STEW'S PRE-OP APPOINTMENT

 

This morning at 11 am, Stew and I are going to the hospital where he will be having his knee replacement.  It is a pre-op appointment, where he answers all their questions, gets a pre-op assessment, meets with the physiotherapist to discuss post surgery and so on.

Any questions we have can be answered then as well.

My biggest concern is his pain levels, and how they will manage them after surgery.  I don't want him in pain.  I also don't want to listen to him moan and groan any longer!

It has been a long road to get to this point.  It is three and a half weeks until his operation.  

I'm starting to feel nervous for him.  I want it all to just go really well, and have him back on his feet and walking 'normally' again.

First up for the day though, I'm off to the post office to post that FBG Runner to Leanne.  I also have a couple of things on my list to get.  Just boring shit like threads, a notebook, white card stock to make price tickets with... and so on.

After Stew's hospital appointment, I am going shopping for a new dress.  Like I need yet another dress!  Yep, seems I do.

ONWARD...

ABOVE: Who needs an alarm clock?  Well, good morning to you too Mr Concrete truck.  8 am, and the guys were back at it, putting new paths in around our area.

At least today they didn't have the thumping big, bloody noisy generator.

Stew and I arrived at the hospital in plenty of time, and then sat through a Physiotherapy 'lesson', aimed at educating him and the other 3 people having hip/knee surgery on how to move afterwards.

Then we met with the nurse, who took all the readings, blood pressure, medical history etc.

ABOVE:  For the ECG, the nurse had to shave a few areas on his MANLY chest 😂😅😏.  

Very nice painting on the wall of native Blue Ducks (Whio).

ABOVE: The nurse was very happy with his ECG and his blood pressure.  Overall, he's in pretty good nick.  Except the knee, and once that is done he'll be good to go again.

I dropped him back to work after the appointment, then did some shopping.  No new dress today.  I ran outta steam.

Clothes shopping is an event all on it's own, I'll save it for another day.

It is now 2.50 pm, and I will not be going to Craft Group today, they will have already started packing up and embarking on afternoon tea.  I don't need afternoon tea, having had lunch in Chartwell Square around 1.30 pm.

I'm off into Crabby Quarters to do my usual 'post sewing' tidy up, before embarking on more!

ABOVE:  Believe it or not, that took over an hour!

Glad it's done, those threads needed sorting out.

I watered the pots half an hour ago.  NOW?  It's pissing down... huge raindrops.  So typical.

Stew just arrived home, so I better get off here and yak with him.

9.05 pm, and we've had a very pleasant evening.  Nice and quiet.  I did a jig saw while watching Location Location Location... two programmes back to back even.

I love Kirsty and Phil.  😊

Time to sign off for the day, catch ya tomorrow.

CAMBRIDGE TRASH 'N' TREASURE FOR FEBRUARY

 

It's 5.30 am... and we are up and getting ready to leave for Cambridge.

Lucky we only do a couple of markets a month for the next 7 months or so.  I loath getting up this early.

ABOVE: That is the second FBG Runner I got finished last night.  I have one more that is ready for stitching, and I'll probably get to that sometime this coming week.

Right, I better get a move on, put me face on, some clothes, bla bla bla.  Catch ya later.

Might not be a sunrise photo as it's cloudy out there.  We had some rain overnight, so hoping like hell it's buggered off now.

ONWARD...

. When we arrived in Cambridge it was drizzling quite heavily... BUGGER!

BUT, by the time we got the gazebo up it had stopped,  and the sun came out.

Which meant we could have more stuff out.

ABOVE: It's  now 8 am and we are all set up, waiting for people to arrive. 

8.34 am... its clouded over again.  Hoping like hell it doesn't rain. People are slowly trickling in. I'm hungry, might have a hot dog 'n' chips soon.

2 pm, and we are home.

We should have stayed in bed.

It wasn't a good day, just no people, and those who did come were not spending money.  Several Stall holders didn't even make their stall fee back, which was only $20!

We made ONE decent sale, but that's all.

Long weekends might not be the best time to do a market eh? 

Oh well, no one can say we don't try.

We are now going to just relax for the remainder of the day, put our feet up and maybe even take a cat nap.

ABOVE: Miss Lily's hair is getting long!  We ended up going out and visiting family late this afternoon.  That was nice.

Now we are home again, and contemplating a quiet evening, and EARLY to bed.

I'm knackered.

Probably not as much as other people, sorry other people.

EVER felt like you had just had a 'Penny Drop' moment, and things just add up all of sudden?  Yeah, I've been feeling like that this evening... putting one and one together over a situation, and possibly finally understanding why.

Cryptic I know, but that's all I'm gunna say.

