Happy Birthday Saskia

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Saskia

Happy Birthday to you.

My baby is 28 today!!

My baby is expecting her very own baby!!

Hope you had a great day, 

love from Mum and Dad 

xxxxx

My day today

The start of another week.  Monday 14th of October 2013.  As always no time to do much here.  I did promise to try and do a daily photo though.

This is my photo for today.  As you can see I have been looking after my little GD2.  We played with the dollies.  The big one in the pink dress with the lop sided eyes was mine when I was a child as was the tiny tears on the right.  The one in the middle belonged to Saskia and was named Muffalina!

Hope she thinks of a better name for our coming grandchild!

Where is my bloggin mojo?

Just had a look at my poor neglected blog. Last time I was here was back in August and prior to that May! There once was a time when I never missed a day. I seem to have lost my blogging mojo.  I started a blog for my Fabrilushus shop a while back and that has ground to a halt too. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day.  I have even got very lax in reading blogs so I am totally out of the loop.  I miss my friends.  I see FB posts but that simply isn't the same.

Not much has changed here apart from the season!  How can we be in autumn already? As seems to be the norm in the UK, we had a pretty measly summer.  It wasn't as wet as last year but we didn't have that many sunny weeks and it wasn't ever what I call hot.  Feeling pretty miserable right now at the thought of the long winter months ahead.

We are all doing ok.  I have been a bit worried about Simon, he is tired and gets headaches and yesterday had a pain in his eyeball all day.  A sharp pain.  This is his good eye too and he wouldn't do anything about it!  Don't suppose I had mentioned here that he lost most of the sight in one of his eyes back in the summer?  He has a central retinal occlusion. It was pretty worrying for a while as they though he had a stroke.  That eye is getting better slowly.

The rest of the family are all ok. Our big news is we have our 6th grandchild on the way. Saskia is expecting her first baby in March.  It is very exciting.

Alfie and Loulou are both still with us, although Alfie has bladder cancer and Loulou's tumor is growing. I worry about them all the time but they are pain free and happy so we are enjoying whatever time we have left.

I am busy doing all the usual stuff.  I also look after Jessie 2 days a week.  Once the housework is taken care of I spend quite a lot of time making things to sell at Fabrilushus.  Sales are very slow but they are coming.  The rest of my time is spent doing stuff for the dog rescue.  Both Simon and I are more and more involved there which is great as it is something we do together. It has also had the added benefit that we have made some very good friends.  We love each and every one of the dogs and spend many hours playing and grooming and just generally teaching them about love.

I would like to get back into my blog.  I always used it as a sort of online journal of my life and I am so annoyed that this year there are great chunks missing.  SO, I am going to try and do a daily photo to get back in the swing of things.  I figure a photo won't take too much time to do.  We shall see how it goes.

Wishing you all a happy Autumn.

Thursday 14th March

Just realised that I haven't been here for 2 weeks. I have read blogs from time to time and I have had good intentions but other stuff has got in the way. I know I have said it before but I really do need double the hours in my day.  I am just so busy.  The sewing and Etsy shop is taking up time and also my volunteer work with the dogs is taking more time too. 

So what is new?  Best news ever is that our little, tiny grandson, Jackson has had his feeding tube removed.  Yay! He is now 8 weeks old and weighs 5lb 1oz so he is doing fantastically.  Remember that he still shouldn't even be here for another 2 weeks. 

That reminds me, big congratulations to my friend Pam and her daughter Stephie.  Stephie has just given Pam another grandson.  Little Adam. 

I have a headache today.  It started yesterday and I can't get rid of it.  Hence, I’m doing some blogging rather than anything else. I have the TV on in the bedroom and am just watching “This Morning" and there is this really weird man, David Icke, who thinks the world is a hologram. Apparently we are all being controlled by members of the Royal family!  Weird or what? 

I actually do think that we are controlled by many forces and organisations but the Royal family?  No. Our governments, the church, yes, Royal family, no.  Speaking of the church reminds me of the election of the new Pope. Now there is a controlling organisation if ever there was one.  The Catholic Church. Oh yes, you better believe it.  Did you see all the faithful waiting to learn the name of the new head?  Sheep. Most have no idea who this guy even is but they will revere him anyway. 

