Thirty Five Years and A Book Surprise

 Dave and I celebrated 35 years of married life today but dang it neither of us could remember the exact time we said, 'I will' 😂. I've got a feeling it was late morning or over the lunch time period 😁. To celebrate we visited our favourite place which is a five minute drive down the road.  I had my usual 'safe foods' which was chicken goujons and fries and Dave had chicken caesar salad.  We both shared a plate of nachos and some gluten free onion rings.  He also enjoyed a mahoosive dessert of which I had some of the cream but my treat was an almond milk latte and very nice it was too.

Feet up cos yeah Pots doesn't stop 🤪

An anniversary silly selfie.

Pip had fun choosing the card and the lovely cyclamen plant in her lunch break at college.  That lovely lass has really blossomed since starting Myerscough.  She's had to deal with all sorts of issues but in turn has developed a shed load of resilience and resourcefulness.  We are really proud of her ❤️

The wonders of book loving blogging friends 😊. My lovely blogging friend Kezzie sent these brilliant reads and they arrived first thing this morning.  I love the Kate Shackleton mysteries but they are often hard to find at our local library.  Once Kezzie knew that I was a fellow fan, she offered me her collection ❤️. I think it's safe to say that these will be my next round of Long Covid recovery reading over the next few months - once I've finished my current war time trilogy 😂

Airfix and Lent Preparations on Ash Wednesday

 No ashes for us today as we are self quarantining until we know for sure that this virus isn't the dreaded Covid (again!). To be honest I don't believe in knowingly spreading viruses but Covid is far from the 'common cold' that it is made out to be and so staying home is the best place at the moment.

Early on in the afternoon Pip felt able to sit at the table for a short while and work on her airfix model:

I think she found it strange that one minute she felt like she was 'turning a corner' and then the next back on the sofa/bed for the rest of the day.  Viruses these days are certainly very weird!

I've had a very restful and productive day 😊. Mid morning I had a zoom meeting with some permaculture pals and it was good to catch up on projects and plans albeit against a backdrop of chronic illnesses as all three of us are living with daily limitations of some sort!  This same group are also going to be my peer review group for my permaculture design certificate since I'm not finishing alongside my original cohort.

After lunch I perused Eva's blog for lenten ideas.  My dear friend Eva has been a real source of encouragement, support and wisdom over the years and I'm very grateful for her friendship.  I have very fond memories of meeting her and the family around this time last year when they were in London for the spring term.  This year will be using the 'Mission Together Lenten Calendar 2023' and Pip has also expressed an interest in their 'Charity Chore Pay Sheet' with the idea of raising money for her sister's order in Spain.  Courtesy of our parish we were given the Lent booklet 'Walk with Me' and I'm still working through 'The Big Picture Bible Course' with my friend Shiron.  Lastly but not least I printed the 'Pray, Fast, Give' folder and accompanying idea strips.  I'm not saying we will get through everything but having a plan means hopefully we will achieve something!  If you are looking for something beautiful to listen to, then I can highly recommend my friend and author Pen Wilcock's reading of her Lent book 'The Wilderness Within You.'  Over the years Pen has gifted me many of her books and I've also bought several of them - I love the stories of the monks at St Alcuins Abbey and in this past year she has self published two further books in this series and I can highly recommend them ❤️

And whilst Pip and I were busy Poppy was doing what all cats love to do ...

... snoozing peacefully ❤️

Knitting ::Nattering :: Photography

 Serendipity played a part this week and it all began with a quick instagram text chat with my friend Jacqui that then led to a planned WA video chat on Wednesday afternoon. 

 Jacqui lives in the Outer Hebrides on the Isle of Lewis (many moons ago Sara spent a week with Jacqui and her family)  and we sat in our respective homes with our knitting and coffee and had a lovely time sharing family news and attempting to put the world to rights!  Interestingly enough we had also both planned to make a Mediterranean lamb dish for tea.  Jacqui was working on a shawl for a friend and since I have finished my 'Travelling Woman' shawl I spent the afternoon finishing Sara's belated birthday present 😊

Some snippets from Sara's epic journey in March 2012 - a train to Inverness, a bus to Ullapool and then the ferry to Stornaway followed by a drive to Lewis:

Travelling Woman Shawl

I made this using one of my yarn purchases from this year's Yarndale festival:

The first shot is a truer version of the actual colour which was affectionately named 'soot on Santa's nose' Christmas colour-way 😊. We also enjoyed the yummy Mediterranean lamb tea complete with minimal carb and yeast free flat breads:

This morning I finally finished Sara's birthday present (9th November) - the Estelle cardigan by Melissa LaBarre, even the colour of her cardigan is the same as the design on the front cover of the pattern:

Not only did it fit beautifully Sara declared it was just her style and loved it; needless to say I was very happy 😃 

Close up of the Feather and Fan border design.

