Well some ...

... arrived! The gardener/handyman came and did what he needed to do and collected payment for the garden maintenance he's done over the past few weeks so one down 2 to go!

The locksmith came but had got the wrong lock! He thought his supplier was sending him 2, one of which should have fitted but the supplier only sent one and, it's that Sod's Law again, it had to be the one that didn't fit - *duh!* He phoned supplier while he was here and they don't have the other in stock but hope to have it sometime next week. He will be in contact.

Seagull guys rescheduled so we're still 1 down, 2 to go - *LOL*

Thanks for dropping by .....

I don't seem ...

... to have stopped since Friday. Feel as though I'm achieving 'stuff' though.

I've written a lot of letters and done a lot of online address change notifications. Contacted a removal firm who is coming to quote and advertised a load of bits - big appliances/white goods - in local Friday Ad paper. Had some interest from the online ads (paper isn't out yet). Have to say that one of them turned out to be a scammer - *lol* Thought me stupid methinks but he found out otherwise! Wanted to do a deal on a nearly new cooker and condenser dryer. Negotiations went OK and totally believable but when it came to seal the deal he got short shrift from me! Turned out he wasn't even in the UK - let alone local to pick up! Wanted to send me payment via UPS. He was in MI *huh?* and would arrange the shipment so I wasn't to worry. Yeah, right! Course I fell for that one - NOT!!! He got a 'not very friendly' email back from me and I've heard no more from him.

They're coming out of the woodwork over a washing machine and strangely I've even got interest in a 1970's gateleg table. Other 'stuff' advertised on eBay - 99p starting price - including the remainder (all 5 of 'em) of the wardrobes that one fell apart of on moving it to mine. Seems somebody wants em 'cos I've got a bid - *LOL*. Hope they've taken note that they need to be dismantled and moved ..... by them! Think I'll have cash up front in case they decide to chance not taking them apart. They will be warned if they do! At least it's a job I won't have to do and I've given up the idea of having a third for the 'study' *hehe*.

Dad's large, and dated, vinyl record collection is on it's way as well - well, some of it. 40 odd James Last albums have a bid on by somebody who is obviously a keen James Last collector by their feedback. The 100+ mixed genre collection (and it is mixed!!) has watchers as does a 70's extending TV/HiFi unit. Looks as though most of the big stuff that's no longer needed will go and I've got another collection of bits for the Dogs Trust!

We, that is me and hubby, should have been over-run with workmen today. Three different ones - seagull deterrant experts, locksmith and a gardener/handyman. Not one has arrived and only one has rung! What is it with workmen nowadays? Spoke to locksmith yesterday (our patio door lock has broken and it's now out of warranty) and he assured us he'd be here today. Mind you, he should have been here last Wednesday and we're still waiting for that visit as well. Seagull guys are waiting on their supplier for a bit ordered last week and apparently locksmith is waiting on his supplier to supply the new lock. Says he chased them up yesterday. So that would be just after I rang to find out what's happening then???? *Oooops* Wouldn't mind so much but none of the jobs are particularly cheap and they'll probably all want their money without too much delay .....

Still, managed to make an appointment with the doc again about my leg/hip problem that has come back since meds have cleared body. Have to say that I have less problem with it the more I move around. Everything ceases up when I 'rest' it as instructed *:0(*

Thanks for dropping by .....

UPDATE: It's 6pm and the gardener/handyman has just rung! It's gonna be Thursday now - *doh!*
UPDATE 2: 6:30pm and the locksmith's rung. Wanted to come early tomorrow but that's a no-no 'cos it means I wouldn't be able to get to Dad's and hubby's out for the day so .... he's coming early Thursday!

So here it ...

... is! Just 3:30am and another night of not sleeping properly. I don't think I've had a full nights sleep in over a week now. Go to bed tired and fall asleep quite well. Sleep soundly until around 2am then I wake and toss and turn, cat-napping through the rest of the night. Tonight I've given in and got up. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep if I go back in 30 minutes or so. Wouldn't mind so much but I don't go to bed until around midnight so it's not as though I get 3 or 4 hours good, solid sleep before I start the tossing and turning! Perhaps it's just a temporary thing for some reason .... Here's hoping *LOL!*

Thanks for dropping by .....

The sun is out ...

... there's blossom on the trees and all's well with the world! Well, that's what it feels like for me at the moment *smile*. Mind you, the sun has been out all week and we've had some glorious spring days. Makes you feel so much better when the weather's good. Unfortunately it's not forecast to last too much longer - *doh!*

Flowering Cherry blossom on tree outside Dad's house.

