It is ages since I put up a post but I’ve been thinking of you all and having a look in from time to time. It has been a very challenging year for me psychologically and physically but I’m getting there with the help of professionals and the love and support of a few of you on this wonderful forum. Thank you so much for that.
To keep me occupied I’ve been doing a lot of knitting - hats, scarves, and these wee pals. The pattern is for the 2 on the far right and then I wondered if I could knit them to look more festive. I’d mentioned them in one of Misty’s posts and Stills asked if I’d post them. So here they are. I tried one with a scarf. Do you think it enhances him? They are obviously all feeling the cold with their hands deep in their pockets.🤣 It is -10 C here today!🥶
Hoping you are all as well as can be and that you all have a very happy Christmas full of laughter and fun.
With love and hugs from me and my 5 wee pals (if they can get their hands out of their pockets!😂)
Merry Christmas. 🎅🏼🤶🏻🎄🦌🎁🧸xxx
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Spotty-ewe
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🤣🤣 Very true. One of my earliest memories is skipping along an esplanade to the sweet shop with my hands in my pockets, falling over and not being able to get up again 😳until some kind soul lifted me up.😁 Quite a frightening experience for a 3 year old! I hope you are keeping ok now Pro.🙏🏻 Have a lovely Christmas. xx
oh they are just fabulous!! I especially love the one with the scarf. You are clever. I am sorry it has been a tough year for you lovely. I can empathise. This year has been the most stressful and sad for me too but now we have Finlay we are starting to laugh again. I wish that for you too and sincerely hope next year will be happier and healthier for you xxx
Thank you Cecily, so pleased you like them. Yes it has been a bad year for you with Neil’s health and losing dear Brodie and Dylan, but I’m so pleased Finlay has brought some fun back to your lives. 👍🏻👍🏻 You so deserve it, and he deserves such loving ‘parents’. 🥰
Thanks for your very kind wishes Cecily and I too hope that 2023 is a better year for all of us. 🙏🏻 Hugs to you and Neil and a cuddle for wee Finlay. 🤗🤗😘 I bet he’s not so wee now! 😉xx
Thank you so much. Yes we needed something wonderful and we have that with Finlay, he is so wicked but makes us roar with laughter. He is long legged and long bodied but tiny still. I have had to have a coat ordered bespoke for him as his neck is 12 inches but he is 18 inches long. Big Cwtches from all of us to you. Have a very peaceful, happy Christmas xxx
He sounds absolutely adorable and a real tonic when he makes you both laugh so much when laughter is the best medicine! You’ll have to do a post of him in his new coat when it arrives.
Thanks you for your kind wishes. Have fun, all of you! 🤗😘🎅🏼🤶🏻🐶xxx
Most definitely! Enhances with scarf 🥶 at least will keep him warm. Looks wonderful and just the tonic I needed to cheer me up 🥰
I had an accident whilst in Barbados. My husband comes from there and we were visiting Father-in-law for his 95 birthday on Saturday 26 November.
Later in the evening, my husband, son and I were walking and I fell to the ground on an even footway. My left foot went one way, and right knee twisted. Excruiating agony pain.
We then had to cut our holiday short, as Barbados private doctor could do surgery for Right knee Quadricep Tendon repair but there is no Speciality care for Auto-immune condition in Barbados.
I arranged through Travel Insurance to have repatriation night flight 2/12/22 back to Heathrow. Whereby, we went in Virgin upperclass as needed to lie down. It was an experience to say the least, especially when hubby had to change my pull up Lol 😆
Emergency Ambulance 2 member crew were waiting for me and took me directly to Basingstoke hospital on 3/12/22.
I am under Rheumatology so liasied and co-ordinated my diagnosis with Doctor's and my own room was waiting for me on D2.
I had emergency surgery on 6/12/22 and discharged home by stretcher ambulance on 9/12/22.
I have limited mobility as right leg is in brace for 6-8 weeks. I do weight bear each day, when moving to bathroom 🚻 lounge etc in our bungalow.
I had my Walker from when poorly but Hopital OT gave me list for Red Cross to source Wheekchair with right elevation. Luckily, Andover had both in stock and kindly brought back to Basingstoke as he lives here. I have wheelchair until 2/2/23.
I have registered with Dial A Ride and they will take me for my physiotherapy appointments etc. Fracture clinic 23/12/22 to remove sultures and set Brace range to 30%.
I had OT equipment delivery 12/12/22 a foot sling to help lift and lower leg and a bed frame support.
Although I have Connection tissue disorder, Sjogren's Syndrome, Fibromyalgia...I have never experienced an injury and never had to use a wheelchair ♿️ before. My recovery will be 3 months.
