Travelling at the speed of light!!!!!

I was told we would have weeks like this, when everything seems to happen at once. We seem to have been travelling through the days at the speed of light just lately. We have caught up with family, friends, there have been birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations (and a sad one too)  but I think for the next few days we can get stuck into some of the things we had planned to do a while ago.

The garden is glorious and in all it's summer colour. The roses are having a great summer and have given us a multitude of beautiful flowers.

It really has been a good growing year...

....they just keep on coming...

.....
It's been way too hot for me just lately. I know many people complain about the weather we have, ( there's no point in complaining really. You get what you get!) but with our temperate climate we get some of everything. I adore the cold days as much ( if nor more) that the hot days, but that's me!
Today the weather is just right, breezy and about 22 degrees.
I have lots planned for today, it's just a matter of how much I accomplish. a bit of gardening, maybe some ironing, catch up on emails, and time for some work on one of my digital projects. Later on we might just take a leisurely walk up to the marina and see if I can get some more wildlife shots along the canal tow path.
Busy but glorious days!

Weight to Go!!!!!

Don't worry, this isn't a post about expensive diet foods!  This is about what's happened to me in the last 18 months, what I've done (and not) done and hopefully what I'm going to continue to do.
In  December 2010 I had a fall and fell on my knee. An x ray showed no bones broken, and I was told that there was ligament damage. So it was pain killers and rest. Over the next six months, my knee got steadily worse, the pain was terrible to say the least, and my knee and surrounding area was filling with fluid. I could barely bend it. Walking was painful and difficult and so were stairs. I had had two visits to the hospital and they said it was definitely ligament damage and to carry on with the pain killers, and there were many I tried.
After six months it was no better in fact it was getting worse, my knee was getting more and more painful and the swelling was even more. The doctor decided it was time to see the consultant again.
At last I went for an MRI scan. This showed that I had arthritis in my knee cap and the fall had made it worse. There were also cysts in my knee, due to the fall he tells me.
The treatment was firstly for me to have a cortisone injection directly into the knee. I wasn't happy about that because I'd had one a few years ago in my foot and it caused nerve damage.
I've always had problems with medication. I was the one at school, when we has injections, who had the bright red golf ball on her arm for at least a week. A few years ago I had root canal surgery done. The dentist filled the root space using whatever it is, then I ended up like a crazed person for about 36 hours, I couldn't keep still. It was awful. "Oh you must be one of the two in every hundred it affects then!" was what my dentist said. Thanks for that!! Never again!
Anyway, the consultant said not to worry because it's different in knees and arms. I believed him, and boy did I suffer the consequences! Three weeks of excruciating pain on top of my already painful knee, I saw him again to see what was nest, the upshot was, he wasn't going to do the athroscopy because it would make it worse in the long run and a knee replacement was a no no ,so I was sent to physio.
That was fun!  I was put on a cycling machine. Bear in mind that my knee could barely bend, and it was so fat with fluid I could have screamed.   I couldn't do it. My instructions from the physio was to go back to the consultant and to tell him, that for this exercise to do any good he had to remove the cysts.
I relayed to the consultant  what the physio had said, and the answer was, "no I can't, it will make it worse". I asked him what about the fluid, it was getting worse and it was so uncomfortable?  The consultants answer was "No idea!" Well you're the expert, I was screaming in my head!
I am not a wimp, never have been. I've spent almost all my working life in jobs where I'm standing, moving about all day. Lifting, carrying etc, and now I was feeling useless, and putting weight on with getting no exercise and not being able to get out and about.
"I know, we'll send to to the pain clinic" was the answer. Well I'd had so many types of painkillers and most of them has almost poisoned me. One of them I think it was Gabapentin or something like that was really bad. I took one and thought I was having a coronary. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest!  No thanks, no more!
I waited five months for this ( urgent) appointment. When I saw the "expert" he said and these are his exact words..... " You are in your 50's now, you don't have to live like a 16 year old. Go and relax, take paracetamol, don't stop taking them, and use your Tens machine 24 hours a day if you have to. Sit and do nothing".................
That was really helpful, don't you think?
I didn't take his advice, who in their right mind would? After spending that evening crying, not only with pain, but anger too, I took the bull by the horns and did my own research.If they thought that I was going to live like this for the rest of my life then they were mistaken! Oh I must add, I did have 5 sessions at the hospital, at the acupuncture clinic.  That was interesting, the nurse may just as well have been throwing darts. After the second session, she said, " I don't know why you've bothered to come back, it's  obviously not helping!" I was told to try it, so I did. It was a waste of time!
Well, I spent six months finding everything I could about exercise and fitness training, read everything I could about arthritis and ligament damage. It paid off. Last May  (May 2012) I bought a second hand one of these.

