OK, so I'm ...

... to put my hands up and say that I really am not a very good blogger. Haven't been for over a year now so obviously the blog served it's purpose well in the early days but this past year or so seems other things have got in the way. In truth I think it got that I had so much to blog about it was easier not to as it all backed up.  Backed up so much that I still haven't blogged it all and now I'm waylaid in as much as I've been putting a year book together. I've had a 50% offer at a photobook which runs out on 27th and decided, last minute ... as is usual for me ... to give this year book a go. I guess I could have taken time to prep it and then have it printed next time an offer was made but thought I could do that with other books I want to do. Anyway, year book is nearly complete. Just got Christmas to do and I can send it off for printing. I've fallen in love with photobooks and have to say they're a vast improvement on single photos or having the pics on PC and never looking at them again. Cheaper, more cost effective, in the long run as well, compared with having individual prints. Anyway, plan is (don't hold yer breath as my plans never come true - *lol*) that once this book is finished then regular(ish) blogging will be back on agenda .... yeah, right! Having thoughts of possibly printing blog??????? Hmmmm!

Since I last blogged the rare event has become common. Seen eldest grandson 3 more times since last time so that's 4 times in a week! 2nd time he called weather was good again but this time I went for walk anyway. He decided to come with me *LOL* It was good though as it meant we had some good, quality, one to one time together (when he wasn't texting or playing at being Lara Croft - *lol*) which we haven't had for some while. Unfortunately  the weather hasn't been good at all since middle of last week so walking hasn't been on the agenda since we did this one. :0(

Undercliff Walk looking from towards Brighton Marina (in distance)

Undercliff Walk looking towards Ovingdean Gap

Texting at top of Ovingdean Gap waiting for me to recover from the huge number of steps we'd just climbed - *lol* and ... it wasn't that warm!

St Dunstan's (home for the blind - military, serving and ex) as it presents coming out of the underpass from Ovingdean Gap.  It's where I first took up, and learnt to become an archer.

The 3rd visit from grandson was so that I could help him put a CV together (didn't take long, bless) and last  time he arrived (yesterday) as I was going to Dad's. He stayed behind 'cos his Dad was replacing some missing roofing felt on our small garden shed. Don't know how long that's been off but hasn't been that long.  Unfortunately it's been off long enough that the wooden roof needs replacing and inside the shed is soaking wet. It now needs some good weather to dry everything out and to allow the roof to be completely replaced. Just as well there's nothing of any serious value in shed as far as I know, except ... most of what's in it belongs to eldest son - ooops! Hubby has been having some hot flushes (warned it could be a side effect of his hormone treatment) but he's had his blood test results and his PSA levels are way down into the very normal level at 0.8 as opposed to the very high 75 that it was. Good indicator that the cancer is under control. Now we're hoping that the next MRI shows a normal lymph node and they may be able to treat the prostate with radiotherapy. Only worry after that is this kidney mass but that's a wait and see for another 5 months. We'll find out what Oncologist has to say when we see her in March.  

Hubby, hot flushing!  A few minutes later sweater was back on.  Don't that bring back some memories - *LOL*

Apart from PSA levels being reduced the other bit of good news .... his plaster comes off on Friday - YAY! Hoping it means he'll be able to take up the cooking duties again.  I'm soooooooooooooo bored with cooking! It's his birthday today. Not that we can do anything to mark it 'cos of that big blue thing on his left arm. So difficult for him to move around with that as it does hamper his use of his wheelchair. He can't transfer into a car either. Until plaster is off he's not allowed to use it any more than he has to. We'll have to do something when he's back up and running *grin*

Last year at this time I was sunning myself on Pemba Island with my mate Jackie, trying to work an ancient laptop so I could send hubby birthday greetings *lol*. Good memories and so wish I was repeating that experience but .... I now have my photobook so can sit and dream and ... wish! Mind you, not long now 'til we're off for a couple of weeks to Bali and Lombok. Bring - it - on! 

Thanks for dropping by .....

Foxy Birthday Card.

I wasn't going to post this yet but decided I would.  It's for hubby's birthday which isn't until the 23rd but as he doesn't read the blog I'm safe to post it here.  I've also entered it on the forum's February Inspiration challenge.  I was holding back mainly because of that but then remembered that it is no longer a 'competition' challenge.  It used to be entered anonymously and then the cards are voted by the membership but it was changed this month so I am safe to post it before the challenge closing date.

The challenge was to use something from a CD.  Now, I don't do CD crafting although I do have some.  I've bought some but, other than opening them and looking to see what's on them, I've never used one.  Knowing hubby's birthday was on the horizon I thought that I could kill 2 birds etc. etc.  A quick look through the only CDs I had that I thought might have something suitable and I decided on using an image from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew CD.

