Summer Storms

Hello.......... Sorry I've not been about much lately but I'm still working my way through a marathon of hospital tests, just two more to go over the next few days then thankfully and hopefully that will be it for a while  and life will be able to get back on track again.

The other day the sky was looking like this one minute then.....

this happened.

 My, did we have a thunder storm and half, sorry the photo's so blurry the camera just couldn't cope with the darkness, I've never known a thunder storm where the wind got up so strong before, blowing a right hoolie and sending a shower of leaves from the trees in through all the opened windows and doors and frightening our cat Dylan so much, he hid behind the arm chair.

While this was happening I was hooked up to a 24 hour heart rate monitor, one of the many tests. Only I would have to be wired up on one of the hottest days of the year,  really not a pleasant experience when you're allergic to sticky stuff on the pads, creating one cranky Clare who's mood was pretty stormy too.

So I didn't have the best weekend with a heart monitor followed by a CT scan of my Kidneys and to tell you the truth I'm really not looking forward to the echo cardiogram I'm having tomorrow either.

I've not really managed much crafting at all recently, but I have started something new for the next craft club exhibition.

I didn't manage much crochet as I was onto my next test, a 24 Blood Pressure monitor. Thankfully the results were fine, in fact my BP is low most of the time it turns out.

At least out in the garden the Roses are Stunning

and things are coming along nicely in the front border

Plus the first sweet pea has flower, I planted two mixes this year, Ballerina and Sea Form and I think this beauty must be from the later mix, so pretty but hard to capture the true colour with my camera.

Just before I go there is time for a Merlin Montage, yes Merli is celebrating his 15th Birthday today even though he still acts like a kitten most of the time. The top left picture was taken this evening while he was having a well earned birthday snooze.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

This Week

Hello.... This week here at the Summerhouse has been a bit mixed, so here I am trying to find the positives, part way through my week of many medical tests, but there is always something good to be found.

This week there has been cheery post from lovely friends

and gorgeous Sun Flowers too

I've been doing a bit of sewing

and have completed all my little felt birdies. Now what am I making? I here you ask, well they are destined to become a Birdie Bunting for the Summerhouse.

All these lovely things, flowers, birdies and good post have been a great distraction, as last Thursday, I had a phone call from the Doctors surgery telling me that I am Diabetic and it's so bad I will have to start insulin.

All a bit of a shock, the tale doesn't end there though, I already eat a really healthy diet, but after the Dr said how high my sugar levels were, I decided to reduce my carb intake until I saw the nurse. 

I was issued with some leaflets on taking insulin by the nurse and she was saying this is all very odd we don't know whats going on, as your levels were fine six months ago. 

 She then took my blood sugar level and it was........... fine

completely normal, so she sent me home with a monitor and I spent Wednesday taking readings, again all Fine............ Yippee,

I saw the doctor yesterday and she said she has never ever seen this, it's like my pancreas packed up and went on holiday for a few months and now it's back!!!

So they don't really know why or how, but the theory is it's either the Lyme Disease or Auto immune as my immune systems so stirred up by what ever it is I have. My GP told me she thinks I may have a condition that has not even been discovered yet (well done Clare)

So what to do, I've been put on a low dose Diabetes medicine just in case, I'm even more seriously watching my diet and I'm going to monitor my blood sugars and hope it doesn't happen again or hasn't left to much permanent damage.

So anyone out there is this a Lyme Disease Symptom?  So little is known here in the UK.

This morning I awoke to a swarms of Sea gulls swooping about trying to catch a swarms of flying ants, not the best shot, but they were up really high, so had to zoom a lot, there were so many of them, like something out of The Birds, even more so after I read on Facebook yesterday that the sea gulls were attacking people after getting drunk by eating flying ants eek

Worryingly this week I discovered signs of Autumn out in the garden, come on garden it's only July

 So I thought I'd take you on a little tour around the garden, first we have to go down the steps to the Summerhouse and lawn, lots of things seem to be finishing but I'm still waiting on my sweet peas.

When I took my camera outside earlier

 I discovered most of the plants flowering at the moment seem to fit one colour palette,  I do love a bit of magenta, so if the garden must colour coordinate it's picked a good colour.

