Wednesday 31 March 2010

NO2

Just got back from visiting my Mum, it was just me and my nephew David today. It was nice just the three of us chatting she was in really good spirits, she had her radio therapy this morning. The ambulance is booked to take her to the care home tomorrow morning. It will be easier for everyone when she's there, visiting will be unrestricted so we can pop in when we want.

There are four beds in the room she's been in for the last few weeks, it seems as though everyone is moving on this week. They are either going home or into a hospice, it's very humbling to see how these woman are coping with their cancer.



I decided that I needed some cheering up today so treated myself to some Tulip's.




For Mother's day Rachel gave me a Gerber, I've never had much luck with these before but fingers crossed this one seems to be lasting there are even new buds coming up......

Carrying on

Life is still not easy, I'm taking everyday as it comes. My Mum is doing well, as well as can be expected. She has finished taking the first course of Chemo tablets,in a couple of weeks she'll have a scan to see how things are going and then the doctors will decide if she should have another course. Today she is having Radio therapy, she is only having one treatment, this should help with her pain. Non of this is a cure but it is making her feel as though she is fighting! Today or tomorrow Mum is being moved to a Care Home, the home is really nice and isn't far from where I live. At first I was upset when she made the decision to go into a home but I can understand why she's made this choice. The home specialises in palliative care, and no matter how much I wanted to look after her I know I wouldn't be capable of doing it! Mum is making all these decisions herself and they are the right decisions for her.

In the meantime life is carrying on, I'm doing my best to keep things normal. I'm trying hard to finish the quilt that has been going on for ever, every evening I do manage to get a few stitches done! I've knitted a couple of scarves one from red Alpaca wool that I bought in Jersey, it's lovely and if this weather carries on I'll be wearing it soon! This scarf I'm keeping, I gave the previous one to Rachel as she said she liked it and I have knitted quite a few.



I'll have to start on the socks again, although I do have a glove pattern, maybe I'll have a look at. I've also done a bit of work on my Aqua project, I've finished a lino print block and hopefully over the Easter holidays there will be time to play, printing on paper and fabrics.





Wednesday 17 March 2010

Time For A Catch Up

Things are not great with my Mum,she came out of hospital, but rapidly deteriorated and was re-admitted last Thursday. So much has happened in the last few weeks I cant post about it. Any way Mum is being very strong about everything, a remarkable lady, she knows that she has cancer in her liver and her bones. Today she told me that she has been offered Chemo therapy and the oncologist has told her this is not a cure, Mum is worried that she might loose her hair! I really don't know where she is getting all her strength from.

While she was being re-admitted to hospital I was in Jersey at the Textile show case with ERTF. My family were looking after Mum and persuaded me that I should attend as it had been booked a long time ago. Whether I would have gone had I known what would happen at home I don't know, Mum had said that I should go so I did! Up until Thursday I had a fantastic time, even then I had a good time as I did know that everything was being done that could be done by my brother, sister in law and my husband.

We all made our own way to Jersey, I flew from Gatwick, a good flight, it was my first visit to Jersey, it wont be my last. Every morning we met for breakfast, then we split to go to our workshops, then met again in the evening for dinner.
Sometimes there were a couple of ERTF on the same workshop, I really enjoyed the variety. The group knew what was going on at home for me and couldn't have been more supportive, without them I don't know how I would have managed!

My first workshop was with Louise Gardiner, this was a very lively workshop. For someone that says she cant draw it was very scary, Louise put on music and we had to close our eyes and draw on a piece of paper that she gave us with a pen to the rhythm of the music! The second exercise was to draw the person opposite without looking at the paper or lifting the pen off the paper My partner was Angela, if you look at her blog you will see her sketch of me!!!!!! I'm worried, I think I need a facial and must get rid of the green hair, it was the first time we had met, on her blog she says I've got a sense of humour, does she know me? I'll wait to see what your comments say......
Angela, she doesn't look like this honest........


I had an enjoyable walk with some members back from the glass church, Lalique I loved it! We took the bus there and walked along the beach back, it was really cold and windy.My next workshop was a whole day with double trouble, I played with the embellisher and have lots of ideas.ERTF had dinner with Jan and Jean it was great to sit and talk with them two very talented and lovely ladies.

We also had a whole day doing design with Gina, I had a really good day and yes Gina I have done more work in my sketch book.There was a Gala dinner, not really my sort of thing but never the less a lovely meal in our hotel.I did a workshop with Jean Moss 'knitting with beads', this workshop whilst very interesting not one I would repeat, I wish I'd done the free form knitting what ever that is? Saturday was a free day until flight time, so it was a wander around a craft market and a relaxing lunch. All in all a lovely week! Would I go again? Yes! A very friendly event, somewhere I would be happy to go on my own. The hotel was very comfortable, the only downside was that it as at the top of a hill, I was exhausted,I need to get back to the gym!

There is a good post about ERTF's Jersey trip on the ERTF Blog