.....not exactly the same but very similar. Anyway I thought I would give it six months and by that time if there was no change, then I would get rid of it.

I could only manage about 2 or 3 minutes at first, but I did it. There's very little impact on the knees you see. 

Over the next six months I built up my time on it, a bit each day. After a month I was beginning to see a difference, by six months the fluid was going down and I had more flexiblity in my knee.  By January this year I could manage an hour no problem. The fluid in my knee has gone and the muscles are stonger. Not only that, but I've  lost almost 6 inches around  my hips and thighs.  Because I was now getting proper exercise my weight had changed too. I never was a big eater and I don't have a sweet tooth, although I do like a treat or two. I had lost 20 lbs by March. Was I feeling good? You bet!

I had to visit my doctor a few weeks ago. I told him everything I'd done and also asked him why couldn't the people who know(?)  have given me this advice instead of me having to find out myself. After all they are supposed to be the experts! " I don't know", was his reply, but he did say to me, "What you have achieved in the last 12 months is amazing".   I was so pleased with myself and told him that I had still more I was going to do. 

Well now I can now put these back on.....

..... and it's wonderful!  But, I have something else too. I've now no need for my glider and have passed it on to someone else. A few weeks ago, after yet again, doing research into "equipment" I bought one of these....

....it's a magnetic and weighted hula hoop. I did laugh at some of the reviews which people had put when they'd bought one ( and sent back it seems) when I was researching. Someone had put, " It's heavy" ( yes, it says 1.5 kilos)  " I used it once, and it hurts so I sent it back" ( yes, it does say it will hurt slightly and you will get bruised until you are used to it.
I hadn't  "hooped" since primary school and I was utterly useless then, but it wasn't going to stop me from trying. So I purchased one. I told myself I would give it 3 months and if I still couldn't "hoop" after that time, I would again pass it on to someone who wanted it.
The first two weeks I tried for about 15 minutes every day. I was still totally useless at it. I couldn't  keep the hoop going at all, and by the end of the week I was bruised. (It looked like I'd been in a fight) but it didn't  hurt that much. The second week I could manage  a few revolutions and then it dropped to the floor. "Keep going, don't stop", was my motto. By the third week I could hoop, "yes!" (sorry, that's the 16 year old in me!
and to date I can do  over 1000 revolutions without it falling. And yes, I do count them. I've had it for a few weeks now and I'm getting more flexible and the best thing is that I've lost THREE inches from my waist.
I am 28 lbs lighter than I was a year ago, I'm fitter, my knee is stronger.( I still have something which moves inside it and it can cause some dreadful pain.) So I'm careful. The doctor asked if I wanted it investigating, I declined. I think I'll manage, thanks!
I still have treats.....

......and will do so occasionally.  

All my family can see such a difference in me, and it makes me feel good. The best thing is I'm down tow dress sizes too. I'm happy with what I've achieved and all it took was time to research what I needed to know. If it hadn't have worked then I would have tried something else. I am disappointed that the people who should have been able to help, couldn't, and gave me the wrong advice, (for me).  I've always been active and want to carry on being so. I may be a 57 year old grandma, but elastic stockings  and comfy chairs for the rest of my life, there won't be!!!

