You never know whats round the corner.....

It has been a funny old couple of months. Life never seems to go as you plan - at least mine doesn't seem to. I got invited to take a stall at a brand new Craft and Vintage market that has started up in the local town and I accepted. It's always best to get in when something is new and you can grow along with the market. I started to prep a few new items then get diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - so crafting has to be put to one side and I make do with what I have (which is rather a lot!)

 

 

 

Also, in the meantime, I am having 'middle aged lady problems'. I won't go into detail as you may be a bit squeamish but suffice to say I am going into hospital next week for major surgery with a recovery time of 6-8 weeks.  My sprog-producing days are over so this is not a problem for me. It is the only way that the Docs can see if there is something there that shouldn't be. That's the thing that scares me as it was ' the C word' that got my mum - in the same area.

The next market is the sunday after I have my surgery. Even though I will be expected to rest, I don't want to miss this market so I am going to try to attend with the help of my wonderful hubby and my able assistant of Daughter of mine the elder. That girl can charm the birds and could sell coal to Newcastle (as the saying goes!)

 

I am realising that life is far too short and you never know what is round the next corner, so I am taking life by the short and curlies and doing what makes me happy - spending time with family and crafting.

 

 

 

Finding my way

So, here we are in June and so much has changed.

I no longer work at the green logoed supermarket. I applied for and got a job which could have eventually led me to my dream job of HCA. Healthcare Domestic in one of the local hospitals. I passed all the steps with flying colours - references, medical, criminal records checks.

I got a start date, handed in my notice and looked forwards to the next chapter with great enthusiasm.

The first couple of days were just induction info - things like Health and Safety, confidentiality and filling in endless forms. Then came the actual training on an empty ward. Learning all the various procedures and whatnots. Relatively simple really. Had a couple of mornings on a ward with a 'buddy' just to put it all into context. That was all ok.

Then came the allocation of my own ward. I was just dropped right in the deep end and left to manage on my own. The cleaning wasn't really the problem. That would have all fallen into place in time as I found my own routine. The problem I had was emotional.

 I'm not stupid, I knew that as it was a hospital there would be some very poorly people in there. But it was the particular ward I was given - the Stroke Rehabilitation ward- and I was emotionally unprepared for what I saw. It instantly brought up feelings that I thought I had dealt with about my Mum, Dad and other family members. I made it through the day somehow (along with a few panic attacks) and got home. As soon as I got in the door, I burst into tears and didn't stop crying till next morning. I had no sleep whatsoever that night, trying to work out what I was going to do. I eventually came to the decision that it was not the place for me. I did not make that decision lightly as I had left a job to do this but still I stood by my decision.

I went in that morning to tell them of my decision. They were surprisingly fine about it and accepted my resignation.


I am not looking at his as a failure but as a learning experience. I am not going to rush into just any job. I am going to use this time to discover what I really want to do with my life and work out where my strengths are and then use them.

New year, New start

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It has been a while (again!) since I last posted.


The few weeks before Christmas was hectic. School plays, works parties, Birthday parties, Pressie shopping and wrapping - oh, and the frantic cleaning and tidying before the family and friends start dropping by!

Christmas was good. Time for us all to be together. And we managed it without too much falling out. But, there did just seem to be 'empty space' where missing parents should have been. Though, I could hear my Mum muttering over my shoulder about the fact we managed to cook the turkey upside down!! New Years Eve was particularly sad. We had a 'wee dram' in my Dads memory, even though I can't stand Whiskey. Being Scottish, Hogmanay was the most important event for my Dad.


So along with remembering and relaxing, we got lots done too. My Studio is now FULL! And I do mean FULL!! All things are now moved out of the kitchen and in the studio and the computer and all its bits are now in residence in the cupboard where they should be. It took Husband-of-mine three days to get it all moved. The hardest part was drilling through the wall to re-route the phone cable for the broadband box. Two new drill bits later, he finally got through the wall! (walls in this house are impossible - even hanging a picture is a challenge!)

Now I just have to sort and clear out all the rubbish that I don't want to keep and then I can get all the books and wools and cottons and fabrics out there too. This year has to be the year I get started properly on making and selling. Husband-of-mine bought me a book for Christmas. 'How to start your online business'. So with having the Studio and the book and the support of my nearest and dearest, I have no excuse now.



NELLIEBRATIONS STUDIO IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!

Pictures to follow if Blogger will let me!

Sad news

Over the last couple of weeks, I have come here several times, logged in, and just stared at the screen. I have not really known what to write or how to start.

On the 14th of October my wonderful Dad passed away peacefully at his home with me there holding his hand. It is not something that I can put into words, how I felt in that moment - apart from it being a strange mixture of extreme sadness mixed with relief that his suffering was over.

Things moved on pretty quickly after that. Thankfully, the District Nurse had not long been in for her evening visit so she took over organising the GP to come to confirm the death and get all the paperwork I needed to register things so I could start to organise the  funeral.

I had to keep myself very focused to be able to get things done. It may sound hard and heartless but I could not allow myself to get upset or else I wouldn't have been able to get myself  or my kids through the couple of weeks that followed. I had to be able to keep going to be able to pack up and empty his flat. If it hadn't been for my wonderful, supportive Hubby, I wouldn't have been able to cope at all.

Three and a half weeks later, I am still finding things difficult. But, having three kids and a job mean that I have to just carry on and get back to 'normal life', whatever that is. There are still boxes of my Dads stuff sitting in the Living Room and kitchen. Boxes of photos sitting on the stairs, Bags of bedding sitting in the bedroom. But I just don't have the mental energy to start unpacking the things that I had to pack up just a couple of weeks ago and had not long before had to pack and unpack again after his move here.

Post is still coming in for him, and bills are getting paid. He squirrelled away some money to be able to pay for his funeral and his final bills. He had made sure I knew that money was there so that he left no financial burdens for me. That I thank him for. He looked after me for all my life and he made sure he left me no extra worries as to paying for things after he died.

I'm sure that things will get easier as time goes on but, as with my Mum, the good memories will always be there to help me get through the bad days.

Damn Computers!

Just after I signed up for this blog,our computer decided to need treatment in intensive care! It is now all wrapped up in bandages and limping about on crutches!!!!

It should be getting repaired properly at the weekend and then I can start putting pics and links up.

My artistic mo-jo has also gone and run away. Also all the pics I was using are now on an external hard drive and the printer is banjaxed anyway......

So, for now I have re-discovered my love of cross-stitching and have started doing one that I had planned to sew for my mum. She died suddenly last september and I'm going to stitch it in her memory. I miss her so much. Its the little things that are worst. Like when one of the kids does something funny or new and I think "must tell mum" then realise she's gone. But I know that she's watching over me and she's never far away.