Coralie posted on her Facebook page yesterday, "Dare we hope for a slightly more progressive thinking Pope? One who can lead the Catholic Church into the modern world?"  There is no way that will happen.  They are not interested.  They just want to stick with the old ways. They want to stay in control.  

My response was “Dare we hope for someone who will put an end to the sexual abuse that is so rife throughout the Catholic Church?”  Interestingly, Coralie deleted that.   I find that interesting in itself.   Coralie is someone who would normally welcome debate.  Seemingly my opinions are not appropriate for her page.  Hmmm, makes me really wonder.

So, Pope, Francis the first.  He is a very conservative, 76 year old. Is he going to change anything?  Is he heck?  That is why he was voted in.  They will never dare risk anything else.  He is anti-gays, anti-abortion, and anti-euthanasia need I go on?  Interesting that he is also a Jesuit.  Anyone recall from their history lessons how the Jesuits became so powerful at the end of the 18th century that they were suppressed?  Hmmm, power and control. 

OK, my brain is hurting, and I am waffling and not being coherent. I think you have realised by now that I am not impressed.  

For anyone that doesn't know, I was christened at my parent’s local parish church.  (Common C of E).  After my marriage, in a very misguided attempt to be accepted by the outlaws, I was confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church.  Our children grew up in that faith and at primary age they went to a Catholic school.  I have never believed. Simon has never believed. We were both just trying to fit in with his family. It didn't work. Nothing will ever work there, but that is another story.  

Basically as we got older we realised that there was no point in pretending to be something that we are not.  We have not attended church for years and never will again. (Weddings and funerals excepted). Simon believes very strongly that the church is just an organisation that controls the masses for their own purposes. I mostly don't even bother to think about it. If I am anything, then I am probably a sort of Pagan.  But I prefer not to define myself.  I am me and I believe in balance and good and..........oh  my goodness what a lot more drivel.  This is what happens when I have a headache!

I am being driven crazy buy Alfie.  We were all 3 of us on the bed.  Alfie was in Simon’s place at the top of the bed next to me and Loulou was at the bottom by my feet.  I got up to go to the loo and Alfie followed me.  Of course Loulou then saw her opportunity and moved into the prime position.  Alfie is not pleased.  This happens all the time.  I wish he would just realise that I am only going to be 2 minutes and stay where he is. He then tries to get on my lap which doesn't work with my lap top.  I have moved to the chair and he keeps trying to get up here with me. I might shut them both downstairs for a while. I think I need to close the curtains and lie down quietly.   Stupid headache.

At least I managed a blog.

Show and tell 2

Here it is, "Show and tell" 2.  These are all things that I have made the last few weeks to sell in my shop Fabrilushus.  See it here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fabrilushus

I also have a Facebook page which is here: https://www.facebook.com/Fabrilushus I can do with some likes and shares if anybody wouldn't mind.

Guess what? I have actually sold a couple of things.  Yes!  I sold a cushion cover with a Siamese cat on it that I had accented with embroidery and I have sold 2 bum bags / fanny packs.  The ones in the lovely doggie fabric.  I actually only had one so had to make another.

OK, lets get started.  I have made some other bum bags.

A new kind of felt flower brooch.

The next  brooch went horribly wrong!  I will not be selling this!!  Coralie, Denise and I were experimenting with different ways to do things.  This didn't work for me... this time.  I will get it sussed out soon.

Of course Coralie's attempt worked beautifully.  She made this shabby chic look, flower brooch.

Back to bags.  I love making bags.  This is another tote bag.

I made a larger version of the same tote bag and put a pocket on the front.  This would be an ideal shopping bag or even a beach bag.  I LOVE this one.

This is a different kind of bag.  I got the pattern from my sewing magazine and they called this a sweetheart bag.  It is made with gorgeous Riley Blake fabric from the Decadence range.

I made a glasses case in the same fabric.

 

I made another wall hanging,  It is a tropical beach scene like the one in my 4 seasons wall  hanging that I did last year.  These individual hangings are much larger.

I love this next item.  It is a table runner or table centre piece.  I love the blue fabrics.  I found this pattern on the Missouri Quilt Company web site.  Missouri Quilt Co. have the best tutorials.

I had some fabric scraps so I made a set of 4 coasters / mug rugs to match.  I used my crazy patchwork technique.  Each one is different and they are totally random.