Get out there, do your research, and go for it, carefully, at first, but you'll get there. Trust me!

Slow down.... you move too fast!

I seem to have missed something......April!  There has been so much going on here I can't believe that it's now May.
Hubby finally got his early retirement and so we thought we'd go away for a few days. But first we travelled down to Wiltshire to see our daughter and family. Hopefully they'll be coming up to spend a few days with us soon. Then we went off to York for a midweek break. We even managed a day in Whitby....

......I got to try out my new camera, which I'd had for my birthday........

........maybe one day I'll get a perfect shot......

.....but I'm in no hurry, I just love  experimenting ( playing), just to see what it can do.

As the weather is now warming up (well, almost) it's nice to get into the garden.....

.....there's been a lot more growing since I took this shot last week, and Mick's repainted all the fencing. I did keep the tea and cake coming whilst he was doing it! The next step is to do a spot of reorganising in it. But that will be an ongoing project throughout the year.

Last Thursday we went up to Ilam Hall, from there we walked to Milldale  stopped for our packed lunch and tea and then back through Dovedale and back to Ilam.  It was a glorious day....

..... far too nice to be at home doing housework......

...... this little chap came to see what we were up to......

....no, I think he was looking to see if we had anything to eat. Sorry, it's all gone!

Oh well, I'll save you some, next time we're there!

It's all in the maths....isn't it?

Sometimes, you  notice things which make you think " Are people crazy!"

The cost of living is going up daily, no one is getting a pay increase, and bills just keep soaring. So why is it, that some people still seem to have money to burn? Do they have no idea what they spend, or is it a case of "when it's gone , it's gone?"

Whenever I need to buy anything I look for the best value. I don't mean the cheapest, because that can be false economy. I also want things to last.

Over the last week or so there have been a few instances which have amazed me.

I was sitting having a well earned cuppa  and I switched on the telly to "channel hop" for a few minutes. There was a "Superscrimpers" programme on and  someone was telling us all how to "frugally" clean our toilet. I watched in amazement as she proceeded to shake about half a tub of bicarb all over the toilet basin, then she added about one third of a bottle of white vinegar, and then to top it off used essential oil.

Sorry, that is not frugal.Modern flush toilets don't require much cleaning solutions if they are flushed and brushed regularly.  Ordinary brown malt vinegar can be used for any cleaning job, and is cheaper that white. The smell evaporates quickly and does just as good a job. I wouldn't waste essential oil in a toilet, I don't see the point!

Anyway, back to the channel hopping.  I noticed that these were being sold in a pack of three....

.....sticky pens, to pick up tiny beads etc. These were being sold  for £8.99 for the pack of three plus £2.99 postage and packing. WHAT!!!!

These pens are used for nail art. They pick up your tiny embellishment with the sticky end.  These particular ones are similar to the chinagraph markers, where you pull the thread instead of sharpening with a pencil sharpener.

I bought two of these pencils (mine are the ones which you have top sharpen) and it cost me 99p for the two, with free p and p. I bought mine for craft use, on cards and boxes.

I was totally amazed as the presenter said that the item was "flying out of the door".  By this time I was doing my Victor Meldrew impression!

Enough, turn it off and carry on doing what I was doing.

I'm always looking to increase my Sizzix die collection. But they have to be ones which have multiple uses and not "fashionable"  ones. Well what really amazes me is when second hand dies sell for extortionate amounts. For example I saw one of the Tim Holtz bigz dies (used) and it sold on EBay for over £28, people were putting bids on like crazy, plus the p and p was £3.50!.I bought the same die, brand new, from a craft shop via the web for £10.00 and it was free p and p!  Why don't people shop around, don't they want to save money?

it's all in the maths... isn't it?

Fast Forward.....

