I know it isn’t an original idea but I thought you might like to see our village phonebox which has been converted to house our defibrillator and a book exchange which hubby and I have organised since January this year. The community council told us to donate any of the money donations to a charity of our choice, so with hubby having had open-heart surgery and the defibrillator being in the box we agreed to split 50/50 any donations received to British Heart Foundation and Lupus UK. So far, since January, we have collected £40 so £20 each to the charities and when I change the stock of books and DVDs at the beginning of each month the old stock goes to British Heart’s charity shop in town.
I hope you are all keeping as well as can be. I’m still suffering chronic fatigue and going through a lot of emotional stuff just now so the book exchange is a brilliant distraction. Some of the books donated are very interesting too with the result I think hubby and I are the biggest purchasers!
If anybody has an old local phonebox with a different use please tell.
Love and hugs to all.
Spotty xxx 🤗💕😘
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Spotty-ewe
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How fabulous Spotty. Such a great idea. I hope your fatigue eases and I send you huge Cwtches lovely for whatever is making you emotional. We lost our beautiful Brodie Bear on 3 rd May and I am heartbroken so I empathise . Lots of love xxx
I’m so sorry to hear you have lost your dear Brodie Cecily. My heart goes out to you and Neil. I hope Dylan isn’t missing his brother too much.🙏🏻 It will be such a sad time for all of you but if Brodie was suffering in the end he is in a peaceful place now. 😇🥰 Thank you so much for your much appreciated and needed cwtches and I’m sending big hugs back to you too. Thinking of you all. 🤗🤗🤗 xxx
Thank you so much. It was such a shock, he had sickness and diarrheoa for two days and I saw him going down hill so we drove him to the emergency vet. We were horrified when they said his kidney function was through the floor. We tried two days of fluids but they were not specialists so we got him referred to a nephrologist. We arrived at 7 am on the third day to drive him the two hours to the veterinary hospital and we were so shocked by how he was.He did not even recognise us, he was groaning and shaking, and just could not pick his head up. We could not put him through it so we chose to let him go bless his beautiful heart.Neil collected his ashes yesterday so he is home now. Dylan is very subdued and gets very stressed if we leave him for five minutes. Poor little mite doesn’t understand. First his Dad disappears for ten days in hospital and then two weeks later his brother is gone. I went to pottery last week and when I got back he went nuts and was so excited to see me he bit me, thankfully just a nip but he was trying to hold on to my sleeve. We are so undecided whether to try him with another dog. He is a funny little boy, not sociable like Brodie. Time will tell. You look after yourself xxx
Poor Brodie. It is so heart-breaking to see our beloved pets suffer. 😩Hard as it was you made the right decision for him and he had a wonderful life with you, Neil and Dylan. Yes, I’m sure Dylan will no doubt be confused for a while until he gets used to the idea that his brother isn’t coming back as he remembers him. But it is lovely you have him home again. We brought all our pets home too. If Dylan isn’t sociable and he can’t see now (am I right in thinking you told me that?) perhaps it is best to leave him on his own - at least for now. A hard decision to make so take your time. Take care lovely Cecily. 🤗😘xxxx
Yes it really was, I think the real shock of it all has hit us so hard. We were out walking Sunday and he was gone by Tuesday morning at 8 am. We have to do what is right for Dylan because I want a puppy to fill the void that Brodie has left but I don’t think Dylan would cope. He cannot see, you are right m so any older dogs with guarding issues would definitely not be right. Poor Brodie was used to Dylan trying to get in his bed on top of him or pinching his dinner.. I am looking daily on the rescue sites for a very docile dog with no issues but I won’t make any decision without considering all the potential pitfalls. Mind you if I win the Lotto I would buy a big house and fill it with cocker spaniels …. My dream xxx
A lot to weigh up Cecily. If the ideal docile partner for Dylan is out there I’m sure you’ll find him and what a lucky dog he would be. I wish you all the very best of luck that the ideal doggie for all of you comes your way.🙏🏻 In the meantime I wish you the very best of luck on the Lotto.🤞 Love and hugs. 🤗😘Xxx
What a lovely well organised phone box library, we’ve got one nearby too but not as tidy. It’s such a great idea, it’s a great way to raise a bit of money isn’t it!Thanks for your message, lovely to hear from you and I’ll reply soon.
