wagwaan?

Fun

I distinctly remember posting something about wanting more FUN in my life. Was it last year? Anyway, today I shed a little tear when I read Ali E's blog post because she put into words exactly how I have been feeling.  

This isn't the first time either. 20 years ago, after my divorce, I remember friends saying to me "the old Jen is back" and commenting on how different I'd been when I was married.  I had a great time after that, having fun and going out and generally enjoying life. Until I crashed and burned about 18 months later... One of the reasons for that was also coping with the death of my father whose anniversary is today actually, as he died on 8th April 1993, just a few months after my marriage broke down. I guess a divorce and a bereavement all at the same time were a lot to cope with.

Of course, we all know what happened after that: 15 years ago Claire and I moved over to the UK and very shortly after that I met W, at work.  We had an unconventional relationship in some people's eyes, but it suited us, and we used to have such fun. We laughed, oh how we laughed.  But then I had my brain haemorrhage and I wasn't much fun any more. In fact, I had real problems understanding jokes, and verbal & non-verbal cues. I thought I was fine but I know looking back that I was a very different person for a while. That's obviously not the only reason our relationship broke down, but it didn't help in my opinion.

So yes, I totally understand Ali when she says she has said to people "you didn't know me when I was fun" or "remember when I used to be fun?".  I know I'll get there eventually. I already have moments of pure fun now and then, but I have been quite serious for a while. Serious life events will do that to a person, right? And just when I think I've got a handle on this, I'll get a bit of a knock back and will lose my sense of humour for a while. So, bear with me - the REAL me is in there somewhere. The one that likes to laugh and be carefree and thinks that nothing in this life is really worth getting too het up about. 

Ok, that's enough serious stuff!  The biggest thing that is making me smile right now is the SUNSHINE we have been getting occasionally. When the sun shines all your problems seem less worrying and we have had such a long winter this year. It can only get better.  Peace :)

ETA: I promised you a picture of my cute Pez dispenser from Claire.  I love Hello Kitty - how can you not smile when  you look at her? 

Pretending it's really Spring

Just thought I'd post these here. To remind us that it's really April and there should be sunshine and daffodils everywhere - indeed, these were taken in the last couple of days, so the sun is trying to make an appearance and I find that reassuring.

There. Much better. 

An honour

How interesting: on the very day I bring home a CD of my head scans, the lovely Kate Davies gives me a shout out on her blog, which leads to hundreds of page views.

I feel very honoured that Kate feels a sense of kinship with me. Our strokes were about a week apart, and although she suffered a clot and mine was a bleed, which have different consequences, we both suffer from the long-lasting effects on our energy levels and general wellbeing which are very difficult to come to terms with. 

As for the CD, well my sister told me yesterday her doctor had asked if I could pass on any medical information on my psoriatic arthritis, to help with her own diagnosis. In requesting my medical notes, I spoke to the radiology department and as I've always wondered what my head scans look like, I asked for them too.  They really are fascinating. I still don't know exactly what I'm looking at, but on the second one (done a month after the SAH) you can clearly see the titanium clip that was inserted across the neck of the aneurysm. It's right in the centre of my head and shows up as a white line. You can also see where I had a "hygroma" after my operation, which shows up as a bulge on the side of my head. This collection of fluid was both outside and inside my skull and led to a nearly 3mm deviation of the midline of the brain - luckily for me, with no apparent side-effects.  The more I look back at what happened 3 years ago, the more amazed I am to be here, pretty much 100% recovered. I feel very humbled.

So, if you're visiting because of Kate, thank you indeed for coming to say hi. 

Perfection

I promised I'd take a pic of the flowers... so here it is. First off, a broad view, with sunflare, of the flowers and some of the cards I got.

For the record, I would like to apologise to anyone who hasn't had a proper (i.e. not virtual) birthday card from me recently. I used to be so good at planning and sending them, but Facebook and email have kind of put paid to that. However, receiving this lot has felt just fantastic and I really want to reciprocate. There: another resolution for 2013. 

This morning I took a close-up because they are just such perfect blooms, I wanted to share.

Aren't they gorgeous? Claire obviously picked the right florist. It just so happens, today's photo prompt was "perfect", so I Instagrammed the rose....

