Happy News!

We have another new addition to our family.  A new baby - I'm a Great Auntie four times over now!

This little man is Jenson James, born on 27th February.  He's a baby brother for my middle great niece, Alexie, who will be five next month.

Here's his clever mummy, my lovely niece Caroline.  

She looks so much more relaxed than when Alexie was born. Five years older and wiser, with the knowledge that she has done it all before! 

(This one's Alexie!)

And he's a lovely little chap, very quiet and no trouble, so she has been able to settle down to being his mum with little fuss and bother. 

I paid my first visit on Tuesday morning and was so thrilled to meet him.  

Lovely, isn't he? 

Wednesday Worktable - 11th February 2015 - Just finishing Off...

This is my contribution to WOYWW (What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday), over at JuliaDunnit's Blog. Each Wednesday, Julia invites fellow crafters and bloggers to show a photo or two of their worktables, and explain what they've been doing. 

It's really rather messy...  I'm working on a photo album for Elien, with covers of a lovely peacock-feather patterned paper and silk trim (more photos in my previous post!).  Just the finishing touches now - she would like a nice label on the first page, with her name. 

I've made up a couple of examples and now know what she would like (a long rectangular label, with the text on one line, in a nice curly font, double-mounted on silk and blue paper, to match the book covers).  So, I just need to make up the label and attach it - then the book is ready for despatch to USA! 

And what else?  Well, the pile on the left is sketchbooks and planning notebooks - not much to see there. At the back are some Kraft card notebook covers, with little square apertures, all ready for another batch of 4"x6" notebooks.

On the right, amongst the jumble, is a shimmery pink ribbon rose, a ribbon bow, a green felt leaf and a gold-painted piece of dowel.  What will it be?  A Fairy Wand, for a certain Rose Fairy.  

More about Fairy Wands in a post very soon! 

* * *

That's my contribution to the WOYWW Story this week - thanks for reading.  

Why not pop over to Julia's Stamping Ground and see what else is going on in the crafting world?

Playing the Game

"Yellow Car!" 

"Oh, no! I said it first!" 

"I didn't hear you..."

"Dad, didn't I say, 'Yellow Car'?" 

"I didn't hear you either..." 

"Maybe we should call it One-All?" 

...

"Red Car!" 

"Daaaaaad!" 

"What? What's wrong with that? It is red." 

"The game is called 'Yellow Car', Because the Car has to be Yellow." 

"Oh, so that's one of  the rules?" 

"Dad! It's the ONLY Rule!" 

* * *

Welcome to our car (not yellow)...  It's our current favourite game.  James always wins, because I'm too busy watching out for cars of any colour - also lorries, buses and anything else that I really shouldn't hit.  And Dave forgets to say "yellow car", until it's too late!

Disputes have arisen in the past, as to what actually counts as a "yellow car".  Can we use vans? If so, how big does a van have to be, before it's a "lorry"?  Do buses count? Or lorries, trucks, mopeds, scooters, motorbikes? (answer - no!).

One Photo and Twenty Words - October 2014

Summer 2000 : Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire. 

My father on a last day out with us. He died on October 9th. 

* * *

This is part of Abi's Meme 'One Photo and Twenty Words':
"Find one photo and choose up to twenty words to tell its story. Jot it down and link back here."

Why not join in too and leave a link in the post at Abi's Blog?

Thoughts from the Washing Line : Changes

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It's been a while since I've posted some Thoughts from the Washing Line.  But laundry still happens and I still stand there, hanging up my clean, damp and fresh-smelling linen, contemplating the world.  

This past week, there's been a lot of laundry - the sun has been shining, but the forecast threatens rain, so I've been washing things that I might have left until later in the week - or next week - and hanging up three or more loads a day.   It gives me plenty of time to think thoughts in the sunshine...  

Such as the way things are changing around here... 

Last Friday, this man turned seventeen. Somehow it seems a more significant birthday than last year. Seventeen seems more "grown up", perhaps more serious, than sixteen.   

James sat his GCSE exams this summer and the results came at the end of August.  He did really well and now has eight A*'s, four A's, a C (for Art which he chose as a relaxation and something different to all the academic stuff), and a Distinction (A^ - for his extra Further Maths GCSE), plus an ECDL/BTEC Computing as well.  That's a lot of qualifications...   

He started back at school a month ago and has thrown himself wholeheartedly into a busy VIth Form timetable.  He is studying five subjects to "AS" Level (A-level year 1 exams) - Maths, Further Maths, Physics, History and something called Extended Project Qualification.  

For the EPQ he must choose an area of study, research it, compile information and produce a "thing", such as a presentation, a paper, an essay, a report, a short thesis - whatever is appropriate.  It's examined at A2 Level (2nd year A-level) standard. As he had a lot of heart-searching when choosing his fourth A-level, between History and Music, he has chosen to study an area of Music for the EPQ.  

Next year, he will continue all but the EPQ to A2 Level and hopes to gain a place at university, to study Engineering. 