I imported image into PSP9 and added a texture effect.  I then added a border and buttonized it - picking out a colour from the fox to tie it all in.  I then mirrored the image, cropped it down, faded it, added the same border/buttonizing and added text to make a matching greeting plaque.  Images were mounted onto thick, bronze pearlescent paper (bought eons ago from Craftwork Cards at a craft show) with that used for the main image being edged with a border punch.  Everything was then mounted onto gold mirri board.  I printed a blank 'plaque' matching the greeting one and stuck that on the base of the card for signing.  Finished off with a few pearls .... job done!

I decided to make a twisted easel card but a double one however, for one reason or another it ended up as a single.  It is also quite small, only being 4" x 4" when flat.  I'm not into 'big' cards and I love how this one has turned out.

Ingredients:

White card for blank

Gold mirri card

Bronze paper

Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew Collection CD (image)

Staples IQ Smooth 160gsm card for printing

Martha Stewart Modern Garland border punch

Woodware inverted corner punch

Gold/bronze pearls from stash

Enjoy!!

Not doing ...

... very well, despite all the good intentions!  6 days since I last blogged.  Guess there's not been a lot going on in those 6 days worth recording :o(

There's been 2 birthdays ... or there would have been 2 but as it is there was only one.  Daughter-in-law had hers on Sunday and I was called in for baby-sitting duties so that youngest son could take her out for the evening.  It's so easy babysitting the littlies in the evenings as they have really sensible (read 'early') bedtimes compared with a lot nowadays.  I arrived at 6pm to the sight of little 5 year old Amy's rear end at the top of the stairs on her way to bed. Little Zac (2 years old) had already been in his bed for half an hour and was well on his way to the land of nod. Em's, being the grand old age of 9 (those were the days!) had an hour to go before she had to be in bed. Mummy & Daddy left at 6:30 and Ems and I settled to watch a bit of 'Dancing on Ice'.  Naughty Nana Pam decided, as she was being so good, that she could stay up for an extra half an hour. Turned out to be just as well 'cos silly Sky box decided to play up and we lost nearly a whole 10 minutes trying to get TV up and running again.  Neither of us had much of an idea as to what had gone wrong but she had more than I did as I don't have it at home.  Anyways, between us we got it sorted out.  Once she'd gone to bed I didn't hear another peep from any of 'em!

The birthday that wasn't?  Mum's!  She would have been 82 on the 11th.  Can't believe it's nearly 3 years since she passed.

Weather has been a bit mixed but mainly damp, dull, wet and miserable.  There has been one reasonable day since I last blogged and I was going to go for another walk but eldest grandson paid a visit with his girlfriend.  It's a rare occurence nowadays ... getting older and developing a life as an adult (scarey!) ... so any chance to spend a bit of time with him is welcome.

Yesterday I collected, and delivered, Dad's hearing aid - fully repaired and working.  Wonder how long it'll be before it's back in to be repaired.  Hopefully it won't need to go in again for a good while but ... not gonna hold me breath - *lol*

The rest of the time, when I've not been doing the horrible housewifely stuff?  I made a couple of cards at the weekend - one for a birthday today (future step-granddaughter's) and one for the grumpy old man, whose birthday is next week, which I've entered into a challenge.  I'm also well on the way to completing the year book I started.  It's getting boring now though and it's pretty basic.  Trying to do a whole year with a prog you've only just installed and have no idea what could be done with it, is not the wisest move.  Will be investigating it in more depth to make the next year book a bit more adventurous .... or rather, interesting to look at *grin*

Thanks for dropping by .....

That didn't work ...

... work either!  I was up early.  Hubby wasn't!  Just as I was ready to go do the domesticated type stuff so he decides to go and sit right where I wanted to be .... in the study/crafty area ... to read his 'newspaper'.  Reason?  He no longer has a physical paper but reads it online and where's his 'newspaper'?  On the internet via his PC in the study!  Big wheelchair, small study, no room for me to move around to do the domesticated type stuff in there.  By the time I'd waited for him to finish, best part of the day had gone and I no longer had the mojo to go do it.  Did do some paper clearing that had been building up so guess something's been done but if I'd realised he was going to be so long reading his paper then I'd have started something else.  Don't yer just luv 'em?  Told him that tomorrow he can wait to read his paper until I've done a certain amount.  He says he'll make the bacon sandwiches - *lol!*

Weather, since Tuesday has been horrible.  Wet, miserable, misty and very depressing.  Forecast isn't for much better for a while either.  Although days like Tuesday tell us that Spring is on it's way I guess we've got to remember that we're still actually in Winter.

