Dolly's Dreamings

The worry about GPs

We have always been very lucky at our GPs - and we have the most wonderful GP too - as it is a large practice and so you can usually get to see someone. 

 

We have heard the horror stories from friends even in a close-by area of month-long waits but, until this week, had never experienced it. That was until I phoned on Thursday 8th August and was told that to see my own GP would mean a wait until at least the 20th September and to see any GP would mean a wait until the end of August. I was staggered. But I guess I ought not to be surprised. When we last went to the GP he told us they had been recruiting for a GP for 3 months and we are in a  really nice part of the country where the weather is always good, it is pretty, affluent, relatively trouble-free, a great place to locate to etc,  and in 3 months they had had no applicants. I was staggered. Anyway, I digress. I was advised to phone the next day - no idea why - and I have an appointment for next week. The sad thing is that I think our NHS is collapsing before our eyes. The people who work in it are all wonderful. They do an amazing job and we are still so lucky that we get treated for free (well not for free if we work and pay tax as we have paid for it all of our lives) but it is stretched to breaking point and yes, we are victims of health tourists too. There are simply too many people for it to cope with, with people living longer, numbers in the country rising due to immigration, longevity, fewer people dying of disease etc and it is at capacity and it worries me what will happen in the future. It worries me that conditions are often so bad and stressful for people working in the NHS that they cannot continue. It worries me that when we need it I think it will be gone. I genuinely think the doctors, the nurses, the phlebotomists, the radiographers, the physios, the ... every specialism and aspect you can think of ... are all wonderful, but they are trying to shore up a broken system and the government need to do something to help. No governmental party in particular but the government, all of them. Stop focussing on only Brexit and get on with fixing our NHS please. Rant over! 

 

I haven't been just grouchy - I have been scrapping too, in between bad bouts with my IBS which is starting to become a little wearing and is now stopping me doing things on occasions. 

At least scrapping takes place at home where toilets are plentiful and private! TMI!

 

I have been doing my Design Team work for ATDML and they always send the most wonderful goodies to work with. This month I was sent the Graphic 45 collection Bloom

 

This was a page which also worked for the summer scrapping challenges I am playing along with.

 

 

The photo was taken at Portland Bill last month

 

 

This picture was taken at Holmsley Tea rooms also last month. I had fun cutting out the little summer house and the fence.

 

 

 

 

I loved this picture of Fiona and her bridesmaids and really wanted to scrap it. The colours in the bloom collection worked perfectly for the colour theme of her wedding.

 

 

and finally - a fussy cutting marathon for a photo of us with our niece - the very beautiful bride.

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• our NHS - we are very lucky and I hope we continue to be very lucky
• Wonderful things to work with from A Trip Down Memory Lane

 

 

 

 

Flaming June

June lived up to its name at the end of the month - it has indeed been flaming as Europe basks in a record-breaking heatwave and we picked the hottest days of the year to do a major garden overhaul. How stupid! We have family from  the US coming in this week so we needed to make the garden look more presentable. It looks lush now! We look like wet rags. 

 

I have new scrapping to share made as part of my design team work for A Trip Down Memory Lane and using Vicki Boutin Kaleidoscope and Pink Paislee Whimsical.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I have to record something special that happened today too. I went swimming with my bestie and it is a large indoor pool with doors open tot he outside pool. A huge Red Admiral butterfly - the largest I have ever seen - had flown in. He was stunning and flitted around and we all hoped he wouldn't land on the water as it would not do him any good. He rested on the side of the pool just by us and we admire him and thought how special it was. And then, it flew and landed on my cheek, stayed a while, gave me a little kiss and flew off. I was so touched - quite literally. A special moment. I had just told Jakki that the butterfly was our Moms (we have both lost our moms) and that they are angels watching us and then for it to land on me - thanks Mom. I know you were there with me x

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely trip out with my bestie - swimming and chat - perfect
• a wonderfully tidy garden
• jobs done and ready for a fun-filled few days

 

 

 

Things here are bright

Things are bright here - and no it is not the weather which is still pants. The only colour we will be going this summer is rust coloured.

 

Bright is the film Brightburn we went to see this afternoon. It made me jump a few times I can tell you. It was a pleasant diversion - not outstanding - kind of 'if Superman were bad'

 

Also bright is the fireplace and Daddy's treasured shell case which have been brasso'd to within an inch of their life and boy did they need it. The shell case is one of my most prized possessions. It is not valuable at all but was a mortar shell carved for my Daddy when he was int he navy. It bears the name of his ship, his name, the date, the village of  ... oh how I wish I could find it but I think he said it was takari? ...and various other images. It is beautiful and so special to me - and it shines again now.