So, you see that maybe turning Seventeen does seem so much more significant.  He's nearly grown up. Almost A Man.  He even has a 'tache - almost -  and refuses to shave it off...  He's not always finding it easy, but he is growing up all the same and starting to look towards the world beyond school.   Time is whizzing by and I'm sure it won't seem long, before he's packing up his books, clean socks and various musical instruments and heading off to university.... Sobering thought.  

Oh yes, speaking of Musical Instruments - look what we bought a few weeks ago! 

James actually asked for a piano for his birthday - though I think it was a bit jokingly.  But we'd wanted one for so long and now we have a space for it...  Two visits to the piano shop, then it was soon delivered and we are so delighted with it!  I'm polishing up my skills again and James just seems to be a natural - he plays away as if he's been learning all his life, but he's never had a single piano lesson!  

Me and James are in love with our new pet... Dave is less impressed.  He wonders why we didn't buy an electronic piano, with a socket for ear-phones - for silent practice.  That's what he says anyway, but I notice he doesn't seem to mind much when James is tinkling away in the Music Room (formerly the "Snug", but there are nine instruments in there now...).  

It's proving a hit with visitors too - here are James and Keri-Anne last weekend, enjoying a bit of together-time.  The weekend before, we had some friends up from London and they - and their little girls - enjoyed bashing away on our piano too.  It seems that quite a few people can "play a little bit" and they're delighted to get the chance to make a bit of noise.  

The cake was a bit small for 17 candles - so a 1 and a 7 were found, lit and duly "huffed" upon...  

Happy Birthday James.  We all wish you a very successful and happy eighteenth year! 

And, now that James is in VIth Form, with no more black-trousers-and-blazer school uniform, the laundry I hang out these sunny days is a lot more colourful than it used to be! 

Thoughts from the Washing Line : Chronicle of A Typical Monday

[Source]

 

So, yesterday was a typical sort of Monday... and this morning, I was wondering how it is that I am so tired; then I remembered all that I did yesterday and of course, then it was obvious! 

 

I'm sure everyone has a busy day in their week and sometimes several; I know we all have extra-busy days sometimes.  So, I'm not writing this post as a way of moaning, or making it look as if my life is busier than anyone else's.  I just thought it would be an interesting exercise, to chronicle my day... 

 

Monday 28th April

5am:  Woke up feeling thirsty.  Got a drink.  Of course, I was now awake and it was getting light... but I wanted to be asleep.  Played a quick game of "patience" on my little ipod touch. Amazing how quickly that makes me sleepy... Remembered to turn off the ipod before I fell asleep again.

6am:  Mr LizzieMade got up and went for a shower.  Heard him pottering in the bathroom, but kind-of stayed asleep...zzzmmmzzzz...

6:45am : Woken by Mr LizzieMade getting his bag ready to go out, at the bottom of the stairs.  Time I was waking anyway - the alarm is due to go off.

7am: Downstairs (in my dressing gown!).  Feed the guinea pigs. Make breakfasts. Make J's packed lunch.  Start some laundry. 

7:25am: The Boy is still upstairs... Teenage faffing about, no doubt... Call up to him that he should be down now.  Boy appears, looking drowsy...  Feed the starving Teenager, who miraculously awakens as the food disappears!

7:30am: Sit down to eat my breakfast.  Chat with James until it's time for him to go out.  He goes to clean his teeth & get ready, while I tidy up our breakfast stuff.  (He usually helps with the jobs in the morning, but is running late today). 

7:45am: James trots off to get his bus.  Hug him and wish him a good day, then go to sort out some jobs.  Find the empty carrier bags from last week's shopping delivery.  Tidy and clean in the kitchen.

8am: Sort out the dishwasher.  The shopping delivery arrives just as I press the "On" button - good timing!  Delivery man leaves the shopping in the kitchen.  Unpack the shopping and put it away in the fridge, freezer & cupboards.  Re-pack the items that are for my mum.

8:30am:  Decide I really should get washed & dressed (!!).  Shower, clean teeth, get dressed, brush hair etc etc...  Find some spring shoes that I forgot I had (how can I forget from one year to the next?) and decide to wear them, but with trouser-socks, so my feet don't freeze. 

9am:  Pack up a parcel for the Post Office.  Check e-mails and have a sneaky peek at Facebook and my blog comments...   Read the nice comments about the prize draw I was running on my blog / Facebook page.  :-)

9:20am: Pack up the car with parcel and shopping, then head for the Post Office.  Sort out the parcel, then collect my mum's pension for this week - also for next Monday, as it's a bank holiday (she gets muddled if the routine is upset, so this way, she can still have the money on time next week). 

9:40am: Arrive at my mum's.  We are off to the dr's in a bit, so get started on the important jobs;  unload her shopping & put it away, hang out the wet washing in the garden.  Stop for a quick warm drink before we go out.

10:10am: Help mum with her coat, collect her bag, chair cushions etc and help her into the car.   Drive to town, as we have to visit the town branch of the practice today - the dr. we are seeing doesn't come over to my mum's village. 