Today has been a bit better, I even did a little bit of pottering in the garden 🪴 hope I don’t pay for it tomorrow, you know how it goes😣 hope you get some better weather up there soon, it’s been quite nice here, a bit of rain but quite warm and sunny too.
Thanks for the compliment Diane. ☺️ I check it almost daily when we pass by for a walk so it gets a regular tidy and I completely restock at least one shelf and one box of DVDs at the beginning of each month to keep the interest going .🤞 I’m so pleased to hear you’ve had a better day and even managed a wee potter in the garden which will have been so satisfying too. 👍🏻👍🏻 I hope you feel okay tomorrow.🙏🏻 It rained all day here but we had a wander to the woods and back after dinner tonight so that was lovely.
Take it easy Diane and enjoy sitting in your garden tomorrow admiring the work you did today😉. Just a little potter at a time. 👍🏻 Love and hugs 🌷🌼🌺🌸🐝xxx
Great idea and as others have said what a lovely tidy phone box. Hope your fatigue improves soon too. We lost our wee cat recently too, she’d been going downhill for some time, but it’s still a shock when they go.
Hi Barbara, Thanks for your kind wishes. I’m so sorry to hear about your wee cat. They are such a major part of our close family units aren’t they? I still miss my cats, dog and budgies even after all these years. They leave such a big hole in our lives but also a lot of very happy and often amusing memories. Hugs and condolences. 🤗😘💐🙏🏻xxx
Fabulous idea Spotty 🤗Well done!! Wouldn't be able to do that kinda thing round here unfortunately..too many ruffians!! 😹Windows would be smashed n I guarantee someone would pee in it!! I have seen a book exchange in a small village near us though n it works well for our friends who own a wood on the outskirts of the village. I think it's a fabulous idea!!
The most innovative box I've seen was built by a friend n her husband who have a collie rescue centre. They're Dr Who fans n they made a TARDIS out of an old phone box..it even had the light in the top n made the same noise as the TARDIS taking off!! 😹Very clever!! I didn't mean to out TARDIS is capitals by the way..my phone's doing it automatically..or maybe it's the Doctor? 🤔😹
Sorry to hear you experiencing fatigue n emotional stuff right now 😔Rest up n nuture yourself lady..you got flycatchers to look out for!! 🤗💜🌈😽😽Xx
Hi Kat. 🤗 Thanks for your enthusiasm and kind remarks.👍🏻 I know what you mean about vandals etc. We’ve had the odd broken window (replaced with Perspex now), the cash box (which is screwed to the shelf) broken into and having to be replaced, and of course some of the books and DVDs taken with no replacement or money left.🙄 So, sadly we have a share of that element in our village too especially as the phone box is next to a bus stop, but what can we do? I soldier on for the sake of the decent majority and it does seem to be appreciated both by the users and the charities we support. So that’s my reward. 😁
I love the idea of the Tardis.👏🏻👏🏻 And wouldn’t it be wonderful to go back in time to happier and healthier times.🥰 Sounds great. 👍👍
My emotional stuff goes back to a major trauma I had in my mid 20s which I’ve never resolved. My wonderful psychologist is working with me using trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) which of course puts me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster reliving it all until we sort it out. But it will soon get easier, I hope! 😉
Hoping all is coasting along for you and yours Kat. 🙏🏻 Take care. 🤗😘💐🫶xxx
Aw bless ya 🤗It will get easier over time n good on ya for facing that trauma head on..with the right support you will get through it lovely..and you'll be stronger for it!! 💪🥊Do u use affirmations at all? One I use often is All is well in my world. Even if I don't believe it at the time..repeating it over n over helps to calm myself down when I feel overwhelmed. Might be worth a try? It certainly won't do any harm.
