Monday, 15 February 2016

Crafty Bits?????

Hello friends







I've been given a bag full of craft bits and pieces to pass on which some have. However there are some I can't. I don't know what they are and what they can be used for. There are no holes in them for threading. Made of hard plastic.
I'm hoping that some of my crafty readers may be able to help.
Some look like they should be in a peg board but there are too many. The colours are so pretty it would be shame not to use them in some way. I thought of tying some fishing wire around the stems and making something that hangs but they'll just fall through as there is nothing to hold on to. 
There is quite a lot here and many more.
Any information or ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Carolx



Sunday, 7 February 2016

National Libraries Day

Hello everyone.


A quick update on the invalids. M appears to be at a stalemate where his back is not getting any better but neither is it any worse. This coming week he should have a check up at the hospital but no date has arrived as yet and when he phoned last week the neuro secretary was very vague and unhelpful.
L had a check up at the hospital on Friday and she is recovering well. We got all the answers to our questions and advised to change our routine with L's pain relief to get more benefit from it. We do have some photos of L's spine on M's phone and waiting for him to email them to me and will do a post on them soon.


Ok back to the heading. Yesterday was National Libraries Day and I was asked by our local library if I was available to do a table with the Twiddle Muffs. Of course, I said yes. It also gave me a chance to escape for a couple of hours. Our library is quite small but there were 18 tables promoting different things mostly what goes on in the library at various times.


Here's my table next to Helen's. Helen runs the Home Library service, for Lancashire County Council, and over the last few years has become more  involved with dementia. She has some amazing picture books from different decades and each page is dedicated to one subject. Also on her table she has a box of men's collars, a wooden box with a brush attachment for sweeping crumbs off a posh table, smelly soaps like Coal Tar and Camay.  She also makes up memory boxes and hires them out (like books)

I gave a few of my twiddle muffs away and what I had left I gave to Helen to pass on.

These couple of ladies are local authors and were doing book signings. The lady in the black and white top is Hannah Emery (her MIL comes to our craft club). Hannah's first book is called Secrets In The Shadows and is set in 1920's Blackpool. I got one and so looking forward to reading it. She also has a second book coming out, in the spring, called The Secrets Of Castle Du Reve which also sounds good. Hannah is on twitter @hannahcemery.
The other author is Katherine Ann Angel and she has three books which sound interesting. her books are aimed at 13 - 93 years. She has a website www.katherineannangel.com. Katherine will post out her signed books, gift wrapped and postage free.

Some other tables at the event was a lady doing flower arrangement's where you could have a go and then keep what you made. She comes to, the library, do demonstrations about four times a year.
 Jewellery making from a couple of ladies from craft club (meet each week at the library)
 
There was a scrabble game going on where anyone could join in. On Saturdays there's a group which play board games, aimed mostly for the children to encourage them away from their electronics. It also encourages real communication.

The Windmill Payers were there promoting their latest production but doing little sketches. As I was taking this picture a gentleman had got up and bellowed very loudly, and making everyone jump, that he was the owner of the local windmill (Situated a few yard from the library built in the 1700's). The Windmill Players was established 75 years ago and put on about 2-3 big productions a year and a few little ones around different locations. They also do Murder Mysteries at the library which are fun. 

Every Saturday a group gets together to play War Hammer. It looks very complicated but the boys were well into it. If you click onto the picture it should go bigger and you will be able to see the set up. Under the tables there were more figures and trees, buildings and things. The guy who runs it was at the side painting some other figures.

Other things going on was a lady promoting energy efficiency and how to keep warm during the winter, A lady doing French braiding, kids crafts (they meet in the library once a month) an IT man who was there to help with any IT problems/solutions either in the library or at home. The local sports centre had a table too, promoting healthy lifestyles.

The morning was a great success with lots of visitors however the library needs all these people to come back and borrow lot's of books to keep it open as it's in danger of being closed.

Carolx

Tuesday, 19 January 2016

Back Home

L's operation went well and is now recovering at home.

For me and M it has been a difficult time seeing L in such pain and discomfort but,
almost everyone involved with L's care at the hospital were wonderful and tried to make her as comfortable as she could be.

Small adjustments have to now be made at home whilst L continues to recover, like sleeping and sitting positions using pillows, cusions and/or rolled up blankets. Also she's  learning how to adjust her movements with a rigid back.

The next six weeks will see L slowly recover week by week and then returning to school. At the moment that feels like a long way off in her recovery.

M is recovering well with his back whilst still wearing his back brace he's not using his crutches as much. A few more weeks before he's back at work though.

Thank you for all your messages on my last post I passed them on to L who also says thank you.

Carolx

Monday, 11 January 2016

Hello friends.
At this moment in time M and I are sitting in the, very comfortable, day room of the Ronald McDonald house at Manchester's Childrens Hospital.

L is finally having her operation. We came over yesterday and stayed in a Travel Lodge, behind the hospital, because we had to check in at 7:30am. The room was very comfortable.

L was not to have any food after 2am so we tooks some snacks to have a midnight feast mostly to get through the starvation later.

Phones had their alams set so we didn't sleep in. Seep in!!!  You have to go to sleep for any chance of sleeping in. None of us slept all that well and awake well before the alarms went off.

This morning we arrived on the ward fifteen minutes too early but that was ok. After a twenty mnute wait we were called into the waiting ward and L's nerves were really starting to kick in. Just about had enough tissues.

the surgeon came to see L and put his makings on her back and a little later the neuro......... something or other did some nerve tests and markings and then there was a long wait. The operations manager and surgeon came to see us to tellus that the aneathetist had called in sick and the two others were on leave and there trying to get hold of a fourth.  After an hour or so the aneathatist came to see us had a chat and then thngs started to move.

Finally an hour and half late she finally went down to theatre and here we wait until  approximatly 8/9pm when the operation is complete.

I will let you know how she gets on.

Carolx

Friday, 1 January 2016

New Year

No reflections on the year just gone but looking forward to a good year with hope and new challenges with better health and more fun.


Happy and Healthy New Year
to
all my followers
and readers 

Hope 2016 lives up to your expectations

Carolx

Thursday, 24 December 2015

No 24 Christmas Eve

Hello everyone


It's Christmas Eve and right at this moment the rain is hammering it down (again) which is a reminder that many people will not be spending Christmas in their own home due to them being flooded.


The news has talked a lot about Cumbria being flooded but nothing about closer to home for example St Michaels and Church Town near Garstang.


My friend and her disabled husband are currently living in a caravan in their driveway because, their newly decorated, bungalow was under three foot of flood water and have lost everything. She managed to save a few bits but that was all. They now have to wait for their home to dry out (in this rain?) before any renovations can start. I just can't imagine what they and other are feeling at this moment.


I wish my friends strength to carry on and to find joy and peace in the knowledge they have a fantastic family some amazing friends. All the best J and A


Carolx

Farewell

I've taken some time to think this through and decided to stop blogging. I'm not getting out of it as much as I did when I first sta...