10:30am: Arrive at the dr's.  Sort out some forms to register my mum for online prescription requests (to save me having to take a paper request form to the village practice, which is then sent to town the next day, for the pharmacy to collect on the 3rd day.... It should make the delivery a day quicker and save me remembering to deliver the slip - last week I forgot until Wednesday and had to drive to town to deliver it & sweet-talk them into treating it as urgent!). 

10:45am: Mum's appointment.  She sees a very nice lady doctor, who looks at the weird scab on her leg & decides to refer her to a dermatologist, just to make sure it's nothing more than a normal overactive area of skin....  Help shaken (shaking!) and anxious mother to the car, then explain that; Yes, the dr did say "Urgent", but that's because if she didn't ask for an urgent appointment, it would be over 6 months before my mum got seen.... No, it probably isn't anything serious, but the doctor wants a specialist dermatologist to see it, so they can be sure of what the problem is.... Yes, she is probably covered by her health insurance, which means she can be seen quickly at the little local hospital...  Phew!!! 
11:10am: Arrive back at my mum's.  As we are getting out of the car, we see a van that my mum thinks may belong to an engineer who's due (in the afternoon!), to repair her stair-lift.  Sure enough, sitting in the van is the engineer, who is writing her a note to say he's sorry to have missed her.  The engineer comes in with us and my mum sets about explaining the problem.

11:20am: Persuade my mum to have a sit-down and relax for a few minutes, while I make her a drink and a snack.  Make a drink for each of us and sit down too.  

11:25am: Sort out the list of items I had brought from the shopping; add up the total cost, which my mum gives me back.  Help mum sort out her weekly budget - money to be paid into the bank, for bills, rent etc, money to be saved up for other items - carer, cleaner, fish-man, hairdresser, bin-man, window cleaner, birthday presents, charity donations, essential new clothing etc etc... 
Also field queries form the repair man and help mum find the form from the recent service of the stair-lift.

11:40am:  The postman arrives and leaves some letters.  We go upstairs to sort out some jobs.  I re-make my mum's bed and take the old sheets downstairs, so they can go home with me for washing.  Stop to fuss the cat, who's sleeping on the bedroom chair...

11:50am: The repair man leaves, after telling us he has ordered parts to repair the stair-lift. Continue sorting out jobs in the house.  We have a bit of a sit-down to rest and start finding the information for the health insurance people, so my mum can phone them.

12:10pm: The Administrator arrives from the housing Trust.  My mother has some things to discuss with her, so I sit and listen, help with clarifying what she wants to say etc.  (Sometimes it is difficult for my mum to get the words to sort themselves out. I think it's a left-over from her stroke, combined with the neurological problem she already had. She has a stammer-type thing, which can be frustrating for her. Still, it doesn't stop her from getting on with things!). 

12:40pm:  The Administrator has left.  We call the health insurance company, to check the cover for the planned dermatology appointment. 

1:05pm: Lunch is late!  I go and put a piece of pie in the oven to warm up, then get potatoes & veg ready.  

1:25pm: Lunch is ready... but the pie turns out to be un-eatable.  It is very salty, my mum says (I tasted it when I got into the kitchen - she was right - what a waste!).  She can't go without a decent lunch, especially after such a busy and stressful morning.  Luckily there are plenty of frozen meals in the freezer (I make them up in batches, then we freeze them in individual portions, in margarine containers - how useful those are!).  So, she has chicken stew instead of pie and all is well.  There's a nice raspberry trifle in the fridge, because I bought it as a treat when I was in the local shop on Sunday.  Good idea for dessert!

1:50pm:  My mum has finished lunch and is looking more relaxed.   The washing is still out on the line, so I go and get it, then fold it and put it away in the airing cupboard.  Tidy the kitchen and check all is well. 

2pm: Phew! I can go home now... My mother says she will make her own tea, as she thinks I'm looking very tired (wonder why!).  I'm not sure, as she is more tired than me... still, she wants to try.  So she takes some ham out of the freezer to defrost and promises to call me, if she feels she won't be able to manage after all.

2:15pm: Arrive home... Head for the kitchen and find some food!  Make myself nice sandwiches and a cool drink, also some coffee.  Snacks for the guinea pigs too - they squeak in excitement whenever they hear a salad bag rustle!

2:30pm: Sit down to eat my lunch and read a book... While I'm eating, the doorbell rings.  It's the neighbour, to ask if I can take in a parcel on Wednesday morning (no, I have to take my mum to the nurse, then go to the osteopath...).   Finish my lunch and slouch a bit with the book...

3pm: Get out my laptop and start checking for shop messages & e-mails etc.  Answer a few e-mails, sort out some financial bits & bobs...

3:30pm: Feeling lazy... start sneaking around on the computer, looking at goodies on Etsy, Folksy and Facebook... 

3:45pm: The doorbell - it's James, home from school.  Chat about his day, then he goes up to change.  I offer to make him a snack, but he wants to do this himself.  He asks to use the computer for some homework and disappears upstairs again.

