Disaster struck

I am so sorry to have posted you a hopeful post all those months ago and then deserted you, but sadly a terrible thing happened.

On the day I posted we had news that my wonderful aunt had had some shock news.

She's no ordinary art aunt, we are very close.  She is my mother's twin and for all my life, she and her husband were told they couldn't have children and I became  like a surrogate daughter....until miracle.....my cousin was born when I was 14!  Oh what a joy...and my aunt chose me to be her God-mother.

I spent many happy hours baking, cleaning and gardening with my aunt and uncle.  My aunt taught me to crochet...a skill I greatly enjoy.  Over the years she has helped me to care for my family and we have shared decades of wonderful memories in her home.

The shock news .....she had metastases on her brain....the beginnings of tiny clusters of cancer cells...but this was not brain cancer.  It was kidney cancer that had spread, not only to her brain but her lungs, pancreas and hip.

With the support of my hubby I was able to help my cousin care for my aunt by staying a night or 2 a week and doing all those tiny jobs that irritated her but that she was unable to finish for herself.

We spent many happy hours together over the last 4 months, chatting and making and laughing.

I went on holiday in august and as I left she said to me to enjoy my holiday...this was code for......"and don't come back for anything!". which we didn't.

Sadly she died whilst we were away but I did as I was ordered and stayed on holiday, visiting the Tall Ships Regatta in her honour.

So there you have it.  The reason for my absence....and I know you'll forgive me for it.

Oddly, I am not sad but relieved she is no longer suffering.  I have no guilt, we parted with love which I shall have always.

I am however heartbroken that there are no more memories to be made with this wonderfully, kind, loving, special lady.

I leave you with... Auntie Jack...

See you anon

Nora

xxx

Not a UFO in sight!

Hilarious!

How do I do it?

Post about finishing my UFOs and then go and start and finish something new in an hour!

I've been under the weather today...in fact I think it is the weather...I've had one of those odd stormy headaches.  Apart the arrival of a new Dyson which was unpacked and used immediately...you have to try these things out, you know!  And throwing the makings of a Minestrone Soup in the slow-cooker and a French bread dough in the bread machine, I have done nothing all day!!

So having purchased some new pegs yesterday, I decided to cheer myself and the laundry chore up by making a new peg bag from stash fabric...and a plastic coat hanger....because I'm sure this will see rain at some point!!

So without further ado...here it is...

Ta-daaaah!......

See you very soon....minus the headache!

Bye

Nora

xxx

Belated Happy New Year.....I'm back!.....(sort of!)

Hasn't it been a while?

So sorry to have deserted you.

I will answer your messages and comments and also post the finished poncho as requested, thank you for your lovely comments and concern for my absence....heart-warming.

I've been unwell since early last year, but it finally caught up with me in September and I had to stop all but everyday activities, in fact, some everyday activities too!

I want to say it was nothing serious so as not to alarm you, but this would underestimate the severity and destruction of mental illness and play down it's ability to be life threatening. But for some reason, (and I generalise as I realise not everyone is the same) generally in society we do play down mental illness. I guess we can see a broken limb, but what we can't see we don't recognise and find it hard to know how to deal with mental health issues.

Having dealt with mental illness in members of my family, I never thought it would bite my backside!

Anyway, I'm not recovered by far, I have really bad days...and for no logical reason other than my head is working through some stuff.  But I feel OK enough today to stick my head above the parapet here and say......

Hellooooo!

In the New Year, I decided that I needed to be a priority and I needed to concentrate on helping myself so that I could be well enough to get back to being a Mum, wife, housewife, friend, business manager....the list goes on!  So I decided on New Year..... New Me.......I'm kicking my butt in 3 self-worlds....craft.....home ....and body!

For home, I'm following Flylady to streamline and clean a home that has been neglected for many months.  I'm doing OK, the loft has been cleared and cleaned....yes...I CLEANED my loft!!  Along with a bulging airing cupboard.

Little Lady has a pared down room, Teenage Daughter has done her own and redecorated!

I even managed to steam clean the velux window right up in the stairwell....it involved some dubious balancing and climbing on the bannister....but I did it!!  Haha! I'm now onto the middle level (3 bedrooms, a bathroom and the hallway) I am purging, selling, charitying and only storing real treasures in the new found space in the loft....happy days!

For body, I am aiming to exercise at last 4 times a week....it is said to help mental illness and I could do with a bit of shaping here and there!  I'm not beating myself up if I don't and I have no real plan I just ask myself everyday if I fancy doing something and I do if I want and don't if I don't!  It could be walking on the school run, vigorous housework or gardening, cycling or planking or pilates exercises from my Pinterest board of 'Healthy Hints for the Lazy and Uninspired!'

I've stopped ballet for now as I couldn't make the commitment and when I didn't turn up, I beat myself with a big stick (metaphorically!), so that's on the back burner and I shall reconsider that for September.  I do occasionally slip into my pointe shoes as they make me smile.....

Lastly craft.... my UFOs (UnFinished Objects) have got a bit out of hand, so I'm setting myself a UFO challenge..... to get at least one thing a month finished. I'll try and post those on a board in Pinterest, so if you want to join the challenge, leave me a comment and we'll do our best to link up on Pinterest and you can post your photos on the 2016 UFOs Challenge board, any shared inspiration has to be good eh?  And it doesn't matter what it is....gardening, DIY, craft, hobby, food....just something that's been nagging you and you have been inspired to complete!

Part of that is also not starting or buying anything new......well....that's fallen by the wayside a couple of times already!! Tee-hee!

I can't promise I shall regularly post here, but I shall do my very best to keep in touch.

Hope you might join me for at least one of the self-world challenges....no big sticks allowed!

I shall return ......when I have something to show you...even if it's a list of UFOs so you can all help motivate me! Haha!

Until the next time...
Lots of love
Nora
xxxx