Here again

Afternoon all! It's been grey and dismal days here for the most part recently. And it seems to have affected my mood. I really can't be bothered to get out and tidy up the garden before the hardness of winter strikes. Dust and cleaning? Forget it! I can just about raise enthusiasm for cooking for us both.
I have loads to be getting on with too.

So what have I achieved?

Turtle is finished, but not made up yet - looking for the perfect fabric to make the cushion.

I made some of the bubbles with DMC satin threads just to give it some added texture. 

I hope they wear well!

I also managed to put Moon Hare onto a canvas but have to get some more picture wire to actually get it up on the wall. Still not sure where to hang him. I want him somewhere prominent to remind me of our struggles over the last year and how we have had the strength to come through it. So I'll take a photo of that once I decide where it's going to hang.

I've now started the Spirit of Mrs Claus (Brooke's Books) - got a bit more done than this, but not much! (due to lethargy!)

Sorry about the quality of the photo!

and a trip to Tesco's where I found this beauty of a colouring book!

We went up to see our daughter and granddaughter during half term (last week). By this time next week my little girl will be 39!! I really don't know where those years have gone - but I expect you can all relate to that sentiment! 

Tomorrow I must phone Basingstoke to check if they are still expecting Mike on 7th November. He had pre-op tests done locally last week so the results should be with Basingstoke now. As we haven't had written confirmation of the appointment I want to  check it's all still on before I book a hotel there for the night before. To get there we have 125 mile trip, which includes driving round London on the M25 (which we joke and call the biggest car park in the world because the traffic can be so slow!) and then onto the M3 (which is often not that much better). In theory it should take about two and a half hours - but we'll see!

Oh well - better get shifting and make a cuppa - need to get myself moving!

Til next time

Sandie

Catching up again

Well - the best laid plans to continue on my blog seem to have gone severely awry this year!

The main reason has been Mike's continuing ill health issues. He has had to have regular gastroscopies about every month to six weeks as he is still having issues with swallowing. Just this last week he had a stent fitted to his gullet which SHOULD last about 2 months before we see his doctor again. In the meantime he went to see the surgeon in the summer who told him that she was prepared to reverse his stoma operation at the end of August. However because his blood work showed increased levels of some indicators in his blood tests, it was postponed for two weeks. Then we saw the surgeon again, who told us that there appeared to be a cancerous lesion on his liver and that it would be more important to deal with that first. That meant an MRI which then was passed to doctors at Basingstoke hospital (they are specialists in liver cancers). This week we heard from them that they will operate on him. Hopefully we will be going down on November 7th, when they do a procedure to encourage the liver to start growing before they do the actual operation. That would follow in about a month after that.

I believe they have accommodation within the hospital for relatives who have miles to travel! So I have to make enquiries about that too. And a year down the line I am still going to be hospital visiting. At least this year Mike is in a better position to recover. His body weight has been gradually increasing so it shouldn't take him as long to recover from a serious operation.

Apart from that - what else has been happening in our life?

In June we went to the Haven Holiday site in Caister-on-Sea. We both loved it so much that we ended up purchasing a new static caravan which we got the keys for in September. Over the last month we have spent more days there than at home! And while we're there at least I don't feel guilty about not doing housework or gardening!!

Outside of van (with our new car!)

Living area

Kitchen

Dining area with door outside

Main bedroom

There are two other twin bedrooms as well as a family shower room and an en suite toilet in the main bedroom. We are really looking forward to getting down there many times next year. It's about a two hour drive from home (less if traffic is light) so far enough away to be a holiday, yet near enough to drive up there if we just fancy a day away. We are also going to let it out for part of the year, so that would help with the site fees.

And my stitching has also been slow progress since Mike came home - at least I blame him!

I finished stitching my Moon Hare - but have yet to actually to make him into a FFO. 

Finally completed -  but beautiful!

Then I worked on this - a pattern I bought in a shop called the Twisted Turtle in Nawiliwili on Kaui during one of our Hawaiian cruises. 

Currently I have almost completed him as I have been stitching on him while we've been up to Caister. Here is where he stands today - another weekend should see him completed. 

I have been busy buying several Heaven and Earth designs and kitting some of them up to do. I've also been gifted a few RAK patterns from them over the last year - so watch out for the next "BAP" to hit the frame!!

Better sign off and go and get some dinner for tonight. Not sure what I fancy! Might just have to raid the fridge!

Until next time - take care

Sandie