Headache ...

... do one!  I've had it all day and I'm fed up.  Went to my exercise class this morning not expecting to be able to get through it.  I did but only just however, came home and felt rough.  Cough is not getting any better and, although I live with one, this one is different to my norm. I feel sort of coldified (new word) it feels different and chest is very tight.  Thought I might be going down with a chest infection so phoned doc who's prescribed antibiotics and a course of steroids.  I've collected them but going to hold off of taking them for a day or 2 as I don't want to take them if I don't have to.  I'll see how things go.  Back when I had my last spirometry in the summer I was asked if I wanted a rescue pack.  Haven't had, or needed one, before so I declined.  I'm thinking it might not be such a bad idea for the winter.  I'm getting older and this COPD isn't going to go away but I do want to do what I can to delay it progressing - which is what the exercise is all about, to be honest.  Early night I think and see how things are in the morning.  Got a busy weekend so need to feel a bit more alive - lol!

Last card I've got made from the Christmas workshop.  I lied when I said I'd made all but 2 of them.  I've 3 still to make, or at least, in process of being made.  I've done bits of all 3 but not one is finished.  Not sure when they will be either.  Anyways, here's the last of the Christmas ones ... for now.

Papermania designer paper
Lilli of the Valley image & sentiment stamps
- Wink of Stella clear brush tip on the cuffs/hem of jacket , bobble and trim of hat.
Gems

Can't go and leave this post without making comment on the loss of an amazing, inspirational man and probably the most influential person of the 20th Century.  Nelson Mandela died yesterday evening, aged 95.  So many people owe their lives, as they are today, to this man.  He opened people's eyes and made them more aware that there is more to the human race than the colour of their skin.  The man done GOOD!

RIP 

Nelson Mandela

1918-2013

The world was a better place for having you in it and would be a whole lot better if there were more like you.

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We said goodbye ...

... to our friend Barbara today.  The church was nearly full.  She had a very active life and was involved in many things, hence had many friends who came to say goodbye.  We knew she was, in her younger years, a solicitor, before she gave it up to become a SAHM (stay at home Mum) but what I didn't know was how she became one.  She started her working life as a secretary.  She decided to take that further and studied to become a Legal Executive.  Once that was attained she took another step and became a solicitor and then the family came along.  She made the choice to stay at home and raise the children - now grown.  She put her talents to work in many other ways.  School Governor, amateur operatic society, volunteer assistant at the local primary school and many, many more.  She lived her life to the full and I'm sure still had plenty to give.

Having survived a couple of serious health scares, including breast cancer, over the years, she was heavily into fitness and exercised regularly.  She, and her hubby JLD (John), had recently started to learn Nordic walking and were looking forward to getting more into it as the weather improved.  She swam every day.  They have their own indoor pool in the grounds of their property.  They had plans for the coming years of their retirement. She took great enjoyment from her very young grandchildren, who will never now know their grannie and, because of their young age, are unlikely to remember her in years to come.

This evening was to be our regular, planned evening meet.  I'm sure JLD had no thought of this date when the funeral was arranged.  Fate seems to have stepped in and declared that we were to keep the 'date' with our friends, including Barbara.  Just not in the way we normally do.  We kept the date this evening, we kept the date this afternoon.  Some think we shouldn't have kept the date this evening.  Some think it disrespectful.  We think it was ordained.  We think it was Barbara making sure it was kept.  She didn't miss any in life if she could help it.  She changed appointments to keep the dates, and/or insisted JLD did else she'd come on her own.  We kept the 'date' and we raised a glass, shared our thoughts and memories as a group.  It seemed right, it seemed that Barbara got her way and kept this one last date.

Barbara's death was so sudden, so unexpected but she lived her life to the full and her last days were spent enjoying herself, on holiday, with her family.  Perhaps we all need to really learn to live every day as if it's our last as one day it will be, as it was for Barbara.  There was no warning, no time to prepare for what was to happen.  A light put out.

Rest in Peace Barbara ~  27th April 1944 - 18th March 2011

 

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I've nearly found ...

