New beginings.

Well I did it!

I had a baby!

She's absolutely gorgeous.

We're very proud. The general consensus is that she looks like her Daddy. She's certainly going to be tall and leggy, which I'm rather happy about.

Look at her feet, something so sweet about baby toes!

And baby ears.......

Also don't forget the  cutsey bits that come along with a baby girl.

The gorgeous little shoes and general pinkness that takes over your life!

Life will never be the same again, which is exactly how it should be.

My Frozen Garden.

We are fairly new to the house we live in. We moved here about eighteen months ago. It's been an action packed eighteen months, I haven't really had the time to really get to know the garden, despite being terribly excited about it when we first moved in.

But I have made up for that just now.

Archie has hit the garden like a bomb.  He is a natural digger and has made a wee bit of a mess. I'm waiting for his puppyness to retreat before I attempt to plant anymore flowers. I'm still smarting over the loss of my peony rose.

But with the macro lens attachment for my phone I have since discovered a whole new world in my garden.

Archie likes some company when he's wrecking the place so when it was frosty I explored with my camera and found that the frozen world is quite amazing.

Teeny tiny captures of my frosty garden. I was disappointed when it all thawed out. I'm very much looking forward to the next cold snap!

Blogging

I'm actually very relieved this little blog of mine doesn't have many, if any viewers. I used to blog prolifically on another much more private forum.

The words just used to pour out of me. I decided to start up another blog here as I really needed a fresh start. However as soon as I did that the words stopped pouring.

There were many reasons for that. Mainly that the big events in my life suddenly became something I wanted to keep incredibly private and those same events were all encompassing. I couldn't write enthusiastically about stuff publicly that I desperately wanted to keep private, and I couldn't think of anything else worth writing about.

I also started to explore photography via Instagram. That was a huge turning point for me. I found I thoroughly enjoyed that. It was something I found I loved learning about. It doesn't seem to expend so much of my energy. So I poured most of my creativity into that.

Energy is something I have to treasure and spend very wisely. I have a condition called Mastocytosis. I try and not go on about it, but it is a difficult condition to live with. It's a chronic illness affecting my mast cells and in turn affects every single system in my body. I'll do a post at some point explaining it.

The upshot is that although I love blogging, this one doesn't have the same flow as my old one. I'm sad about that. But I'm very happy that I'm blogging at my worst into an abyss. No one or very few people are reading this.

That could make me feel a wee bit pathetic or indeed, I could look on the positive side and see it as very freeing.

One of my New Resolutions is to try and be more creative in many ways.

I'm possibly doing the most basic and primitive creative things this year.

I'm having a baby. 

I haven't really mentioned that online as I have some family members whom I don't wish involved, I don't think they do either to be honest. (But I have a feeling they snoop.) That sounds so harsh, but honestly it's for the best. I just feel so protective over the life that growing and surviving inside me. I just want loving and positive thoughts heading towards the baby.

This isn't my first pregnancy, but as I put it, it's the one that has made it the furthest so far.  I have kept it extremely quiet as I can't quite believe that everything will be okay.  My masto can make life difficult and as I had to change my meds over the last few years as we were trying, my health hasn't been the best. Oddly this pregnancy has been smooth, but the masto side of it hasn't. So I battened down my emotional hatches and tried to do what I had to do to get through it all. On some days that felt like all I did was sleep!!

But as my time draws near I refuse to live under the worry I'm jinxing myself by mentioning it. I'm having a baby. It's really happening.

It's very scary to write this on such a potentially public forum. Which is why I'm glad I have so little traffic on this part of the blogging highway. Highway, Ha! it's more a farm track.

However I know that many bloggers have started because they became new mums and needed a grownup outlet. That and I'll like a wee record of this year. This year that, no matter what the outcome is, will be life changing.

I'll leave this here. This wasn't the post I intended to write but that's okay. I'll come back to that one later.

oh,

Happy New Year!!!

At Bloomin' last!!!

Finally I have finished this blanket. It's taken me nearly eighteen months which is just ridiculous.

I started it when we put in an offer for the house we are now living in, I just wanted to make something specially for it.

Autumn is a very special time for me, my birthday is in September and I tend to view Autumn as a time of new beginings, I make resolutions and such around about this time. Probably stems from the begining of school/college terms. They always seemed like a fresh start.

