amberdreams: (Bum)
amberdreams ([personal profile] amberdreams) wrote2015-01-11 07:12 pm

Bloggy stuff

We've just spent the last few days visiting my parents and today had an unplanned trip to Liverpool to see my favourite aunty who was rushed into hospital on Thursday with severe breathing difficulties.Thankfully she has improved enormously, and was back on form complaining about doctors and hospitals and the rest of the patients in her small ward. It was nice to know she had breath enough to do this! Seriously, when I first heard she'd been taken in, I wasn't hopeful. She was a chain smoker for many many years, only giving up in her mid sixties when she had pleurisy/pneumonia. But it wasn't soon enough, and after a few years it all caught up with her, and now she has COPD and needs inhalers etc all the time.But she is a fighter, and hates hospitals with a passion, so that is an incentive to get better so she can go home. We now have to wait for tomorrow's consultant's visit to see what is happening with her low white blood cell count.

Back at my parents, the Severn is flooding - though nowhere near as badly as it has in the past. The river path is submerged (you'd normally see it down on the left along the bottom of that wall)
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and here you can see a bit better. My Dad always tries to tell everyone when my parents first moved here the river flooded and rose to the bottom of the third set of windows...which would have put the water above the level of the bridge I was standing on to take this pic! But it did get pretty high then - I remember seeing it at the bottom of the 2nd set of windows, which is some 12-15 feet.
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This next one is supposed to have water in it - it is Ellesmere, and is a glacial feature, a flooded kettlehole. We had a bus trip there yesterday with my parents on a bitterly cold but lovely sunny day.
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And this is one of the sculptures on the Ellesmere sculpture trail - called bindweed.
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On the train today I did a quick sketch of Paul reading his book to fulfill my wedraweveryday quota. It does look a littel bit like him even though the top of his head went a bit awry.
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All the photos are on my phone because I didn't bring my camera. We are travelling back home tomorrow, hopefully the trains will be running ok as the London line had loads of cancellations today!

[identity profile] alethiometry.livejournal.com 2015-01-11 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Even with the flooding, your parents' town looks beautiful... hope there isn't any severe water damage!

[identity profile] amberdreams.livejournal.com 2015-01-11 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
This is minor flooding at the moment, just the river paths closed. They've had a lot worse in the past but there has been a lot of money spent on flood defences since then, so I think things shouldn't be too bad even if the water levels rise more. it is a lovely town - very historic and pretty.
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[identity profile] el1ie.livejournal.com 2015-01-11 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Lovely photos. You were in Ellesmere? I frequently walk dog around Colemere which is the next one down the canal towpath. 'Tis a small world indeed. :))

All the best wishes to your Aunt, hope things keep on improving.

[identity profile] amberdreams.livejournal.com 2015-01-11 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Really?! Small world indeed! yes the parents like Ellesmere because they can bus it easily and there is safe, flat walking to do along the path when they get there. (My dad has become VERY unsteady on his feet since he took a header down the stairs a couple of Christmasses ago...). So we didn't have time to check out Colemere sadly.

[identity profile] becc-j.livejournal.com 2015-01-12 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
the photos are gorgeous, really love that first one and your sketch.

[identity profile] amberdreams.livejournal.com 2015-01-12 08:58 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks! The photos came out well for a phone!

[identity profile] milly-gal.livejournal.com 2015-01-12 10:36 am (UTC)(link)
That is a LOT of water, but your parents place is beautiful, I'd love wandering around there :) cheers for sharing hun :D

And Paul looks so deep in focus here, what book was he reading?

[identity profile] amberdreams.livejournal.com 2015-01-12 10:03 pm (UTC)(link)
A Nick Hornby novel (I forget the name of it right now though it wasn't About a Boy or high Fidelity...)
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[identity profile] big-heart-june.livejournal.com 2015-01-14 03:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Your parents town is absolutely beautiful and your photos are gorgeous. love your Paul sketch too, beautifully done ♥

[identity profile] amberdreams.livejournal.com 2015-01-14 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks me dear! My mum chose a picturesque place to retire to!