Monday 29 September 2008

Paying the price!

For both me and Alfie Bear!

Alfie first, oh boy he really did it this time, yesterday afternoon he started being sick really really sick and looked awful, we just couldn't figure it out until Eric noticed a small paint brush he had been using to waterproof his boots was laying in the middle of the grass along with an empty bowl of boot treatment. Yup that's right Alfie had licked the small amount of lanolin in the bowl. We rang the emergency vets and luckily it was Dawn's daughter Tanya who is head vet nurse on the phone. Tanya said as the bottle didn't say toxic on it all they would do it give Alfie something to make me sick which as he had managed that bit by himself not to worry about rushing him down. But boy was he a sorry looking puppy for a couple of hours. Course by the evening he was completely back to normal but a huge wake up call to Eric and me to make sure we don't leave things laying around that he shouldn't have. Lurcher puppies should definitely come with a health warning and a handbook!

Me next!

Saturday I decided I would go for a walk crutch free, which was not to bad but then had Vikki and Ben round so lots more walking about followed by a trip to the range on Sunday left me in agony by last night. Think someone very slightly over did it and I had a foul night, couldn't sleep with the pain and feel like death warmed up today. Might take it a tad easier today LOL... but it was great to go out and I managed to spend £41 on not a lot LOL.

Friday 26 September 2008

Scrapping with Dawn

Thursday is always the day Dawn and I get together and scrap, we both look forward to just chilling out and doing what we love, yapping and scrapping LOL. What with my op and Dawn jetting off to sun herself in Spain there's not been many Thursday lately but yesterday we got back into the groove and had a fab day. Sun was shining so we had the french doors open so the dogs could do some sunbathing but be close enough to keep an eye on us! well you just never know what a wet snotty nose in needed to enhance your layout do you LOL.

This layout was going to be for the weekly UKS challenge which was to use scraps up plus include hearts and do some stamping but I forgot the photo was to be of someone in bed or sleeping d'oh. Anyway I stamped the frame using my new rock a blocks and cut out loads of hearts from a piece of paper I had left over. When I finish it I wasn't happy with it as the frame is to high, the photo to low and the hearts could have done with being slightly higher, so this morning I got up and just tweaked a few things and it looks a bit more balanced now but still a tad disappointed with it.




Wednesday Vikki and Ben came over and I had Ben all on my own for a while so Vikki could have some time off LOL, we had a great time and Ben helped me make lunch but Alfie Bear was very very bad and pinched a sandwich of the table, Vikki's fault really, as she left it right on the edge which is just asking for trouble when a young growing boy happened to walk by LOL.

Ben has requested another picnic in the garden this weekend, he had such a great time last Sunday washing the cars then his own car, helping Grandad put in a new window in the garage and then going to the park and wants a repeat performance, so finger crossed the weather holds. But if Vikki turns the hose on me again there will be BIG TROUBLE she soaked me and then blamed it on Ben LOL...

Tuesday 23 September 2008

Knee update

So today was the day I went back to the hospital to see the consultant after my knee op 8 weeks ago tomorrow. We actually didn’t get to see Miss Marx (who is just the best) but her Registrar (a very very nice man). He was very pleased with my progress and said I can ditch the crutch and just use it when the knee becomes achy usually towards the end of the day. Apparently the internal stitches take 3 to 6 months to dissolve which explains the tight feeling I still have! Also the tingly numb feeling over the kneecap is because the nerve is cut through, something they always forget to patients LOL. He said it was very unlikely the Bakers cyst would come back so that was great news. I explained I was concerned that I can’t straighten the leg no matter how hard I try and he again explained that because I had walked for so long with the leg bent the hamstring had become very tight but should be back to normal in a YEAR! So back again in 4 months when they’ll then x-ray the knee. All in all I was really pleased with how it went.

Alfie has had his finally jabs yay!!! This morning Eric took a video of him running off lead over the playing field to show me (still can’t manage to go out walking with them YET) honest to god it brings tears to your eyes to see him running free and frolicking around, what a difference 8 weeks has made to him. And even more good news we were out at the hospital for several hours and came home to NO damage! We had given him a Kong and a hide chew to amuse himself but still came home in trepidation as to what we would find (as past experience has taught us what he can do with a road atlas) but he was a little star! 6 days of reduced eye drops and no sign of inflammation, FINGERS CROSSED!!!!!

Sandy woo has been back to the vets and has yet more antibiotics for her ongoing tooth infection, if this lot don’t work it will be yet another tooth to come out.

Still feeling out of sorts, kind of tired and achy, so perhaps it wasn't over doing it at crop but just a bug!

Sunday 21 September 2008

Otley crop

Yesterday I went back to papermaze crop for the first time in 3 months, had to go on my own as Dawn is still off sunning herself. It was lovely to catch up with all the girls, so lots of chatting and eating cake but I did manage to finish this LO that I had started during the week, still using the papers from Ang's class kit (what fab value that's turned out to be)

Papers are from Dream Street "Fun and Games". The frame for the photo I made on the craft robo and took me ages to figure out what I wanted to do then even longer to put it into practice LOL but I'm really pleased with the result. The stamping around the edges was a bit hit and miss but looks ok and the letter that I also cut out on the CR then embossed with UTEE and raised up on foam pads look really good.