The colours of Autumn have a special place in my heart. I must admit I use them in my home decor quite often, I'm pretty certain all my flats etc have had an Autumnal coloured living room. It works all times of year, I can make it really cosy around Christmas and make it cooler in summer just by changing a few cushions and accessories.

 


I'm not a modern girl, really. I do like retro and comfy and above all, cosy.

So I'm now onto my next project. A little baby blanket. I've decided to use a Clamshell pattern from Cherry Heart. It's so pretty and just perfect. I've only got a few months to get it done, so can't afford to eek it out like I did my Autumnal blanket! 

Colour and Crochet

I love this time of year. I really do. And mainly it's because of the colour that seems to explode from nature.

I've been in heaven with my camera.

I seem to be obsessed with leaves and berries.

My garden is just full of colour. I feel like I'm seeing it for the first time this year. I must have missed it last year.

I'm still recovering from that 'lurgy'. It's been lingering for way too long, but I'm hoping I'm on the mend now.

The result of that is that I've not been particularily productive I'm still plodding along with my current WIP, my autumnal Granny Blanket.

 It's not a complicated pattern and I like the mindless repetition of it all.  I'm enjoying and plan to spend the afternoon indulging in some hooky goodness.

I really liked the photo with the pink flowers and have stored that away for a possible future project.

However I have had this particular stash of wool for a few months now.

 
I'm determined to finish the autumnal blanket first. But can't wait to play with all this wool!!

Hidden Treasures.

I think I mentioned before that I am getting quite obsessed about photography. In a strictly amateur way.  I stumbled on a group of photo's on IG of something called 'Macro Photography'. It wasn't something I was that aware of before, I mean I'd seen it before but didn't really take much notice. But these photo's realy struck me.

When I got my Lumix I played around with the Macro mode and was absolutely smitten. I loved seeing things, ordinary things, from a completely fresh perspective. It was like a whole other world.

But then my husband surprised me with a macro lens for my iPhone. He does love a gadget, even vicariously. It arrived yesterday.

I'm going to digress for a wee bit now. We are both still under the weather a bit..Will this cough EVER go away?

 I had a meeting in town and we met up for dinner, Pizza Express. I love going out for anything either drinkable or edible. I get it from my gran. She always went for a cup of tea every time she went shopping. A habit I continue to this day. I get a wee thrill, even if it's a McDonalds or a greasy spoon, I still love it. I'm a simple soul.  My husband knows me well and will indulge me. I honestly couldn't face cooking so Pizza Express it was.

So as soon as we got home I was presented with my new lens. Its a 'Ztylus, Revolver Lens Attachment'.  Very simple and easy to clink onto the phone. The initial instructions were great.

After that it got a bit hazy. As in there was no other information. But You tube is an amazing thing, we soon (Well, I say 'we', really it was Mr M) found a review and after that I was flying.

This lens is better than the macro setting on my camera, at least that's my first impression.

The first pic I took was of the arm of my chair. A rather tasteful, muted, closely woven tartan cover chair (ahem). This is what happened.

We both almost recoiled in shock.

But it was getting a bit too dark and we were both exhausted and a had some stuff to do around the house. So I put it away until today.

Another wee digression, Archie is still wearing his cone of shame so requires supervision in the garden. No walks until we've had the all clear from the vet. Luckily I have a rather large rambling garden. So he's never bored and can run around with me to his wee hearts content.  He uses his cone to scoop up gravel and all sorts of stuff. I had to kiss a clump of carnations goodbye yesterday as he managed to dig 'em up and chew on them in the blink of an eye!  I've taken to having my coffee sitting on the front steps, sometimes huddled under a brolly, watching him.

So I let him play about me as  I played with my camera. Which may have added to the general fuzziness of some of these photos, he likes being the center of my world, does Archie! He's in for a shock after Christmas.

I contented myself with trying to get photo's of dew drops on the leaves.  It's not as easy as you'd think, even though it's been made as simple as is possible. But because you are taking pics of such small things every movement you make is amplified on the camera. A bit like shaky binoculars. I was attempting to take freestyle pics of plants which were moving in the breeze.  So initially I was a bit frustrated. But I managed to take some passibly good photos.

When I looked at them on my computer I could see how out of focus they were or just focused incorrectly, But that's okay. I think I'm going to enjoy practising.


I then spotted my old mossy garden wall, so off I went to see what that looked like under the macrolens.

It's a whole other planet on there. I caught pics of things I couldn't see with the naked eye. Little heart shaped funghi, tiny clumps of moss. Amazing textures and colours.

