Lovely afternoon ...

... today.  Youngest grandchildren's school Christmas concert.  First year that 2 have been in the same production - and the last as there will only be the youngest left at this school next year.  It was a singing concert, rather than an acted performance.  Youngest managed to sing a bit and that's a novelty as he normally doesn't sing, or take part, much at all *lol!*  Photos taken, to be reviewed, but not holding breath that they're any good.  Light was bad for photos and they were too far away really.  We'll see.

Holiday to Norfolk in October.  Photos edited, rubbish ones deleted, suspect ones kept along with the good.  A photo book is going to be done!  A lovely week.

We spent our anniversary afternoon on a Broads Tour.  After that there was a decidedly animal theme to the week.  We visited Africa Alive safari park, just outside Lowestoft.  A change of continent and we went to Thrigby Hall Animal Park ... Asian animals.  We had a day in Great Yarmouth.  Totally dead and not impressed but while there we went to the Sealife Centre and then had a stroll around Merrivale Model Village.  That was a quaint, old fashioned attraction but pretty good.  Weather was very changeable, sunny, warm and shirt sleeve order one day to wet, miserable and wintry cold another.  Photos?  When the photo book is done *grin* .... except -

- 2016 finishes with 3 'super moons' - one in October, the best in November (the closest it's been to earth in many a year) and the last in December.  The October one was the night of our anniversary.  I played with the OH's camera.  October 2016's Hunter super moon .....

In November I did quite a number of workshops.
The weekend before a "very special weekend" there was another Christmas card workshop with Helen of Crafty Bunnies.  Cally and I made a day of it and visited Hobbycraft before lunch and then, after lunch, on to Helen's.  A lovely day and not a bad selection of cards made *grin*

Again, with Helen, all products used were Stampin' Up ones ... papers, stamps, inks and cardstock - everything.

The day before the "very special weekend" I did Linda's last workshop of the year.  I think what we did that day has to be my most favourite card of the year.  An 8x8 card, the snowman is a retired (I think 'cos can't find it anywhere) Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers/copics (can't remember now) after he'd been masked and the background put in. The sky was done with distress inks and ink duster brushes.  Love the soft effect these brushes give, and with no risk of those lines that you can get with the blender foam.  Finished with fluffy stuff and glitter glue for the berries   I love, love, love this card!  It's stunning and the photos just don't do it any justice at all.  I'm planning on finding a nice frame ...

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Just back from ...

... a week away with the OH.  We went on a Haven holiday in Norfolk, staying in a caravan.  Not an area we've visited before and can't say as we've visited much of it now although we did visit a few attractions.  What we've seen of the area has been mainly by getting from a to b.  We did do a day in Great Yarmouth but I'll go into it all in a bit more depth when I've sorted some photos out.  Still managed to take a fair few of them - ROFL!

The day before we went away there was another Clair workshop *grin*  I loved the card we made this time round.  I adapted it slightly from the planned one but not by much.  We did a bit of distressing.  Funny how I never used to like the distressed look and now I love it and doing it.  Clair had designed the card with wide, lime'ish green grosgrain ribbon as an embellishment.  I wasn't so keen on the green as it didn't tie in with anything on the rest of the card.  I was wearing a navy sweater that had hanging ribbon ... well, not for long did it 'cos I cut it off to use on the card *LOL*

The butterfly stamps were a Papermania Urban collection stamp set - 3 butterflies on the stamp, coloured with distress inks and fussy cut.  The script background was a retired Stampin' Up one.  The other stamps were JustRite and dies were matching Spellbinders label dies of various types..  Cardstock was Stampin' Up.  Not obvious in the photos but the butterfly wings were coated in Wink of Stella.

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Over a month ...

... now and still no nearer to updating blog. Real life is truly getting in the way! Some of the s**t mentioned in the previous post has sort of resolved-ish but some is still happening and will be around for a while it seems. It needs a lot of positive thinking at the moment but hubby has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, confirming the bit of s**t - his suspicions - that he hit me with that day. Biopsy's and scans have been done in the last two days and results are now awaited. Fingers, toes and anything else that can be crossed are firmly crossed. We know it's very common. We know it's completely treatable if caught early enough. We know that most men have it, even if they don't know it, and are never bothered by it. We're in a 'don't know' phase for all of it but mainly we don't know if it's been caught early enough. We do know that an operation isn't an option.

While we were waiting for hubby's hospital referral appointment to arrive we managed to celebrate our Silver Wedding. As our anniversary fell on a Saturday (16th October) we had a weekend away on the Isle of Wight. Neither of us had been there in the 25+ years we've known one another. Have to say it was a marriage most people didn't think would work. My 2nd, his 3rd. He's 11 years older than me. We met in February '85 but didn't date until the end of May. We got engaged the following weekend and married just 4 months later. Now we've celebrated our 25 years against all the odds? It would have been Mum & Dad's 62nd anniversary on the 16th as well .. had Mum lived. They also met in the February and married in the October but something tells me that the chances of us seeing 50 years, let alone any more,  is pretty remote.  Age, and health, is against us - lol!

1985

Our family ... as it was at the time.

2010

What a difference 25 years make ... in many ways! 