... a miracle!  There's history to this story.  Back in October Paul and I were watching Ideal World ... well he was channel hopping and landed on it and the content caught our attention.  It was for a Polti steam cleaner and I thought I'd seen it before but for a much cheaper price.  Turned out I had but it had been a smaller, cheaper model .. but I'm digressing!  Anyways, we watched the demos and thought, if they weren't staged and were true, then it was a pretty good machine to own.  Not impressed with price so off I went to Google and found it online for a much cheaper price and item was ordered and duly delivered and that was it.  Said item stayed in it's box until yesterday when I unpacked it (including cutting off the plastic 'string' stuff strapping).  It's the Polti Vaporetti 950 and, if I'd waited to buy it for when we wanted it I'd have got it even cheaper as it's now £5 less than I paid - *lol*

It's been in action and I'm soo impressed!  I've cleaned over half of the kitchen cupboard doors and some of them I've always had real difficulty in cleaning ... the ones near the hob and the door covering the extractor fan.  The ones that historically get all the gunk from cooking, no matter how much you wipe down afterwards.   Ate through that with no problem and the most exertion I had to put into it was climbing onto a stool, stretching and wiping down!  It certainly allowed me to get more done than I thought I would in one go.  Hope to finish cupboards today but first there's an appointment to keep with Paul's Oncologist.  Keeping fingers crossed that the MRI results match the much improved PSA levels .... scarey though.

On a downside I had an awful shock yesterday evening.  Every month I meet up with old work colleagues, most of whom I've known since 1969, some not quite so long, and we were all made redundant from the same company back in 1993 and yes, we've met up regularly every 4 to 6 weeks since then.  Initially it was just ourselves but over time spouses have joined us so for at least 10 years (or more) we've got to know them as well. Around 9pm last night I got a phone call from one of my ex-colleagues to tell me his wife had died suddenly last Friday, on their way home from holiday in Canada.  They were at the airport Thursday last week, she collapsed and died within 24 hours, on Friday 18th March.  She was generally fit and healthy although, apparently, had complained of feeling a little unwell for a couple of days, but nothing major.  Seems she'd contracted Strep A ... and it killed her.  What he must be going through right now is unthinkable.  He's home, trying to deal with jet-lag and the shock and she is still in Canada waiting to be flown home.  He has his  adult children and their partners supporting and helping but they must be dealing with all sorts of emotions as well.  It was sudden, totally unexpected, in her early 60s - and a breast cancer survivor!  It's surreal.

RIP Barbara - you will be missed.

Barbara - Jan 2011 - my birthday meet.

Every once in ...

... a while something happens that makes you realise that life is not a 'given'. Nobody knows what the future holds in 5 minutes time, tomorrow ... however long! There is a report in the news today which has brought it home - a reminder, if you like.

The death of a young man with the world at his feet. This young man was younger than my youngest son and he died completely unexpectedly and suddenly after a night out. Went to bed, went to sleep but never woke up. He was a member of a British 'boy band' (how I hate that tag - they're not boys and they don't play instruments so they're not a band) .... Stephen Gately, of Boyzone.

I'm sure a PM will identify the reason for his death but, as far as is known right now, there was none. It was very sad when Patrick Swayze died a couple of months ago but he'd been ill for a while, fighting cancer and it was pretty certain that he wasn't going to live long once diagnosed. He was a little younger than me and I was an huge fan.

Rest in peace Stephen ... and Patrick.

The rest of us should live for the moment because we just don't know what's round the corner!

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Rainbow Bridge ...

... has another resident. Our Chalky died overnight.

He wasn't 'officially' ours but we were part of his extended family. He was rescued, as an older pup, by youngest son and daughter-in-law back in 2001 and then became the pet of eldest son and his family with me being the 'resident' doggy sitter when needed to cover holidays. There'll be no more crafting holidays for him and me *sob*

He was just 8 years old but he was prone to fits. Not regular enough to medicate and no apparent reason for them. Last night he suffered one fit too many and it killed him, although initially it was thought he'd been poisoned. It's a relief to know that he died from natural causes and he wouldn't have been aware of what was happening, rather than an awful painful death.

R.I.P. Chalky ... you were a joy and will be sadly missed *mwah*

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OMG! Michael Jackson ...

... is dead! Early afternoon (USA time) on 25th June. Unbelievable! It was being reported last night, before I went to bed, that he had died but although from pretty good sources, it hadn't been confirmed. It has now. Can't believe it. Despite all of his success and his money he was a very troubled soul which just goes to show that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be for some people. Horrendous childhood left him with real problems and I, for one, have had nothing but sympathy for him over the last few years of his short life, whilst never condoning some of his behaviour. An amazing talent and what a showman.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson because now you can ....
August 29th, 1958 - June 25th 2009

... not his best known but selected more for the pictures ...

... and he joined an angel who also sadly died yesterday - a Charlie's Angel, Farah Fawcett, who sadly lost her very dignified battle with cancer.

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