Friday, March 31, 2006

If I am not around much

Its because I have a new toy. Today I got a Nintendo DS, which I have been wanting to get since Christmas. I kept wondering if I would play with it or really like it but decided what the hell-lifes too short. I have been researching packages and nearly got one in Argos this week but then today online it said they were out of stock again. So as mum was going into town to the hairdressers and as I was feeling ok after dialysis I decided to go and check it out for myself in case they were wrong online. As I was doing a recce of the shops I came across a fabulous deal in Game which had the exact 3 games I wanted with some accesories for a very good price indeed. It was more than Argos but overall it was too good an offer to pass up and when I was speaking to the guy in the shop and he was pointing out what was included he said it was a very good offer indeed. They were out of one of the games so I am having one reserved in the next delivery for collection sometime next week.
I always feel guilty buying stuff for myself but I had always intended on using my £100 lottery winnings at Christmas for one and have a very healthy bank balance at the moment and with my stress levels and feeling so down I felt it was time to treat myself. Ok I have bought quite a bit of stash lately too but nothing huge or ridiculously exspensive and now I am on the wagon for a bit. But I am in a devil may care attitude at the moment and I want to just relax and have fun-something that hasn't happened for awhile.
So I may not be around for a bit as I will be busy playing the games I have and hopefully destressing-but thats obviously inbetween the OU work lol. Which is one of the reasons I got it today-guilt free as I don't study on a dialysis day. Tomorrow I would have been torn on which to do first lol.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

It's all happening this week!!

Phew what a week and it's only Wednesday. Firstly I have a HD of another knitting piece. This time its a scarf for mum which is in Patons Whisper again, but this time is in the Nutmeg colour. Not sure where they got the name from as I thought nutmeg was more orangey/brown than this but its nice anyway and mum is chuffed to bits-good job she chose the colour by look rather than name though:



Secondly I am trying to get my 7th assignment in-can you believe we are on number 7 already? Where has the last 6 months gone? Anyway its going well but I am becoming obsessed with tweaking it and its becoming a bit ridiculous. I am not saying anything else, just changing the way I exspress it so maybe I should just read it through and email it. I think this time I am a bit more nervous as this one is 15% of the final grade which is the highest so far as all others have been 10%. What am I going to be like in 4 weeks when the 20% one needs to be put in. Arrghhhh.
Thirdly although I am not going into details here major things are going on with the group and none of its pleasent. I am just so relieved to be out of it, but unfortunately a few people are under more stress now trying to put an impossible situation right.
Right anything else? I think thats it-just seems like a jumble of stuff all happening at once but most of it is good stuff and the bad-well can stand back and just wait and see now.
One more thing I have just remembered is that I have finished Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. It was quite a good book, but in some places I got a bit confused as there were alot of characters spanning different centuries and as I am a slow reader I did get lost at times. Anyway for those who like a mystery with a twist, or archaelogical stories its worth a try. Mum is borrowing it next, but get in contact if you want to borrow it after. I have now started The Da Vinci code and that is promising as I am flying through that and it looks to be different but every bit as good as Angels and Demons.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Good day

Today has been a really good productive day. My friend Jane from Cornwall was in the area this weekend so she picked me up this morning and we went into town for a spot of shopping, tea drinking and a gossip. I managed to get two nice tops from Next. One was a sporty white long sleeved white top with a bright pink sleeveless hoodie over the top which came as one piece but will be a great mix and match set, for spring, summer and autumn. The other was a crinkle long sleeved top with embroidery and applique on it. Also good for the 3 seasons but will be cool in a heat wave too because of its material. I am trying to find some light long sleeved tops this year as I don't like showing the arm where I have dialysis as its pretty yucky but also don't want to boil in cardigans. So I am getting stuff when I see it as so many times I lose out thinking it will still be there in a few weeks.
I got home earlier than I thought so managed to crack on with my essay and have made huge in roads into it, so I don't feel as panicky as I did about getting this one in on time. Its weird because although I have sort of seen a slow upward climb in demand on this course it really has suddenly changed pace, and I can see how its preparing us for a course at the next level. Its quite subtle and also very manageable as its been very well structured that its not until you have done it do you realise you have gone up a gear.
Then tonight I stitched on MIX-I finally finished part 1 last night and as I have been stitching part 2 at times along the way I am not far off finished with that either. Now I can see the textures coming in its starting to look good and even though I have been cussing and swearing with the perle stuff its been well worth it.
Then to round off my day nicely I won £10 on the Thunderball lottery and I am trying to remember how much I have won this year but can't-but also didn't report the £5 won last week so I am doing ok.

