... we have finally recovered! It was certainly a weird and wacky gastric bug that kept reoccurring, not great. Still apart from lingering snuffles we are doing OK. We have made the most of the good weather these past few days and have enjoyed sitting in the garden and soaking up some much needed vitamin D.
Things have also been a little more crazy than usual hence my absence in this space and in no particular order here is a run down of what has been going on:
Wedding ~ Sara and Tom are getting married this year (not next year as per original thoughts) on Wednesday 10th September. They will be married in our parish church over the hill and the wedding reception will be afternoon tea at The Midland Hotel and their cake will be made by Nicola at The Crazy Cake Co, I ran my design idea past her and she more than excelled in elaborating the concept. Every time I look at the sketch on my phone it never ceases to make me smile!
Work ~ The Department of Work and Pensions finally caught up with me and despite ongoing chronic health issues, the dreaded ESA work capabilities questionnaire landed on the doormat. As I suspected it was a tick box set up and their was no room to add information to support your cause. After much thought I decided that my physical nor my mental health could withstand such a grilling, so after consultation with a welfare rights advisor, I did the only thing possible and registered as self employed!
This past week has been taken up with registering a domain name and blog, designing a shop logo and spending a lot of time in the sewing room whilst Dave has been working on the web page. The shop will stock a variety of items for the home and family. So far this week I have made two Go Green Tote bags and two Children's Adjustable Totes. So I have a busy time ahead before the shop can be launched in to cyber space.
Aside from the web design, Dave has also been busy researching courses in proof reading and indexing. Since attending the sessions in Edinburgh we have noticed small yet significant improvements in his health and for the first time in five years he feels well enough to make a move on the career ladder and put all his civil engineering and environmental science skills to good use.
Home School ~ These past few weeks of sickness has meant very little has been going on in the learning zone and the subsequent work regime for me will obviously have an affect on my contact times with Benedict. My business work days are Monday/Wednesday/Friday and so after the Easter break, my teaching times with Benedict will be on a Tuesday and Thursday. I will focus on humanities and English. Dave will teach Monday and Friday and he will concentrate on Maths and Science. Wednesdays will remain a Shein day.
Mary-Grace ~ She turned one last Friday and came to spend the weekend with us. She did very well considering it was the first time she had been anywhere without her mum and settled well on both nights. I however was completely shattered at the end of the visit! To think it was only five years ago when Pip was a baby but those five years and my getting older and creakier have made such a difference. As much as I love her I was quite relieved to hand her back to her mum on the Sunday morning!
Well I think that is all for now as it is late and I am very tired. I'm hoping to pop by when I can and thanks to technology even if I am not posting here, I usually manage to catch up with you all via my phone!
God Bless, San x
8 comments:
That is a lot of changes in a short space of time!
I am sorry you have all been so ill, I hope you have banished whatever it is you were harbouring for good. Fantastic to hear that Dave has improved, wow, it has been worth him going to Edinburgh!
So many exciting things over the horizon, I wish you all the best with you new venture into self employment :)
What is a the ESA questionnaire? Do you have to work in Great Britain? That cannot be!
My mom says the same when watching grandchildren. She is much older, though. But even when she was younger she said she was glad she didn't have to do this all the time now anymore :). It might be different when it is your own child I suppose. Grandchildren are not the same as own children.
Hello San, It's so good to hear from you. I always miss you though I know how time goes and how tired one can get and how busy. Of course you are always in our thoughts and hearts :) I'm glad to hear Dave is feeling stronger and that you have a new self business going! I'm excited for you and will definitely let my friends know about your site (though I know it's difficult shipping things across the pond :( . . ) How nice that Mary Grace stayed with you. I hope you post a few pics soon. I can empathsize with your fatigue. I went hiking with my nephew and the girls in the back the other day. We climbed the hill to the overlook (something I've done often throughout my life!) but this time I was exhausted and my leg muscles ache today. Ach! How easy it is to get out of shape! Walking in the city doesn't keep me as fit as I thought it did!!
We return home tomorrow. I look forward to catching up with you more then. Happy Easter to all of you. We send lots of love. xoxo
Hello gorgeous :)
I couldn't find your email address, so am writing to you on here. I just wanted to send you a message to say a massive sincere thank you for the donation you sent for 'Chelsea's Fund' - it is so very very much appreciated.
I have genuinely never thought about the financial aspect of having a child or other relative ill and needing stay in hospital before. I have of course considered the emotional side of things with great pity, and even thought of offering help in a practical way such as meals or childcare, but never have I realised the financial burden. The extra shopping, the special foods, the fuel to and fro, 'boredom busters' such as magazines, it scarily all adds up. If you add to that the possibility of needing time off work for one or both parents, well, the finances can soon become an added stress on top of all the emotional trauma and worry.
I genuinely want to see if there is any way of helping others in the same sort of situation - whether that is by a fund set up and run by home-educators for home-educators in need of financial support in such circumstances, or if the fund is open to all, will need to be looked into. I definitely feel there is a need for something along those lines. There are plenty of well known charities doing amazing work - funding trips to Disneyland and creating amazing memorable experiences, but the day-to-day burdens seem lesser known.
Anyway, thank you again for your support and love, it is so very much appreciated. I hope that our paths will cross in real one day and I can thank you in person.
Love and blessings
Jules, Chelsea and family.
http://classroomfree.blogspot.com
Lots of change! Wishing you lots of luck with the self employment - do link to your website so we can support you :o)
San, by accident I deleted your comment when I meant to publish it. I still have it in my e-mail, copied it, and published it under my name. I wrote a short reply, I will not completely disappear, but I won't be able to write elaborate posts with lots of pictures, etc. Once the semester is over, there will be more time (I hope).
Wow! Plenty of change, but they do al sound rather positive. I love your comment about handing back your granddaughter, I always chuckle at how exhausted they are whenever they've had the girls on a sleepover (and all their own children are grown up!) Glad to hear you are all on the other side of that horrid bug. Hugs Lorna xx
I meant to say my parents are exhausted, but somehow i think that my brain and my fingers are out of alignment - is it time for bed yet? x
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