Well, here we are again, at the end of another month. This year we seem to be going in fast forward mode. I wouldn't mind a freeze frame for a while.  But once we get into March then we know that spring is truly on it's way, no matter what the weather. We've had some dull and dreary weather, and no doubt we'll have some more. But at least the gardens are once more bursting into life. I did manage to get out into the back garden and get all my trays, pots and other gardening paraphenalia sorted ready for the new growing season, and this weekend I will be seed sowing, in doors of course!
We have several large empty pots and this weekend we'll be taking a trip to the local nursery which is just a couple of miles from home, and treating ourselves to some glorious spring flowering plants. ( I've got my eye on some gorgeous plants.
 Anyway, this last month I've been sorting, cleaning and clearing. My little craft room had been done from top to toe. Eventually it will be decorated and have vinyl floor covering put in, but that will be later this year, once the living room has been decorated. It's still looking much better though, here's a glimpse of my little creative space.... ...as you can see, it'd very small, but I now have everything to hand but neatly stored away. The Ikea shelving unit was perfect for the space. The top holds my Slice, Big Shot, and my A4 printer. The other unit,, which I was given, hold my A3 printer and paper file, and underneath is stored all my paper, card etc. .... ..... ...the shelves above hold my Sizzix dies on one side and my paints on the other... .... ....behind the door is the over stairs storage space. This hold boxes of fabrics, lace, ribbons and threads. There's also boxes of stamps too. .... ...that end of my big desk, which Mick built in holds my paper projects files. Yes, they're old " Ground Force" ring binders. They are going to get a makeover with some fabric. So too, is the Ikea small wooden file. This holds ink pads and embossing powders. ( I've only had it two years, but this is the year it will be repainted! Yes, there are two empty milk cartons on my desk, these have many uses, especially if you cut them up! .... ....I have my Ott Lite and ipod on this side of my desk, with Norman ready and waiting! ........ ....under my desk sits both my sewing machines and my embellisher. I will move these into the spare bedroom once I've reorganised that too. Also under here are my boxes of stamps. There's still plenty of leg room. So all in all I'm very pleased how my small room is now organised. All I've got to do now is keep it tidy. (I can hear laughing in my head!!!) If your'e wondering what I'm going to do with the empty milk cartons, then all will be revealed on my craft blog, in the next post.

30 days later....

Well, that's January gone and this is my first post of the year! I had planned to post a couple of weeks ago, but I just didn't get around to it. I always begin sorting and moving things in January, and it's this which has kept me busy (along with hubby having a weeks holiday too) and I've managed to get through quite a lot. No cupboard, wardrobe, shelf, box or container will be left unturned. I started with my little craft room.It wasalready tidy and everything stored, but the accessability to everything was a bit difficult. So I now have some Ikea storage in there and it's looking good. I shall post pictures when I have everything in it's rightful place. Hopefully I'll have it completed tomorrow, just the last couple of boxes to go through. I have no pictures of the snow because I didn't take any. However we did take a trip up to Ilam on Sunday. There was still quite a bit of snow around, and a lot of flooding in the area too. I took these pictures of the river Manifold and you can see how high it was.....

.....it was flowing very fast......

...the wildlife didn't seem to be worried though.....

I've also managed to get some of my knitting projects finished whilst the weather was rough. But I've posted about them on my craft blog. It was nice to spend a couple of days just cooking and baking to fill the freezer up again, (another job crossed of the list) it's nice to have meals ready made, it saves a lot of time for the days we're out. They'll be a lot more soon, I hope! I've notice the green shoots appearing in the garden, so if the weather stays mild for the next couple of days, I could well be spending some time outside and cleaning and sorting out pots and planters for the new growing season. The evenings are already getting lighter, have you noticed? I have, roll on spring!

2013 here we come!

It only seems like a couple of years ago, that we were looking forward to the new millenium. Now here we are, on the eve of 2013! Time really does fly. Have you made any resolutions? I don't really make them, but I do tell myself that I will try to do certain things differently or more efficiently. I don't look back, that's not the way I'm going. I hope the New Year has some wonderful things in store for all of us! All I want is to be happy and healthy, and I wish everyone of you the same too!

Here's to 2013!!!

Happy Holidays to One and All!

