Thank Goodness for the Sunshine.... :)

Well Hello....

I hope you have been enjoying the lovely sunshine we have been having.... :)

I will get the boring stuff out of the way first....I think I have gotten my head around my little health issues...I am feeling better...but I think its just that I'm getting used to the pain now...the pain is still as bad but I'm coping with it better...and the warmer weather helps...when the rain arrived the other day it did seem worse :( ...I have had these symptoms for a number of years...but only every now and again and it has never lasted this long before...I did go to the docs last time and had various blood tests etc but no definitive answers to what was wrong...I did at the time think it was Fibromyalgia...but as it is so hard to diagnose no one would say it was this...and I still think this is the case...but having read up about it...there is no cure anyway and the tablets they give you are just painkillers and anti depressants...well I can take over the counter painkillers that I wont get addicted to and I don't want anti depressants as I'm not depressed (although I can see how it would make some people depressed)...so I'm giving the docs a miss this time...I know reading about illness on the internet is probably not a good thing...but whilst doing various training lessons I have learnt quite a lot about the human body, enough for me to make an informed decision on mine...I was right when I said I had gallstones last year...the docs and hospital said it was acid reflux or celiac...but to "put my mind at rest" they would give me an ultrasound scan...what did they find? A very large gallstone that's what!  I have been pushing myself a little over the last few weeks...to see how I can cope...and although I have done too much sometimes and I have suffered...I have been no worse off...so in my mind its nothing to worry about...so I'm not going to...I have just made adjustments to what I can do and I know in time it will get better and maybe even go away again :) ...so that's out of the way now and we can go on to the pretty stuff and good times that have happened over the last few weeks :)

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Last week I noticed the lilac coming into flower...I love lilac...so on our walk I collected a few sprigs for the kitchen...and I had to pick some Cow Parsley too...I know its a weed and does get out of control but I think the flowers are so pretty...it made a lovely little display on the counter...and is still there today...its lasted really well :)

I have been limiting myself to an hour and half working in the garden (I do get very carried away with the time once I start out there!)...I have been tidying, weeding, planting up some bedding plants and lawn cutting (this was part of my "pushing myself" exercise to see if I could cope) and I have loved every minute and it has been a really joy to outside in the sunshine...its made a real difference to my wellbeing <3

I just had to take a photo of my miniature rhododendron...it didn't flower last year at all the buds just died...but this year it is resplendent and the colour is just the burst the flower bed needed!

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The bottom field has finally dried out enough for us to go walking down there now and Puppy Dog has been overjoyed :) being able to run free off the lead has had her very, very excited!

I spy Ralph in the distance....wonder if he'd like to play?

Its been soooo much nicer than pounding the pavements...as well as good exercise...you can really feel the difference walking through the grass to just walking on concrete...

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With all the down time I have had you can imagine a lot of time has been spent trawling the internet and Pinterest of course!  I have been trying to get inspiration and ideas for decorating the office/craft room...all of the new cupboards are in place but nothing is formulating in my brain...but it will (Hubby is quite happy when my brain is on a go slow it means he wont have to be decorating again so soon after the bedroom haha)...and I do get distracted very easily onto pretty things like these...

Oh how I wish I had a covered porch...I would definitely be making one of these!

I like a lot of pallet makeovers but I think this has to be a favourite...I just love it!

Then crafty things caught my eye haha...

probably a bit late for this now...but what a great idea for all the little cut offs of wool...I can imagine little nests snuggly warm with their almost crocheted blanket lining :))

Now this is a cuteness overload...I have to try and make one of these!

isn't it just the cutest thing! Made from pompoms and who doesn't love a pompom haha :)

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I have been doing a little crochet...(but this has been the most difficult to handle as it really does seem to hurt the most)...in my last post I had started to make the little wreath...well I managed to finish it and its hanging in the kitchen looking so pretty :)

and I have been doing a little each day on some granny squares....

unfortunately I am way behind on the daily squares :( but I will get back on track... I'm not abandoning this idea...I will see it through :)

I haven't done any baking apart from my grandsons birthday cake...I did leave these out on the counter the night before...just to see if the fairies would come and make it for me...

