Poor Dad, bad Friday afternoon had!

My Lovely Dad and Darling Daughter

My Darling Dad is currently recovering after having a masectomy having discovered a lump some weeks ago.

Doing my upmost to visit him soon.

The Gods may throw a dice...

Their minds as cold as ice...

Birthdays to remember...

Two years ago saw us sat in a restaurant wondering if DH would have a job the following day as his immediate boss and the director had been sacked that afternoon-(He survived the cull, but left to join another company later that year to start a new position where he is now). Last year Mum was on the operating table having surgery for breast cancer - (Thankfully after radiotheraphy everything is now okay) and just when I thought I had it all sorted another birthday comes around with another family trauma to kick me in the teeth.

My Lovely Dad, after spending the last year nursing Mum through her recovery has now discovered he too has breast cancer! What are the chances of that happening?

I am planning to visit him this weekend before he has his surgery next week,

thought I would fly up...

BUT THEN...

The volcano in Iceland has decided to blow!

Should be flying tomorrow evening so hoping and praying that the dust will disperse by tomorrow evening as at the moment no flights are leaving the UK airports.

If I'm not allowed to fly then I will have to drive - not my favourite journey, hence the booked tickets, but needs must!

Act of God or natural disaster?

All I want to do is give my Dad a hug.

Celebration...

It's my Birthday today!

Some thing a bit more cheerful than the snow pictures

Spending the day with my Darlings, who have just surprised me by arranging a birthday cake for dessert at the local coffee shop. The rest of the day will be spent doing what I like best - sewing, oh bliss

If I could turn back time...

OMG. Will someone make this year go slower?

I darn't blink in case July turns up!

Just where did January go?

All this fitting everything into each day is making my head hurt!

I need a 9 day week and then some...

Off for a lie down and some ZZZZ's

Hope I can find more time tomorrow

Oh for aromavision!

If only you could smell the aromas in my kitchen!

My parents bought me a tangine for Christmas and I am enjoying cooking North African dishes in it. The fragrance of the spices are mouth watering. Tonight I have decided to experiment and just follow my instincts with the ingredients. Cubed beef coated in cumin, ginger, tumeric, and paprika, onions, garlic, chopped tomatoes and a cinnamon stick left for 1 hour, cubed sweet potato, aubergine and dried prunes added and cooked for another hour. Served with Couscous, I'll let you know what it was like later when DH is home for dinner!

Yes, It was delicious,

I had hoped to show you a picture of it on the plate, but remembered too late!

Just when you thought...

the thaw was upon us, the Snow Queen arrives back again!

Son has gone into school - at this rate he may be snowed in!

Schoolcomms just informed me that Son will be leaving school at 1.25pm

so that everyone can return home safely!

I cancelled the Toddler Group I usually run on a Wednesday as I couldn't get to the hall. The roads are back to trecherous. My neighbour - from Eastern Europe and used to weather like this - advised me to stay at home just as I pulled out of the drive so I reversed back in and will be tackling the groups admin and accounts while I have the chance.

Daughter continues her recovery from her preChristmas op.

Awaiting Consultant's decision as to when she can return to school.

PaD Round Up

All the photos from 6th Jan - 10th Jan

They have a snowy theme I'm afraid.

Pad 6

PaD 7

PaD 8

PaD 9

PaD 10

I wondered what large bird had been in the garden and then I realised

- the snow was thawing!!!

It's back!

Yes, the Creative Juices are flowing, hurrah!!!!!!

I decided last Friday that I would reintroduce Fabricate Friday, brought down to the dining room all the stuff associated with Module 4 and went through everything, rereading all the notes in my module note book/diary. It helped and made me decide all the more that I would keep to my original plan of the fan.

Saturday was busy with the family, so today with homework to be done and DH at work - thanks to the weather - I was able to move on with some time to myself. I have been finding it demoralising seeing all my Distant Stitchers posting their work and having nothing to show. It was the kick up the bum I needed.

I may have posted this before as the drawing was made in July. The fan will be in the style of a "Jenny Lind" brise fan

These two photos show a drawing to scale of the frame which will hold the handmade paper with embedded embroidery and a practise square seen again below

This is a practise piece to see if two pieces of frame can be blanket stitched together and a grid suspended from the frame. The grid is made from the linear shapes of the lettering.

A card fan to see if the size is practical. Unfortunately you have no idea if it is as I haven't put anything next to it to show you the difference, but be assured it suits me fine!!!

I shall be updating the Module 4 coursework gallery blog asap so Sian can have an offical look at what has been done!

If you are wondering where the Photo a Day as gone and whether I only made it to Day 5, I thought it best not to bore you ridged with the photos and just post a grouping of five or six as I go along. Then again I might create a new blog just for PaD. Oh and yes I have been remembering to take one each day - trust me!

PaD5

As the snow slowly creeps nearer my doorstep this picture reminds me of a stylised snow map of the UK. The top half Scotland, Wales and the North of England, and the bottom half, the South of England. My Parents and In-Laws live in the same village in the NorthWest of England and now have inches upon inches of snow on the compacted ice from last week.

Wellies and spade have been taken from the shed in preparation of digging us all out tomorrow

- sure fire way of it not sticking!!!

PaD4

Never underestimate the creativity of Mother Nature