In my own time!

It will be two years this month that I had to give up my job. After working for almost 40 years in the retail and banking industries , both full and part time, it made quite a difference to me being at home all the time. It wasn't something which was planned. I'd had a fall on my way home, and had damaged my knee. I ended up using these....

...until they could decide on my treatment. Well, two years down the line my knee is better than it was, but I still have problems. But I'm working on it, slowly. It was because of this accident which led me down the path I now take, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Don't get me wrong, I have loved every job which I've had,(and that's not something which everyone can say) and whilst the children were small I always believed I had the best of both worlds, because I managed to have a part time job which fitted in with Mick's full time one. So apart from the few occasions where there was a clash of hours, my lovely mum and dad stepped in to keep the children occupied. Once the children got older I managed more hours and longer days and still had my precious home time to cook, sew, make and play. But now I'm at home all the time, and it's wonderful! I do have one or two friends who would find themselves at a loose end, as they wouldn't know what to do with themselves all day. Well I can say quite honestly, that I can fill my days quite easily and still have enough left over to fill some more! I still don't have enough hours in the days, but one thing I do have is my own "time zone".....

...What I mean by this, is that I do what I want, whenever I want, unless, of course, there is somewhere to go on a specific day or time. But usually it's all as and when. This suits me down to the ground. because if I decide that I want to stay up until three in the morning to work on a project, well I can. In the new year ( hopefully) Mick will be taking early retirement and so he too will be governed by his own time zone. Exciting times for us! I recently saw someone who I hadn't seen for quite a few years, ( our children were at primary school together) and when I told her I was at home, her answer to me was " aren't you the lucky one! Mind you, you do still live in your old house don't you!" What she meant by this, is that we have lived in our house for over 36 years, and that we didn't chose to move to something larger ( like she did) because everyone was buying bigger at the time. We have always been happy here so why move? She and her family have in fact moved about seven times in about twenty years, each time, something bigger with more space ( and a lot more money to pay back) and now she complains because she's "probably still be working at 70 to pay for it"!! Well, it's all down to choice, isn't it! Do I miss the rushing around all day, the queueing up for the bus, the crowded streets...

..especially this time of the year..... no, I certainly don't. I still have contact with my lovely friends and workmates. But everything else I don't miss at all. I loved it and enjoyed it for almost forty years, but now I'll stick my own time zone, very happy and very contented!

Is this the way of the world?

For the life of me I can't understand what is wrong with some people these days. It doesn't matter if you're watching tv, browsing on the internet, or listening to the radio, there seems to be a certain amount of people who spend their lives insulting and criticizing other people. The sad thing is, that in most cases, the people who are making these awful comments have never even met the people who they are insulting or making awful comments about! For instance, in one of today's papers a well known celebrity has just given birth to a baby. Apparently within minutes of this news going out into the world, via internet, radio, Twitter, Facebook etc, it seems the trolls were leaving hurtful and spiteful comments. Why?? This is one of just many instances which I've heard of over the last week, and it's made me wonder just why they feel they have to do it. The first thing I thought of is jealousy.

They say, (whoever "they" are) that there is jealousy in all of us. Well, I can honestly say that I have never been jealous of anyone or anything. Unless you count when I was a teenager, and I wished I'd had a figure like this...

....and I also wanted never ending legs....

..well that was never going to happen, being 5'2" was it? I don't dream of winning the lottery, because I never do it. I know, " you've got to be in it to win it", but I don't want to spend my money on the lottery, bingo or anything else. My choice. Ah, choice! I was taught at a very early age that destiny is the choices you make not the chances you take. I believe this wholeheartedly. We don't always make the correct choices but we all have it in our power to do something about it should or if they go wrong. That brings me to the "p" word, power. Do people make these remarks because they feel it gives them power? If I am invited to make a comment on any subject, whether it be face to face, on paper, by phone, internet, whatever, I would never and have never made it anonymously, I have no reason to. We don't all like the same things, want the same things, that's what makes the world so interesting. Nothing is perfect. But what is perfect?

