And relax!

What a busy time I have had this past week or two, I feel like I haven't had time to just sit down and breathe.Of course just under two weeks ago I was at Wembley for the Play Off  match, that was a loooong day. Normally those kind of days require a few days rest and relaxation afterwards but my friend was visiting for a weeks holiday on the Monday which required much sightseeing and entertainment. I had to get up fairly early Monday to meet him and go to where he was staying (not too far from mine luckily) but I got home in time to post a blog.. then it was nonstop. Tuesday we went to the zoo, we spent most of the day there and I pretty much walked my legs off. I made the mistake of going in a barn with furry things and hay....and my allergies went 'pop' I had streaming eyes and a runny nose.. ugh! But it was a great day and I did a lot of Awww ing at the animals. There was an embarrassing incident, we were in the gorilla house talking about what we would do if any escaped and I had just turned a corner when I nearly walked into a lifelike statue of one.. the echo of my squeak can still be heard I reckon. Here are some photos from the day.

We had a great day.

Wednesday I woke up feeling rubbish, I was full of a Summer cold. This is where my new peg came in really handy, I didn't have any appetite and my throat felt like it was on fire but I still manages to 'eat' and keep my strength up, I seem to have gotten over this cold in record time (not that I want to jinx it!) and am feeling much better.

Sunday was spent on the beach and in the arcades doing touristy things, I should have more sense but I lost a pound or two (actually I would say it was no more than £5- I'm not completely daft!) in the machines. Still, it was fun and a very rare treat. The heat really got to me though,  and by the time I got home I was exhausted, the cold wasn't helping at all and my lungs felt like they had very painful bricks in them. I really, really needed a lie in on Monday but I had to be at the doctors in the morning. I also had to meet my friend who had to leave where he was staying early.

I finally got a breather on Tuesday which was much needed as Wednesday I had to travel to Manchester for a check up. To my massive surprise, my lung function had improved since last time though I was a bit disappointed that my weight had stayed the same. But my dietician reassured me that it was a really good sign that I hadn't lost anything while I couldn't eat properly the previous week. I also had my insulin changed as my blood sugars have been going a bit crazy when I feed, fingers crossed it will work and they will come down. My kidneys are also playing up a bit which is playing on my mind but I'm really lucky going to the unit I do, the staff are ace and I'm sure they will work out how best to sort me out.

Well that brings me near enough up to date, I have a busy weekend planned ( a mates birthday) so tomorrow will be spent being lazy and sorting out my craft stash. I need to resist the urge to buy more stuff until I know what I need!

LH
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Wembley 2012

Well my trip to Wembley was a mixed bag of emotions.
I had to get up at 4.45 to be able to get all my meds done( Even getting up at that crazy hour I still didn't have time to get all of my nebs) so I would be ready to get a lift at 6.15 to be dropped off at Bloomfield Road and to be on the coach for 7. 7 am! In the morning!
I was sat with a decent few people and the journey, though way, way too long, wasn't so bad.
We got there at 12.30 ish and things seemed to me a bit... off. Last time we got to Wembley there was an almost carnival atmosphere, this time it seemed subdued. You know when you are in a pub and you just get a feeling trouble is going to start? Well it felt a bit like that.
We got into the stadium at 1.30 ish and slowly the place started to fill up, the West Ham side filling up faster. I knew we hadn't sold all our tickets which was disappointing and then I noticed a few people sat about three rows in front (with a kid with them) not wearing tangerine. They looked out of place, obviously there isn't a law saying you have to wear club colours, but to have a few together and not even the kid getting into the spirit of the day seemed odd. They were West Ham fans sitting in our part of the ground.. this wasn't going to end well.
Kick off came and West Ham scored.. and then it kicked off. A scuffle broke out a few rows to the right, there were other West Ham fans scattered around our part of the ground and when they scored they celebrated. It wasn't nice seeing people fight and it made me angry when a little kid in front of me looked terrified by it, on a day that should have been fun it was probably ruined by a bunch of idiot people (and I'm including the Blackpool fans that reacted to them). Even though the West Ham fans with the kid didn't cause any trouble it made me think how stupid they were, how utterly pathetic that they would risk bringing a child into a situation that could turn really bad, very quickly. In the end the stewards ejected a load of people that shouldn't have been there.
But ...
Football is such an awesome game, it can make your heart race (we equalised) and it can break your heart (they won) but once football gets under your skin there isn't much you can do.It is passionate and it can give you a sense of being part of something. In a space of 90 minutes you can feel all sorts of emotions, you can be low then so high. So it shouldn't be spoiled by muppets that have no sense. We played well, and did our best.
Next season will be ours.