Been really busy the past few days, making the most of the good weather and the fact that the decking has been cleaned and treated. Thursday was spent getting the garden furniture out, unpacked and up so, we've now got somewhere to sit on nice days - *grinner*. Ended up filling the car with rubbish for the tip - cardboard, mainly, for recycling but too much for the kerbside collection! Filled the car so much I couldn't see out of the rear view mirror - *oops!*

Lilac blossom on shrub in my front garden - never had so much as this year!

Since Friday morning and the Open Day at Dad's future home, it doesn't feel as though I've stopped. We - that is my sons did at my request - moved a couple of wardrobes/bedroom fitments/storage units from Dads to mine yesterday morning, along with some laminate flooring we bought a few years ago but not yet used. (Note the similarity with that statement and my craft stuff????? *hehe!!*) One wardrobe moved, no problem at all, but the second one decided it wasn't gonna play ball. Oh no! It decided that it didn't want it's back on so popped it off which then made the blooming thing unstable! OK, so it was flatpack when bought and it's big and old-ish and it had to be negotiated over the stairlift and around corners and over walls but ..... if one that didn't have any internal structure moved OK then why couldn't the one that should have been more sturdy 'cos it had more internal fixings - huh?? Anyway, it arrived and was rebuilt but all this meant that none of the container plants that should have moved home got moved. They will come at a later date now ....

Bluebells which have found their way to my front garden and leaf breaking bud on my hibiscus.

Wardrobes in situ, I spent the afternoon trying to restyle the study - after helping sometime-to-be ex-daughter-in-law choose stuff from the gardening equipment at Dad's that's no longer used but, she needs for the garden at her new home. Anyway, yep, wardrobes - one of which is totally shelves - are being recycled into office furniture to contain all my 'selling' bits, packing materials, stationery, household papers etc., behind closed doors. Good way there now but, it's likely to go on hold to get Dad sorted ..... and there lies the rest of my activity. Spent some of yesterday afternoon at his measuring, photographing, noting info etc. for some of his appliances that will have to go as he has no need of them. Came home and offered all for sale in our local Friday Ad paper. This morning did the same with some of his larger pieces of furniture and a load of vinyl albums but they've (the furniture and the vinyl) gone on eBay - at a 99p starting price (the vinyl as 2 separate collections - lol!). Don't care what it fetches - it's got to go and even selling for just 99p at least saves us paying somebody to take it away. Had interest in the appliances already so hopefully they'll be gone by the weekend *grin*

Will be spending a busy day on the phone tomorrow - lol! Only downside amongst all this - my leg/hip problem has resurfaced since the meds have cleared my body so one of my phone calls tomorrow will be to the doctor for an appointment ..........

Thanks for dropping by .....

It couldn't have ...

... been better!! Dad's new home from the end of May .....

Flat entrance. Lounge to left, bedroom to right.



Lounge



View from lounge window and yep, he got to pick a ground floor one!



Kitchen at rear of lounge.



Bedroom - big enough for a double bed and a couple of wardrobes.



Wetroom - no more struggling with bath and bath lift!



Opposite the bathroom and behind the full length of the kitchen is a huge, great, walk in cupboard for storing all those bits you need but rarely use - ironing board, vacuum cleaner, dusters, polish, loo rolls, lightbulbs - well, you get the idea - lol! Mind you, Dad has more kitchen cupboards in this place than he'll know what to do with. He's only got one wall cupboard and a larder now and he doesn't use up all that space so heaven knows what he's gonna do with all these - lol!

The rest of the building .... sort of 'cos there's still bits we didn't see!

Coffee shop at building entrance.



Foyer.



Main lounge looking towards dining room.



Main lounge looking from dining room towards foyer.



Dining room.



Through dining room to lounge.



Then the 'added extra's' available on site ....

Hairdressing and chiropodist shared facility.



Guest suite (one on each floor, except ground)



Kitchen area of guest suite.



The piéce-de-resistance .............. the CINEMA!!



There is also - or at least, will be - a library leading onto the roof terrace (will be 'cos it's got no books at the mo), a health fitness suite (can't see that being used for anything other than physio - lol!), a small shop which will sell the daily papers and bits & pieces 'at Asda prices', a scooter store (not that Dad has one), a laundry and patio areas both back and front of the building. There will also be a maintained garden to sit in but it's still being worked on, as can be seen by the builders huts outside the flat window.

