I feel lucky, oh so lucky ..........

On Facebook there is something called "100 days of happiness challenge".  Everyday - no matter how bad your day has been - you are challenged to post something that has made you happy that day.  Some days we all struggle to find something - however small - but today I had an embarrassment of riches.



First up was the delivery of a shaker style shelf - ready to be fitted upstairs in the newly decorated bedroom.  The room, which is in the loft, cannot have a wardrobe due to the sloping roof - so a set of shelves (adorned with some nice padded coat hangers of course) was the order of the day.  Why did it make me happy?  How often have we ordered something off the internet and been disappointed - this is lovely!











Then there was the delivery of a little gift to myself - a brooch from the lady who ran the workshop that I missed last week.  I might even give this a go myself and see where I get to.





Then there was, of course, Daisy and Millie who, once again, have been fabulous (Daisy walked a lot better today - just chasing a leaf!).




And lastly there was this lovely bunch of flowers from Wendy.  Not just the flowers themselves, of course, but because they were delivered by a good friend - along with a couple of grocery items that she picked up for me - and because we enjoyed a good gossip over a cuppa.

Today has been one of life's really good days!




By the way I ended yesterday's blog with a problem to solve - how my quilting friends and I would get back from the NEC next month now that I won't be able to drive them.  Bless her - Carine has offered to drive both ways - it will mean that they will have wasted money on train tickets there but saves spending more money and will be much more comfortable.  As I have said - I really do have a good bunch of friends!

57 days to go ......

or 4,924,800 seconds or 82,080 minutes or 1368 hours - more later!


So - back to last night and the scan.  I had a call around 7 to say that they had had a cancellation so if I wanted to I could go in earlier.  So off Jean and I went.  I filled in a questionnaire and waited - only to be told that there were different scanners within the trust and something had come up on my questionnaire that meant this scanner wouldn't work - I needed to go to Scunthorpe.  So, as I sit and write this, I am waiting to hear when that will be.  Since Scunthorpe is a round trip of around 2 1/2 hours we won't just be able to pick up an impromptu cancellation!

This morning was spent with the doctor (thank you Sue for taking me, waiting around for nearly an hour and then bringing me home)going through what has happened so far - apparently I should have been placed within a "2 week pathway" so that I can be seen more quickly - he is going to complain on my behalf but has started this process so I should start fending off appointments!  I also asked him about my holiday and whether I should drive or go by train.  He politely suggested that the train was far easier and more enjoyable - so, after consultation with a friend, I have booked the train to Milton Keynes for my Lynette Anderson workshop and she, or my other friend who is working today, will pick me up and deliver me to my Premier Inn at the end of the holiday so that I can go to the Festival Of Quilts - it's a logistical nightmare!  Now I just need to talk to my quilting friends and organise tickets for us to come home by train.

Other than that I have done a little machine sewing - row 3 has now been "sashed" - a little light housework (dishwasher and hoovering), some sorting of paperwork in the conservatory (if it's paperwork, how comes I found another bag of fabric??) and, drumroll please, walking the dogs.  Those who know me, know that Millie is a nightmare to walk - which is why I prefer to drive her up to the beach so that she can go for a run off the lead.  However they have both been brilliant so I thought that we would just go slowly down the road - not very far you understand but it's a start.  If this goes on any longer perhaps I should get one of those mobility scooters and tie Millie to the handles!  Seriously, apart from getting used to judging distances, I refuse to be an invalid - there is nothing wrong with my legs so this might even be good for me!

I should add that Millie was an angel - no pulling whatsoever.  Now Daisy?  Well that could be a whole different tale!
















And the 57 days etc - its 57 days until Saturday 3rd September - which is, apparently, the launch show for this year's Strictly Come Dancing - yippee!

Thinking happy thoughts

After the pace of yesterday, I enjoyed a pain free evening and night - not waking up until 8am!!  Mind you I do find that my eye takes 2 / 3 hours to get comfortable in the morning so there was some pain but, by lunchtime, I was feeling fine.

So - what did I do to while away the hours?  Err - looked on the internet and ordered some bedroom furniture for upstairs - I will be broke at this rate!  Mind you the two pieces are gorgeous (and they were in a sale)!

Otherwise it has been some ironing (sitting down just to be lazy) and finishing the second row of my Tuesday night block quilt - anything other than thinking about this MRI scan tonight.  I've promised to just think happy thoughts and get through it - although the happy thoughts are diminishing as we approach the bewitching hour! 

I will do a proper blog tomorrow - when its all over.  Honest!

What a lovely day - and one full of surprises!

I woke up feeling absolutely fabulous - until I opened my left eye that is!  Nevertheless a pain free night must and should be celebrated!  During this period I have been overwhelmed with the number of offers of help and support but have not always welcomed company - today I felt up to it and messaged Terry - did she want to pop over?  Yes please, was the answer, I will bring lunch.  well, with the Tesco delivery yesterday I was able to offer ham, eggs, new potato and grated carrot with fresh fruit salad for afters.  Terry brought a wide range of salads, French bread, carrot cake and scones - along with orange juice - it was a veritable feast!  I went outside and sorted the table - and moved these mini geranium plugs - they are really flourishing now!!





