Frollick through the flowers

A few weeks ago I went on a picnic with my mum, sister and MR's mum to Araluen Botanical Garden which is about a 50 minute drive from where I live in Perth.  I hadn't been in about ten years and really wanted to go again before I moved back to the country because then it will be even further away and trips to Perth will already be cram packed with other things that need to be done.  It was a beautiful Winter's day.  Sun mostly shining, breeze not too strong.  We all brought something to share and some blankets to sit on before we left our food bags sitting under a tree and went for a wander around the quite large park. 

The reason I was so keen to go is because of the flowers.  Each Spring (late Winter really) is tulip season at the park.  There are thousands of Spring bulbs planted each year and it is just so beautiful to go and have a walk through the gardens and see all the beautiful displays.

I really love Spring bulbs, they are my favourite flowers.  Tulips, snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells.  I could fill my garden with them.  I do try but unfortunately I only have intermittent success.  This year, out of all of my bulbs, only my bluebells flowered.  And next year, in the country where it not really the climate for bulbs I will probably only get some jonquils which are already established around the fruit trees up there.  So I enjoyed them all the more in the gardens when I went to visit. 

  

Oh look, I made something.

You would be forgiven for not realising (or remembering) that this is a bit of a craft blog.  There has been such a big drought of crafty activity of late on here.  However, that is not to say I haven't been making things.  I've made 3 crochet slouch beanies (and sold one).  As mentioned in yesterday's post I've also started to learn about circular knitting and knitted one beanie with another on the way.

I also finally finished putting together this clock that I started over a year ago.  It was originally destined to be an engagement present for my best friend but I ended up finding a quite expensive wedding present that she had oohed and ahhed over quite a bit whenever we went past a certain shop so did a combined wedding and engagement present.  So then it was going to be a Christmas present but I got a bit slack so finally it turned into a birthday present.

I've made one of these clocks before, also using ink and spindle fabric which is just perfect with its classic and not too fussy designs for a bit of embroidery embellishment.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, particularly with just the embroidery down the left side.  I think that adds a nice touch of detail to the overall look.

I toyed around with adding buttons or numbers but my friend isn't a super handmade-y sort of person so I just went for not too much.

I combined a red and a brown floss together to do the brown section of the robin to give it a more feathery appearance.

I had trouble with both clocks in this area, sticking down the fabric when it was highly embroidered.  Lots of bubbling which I couldn't work out how to fix.

Finishing off the clock has made me miss embroidery so I've decided once I've finished this beanie the next project is going to be back to the needle and thread.  Perhaps I might finish off my final sashiko panel?


Also in the things I've made recently category is this cake for my Dad's 60th.  He is a bit Lego fan and collects quite a lot each year.  He is also slightly obsessed with the colour highlighter green.  So with my sister's help we decorated this cake I made with fondant.  Our first attempt at ever using it! I definitely couldn't have done it without her help, for one thing I didn't have the arm strength for rolling it all out as well as she does!  It may not look big but that cake is big enough to serve 40 people! That is a whole lot of eggs, butter, flour, buttermilk and sugar and lots of surface area needing to be covered smoothly by fondant.  MR helped as well, he has a very good eye for measurement and he was in charge of leveling out the cake top.  I used this vanilla buttermilk cake recipe which is now my official birthday cake recipe.  SO so good.  Dense but moist and super high on flavour.  And even better, for those of you who love a bit of raw cake batter (like me) but who also wish to avoid the eating of raw eggs (which I should, but often don't) in this mixture you add the eggs in last of all so there is plenty of yummy cake batter tasting moments to be had and believe me (and my post raw cake batter feast sore tummy), cake batter without egg is just as tasty!

After Emma's beautiful butter icing Lego cake just a few weeks prior, I'd had a chance to get a few tips from her about tricky bits - ie. the Lego 'bumps' on top.  To combat the difficulty of icing rounds of cake, Oreos or marshmallows we simply rolled out some extra fondant and cut out circles with a scone cutter.  Much quicker and easier.

Certainly not perfect but for a first attempt we were pretty pleased with our efforts.

Looking back : 2012 [ups and downs]

I did a post of this title last year and it was good to go back and read it at times so I thought I'd continue the tradition.

Come Boxing Day, I am all ready for the year to be over and move onto the next one.  I start to get all antsy, reflective-y and planning-ish.  There's a bit of endofyear-itis and a chunk of limbo type feelings and I just want to to be over already. 

