When i had my hospital appt just before Christmas, i read an article in the waiting room about the power of positive thinking. It said that if you lie in bed before you go to sleep and review your day and find at least one thing that was positive in your day you would get a good nights sleep and wake feeling more positive the next day, also it has an effect on your general health and well being. Over the holidays the article kept coming in my mind so i decided to give it a go Jan 1st and see if it really did make a difference to my thoughts and my life.
Seemed a good idea till Monday evening when i was on my way upstairs and the phone rang. My Aunt was calling to say that my uncle (who is also my godfather) had passed away 9.45 that evening. When i eventually got into bed i couldn't think of one positive thing that day.
Over the next couple of days i had some quiet time stitching, walked a bit even in the snow and bitter cold weather we were having, and the thoughts of Uncle Bill kept coming into my mind. The tissue box took a battering! But ... i also realised that there was something positive he had left me with. After 25 years suffering serious heart problems and the last 8 years he also had prostate cancer, he was in and out of hospital a lot but he didn't ever let these things take away his positive attitude and his beaming smile that were always there when i visited him both at home and in the hospital. His determination not to give in till he was ready and as he used to say 'there is nothing wrong with my mind, i was just given a body that wasn't up to the job, but i've made the best of it and lived a good life' and at 84 years old i think he deserves to be free from pain and suffering and rest in peace.
Thursday i woke up feeling much brighter (maybe positive thinking is working?). A few chores were done as i hadn't done anything all week and after digging out the car a visit to the supermarket to restock the cupboards - DH drove, no work this week due to the weather. Late afternoon i noticed when Midge came back in after playing out in the snow that he had a slight limp but thought maybe he had slipped on the ice and pulled something.
Friday when we got up he couldn't put any weight on the leg. I had to be at the Dr's for an early checkup (DH dug out the car again and drove me) that went fine and we called the vet on our return. They wanted to see him immediately. She examined him and i heard the words "possible broken shoulder, x-ray, may loose a leg or could be fatal" we left him behind and headed home very subdued.
The vets is on a well gritted main road, but at the top there are traffic lights and we duly stopped at the head of the queue. All of a sudden the car lurched forward. An elderly gentleman behind in a brand new mercedes wasn't happy driving his own car and wanted to be sitting in the back of mine too!! DH got out and went to check on damage, the gentlemans response was "its new and automatic and it creeps forward on its own" DH not being in the best mood having left Midge behind muttered some words and i managed to hear his sarcastic comment of 'are mercedes making vehicles with no brake pedal or handbrake now then and i'll drive over the junction and we'll check damage then'. The traffic lights changed and we proceeded and stopped, the 'gentleman' never even stopped he put his foot down and drove off at speed.
On our return home DH investgated and there was only minor damage so that was lucky. Not long after the phone rang and the vet informed us that it wasn't a break, but he has been bitten a week or so ago she thinks in the arm pit by a fox or dog (teeth marks not close enough to be another cat) and he has an abcess inside the shoulder cavity. Sigh of relief and a couple of hours later he was back home recovering from the sedation with a bag full of antibiotics and painkillers and an appt to return Tuesday evening. He wanted to showing you his shaved paw what the naughty vet did.
DH and i were feeling somewhat stressed after our day and i needed to take a birthday gift to a friend. We'd had more snow so we decided to walk the mile or so to her house leaving midge with DS, it might clear our heads. I'd stitched her this fob, she's an avid Shaun fan. We helped deplete her biscuit mountain santa brought and enjoyed the cup of tea before wrapping up warm and heading home.
As i lay in bed last night and tried to think what positive thing had happend yesterday, 3 things came to mind.... Midge was back home safely, the little bump in the car could have been far worse and also the laughter and smiles we had with a friend yesterday afternoon positively lifted the mood for both DH and myself. SO.. does positive thinking work? i'm still undecided but think i'll keep giving it a go, i got up this morning with a smile on my face ready to face the day .... maybe it does after all.
p.s i'll show you the stitchy pics next time, this post is way too long now
This week in my quiet moments i completed Part 2 so still Part 3 left to do. Its such a lovely project and i do enjoy the little animals that are stitched 1 over 1 on the 28ct fabric, it adds such detail. Jan 1st was the start date for the Just Nan SAL at Stitch & Stash and i couldn't resist making a start on that too. You can choose any JN design, i have a few in my stash and finally decided on Ice Garden. There are quite a few ladies who have joined in this and its going to last all year long, how exciting its going to be to see lots of JN designs develop and stitchers who are new to JN try them for the first time.
You can never plan ahead too far and the monthly Christmas ornament SAL is continuing this year again at Stitch & Stash. With that in mind i knew the JBW 'Christmas Tree I' had to be my first this year, the chart was a gift from Karen and stitched up so fast. 
