Monday 31 December 2012

Well!! What A Year It’s Been!!!

Here we are….it’s New Years Eve!! How did that happen?!! This year seems to have passed in a flash….mainly because it’s been full to the brim with good things to look back on!!

2011 had set me up for a shaky start though, following the car collision in November (still unresolved!!), Alex’s hospitalisation with Ketoacidosis just before Christmas &, after living with horrible shoulder pain through the year, my being turned down for much needed surgery because of high blood pressure in January 2012!

10 ChinaBut by February things were looking brighter! My blood pressure was brought down to a safe level & the op was rescheduled for March! Lee heard that he had won an ‘all expenses paid’ trip to Beijing, courtesy of a University prize draw & my sister

10 Hotel in Turkey

   phoned to say she had booked a
   ‘girls’ week away in Turkey as a
   post-op treat! I had been given a
   referral to Weight Watchers by
   my GP & was beginning to see a
   real difference a few pounds lost
   could make!

March saw my ‘op’ declared a success & I started physiotherapy immediately! Lee managed, after several attempts, to secure tickets for the Olympics Athletics finals & I started a course of Hypnotherapy sessions designed to help curb my tendency to overeat!!

23 Jason & OtisIn April we had a fabulous day out at the NEC for the ‘Gadget Show Live’…

May saw me securing tickets for the 2012 ‘Once In A Lifetime’ tour at the NEC to see my teen pin-up David Cassidy in November!

17 First Love   By this time too I
   had achieved a
   two stone weight
   loss & was feeling better than I had in
   ages, still not 100% mobility in my
   shoulder but able to swim again!
  
   June continued well, with Lee securing
   a teaching post to start in September!
   After four years hard slog, back at university, gaining a fresh degree, along with various school placements, he deserved it & made me so proud! 

9Oh & of course I had that all important week in the sun!!

July was dominated by Lee’s trip to Beijing….& hot on it’s heels his Graduation ceremony!!

IMG_4200

  IMG_7579 (3)

  

    

 

Then of course, came August!!
We had the most amazing day out at the Olympic Park…

18 Olympic 4

 

 

   …& just when we thought it
   would have to be a ‘once in a
   lifetime’ experience, we heard
   that a photo of us that Lee had submitted to the ‘NEXT’ website had won us two tickets to the Paralympic closing ceremony, so we got to go back again in September!!

8 BargainsThe summer also saw me complete quite a major DIY project, when I re-allocated three bedrooms, giving each a complete decorative makeover!! I still cannot believe how much cleaning, painting & furniture moving I achieved…& all on a shoestring!!

September saw Alex start at college…his first term has proved very successful & he has settled into the new routine well! Lee took up his post as teacher to a class of nine year olds & Nathan started back at school in year nine!

Then there was a wobble!! I was told that my job was being made redundant at the end of January 2013!! But I was offered an alternative position…after being given a warm send-off by my old colleagues, I started my new job mid December & so far, it’s working out just fine!

November saw me swooning at the aforementioned David Cassidy…

25 The Tower pt 1

23 The man himself 

 

 

 

…& spending a wonderful day out at the Tower Of London with Nathan!

0 365 1 2012Add into this year long list of things to remember…

the Queens jubilee celebrations… a whole bunch of great crops, both online & in real life…Dawns ‘Chinese Whispers’…Suzie’s ‘365+1 in 2012’…Rinda’s ‘Scavenger Hunt’…
Sian’s ‘Storytelling Sundays’…00 MMEW
Shimelle’s ‘LSNED’ …
Cathy Zielske’s ‘MMEW’ year long project…
‘From Screen 2 Scrap’ challenges…

…all have kept my creative juices on the boil & of course, a whole myriad of days & nights spent in good company with family & friends old & new! A good year indeed!


13 Project Life 2013So what can I hope for in 2013? Well…I’m committing to ‘Project Life’, inspired by the albums of Karen & Hilary!! I’m already signed up for a couple of classes with Jessica Sprague & BPC!  I know that working on Saturdays will limit my ability to attend some of my favourite crops in real life, but I hope to find other ways to keep up with my scrappy friends…one of which is right here in Blog land!

I intend to keep chipping away at the weight loss (I’ll admit to a slight gain in the run up to Christmas, but I will be addressing that post haste!!) & I shall continue to ‘move more’ & work towards not relying on the BP Meds!

I'll finish now & say thank you for the ‘get well’ wishes on my last post…I’m still voiceless, Lee can't believe his luck!! I wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR & may 2013 bring you & yours all you could ever wish for!!

Thanks for stopping by & come back soon! Open-mouthed smile

Monday 24 December 2012

Another Ooops! I Did It Again!!!

For the second time this year I have been AWOL from Blog land without warning!! Please don’t take this personally!!! It’s just that sometime things over-awe me & something has to give!!

I had felt well in control of all things Christmas until the announcement of my impending redundancy & all that involved!! I seemed to be here, there & everywhere for meetings, interviews & store visits during November.

Then began the rounds of meals to say farewell to various colleagues & customers, along with the beginnings of Christmas nights out with friends!! All in all I was struggling to find enough hours in each day!!

So, now I am ensconced in my new job & have my rota mapped out, for the next few weeks at least! Mum-in-Law is installed with us for Christmas & New Year. Gifts are all bought, the cake has been made & decorated, mince pies baked & being enjoyed as we speak! Cards all sent by the various postal deadlines & those received all displayed so that we are surrounded by love & good wishes!

On the down side, Lee & I are both full of cold & while he is coughing for England, I have no voice at all!!! It’s going to be a peaceful Christmas here!! Thank goodness for Covonia cough syrup & Strepsils lozenges!

I have just shut myself away in my scrap room to wrap a couple of last minute gifts & felt I had to log on to leave Good Wishes for all my friends in Blog land! May you all have a wonderful Christmas & enjoy whatever plans you have made!

I’ll be back before the end of 2012 & hope to get around to visit each of you by then too!  Thanks for stopping by!!

Xmas Hugs