Maybe that won't be the case when I have my year.  You know, that elusive year where when you look back everything has (or at least most things have) gone your way and lots of good stuff has happened?  2011 was supposed to be that year.  The move to Perth, move in with the boy in our own house and starting a dream job all sounded like the ingredients for my year.  And then when my body decided to fall apart on me I had no delusions that 2012 was going to be my year.  But I am going to quietly live in hope that 2013 might be.  Very quietly.

Before I get on with the year in review, I've copied my resolutions and goals that I set for this year to see how well shockingly I did.


Resolutions
:: to do my tax on time this year. :: only one month late, we'll call that on time because it's the closest it's ever been!
:: to do a writing course in plot/character/setting development and submit my picture book manuscript to publishing houses :: writing course achieved in character but not the other two.  Wrote a letter for submission of my manuscript but never quite got to sending it.
:: to be open to new opportunities :: not sure what I was thinking of here, I'm usually fairly open to new opportunities but I can't think of anything particularly new that was accepted or turned down
:: to raise money for The Leukaemia Foundation and the Liver Transplant Unit of SCGH :: decided to alternate years on these charities, people only have so much money.  Raised $1700 for Transplant Australia.
:: to somehow become a more tidy and organised person, particularly in organising the final rooms of our home :: major fail!
Goals
:: to exercise at least twice a week (for at least 80% of the year) :: I think I managed this for about 3 months of the year.  Not quite 80%...
:: to recycle more :: fairly good, but I'm sure I can achieve even more next year
:: to at least halve my credit card debt :: actually I'm quite proud of achieving this when I wasn't working for seven months of the year!
:: to join a writer's group and attend regularly :: nope!
:: to do up a joint budget so we can save money and do some renovations to/buy furniture for our home :: no such joint budget, MR is quite against a budget currently due to its adult-like-implications and seeing as I didn't set one up for myself until I was 26 and he is still only 25 I am only making occasional suggestions here.  We did manage a joint savings account though which has been used for a couple of small things so far and hopefully much more next year!

Not too bad actually.  Cutting that credit card debt in half is worth two surely!  Money is something I am not at all good at.



So, to the year that was....

January
I was battling with an unknown origin cough and breathlessness that had been hanging around for a couple of months in January so I didn't get up to a great deal.  I did however go to the Roxette concert with my sister and had a great time singing along to old songs.  My liver turned three months old and I managed to finish off my first granny blanket which now adorns my sister's couch after gifting it to her as a housewarming present.

February
February saw me receive the lovely present of a bronchoscopy for Valentine's Day and a ten day stay in hospital when it was discovered I was growing mushrooms fungi in my lungs.  Charming.  Reason for cough and breathlessness discovered, at least...


March
Yet another hospital stay this month, this time only three days because I had my one year late housewarming party to get ready for and I told the doctors from the get-go there was no way they could have me for longer than that.  This stay was because the fungicides antifungal medication they put me on made my kidneys cross. I got out though and my housewarming party went well and was a very casual and laid back bbq affair.


April
There was a bit of gardening action this month with the planting of our nectarine and white peach trees.  Looking back at the blog I also did a fair bit of crafting and apparently a bit of exercise, well done me!  MR and I had our 5 year anniversary and my liver turned six months old.


May
Biggest thing of this month was doing the Run for Reason (at a walk) and raising $1700 for Transplant Australia.  4kms in 50 minutes, not too bad for a girl who went straight from the event to the hospital to have her 16th day straight of blood tests due to medication issues.  


June
Not much of note apart from some more crafting.  I was quite proud of this present for MR's Mum's 60th 

 
July
My liver turned nine months old and I started back at work at the end of the month.


August
I turned 31 and didn't care.  MR and I went on a holiday to Dunsborough and had a lovely time.  My sister and I went to the Hilltop Hoods concert and it was awesome.  I made a one task a day organise your home calendar which I haven't followed very much since...

found at virtu

September
Nothing of note


October
MR turned 25, what an oldie!
My liver turned 1 year old and I celebrated with high tea with friends (MR was away at work) and family and had a lovely rainbow cake to celebrate (just looked back and realised I never posted about my high tea party on here, woops!)

my cake!

I got it made for me and I was a little bit bummed that the
rainbow was out of order..

My present from my sister, a liver softie!!

November
My best friend got married down south and it was an amazing day.  I found out I'd be moving to a new school and was pleased about deciding to have my own class of kindy kids again, working three days a week next year.


December
Christmas out in the bush with MR's family with my family do's before and after the official day. 



