Very quick health check...

Just wanted to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for my and my Mum's health.

My procedure was a great success and I am home working half days this week to allow me to recover fully. It all certainly takes a lot out of you!  I have done very little blogging, just kept up with a few things on FB.

I do have lots to blog about so watch this space!

Not so good news about my Mum, she is currently in respite but is pining to go home with dad. However, she is still not eating so we are very worried about her still.

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate your friendship and support.

Hugs, Kaye

In my garden...

... You will find camellias and the first of the spring bulbs, lovely golden freesias.

Enjoy!

Hugs, Kaye

It's all getting a bit much for me...

Hello lovely bloggers,

So sorry that I haven't written a post or read or visited any of your blogs much over the past ten days but I am feeling so wrung out - I feel like my life is on an emotional roller coaster as I lurch from one stressful situation to another!

My Dear Mother is back in hospital after having a fall at 5am in her bathroom and hitting her head.  She  is okay with the head wound - it is healing nicely - but the great concern is her lack of appetite.  She is virtually eating only one or two mouthfuls of food a day and is living on Sustagen.  She has lost so much weight that she looks like a walking skeleton - she is literally skin and bones and her skin is so mottled with bruises as the slightest touch bruises her skin.  Needless to say, my Dear Sisters and I are so worried about her future and we are trying to come to a solution.  It is hard, though, as my Dear Dad (who will be 94 in three weeks) thinks that she will be able to come home any day now.  But, of course, we are all worried that it is all getting too much for him to cope with.

We will be able to work through to a solution but it is just so stressful getting there!

Also, as you might remember, I am going into hospital myself today to have a procedure (this afternoon - currently fasting - oh joy!) so I am getting very nervous about that.  It is over 20 years since my last hospital stay (birth of youngest son) so it is a bit nerve-wracking.  I should by home by Wednesday - so wish me luck.

However, the emotional roller coaster does have its highs!  My DD graduated from Melbourne University on Saturday - I cried with pride, of course.  TraderVic and I are so proud of our gorgeous, confident and oh so clever girl!

So sorry, I have run out of time to post any pics - so please catch up with me later in the week when I can get back online.

Wish me luck,

hugs, Kaye

Good news and thank you

I have good news - I still have my job!   Yay!  I am so thrilled.  I am not yet quite ready to retire and I oh so didn't want to leave my second successful career in publishing (after a 28 year career as a teacher) in this way.

So, all good news.

I want to thank you all so much for your friendship and support - it has been so wonderful for me to know that so many people around the world have been praying for me.


I would like to beg your indulgence a little more and ask that you still pray for my Dear Mum (91) who is slowly fading away.  As I was away for work in Sydney last weekend I haven't been able to visit for a couple of weeks.  My DSister 1 rang me yesterday and said that since seeing her on Sat to Thursday Mum had deteriorated greatly.  She has lost 11 kilos in a week (fluid) and now only weighs 35 kg.  Apparently she is quite skeletal.  TraderVic and I will visit her on Saturday but I must admit I am quite dreading seeing her like this.

So, your continual prayers would be most welcome.

No pics today, sorry!

Talk to you all soon,

hugs,

What else do you do?

..... when you think that you might lose your job?

You Stash Empire build, of course!

Why?  Because....

a)  you will have lots of cool cross stitching projects to keep you occupied whilst you are adjusting to your new life of unemployment

OR

b) you buy your cross stitch designs and threads, etc, now whilst you can still afford them

OR

c)  you are just such a bower bird that you keep hoarding new stuff

OR

d) you have no will power

OR

e) you are the Napoleon, the Genghis Khan, the Augustus Caesar of Stash Empire Building

OR 

f) YOU ARE ALL OF THE ABOVE - LIKE ME!

What has brought on this confession I hear you ask?  Well.....

1.  My dear bloggy friend, Catherine from Bramblewood Stitches has kindly lent me this difficult to obtain Prairie Schooler design "New World Sampler"  - just right for a cross stitching historian like me!

In 1492 Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue

In the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, too

Thank you dear Catherine.

2. These lovely "All Our Yesterdays" designs arrived on my doorstep this morning:

I have wanted to stitch an All Our Yesterdays design for so long.... now I have plenty to choose from!

3. Then, not to be fazed by all this lovely stitching to do - I slipped in and out of my LNS, Lazy Daisy at lunchtime today and came home with these lovely goodies:

Christmas Treasures book by Joan Elliott

I especially love this 12 Days of Christmas Design.

Then I found all of these LHN designs - aren't they wonderful?

Floss Toss for Two White Houses above

Look at the gorgeous colours of Blueberry Hill by By The Bay Needleart.

Lastly, look at this most wonderful, gorgeous stitched bag and other stitching goodies from The Victoria Sampler.  Each of the four sides has wonderful stitched panels.

So, off I go to do some stitching now - which one, which one, which one.... I wonder?

hugs, 

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas...

.... in July.

I was lucky enough to have Tracee from Quiltkittyloveslife as my "Santa" in Cheryll's Xmas in July swap.  I was so blown away by the wonderful, wonderful Christmas gifts I received:

Here are the parcels, all waiting to be unwrapped.

Yummy chocolates from Darrell Lea (definitely for sharing, I think)

What can be inside this starry bag?

A starry swag of course!

Oooh, chocolate bon bons within a stitched bon bon.  I stitched one of these bon bons for the Santa Sack swap last year so I am very happy to receive this gorgeous one from Tracee.

Lastly, but definitely not least, a table runner but not just any old table runner - one which has my two kitty cats - Milo and Furio - stitched on it.  Thank you so much, Tracee, such a thoughtful gift.  I and the furbabies love it!

Tracee was bemoaning her QAYG technique but it looks perfect to me.

Sweet Robin fabric.

I feel so lucky and blessed.

Thank you so much, Tracee.

hugs,

Sydney University

..... Well, here I am at the HTANSW (history conference) being held at the University of Sydney) - isn't this old building gorgeous?

Wish me luck for my presentation tomorrow.

Hugs, Kaye

P.S. here are some more of the Uni's interesting buildings.