Watson Meal Planner wc 24th December 2012

Wc 24th December

Monday

Lunch: gammon cooked in cola http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/ham-in-coca-cola-171

Tuesday 

Christmas Dinner

Wednesday 

Lunch at The Bowl, Almondsbury http://www.thebowlinn.co.uk
Thursday

Spain

Friday

Spain

Saturday

Spain

Sunday

Spain

“Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas”

Wow!  What a few weeks.  I never realized how much there is to do at Christmas.  At last I am sat with a glass in my hand alongside Joe watching the film “Fight Club”!  Joe’s choice and not exactly Christmassy.  But you know I don’t care what we watch. The fact is we have made it to Christmas Eve with almost everything done or ready to go.  In fact I am smugly proud of what has been achieved. 

However, I am the first to admit that all that has been achieved is down to a Team effort.  Family and friends have really rallied around to lend a hand.  The bond between my family and friends over the past year has really strengthened and has become formidable force.

In relation to Christmas special mentions need to go to: 

• Karen, Caroline’s sister, who got me organized and worked with me to compile a present list. 
• Georgina and Teri, Caroline’s cousin, who between them have wrapped all these presents.  Georgina also decorated the house and the tree.
• Stacey produced 60 Xmas puddings which have all been sold and proceeds will be donated to St Peters Hospice http://www.justgiving.com/Caroline-Watson-48 
• Bev will be joining my family for Christmas with her son Luis has sorted the food shopping.

These friends and many others have certainly ensured the Watsons will have a good Christmas and importantly have some fun.

Just need to round off by wishing everyone who have provided the overwhelming support to my family and me a very Happy Christmas

Watson Meal Planner Wc 17th December

Christmas is the time for miracles!

Wc 17th December

Monday

Joe:  Turkey drummers, pasta and peas

Dad:  Southern Fried Chicken, Chips and Peas

Tuesday 

Joe: Levi's pepper pot chicken 

Dad out

Wednesday 

Pork steak, new potatoes and vegetables

Thursday

Chicken Fajitas

Friday

Smoked haddock

Saturday

Homemade Beef Curry

Sunday

TBD

All I Want For Christmas Is You

This is the article I didn’t want to write.  Christmas is a happy time of year.  It’s the time for family and friends and a time to celebrate.  I have always loved Christmas.  I don’t want to bring the mood down but the thing I have discovered in the past six months is that there are so many lonely people out there who dread this time of year.  I feel compelled to put my feelings down just to show solidarity, as Christmas can be a very dark place. 

The festive period has the ability to pull on all the emotional strings.  Previously I have only experienced Christmas has a joyous family occasion.  This year the build up to Christmas is proving very challenging.  Of course there is all the practical stuff where you need to be organized in order to buy presents, write cards and make the arrangements for Christmas dinner. These activities will always be stressful to me.  I can’t help that – I am a man.  To be totally honest if any of these don’t get done then so be it.  I’m sure no one is really going to judge me.  The real challenge is the emotional one.

Seeing couples together, every piece of music, every Christmas card received is a reminder that you are alone.  My feelings became heightened a couple of weeks ago when I started to receive Christmas cards addressed “To Paul, Georgina and Joe”.  Don’t get me wrong I really appreciate the good wishes and support.  The human kindness that I receive is overwhelming.  However, every card just serves to be another reminder of my loss.

The fact that I am even Christmas shopping is a reminder.  In the past I only had to buy for Caroline and that was hard enough.  Now I am wandering around shops confused and absolutely clueless.   If that’s not enough your emotions are constantly pummeled by the incessant repetition of Christmas tunes.  I really don’t want to hear “It will be lonely this Christmas” by Mud again.  If I do then I am likely to explode.

I always knew that Christmas would be difficult.  It was my choice not to change anything and confront these feelings head on.  To me it was the lesser of two evils.  If any of us want to have a quiet moment or have a cry we can do so in the comfort of our own home.  So I am not surprised about how I feel, as it’s a consequence of my own actions.  However, what you don’t really know is how intense these feelings are and just knowing it will probably get worse.