Just as these messages were going backwards and forwards Jean turned up - she had decided to clean the road sign at the end of her road and had decided to pop round and help me with any cleaning that needed doing.  Suffice to say Millie and Daisy tried to keep her busy!







However we all sat down to our feast and a long natter - it was a lovely day and we sat outside.









Even Millie and Daisy took advantage and fell asleep.









Then we had a visit from Christine - the church secretary - who came to pick up some signed cheques from me - cue more nattering.








The final treat of the day - and an absolutely shocker - was a phone call from the hospital with a date for my MRI scan - tomorrow night at 9pm!!  They had had a cancellation so would I like the appointment?  "Like" might be too strong a word but yes please - let's get this one over and done with please!

So I have done absolutely nothing today - and had a great time filled with gossip, fun and friendship - just what the doctor ordered!!

Aunite Wendy to the rescue - again!

I had a much better night last night - just the one painkiller tablet - and feel a little better in myself.  However, when I gingerly take the eye patch off and wait for a refocus - it doesn't happen - very frustrating!

Before

After

Anyway, as a good friend was prone to say "I'm bored now!"  Today Daisy was due to be groomed - not the highest priority I know but the groomer is very popular and a devil to get an appointment with.  Plus - as you will see from the photo - there was a LOT of hair to cut off.  So it was kinder to Daisy to keep the appointment.  Cue Wendy again as chauffeur who kindly drove us to take Daisy and then drove us to pick her up an hour later - she deserves a medal!

Hair mountain

Otherwise my day has been more of the same - a little light housework, take a break, a little church accounting, take a break, a little craft room tidying, take a break - extremely frustrating when you just want to get on!  To compound the frustration Lynette Anderson has posted a picture on facebook of some personalised thread holders that she is making for her workshops in August - I just have to be well enough to get to that!! (fancy getting mine in the picture!)









I've also sat on the phone trying to get through to the MRI department re an appointment - they were continuously busy!  However, when I did get through it would appear that the doctor put me on a 6 week waiting list - which, I guess, goes hand in hand with him saying that there wasn't an urgent need for a scan.  I guess that's good news - right?

Oh - and the online Tesco order arrived - now what did we do without that facility?  I'm not eating much still but, when I do, I don't want to bother cooking it so have ordered some prepared fruit and a couple of ready meals to keep me going - ah bless!

Normal service is resumed - ish!

Apologies for missing the past two blogs - Saturday saw me wiped out on the sofa, being sick when I moved, and Sunday saw me at A & E.  My good friend Wendy gave up her valuable free time to take me.  It turns out that there's no problem with my eye - although I am seeing double vision - it's more a problem with my brain (cheerful eh?).  They took blood tests and ruled out optical nerve damage and ordered an MRI scan to rule out anything more serious.  They said that often this sort of things comes from nowhere and then goes again - without anyone knowing what the problem was - it could go in days or in 6 to 12 months - yikes!! Meanwhile I have to wear an eye patch to reduce the strain and therefore the pain (that means no driving then!) and take pain killers as and when necessary.  Suffice to say that I slept for England when I got home!

Mind you - this is a good diet - I have lost 11 pounds since Thursday!!  Last night I ate half of a children's fish pie from M & S - the dogs had the rest!  I am trying to eat every now and then - even if I don't feel hungry.  Otherwise you won't know whether the lack of energy is down to lack of fuel or just being poorly!



Suffice to say there hasn't been any sewing during this period but my new blinds for the craft room arrived today and look quite smart.  I've also managed to do a quick tidy up - nothing major but the poor dogs have had a field day over the past few days - my new door mat seems to have been dragged around the lounge!






This afternoon I sewed the sashing for the first row of my Tuesday night blocks.  I think that I got away with it - my only mistake, so far, seems to be adding sashing to the last block - novice error!






Tonight I think that its time to rest the eyes again!  I'm missing the hand sewing but don't want to push it.

It's been a difficult day.

I went to sleep with a headache and so wasn't surprised when I woke up again around midnight with a headache and took some tablets.  However I cannot describe the pain that woke me up around 4am - as if I had been hit hard in the left eye and feeling sick if I moved.  I figured that this was a migraine and so took some more tablets and dozed feeling sorry for myself.  Whilst the pain has got better during the day, and the feeling of sickness has gone, there is still enough discomfort to require medication.

However, life goes on and this morning saw me popping into Grimsby (don't worry mother I took it easy) to pick up my poorly sewing machine - it had blown two fuses and the bill for mending, and a service, was £45 which I didn't think was too bad.  Mind you I haven't tried it out yet!

I couldn't face blasting the kitchen, as planned, and - truthfully - have spent many an hour lying on the sofa with my eyes "resting" but I did manage to put the hoover around - even venturing into the conservatory!!!  I also managed to cut the rest of the Tuesday night blocks to size ready for Sunday's sewing day.

The other "highlight" of my day was the arrival of two table lamps and a lamp shade from Dunelm - ordered online just a few hours before their sale finished.  I wasn't too sure when the box arrived - but the new towels were behind the dent!

I think that an early night is called for tonight - tomorrow Wendy and I are going to a "Dear Emma" workshop the other side of Lincoln - it looks fun.