SQAURE PEG ON A ROUND HOLE ?

Not sure what it is about these boxes but they all love them.

Even it seems if they don't fit. lol

ONE FINISHED AND THE NEXT ONE STARTED.

Another page for the fabric journal is complete, this will back the Shi Sha page.

Hand embroidery isn't the fastest thing in the west, but looks lovely when completed.

Now I can move on to the cat head page.

As always, I don't like starting a project but once I'm under way its okay.

Really not sure what I'm going to do, maybe a bit of shisha, bit of embroidery and some ink pens.

Let you see it when I have some done.

OBSESSION WITH ILLNESS

What is it with the general public now adays that everyone is talking about some kind of illness.

I can't put on the radio or read a paper or watch tv without illness creeping in.

I watch a drama and someone has cancer or a brain tumour, either that or they show them in bed in  hospital tubed up. 

I don't want to see it.

It's bad enough when it happens to you in real life without having it rammed down your throat in your front room when you want to relax.

If I'm in a queue in a shop I over hear conversations on illness, everywhere seems to be obsessed with it.

I know all bout illness I've lived with it for years but constantly being reminded by the media that my waist shouldnt' be a certain size, it might indicate diabetes, or if I do not exercise I might have a heart attack doesn't do anything to make me feel good.

I do not remember it being like this years ago, of course people were poorly but they got on with life and didn't dwell on it.

I think we should have a campaign to put a stop to this doom and gloom, I for one am fed up with it, it does nothing to make you feel better if you are trying to have a nice day when you have illness yourself.

Sorry, just had to have a rant.

MESSING ABOUT WITH THE LIGHT BOX

I have nearly finished the sampler page for the journal and will show you shortly.

In the meantime I have an idea for the next page.

I found a free outline of a cat head that is actually used for adult colouring but thought it would look good embroidered.

I've got out the light box and am transferring it to my linen.

All being well it will look fabulous but as with everything I do it isn't planned and will be stitched as I go.

As always I'm being monitored by the masters of this house.

Polly and Rowan watching from the table. Willow and Princess on the carpet.

They have all just had the flea treatment and so we are not in their good books, lol

I think they must smell it once you pierce the lid on the little tube because they are off as soon as they see it.

If I try to creep up on one the others sniff out that something is going on and hide, lol

But all done now, so lets hope there will be less lumps of fur all over the carpets waiting for us each morning.

LATEST GOOD READ.

My latest read is apt at this time with it being remembrance weekend.

The book is called 

The Draughtsman by Robert Lautner

I won't spoil the book if you fancy reading it but it is generally about a young German living in Germany in the last year of  World War 11.

He has just graduated from University as a Draughtsman and is without a job when he is offered one with a firm called 'Toft and Sons ' who made high tec crematorium systems (ovens).

He is unaware of this when he takes the job and thinks that they make silo's, he then has a big concience problem once he starts the job.

It is a bit harrowing in parts as although the book is fiction it is based on fact and  a lot of the book can be verified by looking up on google.

CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT

As most readers of this blog may have read, Tom has IPF, for those who do not recognise  these letters it is a condition affecting the lungs called 'Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis'.

In simple terms the lungs harden and gradually lose more and more air capacity causing shortness of breath.

The medical profession are at a loss as to what causes this and there are many things bandied around, this is why it is called 'Idiopathic' meaning cause unknown.

One of the symptoms of this condition is a dry cough.  This,apart from the breathing difficulties, is one of the most distressing things because the coughing causes the breathing to get worse.

Again, there is no really affective cure for this cough and the best the medical people can recommend is cough mixture or inhalers etc.

As I'm sure most people would do, we have been googling to see if there was anything out there that might just help and we came across the controversial subject of cannabis oil.

There has been a lot written about this in the newspapers and also on tv regarding the success of some people using it for various illnesses and so we thought we would give it a try.

When there isn't any hope for a cure, what have you got to lose.

Tom has been taking a few drops of this each day and we are pretty sure that it has had the effect of lessening the cough. This could be because it relaxes things, who knows.

Recently I'm sure you heard that it has finally been legalised for consultants to prescribe this for 'some' illnesses and so the stigma of using it is a little less, especially for us who felt a bit like criminals using it.

Next time we see the consultant we shall see what she says, but for now he will continue to use it to get some relief.

In some parts of the USA I know that it is legal and many of the reports I've read online give good reviews.

WHO HAS THE MISSING SOCK?

Fresh from the groomer, clipped and shampooed, he's feeling naughty and has taken Mummy's sock.

I'M ANNOYING HIM, HE HE

Last weekend the clocks changes and we all had to set the time back one hour.

And so I pulled the winder out to change the time on my wrist watch and it pulled straight out. 

Oh dear, lol

I couldn't get it back in, so I'm permanently in Summer time.

I do not care, but I keep forgetting its wrong and telling Tom the wrong time and he's getting all pernickety with me.

so what do I do?

I keep doing it more just for the hell of it. LOL

COMPUTERS

I don't know about you but sometimes I feel like I would love to get rid of all of this electronic stuff.

There are days when it drives me mad, either its slow or I lose things without knowing why.

But, I could not do without them.  I have 2 desktops, one in the lounge and one in my workroom, also an ipad.

As I get older I find that they can be the window on the world in lots of ways.  With Tom not being able to walk far and my hip giving out we are more and more spending time indoors.

When I go onto my blog and read of others lives I feel almost as though I know these people and am interested in their lives.

I feel that my needlework is spurred on by the fact that I can show it online and get comments, otherwise it would almost not be worth doing. 

I like sharing pictures of the cats and I know that cat lovers out there are interested.

Right now I am sewing and listening to Desert Island Discs and I get a lift from this.

So, I guess I'll keep them all and suffer the their infuriating ways.

GUESS WHAT DADDY'S DOING?

Rupert is attempting to climb Tom's leg, meanwhile Polly is having a crafty sniff at Rupert, Willow is patiently waiting and the other two are not in shot, but they  have all got the whiff of chicken. lol

Tom is cutting up the chicken ready to allot out to each one of them.

I have finally realised that it is no more expensive to feed them chicken than cat pouches and a lot better for them.

I often end up giving the foxes the cat food as they won't touch it, makes you wonder just exactly what is in it doesn't it?

Nothing wasted with chicken, lol