Dolly's Dreamings

Tough Days

Kira - who we are going to refer to as Lazarus - has had an interesting weekend. Saturday she drank the Felix soup, minus anything sold, quite well. She wouldn't touch the stuff I liquized for her (don't blame her mind) but unusually she spent most of the day rolled up in her blanket on our bed and she never came into the lounge at all Saturday night  Sunday we had a different cat. She was so painfully quiet on Sunday. She didn't eat and she didn't drink all day, she stayed in bed and we weighed her and she has lost 11% of her body weight in 12 days. We felt it was hopeless and then in the evening she came and sat with me on my knee all evening but she kept getting off like she couldn't get comfortable.

Today she ate two soups for breakfast and has had two for tea just now! However we spoke to our wonderful vet and he said we should now try the gabapentin which will either do nothing, make her a little better or make her a zombie (it will be hard to tell to be honest) It is the last thing we can try and obviously she cannot continue like this. Either she has to start eating a little or we have to make that decision. We have an appointment Wednesday which is to say goodbye - although we know we cancel it if a miracle happens. However, I fear it won't and we cannot let her suffer like this any longer.

We put the lights on last night for her - the Christmas lights. They have always been her thing and we always say we have the lights on for her. She would sit and look at the through the window. We will put the tree up tomorrow so she can see it because heaven knows we wont feel like it after Wednesday.

 

So it is all a bit sad here really and not much of anything is getting done. But I can share the pages I made for my class at ATDML this weekend. I didn't make them this weekend - the class went live this weekend. It used the gorgeous Lily and Moss collection. 

 

 

 

 

and I especially loved this one.

 

Today I am thankful for

 

• a vet who is so understanding
• 17 wonderful years with Kira - and still having hope.

 

I do still scrap

I am aware that the last couple of post may have lulled you into a false sense of the idea that I just go out all the time and I don't scrap. Nothing could be further from the truth actually. I still scrap - a lot!

 

For the last few days I have been scrapping with my design team kit from ATDML which was Simple Stories (I love their ranges) Autumn Splendour and Cozy Days (both is store now so do check them out)

This first one was fiddly as I fussy cut the entire wreaths o I could make a smaller frame - but it was well worth the effort.

 

 

 

 

 

Fiki is still not well and we think the real issue is old age. We know, sadly, we are on borrowed time and so I used lots of clocks and yes, he is a boy, but I still like floral pages of him.

 

 

 

 

 I couldn't resist the pun on this one - we did visit in the fall and it was too good a chance to miss

 

 

 

 

Iowa was the penultimate state to check off our 'states visited' list and the visitor centre with the boat was a delight.

 

 

 

 

 and Kansas, our final new state - the sunflower state. I went a bit mixed media mad here and wish I hadn't but heck!

 

 

 

 

and finally we have a new designer in store at Pickleberrypop ... Kiana Fitzpatrick of Love It Scrap It (you can find her store here) and I made this with one of her lush collections

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• every day we have with our cats - each is a bonus
• gorgeous papers to play with courtesy of ATDML
• my car passing its MOT (I hope!)

 

 

Trying to blow the bad away

It's been noticeably cooler today (which is a plus for me ... love the cooler days) and quite a wind even at sensible low down places. However, in light of the fact the jaw pain is still unremitting, we went for a walk to try and blow the bad stuff away. I'd love to say it worked. Sadly it didn't but we still had a nice time. The ice cream at Barford Farm helped too (wonderful homemade ice-cream made right there from the Sturminster herd)

 

Knowing it was a bank holiday weekend we knew the coast was out, the forest was out and so we headed for a nice walk to Badbury Rings. Actually not so much of a walk as a battle against the wind. But it was lovely and clear and very refreshing.

 

 

 

Nigel says I will always be Mrs Leahy, as even on the top of the rings I heard a 'it's Mrs Leahy isn't it'. It was a family from a long time ago. They had three daughters come through the school and two of them - now very grown up and a lawyer and a surveyor- were with them. It was lovely to see them and brought a smile to my face. Nigel does say that wherever we go we see past pupils and it is kind of true. I was also thrilled to get a facebook message from a father regarding his daughter who I supported through grammar school entry. He wrote because he wanted me to know she had received 6 grade 9 and 5 grade 8 GCSEs and wished to thank me. How kind was that. I have always said that teachers change the world one child at a time. 

