I've been gardening.

All week. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous and I wasn't going to miss the opportunity. Normally when I decide to garden it's an all day thing with me. I just love being out there. Well I know I wouldn't have managed that, so I have made myself wait until the late afternoon. It's been a bit frustrating but it has worked. I've managed to pace myself a bit and I was surprised how well I've done. After the initial hard work of the first cut of the lawn.....the term "lawn" used very loosely....the rest was a doddle. The perennial plants I have been putting in, and keeping my fingers crossed that they would grow, are maturing very nicely and as a result there was hardly any weeding of the flower beds to be done...Yay!!! The back is just about done....just the hedges to trim before they get out of hand...and then on to the much smaller front. I'm dreading doing that....because Lily is back with a vengeance! Not much in the flower beds, just a couple which I can easily get rid of...but oh my word!...the front lawn is half covered with it. There is no way I'm digging that up ! It makes all that work I did digging it out seem just a waste of time now. All I can do is hopefully just keep cutting it down with the lawn mower and hope it gives up. If it gets desperate I could always blitz the whole lot with weedkiller.
I actually got to go swimming yesterday. Only did 12 lengths but it was enough. Although the chest infection has cleared I've still got a hacking cough and my breathing is still a bit wheezy. I'm supposed to make an appointment at the doctors for a lung function test but I can't see the point in going until the cough has cleared a bit more.
I've not done much crafting.....just some ATC's. I've another couple to do this week and 2 birthday cards. Tomorrow I'm in front of the TV. Jak of La Pashe fame is on with some new flippin sheets...the boys will have to do the cooking.

It's been a strange day.

Today would have been my son Matthew's 37th birthday. He died in 1990 but sometimes it feels as if we lost him such a short time ago. I didn't go to the cemetery...instead I spent some time tidying the garden. I know I'm going to suffer for it but it really did need doing....still lots to do...but I enjoyed myself, and it has been such a glorious day. We've had some beautiful weather lately and I was fed up of not being able to get out and enjoy it.
The last couple of weeks have seen me struggling to cope with the everyday things..getting out of bed, dressing, washing, light housework......just the normal everyday things...I've had to really push myself and I don't feel better for doing it. The boys have not helped at all. I'm going to have talk very seriously with them..they will have to do more. OK, they do their own washing, ironing and see to their own rooms. What they don't do is help with the washing up, cooking, cleaning and shopping. I manage to get to the local shop most days..they won't go...but the fortnightly shop with eldest and DIL is becoming increasingly more difficult. Last Thursday saw my son having to hold me up after me nearly passing out...and this is just for basics. I used to shop online when I was working just to save time. I had better things to do, and I hate shopping! It does have it's drawbacks though. If they haven't got what you want, the alternatives are not always suitable. Of course there is the cost to consider as well. We all have to watch the pennies a lot more carefully. Well I'm afraid the boys will have to get their act together and start taking some responsibility for food shopping. After all they eat most of it. If they won't help out a bit more they will have to go hungry..and I can't see them doing that!

Some blog candy....

...for you to check out.

Bev.... has reached over 200,000 hits!..awesome candy!..................23rd April

Sarah-Jane ...is celebrating 5000 hits with some fat free candy....26th April

Caroline.........is offering some cute candy for her first blog candy..27th April

Julie...............has some belated birthday candy to give away..........27th April

Jackie............has had a good sort out, and will be adding more!......1st May

Happy blog hopping!

Still under the weather...

....but I think I'm starting to make some improvement. I'm still very tired...even the most mundane of tasks I'm finding extremely tiring. The hacking cough is still with me and keeps me awake at night. Poor Theo doesn't know what's happening. He comes for a cuddle and then I start coughing, and he darts away frightened to death and keeps his distance for a while...but he does forgive me and has started following me around the house....perhaps he can sense that I am not well. No cards have been made for a couple of weeks now..but I must get my act together...got a couple of birthdays coming up. I don't want to resort to buying a card as I did for my sister-in-laws birthday last week...I felt so guilty!

Here is the last card I made..and Easter card for my friend Anne. I saw a tutorial that Joanne has provided here. She makes some gorgeous cards with punch flowers and I really wanted to have a go with these daffodils. I didn't have the right punches or the right paper so I improvised with what I had. I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out. The hardest part was cutting circles with deckle edge scissors.....they kept wanting to go square.

A thank you...

...to the lovely Liz for an award. She is a lovely caring lady who I only know "online" through the imag-e-nation forum and her lovely blog. She has not been well herself but has always given me support with a comment or two when things have not been going well. Thank you Liz....you're a star! I'm supposed to pass it on but again my list of worthy recipients is far too long...so if you a regular on here please accept this award for yourselves..you deserve it!

I'm not sure whether I'm improving health wise at the moment. The weekend has been spent in a bit of a haze...and I'm just beginning to resurface. The antibiotics have had a side effect of causing hearing loss. As I am partially deaf anyway and the infection has caused my tinnitus to increase in volume, it has been very difficult balance wise. I'm still a little disorientated and can't stand or walk for very long. At the moment it feels as if I have gone right back to where I started from 4 years ago...perhaps that me being pessimistic. Of course I ought to have known better when I said it was just a cold..I never have a cold. Even as a child I didn't have colds. Just every 5 years or so I would come down with bronchitis, which kept me off school for about a month. The doctors said this was because of the TB I had when very young. I also think that's why I was never ill otherwise...I had so much penicillin pumped into me germs never dared come near me! It's a bit ironic now though because I now have a penicillin allergy. Weird!

Just a quick post....

.....today cos I'm off to my bed. You know that cold I started with last week......guess what?...fluid on my lungs. Why can't things be simple...I'm now on antibiotics, after managing to get past a receptionist who insisted that there were no doctors appointment available until after the bank holiday. Good grief! I know the surgery serves a large area, and isn't the only surgery in the area by the way..but there are 10 doctors there most days. Well....I got to see the senior practise nurse, who after a quick examination consulted with a doctor and I came away with antibiotics and told to book a lung efficiency test when this clears up. She did say that the antibiotics should clear it...but if I'm not feeling any better by Monday, I have to phone and I will be seen by a doctor. Comforting?