I'm feeling very flat now.

I MIGHT be wrong... but might not be too.

It's now 9 pm and I'm staying up for a bit longer, I really want to get into bed and fall asleep quickly, not toss and turn for an hour or more.

Catch ya tomorrow.

SATURDAY AT HOME

 

Last night, once I had recovered from whatever caused Stew and I to feel rotten, I got into Crabby Quarters and did some work.

The new machine is a dream to work with, exactly like how Mc Dreamy used to be.  Mc 2'ie is a wonderful replacement.

I made another small Fat bottomed Bottom Girls runner.

ABOVE:  There it is, very cute little runner/wall hanging.   

Yesterday morning we had hot air balloons float over our area... it is always neat to see them

ABOVE:  Stew made me rush outside to get this photo of the balloon and the moon.

ABOVE: We also had a really lovely sky/cloud formation. It was not a sunrise photo though, as we had slept in a bit.

Today?  I will be working on Leanne's runner, then I will probably do something with Stew/family.

ONWARD...

1 pm:  I've had a very productive morning, and finally finished Leanne's FBG runner.  And I've just made Bacon/Egg/Onion/Tomato pie for our lunch.

So it's time to relax for a little while.  It is a glorious day outside, so maybe Stew and I will go for an outing after lunch.

ABOVE:  Leanne, I hope you like it.  I will contact you and arrange delivery etc.

8.30 pm, I've been sewing ALL DAY!  I really wanted to get another FBG Runner finished, so I worked till just now, and did it.

Now I can relax, knowing I have plenty of them lined up for the markets.

Time to sign off for the day, I am hoping to get a good night's sleep after all that work.  😊

WAITANGI DAY HOLIDAY

 

Today is a public holiday, so Stew is home for the day.

We have Johnny the painter calling in this morning, to give us a quote to paint the inside of the house.  Fingers crossed he's reasonable, cos I really want it done.  It's been on my mind ever since we moved in here.

Once he has been, we will be heading out to The Base.  I want to get my eyebrows dyed again, Stew needs to find some new work/going out shoes, and there's a few other incidental things on the list.

Knowing us, we will end up having our 'main' meal out somewhere as well.

After all that, we will come home and I shall continue working on that Braid Runner.  I fully intend getting it finished today.

Then I can move on to the Fat Bottomed Girls Runners.

ONWARD...

9.27 am, and because that runner was on my mind, particularly the horrible pointy, awkward 45 degree angles... I decided to just tackle it right away.

I did a couple of practice pieces on scrap fabric, then off I went.

It's not PERFECT... nothing ever is, but it's as good as I can do.

ABOVE: This is probably still one of my MOST favourite runners, the fabrics are just gorgeous!

At least I won't feel sad selling it as I already have one of my own.

Now... we are awaiting the arrival of the painter.

Stew is in seventh heaven, watching bloody rugby again.  Seems the rugby season starts NEXT WEEKEND!  How bloody wonderful.  For him.

Johnny the painter arrived bang on time, and we agreed on a price, and he will advise me when he can make a start later on.  

1 pm, and we are home after being out for a couple of hours.  We got most things on the list, and had a lovely lunch at Foundation at the Base.

ABOVE: First up was getting my eyebrows re-done.  They will tone down over the next couple of weeks, and look OK.

ABOVE: Stew got these lovely new shoes.

ABOVE: The shoes were 25% off, and they also gave him those swimming trunks for FREE!  (they were advertised at $99), so wow.

ABOVE: Lunch was a Foundy Burger for him, and Seafood Chowder for me.  Cheesy bread on the side, as the sourdough bread that comes with the chowder is like rocks to eat.  Stew got all my leftovers as per usual, though he did leave two pieces of the cheesy bread.  In all, a delightful meal.

I'm now going to take an hour's break, before heading into Crabby Quarters again.

4.15 pm and BOTH Stew and I have not felt well this afternoon.  We both had churning stomachs, then had to rush to the bathroom and had the 💩's something rotten!   The only thing we can think of to have caused this?  The Seafood Chowder sadly.  It's the only thing we both had today.

So, after my 'event' I felt completely rung out and had a nap.  I still feel off.

I won't be sewing this afternoon now ... I just want to sit and be still.

Not the best result after having such a lovely lunch.

It took me several hours to finally feel back to 'normal'.  Stew took less time, and has been snacking this evening, so he's fine.

I went into Crabby Quarters and worked on a small Fat Bottomed Girl Runner.  It's now ready for market on Sunday.

Tomorrow I will be working on one for Leanne, which has been on the work bench for a while now.  I just had to make sure I had the right machine, that was working properly, before finishing it.  

