Moving Right Along

Last time I wrote that I had taken up Ali Edwards' challenge to organise my scrapbooks. Well, I am nearly there!
It's been quite a job. Kind of fun seeing all my older work and wondering if I should maybe redo them....but it's more fun to leave them and just appreciate having learned more over the years.
Each of my grandchildren now have their own album. In fact some of the older ones are now on to their second albums.
Poor Harrison....the youngest grandchild only has 4 layouts done of him. Now that's really not good!!!!
I have chucked out some of my first actual albums which were looking pretty awful and thrown away a lot of page protectors.
Hence I am waiting for an internet order from Blue Bazaar for another 100+ page protectors.
I decided to count the layouts as I put them in to their new homes and I have done around 1,000 pages. Then there are the OTP things as well for gifts or to keep.
That's pretty amazing really. Imagine if each page costs around $10 on average....that's over $10,000. that's saying nothing about the stuff in my scrapbook room and the costs of albums and page protectors. Wow!!!!!
I am now ready to hang little tags on each album so I know exactly what is in them. No more pulling out each one till I find what I am looking for. Then I'm finished and ready to go back to creating.

Last week I went with my friend Sandra to see Kite Runner. What a movie!!! It plays out in Afghanistan and is an amazing,difficult and emotional journey of two young boys who start off as friends. We are so lucky that our children and grandchildren and ourselves too, have been or are being raised in Australia. What a blessing our freedom and our culture is.

Anzac Day we abandoned the idea of our traditional football match and went up in to the mountains to Sherbrooke.
It was a gorgeous day, really balmy. I just love the filtered lighting and took plenty of photos. Most of them of Harrison so I will have plenty of opportunities to create some layouts for him.
We had some lovely walks and we all brought lunch. It was so relaxing. And it was the first time since I had my cancer treatments that I have been on a day-outing with my family.
It sure felt good.
I was so tired when we got home.....but it was a wonderful, comfortable and happy tired.

On Saturday 3 of my nieces and a friend of one all came to visit. Two live in Adelaide and two live in Sydney. They all decided to meet up in Melbourne, and made a special trip down to see Colin and Me. Seems like none of them have changed and they are all just special and sweet.

On Monday I had an appointment to see the surgeon who took out the remaining 'shell' of the abscess I had. A couple of needles, 5mts in the chair, a couple of stitches and it was all done.
Now I just have to go back for 2 appts to check it and then to have the stitches out and that saga should be finished.
Yesterday I looked after Sahn and Orson for the morning. How cute they both were and so very good for me. I just adore my grandchildren.Although I did need a nanna-nap once they went home. That's not unusual cuz I have one of those most days....at least a rest for a couple of hours.
So that's where I've been spending my time....and now I need to do some ironing and get the bread maker started. Just love that smell!!!

Very Proud

Very proud of myself...because I vacuumed the whole house this morning. And...I spot cleaned some spots on the carpet. Once you start that, you see spots everywhere. Hoping to get some new carpet at the end of the year.
I havn't had the energy to vacuum a room let alone the whole house. It feels great!!!!! Never thought I would say that!
So, there's still washing to hang up, and there's a bed to make and then I am going to do something that Ali Edwards has just done.
I am just like her in that I have over the 8 years I've been scrapbooking just put most of my layouts in an album as I complete it. Or, brought it home from Scraptacular after being finished with teaching classes, or used for displays.
So apart from a Heritage, Christmas, About Me and Birthday albums everything is a jumble.
So, I am going to take all the layouts out and arrange them. My grandchildren will finally have their own album of individual layouts I've done and the rest will be organised chronologically. I hope I've dated my journalling!!!!!!
Like Ali I have some that are not 12x12" but they are going to be added in anyway. Makes for a different look...a bit of variation.
I'm going to 'stretch' out our dining room table which we never use....and start the piles.
I have about 7albums that are brand new and then there are the ones I am taking layouts out of so I think I should be good for albums. Page protectors....I have some but probably will need to buy a heap more.

I had my flu shot last week, and then found out that my Oncologist wants me to have the pneumonia shot as well. So, I get tomorrow.
On May 19th I finally go to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for my drug allergy test.
And next monday I see Nick Houseman the surgeon to get the shell of abscess removed from my neck.

Tomorrow I am going to see a movie I have been wanting to see for months. The Kite Runner. I have read a book by the same author as the book this movie is based on. It's quite a raw story, but very interesting. My dear friend Sandra is going to take me! Sandra and I have been friends for more than 16yrs. She's a lot younger than me but we get on so well. It's like we knew eachother before we came here. We can never just chat for 5mts. We have done so much together. Worked with the Young Women from our Church, taken them on camps and slept on the floor of an old railway carriage talking all night long. Planned great activities for the girls together and just became such good friends. Then of all funny things my eldest son married her husbands younger sister. So, we are related now! Which is the best fun of all.