Hope you are all having a good weekend too.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Good/bad fracture clinic news

I am back and a bit confused but its starting to make some sense. Apparently its not healed and probably never will be. :-( But as it has plenty of fibrous tissue supporting it then no long term harm will be done. So the plan is to leave it unless it starts causing problems in the future and I have an open appointment for 12 months so can go back easily in that period if it causes problems. Not that I was oppered one but, I think on balance the risk of an operation with complications of bleeding and infection compared with the fact its not presently causing a problem with every day life this is the best step to take-no pun intended lol. I may think about asking my consultant to refer me to someone in Bristol for a second opinion as I know how frightened my local hospital is of kidney patients but I would refuse to have the operation there anyway for just that reason.

So lots to muse on and think about but I think the result could have been worse.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Another week gone

I am getting lax at thsi blogging lark but the truth is I just seem to be so busy. Thats not a bad thing as it means I don't have to think too much about stuff as when I do my anxiety kicks right in again.
So what am I busy with? Its mainly study and more study as the last few blocks of this course are really intensive. We are already at an end of block 6 and now in reading week but I am playing catch up and will probably have to work very hard at getting this assignment done. This one is non-substitutable and has a higher threshold-its also worth the most so far at 15%. We have until the 31st but when you factor out 6 days for dialysis it leaves little time to finish the block and write the assignment and fit in life around it. Tuesday I have the fracture clinic again lol but luckily as its early in the morning it shouldn't have too much time to get behind but depending on what they say depends how much study I feel like doing. I know almost instinctively that its not healed but I am hoping that my feeling of progress is not wishful thinking. I really, really don't want a bone graft and have a deal to broach with them lol. When I went in December they wanted my calcium higher and my consultant immediately changed my drugs which made only a small difference and its only 3 weeks ago they they have been more radically changed. So I am hoping that they will hold off from the bone graft and from what I gather if its even improved a bit they will just keep seeing me until its done.
So then I have Thursday free to study and Saturday my friend Jane is in the area so we are going shopping and having a girlie day-much needed but probably no study time lol. She has 2 family weddings to go to this year and we are going to look at some outfits and generally have a catch up.
Craft wise I am doing bits and pieces-finishing mums knitted scarf, little amounts of MIX and some of my rotation. I want to start several things and can't decide whether to or not. I haven't really got time to stitch too much at the moment but it would also be nice to have a few smaller pieces on the go. Although yes they are smaller but I want to make them into a bigger picture such as Bent Creek's Winter Snapperville. I am going to do this with the border and as one big picture-so four small charts becomes quite big lol. I am also wanting to start my Kats by Kelly year long wall hanging. They release two monthly themed Mini Kat deigns every other month or so which again are small but there are 12 of them lol. I also have to count these as a wip until the entire thing is done the same as I do with the Chatelaine mysteries so my wip count just increases. But they also make for some quick designs and a good thing to stitch after dialysis.
Anyway think that is that for now but hope you are all ok and will try and post on Tuesday with the news from the fracture clinic whether that is good or bad.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Tutorial and small HD

