Far happier Friday

Good Afternoon :)

Thanks for all the comments on my last post. I am shocked at how badly wheelchair users are treated and am looking for a campaign I can support to heighten awareness and try and change attitudes - anyone know of one? I shall also be raising this with the supermarket in town and making them aware how some of their customers are treated. Even though my use is temporary I think making a stand will maybe help those who have no choice but to use one on a regular basis.

Anyhow - I'm far less grumpy today. Lots of things have helped that. One thing is I've found a mode of transport to get around the downstairs of our house - an office swivel chair on wheels. The floors are tiled and one of those means I can whizz around and actually do stuff. The best thing was being able to cook again - when you need both arms for crutches you can't carry stuff about - however if you're sitting down you can still reach cupboards & drawers and mostly importantly the cooker. I managed to make - bread, a shepherds pie for dinner and some rather madly decorated buns for the boys for afterschool;

Big son asked if I'd launched the icing etc from the other side of the room - cheeky thing! However he still managed to eat one!

Of course there's been plenty of sitting down with my foot up. Time spent;

 Sewing up crochet and also sewing those ends in. The squares blanket is now 60 squares big and the giant granny has 37 rounds. Still more to do but both are now big enough to use if necessary.

 As I did when I was deciding what to read first - this months Country Living magazine or the new Cath Kidston 'Patch' book - choices, choices. It ended up with a dip into both. I hope to start the project that came with the book sometime very soon.

 Even this view of the kitchen dresser top cheers me up - not tidy but a mix of colours, patterns and things that I love.

I even got out of the house yesterday - not just that but out of Suffolk too! MrVV had a delivery to make over the border in Norfolk to a village in the heart of the Broads. I went along for a ride. The SatNav decided it would take us via the scenic route and we went through some gorgeous countryside and past loads of boats out on the Broads. We ended up on a boat too - the chain ferry at Reedham which takes you across the River Yare - we didn't plan this but decided it added to the adventure;

 Can you see the wind pump in the distance? There are so many of these scattered all over the broads.

We even stopped off for lunch out on the way home :)

Hurrah the weekend starts once the boys arrive home from school. Lie-ins are planned by some and some of us shall be watching the rugby. I shall be cheering on Wales in the first match and probably the All Blacks in the second one. Hoping it remains sunny so we'll get a wheel around somewhere too.

Have a good weekend.

xxx Vicki xxx

Grumpy Wednesday

Morning

This is me today;

 Image via Walt Disney via Google Images

I don't think I got out of the wrong side of bed - in fact I can't as my crutches are always in the same place each night. Perhaps its the full moon tonight that's making me grumpy or it could just be a case of girlie hormones??

I've a feeling that the large lump of metal and purple plaster on my leg is probably the main cause. I can't get comfy in bed at night and often end up in a tangle of duvet and with cramps in my leg & foot.  Just another 12 days to go - hurrah.

Something else that's made me cross is if I am in one of these;

Image via Google Images

And I am out and about with MrVV - I become invisible. Several times we've been shopping - I've put the stuff on the belt and gone to pay only to have the staff ignore me and speak to MrVV. We've soon put them right. Also out & about people seem not to see us and expect us to dive out of the way rather than them just side step. Don't even get me started on all the shops I can't get into - their loss - I'll buy from elsewhere then.

One final grump - this one is a few weeks old but deserves airing. I've done a few reviews now for stuff and have happily recommended stuff to you lovely readers. Well this times, here's one to avoid!! Look at these two pictures and see if you can spot the difference?? 

Yep one is a red converse hi-top and the other is a white converse lo-top. Well I ordered a pair of the red ones for big son from a company called Rubbersole

  

The first problem the parcel took 2 weeks to arrive - not great for a company promising next day delivery! When it eventually arrived it contained the wrong shoes - the white ones. I contacted the company explained the problem and they arranged to resend my order. Another 5 days passes, another parcel arrives - guess what wrong again!! I managed eventually to find a phone number and spoke to their 'Customer Services' department - useless. They couldn't grasp that it was their error - I'd 2 pairs of wrong shoes and they couldn't promise if we'd a 3rd go it would be right. I gave up - got my refund and ordered elsewhere. The only saving grace was they supplied a free returns label. My advice - don't go there - not worth the hassle :(

Right off to find a cat to kick ;)

Be back when I'm less grumpy!!

xxx Vicki xxx

Just a few makes :)

Good evening

Autumn has blown in with a blast here - the trees are being blustered about and I could see the garden slowly starting to be covered in leaves when I was watching out the window earlier. Its much cooler too which I'm quite glad about - I love hunting out my long sleeved t-shirts and cardi's.  The downside is the days are really starting to feel shorter - not quite light when we get up in the morning and its getting dark before dinner most nights now.