Take care n be kind to yourself Spotty 🤗to you both 💜🌈😽😽xx
I absolutely LOVE your phonebox book exchange+ defibrillator! It's such a brilliant idea+ because my partner and I am such huge readers ourselves,I know exactly what you mean when you say that you+ your hubby are the biggest buyers!! I'm sorry to hear about your ongoing fatigue+other problems, it's a daily battle isn't it? And your husband too must be a worry. Now that I have been told about having 3 leaky valves instead of just the original one+the first one now being badly calcified,I worry about my future heart problems too especially as my Mum has congestive heart failure which cannot be treated. Wishing you all the best with your books(if I lived anywhere even remotely close,I would be in that box every day!!) and take good care of yourself, xx🌻📚
So pleased you like the phonebox book exchange Whitemagnum. 👍🏻👍🏻 I’m so sorry to hear about your leaky heart valves though. Hubby’s was a leaky mitral valve which fortunately they were able to repair but in case they weren’t able to he had to decide before the op whether he wanted a pig’s or mechanical replacement. Luckily neither were needed. Have they got a plan for you and what to do about your valves? I presume you get very breathless? That was the first symptom of hubby’s problem anyway but since the open heart surgery and 2 ablations to correct his AF and rapid heart rhythm he’s been like a new man. My main worry now is that he doesn’t overdo things as he loves constructing things in the garden and is currently restructuring the drive and laying gravel on it.😳🙄 He makes me tired just watching him! 🤣 That is so sad about your Mum too. I’m really sorry to hear that. My Mum had heart failure at the end of her life 16 years ago, caused they suspect by her diabetes. She had her 80th birthday and the same people who attended her surprise party were attending her funeral only 4 months later. We have to make the very most of life while we can. If you could have come to our phonebox I’d enjoy a cuppa and blether with you whilst browsing the books. 😉 Big hugs to you and your Mum.🤗😘🫶xx
I'd love a good blether with you too!! I'm sorry about your Mum, mine is 82 + quite well considering but it's a constant worry+ I also live at the other end of the UK to her so that makes it worse. Men always have to be messing about and footering around with things but you just have to let them get on with it! I only found out about the valve situation by asking the echo technician 3 weeks ago (I was only having a routine echo before having an op on a bunion,gross,I know!). I haven't heard back from cardio about being seen or a follow up as it was only to ensure I could have the op. So I asked GP for cardio referral,she said wait til we hear from hospt! I'll chase it up after my op if nothing happens. Take care ❤️ xx
Pleased to hear your Mum is doing quite well considering, but it is so difficult when you live so far apart. Mine was the same but moved near to me thank goodness in her 70s. 👍🏻👍🏻 I hope it isn’t long until you see cardio again to have it confirmed re your valves and to hear what they plan to do. Hoping your op goes well.🙏🏻 Hubby had a bad bunion - very painful.😩 Hugs and very best wishes. 🤗😘xx
Thank you Royf. 👍🏻 Sorry to hear you have some selfish sorts where you live. ☹️ Wouldn’t life be wonderful if we could all pull together and look out for one another? Sadly it seems to be very rare. ☹️ Take care. 🤗 x
What a lovely thing to say. 🥰 Thank you Titters.👍🏻 Yes, there are some children’s books on the middle shelf where the cash box stands and on the bottom shelf as these are the only shelves that take outsize books. There’s something for everybody😉 Take care Titters. 🤗😘xx
This is just a brilliant idea Spotty , really hope your fatigue eases soon, I can sympathise and so sorry to hear if your emotional stuff, life can be so hard sometimes. Sending lots of love ❤️
Thank you SV. 😁 I’ve had the fatigue for SO long now, sometimes wondering how I’m going to make it home when hubby and I are out on a walk of around 2.5 miles which we used to do regularly with no trouble (as long as I have my trusty walking poles with me!😉 ) But now even at home I sometimes feel so drained I’m on the point of collapse. 😩 Rheumy said to up the exercise and the fatigue would improve.😳 I wish! Our GP told hubby to ask me to make a phone appt with him about it. I suppose I should, but I always feel too tired to do so. 😆Thanks for your kind wishes re my emotional problem. I’m getting help with that although the video call appt yesterday kept dropping out 🙄 so we are having a face to face next time. 👍🏻 Hoping all is well with you SV.🙏🏻 I’m so excited about your big day drawing ever nearer. 😃 Can’t wait. Take care🤗😘💕💐🫶xx
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