My Happy List

I've just seen this idea over on Curly Pops' blog, and liked the idea.  Especially, on a day like today.  The snow is melting, leaving everywhere appearing a bit grey and dismal.  And, after a week of some people being both rude and spiteful, the shocking death of our lolly-dolly-pop's previous child-minder ....

So,

the red bucket in our landing window is collecting water

from the melting gutter ice, that is coming through the window frame - eek

1.  We are here, no more heart attacks in this house, thank you

me and ash off to see some animals . . . .

 

. . . . . including her all time fave, the 'polo' bear
which we saw at the HIGHLAND WILDLIFE PARK

2.  We have healthy children and grand-children

. . . . who, despite the 'face' love to help nanny at her work



3.  By the gift of our childdren we have lots of contact with them, and our grand-children - and, lately via that wonderful invention Skype

4.  We are happy together, and love travelling

the ship we boarded in Venice, to go around the Mediterranean this year

 5.  We're lucky enough to be working, so that we have a comfortable way of life, and can afford those 'extras' which includes travel

6.  It's Christmas in two weeks from today, and we'll have our family with us.

I could stop there, but I am so grateful to have all of this, that I don't have to be spiteful or rude to people - and I haven't lost anyone of mine.  Thanks be.

A Happy and Peaceful Christmas to you

xxxx



living in an igloo

Well, this is what our igloo looks like from outside and up the hill.  Sorry for the gratuitous 'snow' picture, but I thought this one, that Mr T took with our new SLR camera, the other day was superb.  Isn't it?  The snow is actually another foot deeper now.  But, I've just checked the storecupboard and found another six packets of tea - so, we're not running out of supplies just yet.

We have been stuck indoors for a couple of days now, and are really enjoying it.  Seems like a holiday at home to us.  I've got all the hoovering and ironing done.  Loads of knitting and will get set to and do some sewing tomorrow.  Then, I've got some stuff to catch up on for college - mainly getting my scrapbook up to date, and starting on my project.  It is on - guess what? - kintting! I've to gather images, samples, ideas and some knitting designers and put them into a sketchbook.  Fun, eh?

Yet again, gah

Yes, yet again I have a stinker of a cold.  I have had to cancel three meetings - yes, three! - for today, again.  And, with this 'cold' I have not been sleeping, just a couple of hours a night.  This will just not do.

I am due to be going to Harrogate tomorrow, to the Knitting and Stitching Show which I am really excited about.  Several friends have been going for years, and one in particular - I shall call her Jean, as that is her name - sends me a copy of the leaflet each year.  And, this time another crafter and I are palling up to go there.  We went through the Twisted Thread site and found a great deal on the hotel and travel.  Let's hope it all goes smoothly ..... After attending the Pain Clinic I bought a folding chair thingy, that I'll be able to take and use in the exhibitions, etc.  Usually, I am unable to go to exhibitions due to the pain of walking and then standing about on hard floors.  I let you know how I get on - I know you are gagging for information, haha!

My family are all well at the moment, except for nanny's lolly-dolly-pop, who very generously gave this current cold to me.  She loves being called nanny's lolly-dolly-pop

              ** we interrupt this broadcast to let you know it is SNOWING! here in mid-
                    Scotland, yay! **  (deffo worth staying home and knitting socks by the fire, eh? )

and we have movement on the childminding stakes. We had the sad news, recently, that nldp's childminder, S, is very sick.  Her cancer has returned.  So, there was a mad rush to find a good next one, and in the meantime, granddad and I stepped in to help.  A new childminder has been found, vetted, and given the approval of nldp, but is more expensive.  The solution we came to was for granddad and I to have her on one day each week, so bonus for me!  Daughter and nldp have been to visit S, and taken her a 'birthday' (according to nldp) card, that is a Get Well Soon one.  Our thoughts are with S, who is bearing up but very scared.  Kind of puts any cold a person may be suffering from into perspective, doesn't it?

As I leave you today, little tiny flakes of snow are wending their way down from the sky, to join up with the hard frost to be found covering everything.

UPdate

Well, we're back from a most smashing holiday, over one of the most awful of virus-y colds ever, and well, back to the usual stuff of course.

