And that's the week gone!

I'm back to school tomorrow, I can't believe our week off has gone by so quickly. I've spent half of it feeling poorly, with a temperature, which does tend to happen most school holidays. I 'm not as bad as Mr Cymraeg who has been proper poorly - not just man flu!  Anyway I need to get a grip for tomorrow.

I did manage to do a few bits although not as much as I would have liked. The hall didn't get finished but I have made a good start with the painting.  I've also read the book 'The Girl on the Train.'  I must say that it was a good read with an ending that was a twist but not a total surprise. 

I also met up with a friend to spend the day antiquing.  We exchanged our Christmas gifts, this late exchange has now become a tradition and is something to look forward to in the depths of Winter. We are slightly later this year as we didn't have a day that suited us both. I had some lovely gifts and my friend tells me she did too!

I also watched a film. I'm not a great TV watcher normally but the mood took me. The film was 'The Meddlar' with Susan Sarandon.

No 4 and I also met up with No 1, No 2 and also Granddaughter. We travelled through the streets by horse and cart which was very exciting! I do miss No 3 who is busy at Uni and won't be home until Easter unless of course he has a better offer!

Team GB

My daughter plays football for Team GB Deaf Women's Football team. The team is trying to raise funds to play in the 2017 Deaflympics. They are completely self funding and rely on the generosity of people and companies to donate money or sponsor them. We are living in tough times but if you could donate the cost of a coffee to her BT donate page she would be extremely grateful. As would I. The link is here.  Thank you.

Switch On!

Today has been an emotional day, not a day for tears (not that there is anything wrong with them) but a day of thankfulness  and relief. No 4 had her cochlear implant switch on today. We have waited a long time for this, not just the six weeks between operation and now.

Our youngest daughter has congenital, bilateral and progressive deafness. She has amazing language and speech and no deaf voice. This should be cause to celebrate, however despite having the level of deafness to qualify to have a cochlear implant she was declined this by a recommended hospital. She was told  how to cope as a deaf person in a hearing world by guessing at conversations with her peers! Really? How's that going to work out in a teenage world? She withdrew from social situations requiring conversations and focused on her football. She became depressed.

Fast forward twelve months and she felt ready to approach another hospital. With the continued  support of a wonderful consultant and our local hospital the journey began again.  We were sent to Addenbrooke and from the minute we arrived No 4's treatment was very different. Like a person. Like a person who had strengths and skills. They worked with these strengths and skills and she was offered the implants. Initially she refused to let her hopes up and couldn't believe it when she was offered a double implant.

I blogged about this at the beginning of December just after the operation. Every day since we are thankful for the team of experts believing in her and offering this life changing operation. Today the implants were tested and all electrodes are fully functioning. Relief. Four programs have been created in her processors, and each one is progressively louder. The idea is that initially these will 'waken' or stimulate the nerves between her ears and brain. She works through the programs herself so that she will be ready for the new ones in February.

She has listened to music this evening for the first time in a good while. Although not of the quality that you or I would hear, but it's an excellent start.

A Wet and Windy Sunday

Sadly it wasn't the nicest of days to watch football, I don't think it would have been all that good to play in either but No 4 doesn't seem to mind! I've learnt how you can quickly become cold if your feet aren't toasty so thick socks are the order of the day. I do like  to wear my hand knitted socks but I think I left them in Wales when I visited. It was a good match and they were unfortunate to lose. I may never get her socks clean though!

I managed to complete the other slipper last night so my poor granddaughter will no longer need to hop!

A quiet day

Today has been mainly eating, keeping warm and knitting. It's been an intense week at work and I just need a recharge. Tomorrow it will mainly be being a football  Mum to No 4. She's back on the pitch after her operation, although I have insisted that she wears a scrum cap to protect her head. We have switch-on on Thursday and I will all need my emotional energy for then. I have done a little crafting of a project that I can't show you because it's for my swap. I  shall share my knitting instead!

Hygge

When I was little I loved the short days because we could close the curtains early and snuggle down  in front of the fire. I called it cosy. I always asked for cosy. I even loved the frequent power cuts because we lit candles. I think that's why I love my red chimney breast, log burner and candles. That's also why I love to come in from work, put my pjs and thick socks on, draw the curtains and shut out the world. I've always read or crafted as my favourite leisure activity and it feels special to be able to do this in my pyjamas in front of the fire. You see I was already living with hygge in my life, I just had my own word for it! I think everyone should try it.  And now I'm off to do my knitting.

