Saturday 4 February 2012

Old Crock

No, I haven’t dug up some ancient treasure in my garden, the old crock I’m referring to is me!

Oh, but you already knew that didn’t you? It was just that I hadn’t realised. It crept up on me and took me by surprise.

I had my X Ray results earlier this week and it seems I am an arthritic old crock and my doctor is referring me.

I can’t take NSAIDs or opiates so it looks like going the injection and manipulation route.

Indy said it wouldn’t have happened if I watched my weight and was a slim jim like him, but enough about all that… here’s a brief word from himself:

This is my wise, all knowing I-told-you-so-tubs look.

December and January – great months. Lots of parties = lots of kids = lots of food. I love it. You may spot me in the next photo wearing my Feed-me-feed-me-now-can't-you-see-I'm-desperate face...


Here is a piece of advice from me (that's me, not himself) for anyone entering writing competitions – including children.

Take time to read the terms and conditions.

I was going to post a link here to a writing competition until I found the following amongst the terms and conditions.

Entrants agree to grant exclusive, royalty free, perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable and sub-licensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish and display such content for any purpose in any media, without compensation.

This applies to all entrants – not just the winners.

I don’t know about you, but that makes my blood boil. “Without compensation”??? What do you think? Am I being over sensitive? Or is that out of order?

And why are the newspapers in such a tizz about the cold weather? I remember as a child waking up to ice on the inside of my bedroom window and getting dressed under the covers. I remember the milk freezing in the bottles and pushing the lids up and the little birds sitting on the top and pecking at the cream.

I’ve just defrosted the bird baths. Yes, it is cold, but it is also February.

27 comments:

  1. Sorry about the X-rays and I hope the treatment helps.
    I've been having some back trouble but it's been somewhat compensated for by the extremely charming young physio who's been looking after me. Young enough to be my son probably, and that makes me feel old, too, but I try not to think about that!

    I completely agree about the competition terms. Dreadful. And wasteful, too, as most of the entries won't be used but still can't be used by the writers so they are effectively just thrown away.
    The worst of it is there are people so keen to be published that they will enter anyway and it will become more and more embedded in the psyche that writing is not something that you should expect to be paid for. IT IS!!! (with some charitable exceptions, of course.)

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  2. Oh how I agree, Theresa. I'm a great believer in some sort of compensation for everything you write. No-one should be expected to write for nothing.

    As for the cold. I was only thinking this morning how there was a time when we had no central heating, no double glazing, no thermal underwear, no electric blankets, and the winters were longer and colder than they are now.
    Are we getting soft these days, I wonder?

    Sorry to hear about the arthritis (OH has it so I know how restricting it can be). Let's hope those injections work.

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  3. I wish we could edit our posts! I include in 'compensation' being published. At least that get's your name out there.

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  4. Sorry about the aches and pains, Teresa. Have you tried physio? Pilattes??

    Yes - those terms and conditions are appalling. And yes. It is February. I remember my toothbrush being frozen solid in what my kids used to call "the olden days"!

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  5. Are you allright? I am sorry about the X-Rays.
    Indy seems very nice.
    You are right about the old times when the heaters were not as good as they are today and the cars were not that great either. I think people today are spoiled whether it be weather or any other element.
    Thanks for the info about writing.

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  6. Hope the treatments help, Teresa. When you don't feel old in your mind, it's a bit hard to accept the body has decided it is, whatever you think...
    I remember the top of the milk bottles being forced off by the frozen milk.

    I don't like these competitions that automatically take your rights just for entering. If it's good enough to use then the writer should be paid for it.

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  7. Sorry you have back trouble Bernadette - keep seeing that physio ;-) x

    Absolutely, Gail. And then there was having to walk to school in all weathers no matter what! x

    I've tried Chiropractic so far, Frances. I'll see what Dr Skew recommends when I see him. Frozen toothbrush!! Olden days!! Dear me x

    Thank you, Munir, I am fine! x

    Shocking isn't it, Carol - I couldn't believe it when I saw that x

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  8. I'm sorry about your pain and hope you can sort it out soon.

    I'm enjoying the cold. This is how February should be. I love wearing lots of layers and lighting fires. And lack of warmth stops me falling asleep over the laptop.

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  9. Thanks, Joanna. I am just the opposite, lack of warmth makes me want to curl up and go to sleep! x

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  10. Hugs on the creaks - horrible. DH has rheumatoid arthritis and at the moment has been laid up ALL week with his foot. So we've had a boring few days all round! On the subject of cold - we're sitting here the both of us sharing a fluffy blanket - me typin'/blogging and DH watching England v's Scotland! I think the media make so much of it because a) we Brits are obsessed with the weather and b) it's a slow news week! Take care - Caroline x

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  11. Check out the diets suggested to help arthritis. I have heard this helps.