And so to burp cloths.  I LOVE making burp cloths!  So easy and yet so cute.  Practical too.

That last one is the same as the one I made for my niece's baby.

That is it for now.  Time to get on and make more.  I am thinking more bags, more brooches, more burp cloths, more wall hangings.  I have enjoyed those things.  May add baby bibs to my repertoire.

MIA again

I have just looked back at my blog and it appears that I have been missing in action again for well over 2 weeks.  Time flies when you are having fun!  Time flies when you are busy too but I have had some fun along the way.    So where to begin with my update?  You know me, I won't possibly be able to remember the whole 2 weeks.

I guess Jackson is a good starting point as my last blog was about him being back in the NICU.  He is now 5 weeks old.  Incredible.  Of course he wasn't even due to be born for another 5 weeks yet.  He is doing really, really well now.  He was moved out of NICU last week on to SCBU.  He is now out of his incubator and just in a "hot cot" which they are turning down day by day.  He only has 2 wires now, a heart monitor and a temperature  monitor.  He still has his feeding tube although he does now have a sucking reflex and is beginning to feed from Mummy.  It is slow progress as he finds it hard to suck and breath at the same time. He weighs 4lbs now. All his test results are now fine. The heart specialist is pleased with him.

Here are the latest photos of our little guy.

These next 2 were just taken yesterday.

Last week was the school half term break in Lincolnshire.  As always it was really busy.  Simon spent one complete day moving cars around.  His truck has gone to someone to do some work that for some reason he can't do. His dragster is now residing in the garage. We had dentist appointments, several meals out, a day in Lincoln,  an evening out with staff from the old Walton school, a trip to Stevenage to collect my Dad, then to Stamford station to collect Saskia. We had a day in Leicester at the fabric shop, lots of kennel visits and we saw lots of the grandchildren. It was busy.

Alfie had a day at the vets for more scans and X-rays.The good news is that his very large bladder stone has broken down into much small pieces and they were able to get some of them out. He has been given more tablets which should hasten the process. The bad news was his arthritis is looking pretty bad. More bad news was received in a letter........our insurance will not cover the cost of his very, very expensive prescription food.

I am sure I have missed stuff out.  I don't seem to have any photos though.  How about one of Alfie the evening he got back from the Vet.  He is still very drugged up.

Here is a  recent one of my 2 gorgeous boys.

Photo blatantly stolen from Coralie's Facebook page!

We had a good few days with my Dad. He saw 4 of his great grandchildren and he enjoyed that. He came and had a cup of tea at the dog rescue kennels and he got to see Jenson the Dalmatian.  He took a walk down to our village church and lit a candle for my Mum.  That seems to have become a regular thing when he visits here.  I'm not sure why as he doesn't do that anywhere else. On Sunday we took him to Leicester to the Fabric Guild.  He has wanted to go for ages. He is really into his sewing now.  He has made me 4 tote bags for the fund raiser for the doggies and also this table runner for me.  He has made a good job of it.

The Fabric Guild was disappointing.  They had a sale on, which was good but they had less than a quarter of the stock that they would normally have.  Also I thought they closed at 2pm and they close at 1pm so we only had about 40 minutes there.  It was a good job that we had combined it with taking Saskia home otherwise it would have been very annoying.  My Dad still thought it was a fantastic place and I still managed to spend lots of money!

We had some good news on Sunday evening.  My niece Carly has just had her first baby.  A little girl named Annabelle Iris. Both are doing well.  My Dad was so thrilled.  He especially liked that she has Iris in her name as that was Mum's name.  He can't wait to see her.  He now has 6 great grandchildren, 3 boys and 3 girls. She is my sisters first grandchild so they are all very excited.

Simon took my Dad home yesterday and he is now back at school so peace and quiet is here again.  I will probably be spending the next few days getting the house back to normal.  It deteriorates rapidly when Simon is on holiday!  I get out of my routine.

Today, I have washing, ironing, cleaning etc, etc. Hopefully I will find some sewing time too.  I have done lots of sewing the last few weeks and will do a show and tell soon.  Right now, I am having a coffee  before hoovering my bedroom.  Our lovely cuddle arm chair is being delivered this morning.

Well my coffee is finished so I suppose it is time to move myself into gear.