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Sunday 6 October 2013

It's been almost 7 MONTHS!!

What a year.

Remember int he early 90's the Queen had an 'Annus Horriblis'?

That's me this year.

It has been a year very much of ups and downs. It's a toss up on whether the ups or the downs win.

Those of you who are connected with me on Facebook will know much of what's happened. Those who don't, grab a cuppa, pull up a chair and read on.

Feb '13. As seen in my previous postings my dear Mother died.She had lung disease amongst other problems and .passed away aged 64. I was devastated. We knew Mum had been unwell for some years but that never prepares you for the loss. I was bereft for a while. But I had to soldier on for my children and family.

The week after Mum  my best friend called me and told me that her husband had passed suddenly too. Aged just 51. I knew him fairly well and it only added to the grief I already felt.

In April my marriage finally after 16 years went to the wall. It had been bumbling along for some time and had just come to the point where it was utterly pointless to carry on and someone had to say it. It had to be me. So a couple of months later he moved out. I won't say too much about this because solicitors are involved but I was decent to him for many years and had it thrown back at me. He has not spoken to his children for a long time or contacted them to see them. But anyway.

In May I had a message from my Aunt in Cambridge. A little background though first.

My Mother and father married 11 months after I was born in 1975. In 1989 they separated. I kept in touch with my Dad but when I was 17 I moved away from home some 200 odd miles away in an attempt to make something of my life and gain some valuable life experience. This was in 1992. I was still in touch with my Dad at this time and wrote letters to him. After a few months these letters started to get returned so I thought that he had no space for me in his life any more, accepted that and moved on.

A couple of years ago I had a message filter through from a cousin to say that he was terminally ill with Cancer and I messaged my Aunt to say that if anything happened, let me know. I understood if he had no place for me, but let me know. I heard nothing.

In May I had a message from her. It basically said that her son was helping to take care of my Dad and he had little time left. He had expressed a wish to see  me and of course she could help because she knew where I was. It turns out that after I had moved back to my home town in 1999 I was living just a couple of miles away. There was never any question that I would not see him. I went to see him a few days later and I was shocked at what I found.

Cancer had ravaged my Dad. He was a shadow of the man I knew from my childhood. He was bedridden, he could not walk, he was incontinent, he seemed a small man in the bed when I got there. He knew though, fully, who I was and the first thing he did was break down in tears. I told him that there was  no need or time for him to regret the past and we should concentrate on the time we had left now we had found one another again.

I had 6 weeks with him before Cancer robbed us.

I buried my Dad less than 6 months after my Mum. It was doubly cruel as I was just getting to know him again.

There was a good side though. It was naturally hard to go and see Dad like that, but I discovered I have family I never knew about. I have a half sister, Charlotte, at the time she was 19 and had been looking for me for 10 years. She, in turn, has 2 children so I also have a lovely niece and nephew too.

So 3 deaths and the death of a marriage.

Where's the good stuff I hear you say...

Well. Every cloud definitely has a silver lining. I have a rock in my life.

I had known Andy for some time. That in my opinion was so important. He had been married himself and that had broken down around the time of my Mother's death. We turned from best friends to the next level back in April. We have been together for 6 months now and I can honestly say he is the best thing to happen to me and the kids.





There we are.

He makes me so happy.

So that was the first half of the year.

Going back to my soon to be ex husband (stbexh) he left in early July. He left me financially in a hole and I have had to go out and get a job. I got work after 12 years of being a homemaker. I interviewed for 2 jobs in 2 days and was offered both on the spot. I now work in a care home looking after the elderly. It's work I always did and work I will continue to do. I plan on taking some training and furthering  myself in care.

Andy and I took the kids on a wonderful holiday to Wales. We had the kind of  holiday where everything we did was either cheap or free. We climbed mountains and walked on beaches. We explored places off the beaten track and had a great time.

My girls are now in school full time - the 3 of them. The eldest started Comprehensive school, the middle one continues in junior school and the little one started full time in her infant school last month.



After stbexh left I am sure he thought I would not survive. I would not be able to cope and I would have to sell the house. Life is better than ever now. I would not say I am rich in money but I am certainly rich in my heart. My family and I have survived so much this year. We have laughed, and most certainly cried. But as a family, we are getting there.

Anyway this is a stitching blog so I guess I had better update that!