I went to my first tutorial yesterday and the 3 hours just flew. It was great to meet everyone and put names to faces as we have studied for around 5 months on a message board together but most of us had never met. There was a tutorial right at the beginning of the course but I and most others didn't make it for various reasons. I didn't feel like the fish out of water I was worried about being and now have more confidence both personally and with the course.
Then yesterday evening I finished up the square that is going to be part of a quilt in memory of Laura from the stitching community. Laura sadly passed away last month and it has been organised by some of her friends as a gift for her family so they can appreciate how well thought of she was. I chose to do the square that Teresa Wentzler adapted for my 30th birthday quilt last year and I stitched it in Laura's favourite purple colurs:



Out of courtesy I emailed Teresa to check it was ok to use and she was honoured to have its conclusion in the project. I felt it was appropriate as its something that defines me and my place in the online stitching community as well as being designed by someone whos board Laura was part of.
Today I am pretty tired after yesterday's busy day but finished up the next piece in my rotation plus a few minutes more to finish a thread lol, and have also completed my studies for the day. So for the rest of the day I plan to chill out and knit, stitch or surf.
This week is looking fairly quiet so far with a short appointment Thursday morning and getting some more study done inbetween.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

New stash

For someone who is on the wagon I seem to be getting quite a few stash parcels through lol. Yesterday I got the winter snapperland border and fabric package and two of the charts as well as the snapperville border package. I also bought Just Nans newest Tulip time and the limited edition frost flower that has a frame and organza pouch which is just beautiful. But all of the above apart from the Just Nan limited were on such a good offer that I couldn't resist.
Then today I received some threads and a kit. The threads were a mixture of lots of black for my Kats by Kelly monthly wallhanging-which may wait to next year now and some purples for Laura's quilt project. Laura sadly passed away in February and was well known in the sttichers community so in memory we are stitching squares up to be made into a quilt in her memory. I have chosen to stitch the Teresa Wentzler square that was an adaptation she did for my 30th birthday quilt. I thought this would be a nice choice as it is personal to me, can be done in the colours Laura loved and also be the right size and easily accomplishable in the time scale. The kit I got was the new Heritage one by Margaret Sherry called Home is where the cat is. I fell in love with it instantly the minute I saw a picture in a magazine and just had to have it. I plan to stitch it on a hand dyed fabric but not sure what yet. The evenweave fabric in the kit was such good quality-far beyond anything I own so I am using that for Laura's quilt square. I hoped it would be usuable for this as believe it or not I have no 28ct evenweave in a neutral colour lol and the quality was a bonus.

New stash

For someone who is on the wagon I seem to be getting quite a few stash parcels through lol. Yesterday I got the winter snapperland border and fabric package and two of the charts as well as the snapperville border package. I also bought Just Nans newest Tulip time and the limited edition frost flower that has a frame and organza pouch which is just beautiful. But all of the above apart from the Just Nan limited were on such a good offer that I couldn't resist.
Then today I received some threads and a kit. The threads were a mixture of lots of black for my Kats by Kelly monthly wallhanging-which may wait to next year now and some purples for Laura's quilt project. Laura sadly passed away in February and was well known in the sttichers community so in memory we are stitching squares up to be made into a quilt in her memory. I have chosen to stitch the Teresa Wentzler square that was an adaptation she did for my 30th birthday quilt. I thought this would be a nice choice as it is personal to me, can be done in the colours Laura loved and also be the right size and easily accomplishable in the time scale. The kit I got was the new Heritage one by Margaret Sherry called Home is where the cat is. I fell in love with it instantly the minute I saw a picture in a magazine and just had to have it. I plan to stitch it on a hand dyed fabric but not sure what yet. The evenweave fabric in the kit was such good quality-far beyond anything I own so I am using that for Laura's quilt square. I hoped it would be usuable for this as believe it or not I have no 28ct evenweave in a neutral colour lol and the quality was a bonus.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

