Croix Parler

[Croix]

I'd like to use this pace for miscellaneous matters that don't fit elsewhere

Thanks

Croix

[Eagle Ray]

Oh there’s the walrus! Yippee, we found him! Though he actually found himself first. So he will be the one who gets the prize marshmallows and apples, along with enough apple pie to eat for all eternity.

Croix, I’m glad you have recovered from the minor medical matter. That is actually a good tongue twister. I am doing ok. I went on another road trip which did me a great deal of good.

MK, I hope you get some progress soon regarding finding a new housing option. I’ve had memory issues going on too and the other day found I’d left a basket of washing I’d collected from the washing line outside for two days and nights. Weirdly I had removed it from the washing line, folded items as I go as I usually do and then just left it outside. I was vaguely aware the washing basket with clothes seemed to be missing, but couldn’t think further to find it. I have these blanks where I don’t know what happened and other times I have difficulty visually recognising what I’m seeing. My eyes still work but my brain struggles to interpret what I’m looking at. In my case the neurological issues are associated with the liver disease. What I find is staying engaged in activities that keep the brain engaged really helps. So even chatting here with people is like an activity that keeps the synapses between neurons firing. I find when engaged in something I love doing my brain works better. When I’m out doing nature photography I’m really attuned to the birds and animals, the weather patterns etc. It also helps my brain with visual recognition. I think activities that give you a focus that you enjoy gets the brain going and making good connections. I’m sure the gym work you are doing is great for the brain.

I think I will subscribe to both the SBS and ABC screening services. It’s good to be able to watch things at a time that suits and I’d also get access to SBS 32 which I can’t get on my TV.

Happy to see the walrus home. All the more opportunities for mischief. Hehehe. 
Hugzies and take care all.

[Croix]

Dear ER~

You mentioned "chatting here with people is like an activity that keeps the synapses between neurons firing"

You do realise you are talking to a walrus and a cat?

It must be most frustrating and worrying to have situations like the left out laundry and it could sap one's confidence as a result.

There is another way of lookng at it. While you may have lapses you do get to know about them and most importantly have routines and activities that cause these to diminish -and many of those are very enjoyable.

OK you want a tongue twister:

many moderately minor medical matters often overhaul odobenus

Croix

[Croix]

Dear MK~

Well,  I'm please you are fairly well. The idea of a support worker who is exercise oriented provided they realise limits sounds an excellent proposition. Franky I wish I had one too, doing exercises solo is very much a matter of motivation, and sometimes I

I've left mine under the bed or some similar out of the way place.

Getting a support coordinated who is not swamped by too large a case lode does require a degree of luck. While it might be your cu-rent one is not efficient or is lackadaisical I've talked to may who are expected to have an unrealistic case load and all suffer as a result. I have my flippers crossed for you.

As you know the specific gravity of an inebriated kiwi is less Stan that for custard, so they were floating on the surface and just ducking thier heads under to confirm it was not brandy custard (a serious oversight on the part of the custard purveyor I'm afraid:(

I can see I am not going to go short of desserts, my iceberg is riding higher already due to the APBD below. Do you have any clam flavored ones?

Incidentally you mentioned your geriatrician , are they helpful?

Croix

[mmMekitty]

Clam flavoured custard or pie? With or without the shell?

Motivation goes on vacation, leaves me feeling dislocation irritation. I have found having someone next to me, even a support worker who is keeping time & counting how many times I do exercises helps very much. Having someone who understands about how to exercise, I anticipate will be even better. Talking to someone while exercising helps make the time go by quicker & I seem to be able to do more because I lose track of the count. But I do move a little slower on the recumbant bike when I am talking more. I prefer having instructions while I do the exercise to make sure I am doing them correctly, so to avoid any injury, if I was to begin moving in potentually injurious ways.

& ER, I thought I was talking to a sting ray ....  

I hope my PDr's name is Dr Dolittle! If not, I might believe in telepathy to explain how we seem to know each other's language.

I need to be up early, for an early start. The organisation where I use the gym is having their official opening of their new premises tomorrow. I still want to get some exercise done.

Hugzies

mmMekitty

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Croix and MK,

Yes, indeed, I am talking to a walrus and cat! And I forgot I was a stingray for a moment. I actually still find myself sometimes talking internally to one of the dogs I used to live with. She followed me everywhere like she was my shadow. I actually still get the feeling she is with me sometimes. When I was patting her I would sometimes call her Puppy Wuppy, which turned into Puppy Wup, which turned into Wup Wup and then sometimes just Wup.

Yes, the cognitive things are worrying at times but I try to have a sense of humour about it. Having difficulty identifying what objects are on the supermarket shelves was quite disturbing a few weeks ago. I still haven't got into a neurologist yet but not sure they will understand much about it anyway, as so little is known about the cognitive issues in the disease. But I feel if I can keep my brain active in healthy ways and engage in as many positive activities as possible, it can go a long way to staving off whatever weird processes are going on.

And thank you for your tongue twister Croix. I had to look up odobenus and discovered it is the Latin genus name for a walrus! I hope odobenus is not too encumbered by the many minor medical matters. Hopefully copious amounts of apple pie will be a good antidote to attending to medical matters.

MK, I hope you have enjoyed your exercises today at the new premises. I wonder if they have new gym equipment too. Yes, it can be encouraging having someone with you while doing the exercises and good to avoid any injurious movements too. I overdid things once on a piece of equipment and then had to have a few weeks break because of a ligament strain. It does make you feel good doing the exercises, doesn't it. I haven't belonged to a gym for a long time now.

I hope you are both enjoying your day. It seems to be fine and sunny at the iceberg. The kiwis and penguins are lolling in deck chairs. The penguins are looking very cool in their sunglasses while the kiwis are kind of languishing and rolling off sideways.

