Thankful Tuesday.

Can you believe that baby Jackson is already 2 weeks old?   I lay in bed last night thinking about the last 2 weeks and how much we have to be thankful for in our family. You may recall that I used to regularly do a kind of gratitude blog. Haven't done that in a while.  It is good to remind ourselves of just how much we have and how lucky we are and to remind ourselves to be grateful.

So Thankful Tuesday.  Ten things that I have been thankful for this last week.

1. The safe arrival of baby Jackson and his continuing good progress.
2. The fact that we live in a time and a place that means babies born as early as Jackson are not only able to survive but also to thrive.
3. The prayers, good wishes, positive vibes etc.. that have been sent our way by so many friends and family.
4. I am thankful for the excellent medical care that Verity received which will hopefully result in a swift and full recovery from what was a very traumatic birth experience.
5. I am very thankful that despite a bit more snow on Friday night the weather was OK on Saturday and we were able to go to the baby shower.
6.  We have a warm and cosy house.  As a person who feels the cold dreadfully, I cannot imagine what it must be like to have no heat and to be constantly cold.  Not long now until spring...hopefully.
7. I am amazingly lucky to be able to spend my days at home doing what ever pleases me.  That is usually sewing of some kind at the moment
8.  Denise.  Without Denise and her continuing efforts to teach both me and Coralie I would never have learned to sew.
9. I am thankful that Alfie seems to be on the mend.  The very expensive prescription diet seems to be working.  He will have another scan in a week to see if the bladder stone is breaking down.
10. I am also extremely thankful that we can afford the dog insurance which is paying for Alfie's new food.

Lots more to be thankful for of course but those are the things that come to mind right now this morning.

Show and tell on Monday

Well as you know we have had a busy couple of weeks.  It hasn't stopped me doing and making though.  So time for "Show and Tell".

Most of this weeks makes are small things.  The first thing was for myself.  It is a simple draw string bag to keep the first aid kit in the car.  The old one had got ruined by something spilling.  The draw string bag fits in the glove compartment far more easily than a box.

Next is another mobile phone pouch.

Then another iPad pouch.

How about a pink felt flower brooch?

My next make was a peg bag, made with gorgeous doggie fabric and lined with plain lilac fabric.  Apparently my friends over the pond in Merika call pegs ..... pins.

Yesterday I needed something easy and relaxing so it was back to my old favourite the felt brooches.  I sold 6 this week on Ebay so I made a dozen new ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the above are for sale in my Fabrilushus shop.  I still have misgivings about that, nothing is selling there but it does on Ebay.  Oh well, I said I would give it 4 months so we shall see.

This week I am going to do some finishing, I think.  I have a little embroidered card for Verity and Steve which I must get done.  A wall hanging that is half done and I am behind on my rows of the month quilt so I want to get those done too.

On Friday I have Denise and Coralie coming for a sewing session and I must find out what we are doing.  I must also make a start on our project of "through the key hole".  The 3 of us are each going to make a wall hanging piece on that theme.  No reason except to maybe challenge ourselves to use new ideas and try out new techniques and just, well just because!  It will be great to see what each of us comes up with.  We have until 1st of May to do it.

OK, time to get off my bum and do some house work then hopefully this afternoon I can sew.  This was my coffee break.  I am about a quarter of the way through my jobs.

Jenson

It has been another full on day for us today.  This weekend is turning out to be really good.  We had our lovely visit to Cambridge yesterday and the good news about Jackson.

Today we went to the dog rescue kennels.  I wanted to go over the sponsorship stuff with Gyll and Simon was going to go in and sit with Jensen.  He is the cruelty case Dalmatian.  When we arrived there were some  people there who had come to see Marlo a lurcher with a view to adoption.  That went quite well.  

Once they had gone Jim told us the good news that he had decided that morning to get Jenson out of his kennel.  We were so thrilled.  After some discussion it was decided that we would get him out again and have him in the office for a while.  He obviously recognised Simon who has been working with him the last few weeks.  We had him out for around 2 hours in total and he was very good.  Very relaxed and showing signs of trust and confidence.

It was the best news and we were both so thrilled to see this progress in him.  They are trying to arrange a vets appointment for Tuesday which is Simon's day off next week.  He needs checking over as he seemed to be holding his left back leg up quite a lot and we also observed quite a pronounced curve in his spine.  If all goes well on Tuesday they may neuter him at the same time which at least would get all the unpleasant vet stuff out of the way in one go,.

I can't tell you how thrilled Simon and I were to see him out if his kennel and making progress.  This is the good part of the volunteer work that we do.  That said he still has a long road ahead of him.

Once home we had a quick bite of lunch and then Simon went to the barn with Sam to bring yet more stuff home. I spent a few hours making some felt brooches which I have listed already in my Fabrilushus shop and EBAY.   When Simon got back he had Sam and Ellie with him so I had an hour or so chatting to Ellie.  She is the most gorgeous girlie and very clever with it.  Can you tell that I am proud?  She was telling me all about her latest cousin.  Her Mummy's sister just had a baby boy yesterday called Riley.  Ellie is actually quite disappointed that it is another boy!  She now has 4 cousins and they are all boys,  Evan, Flynn, Jackson and now Riley.  All boys!

Since they left I have had a nice relaxing bath with a glass of the red stuff.  Always a good end to the weekend!  I didn't even have to cook as Simon did that. He did a bacon gougere which was lovely.  it is a dish we used to do a long time ago when the children were younger.  Haven't had it in ages.     It was as good as it looks.

We are now sitting in front of the fire so we are nice and warm and cosy.  I have another glass of the red stuff and Simon  has a cider.  The dogs are curled up next to us and we are just generally relaxing.  All in a all we have enjoyed a great weekend and for that I am truly thankful.

Good news.

It has been a pretty busy weekend as they always are.  Yesterday we went to Cambridge to see Verity Steve and Jackson.  Coralie had organised a baby shower for Verity as she has missed out on all the normal new mummy stuff.

Baby showers are not something that we really do here in the UK.  I mean, a few people might but the average Joe Bloggs doesn't.   Coralie just thought it might be nice so she organised for all of us to go to Verity and Steve's.   We were all there except Saskia.  We had balloons and presents and yummy cake.   I had made some bunting but forgot to take it!.   I will post it out to them tomorrow.

Once all the present giving and cake eating was over we went on mass to the hospital to see Jackson,  I have fantastic news.  He is totally off his CPAP, breathing on his own and has been moved out of intensive care on to the special care unit.  How wonderful is that?   He is a little fighter.  Only 11 days old and out of intensive care.

We took turns to go in and see him as it is only one person at a time with Mum and Dad.   He is still very tiny but has regained his birth weight of 3lbs.   Thank you so much to everyone that has been sending prayers, good wishes , positive vibes

I will keep you updated.