I have a fabulous attentive husband and great support with family 👪 ❤️
So pleased the wee guys cheered you up. 👍🏻 I’m SO sorry to hear about the ordeal you went through in Barbados. So pleased the surgery is now behind you but having limited mobility over the festive season will be tough. 🙁 At least OT were quick which is a blessing (our local OT took almost a year to deliver my equipment!!!) and thank goodness you are in a bungalow.👍🏻 Sadly a few of us on here have had trips to remember for all the wrong reasons. 😉🤣 But at least in time you can laugh about it.
It sounds like you have everything in place now to help you and I wish you a smooth road to recovery.🙏🏻 Hoping you still manage to have a very happy Christmas. 🎄🎅🏼 🎁 xx
Your knitted little guys really touched me as my Nan used to knit these and it brought back fond memories 🥰
Christmas will be very different. You know what, I will have my family and what is important.
Yeah, definitely a lot of laughs 🤣when telling my story as you can not make it up.
I was given The Ministry of Transport and Works, Barbados number from a kind woman who worked in hotel restaurant. I emailed photos of uneven footpath, Private Doctor diagnosis, letters x-rays etc to
as thought it could be fatal for someone.
Anyway, the day we were being repatriated back, Ministry of Transport and Works emailed to say they acknowledge my receipt for compensation for injuries sustained whilst walking along St Lawrenve Gap, Christ Church. Please note that a file will be created for processing of the matter.
The Ministry wishes you a complete and early recovery. I was taken back.
Better than you could hope for in the UK!!! I'm quite relieved that when I travel my medical insurance includes repatriation - and if I choose the top level, it is available immediately rather than after 3 days. Which I do feel might be necessary if I visit the UK ...
Aaah, I understand why the wee guys touched you so much. That is lovely. 🥰 And it is also lovely you’ll have your family with you at Christmas. Sadly I don’t have any and hubby’s live in Australia but we’ll get a Skype with them over Christmas.
You certainly get some laughs retrospectively of medical events abroad. I had to be landed in Prague several years ago with suspected heart attack. When I was taken off the plane by stretcher and wearing an oxygen mask, a policewoman ran to wards me before I was loaded into the ambulance and said with hand outstretched, “Passport please!” I was so ill I couldn’t laugh at the time, but it does seem hilarious now.
I hope you get some good compensation for that awful accident. 🤞 In the meantime, have a lovely Christmas yourself Energy, and all your family too. 🎄🎁☃️💕xxx
Thanks Energy. It may be a long time before I feel up to flying to Oz once again but it is definitely something to aim for. The family were here for a few days in September which was lovely, so we hope they’ll be back again before too long.🙏🏻
Hoping you manage to get your SUV 🤞 Love and hugs to you too and wishes for a full and quicker than expected recovery. 💕🤗🙏🏻xx
wishing you a speedy recovery from your leg injury. I had an injury Oct 20 but no treatment due to the pandemic. Two years on to now I’m still limping but my top tip is swimming when or if you can, it’s really improved my leg.
Aww, thank you so much Mrs M. Yes I recall you liked my sheep. The flock is still getting bigger.🤣 Thanks for your kind wishes and I hope 2023 is a good year for all of us. 🙏🏻 Have a lovey Christmas! 🤗xx
Oh these little guys are so cute SE you are so clever, I love how casual they look with their hands in their pockets😄 and I think the scarf does enhance him 😍 My mum used to knit little things like these and I still have three, ones a snowman, a choir boy and an Angel, they must be at least 30 years old now but I still put them on the Xmas tree every year. I’ve finished the little frog but haven’t put it together as my fingers have been so sore with nasty finger splits around my nails made worse by my Raynauds😖 oh the joys of winter 🥶
Will be in touch soon, sorry for the delay it’s all a bit busy here and I didn’t get to my rheumy appointment yesterday because of hubby having a bad Menieres episode so now it’s 31st Jan and my bladder is playing up and post surgery issues so to be honest I didn’t feel like that journey, I did ask if I could speak on the phone but they said no as it wasn’t an allocated telephone clinic which seems a bit daft to me, if you’ve got an allocated appointment slot surely you should still be able to speak with the dr 🤦♀️ 🤔
I’ve booked a private appointment with my Gynae as NHS can’t tell me when I’ll get my follow up with him, I'm fearful it’s all prolapsed again as it’s all feeling like it did before I had the surgery if not worse, I had the MRI on Saturday so I’m hoping it will have been reported on by then.
I hope your fatigue has improved, how’s your back now?