I've spent less time this week reading and more time crafting. Apart from more squares for my granny blanket (nos 51-55) and a few rounds on the giant granny one. I've also;

 Turn a cross-stitched mini-sampler into a heart. A clever sister did the cross-stitch for me (I've never mastered that) and then I was tasked with finishing if off to suit me.

 The first of many fabric apples made from the pattern in this months Molliemakes magazine.

 I finished my crochet scarf - with the cold weather due soon, I think you can never have enough scarves. I often when its really cold wear one in the house and they ended up scattered about all over the place.

A friend sent me this thrifted wooden belt buckle - she thought I'd like it. I think I might try and use it as a scarf ring - when you've got one of those scarves that just keeps coming unravelled - it might just hold it into place.

This morning I spent time having a rummage in my sewing room for supplies - have decided to bow to the inevitable and start making some Christmas decorations - probably just some felt gingerbread people and some of the gangly felt robins I made last year. There was enough material to get on with but I also need to go and pay our favourite  Felt Fairy a visit and order some supplies. I am hoping to find a craft fair locally between now and December - failing that I shall list them in my much neglected Folksy shop!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Wear It Pink for Breast Cancer Campaign

Good afternoon

Just a temporary change of colour to promote an event taking place at the end of the month - Friday 28th October to be precise.

It is Breast Cancer Campaign's Wear It Pink Day.

What is Wear It Pink Day? Its an annual event organised Breast Cancer Campaign. It is their biggest fundraising event. Put on something pink and donate £2 to Breast Cancer Campaign - it couldn’t be easier to help save lives! I am sure that far too many of us have had some experience of this disease. I lost a school friend at the beginning of the year and another is undergoing treatment at the moment.

In 2010, hundreds of thousands of you wore pink, raising over £2 million. Events can be big or small. Perhaps persuading work colleagues to take part or just wear pink yourself and donate your £2. I know every year that a walk is organised by a group of local ladies. They always walk down our lane - they mark their route with pink ribbons tied to trees etc (removing them next day). I shall try and watch out for them again this year and try and get some photos.

There is a website which has loads of information on it - including fundraising ideas and of course a link so you can make your donation - www.wearitpink.co.uk 

If you want to organise an event there is a shop section on there where you can buy items as well as a section of free items which you can use to publicise your event. 

Thank you for reading. 

xxx Vicki xxx 

Autumn Swap - The Results

Good evening

Monday again - why do weekends go so quickly? What a hot one it was here in Suffolk - too hot for me and for once I was glad to be indoors and enjoying the breeze from open doors/windows and the fans in the kitchen.

Anyhow back to Friday - a knock at the door and a postie who's now learnt to give me extra time to get there to answer it. Usually its just something for MrVV but this time it was for me - a parcel no less. I knew it was my Autumn Swap on from Dawn @ Rattling On.

I had signed up for this swap before the accident and after I been paired with Dawn, I had a panic that I might not be able to fulfil it as I'd liked. However we chatted via email and agreed to keep it simple and allow some extra time.

Now I completely forgot to take pics of what I sent to Dawn - however she's taken some pics and they can be seen here (2nd October post). The crochet scarf was the first one I'd made and I loved doing those squares. So much so I also made one for a sister who has a birthday this week.

Anyhow - you'd like to see pics of the pressies I received - here we go;

 All wrapped up in red/white tissue - reminds me of the red spotty mushrooms from fairy tales.

Inside were - hand knitted mittens, a scarf, chocolate, a cinnamon candle, apple & cinnamon teabags and a gorgeous Ladybird mug.

 Here's a better picture of the mug - I love the Ladybird illustrations and I remember reading this book as a child and also the boys reading this when they were learning to read in Nursery.

