Thank Goodness for the Sunshine.... :)

Well Hello....

I hope you have been enjoying the lovely sunshine we have been having.... :)

I will get the boring stuff out of the way first....I think I have gotten my head around my little health issues...I am feeling better...but I think its just that I'm getting used to the pain now...the pain is still as bad but I'm coping with it better...and the warmer weather helps...when the rain arrived the other day it did seem worse :( ...I have had these symptoms for a number of years...but only every now and again and it has never lasted this long before...I did go to the docs last time and had various blood tests etc but no definitive answers to what was wrong...I did at the time think it was Fibromyalgia...but as it is so hard to diagnose no one would say it was this...and I still think this is the case...but having read up about it...there is no cure anyway and the tablets they give you are just painkillers and anti depressants...well I can take over the counter painkillers that I wont get addicted to and I don't want anti depressants as I'm not depressed (although I can see how it would make some people depressed)...so I'm giving the docs a miss this time...I know reading about illness on the internet is probably not a good thing...but whilst doing various training lessons I have learnt quite a lot about the human body, enough for me to make an informed decision on mine...I was right when I said I had gallstones last year...the docs and hospital said it was acid reflux or celiac...but to "put my mind at rest" they would give me an ultrasound scan...what did they find? A very large gallstone that's what!  I have been pushing myself a little over the last few weeks...to see how I can cope...and although I have done too much sometimes and I have suffered...I have been no worse off...so in my mind its nothing to worry about...so I'm not going to...I have just made adjustments to what I can do and I know in time it will get better and maybe even go away again :) ...so that's out of the way now and we can go on to the pretty stuff and good times that have happened over the last few weeks :)

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Last week I noticed the lilac coming into flower...I love lilac...so on our walk I collected a few sprigs for the kitchen...and I had to pick some Cow Parsley too...I know its a weed and does get out of control but I think the flowers are so pretty...it made a lovely little display on the counter...and is still there today...its lasted really well :)

I have been limiting myself to an hour and half working in the garden (I do get very carried away with the time once I start out there!)...I have been tidying, weeding, planting up some bedding plants and lawn cutting (this was part of my "pushing myself" exercise to see if I could cope) and I have loved every minute and it has been a really joy to outside in the sunshine...its made a real difference to my wellbeing <3

I just had to take a photo of my miniature rhododendron...it didn't flower last year at all the buds just died...but this year it is resplendent and the colour is just the burst the flower bed needed!

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The bottom field has finally dried out enough for us to go walking down there now and Puppy Dog has been overjoyed :) being able to run free off the lead has had her very, very excited!

I spy Ralph in the distance....wonder if he'd like to play?

Its been soooo much nicer than pounding the pavements...as well as good exercise...you can really feel the difference walking through the grass to just walking on concrete...

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With all the down time I have had you can imagine a lot of time has been spent trawling the internet and Pinterest of course!  I have been trying to get inspiration and ideas for decorating the office/craft room...all of the new cupboards are in place but nothing is formulating in my brain...but it will (Hubby is quite happy when my brain is on a go slow it means he wont have to be decorating again so soon after the bedroom haha)...and I do get distracted very easily onto pretty things like these...

Oh how I wish I had a covered porch...I would definitely be making one of these!

I like a lot of pallet makeovers but I think this has to be a favourite...I just love it!

Then crafty things caught my eye haha...

probably a bit late for this now...but what a great idea for all the little cut offs of wool...I can imagine little nests snuggly warm with their almost crocheted blanket lining :))

Now this is a cuteness overload...I have to try and make one of these!

isn't it just the cutest thing! Made from pompoms and who doesn't love a pompom haha :)

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I have been doing a little crochet...(but this has been the most difficult to handle as it really does seem to hurt the most)...in my last post I had started to make the little wreath...well I managed to finish it and its hanging in the kitchen looking so pretty :)

and I have been doing a little each day on some granny squares....

unfortunately I am way behind on the daily squares :( but I will get back on track... I'm not abandoning this idea...I will see it through :)

I haven't done any baking apart from my grandsons birthday cake...I did leave these out on the counter the night before...just to see if the fairies would come and make it for me...

but they didn't :( ...I set about making the sponge...which to my delight turned out beautifully...then it sort of all went wrong...I have never made a sort of 3D cake before...he wanted Fireman Sam's engine...my initial thought was...oh crap how am I going to do that! So a little searching and I found some photos of what he wanted...now I am the sort of person who will have a go at anything craft related...so this was no different...I spent hours decorating the cake and when I had finished it I was so disappointed I cried and wanted to throw it in the bin! Once again the "its got to be perfect" bit of my brain kicked in...Hubby convinced me it was all ok and that the little man would be delighted with it...so it was packed into its box ready to be delivered to him....I did take a photo because good or bad it has to be recorded here on the diary...although I am embarrassed to show it...

this is the better side...we went up to his birthday party yesterday...the journey was long and hot...and on the way...the layers of the cake decided to part company! So by the time we got there it looked like it had been in a very bad accident! haha...my daughter slid it all back into some sort of shape...told Little Man that Elvis (he's a work colleague of Fireman Sam's apparently...who is quite clumsy) had been driving Jupiter (that's the name of the Truck) and it had collapsed...he thought it was hilarious and loved it! So the moral of the story is....who needs perfection! :))

Little Man enjoying his mushy cake in the sunshine... :)

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So there we have it...you are all up to date with what has been happening...before I go I must just mention another birthday....

Sir David Attenborough at 90...along with our Queen...I think they both look fabulous for their age...and I really do think that Sir David has lived the most amazing life...the best life anyone could have...to have seen and done so many things in one lifetime must be wonderful...

I love writing this diary...when I start the post...I feel that I have nothing really to say...especially as I cant really do too much at this time...but when I read it back...I have probably done more than I would have normally! So I know my wellbeing is all good...my zest for life has been returned...life is good :)

I will leave you with this weeks vintage (ish) photo...it made me laugh....

I can just see us girls...and you know who you are :) ...I somehow think its something to look forward to hahahaha...

This weeks quote...

and may there be many more for all of us!!! :)

Have a lovely week all...enjoy everything you do...I will be posting again soon xxxxxxxxxxxxx