How did you year pan out?  Was it your year?? 
  

     

Child acquisition

Next week, providing I have kicked the cold I currently have in the butt, MR and I are going to have his five year old nephew over to stay for a couple of nights, or as MR said on the phone to his brother "When can we acquire B for a couple of nights?".  I'm pretty excited.  B is an awesome little boy and I love doing fun kid stuff.  This will be the second time he's stayed at our place but the first time he's stayed when MR is home too.  Last time he stayed we were going to make gingerbread men but we spent too long at the aquatic centre going down the water slide so we ran out of time.  So gingerbread men are definitely on the cards for this time. 

I have all these ideas of stuff we can do.  MR is liking the idea of him staying but this will also be his first ever experience of 'parenting'.  He's spent time with B before but never looked after him.  So I think he's a bit wary of just what it will involve and how much time to himself he's going to get... (none).  I suggested we go to see the new Ice Age movie.  B lives in the country so doesn't get to go to the movies very often.  That idea was jumped on by MR because (just like me) he loves cartoon movies.  Only thing is, MR is anti regular seating in the movies so decided he will be quite happy to fork out for a gold class ticket for B just so he can have the comfty big recliner seats, a cheese platter and a couple of scotch and cokes.

We're going to have him for two nights so there's plenty of time to do lots of stuff.  My other ideas were the zoo and make a softie with him from one of his drawings (he is going through a big drawing phase at the moment).  I have a cool set of colour changing textas to give him as a little present as well.  My house is overflowing with picture books so there will be plenty of stories to read before bed but we need to buy some bath toys because last time he stayed he was quite astounded that we didn't have any.  I've been thinking of what other things we could do with him.  City things that aren't available in the country.  Like the museum or AQWA or ice skating. 

And I'm more than open to ideas - what fun stuff are you doing with your kids these holidays?

 

Exercise apps

So, I didn't make it to Liver Gym at 10 on Monday morning. In fact, I was just getting up at 10.  Woops!  After not getting to sleep until after three though I sort of gave up on the idea of gym anyhow.  I did end up making it out into the glorious Winter sunshine for a walk this afternoon though.  First time I've got my sneakers out since Run for Reason back at the end of May.  That really is a bit naughty!  Hopefully I'm back on track now though.  MR is on board for another reward at the end of the month if I make it.  It really is the best way to make me work! 

At breakfast with Dad on Sunday we were discussing the whole exercise thing and next year Dad wants to join me in jogging the 4kms in the Run for a Reason.  Great, you think... but my dad's idea of exercise is doing a bit of gardening.  Doing the walk this year was his only proper exercise so far this year.  He needs to lose at least 25kg.  So, I'm hoping this is the motivation he needs to get out and do something.  I've told him he needs to go for a walk once a week for the next few weeks and then after he gets back from an overseas business trip it needs to go up to twice a week.  I just have to jump straight back into the three times a week thing, but my fitness level is considerably higher than Dad's.

I've been looking at exercise apps for my phone to download and use.  Currently I use Runkeeper but I want something a bit more.  I've got the Nike app on my phone but I can't work out how to make it work, I press the button and it says 'walk around to activate the sensor' - so I do, but it doesn't.  What apps do you use?  I was thinking about the couch to 5k one but I don't really want to just go out and run all the time, I like to change it up a bit.  Gym, yoga, maybe some zumba...

Recommendations happily received!

Flight time

 
Recently, my sister and I took my Dad to see a Birds of Prey show as a surprise for Mother's Day (he gets both Mother's and Father's days because he did both roles after our parents split up)

A kestral in flight, just above our heads

It was at Whiteman Park (for those of you in WA) and was run by the WA Birds of Prey Centre which was started in 2005 by Yvonne Sitko.  Yvonne is a great presenter, even in the middle of a downpour (which happened halfway through the show) and it is well worth a visit to one of the shows.  The birds that she has in the shows are unable to be released into the wild due to things like blindness and imprinting on humans.  The centre mainly focuses on rehabilitating injured birds and getting them back into the wild. 

A kite in flight just before the other two came in.

The birds we saw were allowed to roam free around the area, flying around wherever they liked.  At one point, while a male kite was flying around, a wild female kite flew into the area followed closely by another wild male.  The kite from the show flew off to join them but came back after a few minutes. 

Lots of rain! Poor Oska the Barking Owl is hiding under the umbrella

The show was fairly interactive as well, with the kids (and any adults who wanted to) getting to go up and throw some food for one of the birds to catch in their talons and then transfer to their mouths to eat whilst flying.  We also got to hold a kestral or a kite (I can't remember which one now) and a wedge tail eagle. 