 

It is Berry Big Deal date at Pickleberrypop today with new terrific value packs from all of the designers and I worked with many of them this month

 

Natalie Designs Beautiful Day - and I scrapped a very happy picture of us at Banana Wharf on the quay

 

 

Summer Poetry by Dita B Designs and used for my little boy washing - in our bath!

 

 

 

Beautiful Tropicana by Tiramisu just had to be used for the Caribbean Beach Resort which was so beautiful until the ttotally ruined it by putting in Riviera and the Gondolas.

 

 

 

 

Little while by our newest designer Simplette

 

 

 

Sunny Disposition which I had fun with by Fayette Designs

 

 

 

 

and Getaway by Heather T - another fun page of our trip

 

 

Oh an one more - Draw your travel by Jasmin-Olya designs - too lovely to miss

 

 

I am very lucky to get to work with such lush goodies.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a shiny new fireplace and hearth
• films
• scrapping opportunities
• being signed off by physio

 

 

 

Back on my feet

Yesterday was a bit of a no day as I was poorly - just an IBS flare up and it was OK as we had nowhere we needed to be and nothing we needed to do, but glad today has dawned so much better.

I didn't even scrap yesterday - how bad was that.

I do, however, have some new scrapping to share.

First a couple of digital pages. I have actually started to get on with the digital album of our trip and whilst I have done lots of random digital pages, I wanted to do a daily double for this album too, so I have been cracking on with that. They are not state of the art pages but digital records of the trip day by day.

Pages for Day 1 - left hand and right-hand side.

 

 

 

Day 2 left-hand side and right-hand side

 

 

and day 3 - though simple they take ages to do

 

 

and I had a class go live on ATDML at the weekend and so this is one of my class pages and I had such great fun with it - both making it and taking the daft pictures in the first place.

 

 

 

 

This week looks like being a cinema week as we had to cancel Friday and Sunday films so we kick off with Men in Black 3 which should be fun. It has had awful reviews. We will see!

 

Today I am thankful that

I feel so much better than yesterday

a reading day yesterday to catch up on books - 40 this year so far

 

 

Blooming June

Well, the plants are blooming - but the weather isn't!

I can't remember having to have the heating on in mid-June before - but we gave in last night as it is really cold. I was even cold at work today and it is never cold there.

 

Hey ho - imagine how much nicer summer will be when it comes.

 

I have some new scrapping to share today

 

This is a design team piece for A Trip Down memory Lane using Simple Stories Sunshine and Blue Skies (I wish eh!)

 

 

and another Design Team piece using Simple Stories Vintage Botanical and featuring our little wild girl!

 

 

 

Another Design Team piece with sunshine and blue skies

 

 

 

 

and finally, a mojo piece using Heartstrings Scrap Art collection called Companions - Fiki this time!

 

Today I am thankful for

• scrap time
• central heating
• the fact the garden is getting a good watering!

and today's random musings ... Disney wisdom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 18th and 21st birthday

Ok

I am the first to admit it might seem a little odd at my age to be celebrating my 18th and 21st  birthday - but such is life.

 

Let me explain.

 

When I was 18 my mom and dad bought me a beautiful gold bracelet made of three colour gold links. It was beautiful. I wore it rarely as it was 'for best' For my 21st birthday they bought me an antique gold necklace with an antique locket. I wore it every day but I lost it - somewhere between Thurrock cycle speedway track and the toilets in South Mimms service station. It had been a filthy daya nd I was in layers - all wet. We stopped ont he way home at the services to go to the toilet and when I was in the cubicle the chain dropped on the floor. Clearly it had broken at some point and fallen down inside my clothes. I stipped - everything - in that cubicle but I couldn't find the locket anywhere. Two other ladies helped me. But we never found it. I reported it and with the insurance money I eventually bought another gold necklace. It was never the same.

 

About twelve years ago I stopped wearing gold. I have no real idea why. I just didn't like it any more. And eventually - for my 25th -Nigel even bought me a new wedding ring and engagement ring when we renewed our vows that were platinum. I only ever wear silver jewellery. And not a lot of that!

I had always - for years and years - wanted a Tiffany bracelet. Now we are not 'designer' people. I don't think between us we own anything that is 'designer' or expensive. It just doesn't float our boat. I have friends who have designer bags and shoes and clothes but it's just not us. We are not interested. Apart from a Tiffany necklace. We went to Tiffany in New York back in the 90s and the only thing we could afford to buy was a Tiffany pen (which was beautiful)  But I had always wanted a Tiffany silver bracelet but of course I'd never buy one - such a waste of money and the one I bought from a craft market for £20 worked just as well - almost!

A couple of months ago I decided to sell all of my gold jewellery - I never wore it, it sat in a drawer as a reminder I never wore it. So I sold it and decided that with some of the proceeds I would buy that Tiffany bracelet - an 18th and 21st birthday present from Mommy and Daddy. I knew they would approve of me having something I would wear everyday instead of something that sat in a  drawer.