Neither Mum is still with us but brother has since married and now has 2 step-children and grandchildren and a son of his own.  The lads were adopted by hubby (their birth father was, and has been, conspicuous by his absence) and both have since married and given us 5 beautiful grandchildren. Sadly eldest son's marriage ended a couple of years ago but we're soon to have a new daughter-in-law and 3 step-grandchildren. Youngest son married his childhood sweetheart and, in the process, gave us a beautiful daughter-in-law.  Unfortunately hubby became wheelchair bound within 5 years of the 1985 wedding photo.  A month after that was taken he had his first laminectomy and it was all downhill from there with respect to his mobility and ... both of our weights have escalated!  Once, we were slim!

It's been reasonably quiet on the Dad front until today! Today he's had another fall and this time he's ended up in A&E. He fell and cut the back of his head. Unfortunately he's choosen a day when I can't be with him as I'm full of bugs and don't think that the hossie would be too happy with me going in and spreading my particular type of cheer about! He's not on his own though as one of his night carers has gone to be with him, bless her, so he has somebody he knows. Hopefully, once they've sorted the cut - which is thought needs a couple stitches - he will be sent home again. He went willingly, which is a miracle, so he must have realised that he really needed treatment this time.

I need to go through my photos from June onwards and schedule time to update.  I need to start to get some sort of normality back in my life as it seems a bit out of control at the moment.  I enjoy the times I have 'booked' as it takes my mind away from the problems.  Perhaps I should treat blogging time in the same way but ... it could be that this blog will come back into it's own again in the coming months.  I'm so hoping not!

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Zippedy Doo Dah!!

What a wonderful day - lol!!

Old bit of carpet up. New bit of carpet (all 6 foot x 3 foot of it!!) laid. Final run to the tip from Dad's place done. Place vacuumed & dusted (maintenance cleaning). I've FINISHED, totally, at Dad's. Just normal day to day house running & feeding type stuff now. Will make list of minor jobs to be done which will probably involve a few phone calls, but that's all. I feel as though I've done a huge journey. I've lost 3/4 of a stone in weight and that's without being on a diet. Just as well really, 'cos I don't do diets - lol! Just goes to show it's more about exercise than anything else 'cos I reckon I've actually been eating more! Mind you, I haven't cooked one proper meal since Mum died. The nearest I've got to cooking is shoving a ready meal in the microwave but ........................ I have this brilliant hubby who loves cooking and, he took over the kitchen so I've had some wonderful meals. He plays, making it up as he goes along, so I'm never too sure what I'm going to be eating (I don't think he's always sure either) but I've not had a duff meal yet - lol!.

Had hair cut and brows plucked this afternoon so at least I shall be tidy for my weekend away at Devon Cliffs, near Exmouth. Replacements organised to look after Dad while I'm gone and I've found a couple of books, in case I get a chance for a read but - reckon I may just give the on-site spa a go if little (?) bro & s-i-l don't have an itinerary planned for the weekend. Fancy a bit of pampering right now! Looking forward to seeing my eldest nephew at work as well. I've never seen him performing so it should be interesting - he's dance captain of the entertainment team (& Rory the Tiger - aaahhhh!).

Jobs for this week - well, job really! To tackle the 6 foot pile of ironing that's built up over the past couple of months - 'cos I need some clothes to take away with me!!

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Finished!

The upper floor is finished - all sorted, tidied and organised - yesssssssss! It's also had a good spring clean. Heaven knows what the cleaner, that used to come, did for her money but it wasn't proper cleaning - lol! We're waiting on Age Concern finding another (last one got another job and left) but at least I know that there's now a mega clean base to start from. I've to start on the downstairs now, starting in the lounge 'cos that'll be done in a day. Dad has already said that he doesn't think he'll get rid of much from there as all the knick-knacks have sentimental value. Fortunately there's not a lot but what's there includes bits from family weddings, their Silver and Gold anniversaries (real shame that their Diamond in October won't be joining them) and bits all the kids have bought over the years.

Kitchen might not take much longer than a day either. I've already sorted the food cupboard, dumped all the out of code stuff and restocked. I've really only got to go through the cooking utensils and the pots & pans - a lot of which will be going as there's far too many for Dad's needs.

I think I need a good break. I'm feeling really tired now but I want to get Dad's place finished and then I can relax. If I stop now I won't want to get going again so I need to crack on and then have a break before I start on my own place - lol!! I do have some things to look forward to throughout June. Firstly, some of us southern imag-e-nationers (forum friends) are meeting up for a crafty day next week and I've got my balloon flight on the 18th (providing weather plays ball - lol!).

I've also got a weekend away at the end of June - yay!! My brother and sister-in-law have offered me this weekend so I'm taking them up on it. My nephew is dance captain (or something like that) of the entertainment team at Haven Holidays, Devon Cliffs and is also Rory the Tiger but (sshhhhhhsh!) don't tell the little ones! It's the 2nd season he's worked for Haven and he thoroughly enjoys it but, bonus is, the weekends that bro & sil can get at reduced rates and, this year, I'm having a bit as well - roflmao! Hubby is happy for me to go - in fact, has actively encouraged it - so it will be good to get away for the 4 days. I've been to this particular site before but a few years ago now. There have been a few changes so it will be interesting to see what it's like now ............ bring it aaaalllllllllll on!!