There is a full, 24/7 care team on site and also, what I can only describe as a team of people that will be providing a full social programme of events for the residents.

We've a month to get him ready. Could have been 2 weeks but chose the later date to give us time to reduce the contents of a 3 bedroom house down to a 1 bedroom flat - lol!

Thanks for dropping by .....

PS. Balloon flight? Didn't happen - don't ask - but, as ever there's a story ..... This time can't blame anybody, or anything, else but me!

Things could be ...

... looking up! I heard today that Dad is being offered a place in Extra Care Sheltered Housing and there's an open day on Friday. It was never a given that he would be offered a place as it's only possible on Social Services referral. He would only have been offered it if his (and my) 'needs' were deemed great enough to warrant the 'extra' care. Not full residential care, which would have been ideal, but the nearest you can get without it being so. I am sooooooooo pleased as I can see me becoming his daughter again but - the news went down like a lead balloon. If I'm honest, I guessed it would but then it was never going to be easy for him. He's lived in this house since 1954 so it's home but it's far too big for him and he doesn't need the huge garden. He only goes outside the door now if I take him out - for whatever reason - so guess he's become a recluse, which is not good. Hopefully this move will open up his horizons as well as giving me my life back before I'm too old and ill to enjoy it. Having had him in respite this last week and actually having my time to myself, mainly, I have seen - and felt - what caring for him is doing to me. I felt energised and motivated last week. This week I'm back to feeling down and teary. Stupid, stupid, stupid but can't help it. I'm not cut out to be a carer. Some people are and some aren't and I'm one of the latter. I feel guilty about it I suppose but then I'm only a product of Mum & Dad and the upbringing I had. I know that my health is going to deteriorate and I feel that I need to take my time now, while I can 'cos it ain't gonna last and I can't take that time and care for Dad full-time as well. I have to do my bit by making sure he gets the best care possible, which I think I've managed ..... hopefully ..... so now it's onwards and upwards, for both of us (after the stress of getting him moved and clearing the house of the remainder of stuff he doesn't need - hehe!)

Thanks for dropping by .....

Ssssssshhuuuushhhh ...

... don't say it too loud but - my balloon flight is booked again ....... for Wednesday ...... YAY! Forecast is excellent so signs are good but - going by past experience I seem to put the kiss of death on these flights so I'm not holding breath - or getting excited .... yet - LOL!! Going to prepare properly for this one though and make sure I've got batteries charged and memory cards empty. Got to get up at silly o'clock in the morning though 'cos I'm told they anticipate meeting at 6am and I've a ½ hour drive to get to the venue.

Thanks for dropping by .....

Good day ...

... yesterday. Weather was lousy. Think it rained all day with no break but can't complain 'cos the rest of the country has had some horrendous weather this week while we've been bathed in sunshine so guess we had to take our share of it (the bad, that is) at some point. Sun is out again today though, although a wee bit on the chilly side! Supposed to be luvverly and warm tomorrow - bring it on! Anyway, I digress!

Good day yesterday - lol!! Had a day out with Cally and we made it a crafty day. We had hoped for a day of workshops at the Glitterpot but the morning class was full by the time I tried to book. Instead we paid a visit to the Craft Barn in the morning, lunch out and down to the Glitterpot for the afternoon class. I had a £5 voucher to spend at the Craft Barn. Spent that .... and some - lol!! Have to say that I would probably have spent more had the Inchies I wanted been in stock and had they sold Sugar Nellies (Daisy???). Amongst a few other things (well, you have to don't you?) I did buy a couple of the Go Kreate dies. Called 'Frame' they are similar to Nestabilities but cut larger shapes. I bought one of the square sets which cut as big as 6"x6" (a really useful size for those big cards) and an oblong one that cuts as big as 6"x4". Good sizes and can also be used as wraps, a card in their own right and matting and layering. Personally I think that calling them 'Frame' is very misleading 'cos they are so much more and I think that people will be put off of them thinking that they can only be used to make frames - which is sooooooooo wrong! Technically they're not supposed to emboss but, depending on how any one particular die has been cut, they will - as I found out when I used one to cut a fancy card from a pre-scored card blank - hehe! I'm after more designs now but they're new so hard to find right now.

Lovely lunch and then off to the Glitterpot for a class using gold leaf with stamping, using a glue pad to stamp the image. More detail about this workshop can be found over on Crafty Bits. It was interesting - to say the least - LOL!!! A couple more purchases - but still no Sugar Nellie Daisy - and off home having driven 100 miles just for the day out .... LOL!