LH
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Inclusions

It's Handmade Monday , and this time from it's new home at Handmade Harbour where I'am sure it will be a great success.

I've been having a play and experiment with both glass and felt this week (hows that for different materials?!) The first thing I made was a coaster for my dad. I had been itching to try wet felting and finally got round to it on a rainy afternoon. My first go was a bit of a disaster, the piece of felt I made was very thin and holey and reminded me of a dishcloth. My second go was a bit better, it was thin in places but not see through at least! From this I cut a circle and needle felted some extra bits onto it to give it a bit of extra thickness, this is the pic before I needle felted the extra bits, I would have a pic of the finished one but my dad has his cup on it :)

My second experiment involved trapping foil between two pieces of glass. I had been reading a glass making book and when I got to the chapter on metal inclusions I thought 'ooo I'll give that a try' I took some kitchen aluminium foil and, using a heart shaped paper punch, made some small foil hearts. I was left with a strip with the heart holes in and decided to use this too. I added some pink glass confetti to add a bit of colour and into the kiln it went.
Next morning, when I took a look, I was both pleased and disappointed with how it turned out. Disappointed because the strip of metal foil is still poking out of the glass, a daft mistake I should have avoided (but that's how I learn I'm going to tell myself!) and the confetti isn't very bright. But pleased because it worked! I wasn't sure the hearts would keep their shape, The are really small and I thought that they would end up like a weird blob.I also love how they have changed colour and some of them seem to have little bubbles all over them... I think this is an experiment I will be repeating!

I hope everyone has had a great weekend.

LH
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Wembley!

I'm off to Wembley! Yep, this time next week I will be on my way home from London, either with a smile on my face and Blackpool FC back in the Premiership or I'll be trying to sleep because I don't want to think of defeat and  I'll be shattered after the ridiculously early start (the coach leaves at 7am and I'll have to get up an hour or two before that to get physio, nebs and breakfast done)

I'm having a very lazy week to stock up on energy for it, apart from a trip to Manchester on Wednesday for a check up, I have nothing planned at all. It doesn't mean I wont be doing anything (I'm not that lazy!) I'll be doing some beading and crocheting and maybe some glass work, but I won't be overdoing it (I'll be keeping away from the pub at any rate :) )

Talking of the pub, last Tuesday me and the folks, my friend and her mum and another mate went to a pub quiz. It was ace even if we didn't win, the questions were so hard and all car themed.. ugh! Still it was great to do something different like sitting in a pub and trying to use my brain for once and we didn't come last (more luck than skill I think)

Come on you 'Pool!

LH
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New

I'm home! Well, I have been home since Tuesday afternoon and have been slowly getting back into a normal routine. Me and the Pegster (I need to find a name) are getting to know each other, learning what we both do and don't like.He/she/It doesn't like to be unexpectedly pulled or poked and I don't like having to look after his/her/its cleaning everyday. Still, we both love getting the extra calories before I go to bed (I'm up to 1250ml at 250ml/hr which gives me an extra 1875 calories every time I use it) I also like the extra water I can have everyday, I don't drink enough by far so the odd syringe full here and there is a great way of upping my intake.
I'm still in a fair bit of pain, especially when I cough but it's nothing I can't handle. I'm also so, so tired. I guess I'm not sleeping properly as I much be subconsciously aware that I have something different stuck in me! I'll get there though, it's just taking a little time.

Today has been the first day in over two weeks that I haven't had an afternoon nap, I have made the most of it and have been catching up with blogs and some clothes putting away (honestly, you should have seen the size of the pile I had to put away when I got home!)

Just a very quick update tonight, I'm listening to the Blackpool v Birmingham match and thinking tangerine thoughts.

LH
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