Having said all this the kids and me are determined to enjoy Christmas as much as we can.  After all Caroline would demand it.  Georgina has decorated the tree and the living room, cards are written and presents are bought (not wrapped yet).

If you know someone who is on their own, have a cup of tea with them.  Rest assured it will make their day.

Happy Christmas

Georgina has fully recovered

Just like to say thanks to everyone for their best wishes regarding Georgina's illness and spell in hospital.  Georgina has now fully recovered and is really looking forward to Christmas.
However thats not to say she shouldn't wrap up warm when she goes out.
Could all of Georgina Cardiff University friends make sure Georgina wears a coat when she goes out

Watson Meal Planner Wc 10th December

Monday

Turkey drummers, pasta and peas

Dad out

Tuesday 

Joe out

Dad out

Wednesday 

Joe out

Dad out

Thursday

Dad, Karen & Joe out

Friday

Beef and Bean Chilli Burritos

Saturday

TBD

Sunday

TBD

Top 10 Christmas Shopping Tips

The thought of Christmas shopping is absolutely daunting me.  I am absolutely petrified.  I have never been Christmas shopping to buy for everyone before in my life.

Each year Caroline was so organized that she would have Christmas nailed by February.  I’m sure that in the first week of February Caroline would be in front of the queue at the Boots “sale and double points day”.   In fact despite Caroline’s illness earlier this year she had been as organized as ever buying 15 pairs of pyjamas for children and grand-children of friends and family plus various other presents and gift sets.  My problem was I didn’t know who any of the presents were for!  I had to resort to asking Katherine, Caroline’s friend, to pop over to identify the owners.

However, there are still plenty more presents to buy and cards to write.  Having started my quest these are my top tips for Christmas shopping are:

1. Speak to people who know what they are doing when it comes to Christmas shopping.  Consults experts.  You wouldn’t go into a jungle without a guide.  Women’s knowledge of shopping and shops is unbelievable.

2. Compile a list of people you have to buy for and match them with appropriate presents.  Again a woman’s insight is invaluable.  Karen, Caroline’s sister, vetted and changed by list.

3. Get as much as you can from the internet.  No queues; no getting bumped about by elderly ladies in Marks and Spencers; no having to carry around heavy bags.  Do your shopping from the luxury of your own home.  All the main stores will have an online store and then there is always amazon

4. However, its very unlikely that your going to get away with doing everything from your sofa.  You will have to venture to the local mall at some point.  Shops tend to open quite late this time of the year – some to 10pm.  By shopping late at night you can avoid the crowds and the queues allowing you to nip about quickly.

5. If you have to shop during the day remember, “keep calm and carry on”.  Make sure you take your list and take it easy.  Plenty of chill time in the coffee shop and keep smiling when you’re stood in the 15^th queue that day. 

6. Like so many families a tradition in my own family is the Christmas stocking.  Caroline was so insistent that the stockings were from Santa Claus himself.  Caroline would remind the kids and me every year  “if you don’t believe you won’t receive”.   Around 15 low value type presents packed in a stocking made there way from Lapland each year to the bottom of our beds.  By any measure truly a miracle!  I heard a rumour that Santa can often be seen in Superdrug, Boots, Waterstones and much more beside

7. As we are all suffering from the state of the UK economy there are plenty of bargains about making our well earned money go that much further.  There are also the discount stores such as Lidl and Aldi, which are offering superb value.

8. Family hampers and tins of biscuits can be found in Marks and Spencers and John Lewis. 

9. Other ideas for presents are the Gift Experience ranging from “red letter days” to “pampering” to “days for two of you”

10.Don’t forget all this has to be gift-wrapped and it has to be different paper from that used by Santa!

Watson Meal Planner wc 3rd December 2012

Wc 3rd December

Monday

Turkey drummers, pasta and peas

Dad and Georgina: smoked cod fillet, potatoes and peas

Tuesday 

Pasta bolognese

Wednesday 

Dad out

Joe:  Dominoes

Thursday

Piri piri chicken

Friday

Beef and Bean Chilli Burritos

Saturday

TBD

Sunday

TBD

Georgina has been in hospital

My lovely daughter Georgina has been suffering for the past three weeks with a really bad cough, chest and ear infection.  “Freshers flu” had really gripped her. It was obvious to me as it would be to every parent she needed some rest.  But can you tell them? “No you cant!”