Off to make the bed!!!!

What More Could You Want

Fresh flowers brought home by a loving husband and yummy home made bread!!!!

I love the flowers!!! The colour is stunning and especially love the bright green centre. They are such 'happy flowers'.

Flowers from Colin go back a long way. There was a time, up untill about 2yrs ago, when he never remembered my birthday or did anything special for me personally like going out of his way to buy something. And one day I decided to address that and talk with him about it. Since then he has never failed to make sure there is a vase of fresh flowers in the house. And I think that's especially sweet. He caught on to the message and hasn't forgotten it. And that is amazing for a male!!!

The home made bread....well now I bought the bread maker about 7yrs ago. I used it quite a bit at first and then started working and the machine sat in the cupboard. Andrea borrowed it for a few months and then it came back to my house to sit in a different cupboard.

For some reason when I wasn't well enough to cook at all, I got it in to my head that home made bread was going to be one of the first things I make when I can.

I saw some recipe's of yummy sweet rolls and scrolls some weeks back and it reminded me of my intent to use the bread maker.

And....I have used it a few times now, but the pictures of the loaf of bread is my first home made food since being sick. The whole house smelt yummy. And the bread tastes fantastic!!!!!

In fact that's what I'm going to have for lunch today. One slice is all I need...it's very filling.

A Bit of Work

So I have been having fun doing some creating. A few pages from my Cancer Journal that I have been working on. I think I have done about 14 pages now, and havn't even gotten to where I started the chemotherapy.

I am loving the bird and butterflies stamps that I purchased a while back, and also the lovely tag punch from stampin up. I am trying to add the stamps in one way or another on every page and also trying to include some ribbon on everypage.

It's hard work though because I am doing a smaller size, 8.5x11" and sometimes there is so much writing it takes up the whole page.

I made the cards because Sara wants one for a one year old girl. So I played around with some new Basic Grey paper (the mini ones from their 8x8" pad) and thought they turned out pretty cute. A bit different than my usual style.

Shouldn't have, but.........!

I have been such a villain over the past week. I have had internet orders arriving quite regularly.....more scrapbooking 'stuff'. I swore that I would use what I have first....but the temptation is beyond my strength.
And....I have also visited Paper2 just to have some fun walking around a bricks and mortar store. I also visited Paper Heaven... and for the third time been offered a part time job there. Not interested though!.
So, what fun stuff have I enjoyed buying? Stamps......great ones for cards and for scrapbook pages, some of the new Basic Grey papers, cardstock, and the new Scenic Route papers, and K&Co stickers which I find great for my scrapbooking. And...just 'stuff' I like or have to have or need!!!!
I really need to put the reigns on this spending...considering that I am not earning anything anymore.
I have done about 11 pages of my Cancer Journey journal. I am having a lot of fun with the embellishment aspect. Using a great bird stamp and some butterfly stamps and some ribbon. The 7Gypsies 97%complete stickers are fantastic as well. Especially the Gratitude one.

It's so good to feel energetic, even if it is only for 1/2 the day.
Had a good report from my Oncologist last week. My blood tests show that everything is returning to normal.
Today I had my second visit to the naturopath and start a program of detoxing my body from all the 'crap' from the chemo.

Things are looking good.

Getting used to driving my manual Astra. I feel like I'm a bit of a racing driver pushing through the gears all the time. Just find it difficult listening to talk back radio at the same time, like I used to. Still have to concentrate!

I found the manual for my breadmaker and am keen to start having the smell of freshly baked bread through my house.
Something that I havn't done since starting work 5years ago. And...I'm actually looking forward to a bit more healthy cooking and eating. Now that my appetite is returning.

Colin and I go for a walk everynight. We are now increasing the distance....but the pace is pretty slow. That's my fault! However, it's good that we get out there for about 40mts each day.

Loving the cooler weather. And the little snippets of rain here and there.

This week I'm catching up with Anita for an early lunch, and Robyn and Rosemary for lunch on friday. Can't wait to see them all and have a chat.
And, I'm waiting for Karen to email me back with a time for a morning 'coffee' (I don't drink coffee, but hot chocolate sounds good!). Hint,hint!!!