I haven't done much. A couple of commissioned pieces and I have another to do. I did some card swatches which I had to put on ebay too. I  needed to make ends meet and whatever I got was put into my  home and kids. I was offered a spot on the HAED blog but I got so busy I never got to accept the invite. My stitching time is rare now I am working although it's night work mainly I might get an hour to do some. I really need to get back to it.

Anyway. That's all for now. I will definitely have to update some stitching soon... I seem to remember saying that before.....

Til next time

xx




Thursday 21 March 2013

Long Time No Blog

Been a long time since I was in the blogosphere and indeed the realms of reality.

The last few weeks after the death of my Mum have been incredibly hard. Compounded by another death just 7 days after Mum. My best friend's husband died suddenly aged 51.

I have spent some time in a dream world. The children have kept me sane and driven me crazy in equal measure but they are doing ok. I thought that the death of their Nanna would have hit them harder but they have been prepared for a number of years so when it came they had all their coping mechanisms in place.

My Mum had a lovely send off and burial close to me, Just a 20 minute walk away. I have been a regular visitor taking care of her final resting place and spending time with my Stepdad.

We had Mother's Day here in the UK a couple of weeks ago. It was a bittersweet day. I would normally lavish Mum with a card and gift and of course precious time spent together but I found myself in the sunny but cold, cemetery sat with her. After Mum died I went to see her in the Chapel of Rest and I put her Mother's Day card in the coffin with her so she carried it on her journey along with cards and photographs from the children.

Just over 5 weeks has gone by. Time goes so quickly but it seems an age.

Anyway

I have completed pages 17 and 18 of Avarice. Page 18 was a 12 stitch wide column. The last of the 'bad' confetti is behind me now and its onto those mounds of dress!!


115,200 stitches in. of 240,000. So not that far off halfway there.

My next start will be Sistine Chapel. If I can average a page every 2 weeks on Avarice I will be happy. If I get ahead I might start to put in a few Chapel stitches. We will see.

I missed 2 IHSW and ORT reports. I will catch those up next month I am sure.

Til the next update

xx

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Thursday 7 February 2013

Copyright - Again!

PLEASE don't ask for copies of any patterns I am using. Your request will be ignored. If you want the pattern then log on to Heaven and Earth Designs and buy it. Like I had to. Or buy the Joan Elliott Bookazine, Like I had to.

Sorry if this seems like a cross post but I won't do this. Don't ask.

Stitchy update coming soon.

Monday 21 January 2013

Jan IHSW and Snow!

Its SNOWING!!!

Well it has been anyways. It won't break any records but when I woke up this morning there were a fresh 4 inches of snow on the ground.

This weekend was PERFECT for hermitting away. Of course the project of choice was Avarice. Page 17 is getting on for halfway through now.

Here's a start pic. the column and a bit is page 18 and the end of another row. I am looking forward to a fast page finish there!!



And at the end of the weekend stitch - in...


As the gems get smaller they get easier but not less confetti if you know what I mean.

I am looking forward to finishing this page. I hope another week and it will be done.

Til the next update

xx

Monday 14 January 2013

I Knew It Wouldn't Be Long...

Avarice page 16 is DONE!!!

<does a happy dance>

Been a long page., Not particularly difficult but took a long time due to Christmas and losing my bug temporarily.


Thanks for your birthday wishes from my last post. I had a lovely day - spent much of it stitching. I got lots of cards, some money and vouchers so I can stash and of course my beautiful flowers.


xx

Friday 11 January 2013

New Year! New TUSAL!

Happy New Year everyone!

Kicking off this year's blogging with the first TUSAL of 2013.

Yes, we all made it, the Mayans got it wrong and we have lived to survive another day....

Not done a whole lot of stitching over Christmas, but I have restarted Avarice. I am close to a page finish so I am saving that for another post.

I emptied my TUSAL pot. Although I didn't manage to fill it I did get a good 1/3 of the way up this year. I aim to do better next time!


You can really see the browns and beiges from Avarice.




This year's pot is currently nestled between my birthday flowers. Its my birthday tomorrow (12th Jan)





Just starting out. The blues are from my kit that Yiota kindly sent me last year - I have started Parthenon. Then some Avarice threads after that.



Gorgeous smells coming from my birthday blooms - I wish you all could smell them!

Next time I will update Avarice as I am maybe a couple of day's work away from a page finish.

xx