...which led to a flurry of "likes" on my account :)  And that's just with the iPhone. Maybe I should have pulled out the D-SLR?

Anyway, today is a lazy, stay-at-home today in preparation for tomorrow's little outing. More of which anon.  Happy Saturday!

I can't get enough of this song...

Could it have anything to do with the dancing? Is it wrong that I can find these young men attractive when I KNOW I'm old enough to be their mother? 

No, I'm sure it's the melodic content because I am a serious musicophile....

 

 

Oh frabjous day!

Such excitement at wagwaan towers today: my new iMac finally arrived at the office yesterday. To say I am excited is an understatement. I got a cab home and left it there, in its box, while I went to the office Christmas party. It was great but I was actually really tired so I shared the first taxi out of there with other people who had long journeys home. I actually thought I'd go to bed and set up the computer this morning, but Claire 'convinced' me that it really wouldn't take long.... and the rest is history. Oh what a joy it is. The detail and design. The understated, sleek packaging. And the 'plug and play'ness of it. I was set up in no time. I'll stop waffling on about it now, but you get the picture!

So here are a couple of pictures of yesterday's events....

And last but not least:

 

 

"Great Aunt"?? Sounds like someone in their nineties

My birthday has come and gone, and I've not been on here at all because that lurgy I came down with just went on and on and on.... I wasn't going to visit the doctor until I'd had the cold for at least a week, because I thought there was no point.  However, on the Friday I felt (and looked) so ill that I had to admit defeat and go home to bed again instead of being a guinea pig for the medical students' revision exam. That evening, Dr O called me and said she was worried about me and that I should get my chest checked out. I duly called the out of hours doctors and was given an appointment for the Saturday, where my chest was listened to and Amoxicillin prescribed.  I thought I'd feel better after a couple of days - that's what usually happens and you have to remind yourself to finish the course of tablets. Unfortunately, though, this cold had other ideas and I had to start on the steroid inhaler to stop my asthmatic cough waking up the whole neighbourhood. I had to return to the GP this morning and she doubled my asthma meds and gave me the delightful news that this type of cough can go on for six weeks. Lovely. 

In the meantime, I had a lovely day for my birthday, despite feeling so rough. Claire gave me her present early in the morning, before she went off to work, and I was so delighted because she bought tickets to go and see Mamma Mia in the West End. What a great time we had.  I have pictures but I've been so busy packing for the move and being poorly in bed that I haven't had the energy to upload them. I will, honest.

We also, the night before Mamma Mia, went to see our friends Beth and Simon compete in a charity dancing competition. They did a great job and I think they were robbed of a place. The people who came 3rd were ok, but the couple who came second were rubbish!  It was all "jolly good fun" and for an excellent cause; I just wish I hadn't felt so ill because I couldn't enjoy it as much as I would have. 

The biggest and best news of February, though, is the birth of my gorgeous Great Nephew, Joel, just before my birthday. We are all so excited for his parents, my niece G and her husband. We can't wait to meet him but for the moment we have to make do with pictures. We had planned to do a newborn shoot but what with my lurgy (I don't think I'd have been allowed anywhere near him!) and lack of funds due to the cost of moving, it's been put on hold. No matter, this Great Aunt will get gorgeous pictures of him whatever age he is when we finally meet. 

I start a new job on Monday, so what with packing and being ill, I really do have rather a lot on my plate. Not that I'm complaining, mind.  It's just that I don't have the will to come and post so often, so if you will bear with me, normal service will resume shortly. Thank you :)

 

Creature comforts

It arrived! Yesterday my Ikea armchair was delivered and it's wonderful. How excited am I to own some real grown up furniture? Sad really isn't it?!  It got me thinking, because actually, nearly all my furniture is second hand. Either it's been given to me or I got it from a charity shop at a bargain price, and although I really love that it's "pre-loved", it was time to buy something new. 

Recently, I had received a little bit of extra money and I could no longer stand the tatty old sofa whose cushions sank as soon as you sat on it. I hankered after a nice, clean, white sofa, but when I measured the one I wanted there was no way it would fit. Instead, I turned my attentions to the lovely curvy lines of the Ektorp armchair, and though I was tempted by the name Ektorp Jenny Lund for obvious reasons, I went with the ordinary Ektorp because it is wider and has a back cushion. Love at first sight.  