I've booked a few workshops at the Glitterpot for March and April so that's something to look forward to, even if the new venue for the store isn't!  The middle of a town's industrial estate doesn't quite have the same ambience of the farm, in the middle of the country but, the tutors are the same, the workshop attendees are the same - as are the goodies in the shop.  The workshop has more room although we're still crammed round the same tables so rather defeats the object in some ways but there is more 'moving around' room. No more sitting on the patio for lunch on nice days but there's a room with sofas in - although not enough seats if workshop is full and we all want to eat as soon as we break for lunch - *lol!*

I've been playing with a scrapbooking program I've recently acquired.  I've started working on making up pages for the year book I want to do for last year.  Got to say, I'm doing my own thing as I don't have time to play properly.  I'm making my own backgrounds from photos and them just playing with laying out photos and text.  Nothing fancy, no embellishments but not quite so austere as the African photobook although I love that one and the fact that there are no distractions from it's content.  However, my plan, once these pages are done and I can find some 'quality' time, is to find out exactly how this digital scrapbooking stuff actually works - *grin*!

Thanks for dropping by .....

The best laid ...

... plans and all that! The boring domestic stuff never got done yesterday, except for the soup making.  Got a phone call from the optician to tell me that new specs were ready for collection and fitting so I got the soup made and off I went.  Got seen as soon as I arrived but I was there for ages.  New specs were not right so there they were adjusting here and adjusting there with me telling them that it was the lenses.  My prescription hadn't changed so I should have just been able to swap specs from old to new without any noticeable difference in the sight but .... it wasn't happening.  Old specs I could see crystal clear.  New specs - blurred vision and distortion. They did all the normal checks and lenses appear to be to the correct prescription, didn't matter what adjustments were made or what angle the lenses were at I was still seeing double and getting distortion.  I don't think they have any idea why they're like it but one thing's for sure.  I'm not accepting them as they are - *LOL* They tried to tell me it's because they were rimless and I needed to get used to them.  Wrong, 'cos I've had 2 pair before with no problem.  Then they tried to tell me that it was 'probably' because my sight had changed substantially since I last had rimless (only just over 2 years ago).  Wrong!  Records proved that one as they showed my sight had been pretty stable for around the past 10 years with only very minor changes having to be made.

Anyway, specs have been left with them and they're going to have the lenses remade in a different material.  I also queried the charges as, if I go online and cost them out they're £40 cheaper.  That will be sorted out on my next visit.  In all the years I've been using this optician this is only the 3rd time that I've had a problem and, as I told them, each time I've felt there was something wrong with the specs there has been.  If push comes to shove I'll have my money back and stick with the specs I've got.  I was only changing them because I was bored with them *grin*

Wonder if I'll get the boring stuff done today????  I guess I got some sort of walk in yesterday.  Not quite what I had in mind - round the shopping centre *grin*

A few more pics from my stroll on Tuesday ...

Palace Pier (as it will always be to me) but now known as Brighton Pier

Palace Pier with the ruins of the West Pier in the background on the right of the picture

Madeira lift

Thanks for dropping by .....

Spring has gone ...

... and it's back to a dull, dismal day today.  It's dry and quite mild but it's overcast and not at all cheerful.  I did go for a short walk yesterday and I felt so good afterwards.  I wish I could have walked further but I walked as far as I felt I could and was puffing like an old train by the time I got back to the car - and that was with regular stops to take photos - *lol!*

Palace Pier (oops, sorry, Brighton Pier) from Madeira lift, Madeira Drive

Royal Crescent

I've some domesticated sort of stuff (aka, boring)  to do today but, if I get done early enough ... before it starts to get dark ... and providing it doesn't turn to rain, I may just try and go for another walk today.  It won't be as enjoyable as walking in the sunshine but ......

Thanks for dropping by .....

Spring is in ...

... the air!  Well, it is today.  It's beautiful!  Sun is shining, wind has dropped and since Jack thawed it's become quite mild.  I've visited Dad this morning but didn't have camera with me otherwise I'd have stopped and gone for a walk on the seafront.  Instead I'm going to go this afternoon :0)  Can't miss the opportunity at this time of year and I need to try to get some weight off as it's going on again and I certainly don't want to get any bigger than I am right now!