The holiday was 'really fun' to use an American term I heard quite a bit.  The Royal Caribbean cruise line is US owned and patronised; though altogether there were 62 different nations aboard.  There was everything you could want aboard, including two swimming pools, various bars, lessons in painting, dancing and languages, as well as how to fold the towels in the cute way the stateroom attendants did it to amuse us.  Deck games plus a climbing wall, plus 3.5 x around the ship = 1 mile - or you could run it, either in company or alone.

The food was impressive. Not just beautiful, well cooked food in such a variety that you couldn't get bored, but consistently good if you were partaking at 6 am or 2 am.  Doubly impressive when you consider they were catering for 2,500 people for all those hours. And, the staff were at all times, pleasant and polite - and with a genuine smile.

We needed to return from one trip due to a stonking migraine I developed.  Not only was the taxi fare refunded, but I was able to see the doctor, and enquiries were made into my welfare with real concern.

We visited Venice (stunning) Egypt (smelly and dirty, as usual) Israel (clean, friendly and efficient) Athens (gorgeous - with the Amphitheatre, which was cool) and Croatia which had oranges and pomegranates growing on trees (which a young, New Yorker thought might be tomatoes (!)) and an, as yet, freshness that appears to be unsullied by us rotten tourists visiting.

As it was a 'Holy Land' cruise of course there was a visit to Jerusalem, to see Jesus birthplace.  The manger in a stable turns out to be a cave down several lots of steps, (which I didn't venture down as a) I am claustrophobic and b) not religious) instead of a wooden stable that all kids in a Christian world have been fobbed off with.  It was also not very 'godly' for those who were expecting that, apparently, due to the sheer volume of the crowds.  Which is a shame if that's what you've actually paid all your money for.

The ship is the holiday itself with, as I say, everything you could want and is very comfortable.  The visits to the various countries involves getting off the ship, onto a coach, visit something in that country, and return back to the ship. Which does give you a flavour of the various places, and we have definitely decided we will return to Venice. And, there is a but.  Which is that we like to visit a country and see more than just the sight it is famous for.  So, I don't think that cruising on a big ship is for us in the near future.

We did return, as said, to the usual bugs picked up on the journey home, usually, which does detract somewhat from the relaxing effect of the holiday. So, we'll be planning the next one soon, I'm sure.  I will post up piccies soon. Promise.

Well, it's still all happening here

I was very excited about our forthcoming holiday, possibly a bit over the top.  But, we've worked hard to earn the money to pay for it.

I was simply over the moon about my new embroidery/textiles course.

Until my bro was here to visit, that is.  He was here for three weeks which isn't usually a problem.  And, he was here while Mr T was away for a few days on a motorbike trip with his mates.  Not usually a problem.

Except that I came home from an evening at the rural, to find he had downed a bottle of Jack Daniels.  A medium bottle of 40% proof, of my JD.  He wasn't too bad when I left him to go to bed as my back was very sore. (It had been my turn to do the supper and it takes it out of my back)

I had to come downstairs again and ring my daughter, as I was scared bro needed an ambulance - that he would die, or get up and hit me if I said the wrong thing.  He can be violent in drink.

Daughter stayed on the 'phone while son-in-law raced up in the car.  He helped me to aid bro while he was being sick.  I was so worried and angry, as well as embarrassed for s-i-l, that I took some video.

Next day, he stayed in bed for most of it.  I went off to wherever I needed to go and Mr T returned home. I kept thinking 'Oh my god, some people have to put up with this on a daily or nightly basis!'

Then, the next day, after I had been in a daze of upset, nearly bursting into tears while shopping in town, I vowed that he needed to go.  However, I couldn't send him away after he has been rejected by our mum, for no good reason.  I decided I needed to at least say something to him.

He told me that I was over-reacting.  I dared him to say such a thing, how dare he?!  I know he is an alcoholic, he doesn't know it yet, it seems.  I offered to take him to AA, but he said he wouldn't do it until he got home.

He has now gone home, under a cloud.  We looked into the drinks cupboard and have found, unsurprisingly, that all the bottles are somewhat lower.

I am so upset at the prospect of what might lay ahead for him.  We have always looked after each other.  I cannot look after him, there is nothing I can do to make this better for him.

