Sorry I haven't 'blogged' for so long, but, what with the wedding and getting over it, I haven't had the energy.

The wedding went really well - she looked so beautiful, it was as though she was a different girl. I was dead proud of her and my heart went out to Geoff as he proudly walked hid daughter down the aisle, the look on his face was one to treasure. The service went according to plan. The church was packed out, which amazed Jenny. The boys sat mesmorised throughout the service, they were dressed up in little suits, a mini version of the adults with eton collars & tail coats, someone said they reminded them of 'Little Ant & Dec'!! Anyway, nana was very proud of them. When I went to my seat in the pew once I'd seen Jen arrive, a little voice shouted at the top of his voice "that's my Nana!!"



The wedding breakfast went as planned. The only 'complaint' was that the portions were on the small side (which I am dealing with). The speeches were
really good, especially Geoff's (with jokes intersperst (sp?)). I was proud of him.

(July 11th 2007) My illness has sparked off again, especially with the pain. My spine goes into spasm which goes into my hips, pelvis & goes down the front of my legs. It's absolutely excruciating, I can barely walk & I have to scream to move myself. My pain killers don't help :( . I'm off to see my GP at 1200 today, on the end of the clinic, I don't think I could cope with another day with this pain. For you ladies, it's worse than labour pain but it's similar in the way it comes on & off.
I'm also having problems with my chest again. I get breathless. I have to use my Oxygen again :(

I find it hard to sit at the computer because of the pain, I have a spasm coming on. Gotta go sorry.

OMG! We're going to start growing webbed feet with this rain! The shower we had this morning was more typical of a tropical shower (less the hot sun between). It's a shame if we get heavy rain tomorrow when my dear daughter marries Carl. Let's pray that the rain eases off so that they get some photos outside the church. I'll appreciate it if you could all offer up a prayer for dry weather during the wedding. Thank you.
I'm spending the day breaking in my new bra!!!!!!!! LOL It's one with silicone straps (my dress has string straps and I can't go without a bra for two reasons, one being that the fabric is sheer & a little bit see-through & the other being personal....).
Everything is in place now. I spent yesterday sharpening crayons & putting them in pots for the kiddies so they don't get bored. I also made up the cardboard stands that hold the disposable cameras so that my friend Jeanette just needs to put them on each table. I counted out all the 'favours' for each table M / F. I had one spare! Geoff said I hadn't made enough.
Jenny & her friend Tasha (chief bridesmaid) are staying here tonight, as she decided that she would prefer to go from our house. We've got our nail appointment at 4pm, rehearsal at 6pm & me, Geoff & the girls are going to a music evening at our church; the 'girls' can have some time on their own. Hair for me & my girls tomorrow at 9.30am, Jen's already had hers restyled & didn't want it done on the day as it goes fluffy.
The time has gone so quick. There's been so much hassle & arguements (what's new) and I've seen both sides of personalities.....
I'm just going to enjoy the day ----- it's cost enough & I'm certainly not going to have my day ruined...
I won't be posting tomorrow - maybe next week, to let you know how it went.
Keep praying for that rain to go north, perleeze......

I'm happy to say that our computer problems seem to be in the distant past, thank the lord. You don't realise how much you rely on them 'til they go wrong. Fingers crossed that we stay on-line from now on.
I had the most wonderful evening last Thursday, my scrapaholics club night. I really found myself back to my almost previous self. We had such a laugh. I had such good, positive, feedback from one of my members, and a good friend; she said they had such a good evening. That made me feel so good. It was just what I needed. Thanks hun!
This week is the beginning of the countdown to Jen's wedding on Saturday. This week is going to be so busy - I don't know whether I'll get to blog, we'll see.
Geoff's having a slower week as well, so we can deal with the final payments etc.

I had a check of the girls in their bridesmaids dresses, shoes etc. Elizabeth's is perfect, but Alice has grown 'up top' and she doesn't have a lot of free movement under the arms. She says it's fine & comfortable. I've been on the BHS web-site & that particular model is out-of-stock. So I'll have to believe Alice & not be a worrisome mother! I could increase by 1/2" by moving 2 buttons over, but is that really worthwhile?
I'm going to try on my outfit tomorrow when Geoff's out (again). I don't want him to see me in my 'Trinny & Suzannah' figure controlling knickers. I've been trying so hard to lose weight but my scales seem to have stuck. You'd think I'd lose pounds after all I've been doing, like painting Elizabeth's room & transferring all her toys & books upstairs - I know I shouldn't have done it but it doesn't do itself & I so wanted it finished before she came back from her school holiday, and I/we did. She thought it was the bees knees.

