Down in the Dumps

I am not having a good November even though nice things have happened. For some reason the hard skin on my feet has been getting worse over the last few months and nothing I have done has made it easier. Now it is like a concrete casing on the soles of my feet that pumice stone and abrasive scrubbers doesn't diminish. This month it has begun to crack and it is too painful to walk some days. Add to this the ezcema on my thumbs and forefingers so it is extremely painful to knit, sew or type and you can have some little idea how frustrated I feel. I have spent my time reading (you can only read for so long before your head falls off) and watching TV. This is great for a while and then it gets so dull that I either sleep or eat - I try not to do the latter.
Oh and there's another thing, try chopping onions when you have open wounds on your fingers. Poor Mr M has had to do that for me and then do the potato peeling. I tried wearing latex gloves but I managed to cut them and onion juice in the wounds when you hands are trapped in gloves is even worse! so there you are. Frustrated and miserable and not looking forward to more of the same.

We have a Wii now. We have had it for a while and I love it. I try to use it every day and I am saving up for the WiiFit. I have a game of tennis every day and I also bowl a bit and do the boxing. It certainly gets those muscles moving and it makes me laugh.
Sometimes I laugh too much to do anything but the little people are so funny that I just can't help myself.
It is good gentle exercise though and even Mr M goes into the front room and turns it on to have a bit of a play.
I like the fact that you have to get off your bottom to play the games even if it keeps giving my golf and baseball when I am doing the daily fitness age test. We play together sometimes but we like different things so I can't do the golf while Mr M gets quite cross with the bowling and tennis and the boxing! well we haven't tried that one together only in the training sessions.
My favourite game is the cow racing. Miss Em loves it too so she sits on my lap and we race together with the same cow. I start to laugh and soon we are both howling with laughter and losing the race. I can think of no better way to spend my time thatn sharing laughter with my granddaughter.

Things to do in Autumn

Go to Cornwall for a week right at the end of the season when all the cafes are winding down and the souvenir shops are eyeing the shutters and longing for the end of the month.
We had several days of really good weather which was good for us AND for cornish farmers who have had such a dreadful summer they still had not managed to get the hay cut. A few more weeks and there would be no point because any last goodness would be gone from the grass. We arrived and four days later they were beginning to cut - we did good!
We stayed in DS1 timeshare apartment which was luxurious and perfectly placed for doing all the touristy things in the lobster claw end of Cornwall - Goonhilly, Land's End, The Lizard, Helston, Penzance, Mousehole. We went to Praa Sands. No big deal I hear you say but I haven't been back there since I was about seven so it was really strange to not find anything familiar on the road down there but to instantly recognise the shape of the cliffs and the rocks on the beach. I so wanted to ring my mum and tell her about it but of course she has passed over so I got a bit teary. DH cwtched my until the tears were dry and that somehow made it a perfect day.
Then we visited some special friends and saw the progress the builders are not making on their alterations to the house.
It was good to be able to make them laugh a little. We didn't stay late because they are working so hard and have to get up early for the animals.
We came home and the surgery sent us notes to say we could have the flu jab. I was a little reluctant, given my propensity for allergy and reaction but after discussion with the nurse I let her jab me. She said I might experience "mild, flu-like symptoms" and I did. I spent three days in bed coughing sniffing sneezing and sweating and then three more lying like a limp lettuce on the settee also coughing, sniffing, sneezing and sweating. I think I'll give it a miss next year.
I managed to photograph some of the autumn colours of the Virginia Creeper in my garden and I hoped to catch it through all its changes. I might venture out tomorrow and take a look.

Sleeps until Santa - my way

I thought I would try to creat something in fabric as this is the way I usually think and here is the result.

The numbers are held by velcro so they are easy to change every day. the pocket suspended at the bottom holds the numbers that are not in use.

I have just realised that I cut off the top of the picture so you can't see the ribbon loops I put there so that it can be hung using drawing pins (pushpins) or a wooden rod could be put through them and then a red ribbon or cord used to hang it.

This has quite restored my joy in sewing.

If anyone wants to try this I can send you the measurements and amounts for fabric.

sleeps.jpg (image)

sleeps.jpg (image)

I just love this idea - this one was done by gingerbreadgirl. I am going to make one for my granddaughter who will be nearly four at Christmas time.

My Freedom

I have started an online class done by Shimelle. It is Called "My Freedom" and is all about scrapbooking. I have lots of enthusiasm but just can't find the space to scrap at the moment. Quite frustrating.

Scrap my day

I am supposed to be taking pictures of Time Team to put in my Scrap the Day Journal/scrapbook as part of the project created by Shimelle. However, I was not able to get into the car and go anywhere this morning. I had a panic attack and finished up sitting at the table feeling very sorry for myself, but at the same time very cross with myself too. Now I am going to curl up and read for a while and hope I feel better soon.