For lunch we had delicious burgers courtesy of Tom and a mixed salad:

Thanks to a lovely chronic illness community over on Instagram, I've decided to take part in the 30 days of morning light challenge.  The benefits of natural day light are well documented - improved mental well being, helping boost the immune system and help regulate the circadian rhythm. 

 In addition to sitting outside with my breakfast and coffee, I've also set myself an additional challenge and that is to use my proper camera - you know the one Dave bought for me for my 50th birthday which I hardly use!!  Not only do I get to try different settings, I also have peace and quiet as the family leave me alone, too cold for them!  It's a really lovely way to start my day - coffee, nature and chatting to God.  It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings as it's currently blowing a hoolie out there 😂

First frost on the strawberries.

Blue skies looking to the left.

Lovely raindrops.

My favourite mug - I do love puffins ❤️

Menacing skies to the right.

There was however an object lesson in the two scenic images - I thought about the times in my life when I have focused on the difficulties and even allowed the darkness to hold sway.  In those moments I forget about the bits of blue sky that can even be found amongst the brokenness.  I kid you not, the dark sky lifted gradually and before long that same image was infused with the brightest blue, studded with the cutest, fluffiest clouds!  

"When the storm seems to overpower you, hold tight, for it is only passing."

Hiral Nagda

 

That's Better

On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being horrendous and 10 being fabulous here are the following results for today:

Pain Levels 3      Happiness Levels 8 -)  

The trick was to get down to the playground first thing, we arrived just after nine and left just before ten.  Ironically I have met and spoke to more folk since social distancing, which sounds crazy but is true.  Everyday we are at the play park, the chidren's play zone has been cordoned off but we have access to the basketball/football court and we can walk around the track in the grounds.  We are the only family during our 'slot' but we wave to the two dog walkers and watched a chap clocking up laps whilst pushing his baby daughter in the pram.  Pip was itching for me to join in so knowing full well that there would be a pay back (increase in pain) I had a go in goals followed by shooting some hoops:

 I had to hitch up my skirt to play,lol!

 Once home Pip tackled her morning maths, Dave caught up with necessary admin and I had a facetime conversation with our family herbalist followed by a much needed lie down.  After lunch Pip enjoyed a Whatsapp chat with her best friend Beth and we have already devised a way for them to play snakes and ladders via the next video chat.  Whilst Pip was chatting, Dave, Ben and I sat in the front garden and cheered when Uncle Andrew appeared :-)  He was on his way South after having supported Mum H through cataract day surgery on Monday.  We practised social distancing and chatted over the garden wall and before waving goodbye he emptied his car full of goodies from Mum.

It was like Christmas!  Four bags of material for me for patchwork and dressmaking, a puzzle for the kids, a beautiful lap quilt, wrapping paper and items for making decorations, family memorabilia including birth cards celebrating Dave's birth, his first pair of shoes and a very scruffy much loved cuddly dog!  There was also four jars of yummy stewed apple and a bag of Tortilla chips. Little wonder there were smiles all round!

 This was only half the amount of fabric and Mum told me that she still has cupboards and drawers full of the stuff!!

How are you all doing?  I'm thinking and praying in particular for my very dear friends in New York.  I had a lovely Whatsapp chat with Dorina on last Friday and even got to say "Hi" and wave to her husband Greg, who like many is now working from home.  Speaking of Whatsapp our daughter Kathryn set up a family group chat and we have shared photos, thoughts and in Sara and Ben's case whacky videos; those two might be fourteen years apart but they share the same bonkers sense of humour!  There videos have kept Kath entertained and my Mum utterly confused :-) 

 

Cardinal Newman

God created me to do him some definite service.

He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another.

I have my mission.

I may not know what it is in this life but I will be told in the next.

I am a link in a chain a bond of connections between persons.

He has not created me for nothing, I shall do good, I shall do his work.

Therefore I will trust in Him.

Whatever I do, wherever I am, I cannot be thrown away.

If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him.

If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.

He does nothing in vain, He knows what He is about.

Cardinal Newman 1801-1890

Edited:  I have been attempting to write this post since last Sunday, so here goes third time lucky!