The weather for June is a bit of a wash out. Where's the 'flaming'? I just hope & pray that the weather picks up for Saturday.
Take care now, all!!!

First of all, sorry to my blogger readers for my lack of posts recently, but we've had problems with the computer. I can only get through online through the laptop. When we've totted up the total cost of Jenny's wedding, we'll see if we have any left over cash (ha ha ha) to buy a new one. I find laptops easier, so we may just go for another laptop (this one I'm using now is Geoff's business one).
The thing that has kept me away from the computer apart from that is the preparation for the wedding & getting financial issues dealt with. I think I said before that she just went & booked the most expensive place to have a reception, without even thinking of how it was going to be paid for (Jen doesn't work now & Carl is 'between jobs' working in our local chippy). Geoff & I sought financial advice. We changed our mortgage type & we borrowed another £10,000 on top as a separate loan which we can pay off sooner, once we have more income (another hysterical laugh comes from Gill ha ha ha).
I have now made the wedding 'favours' - thanks to the Italians for that one - I made 80 of them. I have also made a guest book for all the wedding guests to sign as a memory of the day. I have also started a 12x12" album of the wedding for them. I have done a page all about trying on dresses; then I'll do one about nails & hair & preparation in the morning of the wedding. My aim isn't to take photos that the prof photographer takes but to take more informal pictures. What I've started to do is make the pages without the photos, using either a 7x5 or 6x4" card template. To a certain extent I can get quite a lot of the album done. I don't want to still be making it a year after the event!

My illness has calmed down a bit (please God it stays that way over the wedding week). I had problems with my back having decorated Elizabeth's bedroom while she was away with the school for a week. I wanted to get it all done as a suprise when she came home -- and we did!
My illness always eases when it's warm & sunny, as it's a Rheumatic disease, but we've got heavy rain heading our way....

I can't think of anything else to say ---- except Rosie (our westie) is now 4 years old! The time has flown past, it doesn't seem that long since she was a weeny pup. It's like kids - you turn your back & they're all growed up (she says with a tear in her eye). Elizabeth was 11 at the turn of the month & she's off to secondary school in September (we got her into the R/C secondary school which is very nearby). She's been to visit but she's also been having classes there as her level is too high for primary school, and she really likes it. Let's hope it stays that way.
Farewell for now!!!!!

Okay, sorry & all that but my computer has gone beely-up so I've got all behind with my blog. Be patient with me. I shall transfer my blog details over to the laptop. B**** computers... they're like men -- all moody & unpredictable...(!!)
I'm off for the day at a crop with a friend tomorrow. It's being run by Scrapaholics. We're doing a couple of the classes and the rest of the time will be spent doing free-scrap & nattering (not necesarily in that order lol!). So, today I shall be making up kits ready for the free-crop.
I've still got bits & bobs to do for Jen's wedding. I've made up 30 'favours' so far (need 80) - keep going Gill! I haven't got my outfit yet, but having said that, we found a lovely [unworn] pair of shoes with a matching [unused] handbag. I can get the shoes on but my ankles are so puffy with fluid the oedema goes thru the decorative 'lace work'. I must get this oedema sorted out. I have seen a lovely outfit in BHS & it's on their website so I think I'll order it. I have tried on the skirt but the top was too tight & showed all my 'lumps & bumps' and they didn't have the next size up. The colours were so me. There's a light jacket that goes with the outfit. Next comes the hat...................................
Jeanette (friend) came yesterday. She's doing our flowers for us. She is just so talented it's amazing. They're all sorted, chosen, and in Jeanette's capable hands. Another job done. We're getting there -- gradually.
We have taken a loan out on our mortgage. We just don't have the free cash to do such a fancy wedding so that was the only option. We changed our mortgage for a better deal & the building Society wavered the transfer charge as we are such loyal customers. As we have an endowment policy which is bang-on target; our mortgage is due to mature in 10 years so we'll just have the loan to pay off. We can pay off the loan without having to pay a charge, so if we get more solvent(!) we can pay it off without affecting our mortgage. I just hope that Jenny & Carl appreciate all this.....
Anyway, that went without any problems (touching wood) so I'll say 'bye for now'!