Since Georgina had been unwell she has been coming home most weekends to so say rest and recuperate.  I’m not sure this really happened.  Georgina was hardly ever at my house. 

This weekend started as usual.  I picked Georgina up from Cardiff University loading the car with all the dirty laundry.  Drove home.  The minute we arrive Georgina disappears to see her mates.  No change there.

Anyway in the early hours of the morning my bedroom doors blasts open with Georgina crying and screaming that her ear was really painful.  Well I was finding it hard to be sympathetic.  The number of times I had told her to go the doctor, wrap up warm, rest for a while etc only to be ignored.  However, I knew I had to put this one side at this point and do the compassionate bit.   After consoling her I called the duty doctor, Frendoc, who told me to give Georgina two ibuprofen, one co-coldamol and to see the doctor in the morning.  Great.  We duly followed her instructions to the letter.  We could all now go back to sleep.

Well one hour later the door blasts open again.  Georgina was screaming in severe pain and bouncing around like Tigger repeatedly saying  “Dad I’m in so much pain.  I don’t want to die.  Help me!”

This was serious.  I was straight on the phone to Frendoc and before I knew it we were in Ward 207 Frenchay Hospital.  I couldn’t believe it.  I have been backwards and forwards to hospital for the past two years with Caroline and now there is my daughter led on a medical bed.

What was to follow was even more disconcerting.  Following an extensive assessment, examination and blood tests the consultant informs Georgina

“… there are some irregularities in your blood”

I could only think “what is it this time?”

“your blood tests show that your enzymes are raised.  You have pancreatitis”

My jaw dropped.  I couldn’t believe my ears.  I had been diagnosed with pancreatitis only two months earlier and would not wish it on anyone let my own daughter.  Oh my god!

“Are you sure?” I asked disbelievingly.

“Definitiely” she replied abruptly.  “We need to do an ultra scan for gallstones…”.

I looked at Georgina.  She was already fed up and anxious about being in hospital.  Now she was trying to absorb this news and what the possible outcomes would be.

When the consultant left I tried to re-assure Georgina.  We were both in shock.  It didn’t make sense to me.  Surely she was too young to have a gallstone problem? The other main route for contracting pancreatitis is alcohol abuse.  Well I know Georgina had been out on “freshers” week and all that goes with it but surely not to this extent.  My head was spinning but the priority was to keep re-assuring Georgina.

Anyway Georgina had to stay in overnight on Saturday.  She hated being in hospital and having to stay in one place.  Leaving my daughter alone in the hospital that night was very difficult.  I didn’t know what to do for the best. I’m sure Caroline would have camped out on the ward all night.

Sunday morning I awake to about ten text messages from Georgina each of which telling me what to bring in

“Scissors”

“Hair dryer”

“Brush”

“Tooth paste”

“etc etc”

Georgina looked much better when I got to the ward. Obviously a night rest had done her a world of good.  My mum and dad turned up which was good and allowed me to go home to ensure Joe was alright.

At 3pm Georgina calls me

“Dad I’ve been kicked out of my bed and I now ready to come home”

“Great news.  I’m on my way”

When I met her on the ward Georgina tells me

“I haven’t got pancreatitis nor any gallstones”

My instincts were right.  I was relieved but exasperated at the same time

“What!  What have you got?”

“The doctor told me that I had been taking too many Nurofen over the past three weeks which has irritated both my stomach and my pancreas.  I have to eat a low fat diet and not drink alcohol for at least the next two weeks plus take Omezprazole”

Well I smiled.  I was relieved that it wasn’t pancreatitis.  I was relieved that the doctor understood the cause of the pain.  Most of all I was pleased Georgina was coming home.  However, I couldn’t stop telling her that she had to read and follow the instructions on medicine.   Was she listening? “Probably not!”