What's perfect for me, may not be for someone else. People spend their lives looking for "perfection" in many things.

So, are these people who make these comments and statements unhappy with their lives and want to spread their lot to others and they don't care who? Or do they just get some sort of, high, on the fact that they've made a comment on something, or someone and they want everyone to see it, and it makes them feel clever and superior, even though they've done it anonymously? I really don't know. But one thing I think they ought to do, is stand in front of a full length mirror and take a good hard look at themselves. They might learn something, hopefully!

Preserving and baking

There are just a few raspberries and blackberries left to pick and I'll do that tomorrow. There won't be enough for a pie so they'll be eaten for breakfast with some home made yoghurt and cereal. The house is beginning to smell like Nellie Pledge's Pickle Factory again. How quickly that year's flown by! Anyway, the first batch of pickled onions is finished....

....I usually do five or six jars at one time. I don't do as many as I used to. I used to do a 5 kilo bag at one time. Nowadays I do about a dozen jars at the most, some for us and some for family. A lovely neighbour of ours brings us bags of apples and pears this time of year too, so most of these will be made into chutney with some leftover for pies or tarts which I'll freeze. As for drying herbs, well I don't bother. I don't think it's worth it. I do collect the parsley and fennel from the garden, it's bagged up and goes straight into the freezer. When I need some I just squeeze the bag of frozen parsley/fennel and spoon out what I need. No mess! I do pot up a root of mint early September. This is the left on the kitchen windowsill all winter. The warmth from the kitchen keeps it growing ( slowly) but I usually get enough from it for a few meals. I also freeze mint leaves too, as a standby. For Rosemary and sage, well I don't see the need for drying or freezing these. They're evergreens and so can be picked from the garden at any time and you can't beat fresh herbs. I have an abundance of these two herbs, they'll have to be thinned out when we sort the garden out. I haven't made any mincemeat yet. Although there is one jar left from last year. I'm very much looking forward to pumpkin again. I'm trying to find a good recipe for canning fresh pumpkin, so I can use it throughout the winter. After Halloween nowhere seems to stock it. ( A crime in my book!) I'm hoping to spend tomorrow baking. I have a few family favourites to make.......

...Bailey's cream cake......

...coconut cake....

...apple cake (this one went to work with Mick!)....

....lemon tart! These are just a few family favourites. I can think of many more to keep me busy! If anyone is wondering who Nellie Pledge was, then you can see here.

The greenest of men!

We had a long weekend away last week, to visit family. We also stayed one night at Ye Old Ferrie Inn, on the banks of the beautiful river Wye. it was a lovely stay, good accommodation, great food. This was the view from our window.

....it was wonderful, and one night wasn't enough, but it was all the time we had. Anyway we did a round trip of the places we love which we hadn't visited for a few years. One of the places was Tintern Abbey, a beautiful tranquil place. Whilst there we went into the studio of The Spirit of The Green Man. Now I have a passion for green men, I only have had two which I'd bought a few years ago. This was the first one I bought....

...I bought him from a wonderful shop in Hawes, a couple of years ago. He stands about 18" tall. he graces our patio all year round. The second one we bought in Dorset about a year ago.....

..He's a wall hanging, I bought him in his "raw" state, he was just plain terracotta. I painted him with Plaid outdoor paint and gave him a few extra touches with gold paint. But now I have two more. The first one is Orrik....

....he is a wall hanging man, and to accompany him is Bat

....they are both waiting to be hung in their places. They are just wonderful. I know there are people out there who are not keen on these types of garden decoration, but I adore them and wouldn't want anything else. BUT, I also love dragons, witches and fairies. I do have a wooden dragon chime in the garden.

I'm sure that I shall be adding to my collection again at some point. Now that autumn is here there are so many wonderful things to enjoy. I love autumn and all that it brings. But more on that another time. I have a huge pile of ironing waiting for me ( I knew I shouldn't have left it for so long) and then it's time for some autumn baking!