Saturday 14 March 2015

Marching Onwards

So much happening, so little time and we are already into March. The laptop has come home again so posting and commenting is much easier. It seems to still not to be particularly healthy but is working for now. I've been loving visiting your blogs and your posts have sustained me. Commenting has been hard as the tiny tablet seems to struggle to cope with my blogging account and I couldn't download any pictures.

Last month was mainly taken up with my beloved little cat's surgery, recovery and return home. Our 'Dick Whittington' trip to the Royal Veterinary College in London for her neurosurgery seems to have been a success as her tumour was removed and she is very quietly almost officially in remission from her diabetes.
She travelled beautifully on the train to London charming all she met and lapping up cuddles and scratches from anyone who wanted to say hello.
I am documenting her story on my cat blog as its been quite a time and a half. She is only cat No.25 who has had this surgery and huge thanks need to go to the Neurosurgical and Critical Care teams at the RVC who actually are magical!
 An amazingly big thanks also has to go to Magic's wonderful vet at Glasgow Veterinary School as she has held my hand and Magic's paw the whole way through and maintained really supportive contact. We'd have been lost without her.
I'm was surprised to see my blog named by Angel Jem to answer Leibster questions. Thanks so much for this and I'm looking forward to answering the questions. Post to follow unless of course I actually win tonight's Lottery and can enact my first big purchase! Huge thanks go to the lovely blog friends who have sent kind wishes and emails while I've been missing from the blogosphere.

So what is new in Casa Gone Beading? My Mother continues to deteriorate, has frequent falls and now really hasn't a clue who I am anymore. Dementia really is a long drawn out and cruel bereavement. Its hard to face my feelings around this right now particularly as close friends have lost loved ones recently and are struggling with ill relatives too. My situation is really just an inexorable deterioration so more minor by comparison even though it is hard to face.

Technology and inanimate objects have clearly decided to act up. My boiler has broken and the 'Home Emergency' insurance cover decided it is beyond economic repair as they costed it at a whole £53 above my £1000 cover limit and chose not to allow me to cover the excess. So it was welcome to Chilly Towers for a week and a half. I've had to source as many quotes as possible in as short a timeframe to get a new boiler. After the major financial hit of Magic's surgery less than a month ago buying a brand new boiler counts as a financial disaster. Its ironic that the insured boiler was deemed not worth repairing so the problem lands squarely back on me.
Lookie the light is on, and this one is WORKING....!
 
Heating and hot water are a necessity. The convector heater did the job of heating a room but I'd have killed for a proper shower instead of the kettle shimmy to the bathroom. I found it hard to get my head round boiler knowhow in order to choose an installer as each quote came with another titbit of information or something else to ponder. However, I decided the first company which gave me a quote had been the most open, helpful and straightforward. It's a small company but they've been impressive and I'm glad I chose them. 
Lovely steaming hot water!

In addition to my own laptop being cranky I also managed to drop my work laptop which now only works if docked as its screen is gubbed! This constitutes a bit of a disaster and the last two weeks have contained 'major hassle or impediment of the day' and to add to my misery including a trip to the GP with an abscess. I think I very much underestimated the stress value of everything that had been going on. My body made it clear though on the weekend after Magic came home as I was only wakened for three hours in total from Fri evening till late on the Sunday morning. Thankfully the cats got their food and Magic her drugs and testing in the brief snatches of time where I was actually upright and conscious.

Crafty-wise, I dusted off the sewing machine and it took me a whopping 7hrs to make a padded tablet carry bag and slip pocket for the back of my 'expletives simmit' for the tablet. 
 

I feel very much in the remedial sewing class as well as being a blooming disaster magnet. I don't see me applying for the Great British Sewing Bee anytime soon. I loved the final episode of this as there was none of that nasty competitiveness as the three finalists really seemed to look after each other. So well done to them all.

I made another soft blanket for bringing Magic home from London and I'm now crocheting a cowl neck poncho in the same gorgeous chenille Flutterby by James C Brett for myself. It really is the most gorgeously soft cuddly yarn.
I want it as a garden poncho to keep me warm when sitting out in the garden once the sun has gone down. I waste my garden as I never use it and I keep thinking I need to find the love for it. I'm still deciding how long the poncho should be and plan to edge the hand holes and edging once its finished.
I don't have a pattern for this, so I sort of created my own from seeing Lucy's Ta-dah post. Mine isn't an elegant one like hers instead it is a big huggy cosy one that looks more Yeti than fashion forward. I fancied doing each row as a different stitch but gave up as I was enjoying the comfort of just doing trebles.
I've done something wonky to the neck. I think when I increased to the next row I went round the wrong way. Its not too bad as this mistake actually gives it a crease point for the cowl to fold. I may have to put a drawstring round the neck but I'll see once it is finished. 