    I agree re the weather - same memories of ice on the inside and tits drinking the milk! We do revel in all this don't we whipped up by the headlines like "killer snow" etc!!

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  12. Your poor OH, Caroline, how miserable for him :-( The cold weather doesn't help does it. But I like the sound of you snuggled together all cosy under a fluffy blanket x

    I have started changing my diet, Susan - and taking cider vinegar (eurgh) and turmeric :-) Not liking having to cut out tomatoes! What would the newspapers do without the weather to panic about x

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  13. Hi Teresa, Hope you feel better with the treatment. We had to go cross country running in this kind of weather in shorts.... I ended up with blue knees. Now the girls wear trousers, and they get sent home if it snows. We just carried on as normal.

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  14. Oh dear - those terms are particularly bad.

    Hope whoever your referred to can offer some relief for your aches and pains.

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  15. Awwww I am in love with your all knowing and wise dog! Gorgeous!

    I'm sorry about your arthritis diagnosis. The treatment sounds painful. :-( I hope they work!

    Oh let it snow! It's so pretty! But already my train service is telling all and sunder to be prepared for the worst and I for one won't be surprised if the trains grind to a halt after tonight. :-)

    The T&C of that competition is a bit harsh! They not only want your story, they want your heart and soul too.

    Take care
    x

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  16. Hi Teresa - Mmmm can't say I'm all that thrilled about the ageing process myself. Not fun. With the weather situation I would be happy to swap you some of your cold weather for the heat and humidity we're having over here??? Please... :-)

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  17. Heat and humidity will do me for a few weeks, Diane! I'll leave the snow shovel where you can find it!Seriously, I think the problem is not that it is as cold as it ws all those years ago but that as we get older, (some of us, anyway) we can't stand the cold as well as we did when we were younger.

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  18. I remember that, Suzy! And the PE teacher would always stay at school in the warm - wearing her nice thick warm tracksuit x

    Thank you, Patsy! I'm glad it's not just me that thinks those T&C are awful x

    Thank you, Old Kitty - we've had the snow at last. Indy stepped outside and sunk up to his middle. He's buried his rubber bone out there now x

    Yes, Diane, I will certainly swap some of this weather for yours x

    True, Marian - I can remember refusing to have my coat done up in cold weather (goodness knows why) but I wouldn't dream of going out in this without being buttoned and zipped! x

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  19. I hope the treatment help and you soon feel better!

    I know what you mean about the news and the weather, talk about making something out of nothing! It's very snowy here right now, it looks really pretty when it's fresh, but my cats don't like it at all, if they go out in it at all they tread in their own previously made paw prints, it makes me laugh!

    The competition thing is terrible! Most entrants probably won't even read that and would assume it only applies to the winner. It's not on, grhhh.

    take care x

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  20. I hope you feeling better soon. Just as long as those fingers can still fly over the computer keys you'll be fine.

    At least when we get to February, we know that Spring isn't far away.

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  21. Thank you penandpaints :-) Aw, poor cats - not many cats like the snow do they x

    Thanks Maggie - oh you're right there, soon be spring :-) x

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  22. Oh, dear my sympathies and empathy about the arthritis, Teresa. And you;re right about the cold/snow/ice - has the country turned wimpish? Mind you, I love the autumn/winter and don't mind everything it throws at us, apart from severe storms!

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  23. Get well soon Teresa. Thank you for the warning about the terms and conditions of that comp. Shall check even more carefully in future. Course we've all got soft since central heating. Being cold was the norm in the 'olden days' wasn't it. It's always harder to go back. Just been to Scotland and there were some crocuses out there. What a gorgeous, uplifting, hopeful sight! :o) xx

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  24. Sorry to hear about the aches and pains, Teresa. My Mum used to say old age (not that you are) had "nothing going for it" but I'm not sure about that. Aren't we supposed to get more wise, or something??
    Dreadful terms and conditions. I hate it when people's desire to get published is exploited in this way. Nobody should write for nothing, except for charity. Thanks for bringing our attention to it.
    Love to lovely Indy as always.x
    www.lydiajones.co.uk

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  25. Thank you, Rosemary - little did I know when I read your comment on a previous post that I'd end up with the same thing as you! Horrid isn't it. I'm not a fan of winter at all! x

    Thanks, Sue. Glad you had such a lovely time in Scotland - how wonderful that crocuses were out, a lovely sight x

    You made me smile, Lydia, thank you! The worst thing about that competition is that it's one for children being run by a huge business -and the prizes aren't great either. I keep meaning to send them a snotty email about it to see if they have anything to say about it.
    Indy thanks you x

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  26. Many hugs for the arthritis.

    And I've taken so long to comment on this post it's now very warm for February and the newspapers are making a fuss about that.

    I love the hopeful expression on Indy's face as he waits under the table.

    XX

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  27. I know, Suz, isn't it amazing the change in the weather!
    He's always hopeful is our Indy xx

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