Lonely

Still. I seem unable to get to grips with the blogging part of my life.  I just don't seem to be able to get that part of my brain functioning properly, even though I'm missing it greatly.  I'm missing reading through all your bright, fun and inspirational blogs every day.

And the reason for this....

Above was the view I had from my hospital bed last week.  I went in for a review of my medication and the usual IV steroids to help with my fibromyalgia.  I was also due to get some tests done and for seven days I was prodded, poked, x-rayed and scanned and still left none the wiser.  Right now it is not something that I would really feel comfortable discussing here right now as I'm still awaiting more testing to be arranged in a different hospital.

The waiting is probably the hardest part but at least now I'm home with my family all around me.  During the week in hospital I was all alone because it was too long for the Hubby to drive with the kids after school.  And seeing no familiar faces made for one very long week!!

But being me, I didn't waste my time and worked hard on the squares for my blanket.  Lucy had wound some smaller balls of yarn for me to bring along so that I would have a variety of colours with me.  Such a thoughtful little woman!

As you can see, I did manage to get quite a few done!  And now I only have a few more squares to complete before the time to join them all up begins.  That's the fun part!!

I was really delighted, and somewhat surprised, to see this months copy of Reloved in the hospital shop.  It was great to get thinking about decorations for the Easter holiday while I was in there.

One final thing before I go.  There is a sign on the wall of the hospital that is so true, I just had to take a picture of it and show you.  The photo quality is not great but to me it makes little difference to the meaning.....

Hoping to have a more cheery post soon with a nearly finished blanket.

Rosie xx

I'm Home At Last

Hello Everyone, I'm back at last.  It has been a very long break and boy have I missed it and all of you!!  I have been reading a few blogs here and there on Bloglovin but rarely having the chance to comment.  I'm so glad that I'm finally back.

The Hubby got me a Coolpix L810 camera for my birthday and I've been snapping at every opportunity. Unfortunately it then took me ages to figure out how to put it on the computer and be able to upload to the blog, so that has held up my return slightly.

I can't say that so far it has been a restful summer, more stressful and only now are things beginning to settle down.  There has been a lot of sitting in hospitals and doctors surgeries waiting for test results or consultations with both my mother and son.  Thankfully my mother, after a lot of sleepless nights worrying, is finally getting back on her feet and looking more like her old self.  I can't say "old self" around her at the moment because she is turning 70 this year.  She says that 70 is the age that you officially become an "old person", so she has decided that she will be 69 for the rest of her life and next week we will be celebrating her second 69th birthday!!

My son too is slowly getting better and we seem to be getting his seizures under control.  it has been so hard on him as he struggled to accept that his epilepsy had returned.  As normally what happens with absence seizures, his mood swings were always fierce and unexpected.  As he is such a gentle child this was not in his nature and he would often end a temper tantrum by crying out of pure frustration.  It would be very hard for an adult to deal with this, but patrick is only 9.  How hard is it for him?  We talk about it often and he can now recognize the seizures when they happen so now he can tell me about how it feels and we can record it all for the doctors.  He says that it feels like being underwater, sound is warped and all is dark like he closed his eyes.  Fortunately his medication seams to be at a good level and the seizures are rarer now.  Fingers crossed!!

Anyway on the chirpier side of things, our holidays have not been as busy as I would have hoped.  We may have had three weeks of beautiful weather but my kids absolutely hated it!  How could you hate hot weather??  I just don't understand it.  So while they hid inside, I sat in the garden quietly stitching and finding a little peace in all the stress. I found that it gave me the time to switch off my brain and just concentrate on the slow in and around movement of my hook and yarn.  I have lots of crafty bits to show you in the next few weeks and hopefully a great Ta-Dah moment with the campervan blanket.

Anyway to the picture above.  In the evenings of those very hot days we would go swimming down at the lake.  This was one of the spots that we visited, Saints Island.  There was something about the place that made me feel a little uneasy, I don't know why.  

Maybe it was all the great big High Crosses everywhere and the long shadow that they cast!!

Another thing that we did to hide from the heat was to take refuge in the dappled light of the forest.  I may not be the biggest fan of nettles but look how pretty they are flowering on the forest floor.

As we cycled along we could not believe the height of the grass along the stream.  It just goes to show what proper summer weather can do for growth.  This time last year this stretch of path was totally under water.

Molly just dove into the river the second that she saw it so that she could cool down.  It was really hard to get her out again and she yapped like mad when we tried to go!!

For our holidays we went toured the south coast, county Cork.  It is such an amazing place, like stepping back in time to before the rest of the country was ruined during the boom time.  Our first stop was Fota Wildlife park.  We loved it so much.  We could get quite close to the animals and there were plenty just wandering around the paths like Maras, Wallabies, Peacocks to name but a few.

  I just had to show you this picture.  Hear no evil, Speak no evil.  Just missing one more!!

As we toured we saw some very pretty little villages.  The old telephone box below even had an old wind-up telephone on display inside.  The kids were fascinated by this.  They've never even seen a phone with a dial on it before!

We also visited the home place of the great Michael Collins, the man who is responsible for our freedom today.  But still today people in this country will debate this fiercely.   But he was still loved by everyone then and now.

I'm just after realising what a very long post that I'm after writing.  if you're still with me, thanks for popping back and sorry for going on a bit.  I just had so much to catch up on.  I hope to be back in the next few days with a crafty post.  Promise I won't make it as long!!

Glad to be back,
Rosie xx

Some Silly Ramblings

Things have not been too easy the last few days.  I had to go to the clinic and get some steroid injections into my hips!  I know, yuk or what?  If I'm really honest it is quite embarrassing  getting this done.  After my appointment with the doc, I then have to move into the nurses office while she gets the injections ready for the doctor.  While waiting I need to pull down my trousers and lie on the bed with my knicker clad bum sticking out over the side like an avalanche on pause.  This time I decided to wear a giant pair of  pink hippo undies that say "does my bum look big in this?"  Well it definitely eased the tension in the room! But the down side of getting these done is that is that it limits my agility for a couple of days.

Last night I just spent a relaxing evening cutting pieces of fabric squares with the kids to make a patchwork table runner for Chrimbo.  We agreed that they are going to decide the lay-out while I do the stitching on the machine.  Wish us luck.  It'll be my first attempt at patchwork.

I had a fantastic thrift shop find the other day.  When I walked into the shop this little beauty was sitting on the counter and I knew it just had to be mine.  It's a lovely 70's Roly light with all of the original fittings intact.  And all for only a fiver!  The Hubbie put it up last night and it looks better than I would have expected.

And last but not least, I finally got a photo of the Molly dog in the car.  I  really do think that she's under the impression that she's a meerkat.  She comes in the car everywhere with me, even on the two minute journey to the kids school. From 2:30 each day she sits at the front door waiting to go and pick up the kids.  How do they do that?

Sorry for all the mad ramblings today. Must be all the pain killers!  Have you got a funny doctor story?  Or a dog that can tell the time?

Chat you all soon,
Rosie