Every time I do a couple of rows I sling it over my head willing it to grow. When the boiler broke I felt like crocheting it while I was wearing it! James C Brett are bringing out new more adult colours in Flutterby soon. No, dirty minded people, not shades of grey.....but a plum, blue, beige and pink. I only have access to the older shades so my poncho definitely looks more shades of ice-cream- Vanilla, Parma violet, Pistachio and Raspberry. I've been loving binge watching episodes of Stella on the Now TV box while crocheting when I can and I have only a few episodes left to go from the latest series. Don't know what I'll watch when it is finished.

Well, I think that's us more or less caught up and now I'm going to pop round and looking forward to being able to comment on your blogs.

12 comments:

  1. Oh my dear friend. I am so glad there is happy news with the surgery for your cat going well and the recovery going well, too. So sorry to hear about your boiler, gosh when do you get cut a break? It seems like it is pouring rain on you every day. With your Mom, you know I totally understand. While my Mom was not negative or having explosive fits, the deterioration was excruciating to watch. I felt relief for her when she finally departed, sad to say I know. Love you sewing, if you can put in a zipper you are way ahead of me.

    I am here if you need anything, I hope you know that.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  2. Sounds like you've had a pretty bad time lately. I'm pleased to hear the cat is doing well and the surgery went well. I hope the rest of 2015 is better for you.

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  3. So sorry to hear that you have had such a rough time. You are so often in my thoughts and I send you a little best wishes through the airwaves. I will keep doing that, so know that even though I am not right there, you are not alone. Huge hugs to you. xx

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  4. Oh,man,you've had a run of it, haven't you? Hoping things will turn around for you now.
    It amazes me how much your Magic looks like my Katie around the face. The only big difference is that Katie has more black on her left cheek than Magic does.

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  5. I am sorry about your mother's situation and how that affects you too. Having recently lost an elderly relative, I am relieved that he did not have to endure suffering as long as you and your mum. It must be very hard to take after doing so much for her and being her main carer. Please take heart. I am sure somewhere in that subconscious inside her, she senses it.
    It never rains but it pours, or so it seems to be! I hope that now you have successfully sorted so many problems you will have a smooth run.
    I am so impressed with the care received by the vet hospital and the treatment given to your beloved furry friend. How fantastic that the diabetes is in remission too! What a wonderful side effect. I was also surprised that you were allowed to take an animal on the train. It is not allowed here (South Australia) as far as I know.
    Is it the norm where you live or did you need to make special arrangements with the train company?
    Meanwhile you will remain in my prayers and also wishing for that lottery win for you!
    Warm hugs! xxx

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  6. You know where I am..I owe you!
    Jane

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  7. We have times like that, don't we, where everything seems to break and it becomes one giant hassle. Glad you have heating and hot water at least:)
    So sorry about your Mum's illness. It's such a cruel condition. So hard to watch and know there's nothing you can do. Huge hugs from me,
    Jillxo

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  8. ps I think every train journey should have a cat, imagine how stress relieving that would be, if you're having a bad day you could have the train cat to snuggle on your lap. Glad Magic is recovering :)
    Jillxo

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  9. My Lord! You have been in the wars, haven't you? I'm glad Magic is better, saddened your Mum is worse (with only one horrible, heart-wrenching way out), very sympathetic about a broken boiler (done that, bought a new one and had to have it repaired every year since. Ho hum.) and so impressed that Magic handled a train journey to London with such grace and style!

    My DH wishes me to thank you again for your book give away. He has worked his way through the James Oswald's (slowly as train/journey food) and says they're really good and I should read them. They're on the list.

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  10. So glad Magic is doing well and hopefully well on the way to full health. Sorry your Mom is getting worse, it really is horrible. Then for your boiler to fail. Hopefully that will be all for your troubles and things will now get better with the weather hopefully. Your poncho is a lovely colour and it does look really cosy for those cool evenings in the garden. Hopefully we will get a nice summer again and you can get out in the garden. Hugs, Susie x

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  11. I am so glad Magic did so well and is improving, light at the end of the tunnel there. So sad to read about all your other troubles though, sometimes when it rains, it pours!! The boiler must have felt like the icing on the cake, but I am so happy that you don't have to have a 'spit and a lick' as my Nan used to say! Not the most ladylike of sayings for a quick wash! You take care my lovely and enjoy your crochet and sewing! Oh to have the time :-) xx

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  12. Oh I am so sorry about your Mother. My Grandma had Alzheimers and it was horrid to see her deterioration. Ahrgh, and all the technology going wrong!! That always happens. So sorry you are having lots of financial woes at the moment. I have been there when the shower is kaputt-up to my wedding (and beyond, in fact till I moved out), I had to have cold showers for several months as the plumber/boiler man couldn't fix the problem- it would work for a few days then go wrong. Sigh. xx

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