So, it’s about time I broke my silence.

My last couple of posts had been a run down of what life was throwing at us. Some good, some bad.

Work was/is going great.
Marji Graduated and finally getting the surgery she’s been fighting for on her foot.
Dharma just getting on with work and thinking about finishing her degree next year.
A trip to see Imagine Dragons in the rain.
Ian still suffering with his orthopaedic problems but finally getting the surgeries that he needed started.
Murron’s relationship breakdown and ending up back home with our grandson and the pair of them now sleeping on our dining room floor with their belongings in storage.
Ian finally catching Covid after over 2 years with a good bought of tonsillitis thrown in for good measure and actually spending a couple of nights in hospital because of it.

It was all a bit more involved than that and you can read the whole story HERE and HERE

The last post was on July 2nd.
On July 5th, our world changed completely and forever with the very sudden and unexpected passing of my husband and best friend of 30 years, Ian.

After fighting Psoriatic Arthritis for over 20 years and a case of Covid and tonsillitis that landed him in hospital, it was finally a heart attack that got him.
July 5th had started out as a pretty good day.
I had been working from home and Ian had actually been feeling a lot better and actually spent some time playing with little JJ in the morning, for the first time in about a week.
At lunch time, he helped Dharma with a wiring problem in her bedroom and then he went to lay down for a bit because he wasn’t feeling too good and this was nothing out of the ordinary for Ian.
With his Orthopaedic issues, he would quite often relax in his bedroom in the afternoons and do some reading.
I finished work at 4pm, signed off and went to sit in the garden with friends for a cool drink in the sun and literally, just 10 minutes later, Dharma went to see Ian and all hell broke loose. The next four hours saw the house filled with paramedics, police and funeral directors.
I knew he had been gone for a while when me and Murron started CPR, but the paramedics still worked on him for over half and hour.
I owe a huge thank you to an off duty police officer called Carly, who literally appeared out of knowhere, running up our stairs and taking over the situation. I was in pieces and my nurse training just went right out the window!!

The funeral took place on August 4th and Ian entered the crematorium to The Imperial March by John Williams.
We simultaniously laughed and cried! It was a beautiful service and the celebrant was amazing. She had picked up on all the family quirks and craziness and got a few personal touches into the service that I knew nothing about. Quite simply, she got us! and Ian would have loved it.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the sun with Family, friends, and Ian’s work colleagues at a local pub.

We are now trying to get our lives back on track.
Murron is still fighting to get a council house and off of our dining room floor, but because she technically has a roof over her head, she’s not a priority, even though she’s sleeping on a dining room floor with an 11 month old! Go figure.
I have actually had to give her an eviction notice to change her priority. How fair is that! It just doesn’t sit right with me either!!

I cannot continue to pay the rent in our current house without Ian’s wages but Ian’s insurance and pensions pots have enabled us to do something me and Ian had been wanting to do for years and actually buy a house.
We’ve been really lucky and found a place already. We just need everything to fall into place now so that we don’t lose it.
It is marked as Sold subject to contract.
We have a solicitor starting all the paperwork.
We have some of the money from Ian but are still waiting for some to make it to the bank account. I am getting a little frustrated by it all. I know they have to be careful, but at the same time, there is a family who are relying on this money to keep going!!
I have a list of things that we would like to get for the new house, but until it is 100% in the bag, that list will have to wait.
I see a big Ikea shop on the horizon!!
It’s going to be a long few months but, fingers crossed, we will be in by Xmas.

Marjorie is recovering well from her surgery and the rod in her toe has now been removed and she is getting on with her life pain free. She still has some post surgery healing pain but it is getting better day by day.

Dharma is doing OK. She’s back at work at the weekends and she is looking forward to starting her final year of Uni.
I am keeping my eye on her. She found Ian that day and so far, she hasn’t really opened up about it.

I have 101 things going round in my head all day every day, but it’s getting less and less each day as I tick things off.
Work have been amazing so they are not one of the things going round in my head and the GP has been backing me up with sick notes.

I am currently signed off until Sept 16th and by then, I hope that finances have all settled down and the purchase of the house is well and truly under way and my head has calmed down to just a few things going round and round.
We are continuing to have a good sort out around the house and garage in preparation for a move and we are spending time together as a family.
We have baby JJ with us daily so there is constant laughter in the house. I am going to miss him when he’s moved out…. I will NOT miss the chaos and the mess.
We have really good friends who check in on us regularly and life is very different.

I am now looking forward to getting back to work and, like I said, we hope to be moved by Xmas which will allow a completely fresh start in 2023. I’m not holding my breath on that one but it would be nice.