If you look closely you can see this owl is blind in one eye

It wasn't cheap, but we had vouchers that brought it down to about half price.  We just kept in mind that the $45 per person we spent was going back to the Birds of Prey Centre to help them in rehabilitating more birds.  Definitely a good cause!

My dad and sister teased me a bit because in all the photos I am leaning away from the birds. 
This one is Micro the Wedge Tail Eagle, Micro because he is a small specimum at only 2kg.

 

Out of hospital and health update

  
I'm out of hospital, they let me out yesterday, a day earlier than I was expecting!  Super yay!

I've got some new drugs to try and help my lungs, as they have gotten no better and a little bit worse in the month since I started treatment for them and if the drugs don't begin to work in the three weeks before my next check up with the pulminary docs they want me back in for some IV treatment.  So fingers crossed big time there!! I am planning to not be back in hospital Any Time Soon.  I can now also add endocrinologists to the gamut of specialists dealing with my case as the tests they ran show my adrenal glands are working and yet my cortisol is low so my hepatology docs want to consult with them to decide what to do about it.  Also, my BCR-ABL results (leukaemia concentration in blood) have come back from the February tests and show they have risen a little bit, from 5.6 to 8.8%  Not good, but not toooooo bad either.  My haemotologist said she wants to see two spikes in my levels before she needs to put me back on meds but they want to get the lungs and the adrenal glands sorted out first anyhow.  My liver count is finally back under 35 (where it is meant to be) after over a month, very excited about that and my kidneys are almost back to normal too.  They are attributing their rise in numbers to a mixture of my immunosuppressant and antifungal medications so they have lowered the immunosuppresants slightly while I get over all these stupid fungal and bacterial infections.

And that's the latest in my health news.  Ahh, I miss the days where I could wrap up health news in a sentence.  Oh, I had a cold last week but I'm better now. If only.  Now I just sound like a contender for the World's Biggest Hypochondriac.  Please God, don't let that become a new reality TV show. 

Anyhow, just a quick post from me today, I'll probably be absent for a few days because I have a housewarming party to organise and hold - whee! It certainly won't be anything like the spectacular parties I see hosted on some of your blogs.  I am making a coleslaw, a potato bake and perhaps a plate or two of nibbles.  MR is in charge of BBQ duties with whoever else that volunteers on the day and I have had six very kind and helpful people offer to bring more salads for me.  I am trying to be very casual and not my usual crazy over-catering self who thinks of lots of yummy things she could make that take many hours of preparation.  There will be no bunting, no rainbow cakes, no fancy colour themes, no themes at all for that matter.  Just a typical run of the mill Aussie BBQ.  And that is fine by me.  It will just be nice to spend time with friends and family.  MR's parents are coming down Saturday night and my Mum is coming around a bit early on Sunday to help us to get everything organised without me getting worn out.  And then all I have to stress over is making sure all our different groups of friends interact and no one gets left feeling lonely!

Looking forward to catching up on everyone's blogs when I'm back. x




A Year of Good Things
73/366 ::For Transplant Australia::
My Run for a Reason fundraiser page reached and passed it's target of $1000, I'm now up to $1045, two whole months before the event! Time for a target raising!  Thanks to those bloggy people who have donated, you know who you are!! 

74/366 ::For me::
Out of hospital on my liver's five month anniversary - yay!

75/366 ::For my meow::
Lots of cuddles and attention after being left alone (the neighbour fed her) for 3 days and 2 nights

All sorts of good stuff

Life has restarted!  I have more energy and am doing okay with my 40% reduction in lung capacity.  The medications are hopefully working and I am doing what I can to help them.

Yesterday morning I had a lovely massage and in the evening I went to my first yoga session.  It was a gentle hatha and meditation session so not too much and I managed all the poses in between puffing (although not as flexibly as others) so I was happy.  The meditation session at the end was good too, my therapist has me doing self guided ones at home but it is nice to do it with a real person as well.  I'm hopeful that a bit of gentle exercise will help my lungs recover.

Not only that but Thursday I went for a 2km walk! There was a tremendous amount of huffing and puffing for the slow pace I was taking and thank goodness I went by myself because there would not have been enough oxygen for chatting but I felt good afterwards.  Back on track, fingers crossed!  Now I just need to keep it up.

