Decision made

OK – time to put the past few weeks to bed I think. I’ve decided to ride out whatever storms arise at work, thanks to this strange positivity that’s arrived over the past couple of weeks I now feel a lot more positive and optimistic about the future – just hope I can keep it up!

Moving on to other things of a more domestic nature. Matt seems to have settled in Brisbane, he’s been there for about a month now and has his ‘white card’ to enable him to work in the ‘construction’ industry, which seems to be a generic term for odd-jobbing here and there. Apparently there’s a large music festival in Brisbane in a couple of weeks and they need people to work on the site and stuff. We have a regular weekly phone call with him and he seems to really be enjoying himself – which is a huge relief after the first few days.

Yesterday, I had a select ladies who sew day, not intentionally select but only a few people could come – bad me took not a single photo! The reveal of the day was that Isabel has lovely hand sewing skills! She was rummaging through my purse frames and picked one with greeny coloured bobbles for the clasp, the challenge then was to find some fabric to go with it and here is her photo of her bounty!

It’s the small purse from issue three of ‘Molly Makes’

I made another frame purse yesterday, I’ve decided to just make a few so I have some to hand for that impromptu last minute gift so set out several matching fabrics – they only take about a quarter yard of each fabric which helps to mitigate the cost of the frames!

Finally, here’s some of the bags I’ve made lately and haven’t got around to sharing yet…

I’ve moved away from my safety net of plain lining for this one!

I’m off then, time for a quick shower before I phone Matt!

Positive Mental Attitude

Yes - that's what I've got now! Still need to decide about work but that will come, I know. The positive mental attitude (PMA) has come about from a weight loss programme I'm trying and I will let you know more about that in good time.

I haven't got much to tell you this week apart from the problem with my shoulder which is slightly marring my PMA. For  a few months now I've suffered from intense sporadic pain in my left shoulder. I put it down to repetitive strain injury from crochet because that seemed to be the trigger, however last weekend I noticed the pain from that gripping position when I sew the hexies. So I stopped sewing for a few days. Unfortunately the pain didn't go so I referred my self to physio at work (about the only perk we have) and she told me that it's not my shoulder - it's my neck :( after I'd finished the session I could barely move my head and all she had done was to assess me, no treatment! The physio suggested a visit to the GP for proper pain releif and she'll see me again in a couple of weeks when they've started to work. Meanwhile I am to avoid anything that makes the pain worse whilst doing some simple excercises to help loosen things up. I feel totally bereft that I can't do anything (confession - I worked on a bag with minimal hand sewing today 'cos I wanted to get it finished - no reveal just yet though!)

So here's to another week of who knows what - all I can say is bring it on!!!

You have mail….

Dear Blog,

I’m sorry that I’ve ignored you for so long. No excuses, well perhaps a few. We had a lovely holiday and I promise I’ll let you see the photos eventually (just need to get around to editing them a bit). Matt seems to have settled a little more in Australia. He’s been to Sydney and is now in Brisbane, he’s taken some great photos (I’ve pinched this little gem from his Facebook album – I’m sure he won’t mind)

He seems to have made some friends now, having met up again with people he met in Melbourne and Sydney, so he’s looking for a job and plans to stay a little longer.

Then there’s work. What can I say? Not good. I truly believed that I would work in the NHS until I retired. Apart from a three month stint temping a few years ago, I have only worked for one other company in my whole working life. Now I’m faced with making a huge decision about my future. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% behind improving patient care, including all the things that have hit the headlines lately but non-clinical staff are essential to make sure that the clinical staff can deliver. With the cuts that have also made front page news lately I just can’t see how anybody really expects things to continue, let alone improve. I feel sad that I am now faced with making probably the biggest professional decision I have ever made – do I stay or do I go? Watch this space.

I have found time to make a couple of bags which I gave away without photographing – my mind’s just not with it right now – and I’m sewing my hexies every evening, it very true that sewing is therapeutic.

So I suppose that about sums up why I haven’t written for so long, I hope to get back to business as usual as soon as possible and regain my wonderful sense of humour.

I hope you forgive me,

Love

Me x