Now ... it's time to wind down for the day.

Catch ya tomorrow.

SHALL I OR NOT ?

I'm trying to decide if I go to Cambridge this morning to Mosaics, or stay home and do some work with my new machine???

I am 100% sure the new machine will win out!  lol

Stupid even thinking about it.

ABOVE:  Crabby Quarters is calling me!  

ABOVE:  Last night I DID TRY Mc 2'ie.  He did just fine.  It was just like using Mc Dreamy, no different at all.  I am still going to continue watching instructional videos, in case I am missing something I could use.

But for today, I will get that big Braid Runner done, then move on to the Fat Bottomed Girls Runners.

And that's about it from me for now.  Another quiet day here.

ONWARD...  

Obviously, I stayed home and worked in Crabby Quarters.

First up was a massive sort out of where things were.  For the life of me, I couldn't find a bloody thing half the time, I'm still not organised in there.

So, I spent two hours opening cupboards, re-arranging, and LABELLING everything.

ABOVE:  90% done, and now I will spend less time tearing my hair out, trying to find shit.

After that two hours, I needed a break, so I joined a group of residents in the Community Centre for Morning Tea.  It's always nice to catch up with residents in an informal setting.  Just sitting and yakking.

I got the name of a painter who is working in our village right now, so have rung and left him a message to get in touch.  I am NOT going to paint the inside of this house myself.  I'm done freakin' painting!  I loathe it so much.

Now, I've just had me lunch, sausage/pasta concoction...  it was only so so.  Serve me right for using a bottled cheese sauce, it was yuk.

I feel like I'm putting off working on the Braid Runner... Quilting and binding it ... is a fag.  I will get to it later.  For now I'm just gunna be a bit lazy.

ABOVE: Well I was lazy for a couple of hours, and now... I'm back sewing.  I doubt I'll get this one finished today, as it's 'pub night', and I fully intend visiting the kids, then joining Stew at the pub later on.

So, I'll sew for another hour or so, then put me face on etc....

8.05 pm, just in from the pub.  I've had a lovely evening, spent time with the kids, then our friends and Stew at the pub.  Now it's time to chill out for the remainder of the evening, watch Coro Street, then off to bed.

Tonight I am barricading Coco from getting into our bedroom.  The past few weeks she's been sleeping in our bedroom ... right under my nose.

She is most active in the evening/during the night, and has been keeping me awake.  I'm done.  She has to stay out of our room.  Fingers crossed it works, and she doesn't whine and try to 'dig' her way through the barricade!

I need a decent night's sleep.  

Catch ya tomorrow, when I will tell ya how that goes.😊😉

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN FRONT OF THE SEWING MACHINE

 

I'm gunna bore you shitless today!

Because I will be working all morning, if not all day... in Crabby Quarters.

Crabby Quarters, I really must remember to refer to my sewing 'room' as that eh?  I have not even made the name sign yet.

How remiss of me.  I'll get to it eventually.

My priority right now is to build up my market stock a bit more, particularly the Braid Runners, Wave Runners and Fat Bottomed Girls Runners.  

I wish I'd kept a count of how many of them I've sold.. but sadly I haven't done that.  

I am hanging onto hope that my new sewing machine arrives this week.  Neil did tell me to expect it 'sometime' towards the end of the week.

I was so completely engaged in my sewing yesterday, I forgot to attend my WW meeting!  Oh well, there's always next week.  I am trying not to be too fixated on the numbers, and more of how I feel.  And I feel OK right now.  I'd like to be 10 kgs lighter, and I am working towards that.  It just pisses me off BIG TIME that I literally have to STARVE to lose weight now.  I'm not kidding.

I only have ONE meal a day (usually), and I'm not losing weight!  AND it's not a HUGE meal either.  Grrrrr.  Right, enough bitching...

ONWARD...

11.20 am.  My day so far...

ABOVE:  I got 'the call' first thing this morning, and was at the shop as it opened at 10 am!  

ABOVE:  Mc 2'ie looks exactly like Mc Dreamy, but the lady in the shop assured me he has a few more 'features'.  I will have a play with him later, and check out a few more instructional videos.  

But basically, I'm sure I will know how to use him.  The added features (connection to internet, making own patterns/fonts/stitches etc is not something I'm really interested in doing.

ABOVE:  It took me about half an hour to unbox him!  He came with all the usual accessories, most I've seen before, and some are new.

ABOVE: All I've done with him so far is switch him on.  😂😅😉  I have missed the bright light!  And the big work space.  And well... EVERYTHING!   There really is no comparison between BABY and Mc 2'ie

While at the shop, I did ask after Mc Dreamy, and was told they were waiting to hear back from other technicians ... they can't work out what's wrong YET.  I want him back ...  as my back up.  If he can be fixed for a reasonable price of course.