Thanks for dropping by .....

Rich & Beautiful.

That was the name of the class with Jane Gill, at the Glitterpot, yesterday afternoon. Combining gold leafing with stamping and other 'stuff'!

Not sure if this technique is for me or not. Sort of enjoyed it but got very frustrated with it however, think I sussed out what the problem was right at the end of the workshop but at least I had an answer - sort of! There was a problem getting the gold leaf (Designer Metal - available in silver, copper and gold) to stay where it was wanted and I think we should have let the glue dry a bit before we even started to add the gold leaf. Years ago I did an illuminated calligraphy workshop and we used size. I recalled, too late, that we had to paint the size on and then allow it to nearly dry but just tacky to the touch. Gilding worked first time then so I reckon that the glue, even though it was a glue pad used, was too wet to hold the leaf this time 'cos I added some later when it would have been a lot dryer and it held a lot better. One of those things that you learn by experimenting. It didn't inspire me to buy any gold leaf but I did buy the glue pad - Stazon, the Essential Glue Pad.

Other techniques used, die cutting nesties and flowers, stamping and embossing, punching.
Materials used - Base card plain white, all other card Bazzill of various type and colour, Versamark olive green inkpad, Stazon cotton white inkpad, white embossing powder, Canvas cloth (diecut the Sizzix Bigz - Build a Flower in this), Hero Arts Clear Design - Big Circles and ribbon.

Enjoy!!

Beautiful ...

... day today and I took the opportunity to tidy the front garden this afternoon (after I'd had my hair cut). Yep, I did some gardening!! Well, did some weeding 'cos front garden is laid to gravel with a couple of plants breaking it up - LOL! - so it's just a case of picking the weeds out of the gravel. Easy peasy but ... would have been easier if the weeds hadn't started taking over! Easy job, just a lot of 'em had grown, so time consuming. Still, it's done now and frontage looks presentable again. Just need to paint the bits that need it, which isn't much and it's all set for the next few years. Sooooooo glad we went as maintenance free as poss a few years ago. Paying dividends now!


The littlies called in to see us on Monday. Littlie Zac is now 7 months old and crawling but only so he can get somewhere to pull himself up. He can certainly motor - lol! We're wondering if he'll walk as early as his sisters did - at 9 and 10 months of age. Biggest littlie Emma, ever the poser, was quite happy to have her piccie taken - hehe - but littlie Amy wasn't in a photogenic mood. Daddy managed to get a couple of sneaky ones for me though 'cos she certainly wasn't gonna let me take any! Don't yer think she looks like Sugar Nellie's Daisy in this photo? Reckon I might just have to have that stamp - lol!

Thanks for dropping by .....

I'm free! ...

... or at least, Dad's went into respite yesterday for a week so I've the time to myself - sort of! He got a bit awkward when I went to collect him to take him and problems he supposedly had last time he was in came to the fore. Strange how he's not mentioned these problems before! Anyway, for every problem he came up with I found a solution, even down to taking a reading light in with him, and off he duly went. I know he'll be fine for the week and that he's being well looked after but I think he got himself into a bit of a state through nervousness. Only natural I guess, when he's only been once before. He'll soon be used to it.

I totally vegged out today but have had a lovely evening out with old workmates. Hair being done tomorrow and a few errands to run. Thursday - will have to see what transpires and Friday I've a day out with my mate Cally. Craft shopping at the Craft Barn in Lingfield followed by lunch and a craft class at the Glitterpot in the afternoon. Looking forward to that day! Weekend depends on the weather but hopefully I can spend time doing some of the sorting out that has been on the backburner since my leg/hip problem started.

Thanks for dropping by .....

Odd!

I've got used to people subscribing and unsubscribing - especially to my Ramblings blog if they've subscribed to that when they only wanted to subscribe to Crafty Bits - and I don't have a problem with that at all. People's needs, etc. change and find that perhaps what they've subscribed to something that isn't quite what they want but ..... I've just had notification of somebody unsubscribing from Crafty Bits and it's the reason they've given that has me baffled. Usually there's no reason given, next most common is that content isn't relevant (that's the one used to unsubcribe from Ramblings when subscribed in error) but this time both were unsubscribed from by the same person, no reason given for Ramblings but the reason given for Crafty Bits was "06: Too many updates" - lol!! Now, if I was updating this blog 2 or 3 times a day I could understand it but it rarely gets updated 2 or 3 times a month - hehe!! Wonder how many isn't too many???