Back up the steps again, please mind the weeds, the gardens run away a bit with me ill and 'P' recovering from a eye op

Aww at least Merlin was waiting for me at the top of the steps bless him he's got hay fever with all this dry weather and pollen.

As for the rest of the week the test continue I'm having a 24 hour heart rate monitor as I type and Saturday I have to go and have a CT of my kidneys, my advise don't get ill it's no fun, I'm also planning on trying to keep cool in this heat and making up this cute little mouse. More on that next time, if  it  makes up OK.

Just before I go, do you remember the Seaside Bunting I made 'here' well currently it's up for auction with lots of other wonderful crafts and makes to raise funds for 'Invest in ME and Shelter' the auction is being run on Facebook by a wonderful group I'm a member of called Chronic Creatives I've put a link to the auction page 'here' if anyone fancies having a look, maybe even having a bid. This year the Auction is only open to UK bidder but go on, why not go and have a nose and perhaps even share the link on you're facebook page too,  many thanks

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Clare xxx

Summer Living

Hello......... today's post is going to be a bit of a catch up of the Summer living that's been going on here at the Summerhouse over the last few weeks.

There has been girly nights of crochet and cocktails, mocktails for the non drinkers and

frozen cocktails for those who could indulge

Yummy Strawberries to

and making cute little felt ones, this one was made as a gift.

I've been drinking lots of green tea too, not that it's been much help health wise, things have gone from bad to worse and I have yet another week of tests to look forward to this coming week.

but at least the Geraniums have started to flower in the Summerhouse window boxes,we just need this drippy rain to stop now.

 I'm getting there with my little felt birdies with only two more to finish, then it's onto phase two of this make, more on that another day.

I've also been watching the cycling, enjoying the Tour De France a trip round Europe from the comfort of the Sofa, didn't Yorkshire do the UK proud.

While watching I've been hooking up some squares for my Spring Time Throw.

Well that's about it for the goings on here at the Summerhouse thanks for all the lovely comments  and well wishes left on my last couple of posts.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

June Mosaics

Hello......... well June seemed to fly by here, I don't know about you but I don't know where the time went any road here's June's Mosaics

June was a month of sunshine and Flowers, not a lot of crafting or blogging got done as I've started to follow a new management program for my ME/Lyme disease so my activity has been scaled right back. I won't say anymore on that as health stuff is too depressing right now. 

I did manage a little bit of hook time and made a seaside mandala for Yarndale. I also stitched a cute strawberry and some little birdies for a very forgotten WIP, that even predates my blog eek more on that soon (hopefully) . Plus the wonderful surprise of finding a picture of my Summertime wreath in 'Crafts Beautiful' magazine, I'm still smiling about that one.

Music, Girl's nights in and Cocktails also featured, and will be coming to a post near you soon, I'm so behind.

On to a bit of Art and I'm still sticking with my New Year resolution.

 This months picture is my latest piece for Craft Club, yes we have new themes for another exhibition.  This one is Fantasia, I'm a bit Mandala obsessed at the moment and thought it would be fun to try and paint one representing the film. So I spent a afternoon with my sketchbook watching the film and making notes, it sure is a strange film.

Firstly I marked out guide dots in lines coming from the centre of the circle, and then let the drawing commence.  I painted it in watercolour outlined in ink.  As it was Fantasia, I decided there was a great need for glitter, (who am I kidding there is always a need for glitter !!) so I used different coloured glitter glues and some little beads to give it a bit more sparkle

Ta-Dah

My finished Fantasia Mandala. ( it's a bit tricky to photograph the sparkle)

Out in the garden there were so many flowers to cheer the spirits, can you see what's happened? it's find the matching pair time? I didn't notice until it was uploaded but one little floral diva is making two appearances.

The year in books

Junes book was Daphne Du Maurier's Frenchman's Creek, which I really enjoyed, so much so I'd finished it by the beginning of the month, which left me time to read Dr Myhill's latest book on CFS.

July's book is another historical one Virgin Earth by Philippa Gregory, it's kind of the Sequel to 'Earthly Pleasures' which I read in 'March' so I'm looking forward to reading it.

Well that's about it for June. Happy 4th of July to my American and Canadian friends enjoy the celebrations.

Linking up with laura and The year in books

Happy Crafting

Clare xx