A few months ago I received an offer from a photobook site I joined - www.photobox.co.uk  I hadn't used them, only to store photos, so they sent me a time limited voucher for a large photo book with 70% off.  Couldn't resist and, wanting to document the African trip I took the offer up.  Despite problems with the internet over the time I was given and thanks to youngest son allowing me to camp in his place for a few evenings, I managed to get it done.  I now have a beautiful, 100 page 'coffee table' book of our adventures.  No room for wording as I wanted to get as many of the 1000s of photos in as possible. Hopefully, in years to come, the photos will remind me of the stories that go with them .... and there were some *LOL*

(Give book time to load fully and click on Full Screen to get the best effect)

Since then I've used another site (another offer given for a free book) to document the Spanish week and now plan to do a year book for last year and start one for this.  I'm planning on making the year books more 'scrapbook' style so reckon I need to get going on learning how to make digital scrapbook pages *grin*  Unfortunately the site I used for the Spanish photobook didn't, at that time, allow for sharing although since then they've made it possible to do so but not retrospectively.

Thanks for dropping by .....

I've been going ...

... back over older posts from last year and seems I've a way to go on the catch up front!  It looks as though I've missed some salient points along the way and only giving half a story on others.  There are bits that have been overlooked completely in the mists of time ... like the entire week in Spain with my crafty mates (that was definitely a week that needs to go on record - *lol*) and a long weekend in Appleby Magna on the 2nd Crafter's House Party weekend.

There's been a brief mention of our Silver Wedding weekend but little in the way of photos from the island - and it's a beautiful, time-warp of an island.

Quicky, quicky catch ups - not including the events mentioned above ....

Back in June I was saying how I'd felt bad in May with what I thought might be pneumonia.  First doc I consulted prescribed antacids without seeing me, which I didn't take but over the weekend the pain eased.  Unfortunately the pain came back ... with a vengeance!  This time I managed to get a face to face appointment with one of the female docs at out practice and she diagnosed pleuratic pain!  Meds issued with instruction that if it didn't ease in a couple of days I was to return.  Fortunately it did ease.  Meds did their job and thankfully I've not suffered the same since.

We're still waiting for Dad's appointment with the specialist Orthopaedic Unit to arrive however, I'm not holding breath!  Reason?  Consultant he saw thinks his knees may be too far gone to actually do anything with and he's also not sure that Dad's mental capabilities are good enough to retain the detailed instruction he'll need to to make the surgery anywhere near viable for him.  In other words, if he can't, or doesn't, do as instructed once they're done the op would be a waste of time.

From that point of view I'm not hopeful.  He still thinks his hearing aids are connected to the TV and the microwave.  His son is now called 'whatisname' and I'm his Mum ... apparently ... but ask him about his Fire Service career and the time he spent in the Army during the WWII and he can tell you stories as clear as anything.  Bless him.  Drives me up the wall but he seems happy in his own little world - as long as he's got something to worry about *LOL*

I had my annual lung function assessment early in January and that wasn't particularly good news.  I felt that my breathing had got worse and so it proved to be.  Inhaler dose has been doubled and it does seem to have helped a bit.  I can do a little more before I struggle for breath than I could do but it's still not as much as I'd like.  Still, I guess it's as well I'm not smoking any more as it would be a lot worse.

Phlebotomist called today to take hubby's bloods to check his PSA levels after the first bout of hormone treatment.  These results will tell us how well that is working.  We won't know the results until he sees the Oncologist on 24th March but he will be having another MRI before then so she will have the results from that as well.  5 months after the initial diagnosis we should have some idea of how the treatment is working.

Think that's pretty much caught up (I'll have to check through blog and memory *grin*) except for the 'breaks' .. and Christmas. 

Thanks for dropping by .....

Punch storage.

A work in progress - *LOL*  I started this job middle of last year.  It got interrupted and hasn't been finished  .... yet!  

I have a plethora of punches having bought Susan Tierney Cockburn's book on floral craft with punches - Paper Bouquet.  I already had a good collection of Leone Em punches but I went through Susan's book and the Punch Bunch catalogue and bought every punch I didn't have so that I could make every flower in the book.  These, on top of all the other punches I have, border, corner and so on and so forth.  I needed a way of finding a particular punch easily rather than just having them all thrown in very deep drawers and this is what I came up with.  I also needed to be able to find the punch by name, hence the labels on the punches.  I have another box load of this type of punch to deal with (thinking cap is on for the Martha's and odd shaped punches).  I plan to number each drawer, punch a shape with each punch, stick the shape in a notebook, name it and then write the drawer number next to it, in much the same way that I numbered and catalogued my unmounted and clear stamps.

The small/medium/large punches sit in these drawers neatly in 2 layers but only with the help of plastic peel-off boxes used as trays. The base and lid of the peel-off box sit next to each other perfectly.