Sunday 13th October

Cardinal Newman is being canonised today; he was an outstanding thinker and writer of his time.  His writings were easy to comprehend and his spiritual incite for everday difficulties is still applicable today.  I have this excerpt in front of my knitting chair and whenever I am doubting the current situation, it speaks volumes in the silence of the heart.

It was a year ago yesterday that we moved into this home and the day before that we celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary.  Mum and Dad very kindly sent a treat via BACS transfer so we were all able to enjoy a yummy takeaway Indian meal courtesy of the Booths chiller cabinet!

My silence here has not been due to sickness per se but rather a case of blogging fatigue and the computer always in use by another family member!  I have remembered to document some of our days courtesy of the phone camera so will share them in the following sections.  One thing I would like to say is that thanks to blogging I have made some precious friendships, so when I read that Eva's mum was seriously ill in hospital I did not hestitate to pick up the phone, 11pm our time, 6pm hers.  It is in times like these that I am glad that I continue writing and sharing here as best I can :-) 

Beacon Fell Adventures

We have kept up with the monthly home ed forest school meetings.  September's challenge was to build some shelters and last week it was all about whittling:

Rhoda and Andrea who run the activities, are looking into the possibility of the kids working toward the John Muir Conservation Award starting in January.

Arts Award

Pip has almost completed her bronze award, she has attended the weekly sessions, gave her review on Jarrow Hall including making a booklet with the help of Dad and she also used her artist inspiration adding her own twist of converting the image into a collage.  The only remaining task is to share a skill with the group.  The Thursday meetings are a real highlight to our week and we have found some lovely friends too.

  


Confectionary Badge

Pip is working towards her confectionary badge at Guides.  Yesterday she made 'frighteningly fabulous fudge', which she has shared with neighbours and some waiting to be gifted to family. 

 Today's task is to prep the puff pastry for the apple turnovers and to make Bakewell Tart.  We are attending a theatre production celebrating Diwali on the 28th so there will also be some sweet treats to celebrate.  By the time she attends Guides on the 29th this badge will be signed off and completed :-)

Other News 

Dave has been accepted on phase three of the statins trial relating to reducing the damage associated with secondary progressive MS.  It is a double blind trial so neither us nor the team at Preston hospital know if he is on the drug or a placebo.  We have asked everyone to pray that he actually gets the drug.  The trial lasts for three years and during that period they track his walking, general neurological functioning and blood cholestrol levels.

I have been candida symptom free these past ten weeks which is a major breakthrough!  Still sticking with the diet, taking probiotics and grapeseed extract which is an anti-fungal.  I am having ongoing issues with my spine and trying to tackle the pain with osteopathic manipulation, tai chi and pilates exercises.  It is a slow process attempting to realign the body.  All my crafting work doesn't help and I'm having to remind myself to get up, move around and stretch in between working.  I have finished another pair of socks for me and been working on some items either for a craft stall or folksy shop, some Christmas owls and cochet washable make-up remover pads:

It is half term in these parts, so no college and our arts award class isn't running.  However we have two lots of hospital appointments, continued arts and badge prep, an afternoon with friends and a meet up with family and our ususal football training at UCLAN on Thursday.  A friend from prayer group asked me how things were going and my reply, " Bonkersly Manageable!!"  It can definitely be chaotic at times but we are still smiling so that is a good sign.

Fun Friday

We had a very unusual Friday full of surprises and fun. 

 First up I had an Instagram message from a blogging friend who happened to be in the area.  We met at a lovely tea room in Beetham, not far from the garden centre of our first meeting!

 Beautiful Celtic Cross.

A cottage that was festooned with foliage and flowers of all shapes and sizes.

 I would have loved to look inside the church but sadly it was closed.

 Outside the tea rooms.

 Inside the tea rooms view one ...

... and two.

 Having fun with the selfie mode on the flip screen, Gerry and Me :-)  Those tearooms are well worth a visit and they offer an excellent gluten free range. Due to its popularity it is advisable to book first!

The blue skies soon gave way to a steady stream of rain and in a last minute decision we hopped in the car and visited my mum for her birthday.  Tesco saved the day regarding the food and we were able to tuck into a decent selection of gluten free fayre. 

A lovely mum, nanna and great-nanna x 

Our third stop was a visit to Kathryn and Mary Grace for tea.  It was good to see them both but the visit was marred slightly by Benedict's blood sugars suddenly becoming quite unstable. As a result we left in haste and I was glad that we did because he had a horrendous hypo attack in the car and was quite unwell.  It really was a relief to be home. 

  Jorgen, a mighty eating machine bones, dog food, cuddly toys and wallpaper!  In short a tiny tearaway :-)  Good job, Kath and Mary love him!