Not a lot of stitching going on ....

Yet another visit to the vets with Mr Moe. We thought he was on the mend after his re-check on Tuesday, but he went downhill during the evening Friday so off we went again yesterday morning. She was quite concerned about him, 2 injections later and a lot of advice and emergency numbers just incase, we brought him home to rest. He just couldn't settle down to sleep all day and kept moving from one room to the other. Bedtime came for us and normally he would be lying beside me, not this night, he was meowwing very loudly but we had been told he must not be allowed to go out - try telling a cat he has to use the litter tray!! He and i spent all night downstairs and watched the clock go round from 2am to 7am. After a long chat with him, i explained as you do to a cat..... that he really would be more comfortable if he stopped wandering from the back door to the front door in the hope that i would cave in and open it, i had sat him in the litter tray about 100 times ..... eventually at 6.30am he couldn't hold on any longer, sucess and he was a lot happier. DH got up and took over and i snuggled down and slept till 10.30am. He's been asleep most of the day, we have to take him back again tomorrow morning for another assessment.

Wednesday night was the stitchy club and i took CCN Tea Room with me. This is the SAL that Karen and i are doing. I decided i would build a house. How did you get on this week Karen?

Dh is recovering well and doing exactly what i tell him!!!! Thank you for your kind wishes for both him and Mr Moe.

I hope you all had a nice weekend, it was really cold here, we've had a roaring coal fire going most of the time.

Give Thanks

Wishing a very 'Happy Thanksgiving' to my blog readers over the pond

I hope you have all had a wonderful day, i give thanks for your friendship

Get Well Soon!

Thank you for your 'healing wishes' for Mr Moe. Unfortunately he took a turn for the worst over the weekend and had to be admitted to the vets. Monday morning he was put onto a rehydration drip and operated on. It seems there was a line across his windpipe where apparently he had been 'caught' on something and it had become infected very quickly. The vet had a few ideas how this might have happened, but i guess we will never know for sure. He was allowed home last night (she thought he would be more comfortable with us) but we had to return again today for intravenous antibiotics as he can't swallow properly and can't have regular food either. So long as he continues to improve he can stay home with us.

Dh also had his review, not good news there.... seems there has been some internal bleeding, so he is on strict instructions to rest and be waited on by yours truly, two more weeks sick leave (no pay!) and another review for him then. Dentist visit number 8 today......this is now getting beyond a joke!!!

Thanks for stopping by, no stitchy updates .. sorry, no time to stitch LOL

Stressful week

DH had yet another operation on his mouth on Wednesday, i cant tell you how much we hope this will be the last of it and he can be pain free. He's recovering from the other surgery well and is back at the Dr's for a checkup tomorrow, still some bruising but we dont envisage any problems there except maybe a couple more weeks off on the sick.

On Thursday evening Mr Moe (our big kitty, pic in my sidebar) went out around 9pm, he's usually out only a short time and then keen to come in and settle down on my bed to wait for a cuddle up with mum. It was getting really late and he wasn't home, eventually we went to bed but hardly slept all night and kept coming down and calling him. Still no sign of him all day Friday, we searched the streets, asked neighbours if they had seen him but to no avail. He finally came home in a terrible state Friday evening around 8pm. A phone call to the emergency vet service and they wanted to see him immediately and from what we told them he thought maybe he had been poisoned. After a lot of tests, the vet decided the problem was with his throat and the stuff that was all over his fur causing the matting was his own saliva. He might have been trapped somewhere and calling for help causing the throat to be inflammed and over production of saliva or possibly got tangled in something and not able to escape causing restriction and over production again. He was given anti inflammatory injection and pain killer and sent home with strict instructions to keep him warm and quiet all weekend and monitor him. He's eaten nothing, drank a little but still has no meoowww at all and is still producing the thick saliva. I guess he'll have to go back again tomorrow for the camera to be put down his throat for a closer inspection, poor little sweetheart.

I have done a little stitching, finished off and made up these from this years JCS Christmas Ornament 2008
JBW 'Joy'
Fabric - 28ct jobelan plum blossom, Threads - DMC

Elizabeth Designs 'Holly House'
Fabric - 28ct silkweaver Antique Gold, Threads - DMC, Beads - Mill Hill seed beads

Gaynor recently had a RAK drawing on her blog and i was a lucky winner. Saturday a lovely envelope arrived full of goodies. If you haven't visited her blog, its a great read and she posts some wonderful pictures of local scenery around her. Thank you Gaynor, it really gave me a much needed lift.

