Friday 26 October 2012

Word verification ...

... I hate it.  It puts me off of commenting on other blogs and I've refused to use it myself - until now.  I've put it on this blog.  I don't get many comments so it won't affect many people, if any, at the moment but I've been getting so many 'spam' comments (mainly targetted at the same blog post) that I've had to do something.  These comments haven't actually made their way into the comments as they've been caught by Bloggers spam filter, which is very good.  Until this month that filter has been enough but these past 2 to 3 weeks my email inbox has been inundated with comment notifications - and Blogger had isolated over 300 in just over a week.   I then found my email spam folder had over 500 of the blooming things in it so I had to do something.  Initially I decided to moderate all comments on posts over 7 days old.  That still meant that my inbox was being bombarded though so I've made the decision, albeit temporary, hopefully, to use word verification. I'm hoping the spammers will understand that they are not going to win and give up.  Because of the way they 'spam' word verification should stop the comments coming through any which way.  Since I've put it on I've had no spam getting through :0)  Here's hoping it continues not to get through and here's hoping I shall be able to take it off again if when I start blogging properly again ...

Thanks for dropping by .....

Sunday 14 October 2012

I'm still around!

... not that you'd believe it with nearly 6 months of not one post :0(  What's been happening?  Something and nothing but what's happened mainly is that blogging mojo has gone totally awol.  There's certainly not been much crafting either.

June saw the now annual Crafter's House Party and didn't do much crafting there.  A lot of chillaxing and laughing but crafting?  Not so's you'd notice.  Camera was reasonably busy but had a 'new' one (Christmas present not used) to try out.  Trouble was, nobody was keen on me 'practising' so there were a fair amount of really random photos taken and nothing much specific.  Fewer attendees this year but it was the best so far.  Don't think we stopped laughing from the time we arrived until we left.

Once back home I decided to make a start on a photo book of all the House Parties since the inaugural one.  Next year's (yep, it's already booked) will be the 5th one so thought it would be good to have a photo book of the 5 years.  3 years are complete, this year's to finish and hope that there's space for next :0)

Weekend of the House Party, Paul had his elbow replacement.

Earlier in the year I made a start on redesign of the study, then got ill, had a holiday and the House Party.  Managed to pick it up again after the House Party and new furniture/storage was ordered.  What a palaver that turned out to be!  Ikea.  12 items ordered but couldn't be delivered for a week. Delivered early evening, items checked .... 9 of the 12 were damaged!  Next day spent on phone to get items redelivered and damaged items collected.  Another week's wait.  This time all items arrived undamaged then it was getting refunds for compensation on delivery blah, blah, blah.  Eventually got all that sorted out and nearly a month after items ordered they were able to be put together and in place.  Started finding homes for 'things' and then it all ground to a halt again.

Paul's elbow seemed to be getting worse, rather than better and he was in excruciating pain from the outset.  He lives with pain permanently but I've never seen him in tears from it before.  It was becoming quite common.  Consultant wanted him to wait a while to see if it settled.  It didn't and an x-ray showed the joint had moved, hence the pain.  It was decided he needed a different joint - longer stem - and have it cemented in.  This one hadn't been.  From that visit he left with a date for an 'urgent' op, just 3 weeks later ... except it wasn't!  Part wasn't in stock and the op was delayed a week.  He's now 2 weeks on from the replacement, replacement op and the difference is incredible.  Don't think the first op worked at all by what's happening now.  Trouble with all this has been that I've had to push him everywhere as initially he wasn't allowed to use the arm after the first op, then he couldn't because of the pain and now he can't yet, following the 2nd op.  I've been pushing him around indoors and doing all that needs doing since June ... all by myself!

Anyway, all this decided us that our bathroom needed updating.  21 years ago we had the bathroom done, extended, walls knocked down to bring bathroom and loo into one room.  Nothing done since then.  It was no longer suitable for purpose and we decided that a wet room was what we now needed so, quotes obtained and work has started.  Trouble is it's taking longer than the original conversion we had done 21 years ago!  We were told it would take 2 to 3 weeks.  We are now entering the 5th week and the tiling is just about finished (with a couple of problems to sort) then it's the finishing and sealing of them before things can be put in place.  To say we'll be glad to see it finished is an understatement.

Anyway, way back earlier this year, I asked our doc about pulmonary rehab classes to try to get my lungs working better, or at least, to be able to use them to the best of their ability.  Referred to a consultant at hospital and he agreed I'd be suitable so put me forward.  I started the rehab just over a week a go.  Twice a week for 8 weeks.  I've done 3 sessions and the last one was the hardest.  Seems my muscles are protesting - lol!  Physio says it's 'cos they're waking up.  Don't know about them waking up but with all that's going on and this all I want to do is sleep!

Our eldest grandchild got married at the beginning of September so he's now, not only made us great-grandparents, he's given us a granddaughter-in-law and a step-great-grandson.  More expense at Christmas - roflmao!

On a downside we unexpectedly lost one of our very good, long standing friends in April.  He was a real joker and it could only have been him that chose April 1st to leave us.  We can imagine him sitting laughing at us all.  It will certainly be a date we won't forget.  We think of him often ... he was just that sort of guy!

There have been a few crafty moments amongst all this - a weekend away on a Create and Craft weekend (the last morning of which was the day our friend died), days with friends but nothing much has been made and .... another jaunt has been booked with Jackie.  Staying closer to home this time and we're visiting Italy - Sorrento on the Bay of Naples :0)  Something to look forward to next April but it could well be the last jaunt we have although we have mooted a long weekend in Rome at some point.  We'll have to see.  So many places, so little time but mostly, so little money!  I was hoping for a cruise on the Oceana at some point.  My eldest nephew is a dancer on board but that's not to be - well, not while he's on it anyway.  He's planning on making this his last season but there may be other plans on the cards when Paul is back up and running again.  He's a lot of time to make up and I don't feel we celebrated our Silver wedding properly 2 years ago because of his problems

So there's a potted history of the past few months.  I'm bound to have missed something along the way.  Guess the next job should be to go through the photos and put them on record and they could well remind me of what I've missed out.  And the redesign of the study?  Full stop and door shut tight.  Will have to be picked up when the dust has settled from the bathroom makeover :0)

Thanks for dropping by .....