 Bring on the colder weather - can't wait to wear this gorgeous mittens.

 And wrap up warm with this scarf.

Dawn took photos of these two makes for a blog post and she took some lovely photos which you can see 

here (30th September).

Thank you Dawn for being a patient and wonderful swap buddy and Blueberry Heart for organising this swap.  

At the moment I am avoiding signing up for any swaps as I am still worried about how mobile I'll be for a while - however there was one I couldn't resist and I know that I can easily fulfil the criteria even if it means MrVV gets to push me around a few charity shops!! Its here at Faith, Hope & Charity Shopping - its open till 15th October so sign up if you fancy something different? I took part in the summer one and it was great fun and there were some great gifts sent & received.

Right Monday night - 7.30pm - must be time to call my Mum!! 

See you later in the week - I have some makes to share with you and the most wonderful book I've been lent by one of my sisters.

xxx Vicki xxx

Photo Scavenger Hunt - September

Hello again

Well that was September then - 3/4 of 2011 has gone by - just those final 3 months left.

I rose to the challenge of finding all 12 photos for this months hunt from the relative safety of my sofa. As ever there's some artistic licence and sideways thinking for some of the headings. Please bear in mind that the light in the kitchen isn't great so some of the colours aren't as I'd like - but better to attempt them all rather than not at all. Here we go;

 Apples - I love English apples - can't beat the taste.

 Back to school - just some of the new bits of uniform Little Son needed for his move from Middle to High School.

 Football/Soccer Season - a sideways thinking one here. Delia is a major shareholder in one of our localish football teams! We are not a football household so this one required some thinking!!

 Harvest - this years crop from our little pear tree. Its just 2 years old - last year there was one pear and this year 7 - perhaps next year we'll have enough for cider!

 (Public) Phone Box - again more sideways thinking. The box my new phone came in ;)

 A pile of things - magazines & sewing stuff that live on the dresser beside my kitchen sofa.

 Relaxation - I've done lots of that this month. Sitting with feet up and reading a magazine.

 Road Sign - stolen from a box of Playmobil!!

 Taller than you - well little son is now just an inch off my height and here he is with his much taller big brother.

 View from above - the gorgeous flowers I was given by the lovely girls at our S&B group.

 Desk/Workspace - that corner of the kitchen again! The pile on the floor beside the sofa includes - crochet projects, knitting projects and a bag of felt/stuffing!

What is in your bag?? - the contents of my CK spotty messenger include - phone, camera, comb, chewing gum, a pen, tissues, sunglasses, makeup bag and a cardi.

Hope you've enjoyed my take on things this month - I look forward to seeing what others have done and of course am ready for the challenge of another months list from the comfort of my sofa!!

xxx Vicki xxx

Wiggle those toes!!

Good evening

Hurrah - we've just passed the half-way point in this plaster cast wearing phase of my life :) A trip to the hospital was made this morning and my plaster has been modified again - this time with the aid of something that was a cross between an angle grinder and a pizza cutter! It proved to be a bit of a battle to remove the section of plaster as it was so thick - there was talk of taking it all off and starting again but eventually brute force won and a piece about 4" square and about 1/2" thick was removed from the front of my cast.

 

I  can now start to try to move my foot upwards - very carefully. It is apparently very vulnerable at the moment to knocks and could easily tear again - nothing like making me even more scared of walking then!!

After leaving the hospital there was quick trip around one of the massive supermarkets in my wheelchair- where else can you get birthday cards, a slotted spoon, slippers for teenagers and new magazine all under one roof??

This afternoon I've been following instructions and taking it very easy!

Reading;

More reading (this weeks pile of books);

And starting a new crochet project - just a little one. A scarf for me - we picked up these colours at the weekend - the photo isn't great but the colours are - denimy blue, mulberry and a green;

I think that lot should keep me busy this week - trying to take my mind off another treat that's had to be cancelled. We were supposed to go away next weekend for our Wedding Anniversary - that's now been postponed until the spring :( 

I am getting frustrated at not being able to do things - you know it must be bad when I even start to wish I could do the dusting or even clean a bathroom! Am sure that will pass soon though!

Right - off to call my Mum - I promised to let her know how I got on today.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx