Catch up.

Hello to those in blog land.

Its been a week since my last post. Holidays are over, not that they were much of a holiday, but it was time away from work. A much needed catch up on sleep.
Friday night was my first foray into scrapbook teaching. I must admit - I suck at it. But I'll learn. My beginners class was choosing complimentary colours, matting the photo, inking edges and putting a monogram letter and a tag with journalling. Tracey - from OOSH - did a great LO about her son David when he was a kid, I should have taken a pic of it to put on here, but I forgot. She was very tired, its the end of a VERY long term, but she did great and listened to all of my advice. Also at the class were my friend Bec and her friend Alanah. Bec did a page along the same lines, but used her own paper - sensible!!! And Alannah just looked at the paper and bought some stuff.
Girls from work will come next time.

On Sunday I went to a crop with the girls from Scrapneeds. It was at a club and very nice, they were very welcoming. I felt like a total amateur though, these are very professional scrappers, but I won't get disheartened. There is a lot of bitchiness going on in the scrap world at the moment, people competing to be the best, the most famous, the best teachers, to make a living out of it... but in reality, it is a creative escape from the everyday and in the words of Kath Day-Knight "we are just tizzying up some photos". So I'm not gonna stress that my pages are basic. I really like them, they suit my purposes, and I'm happy.

Monday and Tuesday were back in "Motility Land" all went really well, still a damned good NG placer!! Some interesting conditions, and no one puked on me!!! That makes for a good day.

Mark resigned from guitar lessons on Monday - he didn't have passion for it. Fair enough, I got sick of asking him to practice, if he had the passion he'd be playing it all the time. He'd be a good player if he tried.

We started "Little Atheletics" on Monday night also!!! It was really good for Marko. Very very disorganised at this stage in the game - Christy - a first time parent with a boy who isn't actually registered yet was helping out with the high jump, keeping 7 little boys in line. These are the under 9 boys! Now for my freak out. There were 7 boys, and three parents. Where were the parents of the other 4 boys? I think they were with their daughters, but little boys need protection in this day and age as well. I couldn't believe it they were left to their own defences. And there was NO tuition on how to perform the events. We had high jump - the boys just had to jump, no one to explain the correct way to do it, what is considered a foul, to go off the back of the mat, jump off one leg. THEN we had discus. Mark had never even seen a discus before, and he had to throw it, he asked "is this a frisbee??" Oh dear, but he did throw it 10.2m and we was VERY impressed.

Legs are playing up a treat at the moment, have another appointment with Dr Ambrogetti next week, and hopefully will get them sorted out.
I ahve to go and scrap now. Get ready for arvo shift at work (working with Amy!!) Tidied the scrap room. Kitchen is still good. Marko is at a picnic today. He wants me to come, but I'm not gonna, I know I'm a bad mother - but I just can't face it.

Thursday.

Only 3 more days to go on my holiday.

Yesterday I had a course on Advanced Care Planning, it was really interesting, and could be something I'd be interested in taking up. It was started by the Austin Hospital, to empower people to have discussions with their families about end of life issues. Suggesting to people to look at what is important to them and how would you feel about your life if that was taken away from you.
My favourite things would be:
Family - being near those I love
Reading / watching tv - ie being able to see
Talking to family and friends - ie speech!!!
Looking after myself independently - able to toilet, wash, walk on my own.
Scrapbooking - creative outlet, forcing you to think positively about life (it does - believe me)

Give one up!!! without thinking....
Think a little bit more and then give up another
Pass one onto another person, so that they are responsible for that area in your life.
And it went on, luckily ours were hypotheticals, but it happens everyday in hospital. We force people to give up their independence, their homes, the sense of self, enjoyment, arbitaririly take away the pleasure of eating... it was all serious food for thought (yes there was a pun intended there).

So if anyone out there is actually reading this, take some time to talk to your family about what is important to you. Is there any treatments you don't want - say if you have end stage dementia, do you want them to give you antibiotics to keep you alive if you get pneumonia?? Are you in a coma with brain damage, what do you want done? Do you want palliation (symptom and pain management) or do you want the whole kit and caboodle? (surgery, ICU, intubation, CPR)?? There is no right or wrong answer here, it is a deeply personal decision. Pick a person, let them know that you want them to make surrogate decisions for you if you are unable to talk for yourself! Ok lecture over.