4pm: I'm tired. It's a while til dinner time and I don't have to go over to my mum's.  I decide to skive off my jobs and play a computer game ;-)

4:50pm: Phonecall.  My poor mum has spilt a glass of sticky juice on her sitting-room carpet.  She wonders if it'll be alright until Wednesday, when I could clean it for her?  She can't get down on her knees now, as she gets stuck - we discussed it only last week, so I know this.  I tell her I think I should come and help her now, as we don't want her carpet to be spoiled. 

4:55pm: Go upstairs to ask James if he'll start our dinner at 5:30 or so.  We have a visitor due in the evening, so we need to eat on time.

5pm: Drive off to mum's.  The spillage isn't too bad and my mum isn't upset, so all is well.  Mop up and clean the carpet, then drive home again.

5:30pm: James is making the dinner.  I make some drinks and help him to serve up the meal etc.  We put some aside for his dad, as Dave is due home at around 6.30pm.  We sit down to eat... nice dinner...

6pm: Phone call from Dave, to say he has only just got out of work and is on the way home; he will be late.

6:15pm: Phone call again... This time it's Jeff, our builder, who's due at 7pm for a meeting about the architect's drawings.  He is also running late and wonders if 7:30 would be ok, so he can eat some dinner?  That is fine with me (!), so he will be here at 7:30...

6:45pm: We finish our dinner and tidy up.  Put some coffee on to brew, tidy the table so we can use it for our meeting, find my laptop...

7pm: James is relaxing upstairs (painting models, no doubt!).  I sit down to play with my jigsaw puzzle... 

7:30pm: Jeff arrives and we chat while we get settled down.  He did the bedroom extension for us, in 2009, so we are glad to see him again.  Dave arrives home and eats his dinner, then we all get down to business.

9pm: Jeff goes home, after we've sorted out some of the details of the building work and set a provisional start date (May 16th !!!).

9:15pm: James goes up to bed.  Me & Dave sit down with the computer, to sort out some stuff for his business; he works for himself, but is now starting a Limited Company - we need a new bank account...

10:30pm: We are tired... bed seems like a welcome idea...

11pm: Falling asleep over my book... light off... zzzzzz

* * *

So, actually, I'm not surprised that I felt tired this morning...  That was a fairly typical Monday, though the evening meeting was a bit unusual.  Normally on a Monday evening, James has a trampoline club, but just now it's not running, as they are looking for a new coach.  At least the meeting was at home, instead of at the sports club!

What does everyone else do on their busiest day?  I'm sure many people fit in loads more than I do - at least I managed a couple of slouching sessions!

Music to my Ears

James has been playing the guitar since he was 7 years old.  He started having lessons while he was at Lower School and has continued enthusiastically since then. 

He's pretty good; in fact, he has a bit of a gift for it and loves to play pieces of all kinds, as well as composing his own music. 

He had the opportunity to play some of his own compositions, while he was at Middle School, though since he went to his Upper School, there hasn't been so much chance to perform in concerts, since they prefer groups, orchestra and bands - if they offered one solo slot, they'd have to offer lots and they don't think there is time in a concert.  It is a very large school, so they're probably right, but James has been saying he feels like the poor relation of the music world. 

He does at least have the opportunity to play and compose, as part of his Music GCSE studies.  The group play together and also perform for each other, so it gives him the chance to make music with other people.    

He has started to learn the Double Bass now, which has meant he has more involvement in the music groups at school - in fact, he was so much in demand as an accompanist, that he had to choose one group and stick to that, turning down several other requests because he just doesn't have time.

I posted about how James got a Double Bass - the instrument is a bit old and battered, so it's currently at the repairer's, having new strings and a replacement bridge. 

It'll cost us a fair bit - new strings start at £70 and go up into the hundreds; a new bridge starts at around £50 and also goes up & up.... As it's a student instrument, the shop recommended that we had a basic-but-good set of strings and a basic bridge, rather than spend a very large amount on professional-standard items. 
We have already spent £55 on having the better of the two bows re-strung. It was in a very sad way, with strings coming off and all tatty - completely unusable - so it's great that it is now repaired; it's quite a good bow, made of a nice quality wood - whereas the other bow is plastic and wood.  The quality of the bow makes a difference to the quality of sound achieved, just as the instrument itself will do.  At least a good bow will help James to make the best of his instrument, even if it isn't a particularly high-quality bass. 

Meanwhile, I am regularly treated to a serenade, while I'm busy about the house - especially in the evening, when I'm making dinner in the kitchen.

James is learning a new piece just now.  He's been working very hard at it and already it's sounding lovely.

 

I feel very lucky to have a child who can play so well - it's lovely to have music played to me every day.  I never get tired of listening to that guitar humming away in the dining room, while I stir up something nice for dinner! 

 

I'm proud of James - he works so hard at his music and enjoys it very much.  For him, music is the ideal way to relax and unwind; he plays with all his heart and it really is a pleasure to hear him. 

