my hero

today I attended my most favourite annual conference, the theme this year being 'Doing Sustainability, Moving from Why to How', and learnt that my hero also has a BLOG.

No time to explain - you can explore for yourselves, P, M and little L are due any minute.

moving

new but old home

as if things aren't stressful enough at the moment, we will be moving 7 weeks from today.

Comment by L: this entry has been posted by me, again using B's flickr

the day of the emerald green jacket

emerald green jacket

this morning A and I set out in search of the emerald green jacket which I had seen a couple of days before. I hadn't purchased it that day because 1. that store didn't have it in my size and 2. I needed a second opinion of the colour. With the size sorted and approval from A, I now have an emerald green velvet jacket, a new skirt and top to set it off. I hope this doesn't set B's progress back too much, I need him to get back to work so we can afford the AMEX this month.

As we were (kind of) in the vicinity of IKEA, A and I did a quick round of the store, sizing up lounge suites, wardrobes and rugs. A trip to IKEA is always fun but we weren't there for long, I needed to get to the chemist and back to B with the pain relief at noon.

Lunch was had and an afternoon of visits which included L and C returning with Macc whom they had kindly taken for a few hours. They had given him a much needed wash and he was able to 'run-around' with their puppies. It was an afternoon of doggy induldgence which A jokingly but aptly referred to as the doggy day spa/gentlemen's club.

B's mum also dropped in, just in time for afternoon tea - a white chocolate and raspberry swirl cake, made by me without burning or setting off the fire alarm.

white choc & rasperry swirl cake

Comment from L: this post is from me, I am using B's Flickr, although I do believe emerald green would really suit him.

circus in central park

circus in central park

on our trip to Melbourne in 2004, B and I called into a couple of patchwork and quilting shops, which is how I have come to my next project. This quilt from Patchwork on Central Park is called 'Circus in Central Park'. It features reproduction 30's fabrics with a circus theme.

Progress on this quilt is going to be slow to start with, as today was the last class for a few weeks. Our teacher is going to New Zealand for a month. I have a good handle on the cutting out though so will be able to have this finished by the time she gets back. I am really stepping up the difficulty factor here - this time 2 different sized squares as opposed to my last quilt which was squares pieced together all of the same size.

Comment from L: This post is actually from me - I am having a go at using B's Flickr for posting of images

hello from the sick (not really sick, but you know) bed

Hello readers,
Just a VERY quick blog to say hi, and thanks for all the calls and messages from everyone wishing me well.
It has to be a quick post, as I can't stand long, and I can sit for less. Most of, if not all, of my time is in bed watching TV or (thanks to A) DVD's!!
See you all soon when I can get up for a longer period of time!

this blog isn't called burnt offerings for no reason

this is b's sore back. Even though it was keyhole surgery, it is still quite a sizeable scar (approx. 10cm).

b's sore back

This evening we had a visit from our friend Nurse M who came to watch Survivor and ensure B was ok. He was a bit irritable, his back was sore from the drive home from the hospital, having to negotiate the steps and something to do with the smoke alarm going off whilst I was burning/cooking dinner (and as the smoke alarm is hardwired to the house alarm it is a bit noisy). The alarm going off was made worse as we didn't know how to turn it off, as it has not happened before. I eventually worked it out and pointed out the positive side, that at least we now know it works. I was beginning to wonder...

rose gingham quilt finished

I am very proud. Whilst B was in hospital I finished my quilt.

rose gingham quilt finished

The last couple of nights whilst I sat by B's bed at the hospital watching TV, I tidied up the threads, and today I gave the quilt a wash to remove the fabric chalk and more importantly,the blood spilt the day I ran the sewing machine over my finger. A neat trick the quilting teacher told me was to spit on the blood stain, apparently your own spit will remove your blood from fabric. It has to be the spit of the owner of the blood though, and I can vouch that it in this case it worked liked magic. I still ran the quilt through the washing machine though and the picture is of it drying on the line.

he's home

Safely tucked up in bed, B is home. The news that he could come home gave him a real boost. When I arrived at the hospital to collect him, he rang A with the news, and sang " ....I'm on my way, from misery to happiness....."

Things are pretty close to perfect...B is home and I still have control of the computer (B cannot/is not allowed to sit for a while yet).

not coming home today

my boy is not coming home today, after his leg giving out in the bathroom yesterday causing him to land on his tush with a thud, he is now in a lot of pain. I am not sure when I can bring him home, although the specialist will have the final say, his physio says it won't be for a few days yet. I think in B's keenness (is that a word/how you spell it if it is? don't answer - I'm too tired to care) to come home he may have pushed himself too hard when it came to working with the physio that day and doing the stairs. He needed to prove he could manage stairs in order to come home, especially as our bedroom is up a flight of 16 stairs. I think in trying to get home as soon as possible has actually caused him this setback. When it came to making the short walk (less than half a dozen steps) to the bathroom, his leg gave way and down he went, leading to lots of pain, a visit by the Registrar, more pain relief prescribed, and a call to the specialist, although no call to me. I had gone home to get some shopping done and housework in preparation for B's return home. Of course, I was a lot surprised (and disappointed) at what had taken place since leaving the hospital at midday.

On a positive note the Littlest Sister and newest Brother In Law, along with A were at the hospital when I arrived back, which was much appreciated, B definitely needed the company and cheering up. I did a bit of a fashion parade for both A and B, before going home, of the items of clothing I had treated myself to whilst doing the shopping.

I also continued finishing the threads on my (gingham rose) quilt, pictures to come soon, whilst A, B and I watched My Restaurant Rules.

I am now off to do the lawns before heading back to the hospital.

exhausted

it does not look like B will be coming home tomorrow. He can not sit up for more than a few minutes and has not really mastered the stairs, so even if he were able to sit in the car for the trip home he would not be able to get upstairs to the bedroom. I think it is therefore likely to be Monday, which even though I would like him home now, the thought is a bit frightening. I don't think either of us thought it would take this much out of him.

I also didn't think it would take as much out of me.....I am exhausted. I am not the independent women I thought I was - I am not sleeping well (once I get to sleep, that is), the house is a bit of a mess, I've eaten junk all week, and have not managed to get any study done which puts me about a week and a half behind. I actually had great expectations for this week, I was going to do shorter hours at work, and take Tuesday off altogether, this would enable me to visit with B on my way to and from work and still have time to keep the house clean, give time to the pets, and study. So how did I go? I worked the shorter hours and took Tuesday off, but I didn't get in to see B every morning and had to leave early (before visiting hours ended at 8.pm) Wednesday evening because I could barely keep my eyes open, and I wasn't much better today.

I didn't feel too bad leaving early tonight though, B had a lot of visitors (my mum and dad, the other B, Alistair H, A and the girls, Natski, Twisty, and me) throughout the day/afternoon and was pretty worn out. This was on top of the early morning and painful ultrasound, 2 visits from the physio, nurses taking blood pressure and doing other stuff, and the endless stream of hospital staff bringing trays, cleaning the room and other general fussing.

Since I don't know where I am going with all of this, goodnight! and Again thank you to all who have visited, sent flowers, telephoned, emailed, sms'd, and said prayers. It has really helped. 'Nite.