Today I'm meant to be scrapping, but my mojo isn't there. I need to make some samples for my class tomorrow, don't know how many are coming. I want it to be a success, I've never taught before, but they are all friendly and want to learn a new skill. Ok, all is good.

Mental note to self.

Must return library books!!!

Holiday and Birthdays

Aren't they wonderful things????

It was my 33rd birthday on Sunday. I can't believe I'm that old. I look pretty good for that, and certainly don't act my age, so its ok to be 33!!! Loving the idea of double numbers too.
To be perfectly honest, had a shit birthday. M&D gave me their pressie when they were up in August - some lovely towels and the most GORGEOUS card. Jamie didn't get me anything (not even a card), Mark make a card. Connie and Paul graced us with their presence -which is FANTASTIC and gave me a beautiful framed photo of Jamie at their wedding - he looks handsome, and a lovely card.
I wanted to go to the Stroud Rodeo, but it was held on the 16th of September and we went on the 17th, how stupid. Went for a drive in the country instead, which was pleasant, but Jamie was in a shit for some reason - he's been MEGA grumpy the last few days, maybe it was bourbon night with Paul and it didn't agree with him.

Monday Connie and I had a Scraptactular day.

1. We first went to visit our new couches - yes Harvey Norman still have them on sale, but not in stock as yet. We sat on them for about half an hour, 3 sales people asked if we were ok, "Yes I have already bought this one and enjoy sitting on it thankyou!!"
2. Merewether Beach for a Skinny Latte, very nice! Liked watching the boys on their surfboards (no that wasn't Jamie and Paul, but SURFERS)
3. Scrapbook MegaStore for my birthday pressie. Got myself a Xyron sticker machine, some paints, some 12x12 flip books to exhibit my papers, a circle punch, a little tin for Mrs Dabboussy's Christmas present (will start that tomorrow) and some GORGEOUS paper with 8 written all over it - might just do a layout about Mark!!!
4. The Warehouse where we bought some canvasses - 2 each and a paint pallette and some brushes.

Home for lunch and then we attempted the canvas. It took us both over 3 hours. More stressful than a normal layout, cos you know its gonna be on the wall. I used our family photo, did the background in light blue - hated it and changed it to dark blue - put some really bright Chatterbox striped paper and cut out a big monogram of "F" family and then strung a ribbon across with chipboard hanging off it with our initials. NOt my best, but not my worst.

A long day!!!

Howdy blogging folk...

I did a double shift today, not quite a killer, but still a bloody long day!
Now my dear Jamie is snoozing on the couch, Marky snoozing in bed, me wanting to snooze in bed, but I'm writing on my blog

Legs are playing up a treat tonight! F***ing jumpy legs, I want to get my medication under control, nothing seems to work. Barely sleeping these days, my legs screaming out at me all day every day. Almost overdosing each day on very addictive medications. I think I need to go back to Dr Ambrogetti and figure something else out. Its all stuffed. My GP wants me on Parkinson's meds, but latest research does not agree with this. I think I'll go back to the specialist.
ARRRGGGGHHHHH.... I'm over it.

Every Day Moments for September

Wow I'm done for September and its only the 9th. I'm very impressed with myself. Did two pages about Marko and one about Sheena. I dont' really like the banana one, but hey its done so what can I do about that. And tada here they are!!!

Thursday.

Today started off awful........... actually it was last night that started off awful.

When Jamie finally came home from work at about 7.45pm (he'd been at Rocket's working on the money hole - ooops I mean boat) he decided he was sick, sneezing and sneezing and all stuffy. I believe he gets this way from lack of sleep. He hasn't yet changed his habits of going to bed at 11-11.30pm and then the alarm for work goes off at 4.40am!!! Not enough sleep. Gets on a motorbike after rushing a shower (ie hot to cold) and zooms off to work at the legal speed (yeah right!!). This means he has regular colds, its not helped by hayfever and as the weather changed from HOT back to winter in a matter of minutes, well it doesn't help Jamie's health. He doesn't believe me, and he won't see a doctor, he just wants more drugs and more heat.

11pm last night a mighty storm came up. The sky was lit up like a Christmas tree. Beautiful storm, and then the heavens opened and rain just didn't fall it was driven down, still hasn't stopped yet.