but they didn't :( ...I set about making the sponge...which to my delight turned out beautifully...then it sort of all went wrong...I have never made a sort of 3D cake before...he wanted Fireman Sam's engine...my initial thought was...oh crap how am I going to do that! So a little searching and I found some photos of what he wanted...now I am the sort of person who will have a go at anything craft related...so this was no different...I spent hours decorating the cake and when I had finished it I was so disappointed I cried and wanted to throw it in the bin! Once again the "its got to be perfect" bit of my brain kicked in...Hubby convinced me it was all ok and that the little man would be delighted with it...so it was packed into its box ready to be delivered to him....I did take a photo because good or bad it has to be recorded here on the diary...although I am embarrassed to show it...

this is the better side...we went up to his birthday party yesterday...the journey was long and hot...and on the way...the layers of the cake decided to part company! So by the time we got there it looked like it had been in a very bad accident! haha...my daughter slid it all back into some sort of shape...told Little Man that Elvis (he's a work colleague of Fireman Sam's apparently...who is quite clumsy) had been driving Jupiter (that's the name of the Truck) and it had collapsed...he thought it was hilarious and loved it! So the moral of the story is....who needs perfection! :))

Little Man enjoying his mushy cake in the sunshine... :)

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So there we have it...you are all up to date with what has been happening...before I go I must just mention another birthday....

Sir David Attenborough at 90...along with our Queen...I think they both look fabulous for their age...and I really do think that Sir David has lived the most amazing life...the best life anyone could have...to have seen and done so many things in one lifetime must be wonderful...

I love writing this diary...when I start the post...I feel that I have nothing really to say...especially as I cant really do too much at this time...but when I read it back...I have probably done more than I would have normally! So I know my wellbeing is all good...my zest for life has been returned...life is good :)

I will leave you with this weeks vintage (ish) photo...it made me laugh....

I can just see us girls...and you know who you are :) ...I somehow think its something to look forward to hahahaha...

This weeks quote...

and may there be many more for all of us!!! :)

Have a lovely week all...enjoy everything you do...I will be posting again soon xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Winter....its time to Buzz off!

Hello....I'm still in the land of the living...haha :)

I feel I need to give you a little insight into what's been happening to me over the past weeks...just so you know its not because I cant be bothered to write on here :)

I had what we all thought was a bout of the Flu...and probably it was that....but it has left me feeling less than perfect I can tell you...I am so, so tired, my brain is completely foggy, I have a horrible bitter taste all the time and a rash that appears then goes!...I have so much pain in my hands, elbows, shoulders and neck I cant tell you how awful it is making me feel...I am thinking that the pain is just a very bad flair up of my osteoarthritis and not connected to the flu at all....or it was one of those lovely virus' which all the symptoms are to do with....I will give it another few weeks to right it self but if not I will take myself off to the docs (I hate going to the docs....the NHS would never run out of money on me haha)

So that's that out of the way...I don't like to dwell on how I am feeling...I want to dwell on happy things :)

I cant really say that the weather has been making me happy though....we've had snow, sleet, hail, thunder and I've lost count of how may times we have got soaked! And its been blooming cold! So when I saw this photo it just summed up how we are probably all feeling....

I think I said that we were decorating...and it had to be put on hold for a week or so...but I'm glad to say that the bedroom is now finished....and I'm thrilled with it...I feel like I'm sleeping in a hotel all the time at the moment...its all so different...we have changed everything apart from the bed....all new furniture, carpets, wallpaper and decorations....oh and of course new bed linen :) Just the office/craft room to do now :)

I made or upcycled a few things to decorate the bedroom with as well as some shop bought items....

This is my gorgeous candle lantern from Ikea...its quite big and makes a great corner piece...I have put a battery candle inside and it gives a lovely glow to the corner of the room....

This is my stags head hook that we purchased in the New Year sales....I had no idea where he was going to live at the time but he has found the perfect spot by the new wardrobe, holding some of my key collection (I'm a little obsessed with keys...haha)

As those of you who watch Fixer Upper...Jo always puts letters in the houses she decorates...I love this idea so I wanted one for our new room... I purchased a battered old letter from a shop sign on EBay in a not so lovely aubergine colour....

I painted it in a chalky emulsion....