The giant, large punches fit more in by sitting them on their sides, rather than flat, which wastes space as there's not enough room for another layer above them and not so many fit in the drawer.  (Still need to label some of these - oops!)

I should say that these plastic drawers (purchased from my local Wilkinsons store) actually take A4 paper/card ideally and I have several sets bought  just for that purpose - as this set was originally.  You may be able to make out that the top drawer of this unit is holding some A4 cardstock - but not for long!  

Enjoy!!

Hand stitched quilt.

Every stitch is done by hand and ... there is a story.  If you want to read the story you can pop over to my Ramblings blog ... 'cos, although it's worth repeating I'm not gonna - *LOL*  I am repeating the photos though ....

Enjoy!!

A bit of a story ...

... or, at least, some background and, I guess, a bit of catching up. Back in November I posted that my hubby, Paul, had been diagnosed with Prostate cancer and that his treatment had started immediately.  He was, at that time, still to have his MRI to see if the cancer was localised or whether it had spread.  He also still had to see the oncologist to discuss future treatment, depending on the findings of the MRI.  Both events happened and, unfortunately, the news wasn't all good.  The MRI showed a slightly enlarged lymph node but not large enough to state, with certainty, it was the cancer. Outcome of that - wait for 3 months and have another MRI to see how the current treatment is working but, if lymph node no smaller, then radiotherapy is not an option.  Worse still, the MRI showed a mass on his right kidney.  

Unable to determine whether that was a harmless cyst, or something more sinister, the Oncologist suggested that an ultrasound should take place and one was duly ordered.  The week before Christmas an ultrasound happened.  Unfortunately that was also inconclusive as it didn't present a cyst - or at least nothing fluid filled so .... onto stage 3 - a CT scan!  Unfortunately that hasn't confirmed what this mass is either but it did show a couple of small growths within the kidney.  It has been decided to wait on this and he's to have another CT scan in 6 months (well, 5 now) before anything more is decided on the way forward for this.  Nobody seems unduly concerned about this mass or growths and it has been mentioned that he may have had them years and, in fact, some of his medical history over the past 5 years or so would actually bear that out .... so we're up to date and sitting waiting!  He's due another hormone jab at end of month and his next MRI early next.  He already has his next Oncology appointment date.

Now to take a backwards look to the visit to the Oncologist.  Sitting in the waiting room, having a coffee from the WRVS coffee bar I noticed some books of raffle tickets.  Closer inspection showed it was a fundraiser for the cancer unit charity - a very small, very local, charity that raises funds to help supply bright, airy, modern and very pleasant conditions for the patients that visit the centre for treatment.  There is a lovely little courtyard garden off of the coffee shop/waiting room area which was funded and is maintained by this charity as well.  Certainly lovely surroundings at a very stressful time for those that have to use the facilities. Anyway, I bought a book of tickets, as you do, but not for one minute expecting to win anything ... but I did!  I got a phone call - well, a message was left on my answer phone - right at the beginning of January telling me I had won a 'small' prize.  Since then I've been ringing and trying to contact the person that left the message to arrange collection/delivery of said 'small' prize.  Finally, on Tuesday, I managed to speak to her and I called to collect my prize yesterday ... and what a prize!  Fortunately the 3 winners drawn before me were all men and chose to take a bottle of something and left this behind.

Silly men!  Reckon I got the best prize.  I left the remaining bottles and a couple of watercolours as I fell in love *grin*

It's single bed size draped, double bed sized laid flat but it will make a wonderful throw.  Every stitch is hand done (including the binding all round).  There's not a single machine stitch in sight.  It was made by a patient.  She started it when diagnosed and finished it when she was given the all clear, 5 years later and she donated it to the charity to help raise funds.  I will take great care of it.  Beautiful!

Thanks for dropping by .....

The last of them.

That's the last of the handmade ones.  This one was made by my daughter-in-law and, although not the main card from my youngest's family I think it's beautiful.  It contained a CD of music popular from 1955 to 1985 - not all to my taste but there were a lot that were and many bought back quite a few memories.  Anyway, the card was all her own artwork, inside and out, with contributions from 'only just' (on 26th January) 5 year old Amy (the backwards writing - bless!)

 Enjoy!!

Nearing the end.

A couple more and nearly done!

Kim's and this one really made me chuckle!

... the extra detail that tickled my sense of humour *hehe*

I can't say who made this one but it wasn't by the person that gave it to me - or at least, I don't think she's taken up card making but who knows?  A very long standing friend (since 1969-ish) gave it to me - Mary.  I'll have to find out where she's getting her handmades from *grin*

Enjoy!!