HURRY UP 2015 . . .

Only 10 hours to go and then I can happily say goodbye and to be honest, good riddance, to 2014!

It's been a horrible year, full of sadness with the loss of a loved one and full of worrying illnesses which are set to continue into 2015 but hopefully with a full recovery!

Christmas was lovely this year but hard without my MIL, we miss her so much.

A  few days before the big day I was struggling with my foot in the air cast and the continual swelling so medication was prescribed along with crutches and only a maximum output of 25% body weight on that foot is allowed with a warning from the Specialist that this could take 3 months to heal :(

DH and the gang have been so good sorting everything out and they were brilliant with preparing and cooking the Christmas Dinner ~ so proud of them all x

This was my only contribution but had great fun making them with DD ~ melting snowmen on digestive biscuits . . .

I feel my blogging contributions have been poor too ~ the few posts I have contributed have been full of misery but the dark days have been aplenty and I still feel I'm struggling.  I'm so disappointed to have lost, what I considered to be, special blogging friends and sad to find that a lot of previous blogs I followed now say I haven't been invited to read any longer but I guess if I haven't been around to comment to others then this can only be expected.

I'm so grateful to those bloggers that have stuck with me ~ your comments and kind messages mean so much to me x

Now . . . . stitching . . . can I present finishes 2 and 3 of the year (I would say Happy Dance but that's not too hopeful at the moment!)

Yes, I have achieved a whole 3 finishes this year, one was a sheepie pillow for someone and these next 2 have been completed recently . . .

 LHN ~ Snowy Pines (Mill Hill ice beads arrived this morning so almost there!)

and . . .

 Mill Hill Appalachian Santa ~ it's very pretty when the lights catch the beads and sparkle

Struggled a little with his beard but found my own simpler way of doing it!

I have another 2 of these little Santas in the pipeline and have just started the Holly & Ivy Santa, I find them really easy to handle and stitch whilst immobile and having everything all together in a kit makes life a lot easier!

Well, it's not the happiest post ever is it? 

But a year ago I didn't have this little fellow in my life and he certainly has brightened up every day since!  He loved his 1st Christmas, toys and treats aplenty, some a little noisier than others and I'm quite surprised to say the Christmas Tree is still standing up straight and complete with its decorations!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

Enjoy your celebrations!

(((Hugs)))

Jane, Monty, Tilly & Oscar x

A NEW START . . .

It's been a long 6 months since my last post and I do apologize for my AWOL ~ life has been very cruel and horrible in that time and until now I have not had any blogging enthusiasm whatsoever!

I have started and restarted this post so many times and don't really know how to put into words how life has been turned upside down so to be short and sweet ~

 I lost my precious mother-in-law to cancer in early March despite having been given the all clear after a double mastectomy 2 years previous ~ it all happened very quickly but we all feel her loss every day and it's very hard to accept and at the moment talk about x

I was already ill during this stressful time but ended up with a life-threatening illness 2 days after our loss for which I was hospitalised for 5 days and after being allowed home was taken back to hospital with a heart condition, I have struggled with these experiences and have had many dark days which I didn't feel was right to reveal on my blog.

That's all I'm going to share at the moment, I have titled this post 'A New Start' and that's what I intend to do ~ as my cricket loving DH would say I shall be 'half a century and not out' later in the year so I am concentrating on getting healthy again and looking forward!

I lost a good part of my eyesight whilst ill, which I was told would return, and as I've got better, it has but I found cross stitch very hard to do during that time so my fabric stash and sewing machine have been very hard at work instead!

I've so much to show over the next few posts but this is was my 
first finish . . .

'Ollie Owl' 

The pattern has been sitting in the cupboard for ages, I had looked at it several times but wasn't sure if I could do it but although a little fiddly in places it came together quite well and I'm pleased with the outcome.

The fabric choices were my own and I attached his wings with buttons so they could swivel round rather than stitch them on and added the little heart on his tummy x

It's not all bad news though in my life . . .

Remember our new addition to the family back in January?

Well, I'm pleased to say Monty has made a good recovery from his ordeals and now at 8 months old is the most loveable and affectionate bundle of fur ever!