And finally in my good stuff news, I went to the Roxette concert with my sister on Wednesday night!  Wheeee, it was awesome. Very. Very. Awesome.  I got to dress up in a pretty top, jeans and heels and we went out for dinner first and I had a delicious grilled barramundi on a bed of kipler potatoes and cacciatore with broccolini.  Mmm mm.  We had good seats at the concert and it was a small enough venue that there was no need for big tv screens or anything.  All the songs came back and I had great fun singing along to all my old favourites.  Yay!

one grainy iphone photo

It's so nice to get back into doing normal type things and not feel absolutely shattered afterwards.  I'm hoping it continues!


A Year of Good Things (hopefully back on track!)

60/366 ::For normalness feelings::
I went out for dinner and to Roxette, had an awesome time Wooo!

61/366 ::For fitness::
I went for a 2km walk.

62/366 ::For relaxation:: 
A full body massage, so nice and relaxing, followed by a yoga and meditation session. 
 

Things I'm loving...

  
A long, long time ago (maybe a year or so) I saw a picture of some cute bookends in a magazine and ripped it out.  It eventually ended up in a stack of "paper stuff" that I sorted out recently and when I came across it I gave it to my sister as a birthday present idea (my birthday is in August).

Instead, she surprised me and a parcel arrived today holding these two pretty items...

If you can't tell, its a mouse sitting on a stack of books to the left and a cat peering over the top on the right.  If you love them just as much as I do, you can get a set here.

Very apt seeing as last night my Meow brought in an alive rat and decided to let it run away into the spare room.  I attempted to catch it but when I moved the bag it was hiding behind it jumped over the towel it was supposed to run under so I could pick it up and scared the absolute shit out of me.  I went from a crouching down position to a standing up a metre further away on tiptoes screaming position and my poor tummy muscles, which are still recovering from surgery, gave a great big lurch of ouch. 

So I called MR and had a cry over stupid rats and stupid cats and stupid tummy muscles and stupid no emergency-rat-disposal-flights home from Newman at 10.30pm and then I realised I could call my Dad so I did and he very kindly drove half an hour here to get rid of the rat for me.

So, I'm loving my book ends and my Dad for emergency rat disposal but the Meow is definitely in the bad books!

More loving at Paisley Jade's!
 

At my Grandad's

Today my Dad, sister and I went on a road trip down to Australind to visit my Grandad.  We took lunch down to have with him, roast turkey, salad and bread and butter custard.  I'm not all that close to my grandparents, haven't really ever been as we didn't live very close to them when we were young.  My Nan has passed away now though so Grandad is on his own.  He is really into ham radio and has a 'shack', his own bedroom turned into a completely covered with old radio parts, Radio Shack.  It's quite cute to hear him say, 'Oh, that's in the shack.'  I have to admit though, all he talked about other than his radios was computers with my sister, who is a bit more technologically minded than I am.  So I took a wander of the house, looking at things in quite a different way than to how I used to on the odd occasion that we would visit.  There are some top vintage pieces in there!  Here are some of my favourites, via instagram...

A cuckoo!! I had no idea they had it. 
It is on the wall in a room I never see him in, covered in dust and cobwebs and not wound up.  So sad!  

 

Beautifully crafted granny rug, looks so wonderful spread out on the bed! 
Grandad isn't sure if Granny or Nan made it or if they bought it.

Look at this gorgeous butter dish!  Hand painted in Norway, or Finland, I forget now - no good at remembering these details on the stamp on the bottom!

This little boy and girl set are very cute

 

Carousel horsey tin!  Adorable!

A Year of Good Things
10/366 ::For my Grandad::

I made him a nice big bread and butter custard, his favourite dessert.  And three bowls of leftovers for another day!

One Word

  
I have been sub-consciously musing over Maxabella's One Word for 2012 idea for the last few days with nothing really coming to me.  Until today.  It just popped into my head.  This is what I need for 2012.

 

to thrive.

my health

my life

our relationship

our garden

our home

This is the year for growth and change, development and improvement, health and love.

Positivity will get you everywhere.

A Year of Good Things


8/366 ::For myself and for Bloggers::
Today has been another day of quiet.  Nap filled to (attempt to) restore energy.  Contemplative of 2012 goals and One Word as above.  Lots of blog reading.  Lots of commenting love.  Surely that is a Good Thing in itself?  Everybody loves comments. 