It arrived in the afternoon, in a flat pack box of all things (and there I was, wondering whether it would fit through the door because I hadn't measured because hey that's way too rational a thing to do when you are in love, right?). I waited until Claire got home from work and after watching our favourite new show, New Girl, we set to with the instructions and nuts and bolts and lo! there was a gleaming white armchair in my front room.  Claire eyed me jealously as I sank into it, with my feet up on the fuchsia pink John Lewis pouffe, my back supported by the very gorgeous Alvine flora cushion. Aah. Bliss. The cat thought so too.

(cue very bad iPhone pic to give you an idea...)

You know what? I am going to be out at a Trustees' AwayDay all day today and Claire reckons she is going to spend the day lounging in MY armchair. Kids. Huh.  :)

Here I am!

Why, hello!  Yes, it's me :)  I know I said this blog would get more interesting, but give me a break - life has a way of throwing you curve balls and I have had a huge one thrown my way. No matter, though: I am still here, and still on track to have an amazing 2012.  

First of all, I can't wait to get started with Project Life. I've been in love with this product since I first saw it, probably on Ali Edwards' blog, but it's been impossible to get here. I nearly ordered some through friends in the States but decided to wait a bit longer. Well now it's nearly here, according to the people in the know. Just in time for my birthday next month, I think, so it's going to be my birthday present to myself. And while I wait, I have downloaded some cards by Cathy Zielske and other clever designers, just so I can get started. Watch this space!

I have also been meaning to upload the Christmassy pictures and without further ado here is the one of Claire and the fève she got in our galette des rois. 

So cute!  The packs this year had those little Japanese dolls in them. Claire obviously wasn't feeling up to having her portrait done at that point, so we compromised a little....

Ok, working backwards (because that was on 12th Night), here is a picture of our mantle during the Christmas season. You might remember the NOEL tealight holders from my previous blog header. I have left the picture as it was SOOC because the colour makes it feel warm and cozy:

Over on the right, there, in front of the little Christmas tree, is a children's nativity set that I bought in Tiger. Love it! And the traditional paperchains from East of India are very cute too. 

I also realise I never took any pictures of my presents this year - except this one, that is. Claire bought it for me. Isn't it lovely?  And it goes just as well with the red colour scheme as it does with the pink. Very clever.

I have to be careful with this one, because Lyle thinks it's great fun to attack the buttons when he sees them.

And last but by no means least, this is what our front room looks like in the season. You probably know that we live in a Victorian terrace, and this type of house is usually long and thin... I took this from the dining room looking towards the front. Shame the blinds weren't down properly so you can see the garage's "MOT" sign opposite!  I love our little house. We might not have got around to decorating it, but it's cozy and warm and lovely, especially with twinkly lights and candles.

 That's it for today folks. I will try and get the blog updated more often, I really will. Cheerio for now!

Christmas crafting

It's quite a year for Christmas crafts. I'm not sure if it's the world economic situation but we're all very "make do and mend" these days.  I have already sent my home-made Christmas presents to the family in France via my lovely brother, but I'm still working on stuff. I have made quite a lot of felt hearts, each one unique, and I have had several people ask me to make more. Tonight, though, I thought I'd do something a little different, and as Claire got the cookie cutters out to make snowflake biscuits I thought I'd use a cutter as a template - and this is the result:

 

I love it so much I think I'll make more, BUT I must say that the edging was much more difficult than on the heart shape, due to all those pointy bits. I find it really relaxing and I was lucky enough to get some bits from the Watford Recycling Art Project so the ones I'm making to sell at the Community Centre coffee mornings aren't costing me a thing. I have some other ideas up my sleeve, so I'll be crafting for days yet!

In other news, Claire and I did some shopping at that well-known high street store that is extremely good value.... We bought snuggly blankets and a cushion for the living room. I think Lyle approves (picture by Claire)

 

Gorgeous boy!  (oh and I mustn't forget, the banner pic is also courtesy of Claire. She's been busy).

Well, it's past my bedtime. I'm off to check the Lottery numbers. If I've won, you'll be the first to know. Goodnight!