Yesterday Nigel took me up to Tiffany in London and we picked my bracelet and it was such a lovely experience. The staff were lovely (I was worried they'd realise we were not 'real' Tiffany customers and not be very nice. They were loevly. And I LOVE my 18th and 21st birthday present and the perfume I also got.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simple things really - but the fulfillment of a dream. Thank you for my birthday present Mommy and Daddy

 

And in other news - some new scrapping.

A digital page for a challenge on Pickleberrypop

 

 

and the first page for my DT work for A Trip Down memory Lane this month using Simple Stories Sunshine nd Blue Skies.

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a fabulous day fulfilling a dream

 

 

Pretty in pastels at Pickleberrypop

Today is the release of this months Berry Big Deals. A chance to get coordinated collections at stupid prices - too good to miss.

I was lucky to work with six of them this month ... and may yet do more.

 

Have a look at these collections and I am sure you will find something you just HAVE to HAVE

 

This is Aurora by Tiramisu Designs and was so very very pretty

 

 

Pretty enough for Alice!

 

 

And this is Celebrate Life by Lorie M

 

I used it to scrap a surprise Birthday celebration I had a couple of years ago - candles ably blown out with help from Elinor

 

This is Flawed and Fabulous by Chunlin Designs

 

 

 

 

It has been a long process but these days I celebrate my flaws

 

 

 

And this is Like Sweets by Dita B Designs

 

 

 

And I used it for another Paris trip page (I am doing the digital and the paper albums of this trip)

 

 

This is You Gave Me Wings by Fayette Designs

 

 

and I couldn'r resist playing witht his photo of Alice and adding her wings

 

 

And finally Treasured memories by Palvinka Designs

 

 

 

Just us - dressed up!

 

Do go over and have a look.

 

I am not sure what I am thankful for yet but I know I will be thankful for having a lovely visit with a colleague from my old school and for having such lush stuff to play with

 

Have a giid day and happy scrapping!

Loving long weekends

I am loving the long weekends again.

Work is finished until the middle of May and I have time to just chill and scrap and enjoy myself with Nigel.

Yesterday we had a well-deserved lie in, we went for a walk, we went to the library, we had Starbucks, we watched a rubbish film (Us) and we had a pizza out. It was a lovely day.

Today - well today I scrapped and am up to date on all of my design team projects for A Trip Down Memory Lane. My March kit is done to death - I loved it and managed so many pages and my April virtual crop class is complete (they were awesome papers for it too)

 

Obviously, I cannot share the April class but I can share all of the March Design Team pages - some of which you have seen already but it is nice to pop them all together. They used Cocoa Vanilla More than Words and Midnight and Pink Paisley Indigo Hills - all available from A Trip Down Memory Lane of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were very different papers from my usual style and I absolutely loved them all.

 

I also made this yesterday

 

They were the seating booths in the Macdonalds at Conway (a ski resort in winter) and just way too cute not to use on a page.

Today I am thankful for

• being on the design team for Mel and Jill at A Trip Down Memory Lane - they are so very generous and I love creating for them
• weekends
• lush long bubble baths

and these were just things that made me smile and made me think

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Day Off - and packed full

It was joyous not to have the alarm going off this morning. Tjough in fairness, every day the alarm is set for 6 am I am awake before it ever goes off. Today we slept till 7am. Luxury!!!

 

First thing - after the laundry - was to take ourlovely Fiki to the vet. He is an old gentleman now - they will be 16 soon - and it has become apparent recently that he is pretty much deaf. It seems to have happened reasonably quickly and whilst we figured it was probably age related and he had shown no signs of anything bothering his ears, we thought we would get it checked anyway. Yes I am the fussiest fur mommy every! 

 

The vert was lovely and was very impressed at how good he looked for 16 and reiterated that it is exceptionally old for a Bengal as the breed are not generally long lifers. She said he was in beautiful condition, a good weight and incredibly gentle for a Bengal (who are often difficult to handle) He is our gorgeous gentle giant - huge but such a softie. She checked him thoroughly and then came the bit we'd been dreading because, good as he is , he was never going to like the scope down his ears. He tollerated the first side Ok but wasn't so keen on the seond - he knew what was coming! However, he had the all clear. His deafness is down to old age - or possibly to the fact that for the past 16 years he has had to suffer his incredibly lous sister blasting his ear drums (She is the loudest cat the vet has ever experienced - I kid you not)

 

We are getting used to having to clap loudly if he is asleep before we touch him so we don't startle him and we are teaching him knew hand signals when we want him to come but of course he has to be looking at us for that to work. I may try a high pitched bell, but I don't think he will be able to hear that. He is pretty deaf!and if it is possible, I love him all the more! My poor handicapped little monster with almost no hearing, arthritic hips and polycystis Kidney Disease. He can have whatever he wants whenever he wants because I adore him!