7/366 ::For some friends::
Yesterday I went to MR cousin's (L) housewarming party yesterday and I organised with MR's direct family (parents/brothers) to go in together to get a Good Present.  L had been talking about how she wanted a nice big frangipani tree to go out the front of their house but of course, a tree is a bit expensive for most people to purchase, including them.  Listening to what people talk about liking so you can get them awesome presents is a Good Thing.  So together we put in and got the biggest one I could find.  The tropical version with pink flowers of course!  It only just fit in my car on the front seat floor.  I had to peer through the leaves when I wanted to turn left!  It's looking a bit windswept here but that's what you get on a windy day!  Do you like my attempt at wrapping?  A cheery yellow (windswept) ribbon around the trunk.  Is it called a trunk when it's that small?  You can't really call it a stem or a stalk?

An Excerpt of my life, right now...

  
 The other day I looked after MR's nephew B.  I was so excited to spend the afternoon with him because he is one cool kid and also because I've really missed little kids since not working since September!

We started off by going to a local aquatic centre which had a big water slide.  B was a bit nervous at first so I had to go too with him on my lap, then next to each other holding hands, then just next to each other and then right behind him before he was brave enough to go by himself.  He loved it though, I reckon he spent about 30 minutes on it by himself while I did some walking laps in a waist deep pool next to the slide while watching him.

Afterwards, the plan was to go home and have dinner but when B asked what was for dinner and I replied sausages he asked ever so nicely 'Do you have any fish fingers?' so we stopped in at the shop to pick some up.  And a very late afternoon tea treat.

Of course, while at the shop B saw the very cool playground across the road so we stopped in there on the way home.  It had adult bottom sized swings so I was very happy.  Nothing quite like a good swing! 

Naturally, I had to get a bit creative with dinner.  B saw purple carrots at the shops and asked what they were so we got one to try.  He was very brave and ate the carrot nose all up.

 

 

 Today I started back at Liver Gym after the break and it was nice to come home and feel inspired and a little bit energetic.  I decided that if I wanted to get all my crafting underway and get some of those WIPs finished then I really needed to begin to tidy the craft room.  I say begin because it was an absolute pigsty.  The whole floor was literally covered with things that had been dumped there to get them out of the way for visitors at Christmas and the door has been firmly closed ever since.  So after a few hours, a lot of stuff in the recycling bin and two bags of stuff for the good sammies bins it now looks like this. 

Still a bit of a way to go... 

I was quite pleased because it worked in with my New Years resolutions.  Organise house and recycle more.  As well as the crafty goals because you can't do any crafting when you can't set foot in the door!
 
 

 
A Year of Good Things
5/366 ::For a stranger::
At the hospital today I left my change in the parking ticket machine after paying.  Only $1.20 but finding money is always nice and cheering people up who are visiting people at hospital is definitely a Good Thing!

Parent for a Day

  
Today I am looking after MR's nephew.  He is 5.  His family just flew in this morning after a red eye flight from a holiday over east and his parents are off to a wedding today so I get to hang with him.  At the moment he is napping.  I am ready for him to wake up because I want to play!  Although give it about an hour or two after he wakes up and I will probably be ready for it to be my turn to nap!  I have all sorts of fun options planned for him to choose from.  I've really missed hanging with kids.  All the more exciting that it is just one child.  So many crafts that you can't quite manage with more than one or two.  And I get to put a booster seat in the back of my car.  Excitement!  Ahh yes, one day Miss Clucky.

Hopefully, if I'm not too tired, I'll be back for a wrap up on the days events this evening once he's gone to bed.




A Year of Good Things

2/366 ::For my Dad and his charity:: I helped out with a sausage sizzle to raise money for the school he is building in Cambodia.

Dad was inspired almost 2 years ago now to start up his own charity building a school in remote Cambodia.  His charity Aus Assist Asian Development Fund is well underway in building a school in Soun Sah Village.  He is providing locals with jobs through the building of the school and once complete, many more children will have access to education who previously were unable to.  Dad goes over a few times a year to do stuff and my sister has been twice.  At the end of last year her and Dad took a group of boys from her school on a community camp over there to learn about the community, Cambodia (and how lucky they are going to a private boy's school in Australia) and to help out digging trenches and the like.  If you are looking for a charity to donate to this year, this is a truly worthy cause and while it is small fry compared to many, my Dad has put Many Many hours of work into making this happen.

 

The school well underway!

Looking back : 2011 [ups and downs]

  
Well it was certainly not "My Year" as I had planned at the end of 2010 but neither was it all bad.  Really, apart from some rather horrible shittiness in the health department, it was quite a good year.