He's my shadow and we do virtually everything together!
xxxx

Talking of which, it's time for 'walkies' ~ exercise for me and lots of sniffs and saying hello to literally everyone we pass for Monty!

Thank you for stopping by and continuing to follow me, I really do appreciate it and hopefully normal service has once again resumed!

Take Care
Happy Stitching
Jane
x

NEW PAWS IN THE HOUSE . . .

It's been a month since I last posted so before I share my news with you I have to wish you all a somewhat belated HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Our Christmas was lovely and although we now have some very frail older members of the family I am so thankful that we were able to share the festivities with them and bring smiles to their faces x

I have done a little stitching over the Christmas break but circumstances have changed drastically in the last 2 weeks and here's why . . .

Let me introduce you to our new addition ~ 

MONTY

a golden cockapoo puppy aged approx. 10 weeks

The sad ongoing saga that accompanies his arrival is a hard one to share and for various reasons I cannot completely share it all at the moment but when DH and I went to view him some 2 hours drive away we found ourselves at very unclean, unhealthy and poor conditions and this little pup was not a happy one, nervous, withdrawn and no wagging tail.

I have read about the cruel ways some puppies are bred and all sensible advice is to leave alone and not pay money to these horrible people enabling them to continue BUT that's not me.  I let my brain rule my heart on the Saturday we first saw him and walked away but by the end of the evening DH and I had already made the decision that we would return the next day and bring him home.

And that's exactly what we did ~ another 2hr drive there and back with him wrapped in blankets all the way home with the seller providing us with no food for him, no puppy pack and no favourite toy all as advertised and since then no free 4week Petplan Insurance either!

Monty visited my own Vets the very following day for a full health check and to have his 1st vaccination repeated as we are pretty sure that we hadn't been told the truth about that either!  We had literally sat up all the previous night with him continually scratching and crying but wanted to be cuddled the whole time ~ he was slightly below weight but his heart, limbs and temperature were good but he was diagnosed with severe lice (biting ones) and his body was covered in scabs, treatment was given straight away.

The next day he passed blood continually so I took him straight back to the Vets and had to get samples for anaylsis ~ all tests came back positive and I have been  told he has acute intestine infections and because he cannot have his 2nd vaccination because he is so poorly he doesn't have any immunity to fight it, medicines alone will have to do it for him!

I thought at the beginning of the week I would lose him, he was a very poorly pup but the past 2 days have seen a great improvement and I'm hoping we have rescued him in time, I have no doubt at all that had we not bought him home that day he would have lost his life.

If you've got this far ~ thank you for bearing with me and if you still have dry eyes ~ well done!

Following advice from my Vet I have notified the relevant authorities and next week I will be giving a statement to an official, I have no interest in retrieving the monies lost, but a strong determination in helping them to rid our society of these cruel and horrible people.

I fell in love with this little fellow as soon as I saw him and I will do absolutely everything possible to give him the long and healthy life he deserves ~ we have so much to do together, so much to explore and discover, lovely long walk, lots of playtime, holidays and cuddles x

Every cockapoo has a different appearance but typically Monty has the curls of a poodle and the face of a spaniel, DH idolises him too and says he looks like a woolly lamb!

He has a sweet temperament and is very loving and for the Vet to comment on this too was lovely to hear

Training is going really well but we are not pushing it too much at the moment ~ let's get over the sore tummy first and the 2nd vaccination then we're set to go for fun, fun, fun.

Just one more thing, I'm sure a lot of you are thinking Hey, what about Tilly and Oscar? Dogs and Bunnies?

Well, one step at a time, I have not changed their lives or routine but just made sure that at the moment they are kept safe ~ Monty is well aware of them and they of him. They come inside to their cage at the end of the day and Monty sits and very patiently watches them, they both seem very settled for him to do so and come over to the wire frame and noses are rubbed together ~ one step at a time but I hope they can all live happily together xxx

Thanks for stopping by, apologies for not visiting anyone recently and a lack of stitching but I'll get there, just need a bit of time at the moment xxx