ABOVE:  I now have a car load of cardboard to take down to recycling.   It was certainly well protected inside all the boxes and packing!

While I'm dying to get sewing with him... I really must have some lunch.  I'm starving.  Probably not as much as other people, sorry other people.

Well, I'm not sewing yet.  I had lunch, just some mashed potato and baked beans... and ever since then I've been feeling like so ill!  I just want to vomit and get it over with, but can't.  So yuk, I hate feeling sick.

I have managed to pin the runner to it's batting and backing fabric, but that's it for now.

5.45 pm... after finally throwing up, I felt much better!  Thank goodness it didn't last.

As I often do after parking the car in our driveway during the day, I take it back to it's carpark before Stew gets home.

I often take Coco with me, and we have a little walk around the village, or down by the river.

Today we did the river...

ABOVE:  I have come to love the deep, dark greens of our lovely river.

ABOVE: Leaving the riverbank, and taking a little bush path back into the village, I found a little secluded area just off the path, with a bench seat... long unused by the look of it.  It's within our village, so on private property.

It is just lovely... and I shall take something down to clear the built up debris on the seat, next time I go down there.

I might also ask the maintenance men if they can make the seat sturdy again, it 'rocks' a bit when ya sit on it.  lol

ABOVE:  The view looking up is delightful.

ABOVE: Coco, bless her 😖😏, wanted to go THAT WAY... and dug her heels in and wouldn't budge!  So I had to go and pick her up to remove her from the area.

One thing I do have to be very careful of is poisonous baits that are put out to trap rats and other vermin.  Luckily it's usually in little trap contraptions, that the animal has to get into to get the bait.  But I'm still very careful Coco doesn't go near them.  They are clearly marked with fluorescent pink triangles pointing to where they are. 

Living close to the river, there are a few rodents around, though I have never seen one here.

It's nearly 6 pm, Stew should be home soon.  I can't wait to show him Mc 2'ie!  Not that it will mean diddly squat to him, he's not into sewing machines.  😂😊

How rude, I am sure Stew was not interested in Mc 2'ie at all.  Pffffft.   Oh well... end of the day, it's been an awesome day and I'm very happy.

Watching Coronation Street, I'm finally kinda enjoying it again.  And once it's finished, I will be off to bed.

Catch ya tomorrow.

IT IS AS CROOKED AT F*#k

 

I'm not exactly happy.  Last night I trimmed that runner, and put it's sashings on.  And OMG it is as crooked as all got out.

I am probably gunna have to unpick all the sashings and try to get it straight again.  It's ages since I made a Braid Runner, and obviously I forgot how to make it straight.  😖😓😒

Before I do that though, I'm going to the first Village Mosaic Get Together.  I'm taking a blank paver I already have, and some of my other mosaic stuff.  I don't know if this mosaic get together will become a regular thing here or not, I suppose it will depend on if people want to continue doing it.

ABOVE:  My new trolley got folded up last night and put in this gap in the garage.  It's so handy... I will use it again today to take my mosaic stuff down to the Community Centre.

And that is me for now... catch ya later.

ONWARD...

I have decided to just take the sashing off that crooked runner, and not use the rest (for now).  I'm making an entirely new one.

I don't do boo boo's too well, and it would have annoyed me forever not being 'nearly perfect', instead of a disaster!

ABOVE:  If we moved here for peace and quiet, we are in the wrong place!

If it's not lawnmowers, weed trimmers, hedge trimmers and the like, it's friggin tractors and concrete mixers, with huge generators running the hoses.  

I am over the noise. 

ABOVE:  I went to mosaics, it is going to become a weekly 'thing' here, so I shall probably attend here instead of Cambridge.

It was a nice group of 11 ladies (including me).  I donated all my glass beads to the group, and kept only what I think I will continue to use.

Moving on, I am now about to start unpicking the sashing off yesterdays runner.  UNPICKING... shit what a pain.

It is now MUCH LATER in the day, in fact it's dinnertime (6.45 pm).  I have spent the entire afternoon sewing up the new runner from scratch.  The crooked one has been binned for now, I might be able to cut it down into something else at a later date.

ABOVE: This is the new one, and I'm so happy to report it is STRAIGHT.  Tomorrow I will add the batting and backing fabric and quilt it, then bind it.  That will probably take me half the day.

And... that is me for the day.  I'm actually knackered and just want to sit and close my eyes for a little while.  Sewing for hours on end is hard on ya eyes.  Probably not as bad as for other people, sorry other people.

CATCH YA TOMORROW.