 

Just because he is adorable - Fiki over the last month or so ...

 

Never known a cat yawn so much as Fiki - I have dozens of yawning photos. I think I bore him!

 

 

 

In his bunk bed with his sister  - I was so pleased Nigel made this (two IKEA doll beds fixed together) as they us it all the time

 

with one of the crazy gang (it's what we call his mice)

 

My boy

 

Our busy day continued with a trip to see Fisherman's Friend based ont he true story of the Cornish Fishermen from Port Isaac. It was a nice story and an enjoyable film but my goodness the dubbing was shocking.

 

I also got to scrap.

I received a wonderful Design Team kit from A Trip Down Memory Lane of the Cocoa Vanilla Midnight and More than Words collections and I couldn't wait to play with it.

 

This is the first page I made with it

 

There was a lot of fussy cuttinga nd stamping - and making butterflies to match

 

Today I am thankful for

• not being at work
• Fiki being well apart fromt he deafness
• long weekends
• design team goodies

 

 

 

Lovely weekend and a work week

We had a lovely weekend.

Saturday was a quiet day with scrapping and an evening with neighbours where bubbles were partaken of.

Sunday was another laid back day and I do have scrapping I can share.

 

This is a photo from Disney at Christmas. We were blessed this year to be there for both Halloween and Christmas decorations. Halloween comes down in the early hours of 1st November so they have a Halloween party that finishes at midnight on 31st and by 7.s0 am on 1st November Christmas is up. Amazing.

 

 

 

The page was made as part of my DT work for A Trip Down Memory Lane and used the lovely Kaisercraft papers. I cut the paper to pieces and rearranges all the elements and then outlined them all in white - something I haven't done before but just felt like doing it

 

 

Work this morning then chiropodist but the payoff was we went to see The Grinch today and it was very very very good. Excellent story of course, but superb animation. Nigel had to be dragged kicking and screaming and loved it!

 

Oh I also took delivery of my new toys today - an Amazon Echo - I am already in love and a soup maker (I will tell you if I am in love once I have made my first soup tonight) 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely chiropodist but she now says I need to go to the next stage and have part of my toenail permanently removed - a partial nail avulsion! It grows a spur at the side not near the top like an ingrowing toenail but near the bottom so she battles with it but now it has to go! I am dreading it. But it should solve the problem permanently.
• an excellent film
• gadgets 

 

Friday 26th October

The One Where Rain Stopped Play (but we can't complain - we have been so very very lucky with the weather)

 

We had a lie in today as distances were small and the weather forecast for Savannah was rubbish. Plus we were not sure how I would be with travelling, walking etc. We had a very different breakfast in the hotel. All of our hotel  breakfasts have been serve-yourself buffets which have been very good, but they have plastic cutlery and disposable tableware. This was a proper dining room with silverware and waitress service. And very nice it was ... French toast with fresh strawberries and blueberries for me.  It was just the pick up I needed. The temperature had gone and I felt a little more ready for a day of exploring – or so I thought.

 

We loaded the car and set off for Savannah. According to the forecast, it was raining, but it actually wasn’t, though it looked like it would at any minute.  I drove part of the way to get my driving in South Carolina and Georgia licence

 

 

 

 

 

First stop was the visitor centre with a loo! I did feel a little better and had no temperature, but still struggling with urgency. We decided as the weather wasn’t great and I wasn’t great that we would not do the tram tour we had planned to do to explore Savannah as that would mean I was tied to where and when I could go, but followed the tram map and did it ourselves, which worked very well.

 

 

We found street parking, walked to Forsythe square ... where there were loos, and walked a lot of small streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn’t see all of Savannah  by any means, but we felt we had got a good flavour of it. The whole historic district shouted old weathered elegance and southern style. The oaks and trees filled with Spanish moss were so evocative and it had a great vibe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy that we had done what we could and as the rain began to fall we headed out of town and towards Brunswick, selected just because it was a suitable stop. On the way we did a little retail therapy ... the stores have toilets you know ... and we even found a Sears that was closing down which was a bit like a jumble, but I bought 4 pairs of trousers for $24 ... and one of the pairs is a pair I already have at home and love that was $49.99 originally. I think that pair was $11. Four pair of trousers for less than £20 was a great find.

 

We headed to the hotel and had a much needed chilled afternoon. I still wasn’t feeling great so we popped just across the street for. Denny’s where I could have a comfort food’ grilled cheese’ before a quiet night in front of the TV. Disney tomorrow!  The road trip part of our holiday seems to have gone very quickly. We have seen so many wonderful things, learnt so much, explored and marveled and we have stayed in 9 different hotels and I am ready to get to Disney and unpack! I am looking forward to choosing my clothes rather than wearing what comes out easily.