OMG! This computer is so slow I could run faster than it can! And that's with my painful chest where I'm needing to have oxygen again :( to relieve the cough & breathlessness. This means that I'm going to have to have oxygen in Scotland -- & there was me thinking I'd got off it after I hadn't had any for 10 days.I have managed to kick off 3 of my Gabapentin doses so I now only have 3 a day as opposed to 6. They are the ones that have the side-effect of weight gain, I think it's the gabapentin that's caused me to put on a stone & a half in weight in 6 months.The less weight I'm carrying, the better it is for me. & I suffer less pain etc. Hopefully the pure Scottish air will do my poorly chest a bit of good . We're up in the Cairngorms near to Balmoral - the walk around Balmoral is so refreshing (it might be exhausting for Geoff pushing me in the wheelchair...). At least we have my Disabled Parking Badge which is okay to use in Scotland, we can now park nearby to a venue etc.
I can't get the suitcase down yet as Rosie gets paranoid when she seesit and looks at mt with her woebegone face as if to say 'don't leave me mummy'. so packing happens the day before we go.
Geoff managed to get through to Gatwick Airport yesterday and he's organised for us (me & mum) to have transport within the airport - I'd never get to the departure gate otherwise. It's sorted at Aberdeen too & on the return journey. That will certainly make my life more comfortable. We also have a wheelchair hire organised for the week, hired from the Red Cross.

We're going up to Lakeside shopping centre on Saturday vto collect Alice's bridesmaid's dress, exchange Kelly's dress for a larger size, hunt down bridesmaid's headgear & possibly the shoes, and we're looking around for my 'mother-of-the-bride outfit (and, no, I'm not wearing a hat). I belong to 'Shopmobility' and I rang earlier in the week and have managed to bag the motorised scooter. It saves on the poor old boy having to push me around. So, I'm really looking forward to going.

I'm having my club night tonight. It's quite a simple technique, but it's effective. I have slowed down on my layout turnover this month as I haven't been too good illness-wise. Monday I felt so ill I didn't know what to do with myself. Jenny's partner, Carl, was working on his car on our driveway and he came upstairs to see if I wanted anything. Apparently he took ojust wanted a cuddle for reassurance.ne look at me & phoned Jen to get up here asap. Bless him. I just felt like I couldn't hold my head up nor keep my eyes open.I feel a bit better now but I still have a pain in my chest and this irritating revolting cough. The pain levels have gone up and my mobility has gone right down.When people try to advise me haven't got a clue at just how debilitating Fibromyalgia is. I can't just 'take a walk round the block with the dog'I've found out who to ignore and to tell people how I'm feeling rather than just saying I'm okay. I've had someone say to me that I can't be that bad if I scrapbook!!

I think that's all for now...
Bye Bye!!

Sunny Tuesday

It's been a simply beautiful Easter weather-wise. We went to Hever Castle yesterday. It's so near, just about 20 minutes' drive away, but we don't appreciate it. I took masses of photos with my new camera, including 'moving water' for the photography challenge on UK scrappers forum, but I think I might have missed the deadline. Oh, well, it was a good experience. O
My mum has been in a dreadful state all over the Easter weekend. On Friday, when she was coming home from her [voluntary] shift at the Hospice, she saw this cyclist weaving in & out of traffic & then peddling very fast in the middle of the road. Well, mum had to get to the right lane in the road, went round him but he didn't look & pulled out again & clipped my mum's car & came off. He got straight up again & was shouting about drivers & bikes, no injuries. Mum offered her details but he was too busy ranting with the people in the car behind mum. She was so upsdidn't sleep Friday night & then, when she came up on Saturday, she said that I 'wouldn't want to know her after what she'd done'. Even though the guy refused mum's details, I suggested she went / phoned the police just to inform them. They suggested that she took her documents in just to be sure. Then yesterday she found a 'compliments' slip through her door from the police saying that her details had been passed to the cyclist & the cyclist's details were on this slip too. I rang her on my mobile yesterday while I was waiting for the kids & Geoff to come out of the maze (couldn't get my scooter through). She is still in a real state & is scraed stiff of being sued. No matter how many times people have said that he was just as much in the wrong as he didn't make any effort to slow down & was oblivient of any traffic around him as he was riding very erratically, she still fears being taken to court. She hasn't slept & is so anxious & fear for her blood pressure. Has anyone out there who reads this blog had any such experience with a cyclist, or that can advise what I can say to mum or what else she could do other than what she has done already? She informed the police within 24 hours and offered her details at the scene even though the bloke seemed more interested in running drivers ddown (pardon the pun).She's on her own since dad died so she hasn't got someone who can take it off her shoulders. She did evertything I can think of. I did mention the Police's support network, maybe they could help.
I'm closing down now as I fear of losing it completely.