However, I don't miss going back. This time of year would have been a time of worry as the school year started to resume and, for my friends and family who are teachers, this new school year holds even more worries as the COVID restrictions make a job even more difficult. And teachers across the country are going to be facing unprecedented differentiation issues. The gap between the wealthy and the deprived is going to be more evident than ever. Some children - such as those at my old school - will have had every lesson delivered according to timetable on their own school provided iPads. In addition, many will, in all likelihood, have had wonderful enrichment activities provided by their parents and whilst they did all go back for the last two weeks of the summer term, they will be looking forward to a new year. But even there the differentiation will be harder than usual. Then there will be the countless children who were sent the bare minimum and did the bare minimum. And sadly, those who had no access to on line work, those who lived their lockdown in homes where parents were so worried about their economic future they couldn't parent their children well, those who spent lockdown in poverty where the worry about the next meal was far worse than the worry about another worksheet and those who spent lockdown in abusive homes where their only sanctuary, school, had been denied them. There will be children, and staff, fearful about what the new year holds in terms of work, socialisation, strategy and health worries. There will be those whose mental health has been severely affected and those who have a devil may care attitude who don't realise what 2020 has done to them and may not for years. There will be teachers facing some of the hardest teaching they have had to do in their careers as they try to manage the different abilites that are far more extreme than ever, manage the worries and fears of those in their care, alongside their own, and try valiantly to prepare our children for a world that is so very different and is likely to stay different, than the world they faced in January. I don't envy the teachers but - teachers are wonderful. They will put their own fears aside and care for those in their classrooms, they will work the extra hours that noone appreciates to ensure every single child gets the best possible education for them that they can possibly have. They will cope with socially distanced classrooms, with endless bubbles and new restrictions because that is what teachers do. They cope. They care. They educate and they change the world, one child at a time.

I have another photo to share that I didn't share on Wednesday as I felt to awful to be honest. We went to Weymouth for work, thinking it would be nice to have a wander and then have a meal. Wrong. The world and his wife were in Weymouth and they were NOT social distancing. We did have a meal - unsuccessfully eaten by one of us. But we did see Weymouth had even more cruise ships that Bournemouth - there were 5 in the bay including the Queen Elizabetha and the Queen Mary (it is a stitched photo to show them all)

 

 

I haven't done any scrapping today as I simply haven't felt like it but I can share the three pages from the class I taught this month at A Trip Down Memory Lane.

 

 

This one was of Morden Walled Garden

 

Nigel taking the perfect photo at sculpture by the lake

 

 

and me happy with sunflowers.

 

Love my sunflowers. Nigel bought me sunflowers again this week.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely e mail from my sister-in-law who is also suffering terribly with very similar problems in her mouth and jaw with root canal work (and she does go back to school next week)
• seeing past pupils and knowing that I might have played a part in who they are
• cool air
• painkillers - yes still grateful for them I am afraid

 

 

 

There's a bit of a breeze

It's a tad breezy out there - well 50 mph winds to be exact but there is no accompanying sound of banging as our fence just doesn't bang any more.

We are thrilled

I have had a scrappy day today playing with the new Simple Stories Simple Vintage Great Escape which - full disclosure - I was given as a DT member for A Trip Down Memory Lane.

Do check out the store HERE for these products

 

I have made three pages so far - expect more with this collection

 

This was a visit to the Painted Desert in Arizona which was really lovely and totally deserted

 

 

 

Poole Park - a little closer to home

 

 

 

And a trip to Moreton walled Garden last month

 

 

I had great fun doodling the border

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• lovely new stash to play with (though I have had to give in to my stash ban and buy more)
• safe fences

 

and how amazing are these

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunny Sunday

It is glorious here again today after two days of a bit of rain - sadly I think we need more rain but heck - I don't complain.

 

It's been an odd two days as no exercise which is unusual. I have no idea why but my ankle just gave up. It is my very damaged ankle - I smashed it quite literally to bits when I was 12 and it's been an ongoing issue. I have also fractured it again since then three years ago. However, it holds up pretty well all things considered except yesterday I couldn't move it, couldn't stand on it, couldn't do anything. I hadn't fallen, twisted, slipped etc it just 'went' It wasn't swollen but hurt as bad as when I last fractured it. It is a little easier today but very odd.

 

Still sitting down and scrapping was OK!

Before I get to scrapping someone asked how long we quarantine stuff for. We have a standard three day rule and it is very exciting when things we had forgotten come out of quarantine. Food that isn't perishable goes into quarantine, anything else from the supermarket plus post and anything anyone leaves for us.

 

It has been the A Trip Down Memory Lane cybercrop this weekend and I can finally share some of the pages. This was my class for them and the three pages I made as a design team member for the class using gorgeous Bo Bunny Papers. Do go over the blog HERE where you can find full instructions for my class, a further 6 classes and loads of challenges. It is free and fun and you ought not to miss it really.

 

 

 

This was meeting a friend Kay who is also ont he design team for Pickleberrypop and we met up with her in Albuquerque

 

and my wonderful godson and his beautiful wife, currently enjoying life in Japan.