Yesterday went to General Conference. There were so many people there who I have known for umpteen years. I felt very conspicuous, wearing my usual 'headgear', but those people who I did get to speak to just hugged me and expressed their love and concern.
I was glad to get out of there though. Maybe next time, in another 3months when it's Stake Conference I might have a bit of hair.

It's starting to grow a little bit. Feels like soft baby hair and it's white! I'm going to have to cope with that colour for quite some time and probably stay blonde/white from now on.

A new me!

I just love Pt.Leo. The beaches are so wide and clean. The tide is very strong though and not for the novice swimmers on this side.
You can see Phillip Island in the background. It's great looking at the rock pools, moving little rocks to see what living creatures are underneath. I took some photos, and you wouldn't know that the image was through water, it was just so crystal clear.

I am sitting at my 'puter' waiting for a very special friend of mine, Jean, to come and pick me up so we can go out for lunch. Of course one thing I always do when I am just waiting is start surfing on the computer. Usually scrapbook sites!!!!!

And I have also been reflecting on the past week and realise that I am doing really good.

During last week I had some struggles with myself. I wasn't feeling particularly content and happy but couldn't work out why or what wasn't right.

Over the past six months I have been so unwell and exhausted from all the medical tests and treatment that I was reasonably content to be a blob on a log!!!!

Now that most of that is behind me I have this mental 'thing' that life should be bouncing and that I should be bouncing along with it. Which isn't happening. Understandably so, considering it's only been 4 weeks since my last chemo and 3 weeks since my last actual treatment. And even though I am feeling better, I have no where near the energy I am expecting of myself.

Also......I now have a whole new future ahead. No work!!!! Which is great, but also brings it's own challenges.

I am so used to a schedule, routine. So all the housework or other things that needed doing I would just get in there and do because there was never time to muck around about deciding when to do them. Now I have had 6 months of everyone else doing the work, and the cooking and I am slowly taking back the reigns. But, I am not motivated at all and reluctantly do what I have to. I guess that's partly normal. Reluctance to do housework!!!!!!

Anyhow I understand now why last week I was having a frustrating week, and I figured that I now need to start to Balance my life better.

I need to identify the important things I want to invest time in and start to do that. Even if it's only a small amount of time at the moment. I can build up later.

Last weekend Colin and I had to go to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. I had to have a blood test there. The first stage of my drug allergy testing. Colin said he'd take me cuz he knows the back way to get there.

Well, we ended up going via Port Melbourne and Footscray!!!!! Men!!!!!!! Just for a 20mt visit into the hospital! And he had the nerve to get annoyed that I hadn't checked out where the parking is!!!

Saturday we went to the Movies. We have quite a few tickets that have been given to us as gifts, but because I wasn't well enough we didn't get to go. We went to see the Spiderwick Chronicles. A lovely, fun movie. And it was great to get out. And.....to eat popcorn!!!!! It tasted good!

Sunday I went to Church in the morning. In the afternoon Colin (who wants any excuse to drive my 'manual' car) decided to take a drive to Pt.leo.

I love Pt.Leo. My parents used to take us there all the time and we did likewise with out children. On the way home we would stop at an apple orchard and buy boxes of freshly picked apples. We would munch on them all the way home.

It was just so lovely strolling along the wide open beach there. The tide was going out, there was a bit of wind and on the Surf side there were quite a lot of big waves still.

How refreshing to walk in the crisp clean air and listen to the waves crashing on the rocks.

It seems like forever since I have been 'out' somewhere that isn't to do with hospitals and medical appointments.

And...I even took my camera so there are some photos as evidence!!!

Yesterday was back to medical appointments. Had to see Nick Houseman, the surgeon who is looking after me for the abscess I had on my neck. He still wants to take the shell of it out, to prevent any future problems. So, that's happening in two weeks. Just with a local aneasthetic though.

And today I had to have another blood test, and thursday a check-up with Gary Richardson my Oncologist.

These medical appointments don't stay away for too long!!!

I've been a bit 'naughty' buying some 'stuff' on the Internet. I've visited Blue Bazaar and The Scrap Heap. I've subscribed to Paper Trends Cards magazine for six months. And I've purchased two older issues and the latest issue of same magazine.

I've got the new Scenic Route paper coming.......and bought bits and pieces of the new Basic Grey ranges.

Even though I have a million $'s worth of paper and things here already.

It's so much fun expecting parcels!!!! Although a bricks and mortar shop is so much better. Hmm......must go and visit one of those too. But, which one???

I'm also feeling like doing a class here and there so will have to find out who is teaching what, when.

Time to get some dinner ready........!!! Although I don't feel like eating because my friend Jean and I have been to lunch now (yes this blog has been done in two sittings, obviously!).