Emotional rollercoaster of yesterday

When you think of ups and downs of a metaphorical rollercoaster, which are the good news and which are the bad news?  I guess the ups are the hard work bits and the downs are the great bits, although one would generally think of highs and lows the other way round.  Ok, I’ll stick to ups and downs meaning what you’d expect them to mean!

Up:  The doctor tells me I have good movement in my leg…

Down:  …but there’s some instability, which means (most likely) a torn ligament.

Up:  This may be something I can live with…

Down:  …or it may need an operation.  I’m being referred to another consultant.

Down some more:  In the meantime, I need to keep wearing my leg brace when I’m moving around. That’s not a major problem, it just gets a bit itchy underneath it.

Up:  I should be able to drive in two or three weeks…

Down: …but M is going away tomorrow (well, today now I’m writing this – he’s gone, for a week!)

Up:  Kind Friend in the mission has come to help me, particularly with school runs, while he’s gone.

Down:  This does require patience, recognition that I’m still not independent and am still weak (can’t walk far yet), and a big reduction of down-time, when I can just do what I want to do with no thought to other people.

So, nothing particularly big, on its own, but all coming together it’s exhausted me!  Fortunately, with my Scrabble partner gone for the week, I should be able to get some earlier nights than I have recently! 

Back into the driving seat

So, as I said last time, M is off tomorrow on the first of many trips for work.  He’s got a lot of catching up to do, having put them off while I was hobbling around on crutches with a broken leg.  New year, new walking style.  I have got rid of the crutches (well, stopped using them in any case – not quite sure what to do with them now, to be honest. Leave them out for the binmen?  Freecycle them?!  Maybe the local amateur dramatics would be interested… can’t think who else would be!) and am hobbling freestyle.  Which makes things around the house easier, but gives M more freedom to book flights.

Anyway, once we get into the swing of things it’ll be ok.  The daily routine is a piece of cake here compared with how it was in North Africa.  Longer school day (or later, at least), no packed lunches, no homework to supervise (minimal, then), no sudden power/water cuts at bedtime…

Would just be nice if I could drive the car again.  Hospital appointment tomorrow, going to ask then.  Please please please say soon!

Whoops!

Did I say I had more time on my hands these days?  It’s a dangerous assertion to make!  Mind you, it has just been the weekend, and one in which we had a guest to stay and then big news in the wider family to assimilate.  My husband is off on his first business trip for months this week.  I’m not sure whether that will give me less time or more…

 

New Year’s Resolutions

My previous blog, intrepidexpat, has been dormant for a while, and in any case, I am now living in the UK and am therefore not an expat, intrepid or otherwise.  Still, with all the recent changes in my life, I have more time on my hands than I did three months ago, so I’m back on the blogosphere, or whatever one says.  Hello!

New Year’s Resolutions:

1.  Start a blog.  Hooray, there’s one I can tick off the list already!

2.  Go to bed at a reasonable time, on a regular basis.  Looking at the time now, I fear this may be incompatible with resolution number 1…

3.  Encourage my eldest daughter to drink more.  Ha!  That’s true, actually, she doesn’t have enough non-sugary drinks now that we’re not living in 40+ degree heat, but I included it because in a few years it will sound really dodgy!

4.  Set more mousetraps!  Just watched a mouse exploring the room.  Not scurrying or anything, sauntering was more like it…

5.  Spend more time with God, despite the fact that this will be fairly invisible to the outside world and won’t get me nearly as much attention as a witty facebook status…

6.  Accept whatever happens this year without bearing grudges.  Hmm…  I’ve tried that before and failed.  This year, I am fairly sure that we will live in the UK until August.  After that, Canada?  UK?  Africa?  Somewhere else?  If UK, which area?  Will I work?  Will the children like their new school?  Will we have to speak another language?  This epitomises the rollercoaster experience I’ve chosen for my new title:  there’ll be big ups and downs whichever way we go, but the trickiest thing is accepting that as one in a family of six, I do not have complete control over choices that nevertheless have a huge impact on my life.

So… now you’ve read mine, you can leave a comment and tell me yours!  Anyone have as many as me?!    Do you have one that’s similar to one of mine?  I’d love to hear from you!