Something Close To Normal

Well, just now it seems to be fairly "normal" round here.  We still miss our dear old puss-cat and the house seems quiet and a bit empty without him.  But we're getting on with our lives - you have to really.

* * *

I'm busy helping my mum, as usual, but she is coping a bit better now, which is a relief to both of us.  She's sorted out some problems she was having with the carers who come in on the three days that I don't go to make her lunch & tea - and she is a lot happier with the new arrangement, which starts at the beginning of February.  I will still be going over as usual, but a lady my mum has known for years is taking on the other days, but hopefully there will be less problems with the timekeeping and arrangements for the other days (phew!).

* * *

Last Tuesday I went to Milton Keynes, to visit an old friend, M, who I hadn't seen for quite a long time.  We had lunch and a great chat, during which I told her about James' music lessons at school.  He has been learning the classical guitar for about seven years, but recently the school have sponsored him to have lessons on the double bass. 

He started towards the end of last term and has had about five or six lessons now.  Because he has learned the guitar, which is tuned in the same way, he has picked up the bass very quickly and is already playing pieces that would be graded at Grade 4 or 5. 

He's very enthusiastic and we had been thinking that we might have to rent a double bass at some point, as he was finding it difficult to get the use of the practice room at school - there is only one practice room that contains a double bass and it's not quite small enough to take backwards & forwards on the schoool bus! 

So, I mentioned the double bass lesson arrangement and how keen James has been.  M's reply was "Would he like a double bass?".  Her son, B. is a musician and had played both guitar, bass guitar and also the double bass, for a while, but apparently the instrument had been sitting in the spare bedroom for about four years, unused.  She said she was a bit tired of dusting it and would I like to take it home!

I came home with a 3/4 sized double bass in my car (it did fit - just - good thing it wasn't a full-sized one!).  It's on long-term loan, for as long as James wants to use it.  I am just so thrilled for him - how generous!

Now it lives in the corner of the dining room and is used every day!

 

I need to find someone who can give it a bit of an overhaul and also check over the two bows we were given with it; one of those is in a rather sad state - it needs to be restrung - but the other seems okay and is quite a good one.  James is over the moon and can hardly resist playing it at all hours of the day and night.  I have had to threaten that I'll take it back, if he won't stop fiddling with it when he should be doing homework!

 

* * *

I've been finding some time to work on various bookbinding projects.  I have three commission books to work on, which are all at the planning or quote stage, but it looks as if I'll get those done in plenty of time. 

 

I've been able to make a few smaller items and start on a project that I have thought about for a while.

 

 

I've made some more leather books. These are pocket-sized journals with a longstitch binding.

 

 

And a cream leather book, with covers lined in a beautiful piece of soft, fine, gold-marbled red paper (which was actually given to me by a fellow blogger at the Bloggers' Weekend, in November 2011 - I saved it until I found a special project for it!). 

This is big enough to be a guest book, or a sketchbook, as well as a special large-sized journal. I gave it a longstitch binding in deep red waxed linen, to go with the red lining of the covers. 

 

And this is the start of the Project:

 

 

These are Guest Book Covers, in grey linen. 

They have a hinged section, for a side-binding (like stab-stitch, screw-posts or perhaps a ribbon-tied binding) 

 

The covers are lined with plain, soft white art paper (the paper behind this cover is ready-cut sheets of cream text paper, which could be bound into this album.

The idea is that I can sell a customised book, without having to do all the work completely from scratch.  If it is already established that the covers are a particular size and are grey linen, also that they are pre-made, this takes away a significant chunk of the preliminary planning for me and also means I save time on making up the covers.

 

I will offer the customer the choice of coloured silk edging for the covers - like in the photos above.  They can choose pretty much any colour they want, as I have a very wide stock of silk pieces (52 individual colours/shades just now!). 

 

They can choose the type and colour of paper inside - either 30 pages of white or cream text paper, or 20 pages of stiff card for a photo album.

 

The covers can be lined with coloured art paper, to fit with the customer's colour scheme.

 

And the binding style can also be chosen, to be one of the styles shown - a Screw-Post binding, Ribbon-tied binding, or a Japanese-style Stab-Stitch binding. 

 

I have listed this pair of covers in my Etsy & Folksy shops.  So far I have had one enquiry, though the customer asked if she could please have the album shown in the bottom left corner of the last photo (above), only in blue rather than purple (!).  I think she kind-of missed the point...  I clarified the listing with a note, to make sure it was really clear what was on offer.  

 

Better luck should follow, I hope!  We will see...  I hope to make a few more pairs of ready-to-customise covers in the next few weeks.  I'm really hoping this will work out well, as I don't have time to make custom orders completely from scratch just now.  This seems like a good compromise. 

 

* * *

Finally...

 

A Sketchbook, made with a sheet of gorgeous handmade paper, in a soft mauvey colour.  It has a deep red-purple suede quarter binding on the covers and a traditional Case style binding.  

The cover lining / flysheet are also in the same handmade paper.   