Once dried...and the chalk paint dries really quickly...I put some dark wax on and polished it up....

and this is it finished...I love it and it fits in perfectly...I know Jo would have left it all battered...but I wanted a finished look to ours :)

I also made a picture using the double glass sided frame I bought some weeks ago...my idea was to do a paper cut...but the way my hands are there was no way I could do that...the next idea I had was to print the words on to acetate...I wanted it to be clear with just the words floating in the frame...but alas that didn't work either...I thought it had but then when the ink dried...the words disappeared! So I went from thrilled to disappointment :( There must be a knack to printing on acetate that I don't know...so I resorted to cutting some of the left over wallpaper and putting that through the printer and thankfully that worked...its not how I wanted it look...but I'm happy with it and have found the perfect spot for it...which wouldn't have worked with the other idea so maybe it was fate :)

My pet hate in rooms are wires coming out of TV or media...and nails or screws showing....Hubby has to get rid of all the wires on show, much to his frustration :) and I go around covering up screws and nails...either with Sharpie pens...I colour in the heads or in this pictures case I had a leaf cut out that I stained to match in and I stuck it to the nail head as some extra decoration :)

The worst of the decorating is having to move everything isn't it? I had had to move all my clothes...and I have a lot! They were all packed into vacuum bags and put up the loft...then of course you have to unpack them again :(  This was the sight that greeted my one morning....

With the way I was feeling...I found it quite daunting....but I worked through it...lots of rest in between...it took ages but I got there! And for all the people that have asked..."do you think the clothes will crease up in those bags?"...yep they do! So those bags would be no good to put your clothes in to take on holiday...yep you would have more space...but more work the other end! :)

So looking back...I haven't done too bad really...I feel like I have done nothing for ages and ages...but with all the rest I feel my creative brain is slowly starting to kick in again...I haven't been interested in doing any crochet at all...but the other day I did read Lucy's blog post (Attic24) and she posted a lovely picture of a vintage inspired flower wreath...

I thought is was so pretty and so very me :) So I did pick up the hook and sort a bit of wool out...and I did make a start...

but I can only do a very little bit at a time as my hands and fingers are so painful...but I will plod on...I must get my crochet mojo back...it is such a big part of my life!

I haven't been doing any baking either...I did make a small lemon and cream sponge cake just to use up the couple of eggs I had left...I hate throwing anything away :)

I have of course been able to potter through Pinterest :) I have been pouring over crochet designs trying to get inspired...I have seen some beautiful work being done from cross stitch patterns using the corner to corner method...I found a very pretty letter K which I have saved and I hope one day to have a go at this....

It would be a large blanket so it will have to wait until I'm feeling tip top again :)  There's also a lot of people knitting socks at the moment on the blogs...for me this is the only pair of socks I could knit! haha...

I haven't even had fresh flowers in the house...which is very unlike me...I love flowers all around the home...but last week while out with Puppy Dog...I did pick some blossom twigs which have cheered up the kitchen :)

Well I think I'm coming to the end of this post...its not been all bad at all :) I'm hoping that over the next week or so things will improve and I will be back to full steam soon...but until then I am going to take it easy...not push myself too much...as really there is no need...I just have to accept that at this time I cant be as busy as I would like...sometimes you just have to slow down for a little while :)

I cant finish this post without mentioning the fact we have lost a few more souls from this earthly world...all such talented people and people that have been part of lives even though only through the TV screen....the funny Ronnie Corbett...fork handles (four candles) has to be the funniest sketch I have ever seen! I was so shocked when I found out Victoria Wood had passed...such a comedy talent...a legend...I loved her :( and Prince...I thought, a strange little man...but he sure could write and perform a song!

So for the vintage photo....as its May Day today....

a spot of Maypole dancing...I don't think they do this at school anymore...when I was in primary and junior school we always did maypole dancing...I loved making all the patterns with the bright coloured ribbons...its made me feel very nostalgic :))

And for the quote....

I'm sorry about the little bit of a naughty word...but I found this quite apt for how I am feeling...instead of feeling sorry for myself I just have to tell myself "Shit Happens"...it will pass...stop worrying about it...all will be good again :)

Have a lovely week everyone...enjoy everything you do...if I feel up to it and more to the point have anything to write I will post on here again this month...if not I will definitely be posting at the beginning of June.....xxxxxxxxxxxxx