Busy-ness

Yes, very busy lately.  And, I was quite poorly with a facial neuralgia, that was bloody painful I can tell you.  Then, the meds given for it make me drunk.  All day.  I told the doc that, when this is over, I may take up drinking!  I am getting used to the drugs (Gabapentin) now and the effects are just that I am fairly lad back, can sleep at night, and the symptoms of tingling in my face, are greatly reduced.

I enrolled onto the course last week, and hadn't realised I could stay there all day, gah!  But, I had delayed taking my meds so that I could understand what was being told to me, and was ready to go when Mr T collected me a couple of hours later.  He had been to the hospital physio for his back problem - that still hasn't been diagnosed.  He has been given some exercises to do that may or may not work. 

However, the course seems absolutely brill, and we have two women from India giving us a workshop on Indian embroidery in the few weeks.  Whoop Whoop!  I had to stop myself from weeping with joy, that it just gets better and better.

I went to the UK Knit Camp, Stirling at the beginning of the month, and took a workshop with Carol Feller, on the magic loop.  Now, I am hooked!  And, it's so easy.  I showed it to people at my craft group on Thursday, and one actually had a go.  Though, they all had a reason for not trying it, but there you go.  I treated myself to a deluxe set of knit-pro interchangeable needles and am finding them indispensable now.  It certainly removes my propensity for ladders. 

There was a lovely atmosphere at the camp, especially with the spinners, who were making an attempt at a Guinness Book of Records sheep to jumper (or yarn to garment, or sheep to shoulder, I don't know and can't seem to find out!) challenge.  Unfortunately, they took nearly six hours, so didn't beat the 4 hour record, but they seemed to have a lot of fun.  I could only go there on the Saturday due to work commitments, but if it comes up again I shall try to get there.

My bro is up visiting at the moment and he loves to look at arty exhibitions, so I took him and Mr P along to the Salutation Hotel in Perth to look at the  Prestonpans Tapestry.  This is an embroidered panel telling the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie's attempt at gaining back the Scottish throne, and the great battle at Prestonpans in 1745.  The panel developed from an idea to make a tapestry similar to the Bayeux, and was completed this year, and is now the longest tapestry in the world.  Do have a look at the site and go along, if you can, it is a wonderful piece of work.

I do have some piccies of bits that I have made, and will post up soon, promise.  Have a good week.

'If you think I'm sexy ....' tra, la! and All Sewn Up

Wow, what a week this has been!  We were invited to a friend's 50th birthday party on Saturday, which we were intending to go.  But, then I was informed by my daughter that, as it was my birthday on Saturday, I needed to cancel any plans I had made as she had a surprise present for me.  Hmm, it was quite hard to telephone my friend to let her know we weren't coming.

BUT!  what was the surprise? You've guessed from the title of this post, right?  YES!  tickets for a Rod Stewart concert at Inverness, yay!!!  What a performance he gave - it was brilliant!  All the old favourites - 'Maggie May', 'This old Heart', 'I am Sailing' and two hours worth of more.  It was fantastic to be singing the songs wot he wrote, alongside him, and that we've been singing since he first wrote them.

And, the icing on the cake was that our original tickets were for on the pitch (Cally Thistle Stadium) and behind the tent covering the light and sound equipment, and protecting it from any rain.  Yes, blocking our view but, we weren't going to let that spoil our evening.

However, the tent was being pulled down as the night was clear.  While this was happening I was talking to a young woman about the tent being there, blah, blah.  I mentioned that I had been anxious as it might have spoiled our view, it was my birthday and this was my birthday treat.  We sat down and the young woman came over and asked us to go and follow her.  So, we arrived down at the front of the pitch, four rows from the front .... and she says 'I'm **name, the person in charge**, have these seats with my compliments, and Happy Birthday to you!' 

Just how flipping cool is that?!!  And, I am now more in love with Rod Stewart than ever.

AND - a Textiles Course

I recently applied for a place on a City & Guilds Creative Embroidery course.  When I spoke with the person who runs this course she ran through the course details and it turns out that it is much more to do with textiles, art and design, was I still interested?  I was biting my fist as she was speaking, of course I would love to do the textiles side of it as well as the embroidery, felting and machine embroidery.  Who wouldn't?!

So today I have received the offer letter.  I need to return the acceptance form within 7 days. 

Whoo, Hoo!!

So, perhaps being the ripe old age of 53 won't be so bad, eh?