11.30pm - Marky wakes up screaming and holding onto his ear!! Oh no not again, not another ear infection. He has been very prone to them his whole life, not a constant thing but a regular thing. The problem is now that he self heals - his ear drum perforates, similar to when a surgeon puts in grommets, but if it happens too often there is a risk of scar tissue forming a thick barrier and hearing loss, not really sure how to prevent this from happening. I believe I keep him in good health? His eustacian tubes just must be narrowed. (I'm also likening this to an episiotomy, either you naturally tear, or the obs cuts.. the same result - one is natural perforation the other is man made grommets.
Luckily Mark can now swallow tablets - makes him feel very grown up - so I have him one Panadol and then after he settled down he fell asleep.

Expected both boys to stay home, called up Jamie's work at 6am to tell them he wasn't coming in - the line was shocking due to our VOIP phone, but I think his boss got the gist of what I was saying. Expected Mark to stay home too, but then all of a sudden he wanted to go to school, his ear felt ok - its usually worse at night - so he went off to school.

Then I went to the library, I have reread the same "MILLS AND BOON" book 3 times now and I don't normally read that style of book so I was in desperate need of some new reading material. Paid the $36 fine from my previous borrowing at the library. New books are due back on the 5th October, please everyone email me to remind me to RETURN MY BOOKS.

Ran through the pouring rain and still 5 hours later the bottom of my pants are still damp!!!

Jamie got his delivery of some computer bits - 2 hard drives and some printer ink.

Where is my delievery????? I am expecting my first Scrapanalia order to arrive.
Then at 10.30am a knock on the door and a very wet, very soggy Australia Post lady presents me with a BIG BOX of goodies. I was so excited. Poor Jamie sat with me as I went through it all saying "Ahhh isn't it lovely?" He was dutifully answering "Yes its just lovely" at the appropriate times. So what started about as a yuck day, turned just great.

Must go and collect the kid from school, then go to Spotlight to buy some material for a WORM costume for Book Week. He wants to go as a purple worm!!!! Any ideas on how to sew a Worm costume????

Here are closer versions of that layout. The jeans that I talked about before.

Celebrate You

This is the finished product from the class I did with Kim Archer yesterday. Its completely Kim, except there is no pink!!! The sample one from the class was full of pink though. Its really got my mojo happening. Spent about an hour with Mark last night making - of all things - cards (Mum you can tell Liz I can do cardmaking!!!) Then I mojoed along and did an inspired by one of the layouts in a magazine of "Warm Hot Chocolate" when mum was up last the three of us went out for afternoon tea - had some Devonshire Tea and Marko had a warm hot chocolate with LOTS of marshmallows. It was very yummy. Will publish that one next. But this one is the CELEBRATE YOU one, and yes that is a piece of Mark's jeans to stamp the YOU onto... he doesn't know yet, but he doesn't wear those jeans, am I a bad mother???? No I can't be, its for art.

Swim.

To compete with my sister Jocelyn, I wanted to add this bit of detail about our swimming on Saturday morning. A gorgeous day in Newie, here is my little boy in and coming out of the water. Isn't he lovely? I know he's eight, but by jingo, he's a handsome boy!!!

Doc.

Mark is going to the surgeon today. He is quite nervous as you would expect.
He is also missing out on an excursion to Woolworths and the Commonwealth Bank - they are doing a series at school on "Wants and Needs". It somehow fits in.
I wish I knew how to print my photos for the class today. I want to be able to do this without any problems, but the printer is out of ink (and of course we don't have any spare), the camera only works with Windows and this is in the Linux side and I don't know how to change it over. ITS SO ANNOYING.

Motility Land

I had a crappy day at work today. Started off with a message from my boss on the work answering machine at 8.15am saying can you call me when you get back - making a not to subtle hint that I should be at work, I thought I started at 8.30am... I have been told that I now work 8-4.30.. blah blah. She wants a "shake up" with my little clinic, I agree, but don't actually have much power, cos knowledge is power, and I don't have enough knowledge yet. But I was making phone calls all over Australia to find a supplier of the Digitrappers. Very annoying and it made me feel like a naughty kid and not a grown adult!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow is an online class with Kim that I am very excited about. I have 7 photos of Mark to do a page called "Celebrate You" It should be lovely, Kim is the artist I have copied the most. I think she is marvellous