 

I have also made the first of the birthday pages for the CFH

 

Pink for a girl

 

 

 

Blue for a boy

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• another lovely day - Nigel is treating it like a holiday and whilst it does get to me at times, most of the time I can pretend too. He makes me laugh as he says they keep spoiling his holiday talking about the virus. We are happy in our little bubble as long as we don't overthink the world.
• my ankle being easier
• lots of scrapping time

 

 

These things always make me laugh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and finally - cats and jigsaws. I feel the pain of these people - we experience similar when we do jigsaws

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Friday Greetings

I was so grateful for technology this morning - as I am every day - as obviously I couldn't go to church today and Good Friday is always absolutely key for me but I could stream my worship and celebrate and meditate at home. Technology is wonderful and we are blessed to have it at the moment most of all, as without it we are even more isolated. We are able to have visual calls with family and friends, keep in touch with communities we belong to on social media, stream news and worship, puzzles and games, books and newspapers. It is keeping us in touch and I feel so sorry for the people who do not have this, especially the elderly.

 

The weather has been gorgeous and we have been spending a  lot of time on the balcony. Nigel did the shopping - oh my goodness that is an ordeal we both hate, and we have enjoyed our daily walks. People are still driving to walk on the heath but I have to say there are fewer. However the news remails worrying, the death rate is still rising, and we are scared. We try hard not to be, but we are and we only really feel safe in our own home.

I have been scrapping again though and whilst I cannot share some of the things that I have made I can share the things I have made with the free products from A Trip Down Memory Lane - this month they were Bloom Street by Paige Evans - Pink Paislee papers.

 

 

 

 

 

This was the euphoric moment that Nigel fetched our first small shop from Asda - amazing that shopping brings us such relief when it is over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also finished this lockdown project which has been thoroughly catscanned

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• technology
• streamed acts of worship
• sunshine
• Kira's continued healing

Another sunny day but worrying news

The weather has been glorious for the last couple of days. Nigel - and our next door neighbour and they next door but one neighbour!) decided it was time to get the pressure washer out. He was planning to clean the front wall, the side wall and the front step area but after working hard all morning, the pressure washer said 'you have got to be kidding me' and gave up the ghost. we have ordered a new one but he is now allowed time off for good behaviour and what he has done looks awesome. I gardened. I always seem to get the jobs that make little difference. In the house I can dust and polish and clean for hours. Nigel comes along and does the hoovering in ten minutes and it looks fab. I can weed for hours and it doesn't really look very different. Nigel mows the lawn and it transforms the garden. Hey ho - we compliment each other.

Two more jigsaws have been completed - we are really enjoying those - and the balcony is getting good use. Bread has been baked, daily walks have been taken and I even sorted my wardrobe, putting away thick winter jumpers and getting out the summer tops (though not for quite yet I suspect.

 

I think the nation has been worried about the news about Boris Johnston being moved to not just hospital now but into intensive care. We are huge Tory supporters but neither of us was 'in love' with Boris, though we did not dislike him. Over the business with Brexit and with the coronovirus we have been really impressed and we feel he is exactly the kind of leader the country needs. It needs a man who is a libertine at heart, full of life and energy, a blustering man with really savvy ideas. I am so pleased he is leading our country (and we remain eternally grateful 'the other chap' didn't get in which I think would have been ruinous and we would have been governed by the politics of envy. So we, like so many many people, are concerned for him, and for his family, and we hope and pray he makes a full recovery because we need HIM at the helm of our ship at the moment.

 

In addition to everything we have been doing I have also been scrapping.  I had a new Design Team kit from A Trip Down Memory Lane (so I was given free stuff to create with to promote the products) and this month I had papers from Pink Paislee Bloom by Paige Evans. It is gorgeous stuff and these are my first two pages.

 

This is our every day at the moment - we are taking a long brisk walk round our neighbourhood to get our daily exercise as advised. we are lucky that we can walk in a nice environment and we see very few people on our walks and everyone is very respectful and either we or they will cross over the road so good distances are kept.

 

 

 

 

 

And this was the day before lockdown - we went for a walk in Poole Park

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• things to keep busy with
• a good mix of work and play, relaxed and busy
• that we remain healthy in this crisis

 

 

I hope you enjoy these award winning animal photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fear not Friday 13th and a little bit of girl power

Well, it's been quite a week, hasn't it.

The world seems to have gone into overdrive with coronavirus. Italy in total lockdown, America closing Disney and banning travel from much of Europe.  Countless other countries taking special measures, closing schools, stopping large gatherings. And here int he UK we are in the delay phase and await other measures but for now... hot soapy water for 20 seconds should see us through. Made of stern stuff we Brits. However, I am confident we will be following suit all too soon.

 

We have, I am sure, enough food to survive on should we need to self-isolate. We haven't bought special stuff, just our normal food but I am sure we will not starve. (Starbucks might be an issue though!)  However if just one of us has the virus the other is safe to live as normal, going out etc,  provided we stay 6 feet away from each other at all times. How bizarre.