Quite a few people came up to me to ask about Alfie Bear, boy was I surprised that anyone even reads my blog and I was so touched that people have been following his story. Alfie Bear was very very pleased to see me when I got home and we spent the evening curled up on the sofa together, I was totally shattered. Today I'm really suffering with sore hands from the driving and my right knee is playing up not sure if that is from the driving or if it's starting to protesting about taking the weight from my operated leg for so long.

Had a lovely day with Vikki and Ben today and have taken loads of photo's but they'll have to stay on the camera until tomorrow as I need to feed the hounds and crash LOL.

Friday 19 September 2008

Alfie Bear and the Eye specalist

Alfie Bear has been to see the eye specialist and the news is cautionary optimistic,
like us she thinks Alfie has been hit over the head which resulted in the two massive holes and probably a skull fracture. His skull is now deformed and there is definitely no sight in the eye as we thought but the good news is there is no inflammation, so we are to reduce the eye drops to one a day and go back in 6 weeks, if there is still no inflammation then we will further reduce to every other day and hope to wean him off them altogether in 3 months.

The eye specialist is keen to leave the eye in if possible as it offers him another sensory aspect in as much as he can feel movement on the eye and may have light and dark awareness.

I feel like the last pieces of the puzzle of what happened to little Alfie have fallen into place and it breaks my heart to think what such a young dog has had to survive and yet he is an absolute joy to have as part of our pack. On a lighter note he can run like the wind and manages to stay up with Sandy, Jim and Lucky when they're having an off lead run and he has certainly brought the cuddle factor to our pack!



Finished this layout off during the week, using some more papers from the class kit Ang put together for the Bramford crop. Photo's are of Ben finally getting to feed the ducks outside Asda after I eventually managed to remember the bread and the CAMERA LOL.

Wednesday 17 September 2008

New hair do

Vikki had some Blondie highlights put in her hair Monday and just how pretty does she look. AND she lost 4 pounds this week WTG Vikki, new hair, new beginnings new you!!!



Finished this layout of Ben feeding the ducks outside Asda, using the papers from Ang's crop kit and a few bits from my stash.

Monday 15 September 2008

A good weekend!

On Saturday Dawn drove me over to visit Vikki's new flat for the first time, as I haven't been up to attempting the 27 steps but Saturday I successfully climbed them and was able to finally see Vikki and Ben's new home. We had a lovely lunch then drove to Needham to bring some very busy eyebrows back under control LOL.

Sunday Mum decided to hold a mini crop with my sister, cousin and her Mum all going. I decided I was up to driving over myself and off I went. The drive really made me knee ache but it was good to be out solo for the first time in at least 3 months. Had a really relaxing day and finished one layout I had started Friday and have almost finished another.

Came home and watched the moto gp so a good weekend.

This Lo was for the weekly UKS challenge

Use their sketch
Use black & White
Use 9 embellishments
and do some stamping.

I stamped white ink onto black c/s but was not really happy with the stamping or the whole layout for that matter, just didn't turn out as I'd hoped..



I like this one better that I finished yesterday but feel my work is becoming a bit to much the same so need to try and break out.




Alfie Bear is off to see the eye specialist in Bury St Edmunds on Thursday so fingers crossed for some positive news.

Tuesday 9 September 2008

woohooo

Alfie Bear has gained 4 kilo's maybe another 4 to go!

Alfie had his stitches out last night and the first part of his vaccinations, we also have booked an eye appt to see the eye specialist next week in Bury. But all in all he is doing fantastic! vets were very pleased with his progress. Now if someone could just tell us how to stop him chewing everything that would be good. Last week's casualties were, Eric's shorts, my spec, a road atlas, a book, the usual coaster and countless tissues....

Here he is lining up for a treat this morning.

Sunday 7 September 2008

I went to crop

Yesterday I finally got to go out somewhere other than hospital related appointments woohooo!

I went to the Bramford crop run by Janina (Hot Potato) and Angela Coote (ang) provided us with a fantastic class kit (her first), I have to say it was one of the best I've ever had and did this layout. Photo is of Marc celebrating his 30th in July. Although I'm not sure Marc would say celebrating was the right word.



The papers are from Dream Street and there is enough left to make at least another two layouts. I had the best day and it was so good to be out doing something "normal" LOL

Also finished this LO off for the UKS weekly challenge

Use a Bee Gees song title for your title "I don't think it's funny"
Use ribbon
Use the colour red
Use Buttons
Use bling

and this is what I came up with, the photo is of Ben and Lucky.



Both layouts are better in real life but the light is so bad here this morning, yup still raining!

Alfie Bear is off to the vets tomorrow to have the stitches removed and start his vaccinations as we have no way of knowing whether he has had them or not.

Talking of Alfie Bear I have discovered the difference between greyhounds and lurchers. Greyhounds like to spend most of the day laying around snoozing. Lurchers don't especially lurcher puppies. Alfie has so far this week destroyed a pair of my glasses, chewed a hole in Eric's short, shredded a road atlas and a whole book plus continued his chewing of the wooden coaster. I think it's time to stop feeling sorry for him and start some basic training. He still looks woefully thin but is gaining muscle, if he ever kept still for 5 minutes he might gain some weight. This dog has way to much energy LOL...