Getting Motivated .....

At last I have stirred myself after being completely lethargic for most of last year - I have made 40+ simple cards to sell for charity funds for the local hospital where I have had many stays and treatments, and still I'm a "regular" in several departments ....

 most of these cards are small fabric panels layered onto good quality card...

When I was searching through old stash from card making days years ago I came upon a watercolour pencil painting, unfinished on the left side, so I used a copy for a new blog header. It has inspired me to draw a few doodle flowers for the next batch of cards, (always hoping and assuming that the first lot will sell!).

New Year 2013

Daybreak, and at last the sun was breaking through as the moon slipped away ....

And hooray!  I felt well, as I woke, for the first time in many weeks.

A new year, time for resolutions, simple so that I won't break them ...

smile each morning,

look for something beautiful to photograph each day,

(the moon this morning!)

enjoy my lovely family and friends,

and keep adding the patches and taking the tablets that keep me going!

Many thanks for your support to all those friends,

and a very

Happy and Healthy New Year to all,  Connie, x

December

What a year this has been! 

Since my spine op went wrong in April I've struggled with health problems, tried to keep up with stitching projects and failed, and reluctantly vegitated for days on end.

 But three weeks ago I shook myself up, found previously stitched easy card patterns and a few pieces already stitched, and at last beavered away to make a few cards.

Not as many as I've made in earlier years so to some friends I have to just say have a lovely Christmas and send best wishes for 2013.

To add to my disappointment the old PC is dodgy so I'm hoping to upload a few more pics when my patience improves ....

Cosmos in October

Oh dear! Not a word or cheery picture in September!

Things have been difficult, but now it's a new month  .... so I'll make more effort to smile ....

I decided to take a few Autumn pictures in the garden this morning, maybe leaves, berries, reds, yellows, browns .....

But then I saw a lovely tall pink Cosmos still blooming

 and that took over.

So I picked a few flowers for a vase, took a photo, and enjoyed playing in Picasa with editing.

Next I made a Flickr Toys calendar and I'll go back soon for those lovely Autumn colours .... watch this space for more traditional pictures for the season!

At last ....

..... ticks in boxes this week:
*** less pain and more sleep most nights, no Hallucinations.
* Olympics great - so much to watch and enjoy. Well done everyone.
* tennis in Canada to catch up with in evening,
* lovely weather, so meals outside (fitting in with Olympics!),
* family all enjoying holidays, 
* roses and other flowers all blooming beautifully,
* visits from special friends, and

* the delightful small Hollyhock posy (about 12cm high) from friend Sheila's garden .... it's the lovliest Hollyhock plant I've seen, the blooms look like Gardenias.

yes, lots of ticks and looking forward to my pain patches working well again next week so that I can get back to "nearly norm" soon!

Where is Glorious June?

How disappointing June is this year - usually one of my favourite months, but now it's so cold and wet!
Even so, the sun manages to shine briefly between lots of showers and some torrents.
Yesterday, in one of those brief spells, I managed a short walk in the garden and found some flowers that were not droopy from rain. They give me so much pleasure:
seeing them,
choosing for photos,
playing with collaging,
having a few in the house each day,
making note cards from individual photos.
It's well worth the slow and wobbly walking I'm now stuck with as my spine op hasn't worked  - our garden is small so I can just get round and there is always something different to see.
At last I've almost caught up with the TAST 2012 stitching challenge
so soon I'll be posting pics of the sampler I'm making .....

First Rose ....

We never know what's round the corner or what a new day will bring ... just as well perhaps!

I waited so long for a spine op and hoped it would improve walking and lessen pain - I knew there were risks but had the op some weeks ago.

I'm disappointed that it didn't work, in fact having a small amount of bone removed has disturbed the spine, I have more pain at times, and walking will not improve ...

Well, the roses in the garden haven't let me down so each day I'll wobble and hobble into the garden and enjoy  them.

Life is full of good things, I have lots to be thankful for and any day now I'll shake off the blues and get on ... watch this space!

"Laugh and the world laughs with you,

Cry and you cry alone."

I'll make sure I laugh lots!