I thought it was cold here at 0/-2 but -10 must be oh so bitterly cold 🥶
Thank you so much EDD for your kind remarks about the casual laid back guys. 😉 The consensus seems to be for a scarf so the knitting pins will be out again in tonight getting them kitted out. I think it only right anyway given the weather! 😆 Aww, those figures your Mum made sound lovely and should of course be put on the tree every year.👍🏻👍🏻 I still have a few decorations my Mum had and loved (she didn‘t make them) and I’ll never part with them however old they are. Well done finishing the 🐸, I look forward to seeing him. There’s no hurry to put him together because he’ll be hibernating anyway 😄 so make sure those awful splits have healed first. Hubby sympathises with you because he suffers them too. My Raynaud’s causes chilblains for me but they are more manageable than splits. So sorry to hear that. And I’m so sorry to hear your hubby has had another Menieres attack. 😩 Does the weather affect him at all? I hope it settles again very soon.🙏🏻 What a shame your Rheumy appt had to be cancelled because of it, but it can’t be helped and may be just as well when you were feeling so poorly. But very odd as you say that they can’t have done it by phone. 🤷🏼♀️ My hubby thinks it will be the administrators who made that decision - his pet hate. Hopefully 31st Jan will be here before you realise it. I’m still waiting for my Rheumy appt which was due the end of August. 🙄
I hope your private appt with the Gynae goes well and that the MRI result is available in time. 🤞 I’m so very sorry to hear you’re feeling as though you have prolapsed again. 😩 Very uncomfortable and distressing when you’ve had the surgery once already.
My fatigue has improved slightly thanks Diane, but my shoulder is killing me again and lower back threatening to play up if I move in a way it doesn’t approve of.😠
Yes, it is still freezing hard but it makes walking a bit easier. Here I am in thermals, 2 long sleeved tops, leggings and fleece trousers, thick coat and thick knitted hat and snood I made as well as suprthick gloves. I had a frozen moustache when we got home. 🤣
Take care and let me know how you get on. Big hugs. 🤗💕😘🙏🏻xxx
I love this pic SE, you look super cosy and you definitely need your thermals in this bitter weather, it does look very pretty with the ice and snow 😍. Thanks for your good wishes, I’ve sent you a separate message.
We’ve had no snow EDD, that is all frost! Minus 9 this morning so things are warming up since yesterday! 🤣 Saw GP this morning and he’s given me another steroid injection into the shoulder. He suspects biceps tendonitis and thinks this will help, and if not he’s going to order an MRI. Thanks for your separate message EDD and I’ll get back to you very soon, with news of my copper leaves. In the meantime I hope you like this close up of the frost. I loved your warm hugs - much appreciated in this weather. 🥰 Not so warm hugs back to you. 😉🤗❄️🎄☃️💕xx
What a lovely photo of the frost, I can’t believe your other picture is all frost, isn’t that just so beautiful 😍 all the better with you in it of course 😉😃. We had two inches of snow on Sunday so I assumed that was snow too and it’s still laying on the ground, the paths are treacherous where it’s all impacted and turned to ice, it’ll be gone in a couple of days as it turns a tad warmer with miserable rain 😞!
Glad to hear you’ve had another steroid injection for your shoulder, fingers crossed that works for you and you get some relief especially over Christmas 🤞.
Look forward to hearing from you with your news of the copper leaves 🥰
Yes, this frosty weather is just beautiful and makes walking so easy on the fluffy frosty crisp ground. It is too cold to snow here evidently although some is expected tomorrow evening when the temps are to rise slightly . The trees and plants look gorgeous in their sparkling white robes, but my heart goes out to the beasts in the fields. 😩
Sorry to hear your snow created slippery conditions and is giving way to rain. I hate the slush that creates, but it is due to happen here too very soon. ☹️
Hi Misty, yes it seems the scarf is a good addition so I’ll knit up some more so they each have one (don’t want any squabbling if somebody is left out!🤣).🧣🧣🧣 I was glad of the hat and scarf/snood I’d knitted for myself in this freezing weather. Very cosy. 🥰 But I feel SO sorry for the poor sheep and cattle in the fields with no shelters. 🌨️🌨️ Poor things. ☃️❄️ I really don’t know how they survive. Such a shame they can’t all have a farmer like Adam!
Sorry you’ve had a difficult year, Spotty. Your wee figures are great. I find knitting and crocheting keeps me sane. I’ve done a few blankets for Ukraine this year and recently I’ve been doing hat and mitt sets which were given away at the local Food Bank. My family are delighted I’ve found another outlet!
