Not much room for a little un ...........

Why do men take up sooo much room?   I decided to write my blog today, plus play catch up on the journals I write for my grandaughter Izzy with memories etc in it.  Problem was that on entering the study I was faced with so much stuff of Colin's  around I could barely move.  Small items he purchased yesterday seem to have multiplied overnight and have taken on a life of their own.  Now our study is NOT small by any means, being in fact a double bedroom that we converted into a study with many units and desk etc but still lots of room to move around in.  Not today though.  We had a bit of a shopping spree yesterday and Colin being a keen amateur photographer decided he needed new lenses.    The box came with I don't  know how many lenses in and  these are designed to turn him into a David Bailey I believe, so all well and good but what I didn't expect today was to see a tripod looking out of the window, a camera and all the things related to it strewn all over the tops of the study units.  The chair had been pushed right to the back of the room and on the settee was the box that all this stuff had come in.  Big shift around so I can get to the computer (he won't be happy on his return from the gym) but never mind, here I  go again..............

Our cruise comes ever nearer

This is the cruise of Russia, a much longed for one of Colin's for quite some time.  As I too love the history of Russia, so complex in many ways with rulers so different in their ideas I so wanted to see it.  We decided on our ship, a Solstice one called  Celebrity Eclipse as it seems to be an amazing ship and we could have balconies big enough to take proper lounges etc instead of chairs.  On telling our friends it was great to hear that they too had been on this cruise ship last year and done the same itinerary.

We all decided to meet at ours for lunch and talk over what to expect and to see their photos.  Well to say it whetted our appetites even more is so true.  The sheer magnificence of the places they visited astounded me.  Now I have a love hate relationship with things and places such as these.  I remember that the poor of Russia were starving whist these magnificent palaces, churches etc were being built, lots of them with so much gold around it astounded me.  However what is past is past and so I am going to see the beauty of these in June.

 It is not only Russia that shocks me with things like this, on a much smaller scale just take a look at York Minster.  Yes very very beautiful but very costly too.  St Pauls  in London, and the oh so many churches and cathedrals dotted around England.  Most were built when there was not much money for the poor but plenty money for the churches and cathedrals to be built.  I don't know if I can truly say this was the right thing to do, what is wrong with simple churches and feeding the people.  This does mar my thoughts on visiting these places.  Sill looking forward to it very much.

Dare I

I am very worried about the cruise in respect of just what will I be able to see and do.  As my condition is certainly not getting any better I wonder just what level of moving around these places I will achieve.  We read that in St Petersburg most is not suitable for wheelchair users. Now I shall be taking my mobility scooter but it is rather large and though it breaks down into five pieces I myself know that it is not appropriate to take this into some places.

Now my neighbour Roy who we help out a lot and I cook him soups etc has recently purchased an amazing piece of kit.  This wheelchair folds down with the press of a button to the size of a suitcase, then can be pulled around with a handle just as any regular case.  it would be the ideal thing to take with us on this trip, leaving behind my big one.  We did wonder about purchasing one but at £2400 it seems such a lot of money and I am the tight one in this family.  Colin would buy it in a heart beat but I have refused.  As our trip coincides with Roy being at his house in Menorca and he flatly refuses to take this wheelchair with him {not wishing the people he has known for over 30 years  to see him so incapacitated} I wonder if I dare to ask if I can borrow it.  Another option is to ask if  can go halves with him on it and we use it when we go aways on holidays such as this and the Scottish trip we are going to take, he could have it the rest of the year.  We looked into hiring one of these and the price was £20 per day.  With both holidays coming up it would be costing us a small fortune to hire it so what a dilemma, I will need to think about this one very carefully.

Ceramics.

Here are a couple of pictures of some objects, can't think of another word for them really that I made in ceramics.  The big one was done to show the ph ribbon and I put two hearts on it too.  The rest was painted black and white for the zebra.  The colour of the ribbon didn't come out quite as I had expected it to be,  that is the problem with ceramics, they can be a bit hit and miss but nevertheless the thought and idea was there so I shall keep it somewhere,  I also made two of the most horrid garish things I have ever seen in my life, how I hate them.  The idea behind them was to learn about different textures and different colours in ceramics so the reasoning behind it is sound.  It is something we all have to do at one stage of our learning. I doubt that anyone making these will display them, indeed I see most of them have been left behind in a cupboard in my class!  I decided to bring them home just to show Izzy the textures and colours etc  and was astounded when she asked for one!!!!!!!  Quite what her mom will think of having one of these in her house brings a smile to my face, she will be horrified I know.  I wonder how long before it disappears!  I hope she is allowed to keep it until her own bowl made up of hearts to show my love for her is finished.  When that is here maybe she will herself get rid of this horrid creation!

One of my Ph friends

I am not posting a name here, those that know her will know just who I am talking about has been given some very bad news from her hospital, my hospital too as it turns out.  My heart was breaking for her when she had been told of the deterioration of her condition and a supposed length of time left to live.  How terribly sad this news was and I was so pleased to see the level of concern and warm and loving wishes sent her way.  I know she has a young son and a husband so of course our love is sent out to them too at this time.  I will say though as I do time and time again lots of us have been given so many weeks, months, years to live.  Lots of us are still here, we are defying the odds and though our life is not he life we had we are living the life we have got.  I am begging her NOT to give in, to stay strong and believe it WONT happen.  The power of thought I  believe goes a long way to pushing back some of these illnesses, we won't give up and against all odds we are still living a life, though limited to what we had before.  This girl I know is a tough cookie, much loved by the hospital staff that care for her.  She has much support.  I am pretty sure she will beat the odds as we are all doing.  I pray she will be around for the cure.  I just want her to know that she has many friends here from the ph community, many people that love her and if love could cure her she would be dancing in the aisles today.  Just know that we are all here for you and sending tons and tons of warm love to you, stay strong  xxxxx

 Since posting this I am coming back in to edit as the girl I am talking about is called Laura Parker.  She is happy for me to post her name as she has been so encouraged by the support she has been receiving.  Support is so good for us all, we need it so thank you again everyone who has posted Laura messages of love and encouragement. .  She is still in the Royal Hallamshire and will be until at least the end of next week.  I am hoping to meet up wither next Wednesday.

Odds and sods

We are going away for a couple of night, Saturday and Sunday  to Grange over Sands.  A friend of ours from here has an apartment over there and has said we can use it so away we shall go.  This is really to give Colin a much needed rest to set him up for Easter when he is taking Izzy aways for three nights in the motor home.  He is already worrying about how to do her hair, I shall show him how to plait tonight when she arrives home from school.

Scrabble cheat

I love to play scrabble on my iPad but I am getting to the end of those that are ongoing and I shall then stop.  I see so many that are using a cheat app and I do not  see the point in playing as in that respect it means I am playing a computer.  I like to think about my moves, I don't want a machine to do this for me.  It means we have very little chance of winning the game.  Now I am not a sore loser at all in a fair game but in this respect I think it is now my turn to bow out of the online scrabble and go back to playing real people sitting with me rather than a computer brain!

Well I think  must leave this now and get on with my journal for Izzy.  As we had her overnight on Monday there are lots of things to put in her, reminders of the things she did whilst she is so  young. My wish would be to be sitting with her when she reaches teenage years and reading the journals together, wouldn't that be just amazing.

I shall try to get this study back to the organised mess it was when I came in this morning before he indoors returns from his gym.

Tons of love to you all, please like and share this blog.

Carole xxxx