More than just a cold?

Probably.

I was on the late shift at work yesterday for a grand total of 90 mins then I was sent home. I was being sick and my breathing had become dreadful. My heart was racing and I was shaking. My asthma inhaler ran out and couldn't get a replacement before work. I also had to make an appointment to get a new one! First available appointment - next MONDAY!!!!!!! So I asked for a doctor to ring me at work. My asthma doesn't affect my daily, it is when I get bad colds/chest infections that I need my inhaler.

Luckily just as I was about to leave work, one of managers gave me her inhaler (same type as mine!). This definately saved me as it was just after 7pm when I finally heard from my doctor (good that he rang at that time though!) He gave me an appointment for today, I don't have a chest infection (which I knew) and although my peak flow (measurement for how my asthma is - lung capacity) is low, it isn't dangerously/worringly low.

So I'm just gonna take it easy and keep breathing! Strange that my cough only really started yesterday morning and developed to this so quickly.


Hope everyone is ok and healthy!! For anyone who is poorly - get well soon!!! xx

Feeling rather pathetic at the moment

I have a cold.

It started last Tues evening.

Darren caught my cold on Thursday - he didn't take it from me and in fact it morphed into man-flu!!!

Been sleep deprived due to the cold, shifts and working nights.

On the upside I have finished my granny stripe blanket!!!! Pics will have to wait for a bit - I'll lay it out on the bed when I change the bedding. It'll look better on our white bedding rather than our coloured bedding!!

I've also designed a very simple crochet purse - I was too poorly and tired to focus on anything and started to make some fingerless gloves. Unfortunately they were not wide enough but realised when I folded it, that I had made a cute little purse!!! So I'll get the pattern written up asap with some pics!

Loving Hands Winter Challenge!!

Yes it's that time again!!!

"The first one is to help out a school in Kenya. The Springs of Life School in Nairobi to be exact. This is is a school built with the help of the Rotary Club in Arbroath and fronted by a lovely lady Rotarian called Alison Stedman. We have already been giving Alison a hand by sending her baby cardies for a challenge at another place she is working on (trying to get 1500 baby cardies by Christmas - and I have a box of 200 to send up to her for that sitting here in the office right now!). For the school in this challenge the lady who runs it would like to kit her kids out in uniform so they will not look bad next to the city kids. Her dream is to have the best turned out slum school in Kenya! The kids here live in groups of 12 in houses built by the rotary club - each house has a grandmother (an old lady also rescued by the charity) who takes care of 12 kiddies in her house. They have now also built a school so these children can be educated.

The uniform required is -

Grey trousers (if possible dark gey but not black) for boys and girls
White shirts/blouses
Maroon V-Jumpers
Maroon Beanie Hats
Black shoes/sandals
Games Kit -
white shorts
Red and yellow T-shirts - It will be good if the number of red T-shirts and Yellow is balanced in every class and gender because they are used for group competitions during physical education lessons and brain games.
white long socks for girls, Grey long socks for boys
maroon or black gym bags
black gym shoes

Please Note-
- That if it will be possible we could request Graduation gowns for the pre-schoolers

It would also be great to provide Alison with a supply of day to day clothing and maybe toys for these kiddies too as Ireen intends to get them to change into their school clothes when they get to school and change back into play things when they leave ;0)

The beauty for us with this challenge is that Alison herself is based here in Scotland so we would just need to get these items to her in Arbroath at the end of the challenge and the Rotarians would take them on from there ;0)

Part 2 of the challenge is our old faithful Hats and Balaclavas for the seafaring men. Each year since Loving Hands started we have helped out with this challenge going from 100 the first year to 676 last year! I am sure we will not let them down this year either! This also is a no postage for us challenge as there is a pastor from Apostleship of the Sea in driving distance of Fife who will come and collect them from here when we are ready!"

Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary

Yes my grandparents have been married for 60 years. It was actually their anniversary on Thursday but we are having the party today.

I'm impressed, especially as after 50 years, my grandma did say she was ready to try another fella!!!!

Seriously though, can you imagine spending that long with the same person - in years to come will people be still married that long? Darren and I won't be. Despite being together for 8 years, we're not married and as I'm 36 and he's 41, it's doubtful that even if we got married today, that we'd be alive to celebrate 60 years!!

So many congratulations to you both!!! See you later at the party!! xxx

Personal stuff

Apologies in advance re post. Just getting my head round stuff.


On Thursday I found out that a work friend of mine had to be put into a coma (she has had on going health problems but was thought to be ok now). Yesterday, we found out that she had died during the night.

She was only in her mid 50's.

Just seems so unfair. Haven't really felt up to doing much since I found out she was in the coma - sort of puts life and any issues you may have into perspective.

I've never really known anyone who's died before like this. Old relatives, residents at the Old Peoples Home, even a disabled child who had health concerns and was never expected to live into full adulthood. But, V is different. She had been ill but was back at work. It seemed sudden when she went off sick again and then into the coma.

Take care of loved ones and make sure they know how you feel about them. Life is too precious.