This world we live in is really a wonderful and spectacular place.

The thing I've found though with photography and with Instagram, is that so many people do take it rather seriously. I'm very obviously an amateur, I'm not trying to convey a message, find myself, tell a story or indeed present myself in any particular way. There's nothing wrong with doing any of those things in fact I'm wondering if I should, more to the point I'm wondering if I want to do that. I don't think I do.

My IG gallery is a miscellaneous collection of selfies, pics of the cats and dog, a diary of what I've been up to, including the cliched food pics, and some arty experiments. But then, I think, if you look at my gallery you'd find out a lot about me as a person.



Although at the minute it'll be inundated with close up photo's of my garden!!










 

The House of the Dreaded Lurgy

Well perhaps I'm exaggerating. Just a tad.

A teeny tad.

It just feels like we are all sick.

The cats aren't though, which is a relief. After an initial morning inspection of us, they just slink away only to be seen again if they want fed. Probably very sensible of them.

It started with me, a a sneeze, a cough and a scratchy throat and then BOOM! I was floored by  a cold that quickly found its way to my chest and decided to coorie in and make itself at home there.

My immune system is weakened at the minute so I was laid particularly low by this and for various reasons I am having to rely on the most basic of remedies.

I felt very medieval.  I'm all for a natural approach but this felt extreme. A beechams powder is a miraculous thing..but I can't. But it is all for the best and I'm sure will be worth it.

I'm actually nose deep in a Vick inhaler as I type. Try not to dwell too much on that attractive image, eh?

Archie, our Scottie pup. Has had his own fair share of drama.

A fortnight ago I found a wee lump on his cheek. Being the vigilant and slightly ( read - very) overprotective dog mum I am, he was promptly whisked off to the vets. She made lots of reassuring noises, aspirated the lump and we were sent home with a weeks course of anti-biotics.

Then Archie started to sneeze and he got a doggy cold! Complete with a runny nose. So we had a Snotty Scottie!!

Back to the vets. I fully expect to be invited to their Christmas night out at this rate!

Told to keep taking the tablets and just monitor him. So we did.

He was miserable and did get much better but was frustrated as I kept him away from other dogs. He loves a good play does Archie!!

A week ago the results from his wee lump came back. They were weird results for a pup. Looks like he has lymphoid cells where he shouldn't. Very rare.  His lump was getting smaller, but the lab still recommended removal. Louise, our lovely Vet suggested we get him in for his castration and get the lump removed at the same time. We're trying not to worry too much about the results, as the worst case scenario is going to be heartbreaking.

But as anyone who knows me, knows I have a talent for worrying. A gift, if you will.

Upshot was that we booked him in two days later.

We swithered over the castration part. It seemed like kicking him while he was down, but it was the safest time as he had to go under an anesthetic anyway. I'd rather he had one op than two.

And to be truthful, he was getting a wee bit..ah...hormonal? I was begining to feel a bit sorry for his cuddly bear! A touch territorial and tiny mysterious puddles of pee were appearing in strange places.

As Mr M had to take him to the Vets, he reported that as they were waiting to be called, Archie, very matter-of-factly, pee'd on Mr M's shoe.

Talk about nipping behaviour in the bud!

 He returned home wearing the 'cone of shame', all groggy and feeling betrayed and just a wee soul.

Mr M and I felt terrible.

Then the next day Mr M came down with the cold and chest infection I did. The three of us were miserable together.

Archie's now hit that stage where he's full of beans, hating his buster collar and demanding a lot of attention. Amusing himself by trying to collect our hankies, used or new...whatever he can get his paws on. He's not that fussy. I have no idea how he gets them, but he does!

We are not full of beans, we are like two washed out rags.  working our way through Netflix and taking turns to make hot drinks.

I can't help thinking a Scottie puppy is like two other puppies. He's so sneaky, clever, quick and adorable and seems to be everywhere at the same time. But is a lot of work. It actually took two of us to put him to bed last night. He doesn't like 'bedtime' and runs and hides. It's really the only time he is out and out disobedient.

If I'm wearing a long skirt he actually hides under it! which is so sweet. But makes it easy for me to catch him.

This time next week, he'll have all his stitches removed and be free of the 'Cone'. Hopefully Mr M and I will be back to feeling much better so I think a day at the beach or somewhere else he loves will be in order!