The book is bound with deep red-purple hemp cord.

This is a gift for a lovely friend.  The label will have her name stamped on it in matching mauve ink. 

It's going in tomorrow's post!

 

And that's about it for now - my "Normal Life".

 

Off to make my mum's tea for her now... bye all!

A Very Fine Cat Indeed

This is a sad post, but I want to write it anyway.

 

Today our dear, beloved cat Sherlock fell peacefully asleep, after struggling with health problems for some weeks.

We will miss him sorely.  He was beautiful, gentle, soppy, sweet, friendly, curious, happy, demanding, grateful, good company, soft, fluffy, cuddly, funny, sometimes grumpy or sulky, always a real Cat.  He was our pet, our friend.  He was a paid-up member of our Family and we all loved him very much.

Sherlock had been receiving treatment from the vet for kidney problems, for a couple of years.  He also had high blood pressure, so there were tablets for this.  Recently he began to have daily painkillers to help him with arthritic pain in his back legs.  But otherwise, once the medicines were working effectively, Sherlock was a healthy, happy, normal cat of 15 years old. 

However, in October we noticed that he had started to chew at his tongue and/or stick it out sometimes, as if there was something bothering him.  When this didn't improve, I mentioned it to the vet at his routine blood test appointment.  She said that perhaps he had a small ulcer on his tongue and we should keep an eye on him, but return to the vets' if it didn't improve after a few weeks.  He also seemed to have conjunctivitis, as his right eye was watery and sticky, so she gave us drops for this.

The tongue chewing never really stopped, but it did improve, so that he did this quite rarely.  The eye problem cleared up at first, but then seemed to come back again.  I used the remainder of the eye drops, which did help.  However, Sherlock then began to sneeze, sniff, lick his nose, groom his face and the eye flared up again, becoming runny and sore-looking.  So we went back to the vets' in mid-December.  The vet thought he might have cat flu, but was a bit concerned because the side of his face seemed to be swollen, although it was not painful. She gave him an injection of long-acting antibiotics, more eye drops and said that if he didn't improve, we should bring him back again.

Over Christmas, Sherlock seemed happy enough, though not too keen on a lot of company at once.  He hid himself upstairs when all the family were here - but that wasn't too unusual, since he often did this when the small children were around (he was never fond of babies).  He was eating well, playing his "morning game" (James giving him his meds, by rolling the tablets along the floor for him to chase and eat), exploring outside, drinking water - generally being "Sherlock", except that he was perhaps a bit more sleepy than usual. 

But his face didn't improve. His eye didn't get better.  If anything, the swelling was a bit bigger.  Perhaps he had an abcess in his mouth or sinuses?  We made another vet appointment after Christmas, to see the "eye expert" at the vets', who knows the most about eyes, faces etc.   He had as good a look at Sherlock as he could, considering that Sherlock - our gentle, soft, silly old cat - was swearing and hissing at him before his carry-box was even placed on the examining table, for us to open it.   It was agreed that, although the facial swelling didn't seem to hurt, it did need examination under anaesthetic.

Last Wednesday evening we dropped off Sherlock for an overnight stay in the vetinary hospital.  He was given extra fluids, to support his kidneys (as happened when he had his teeth done in March), then on Thursday he was sedated and examined. 

The vet called me, while Sherlock was under the anaesthetic, to say that it was a tumour.  The tumour was in the side of his face, had grown behind his eye - which was causing the eye problems.  It was also growing into the roof of his mouth.  It was inoperable and Sherlock would die from it sooner, or later. 

The decision was to bring him round and take him home to be nursed.  He hadn't been showing symptoms of pain or unhappiness before the vets' visit, so I thought it best to give him the chance to live as long as he could; so long as he was able to still enjoy a good enough quality of life to make being with us worthwhile.  We all discussed it and felt that, as long as Sherlock was not in pain, unhappy, suffering, we would care for him and nurse him. 

That was last Thursday.  He came home, seemed glad to be here and pottered about for a couple of days.  However, he didn't seem to want to eat very much and didn't really bounce back from the anaesthetic (the vet said today, that he would have felt so much better in March, after painful teeth had been removed, that he picked up quickly and ate well because it no longer hurt; this time eating wasn't so attractive, he felt tired and unwell, so he didn't recover well). 

By Saturday Sherlock was rather subdued.  He started spending more time sleeping and less time in our company.  He was less keen to go out.  On Saturday he ate almost nothing, except a little tuna and drank very little, except for his morning "shower" - where he would drink the water from the shower tray - and some spring water from the tuna can. 

On Sunday he was more subdued still and in the evening it became obvious he was suffering from serious constipation and pain in his abdomen, pacing around, crying etc.  We did what we could to make him comfortable.  Eventually he settled down to sleep and we left him in peace for the night.

This morning, Davey was up at 5am, for a business trip.  He messaged me to say that Sherlock had not stirred from his bed - which he would normally do, so he could sit next to Dave while he drank his morning coffee.   When I went down, he was still on his bed and didn't want to get up. 

