NHS *doesn't* always mean long waits....

Just in case anyone has the idea that trying to see a doctor in the National Health Service will mean long delays to get an appointment and then further waiting once you get there .... that's not always true! Yesterday I phoned the local clinic at 10:30am to ask if I could see a GP that day. At first she was going to say I should come at 4:30pm and just wait till I could be seen, but then she realised there was 1 opening left for 4:50 so I got it! I walked into the clinic at just about precisely that time, sat down and was immediately called - even though the reception room was already full of paients waiting! Guess what time it was when I left the clinic? 4:55pm - a mere 5 minutes from walking in to walking out! I don't think I've ever had such a quick doctor's visit! lol However, seeing as the visit was rather pointless, I was thankful to have only had to waste 5 minutes (apart from the time it took to get kids ready and in & out of carseats, etc). My reason for requesting an immediate (emergency) appointment was that I found myself covered with red spots that morning!! I'd just finished a course of antibiotics last Saturday (for a urine infection) and then Monday evening the doctor I'd seen last week phoned to see how I was and inform me that just about any antibiotic would have been effective for what I had *except* the one she'd prescribed me! It wasn't actually her first choice but she went with it because it only showed up in trace amounts in breastmilk. Anyway, because I didn't feel entirely better (though probably 90% recovered) we decided I should take a different antibiotic - to start yesterday afternoon. So when I woke up all spotty, I worried if it had any connection to the meds I had the previous week and thought I should see a doctor before taking new ones. However the doctor didn't seem interested really - just assured me it won't be connected to the antibiotics I took last week, he hadn't a clue what it was, said I should take the new ones, and come back if I'm not better in a few days. Soooo.... none the wiser as to what I have! They're still not gone either, tho not changed dramatically - looks a bit like how chickenpox looks when it first appears but without changing in appearance. Thankfully there aren't *any* on my face, but they're just about everywhere else - mainly my legs, arms & feet. Oh well.

Nothing much else is up at the moment - just a tired me after being poorly for so long! Abigail has been sleeping a bit better the past few days - ever since I finally got some blackout fabric to put over her windows! She kept thinking it was time to get up when the sun was pouring in through her blinds & curtains at 3 or 4 in the morning! But she's still rather over tired from various things and in need of a lot of catch up sleep, I think. Benjamin seems to be teething again and has had a few bad days - slightly elevated temperature and going off food a bit. He's wanting to chew everything in sight and lots of dribble too. Can't see any sign of new teeth yet, though he doesn't really let anyone look in his mouth, so don't really know.

I took a few photos of the children in the back garden yesterday evening, as well as some of my plants - so here they are. :)

Abigail & Benjamin playing in their favourite corner (by two bushes and a fence).

Benjamin showing some of his teeth

A big grin from Abigail :)

As I said above...chewing everything in sight! lol

My (and Abigail's!) gardening adventure - sunburst squash (which we had for dinner the other night - very yummy!) with a sunflower in the middle (not yet opened) and the strawberry plants with lots of flowers in front of the squash. The smaller pots are various flower plants which we grew from seed - not yet in bloom.

Some of our very sweet strawberries - for some reason even the very light pink (nearly white) ones are very soft, sweet & juicy!

Bird watching, with lovely Feverfew flowers behind him

Probably looking for bees now!

Abigail's other sunflower which is already open - we took it in the house to brighten up the dining room!

This was taken this morning, probably just after breakfast. Sitting in a rocking chair with their Bob the Builder tent over their heads! :)

OK, enough from me for tonight. I think I should try and get some sleep.