What I’ve Learned this Week.

Welcome to the Cobwebs Airlines.  I hope you’re going to enjoy your flight.  Take off your shoes, socks, and nylons, and do up your seat belt.  Take off is about to begin…

To the left you’ll see see what I’ve learned this week.  To the right … you’ll see the end of the sentences and paragraphs.  Ok… hold hands everyone!  We’re taking off!  . . .

One or two of our TV channels here (in the UK) have begun to show Christmas films.  Not all day every day you understand – (however, saying that Sky Christmas on Virgin 410 seem to be doing something along those lines) but because of this I came to realise, last Sunday (6th November), that no matter how many times I may have seen some of my favourite Christmas movies, I never tire of seeing them every year.

They turn up like far off family visitors, kind of unexpected in a way, but once you settle down together you actually begin to enjoy the fun of them being there, and the warmth they bring to your heart and home.

I’ve learned a beautiful lesson from these Movies – that being:   I never tire of Christmas movies that Mr.Cobs and I watched with our girls when they were little.

Those little girls are now very much grown up  –  one in her late 20’s and the other approaching her mid 30’s –  both with families of their own.  However, in a tiny corner of my heart, they live on as the little girls they once were.  I can recall their giggling laughs.  Their squeals of joy.  Their little girl footsteps on the stairs.  And I miss those girls so very much.  I miss how their tiny hands fitted into the palm of my hand.  I miss how they would jump all over me if I was on the sofa. And I miss wrapping them and myself up warmly, with our Wellington Boots on, and going out in a howling gale in the winter, so that they could experience that feeling of the wind rushing past them, making them catch their breaths.  Seeing leaves flying high into the air and dancing on the wind.  I miss their little rosy cheeks when we got back in the house again, and how they thought that the best thing in the world was drinking chocolate to warm them up again.

This week I also learned that:  My sense of fun is very much alive and living happily in my inner child;  and my inner child is in more evidence at Christmas than at any other time.

I’ve learned this week …  that little Starlings (birds) are cheeky chappies.

A cheeky Starling, taken by Mr.Cobs.

We’d gone to the Harbour side, here where we live, to sit and watch the boats, yachts, and various other modes of water transport which we see there.  Mr. Cobs had taken some cheese biscuits with him and we didn’t notice but …. we were being watched. Obviously, the time was right and bravery won, and our ‘watcher’ fluttered up off the floor and landed purposefully on the wing mirror, next to the open window of Mr.C.   Mr. Cobs fed him a morsel of biscuit, which he took from his hand, and jumped down onto the floor to eat.  A moment later, he was back, asking if it was at all “possible to have a little more please?”  Mr. Cobs gave him another tidbit of biscuit.  Again, he jumped down to eat his biscuit.  A moment later he was back … obviously feeling rather proud of himself and a little braver this time.  Mr Cobs offered him another tidbit and he was just about to take it when …. two other Starlings ambushed the little brave bird and pushed him off the wing mirror!  What a darn cheek!

Mr. Cobs popped his head out of the window and saw that the little Starling had managed to keep his bit of biscuit and was eating it on the floor, next to the car, but Mr. Cobs pulled his head in and pressed the button to wind the window up.  We decided that it was time to leave before we were invaded by a large bunch annoyed little birds, all demanding biscuits!  eeek!

I also learned this week ….  that I have a Deviated Septum.

I’ve been suffering for about 2 years now with ‘nose problems’ which led me to thinking that I must have a sinus infection which wouldn’t go away.

I’d had the problem for about twelve months before I finally went to the doctor.  I’m not a natural Doctor visitor.    I was sent to see a lovely lady specialist.  She took details, asked questions and then, (after asking of course) popped a tube/light and maybe a camera thing up my nose.  I have no idea what it looked like for I closed my eyes.  I didn’t want to see it because that way I couldn’t imagine what it was doing and I wouldn’t be scared! 

She told me I would need to have a CT Scan, but in the meantime she gave me a long course of super strength antibiotics,  and said I was to get the receptionist at the desk to make another appointment with her, and one for the CT scan.

I took the course of antibiotics and . . .  they worked!   It was so wonderful to be able to breathe again.  I could sniff up my nose.  I could talk without sounding like I had a heavy cold.  I could speak a whole sentence without getting out of breath and having to puff and pant like I smoked a hundred cigarettes a day.

If only I could now get rid of these blasted headaches then life would be so much nicer.

My GP knew about the headaches.  I’d had x-rays of my head and they apparently showed nothing.  A doctor at the big main hospital suggested I was suffering with migraines.  She cheerfully bounced around the room with a huge grin on her face and suggested that I try to relax more and get rid of the stress in my life.  I thanked her for her time and left.  My exact thoughts were …  “Well what a total pillock she is!”

I had to report back to my Doctor two weeks later.  When I told him what had been said he actually laughed a sort of  “hurrrhfff” noise.

I’ve suffered these crushing,  seriously debilitating,  whole head pain filled,  headaches  for about 20 months or so.  I don’t get them every single day … but I get them for about 10 or 11 days in a row, then I might get a day off or sometimes two, and then they’ll come back again.