She's posted a swop on her blog this weekend, if you need aida and have evenweave you wont stitch on pop over and have a looksee, maybe you can do a deal with her or find something in her eshop that you've just got to have LOL

My ornament in the exchange at JA arrived as well, but i cant show you the amazing thing that was stitched until partners are revealed early next month. All i will say is the stitcher did a super job and i will treasure it. Thank you 'mystery stitcher' a perfect design for me and so delicately stitched. The one i stitched was wrapped and sent off this week too.

I hope you are having a good weekend, we woke up to a covering of snow this morning, but it was all gone again by 10am!

The Tea Room

Does whats on the TV or the music you listen to make you stitch faster?

Week 2 of the SAL and I seemed to whizz along last night whilst watching an exciting night on Strictly Come Dancing and then Merlin, i got 2 sides done. When i came to take a pic this morning i decided i just couldn't leave one side left to do - sorry Karen, i sat and did the last side this morning so that makes 2 sittings on mine this week, i'll have a week off next week LOL

Tomorrow sees us back at the dentist with DH - the abcess has returned yet again. More stronger pills for him and it seems he might still have to have the operation on his mouth!

Hope you all had a nice weekend

'Thankful'

This 2005 Nashville freebie from Little House Needleworks is one that i've been meaning to stitch for such a long time. Fabric choice was 28ct lugana from Silkweaver in the colour sand and Cottage/Crescent Colours thread. Although they are not the actual ones that is asks for, i am pleased with the finished result.

I've not been too good this week, seem to have come down with that dreaded flu virus thats been doing the rounds. I've spent the best part of the last 2 days asleep! Feeling a lot better today (at least i'm awake lol) time to see what you have all been up and if i've missed anything exciting ....

Thank you Julianne

A knock at the door and postie was smiling again this morning, he had an envelope from across the pond for me .... YAY!! it was the ornament exchange from Julianne. You chose the perfect design for me Julianne, you must have been reading my mind. I have seen a few of these different Santas recently and wished i had seen one close up, now my wish is granted. Thank you so much, your stitching is so perfect. I can feel a new addiction to Prairie Schooler Santas coming on and think that maybe they will be my ornament a month for next year, sounds like the perfect plan to me, what do you think?

I've received my partners name for the last of my exchanges for this year. It's the Christmas ornament exch at JA. The chart has been chosen and its all ready for me to take to the stitchy club tonight.

Christine .. your comments about the zombie bunny's did make me giggle, i always think of Wallace and Grommit and Curse of the Were Rabbit, i'll have to be careful they dont hitch a ride with DH in the car to the allotment LOL

Thank you Marian

Postie came today and i received a lovely chart from Marian. She has just stitched Home is Where you Hang your Needlework by Homespun Elegance and kindly offered to send it on to me, i have admired this chart for a while. Thank you so much Marian for your kindness, i'll look forward to stitching this very soon. I hope you are soon feeling better.

As promised, here is the little bunny family that i've stitched for DS's friends daughter for Christmas. I hope she likes them. I decided not to name these as i thought Ruby could have fun giving them names herself. Is it me or does the baby one seem to be dancing, she was standing nice and straight when i went to get the camera. Oooooerrrrr maybe these knitted characters do come to life when you are not looking? or maybe i have been reading too many scarey books recently LOL

I finished the stitching on 'thankful' last night whilst watching the 'Time Team' uncovering a long lost bunker over in Ypres from World War I, it was a fascinating programme, did anyone else watch it?

Ornament exchange

Julianne emailed me a while ago to see if i would be interested in doing a Christmas ornament exchange with her. She has let me know the parcel i sent has arrived so i can share a pic with you.

I looked through my collection of JCS magazines from 2000 - 2007 (the current edition had not arrived yet) and came across this lovely one by Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin in the 2000 edition. In the write up there was a lovely poem that said 'She who sews with courtesy reaps friendship and she who sews with kindness finds love' the search ended there, i had found what i wanted to stitch. Fabric i chose is Silkweaver Antique Gold luguna, thread is Vicki Clayton silk in Dark Evergreen and Garnet. I also enclosed one of my knitted bunny's. This one's called Robyn.

