Back again - September Wipocalypse as well!

Hi everyone
I know I keep saying it - I've been missing in action recently - and I think I've finally worked out why! For the last few months I have had a series of doctor's appointments - nothing serious - but following a Health Check, they discovered I had High Blood Pressure. Over the last 3 months I have been on a series of tablets trying to find one which succeeds in bringing down the BP but which doesn't have other side effects! Over that time I have had swollen ankles and hands, a cough, a kind of skin rash - AND a feeling of lethargy!

Now I finally have it sorted - I'm on another different tablet and this time (touch wood) everything seems to be fine. I've had so much blood taken from me to test that it's okay, and last week I had to have an ECG - scary in a way as I've never had to have one done before! But all the tests came back positively fine, so I now have a 3 month trial of this prescription. All I can say is thank goodness over 60's get free prescription drugs here as it would be costing me a fortune by now! My doctor is off on her maternity leave next week, and she's happy to leave me in the care of their Practice Nurse, so - hopefully everything is back on track.

And now I don't feel so lethargic I'm picking up the stitching again on a regular basis.

So what have I been up to? Well I've decided to pull out the stops on Egypt. It will be 2 years in November since I started it, and I want it done by my birthday (which was when I started - on our Egyptian Nile cruise!)

Here is the original picture from the pack -

and here is where I am today -

I had done all the details of the centre panel and to the left of the mask before I lost my mojo - but since picking it up again I now have done the bottom border (you can just see it poking out from the frame), and I'm busy doing the 2 figures. So far I've managed to get in a couple of hours each day since I picked it up again, so toes crossed (I can't stitch with fingers crossed - silly!) I can get it done soon. 

We also had my DH's 65th birthday last week and had a friend over for a meal. She was widowed last December and it would have been her husband's birthday a few days before my husband's, so I was a bit dubious about asking her as I didn't want to bring up too many unhappy memories for her, but she was happy to come and a good evening was had by all I think. I even started baking again (something I hadn't done for quite a while). I made Sauerbraten and served it with homemade red cabbage, broccoli and potato scallops, followed by a cherry clafoutis and cream. Then I baked some scones, and a raspberry and white chocolate loaf cake. Needless to say there's nothing left so I can't show you pictures! 

I've also decided that I am going to try and sell my old Brother knitting machine. I just don't have time to get on with it these days. So I've gathered all the bits together - from the shed, the loft and the bedroom, cleaned it all up and sorted it out. I've advertised it on Gumtree, so if anyone in the UK knows someone who wants to start up - or is looking for a new machine, ask them to have a look. 

Now I had better get back to my "other duties"! I'm trying to organise my pdf cross stitch files via calibre - the programme I use for my Kindle books. It's been quite easy, but does take time away from sewing - so I limit myself to an hour a day on that! You know (I'm sure) how computers eat up the time you have available!

Til next time - love to everyone - and keep safe

Sandie