The weekend

I have finished studying for the weekend because I am so tired and trying to conserve my energy. At times it feels like I am running on empty at the moment but need to keep as fit as possible as it is the last couple of months of the course, plus some other stresses will be coming up. I also missed studying on Thursday as I had a weird reaction to Tuesday or possibly some kind of bug-I am not sure, but that has also stressed me out as I am worried about falling behind.
Anyway yesterday I slept in and then me and mum went for our Saturday morning browse round town and I spent the afternoon studying. Then in the evening I got loads of stitching done on MIX whilst watching the final of Dancing on ice. That was amazing as they flew in this last show and the poor guy Stefan Booth looked like he was going to be sick at the end but he went on to come second with Gaynor Faye winning. It was a really good show and I wonder what will replace it-on the adverts its suggestive that they are doing premier movies soon which will also be good.
Today I was up early and did a little more on my rotation piece-MVI and then spent about 3 hours studying and I am now quite tempted to go and watch a film and do some knitting. But I also seem to be strangely addicted to the net at the moment but I think relaxation wise the film and crafts of some sort might be a better bet.
This week is fairly quiet so far. I am off to the hairdressers for a trim on Thursday-had to cancel my last appointment for Thursday just gone when I was ill. Then next Saturday is a day tutorial in Bristol which I am determined to go to. As a tutor group we have been speaking on the message board since October now so it will be great to meet them all in person. So thats it for the coming week so far apart from more studying and maybe the odd trip into won.

Have a good week all.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

So whats been happening?

Its been a busy and stressful time since I last posted. Last Tuesday I went to a mini GTG in Bristol with Amanda, Lorna and Karoline and it was a really great day. We went to St Nicholas market and had a browse round as well as visiting the craft shop there. I got some stash for card making which included some lovely cute small narrow cards and several sheets of peel offs. Then we adjourned to a nearby cafe for coffee and a chat. All too soon Lorna had to leave to get her bus home in time to get her girls from school, so we went to the House of Fraser to look at their small craft section. I got two balls of Paton's Lush wool in Carnival to make a scarf with and Amanda bought a kit. Then we had a spot of late lunch, some more tea and coffee and it was then time for me to leave the other two and make my way home. The time just flew and I hope the others had just as good a day as I did.
The rest of the week was fairly uneventful but on Friday I did get my lastest assignment back and got my worst mark at 65% but I can live with that as it wasn't too bad considering the subject matter. I was really stressed when studying the block that this was about and wasn't sure how effectively I took it all in so am quite happy to get a decent pass.
The weekend was spent studying and starting my scarf with the Patons yarn. It was also when I started to seriously stress out about everything again. I knew the reason was because I had clinic coming up but it doesn't stop the stress.
Which brings me to yesterday. I went to clinic and it does appear I never needed to be taken off the list and I am more than inclined to believe it is the surgeon who has been blocking things so I had my say. I said I was disgusted that he could do that and now act unsure whether to say yes or no now. I think he should either stand by his convictions or admit he made a mistake but that is where I leave it now. I decided not to make a formal complaint as I don't want to ailenate those helping me now and I don't think it would achieve anything anyway. What happens now is that another surgeon at the unit has agreed on principle to do the operation but wants to see me first, so I will see him at some point and then decide whether to relist for a transplant, once the risks have been weighed up. So after nipping to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway we came home and I got my knitting out, only to find there is a problem with one fo the balls of wool and its knitting up totally differently. Its so bad as to be unusuable so the piece has been retired and I am thinking of contacting Patons but as I don't have the wool band off the first ball I don't know if I have any recourse. Just as I was going online I noticed it was snowing and the poor cat had little snowflakes on his head and as its rare to get snow I guess he was wondering what it was.
This morning I got up for dialysis and mum came in and said that it was snowing steadily and there was a layer on the ground-but nothing was there when she got up, so it really did came down. By the time we had gone 3 miles to the hospital the snow had more or less gone and they didn't have the sharp shower we had. I guess its got to start and stop somewhere but it was quite odd and since getting home its snowed on and off but not really settled or come to anything.
So thats my week, both good and bad and I will try and post more regularly soon.