Remembrance Sunday

This is the servicemen laying the poppy wreaths at our Cenotaph in Victoria Park at this mornings service. DH and i lit our candle and listened to the service on the local radio as we were not able to attend

IN FLANDERS FIELDS.

In Flanders field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

~~By Major John McCrae, May 1915.~~

Country Cottage Needleworks - The Tea Room

As promised yesterday, here's my progress after Week 1 of the SAL with Karen. Fabric - 26ct oatmeal evenweave, thread - DMC. Weathers been awfully dull here so not a good pic of the fabric colour, hopefully better next week. I've also made up the little bunny family, batteries for the camera are on charge, SOMEONE left the camera switched on last time?

Amy & David are coming over for Sunday roast beef dinner today and to check that Dad is behaving and not causing me too much trouble. At least i'll have helpers for doing the dishes as my usual dish washer (dh) will be out of action LOL

Enjoy your Sunday, happy stitching, knitting or crafting!

Surgery over ...

We arrived at the hospital at 7.30am for DH's scheduled surgery yesterday. All the preliminary tests were fine and the operation went well. After a tiring day we arrived home around 6.30pm. He has to have 2 weeks complete rest now and then 6 weeks light duties and he should be good as new. He doesn't like to be inactive so it's going to be a fun 2 weeks.

When i was looking for something small to take with me, i came across the 2005 Nashville free design from LHN 'Thankful' and decided it was an apropriate chart to stitch as i would be very thankful if everything turned out well on the day. Inbetween reading my book and the daily newspaper i only managed to get a little stitched. Stitching frogs lurk in hospitals as well and are keen to stop you making any progress!!

When catching up on blogs today, i had a lovely surprise. Mylene had a drawing for her 3rd blogoversary and i was picked as the winner. She is a wonderful stitcher and her finishes are gorgeous, if you haven't visited her blog, it's well worth a visit. Thank you Mylene. xx

Karen and i have begun our SAL again this month. This time we chose Country Cottage Needleworks The Tea Room. We've decided to post update pics Sundays only. As Karen works nights and her shift pattern changes this means she can stitch any day of the week and not be committed to a certain day. I stitched on mine at the stitchy club on Wednesday and have an update to show you tomorrow ....

Hope you're having a good weekend

Did you miss me?

Such a nice man came to the door today and returned my laptop, it should be all fixed and good as new he said, i could have kissed him! Time to try it out and check everything is as it should be...

I received a lovely surprise gift from Sally in the post last week. I'd sent her some of my favourite Twinnings Lady Grey tea to try as its a bit expensive to buy and a waste of money if you dont like it. As a thank you she's stitched me this cute and so apt design.
Thank you Sally for your kindness, it was a really nice surprise when i wasn't about much on here.


Stitching - a couple of small things whilst i was away. Karen loves penguins and liked the one on the Waxing Moon so i made and sent her a floss tag with him on. I also got another Christmas gift stitched, the design is from a 10 year old World of Cross Stitching mag and stitched 1x1. Sorry the pics a bit blurred and you can see the reflection, this was the best out of the 10 i took.

Reading - finished the scarey book which i thoroughly enjoyed and started a new one. This one is by Kate Morton an Australian author and called The House at Riverton and seems to be a good read so far.

No prizes for guessing what these are .... yes they are bunny bits ... DS has asked if i will make a bunny family for his friends little girl for Christmas. What's a mum supposed to do? DH said the MIWC (men in white coats) will be after me if i knit anymore and give them names, i must admit i have enjoyed knitting them LOL

Removal persons! - We've had a really busy weekend but Amy is now all moved into her little house and settled in. It's a cosy little place and i hope both her and David will be very happy there. Thank you Karen for thinking of them and sending the card and planter, they were so thrilled with them, i'll take a pic if it next time i'm there.

Winner of the Warm Winter Wishes chart is - SRINITY
Please can you email me your address through the profile here and i'll get it in the post to you.

Now for me to catch up on blog reading and MB's, i better make myself a cuppa first though, i expect i'll be here for some time.