January saw MR and I heading down south for a holiday in Denmark.  It involved berry picking in the rain.  So much goodness, one of my all time favourite dreams.

At the beginning of the year I started up a Perth Brown Owls group with Sarah and have had a wonderful time at the meetings each month this year.  It started off small but now we are up to around 30 members with an average of around 8-10 people attending each meeting.  Nice size for quiet chats but we're always happy to have more members!  We are off to Knit on the Beach on January 21 as a part of the Summerset Festival.  Would love to see some more crafty types down there for a fun arvo out!  Knitting and crochet skills not needed - plenty around to teach! All you need is a hook or some needles, easily picked up for cheap at a second hand shop if you don't have some lying around already!

In February I started my new job, a dream job since uni, and loved it.  Working with some lovely ladies and making new friends.  Very important - 2011 was to be the year of being more social.

In March MR bought a house and we moved in together.  Our first home.  Very exciting and also on par with the plans, 2011 being the year we were to move in together.

Unfortunately in March I was also diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia.  Two days after moving into our new home.  Slight dampener.

There's a bit of a blur between March and September, what with dealing with a new health reality, settling in to a new home, budgetting for two, buying furniture, discussing plans, beginning to do up gardens, new job, tired from leukaemia medication.

April was our four year anniversary and we celebrated with a visit to Cirque du Soleil, another dream of mine that fully lived up to its expectations.  MR also enjoyed it enough to say we would definitely be going to the next show to come to Perth.  Yay!

August saw me turn 30.  Eek.  A slight ick moment for me, thirty feels like official old and adulthood.  Responsible styles.  Kids, marriage etc.  Not dealing with leukaemia.  But MR, my family and his put in to get me a very cool present (which has unfortunately only had a couple of uses since - I'm blaming illnesses...)

 

September 21st saw me out at Light the Night for Leukaemia 2011.  I was quite proud of myself, I raised $500 for the Leukaemia Foundation, something I want to continue on with this year.  

 

my sister and I

September 22nd saw me admitted to hospital with advanced liver failure.  Quickly upgraded to acute liver failure.  Complications from my leukaemia medication were apparently to blame and unfortunately my liver was too far gone to regenerate itself. So off I went to be added to the Liver Transplant List.  Pretty scary to go from 'tired, but dealing with Leukaemia' to 'you need a liver transplant' in the space of about 2 weeks.

Positives from that situation is that MR was truly the most awesome boyfriend a girl could ever ask for.  I am truly spoilt in him.  My family and his really pulled together to look after me, making sure I had decent food and keeping me company, even when I was a total bitch and utterly crazy from the toxins in my brain.  A few friends really showed their colours with their support as well.

And the major positive, I got a liver.  Not a day too soon.  How do you write a letter of thanks to a family who donated their loved one's organ to you?  This is something I am still struggling with and in fact, any thoughts of hospital before bedtime make for an entirely sleepless night so moving on for now.

I was out of hopsital at the end of October and geared myself up over the following two months into having Christmas at our place.  This was my plan at the start of the year and I was sticking to it!! Our first Christmas in our home together, there was no way I was handing over the event to someone else in the family!  So it wasn't the big extravagent affair I would have liked.  But it was good.  Relaxed, easy, plenty of food, plenty of rest.  Not too much caring about the things I didn't get finished in time and enjoying the things I did achieve while recovering from major surgery.

From L-R, top - bottom

I made Apricot and Vanilla Jam, as well as Summer Berry Jam :: the gorgeous squirrel ornament I received in the mail from gnome angel as a part of the Christmas ornament swap:: Cherry Meringue Mess, our Christmas dessert, also occasioning to be the first baking since leaving hospital ::  our Christmas tree alit and in daylight :: bunting and some pretty lanterns I received as an early Christmas present from MR's mum :: a cute Christmas plaque I picked up at the shops for $15 :: a selection of Christmassyness adorning the top of our speakers

Which leads me to now.  There are up days and down days.  I feel like I need to make a difference in the world now but I don't know where to start.  Small starts.  I'm looking at courses I can do at UWA summer school, I'm entertaining ideas of other options.  I want to volunteer more, raise money, sew, crochet, blog, write, read, sleep properly, get fit.  How do I fit it all in?  How do I narrow it down?

Starting off the New Year slothing on the couch seems ominous to me.  Is it a sign I am going to have a lazy year? Starting the year without MR - is that a forboding as well?  Surely not.  I shall quash any drama queen thoughts and jump up and down on them for good measure.  Likewise, all hypochrondiac inklings shall go the same way.