Hop!

I've finished one slipper and my granddaughter loves it! She's nineteen months now and very much her own little person. She comes from quite a line of feisty women and she certainly continues the trend! She tried her slipper on and extended her leg to look at it. I love it when she does that! So cute! I think she was disappointed that there was only one slipper so I must crack on and finish her second one. I would like to be a good Grandma!

My daughter amazes me

Yesterday was a long day, I will even go as far as time stopped still for me. Yesterday my youngest daughter had an operation to insert two cochlear implants. She was born Deaf and her hearing deteriorated over the years. She has made amazing use of her hearing aids and she doesn't even have a deaf voice. She did her research, spoke to many of her peers who already have implants and made her choice. And so we start a journey of improved hearing. She turned 18 on Saturday and what a gift! She left surgery at four o'clock yesterday and now she is sat eating her breakfast with no pain relief. She is incredible and amazes me every day.

Little basset!

Not only is it Yarndale this weekend (which, by the way, is only three sleeps away!) It is also the twelve month anniversary of basset ownership. It's not been without teething problems, possibly because he is a grabber and often leads with his teeth. He came to our house with lots of baggage poor boy which is always a risk when getting a preowned dog. I would say preloved but I'm not sure that he was totally. He was frightened of men, frightened of loud noises, frightened of cars, probably frightened of his own shadow. A frightened dog can be an unpredictable one and at times he has been. I have asked myself many times 'what was I thinking?'  Also, when his stress levels are too high he also has seizures.
Slowly but surely he is realising that he is safe here. That he is in a family that love him and he without doubt loves us. He is still a little bit uncertain of situations but these are less frequent. He still steals food and trust me for a short dog his long body ensures quite a reach on any kitchen surface!
Some people would say that he has fallen on his feet. Maybe he has, although he might need to stand on them first!

Just thought I'd share

I don't mind that this doesn't match my Kirstie Allsopp bedding as really it's not on show. At seven o'clock every night I fill my little hottie with some very hot water and place it in bed just where my back will be.

 

 

Then I find for the rest of the evening I can't concentrate as I all I want to do is join it!

(Actually the whole matching thing, I do mind a bit so maybe one day I will make a new cover that just might make me glow on the inside as well as the out!)

Mmmmmm food

We have got to to know some lovely people through our small holding. Don is an amazing 79 years young and thinks nothing of climbing the ladder to put the felt on the sheds! His wife Janet is an amazing cook. Last week when we went to Melton market I brought them back a pork pie. Melton Mowbray is the home of the pork pie (and stilton cheese but no one else was excited about this bar me!) so it was kind of essential to buy one. Well actually two.  I also bought one for Don and Janet as they are so lovely and good to us. The next day Janet had  baked the biggest egg custard that I have ever seen! It was still warm.

It didn't last long...

Don and Janet are such a wealth of information that we are so lucky to have met them. 

Wales

The drive over to Wales was lovely and as we got closer we could see the snow peppering the hills. They had had a lot of snow but not much of it is left now.

On Sunday I took Mum out for a drive.  Dad would often take Mum out for a drive on a Sunday afternoon.  Knowing Dad they would have ended up anywhere. I know one of the places that Dad has taken Mum is to Ludlow so I thought it would be nice to return.  The shops weren't open but there was an antique market in the square.  I had a look at all the stalls which were selling all sorts but I wasn't tempted to buy anything.

I love the mixture of old buildings that Ludlow has. Many of them just lazily lean against their neighbour!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today my Dad would have been 74.

This is a picture of him when he did his National Service.

He is in the first standing row, third from the right side.

Happy Birthday Dad.

Miss you always.

I had some lovely gifts for Mother's Day and I didn't need to drop too many hints this year. I pointed my children in the direction of a little antiques shop that I know. It's one of those that has lots of people selling lots of different things. I'm a big fan of eclectic! These are the bits that they chose...

This is an old cardboard box that once had chocolates in.

