I am actually sticking to my diet. My knees will thank me later!

I have also changed the cover of Nine Lives. I hated the old one so much I used to cringe every time I saw it.

I am not going to mention the trouble I have trying to change our email management. We were not getting anywhere with Mailchimp, but not sure which one will replace it. I will get it right eventually, so I’m not too worried or dismayed. I am also determined to tackle my to-do list, one job at a time.

Whether I choose them in the right order remains to be seen, but as long as they are removed from the list, everything should be hunky dory…

This is me at the end of the week, I hope!

Six on Saturday ~ Bonsai Style…

It is Saturday again, time for more lovely flowers from gardens all over the world.

Click on the link to visit them all!

http://gardenruminations.co.uk/2023/09/16/six-on-saturday-16-9-2023/

Unfortunately, our garden, thanks to the dreadful weather, is not looking its best, so rather than hunting down some beaten-up and bedraggled specimens, I thought I would bonsai it this week.

This is the time of year when my bonsai need my attention to make sure they are fit for their winter sleep. Although they will soon be sleeping, they need to be in perfect shape to make sure they wake up again in the Spring. Some will need fresh soil or a light prune, and I must also check for lodgers. Spiders are welcome as they eat the bugs, but slugs, snails and other unmentionables must be located and evicted.

I am also trying to fit in the clean up in the garden too. So many things have gone crazy, and I probably need an army to manage it all. But it’s just me, so I must do what I can. To be fair, I would rather be out there than struggling with the internet.

With one major exception. I am getting near the end of the current WIP and enjoying every minute!

We wish all of our friends, readers and visitors a lovely weekend, and we will see you on Monday!

Carrot Ranch ~ Story Challenge ~ Spiders

September 12, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about the insect nation. You can focus on a particular insect or all insects. Is your story one of acceptance and understanding? Scientific knowledge? Or apocalyptic horror? Get bugged and go where the prompt leads!

Seeing as how we have suddenly been besieged by these creatures, this post was easy!

Spiders are a big problem in my family. Luckily, they seem to know this and rarely put in an appearance.

At least, my family think so. I see them and know all their hideouts. Their webs give them away.

On those rare occasions when one does dare to put in an appearance and either runs across the floor or turns up in the bath, I am the one my family scream for.

They tell me that September is the time when male spiders go hunting for a mate.

All I can say to them is, go pick another house!

©JayeMarie2023

Spider Image by Eva Schmidseder from Pixabay

Jaye’s Disappointing Days… #Journal

I thought that posting about my difficulties in the post, The Snowball Effect, would help my perspective, and it did, up to a point.

My mind is still hunting for a way to do everything, even though you and I know this is impossible. Not without a lot of tweaks, anyway.

I read another post yesterday about the importance of taking a break from our writing. You have all read posts like this, too. That it can trigger new surges of brilliance and productivity.

All we have to do to achieve this miracle is put it all in a mental holding box and walk away.

I have done this many times with various WIPs, and I know that removing the thing with the blockage, even for a little while, does, in some peculiar way, help the flow to resume.

This method also works for impossibly hard-to-resolve situations, so I am betting that it might work on anything once you have isolated the problem.

Of course, and from experience, I know that once you have walked away from anything, there is always the fear that you won’t return, which is probably why most of us are reluctant to risk it.

I have ignored my status quo long enough; it is time to do something. Actually, I need to do a lot of somethings.

Most important is my health. So busy making sure my sister’s health is being carefully managed I have been neglecting my own needs. I hope that recent tests will answer many questions, and hopefully, I can get the good part of me back.

So, while all this is in the pipeline, I am taking a day or two off. My brain will continue to look for answers, even while I concentrate on writing my latest story…

I will figure this out, for I don’t want to do anything else, so I will see you soon…

The Snowball Effect… #Problems Solved?

I have a bit of a problem, one I have been trying to get a handle on for most of this year.

Despite many approaches and different methods, I always seem to end up back at square one with too many irons in the fire or balls in the air, whichever rocks your boat.

My recent ploy was to tackle just one thing every day, and although jobs were getting done, the effect on the pile of jobs was minimal.

On a good day, I can manage to clear quite a few jobs, which has me feeling inordinately proud of my achievements.

I seem to be quite efficient at the day-to-day routine tasks; it is everything else that I have trouble with.

All of this is what I call the snowball effect, and most of you will probably know what I mean. How just drafting a book can unleash a never-ending stream of jobs that keep on coming. Calling it marketing is how the experts describe their prowess, but this is something I haven’t been able to master. Maybe I never will.

I have read all the advice on this problem, like giving up social media for a while or checking emails, but I need a long-term solution before I get too old to know what I am doing.

I want to super streamline my working day, so looking for help with this, if, of course, there is any. Maybe this happens to all writers/bloggers…  and I am not the only one struggling?

Oh no I won’t!

Can I Have a Quiet Day?

Today, I thought we would try to have a quiet day. No dramas, no problems and definitely no worries.

I should be able to keep most of them at bay for just a few hours, don’t you think?

Start as you mean to go on, they say… so here is one of Anita’s lovely poems…

Milo just popped in the window to say hello, he still looks a little sad, don’t you think?