I warmed some skimmed milk and syringe-fed it to him.  After that, he got up and stretched, took a bit of a walk around, had a short trip out the back door, then drank some tuna-water, before returning to his bed.  He was obviously ill and very dehydrated.  I rang the vet as soon as they opened for the day, then took him down to see the same vet as last week.

I had hoped that they could help him; that the constipation could be solved with a tablet or injection and that they could perhaps put him back on a drip for a day or so.  I hoped to bring him home and keep him well cared for, while he recuperated.  After all, he was fairly chipper when he went to the vet last week, so he could probably pick up okay and be with us for a while yet.

The vet was very kind, but explained that Sherlock's kidneys were failing.  He would be feeling horribly ill - which was borne out by him growling and moaning if we touched him too much.  In order to sort him out, they would have to give him more anaesthetic, which would kill him, as his kidneys couldn't take it.

I had to make the heart-breaking decision to let him be put to sleep this morning.  We decided on an injection, rather than using a catheter in his arm, as that would be distressing and undignified for him.  It would take longer, but I wanted him to die with dignity intact, with someone who loved him close by, to stroke him, talk to him, tell him how much he was loved, what a special and wonderful cat he was, how we would miss him. 

So that is what happened.  He had an injection and drifted into a gradually deepening sleep.  I stayed with him until he was gone, then covered him with his soft blanket and left the vets by the back door.  They were so kind; the bill will be sent on later, they will arrange a cremation and we will receive his ashes, so we can scatter them in his favourite part of the garden.

 

I miss him already.  At lunch time I looked for him, to give him his food - no Sherlock.  When I sat down to work, I looked to see if he was in his favourite spot on the back of the sofa - no Sherlock.
Those who've lost a person or pet who they loved, will know what I mean (Sherlock was a Person to us, not "just a cat").  There's a hole in the family now. 

The comforting thing is that we have lovely memories, photos and stories about Sherlock, that we can look at, read, talk about.  He'll never be forgotten and I hope that he'll be glad to see us again some day.

* * *

In Memory of Sherlock Gillum

 

who peacefully fell asleep

10am, Monday 7th January 2013,

aged almost 16 years

 

Much loved, much missed.

 

"A Very Fine Cat Indeed"

 

* * *

Thoughts from the Washing Line: Now it is September...

[Source] - Don't you wish this was your back garden?

 

 

Well, today is September 6th, but it kind of feels like the 1st - because it is today that James returned to school.

He is in Year 10 this year, starting his GCSE Courses (well, in fact he started many of them last year and has already done some of the assessments for Science). 

This morning he set off for his bus, looking very smart in his black trousers, blazer and new shoes (from the men's department!).  He had his schoolbag on his shoulder, sports kit on his back, sports shoes in a boot bag, sketch book under his arm.

I will admit to a few tearful moments, after he had kissed me goodbye and strolled off along the road, to meet his friends... Sniff... He is growing up so fast...

James, with his cousin...

So, where did the Summer go? 
As always, it seems to have whizzed by in a whirl - in fact, more so than ever before.  I am so conscious that my little boy is no longer little and will soon be busy with his own things - he won't want my company or attention any more - in fact, he often doesn't now. 

The summer was so busy, I feel I saw so little of him, which makes me a bit sad.  At least, this past couple of weeks, we have managed some enjoyable time together, going out and doing things that interest us both.  And there were a few nice days, dotted about, between the chaos that has been my life this summer.  I hope that James feels he had enough of my time, that I was there if he needed me; but I must admit that I feel I wasn't always...

I am sure that many (most?) mothers have the same problems, balancing "life" and "family".  In theory, I have plenty of spare time, to spend with James. 
In practice, it doesn't work out like that.  I have spent a great deal of time at my mum's, helping her with her own needs - sometimes with James, but often without.  There's also my business to run - I had a lot of commission orders this June and July, which spilled over a bit into August, plus a teaching commitment. And somewhere in between, there is a home to run...

She was not very well at the beginning of the school holidays - she picked up a cold (the one that James kindly shared, after picking up "foreign germs" on a weekend trip to Essex!) - which settled into a chest infection, needing antibiotics. 
We spent a fair bit of time traipsing back and forth to the doctors, getting a wound on her leg dressed, seeing about the chest infection etc.  And in between all that, I was busy writing the course notes for a one week bookbinding workshop in August...

Then we had a week at the seaside, with my niece, her husband and babies and my nephew.  It was a good week - very busy and lively, good fun. 

Poor James spent the last day in bed ill - we think he had food poisoning.  He was a lot better by the middle of the morning, so he and I had a nice, relaxed day at the cottage, chatting, playing computer games, reading etc.  Just as well, since it was chaos on our return home.

James, on his mattress in our bedroom. He's on the mend, but trying to "look ill" for the camera!