2012 is going to be my year.

Now if only I could convince myself.

Tomorrow I promise there will be some looking forward, some resolutions, goal setting and planning happening...

 

In-law lottery

Mr Rock's parents are staying with me at the moment while MR is away at work and my dad and sis are in Cambodia doing work for Dad's foundation, Aus Assist Asian Development Fund which is currently building a school in a small town near Phnom Pen. We weren't sure if I'd have my license back by now so it was planned in advance.

Initially it was just supposed to be MRs mum, let's call her G, but his dad, M, is down for a few days too (they live in the country about 3hrs away). Initially I was a little nervous about this as while I am incredibly lucky and get on with them really well (in fact, MR has the most awesome family including really friendly and welcoming cousins), I hadn't spent multiple days with them on my own when I'm healthy and definitely not when I'm not feeling the best.

But it's been fine. In fact beyond fine, really great! G has been cooking dinners, making me healthy smoothies and generally trying to put some weight back on me. She is also an exercise fanatic and has been kicking my bum out the door at least every second night for a brisk walk (3 kms today!) which I totally need because I have no motivation or desire to go by myself and it is one of the things I am supposed to be doing for my rehab. We've been chatting and gossiping and shopping and comparing outfits and planning Xmas dinner and everything. She is also a nurse so I can ask her if I have any liver concerns or questions about my scar. And she even understands that I need quiet rest time and heads out on her own to shop or catch up with friends. Honestly. I have really hit the jackpot of (hopefully one day) in-laws!

M has put up some of my outdoor Xmas lights for me and done a huge patch of weeding where I want my veggie garden to be. I feel really spoilt and so lucky to have them because I know plenty of people who can't stand their in-laws!

How has your luck run in the in-law lottery?

Two more days

 

image via weheartit

Just two more days and it would have been too late.

Yesterday my Mum told me that she was talking to one of my doctors with MR after my operation and he told her that my liver was so badly damaged that if we had to wait another two days for a donor liver it would have been too late.  He likened it to a skeleton leaf, apart from one very small section that was still semi-functioning, all that was left of my liver were the veins.

Shit.

I had no idea it was that bad.

The days leading up to the operation are missing, lost in the fog as my body and brain attempted to cope with rising levels of toxicity that my liver could no longer handle.  I couldn't tell you what day or year it was, when my birthday was, I could barely remember any details about anything.

I have a fragmented memory of the one of the nurses coming in to tell me that they had a liver for me and then of us trying to call family and MR to let them know.  I couldn't remember any phone numbers and it was very early in the morning.  No one was picking up their phones.  I remember being really stressed that I wouldn't see MR before surgery.  The doctors were worried because I wasn't allowed to sign the forms for the surgery (due to state of brain confusion) and no one had arrived yet to sign them and they wanted to take me to theatre.  I remember asking every person I saw if I could have a drink of water (no) just a small sip? (no) can I just wet my mouth? (no).  I remember being so relieved when my Dad and MR arrived.  And then I wanted my sister.  No one had phoned her.  Oops.  I only have vague snippets of going into the operating theatre and hardly anything of being in intensive care recovery afterwards.

I think I am quite grateful for not really having these memories.

I am definitely grateful for my family and MR and his family who do have the memories and had to deal with all the stress of me being very sick, juggling work, life and managing to fit in practically daily hospital visits for over a month.  I am so very lucky to have them.

There is also immense gratefulness to MR who has taken carer's leave and has been looking after me since I got out of hospital.  The first few nights I woke him up practically every hour for assistance in getting up and out of bed so I could go to the toilet.  He has been cooking me dinner, washing dishes (his pet hate), washing clothes, inspecting wounds and scars, changing dressings, going for very slow walks up and down the street with me and many many many other things, all without a single complaint. 

And I am tremendously neverendingly grateful for my donor and their family for giving me the gift of life.  Words cannot express quite how honoured and lucky I feel.

Finally, I am grateful for the excellent team of surgeons, doctors and nurses who looked after me.   I am quite sure I was a fairly dreadful patient at times, although I would like to blame the toxicity in my brain and resulting confusion for most of it.  I took in five dozen Krispy Kreme donuts (bought through a fundraiser my Dad did, we don't have Krispy Kremes here in WA) to the ward last week when I had a check up to say thank you to everyone.  You don't realise quite how much nurses have to deal with until you are stuck in a hospital bed, unable to do anything at all for yourself. 


More gratefulness over here.