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas. And this cold spell ends soon!
Glad you like my wee figures Barbara and like you I find knitting and crocheting therapeutic and calming. How lovely to have knitted some blankets for Ukraine and the hat and mitt sets are a wonderful idea too. Such a kind thing to do. A friend knitted 6 blankets for the needy in UK giving them to the Salvation Army to distribute as they think best. You are both very inspirational.
Hoping you and all your family have a very merry Christmas and I hope 2023 is a happy and healthier one for you Barbara. Take care. 🤗🎄🎅🏼🎁xx
spotty they are so brilliant I love them ! You’re very talented. I’m sorry you’ve had such a challenging year but I’m glad you’re getting support . You take care x
I’m so pleased you like them Tiggy. 👍🏻 Thank you so much for your kind words. I see my GP later this morning for shoulder and back pain and then a psychologist again next month to tackle another trauma that’s begun haunting me again.
I hope you are keeping as well as can be?🙏🏻 Have a lovely Christmas and I hope 2023 is a good year for all of us. 🎅🏼🎄🎁🤗xx
Thank you Lucylou. That’s an idea. They would look nice on a full size Christmas tree, so I might give them to somebody who has one as ours is only 5 feet tall. 😆 So pleased you like them. Have a lovely Christmas Lucylou. 🤶🏻🎄🎁☃️xx
Aww, thank you so much Stills. I’ll try knitting them mittens they can hang round their necks like infants and see if that encourages them to remove their hands from their pockets. 🤣 Hoping you have wonderful Christmas and a happy new year. 🙏🏻🎄🎁☃️xx
Love your little people maybe you could do some purple ones for Lupus ?I am knitting squares to make blankets to keep people warm, I am lucky that I belong to knitters & stitchers in Norfolk & we make & give are products to charities.🥰
It find it helps with finger pain & keeps me busy.
What a lovely group your Norfolk knitters and stitchers sound.🥰 I set up a stall every now and again to sell the items in our village hall, or at Bannatynes on one occasion, with all proceeds going to Lupus UK. I’ve posted a few of these in the past. But I love the idea of knitting some in purple. VERY appropriate. Thanks Looply.👍🏻👍🏻 You must post some of your creations on here. We all love to see each others crafts. 😍
Yes, I’m the same finding knitting keeping my fingers working and keeping me busy whilst in front of the TV. 😉
Happy knitting Looply🧶, and Merry Christmas 🎅🏼🎄. xx
You are so kind Hoofprints. Thank you. Yes, I’ve started on wee scarves for them already. They’ll be warm and toasty for the rest of the winter.😉 Have a lovely Christmas!🎅🏼🎄xx
These are adorable Spotty-ewe! Certainly keeping themselves warm with cosy hats and hands in pockets! Think the others are all jealous of the handsome chap in the scarf! Certainly needed in this cold 🥶 🧣
🤣🤣 Thank you GE. They don’t know it yet, but they are all receiving a knitted scarf for Christmas.😉 Thankfully they only take a few minutes to knit. 👍🏻 Hoping you are doing OK.🙏🏻 Wishing you have a very happy and cosy Christmas. 🎅🏼🎄🎁🔥🪵 xx
Great to hear from you Spotty! Love your knitted people. If I could this app to work properly, I would post my needlepoint. Like you, I have to keep the hands busy and it is so calming.
Hi Kay!😃 How lovely to hear from you too. So pleased you like the knitted people - all in scarves now.😉 What a shame you can’t post your needlepoint work.☹️ I’d love to see it and I’m sure the rest of the forum would too. Such intricate work I believe. You must have great patience. Hoping you are keeping as well as you can be.🙏🏻 Take care and have a lovely Christmas. 🤗😘🎅🏼🎄🎁x
Aww, thank you Stiff. I appreciate it. Isn’t it time you were posting some of your gorgeous felting projects for us all to see? A VERY busy time of year I know, but maybe in the new year? Have a lovely Christmas! 🤗😘🎄🎁xx
Thankyou Spotty 🙏 hoping you are well as can be too 💐hope you have a good xmas . This has been a tough year I hope xmas brings some rest and peace🎄. 🧶keep up the lovely work always great to see your talents, I wish I could knit properly 🤣 all I can do is rows of knit and pearl 😂😂😂 take care 😘🤗🎄🎄x
Thank you Stiff. 🥰 Looking forward to seeing more of your talents on here.🤞 In the meantime wishing you and your loved ones (human, furry, feathered and scaled) a VERY happy Christmas. 🤗😘🎅🏼🪵🔥🎄🎁xxxxx
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