We got home at 5pm on the Saturday. At 5:15pm, the phone rang. It was my mum's friend, telling me that she had been taken to hospital that afternoon, with a suspected stroke.
The following week was another whirl.  Running back and forth between home, my mum's house, the hospital, making phone calls, running errands, doing laundry (being in hospital generates loads of washing!), organising things, looking after the cat... Preparing the materials for each day's tuition of the Workshop, in between all the chaos.

My mother was told she'd spend another week in hospital, as it had been a minor stroke, so we made plans accordingly.  Someone to feed the cat, friends to visit her in hospital, my sister to come on her day off, all laundry up to date and clean clothes ready for the week...  Then, quite unexpectedly, the consultant announced, on the Friday morning, that she could go home.  So I brought her home and spent the weekend looking after her, packing my course into boxes, running about...

On the Saturday, we ended up back at the hospital, seeing the out-of-hours doctor service; mum had told the hospital staff that she had cystitis - they even agreed that she had an infection, yet she was discharged from hospital, with an infection and no treatment for it. She hardly slept on the Friday night and was in great pain! Not impressed with the hospital! Luckily, a nurse from her own doctors' surgery was on duty - someone who knows her well - so she was able to give her a prescription for appropriate tablets.

The workshop week was busy and fun, but exhausting.  The children were great, I had a really wonderful student to help me, everyone enjoyed themselves.  I had no time to do much else that week, other than urgent jobs. Luckily, Dave was off work for the week, so he and James did stuff together and looked after the housekeeping side of life too. 

Some of my students, with their work (I hope to post about the workshop week very soon)

I could not be a full time teacher - never in a million years.  The more teaching I do, the more I admire those who do this for a career. It truly is a vocation and teachers absolutely do not deserve the rude, unappreciative treatment they often get and the poor pay, relative to the hard work and necessary knowledge and skill of their job. By the end of that week, I was absolutely flat out exhausted.  Just a week...

The week after the workshop was a blur too... I had an urgent commission item, that had to be despatched by the end of that week.  Busy, busy... It went in the post on Friday morning!  And, of course, there was my mum to look after as well. 

Aaaaand breathe....  That was four weeks of total whirlwind...

The past two-and-a-half weeks have been slightly less busy.  James and I have been out a few times - we had a lovely day in Cambridge, visiting the Sedgewick Museum, to view their collection of minerology, having nice food, wandering about looking at things... 
We also went into Bedford on day, ate lunch at Nando's, then had a good long walk along the riverside, chatting and relaxing together. 

Yesterday I took James and a friend to Milton Keynes.  We ate breakfast at Frankie and Benny's (teenaged boys are always ready for breakfast!).  The intention was to go bowling. I did my research and located the bowling alley, at the "Xscape" centre.. which turned out to be closed (building work, maybe refurbishment... don't know...).  There is another bowling alley, near the rail station, so we went there.  It was closed...  So, we came home and the boys had fun setting up a new game on their computers and competing to see who did the best at it.  Not quite what was intended, but they had a good time! 

And today, they are back at school. The familiar morning routine... and I am sitting on my bed, with my laptop, writing a blog post, planning my day - which will be busy as always, taking stock...

During all the chaos, with Dave's encouragement, I found a nice lady to help with my cleaning jobs.  It was just one thing too much and I was getting so discouraged, to see our dirty and untidy house.  At least now, once a week, Jan comes in and gives some of it a good scrub and tidy up!  One less weight on my shoulders - well worth the extra expense, I think.  So, she will be here at 1pm today, to restore order in my kitchen and bathrooms...


It is now September. The summer is over, though the weather is still lovely and warm.  I have closed my custom order book, for the foreseeable future, with only a couple of items still to make.  I've been working on some things I wanted to make, experimenting with a new project, trying to relax and unwind a bit... 

So, I'll finish this rather waffly diary-post, with a little photo gallery, of my most recent work:

Golden yellow, "Emily Bowyer" Liberty Print Guest book, with silk edge trim.

Coptic style binding, in matching linen thread.

"Strawberry Thief" Liberty print Guest Book, with shot silk edge trim. 

Japanese style stab stitch binding in deep maroon linen thread.

The covers and pages for both these books, were all cut out and waiting to be assembled.  I just had no time, but last week, I got on with them and listed them for sale in my shop!

"The Lake" and "The Forest"

Two felt-covered journals. They are decorated with fabric and leather pieces, hand embroidery, buttons and semi-precious stones.

 

 
The books have hand-applied embellishments, button fastenings and embroidery. They are lined with suede leather, rather luxurious!
They have hand made paper inside, with natural deckle edges.

 

They have a Longstitch binding, with bead decorations.

 

Silver button, semi-precious stones, leather and silk, decorative embroidery...

* * *

Meanwhile, it's time to log off my computer and go to see how my mum is. I made her some lamb stew yesterday, which we will freeze in single-meal batches, along with the beef and chicken that we did last week. She has less to do then, to make herself a nice lunch. Just heating it up in the microwave, then finding something nice for her dessert. One less weight on her shoulders too... Still, there is always plenty for me to do, so it's time I went to do it!