The really good news is that if we go into lockdown I have plenty of scrapping supplies to see me through the first year!

 

I am taking it seriously, really, although I feel there is so much fake news out there and misreporting of facts that no-one really has the full picture. Nigel's Mom's care home closed its doors yesterday - as have most others - and I think that is a really good thing. The elderly and those with underlying conditions are vulnerable and must be kept safe, but I think maybe the mass panic isn't helpful.

 

The school I work at is still all guns blazing so I have worked a lot this week. Thankfully only 4 more sessions left (I am tired) and we also enjoyed a wonderful night out at the theatre to see Fascinating Aida. This truly wonderful talented trio of older ladies are such good fun - not for the fainthearted but we had a truly fabulous time.

 

We also fitted in a cinema slot before they close the cinemas and saw Misbehaviour and I STRONGLY recommend it. I grew up watching Miss World but I also grew up and have spent my whole adult life championing the rights of girls and women to be whoever they want to be. I was at an all-girls school from the age of 11 and have always taught in all-girls schools where demonstrating in every possible way the importance of equality was key. Go and see the film. Times have changed so much since 1970 but we still have a way to go.

 

 

I have also scrapped of course.

I have been lucky enough, as part of my Design Team work for A Trip Down Memory Lane to be given a new scrapping kit made up of Heidi Swapp Storyline Chapters and it is beautiful.

 

This photo was very special. It was taken as we were waiting for our lift before going on our holiday of a lifetime and we were so very very excited after all the planning to be finally going

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and I had fun with a cut file for this one

 

 

 

 

 

Wherever you are stay safe from coronavirus

Today I am thankful for

• a wonderful night at the theatre
• a great film
• girl power
• gorgeous scrapping kits to play with

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A great weekend in process

The good thing about working is that when you are NOT working you really appreciate it. I have had a lovely coupleof days and crammeda lot in.

 

I spent time sorting out my finances, setting up a new e mail system (I didn't want to but it is done now and I am glad) the housework, the laundry and still had time for fun.

We went to the cinema yesterday and saw Military Wives. Go see it. It was fabulous but take tissues - lots of them. It was a really good film. We also had dinner out at Pizza Express which was a lovely treat.

And I had time to scrap. I caught up on a few of the Mojo Challenges at Pickleberrypop. If you don't usually do them I urge you to check them out. There are really good challenges and for some of them you get freebies to use like a kit or a template. The Forum is here   

I made this with the template this month

 

 

I made this with a free mini kit - also a mojo challenge in the same forum

 

 

And I made this for a challenge on UKS

 

And I also found time for paper pages too

This was for a FTLOPP challenge and very different to my usual style but the photos of Fiki holding Nigel's hand were too cute.

 

 

And this was a challenge on UKS. I think probably the only time I will ever scrap a brothel. Part of the old wild west times and - according to the sign - it is only SLIGHTLY haunted.

 

Barb thank you for the comments on my nails in the wedding photo. It is the first -and last - time I have ever worn false nails. They were not proper acrylic nails like you get these days, just the stick on sort. Having said that, my nails these days are usually that length but real.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely couple of days

 

There is a definite pink feel today

I have had such fun over the past week creating new pages with the most gorgeous Pickleberrypop products. Love was definitely int he air this month and the Berry Big Deal (they are so cheap it is criminal) collections are just fabulous.

You can find them all HERE and below are the 8 - yes 8 ... it was a productive month - I worked with are below and the collection picture is a link that will take you straight there

 

 

I had such fun with this page popping fiki outside of the frame ... he is such a poser

 

 

 

 

I don't often get good photos of Kira - she does NOT like posing - this is quite an old one of her before her left eye changed completely. It is now completely black.

 

 

 

 

This just begged to be a love story and so I used photos of my lovely godson and his gorgeous new wife (not so new now but just as gorgeous) on their wedding day.

 

 

I loved this kit as it spoke to my heart. I so often say that one of the most important things in our marriage is laughter. We laugh - a lot - every day. This photo was the culmination of about 8 attempts of old people to take a selfie with them AND a sign. We failed but it was so funny.

 

 

 

 

As soon as I saw the cute little kitties I knew I had to play with this one... HIM again - when he was just a baby lying in our bathtub and washing - as you do!

 

 

 

And James and Gemma again because this kit was MADE for that photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had such fun with this one - I love film strips as you know and these are all selfies that kind of worked from our most recent trip. We do get it right sometimes.

 

 

 

And I loved this one as it had camera's and I am a sucker for cameras. It tells the story of how we visited Niagara Falls 30 years apart and how the second trip was sooooo much better

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• well it is early so I am sure there will be plenty of other things but I am thankful for getting to work with such great designers all the time
• thankful that Nigel got an emergency dentist appointment this morning as he broke a crown at the weekend.