When I opened it, it was full of buttons. I do have a great deal of love for buttons and especially old ones. It stems from my childhood and sprotting through my Nan's button tin. Happy, happy memories.

These were my favourites...

These ones still had thread attached, I wondered about their previous life...

I do love my family and my buttons...

That's a lot of love!

Football Crazy!

Another weekend with a football match. No 4 still as keen as ever on her football. Not that I mind, it's a chance to meet up with the other Mums to have a catch up. 

I haven't been very far this week, well I've not really looked my best.  The swelling has really gone down although I'm left with some very pretty yellow bruising, which, in certain lights looks like 5o'clock shadow. Also, I've been removing my plate because it hurts, so as you can imagine I have looked quite the stunner! Anyway, I'm back on my feet today and have been out to my lovely, lovely friend's house.  It was just so good to catch up and the time just ran away.  I made her a little gift...

 

I can't believe that there are only three sleeps until school on Monday.  this weekend it's back to football, cleaning and food shopping. Woohoo!

Our old boy

Lately we have all noticed that old dog is slowing down. At the back end of the summer last year he was knocked over by a car and although not seriously hurt, we had a scary couple of weeks as he recovered. Our lovely boy who followed us to bed every night could barely get  up let alone get up the stairs. Whilst he no longer attempts the stairs he has claimed the end of the settee as his own. This morning despite the noise of our busy household he didn`t open his eyes for ages, and when he did he was almost surprised to see us. He has moments at the field when he is 'mousing' that he almost looks like a young dog again...

he still has plenty of mice left to 'catch' but not this morning.

Probably a good thing that I`m not a nurse...

Husband has had a painful shoulder for a long time. It's because we have had to do some hard and heavy work at the fields. The shunt from the car the other day has left him with a painful back. To top it all this morning, to avoid moving the dog who was lying in the doorway, he kind of stepped over and  around her all in one movement. He stubbed his toe with a hefty crack. This evening it is swollen and black. If that man was a horse he`d be in a Findus lasagne ;-)

It was our anniversary at the beginning of the week and we have been married for 24 years.  The time has flown by, and clearly only the years have increased and not my wrinkles and grey hairs! 

These are the beautiful flowers that husband bought for me.  I love roses, well ...I think I may even love all flowers!  Early on in our marriage I never wanted flowers as I always preferred to see them growing, but times have changed and my house is never without a full vase or two! To me this time of year is especially lovely for flowers as brightly coloured daffodils (very patriotic of me!), tulips and hyacinths just put a cheery splash of colour into the cold dark days. A reminder that the longer warmer days are just around the corner.

This evening I am feeling a bit flat, it hasn't even been 18 hours since she left but I am already missing no 4 dreadfully! Minimal sleep doesn't help the situation either. Hey ho she is only away for a few days so I really do need to get a grip!

I am really pleased with myself this month as I have managed to blog every single day so far. I suppose it was a bit of a challenge to myself to blog every day for a week and once I'd done that I thought I'd increase it to a fortnight. Well my fortnight doubled and here I am hanging in there!

Also my buttons have arrived today from Abakhan, they are a mixture of 24 mother of pearl heart and stars.  I'm not really sure if you would call them buttons or beads as they only have a single hole. I have some plans for them and I will shop at the weekend for a few supplies to make something which will hopefully do them justice. Until tomorrow x

A relaxing way to start the New Year

Eldest daughter and I have been planning a spa day for a long time. Well when I say planning I really mean just talking about it. Daughter had had some vouchers for Christmas last year which have expired twice but the lovely people at the spa extended them for us. We were really at last chance saloon. Anyway, today was the day.

We arrived early and were given our white fluffy robes to change into. So what have we done all day? Absolutely nothing! Unless you count sitting in the rose infused steam room, the saunarium, sauna, herbal caldarium, outdoor hot tub and snoozing in the sleep room! And I haven't even mention the fabulous food yet! An all you-can-eat continental buffet and three course lunch (no wonder we snoozed!) I also managed to read a lovely book by Alan Titchmarsh called The Last Lighthouse Keeper. It looked quite magical as we left.

I have come home feeling very relaxed. I'm not even going to get stressed by the 'deadliest catch shite' that my husband watches on TV.