Thursday 8 August 2013

STASH-BUSTING OF A DIFFERENT KIND....
 
OR THERAPY OF A DIFFERENT KIND .........
 
 
Ive managed lots of little jobs today, nothing major, just things that needed doing that have been left - two boxes of knitted donations organised for sending, a call to BT (stressful!), a couple of loads of washing, order some food shopping and order Son's shirts ready for September (half-price on-line with BHS - bargain!)
 
Then as I sat down with a cuppa this afternoon I really felt that I ought to start de-cluttering my card-making drawers, had promised to sort some items for one of my lovely "virtual" friends who makes cards, as well as maybe a few bits and bobs on Ebay.  I will never use all the card-making items I have, all brought before I had my "lightbulb" moment last year and my "I want - dont need" way of life.  Now don't get me wrong, I have to admit to a few very small purchases over the past 18 months as well as having some items given as gifts but no-longer do I have a compulsion to spend, spend, spend as I did.
 
Anyway I realised before I started the mass clear-out that I needed to make my thank you cards for the lovely presents that I received for my birthday.  Thank you notes have become, due to the electronic age, I think a thing of the past.  Im guilty of it too.  Needing six thank you cards I set to work.
 
so here is what I ended up with........
 

The rubber stamp used was a gift for my birthday, Woodware Clear Magic Bubble Bloom "Clarissa".  Backing papers were from my Papermania Woodland Folk pad and the "bubbles" filled in with Card Candi and a little colouring using Promarkers.
 


I love my knitting but realised today spending a few hours listening to an Agatha Raisin Mrs Beaton audiobook and gently cutting, colouring and embellishing, that I had missed my card making and need to do a little more.
Watch this space .......
 


 
(I must point out though that I was so engrossed in this that I didn't realise the time, hubby came through the door with no sight of dinner even being started - whoops! - so this hobby does come with a bit of a warning - hours may slip by and jobs may not be done!)


Monday 5 August 2013

OPENING THE FRONT DOOR TO GET "HYSTERICAL"! .....
 
Quite a few will know that I recently ventured "out of the front door", held my breath and arrived at hospital for my Hysterectomy.  Those same people said I should "blog" about the experience, is this too much information, will it make people squemish.....??? Im hoping that others with anxiety or agoraphobia may see it and know there is someone else just like them, maybe they need to go to hospital themselves or maybe they are putting off having much needed treatment.

 
 
To start with I must say that I owe a huge "THANK YOU" to Dr M (if you are reading this you know who you are!)  Over the past months he has been tackling confidence, those demons that lay somewhere hidden but kept haunting me and making me start to believe in myself again.  I truly believed that by the time he got me into hospital he would be handing his notice in to his boss with a big statement "never again".  I have been and still am very lucky to have Dr M as my mentor (is that the right word) in my road to recovery. 

I started writing this post and then got a "block" I wanted to say so much but now 8 weeks on from the operation Im actually pretty proud of myself, I don't want to say anything negative, its all positive.  What I should say is, if you are struggling with hospital admissions or operations, please please please just ask for some help I didn't realise that the hospital would be as accommodating as they were, that even down to having the operation using epidural rather than full knock out was possible, that telling them in advance of the difficulties I had meant they were prepared for me and much more.

The staff at the hospital were fantastic (the food not so ha ha), there were excited conversations from the corridor from nurses talking about the fact that I had not been out of the house for so long.  Anyway its done now, still getting the odd "twinge" now and then but on the whole just fine!

I had to be sedated to travel to and from hospital so still not liking the thought of actually "going out" but pleased that that area of medical problems is over and done with!

I should also say a huge thank you to my dear friend Mrs V, a lovely visit in hospital with a superb bag of goodies, a comment made from a nurse that will have us laughing for many years to come, lots of encouragement and support and visits at home for tea, a chat and a little clacking of those needles. 

My hubby and son were wonderful too, hubby kicked into action very nicely and what shocked me more was the reaction I had from him when I started on the "walk of doom" (the walk from the bay to the operating theatre) I have never seen him emotional in the 18 years we have been together.  Even dear son wielded the hoover and fetched and carried, lets just say though that didn't last too long ha ha!

And fantastic loving support from my on-line virtual friends too, giving me some invaluable web-sites for those questions that crop up (especially late at night!) and you need an answer to them and of course lots of virtual hugs.

All in all I realised that those around me do care and this has meant a lot.

SO now I have got over my BLOG BLOCK hopefully I should be back up and running with knitting tales and more very soon - Ive been reading some lovely blogs lately there is sooooo much to read and learn I spend more time "blog hopping" and not a lot of time doing anything else!

xxx