Enjoy!!

I've checked ...

... and it wasn't cancelled! Well, it was a goer last night before I went to bed but ... it may have been cancelled on site this morning. Everyone was meeting at 7am. It's now 09:30am and it's pretty misty here at home, although it may be a sea mist and it's clear up country. There's absolutely no wind though so from that point of view the balloon would have flown. Not too sure if it was misty like it is here. Having said that, visibility isn't bad. Guess the only way I'm gonna know for sure is if they tell me but .... yesterday I was wishing that I hadn't rung them then they wouldn't have cancelled me. Today I'm sort of glad they did (not my dream weather for the flight) but then again I'm worried that I'll now have the same thing happen as last year and every one of my bookings gets cancelled. Only time will tell on that one but keeping fingers crossed I do get to fly this year and that I get to do it with one of my dream scenarios .....

Thanks for dropping by .....

Ooooooooops!

84%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

So just how much are you addicted????

Thanks for dropping by .....

Concertina card

I decided to finish the concertina card partly made at Julie Hickey's workshop (panels in previous post) and make the one card by joining the panels with ribbon. The holes were made with a new tool I bought at the Glitterpot. A Woodware Book Drill. Works on the same principle as the Japanese Screw Punch but is about £10 cheaper - lol! It is also more compact in as much as the different sized tips for making the different sized holes are stored in the handle. There are 6 different holes - 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm and 4mm. Easily interchangeable and holes can be made anywhere you want them! Now I've digressed so here's the point of this post ............. the finished card!

Enjoy!!

And so it ...

... continues! As it finished last year so this year is starting! What? My blooming BALLOON FLIGHT! Yep, that's the balloon flight I was given as a Christmas present in 2007. The weather stopped me flying last year so, in February I booked for April, as instructed, to keep my ticket alive. That flight was for this Monday - Easter Monday. Due to the problem with my leg I've been hoping the weather would conspire against me (or with me in this instance) and cause it to be cancelled again - as happened many times last year. Sod's Law says that the weather is likely to be OK on Monday and the flight will go - doh!!! I've just rung them and explained that I may not be able to stand for the length of the flight and would like a seat, of sorts, if poss and they've asked me not to fly. Although disappointed I'm not sorry to be honest. I'd rather wait until my problem has cleared and then go and enjoy it properly but I couldn't really cancel it myself otherwise I stood the chance of losing it completely. I'm still hoping that the weather will cancel it anyway 'cos I now feel guilty about not contacting them sooner and giving them the chance of filling my place .....

I went to the doc on Thursday and it seems, what I thought was a groin strain, isn't at all. It's a hip problem (as I found out when the doc managed to hit the spot and put me through the ceiling!). Seems that there's an inflammation causing it so I'm now on anti-inflammatory painkillers - and rest - which appear, so far, to be doing the job. Although I still have some discomfort the excruciating pain has eased however, if it's not cleared in a week then I'm to go back. Hopefully I won't have to except to have blood tests to try to find out why I 'don't feel well' rather than ill. Doc wants the hip prob cleared first.

Thanks for dropping by .....

Workshop with Julie Hickey

... and Craftwork Card products. Lovely day of cutting, shaping, glueing and sticking - LOL!!

Materials used:
Yummy Scrummy papers -
Coffee & Cream and Marshmallow & Cappuccino in both the white and gold.
Card Candy (look like brads) -
Chocolate Drops and Chocolates & Marshmallow.
Dotty Daisies -
Coffee & Cream and Coffee, Mallow & Marshmallow
Elegant Card Wraps -
Scallop Square and Fancy Square ... in white and then covered with papers.
Clear Delights -
Butterflies & Birds or Butterflies
Scallop Squares -
Marshmallow & Cappuccino
Mini messages and Chocolate Buttons.
Sweet Sentiments.

Basic white card for card blank, ribbon from stash, Stazon Cotton White for stamping on butterfly, brown ink pad for sponging edges and Stickles glitter glue to finish .

Above - cards made in morning class.

Below - cards made in the afternoon. The 3 scalloped squares were supposed to be joined together with ribbon to make a concertina card. I have yet to do that as I'm not sure whether to finish the card as it was supposed to be done of whether to use the 3 squares as toppers to make 3 completely different cards

The final card - my challenge card. Made from the offcuts of the other cards plus some embellishments

Enjoy!!