Say goodbye to September

Almost another month gone. I am always saying how quickly time is passing by but it really does feel it. Strange because I always seemed to be waiting for my days off work and each shift at work seemed to be never ending. However, now each shift disappears too quickly - we all think so, it's like we've just started and suddenly it's time to go home. I don't know if it's because the kids routines are more time constrained, so we always have to be attending to some need of theirs - whilst trying to fun stuff in between! - or who know's what?? (I work with children with disabilities)

I get alternate weekends off and it used to be ages between them but it doesn't feel it anymore. Probably does to Darren, as these are the only days we have together (evenings do go too quickly and I do work some evenings too) and if I'm working he's home without me (and car!!)

I never seem to have the time to do anything, although partly cos I can't be bothered to do some things. I'm the sort of person who can cope without a task being started but once started it has to be done to perfection!!

Darren has finished working on the Zombie web series, so now our weekends and evenings can be just for us. Although I have said that I want to crack on with some decorating. This weekend is my 1st weekend off with Darren not working on the series, so it'll be just having fun...but my next weekend off will need to involve house stuff.

As it has been unbelievably cold here lately  - in fact we even had the heating on this week. I just couldn't get warm on Tuesday evening so we gave in and put it on. It hasn't been on since and I hope we don't need to again for a bit. It is just so expensive and once the heating goes on it'll probably be on til March/April. ...SO...I have been cracking on with my granny stripe blanket again. Darren and I worked out on Tues how much more I needed to do but I can't remember if it was another 30 stripes or 30 rows (each stripe is 2 rows). Anyway, so far I've done 5 more stripes (10 rows). It's getting closer to being finished - I really hope it was 30 rows though!!! It is so snuggly under it, I am wrapped up with it as I continue making it! Well, better get back to the blanket....hopefully I can post some finished pics of it soon!

Got that Autumn feeling....

Yes I think Autumn has officially arrived - although of course we all knew that summer finished AGES ago!!!!

What a busy gal I've been lately - not much time for anything, especially blogging or catching up with my forums gossip!!

On Saturday Darren and I walked along the canal with Lady to Saltaire Festival it is a lovely walk from our house and took us about 30 mins. This obviously includes time stopping for Lady whilst sniffing and watching the ducks and swans. We also had to take cover twice under bridges as it started to absolutely chuck it down! Great start to the day!! But...the rain did stop and by the time we got to Saltaire it was sunny and warm. We started off in the newly renovated park...it has been beautifully restored to this - if you want a look. Saltaire is steeped in history and I won't bore you about it but if you are interested check this out.

There were singers, bands, Guiness record holder strong man, LOADS of food and craft stalls, kids rides, small animals petting area. It was a great day!

Then to top it off we popped in to see Darren's great aunt who lives in Saltaire - she really is a wonderful character, in her 90's but full of life and fun!!

Knitting has also kept me busy. After I finally finished the teddies I've been making more BSJ's and matching hats and bootees. With the amount of things I've made I'm not sure I can find a box big enough to send it all in!!!

Nothing else really worthy of blogging about...most of the time I've just been working!!!

More teddies for tragedy

These are for the Loving Hands Autumn Challenge. I have made 23 so far....took me long enough to get round to finishing the poor things but they are finally ready to be loved by children!!

I do love making them as they are so quick and simple but I hate sewing up so I had knitted all 23 then couldn't be bothered to actually sew, stuff and embroider their faces!

It is overwhelming to know that something I have made will go to a child who has nothing or has experienced a horrific event. I just hope that the teddy can help.

Baby Surprise Jacket with extra long sleeves

This is still the pattern I have used before from here but with longer sleeves -  the modification is on the pattern.

However, myself and Goose on Let's Knit forum have both found the pattern to be confusing and well er, wrong!? But despite this we both managed, in different ways, to make lovely modified BSJ's! The main pattern, if not making longer sleeves is fine, as seen in my previous blue BSJ.

September already

Ok so it doesn't seem 2 minutes since it was my last post about the bank holiday weekend!!! Hope you all had a good one. Like I wrote I was at work...but we had friends up, so I only briefly saw them on Sunday morning before they went home I went back to work. They came up to help Darren do the special effects make up for the web series Zomblogalypse that he has been working on with his mate Ian. Personally I can't wait for it to be finished as it has meant we've had very little time together this year (again) due to the time it takes to make things, all done in evenings and weekends.

Anyway, I cannot believe that it is back to school today for the kids at work...summer hols are over. Sorry kids!! Parents all over the country are rejoicing!!!

So knitting - well inbetween my blankie I have been busy making teddies for tragedy for Loving Hands - but unfortunately I wasn't able to send them in time for an urgent appeal by 1st Sept. But there is still the original request so I'll be stuffing and embroidering faces onto my teddies for tragedy again today...I knew I shouldn't have made so many and not stuffed as I went. 23 teddies sat in a bag waiting to be stuffed is alot of teddies!!!! They have been sat there a while too!! I've only got 9 left at least. I'd love to get them all done before the weekend (which is definately possible - unless I get fed up!!)

Was thinking about making some school jumpers then. But I'm really trying not to buy more yarn so might have to stick to everyday jumpers...of course the not buying yarn never works and I'm sure if I come across the right colours they'll get bought!!!!

On a personal note, I have lost another lb this week!!!!!

Well breakfast calls as does cheesy tv (Jeremy Kyle and Judge Judy - great to slob on the sofa with as I stuff teddies!!!)