I wake up in the morning and my head hurts like I’ve been held by the ankles and spun round by someone who’s purposely hit my head up against a wall, many times.  I can’t lie down because of the pain.  I can only sit upright, in a dark room, with no noise, curtains drawn, sunglasses on, and just  s.i.t.   I can’t hold a conversation.  I can only answer with a ‘yes’ or a’ no’, or ‘ok’,  but nothing more.  And I’m totally incapable of remembering anything said to me during the time that the pain is worst – so anytime from around 5am to 2.30pm (the times vary –  but an average day would be from around 7.30am to 1.30/2pm). [sigh]

When I went back this week to see the lady specialist she told me that after seeing the CT scan, and after showing it to her colleague (a surgeon) they both agree that I have a Deviated Septum.  She explained what it is …  and I nodded and understood what she was saying.  For now, she’s given me another prescription for the strong antibiotics which she gave me before, the one’s which worked.  But, she told me that this was something that needed surgery in order to put it right.

When I got home from the hospital I said to Himself … “I’ve just had a thought ….  I wonder if this could be the cause of my headaches???  Darn it!  I should have asked her!  What a dope!“  Mr.C suggested I look on the internet… so I did.

Guess what I learned.  . . . This Deviated Septum could be the cause of my headaches!

You’ll never guess what else I learned ....   The website said that one of the things which could cause a Deviated Septum was an injury to the nose.  OH.  MY.  GOODNESS!!!  My eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as a memory of how this may have happened came rushing back . . .

About two years ago, Little Cobs was sat on my lap and suddenly threw himself backwards, stopping with a BANG against my body and winding me – but his head travelled further backwards  and he head butted me on the face with the back of his head.  His little head hit my nose with so much force that I really thought he’d broken my nose!  I grabbed a tissue thinking that my nose must be gushing blood – but nothing.  No bleeding at all.  My nose and face ached for days afterwards, but there was no swelling and I only had a slight bruising under my eye on one side, so I just thought that it would go away and I ignored it.  (Although mind, each time Mr.C leaned in for a kiss I would push him off with a command of  “Eeek!  MIND MY NOSE!“)

Little Cobs (I think) gave me the Deviated Septum.   Bless his heart.  I’m hoping that next time he wants to give me something,  it’s a kiss or a bag of sweeties!

Strange thing is …  I’ve stood and looked at my nose in the mirror and I can’t see anything wonky or bumpy.  I asked Mr.C if he can see a bump or maybe a teeny twist or wiggle to my nose, but he says he can’t either.  But … I’ve looked up my nose  and  I can see that there’s something different about the inside of the two nostrils. [shudder]

A Deviated Septum … no.  That just sounds too silly for someone like me.  I’ve decided that I shall call it … My Mutant, Sep.  I’m going to choose to believe that I have a mutant called Sep who lives up my nose.  Sounds so much more friendly than a Deviated Septum, dontcha think?

Other things I’ve learned this week:

I’ve learned that my littlest cat, Dolly Daydreams (aka Princess Tippy Toes) can move off her prized ‘seat’ on the sofa SO quickly, that she can be snuggled down on my chair, when I’ve stood up for a moment to adjust my clothing, and I never even saw her move!.  It was only as I was half way down to sitting on my chair again that I noticed she’d gone missing and I stopped myself from sitting on her. I turned around and there she was with that  “It’s my chair now!  Nur!!!” look on her face.  Needless to say, it wasn’t her chair and she was moved back to the sofa again and told so.  The darn cheek of it!

I’ve learned that blogging is actually quite a lot of work – and that I worry that I won’t chat about things which people will enjoy reading.  – But I’ve found that if I just be myself, then things seem to work out ok,  …   and …  I keep my fingers crossed that I don’t let anyone down  and that I don’t blog about boring things or send anyone to sleep.

I’ve learned for the millionth time, that a compliment, out of the blue, can make someone’s day.  I went shopping today, and  coming around the end of an aisle, I came across an older lady dressed in a blue coat and wearing a beautiful darker blue and white scarf.  She had such a sweet face too.  I took one look at her and said:  “Oh my goodness,  …. ohhhh you look so very stylish!”  She looked at me with a smile but a quizzical look and said …  “Say that again?” as if she hadn’t heard properly.  So I repeated it. She was totally over the moon.  Cock-a-hoop!   She told me where she’d bought her coat and how old it was, even how much she’d paid for it.  I told her that the colour suited her and that teamed with her scarf, the outfit looked totally stylish.  I left her smiling and thanking me.  Isn’t it just fabulous how a few little words can really make someone’s day so much brighter and happier.

And finally ….

I’ve learned ….  some new jokes.  Ready? ….

Q)   What goes up and down but does not move?  . . . . .  A)   Stairs

Q)   What do you call cheese that’s not yours?  . . .   A)   Nacho cheese!

Q)   What did one wall say to the other wall?   . . .    A)   I’ll meet you at the corner.

Q)  What do elves learn in school?   . . .   A)  The elf-abet.

Q)  Where do pencils go for vacation?   . . . A)  Pencil-vania.

and finally …..

Q)   What is Santa’s favourite pizza?   . . .    A)   One that’s deep pan, crisp and even.

Wishing you a truly Fabulous Friday.  May your day be happy.  May your troubles be small, and may your joy for life be never-ending.