Hugzies,

ER

[mmMekitty]

Hi Croix, ER & everyanimal (including humans)

Fine & very warm outside today.

Speeches & such, from people who are not very sure of how to use a microphone, in a room full of reverberation ... but nice 'mini' wraps & banana cupcakes, biscuits, & fresh fruit to choose from, then I went over to do my usual gym workout - last time with this support worker. I'm feeling a bit sad about it, knowing she's having a bit of trouble finding new client/s.

They brought much of the old equipment to the new place. We've noticed a couple new machines, though. One has blue upholstery, but we've had trouble adjusting parts of it to suit my body. Maybe my new support worker will be able to sort that out.

I was just thinking how I realised that when I felt I wasn't visually identifying objects with confidence, when I picked them up or just touched them some, I could more quickly & confidently identify them. Now, sight being what it is, I more often have to have things handed to me for me to know what objects are. I wonder if that might be a way to identify objects?

Oh, that clever Croix... good on you ER, for looking up the word. Seems Walruses have more going on between their ears than Oscar Wilde quotes.

Just as well LRC & I don't get inebriated or we'd be spinning around in our hammodcks, getting our legs & tails all tangled.... OH What? I think I have found a soft furry grey & wite stripey leg - so it's not ours... so who's it? Own up, now!.... Come on, please???? Whoe's leg am I pulling? It doesn't have bells on .... Wonder if I find the an other one, if it will jingle... [LRC laughs] ....Meow, LRC, that's MY leg, luvvy. Look for a grey & white stripey one ....

Hugzies

mmMekitty

[Eagle Ray]

Dear MK and Croix,

Yes, hopefully the new support worker can adjust the new equipment to suit you. I remember one gym I went to got new machines and it took some adjusting to use it as I had the older machines. I’m glad you got to enjoy some nice food with the opening of the new premises.

Thank you for the suggestion about recognising objects. Picking things up in the supermarket is a good idea. When it happens I am often very disoriented too and feel very ill. It is so extremely strange as if my brain has an infection. But holding the object would help orient me and grasp, both literally and figuratively, what I’m holding. Fortunately since starting the new medication I’ve greatly improved and only had much milder versions of this experience.

 I wonder who the grey and white stripy leg belongs too? Is it Sumo? GFC is all grey and very fluffy, unless she has painted stripes on as a disguise. They can be mischievous these cats. Towards the end of this year (in real life) I’m going to be looking after Grey Fluffy Cat. I very much enjoy her company and her hilariously grumpy face. I enjoy afternoon naps with her too, patting her while she purrs until we both fall asleep.

 I’m awake with noisy wind outside. I think it may have blown over the rubbish bins waiting on the curb for collection. I may have to go out and put them upright again when it settles.

 I hope you both have a good day ahead without any troubles from pesky penguins.

[Croix]

Dear ER~

I'm afraid that extra leg may remain a mystery, after all walruses do not have legs but flippers. If I were you I'd blame MK (on principle:).

Using as many of your senses as you cna to focus and recognition sounds a pretty good idea to try, maybe supermarkets will become less of a mystery. I suspect you use a whole range of senses, thought patterns and stimuli when you are in nature photographing.

The wind might be a nuisance blowing over bins, but I tend to enjoy listening ot it when snug inside in front of the fire. (Sumo is of coure 'busy' and does not notice such things)

Croix

[Eagle Ray]

Ah, yes, what are that MK and LRC up to, rolling about in their hammock pulling legs? Alas we cannot pull your leg Croix, only your flipper. And whatever I’ve got are kind of flappers, sort of a wider version of flippers. It’s best with stingrays not to pull their tails.

Yes, visual and sound recognition is so helpful. It is the visual part that has been particularly affected but it passes and I kind of go back to normal. Doing photography has been extremely helpful and I try to do some everyday. Tomorrow I am planning to visit a nearby nature area in the afternoon where a brook runs into a river and there is some beautiful surrounding forest. I find it deeply healing on so many levels. Small robins and wrens dart about and will suddenly appear on a branch or clinging to the side of a tree trunk. It’s quite a challenge trying to quickly focus the camera on them. It can really work sometimes anticipating where they might land next and already having your camera focused there. I find if I stay still for a while they will often pop out to have a look at me.

 I too like the sound of the wind at night while cosy inside. I was just imagining all the bins tipping over and the contents blowing everywhere. But that doesn’t seem to have happened. There is a very kind fellow in these units who brings everyone’s bins back after they are collected, so knowing him he may also have righted any that toppled over. I can just imagine Sumo being ‘busy’ and not noticing the wind.

[mmMekitty]

I must admit, touching doesn't work so well for things in packets & boxes, especially boxes. I'm all for reducing packaging! I might draw the line at having to queue up at 4am, to milk a cow, into my own resealable jug, which I'd bring from home. I wouldn't mind a re-usable padded egg carton & select eggs from large re-usable trays. That could work. If I had a very good butcher & fish monger I'd pay extra & go there.

Me, LRC & mmMekitten in the hammock, & I dunno, maybe that other leg was from the neighbour's cat? I wish they told me who they were before jumping in. We just got so tangled, I didn't know which bit belonged to which of us. 

Oh, yes, isn't it lovely when GFC comes to visit! Something to look forward to.

I will never forget that purring beside me until Mekitty wetnt to sleep.

Hugzies to everyone - yes, you too, Sumo. 💨 It's about time you had another hugzies.

"I promise no pulling tails, flippers, or whiskers, or anything ..." [mmMekitty, LRC & mmMekitten solemnly swear] 

mmMekitty