Tough Times Ahead

If you've been following me the last couple of days on Facebook you'll know that I'm going through a rough time.  I was called on Wednesday evening by my "baby" brother that my Dad had called an ambulance for my Mum.  I knew that she had not been feeling well for awhile.  That dizziness, ringing in her ears and nausea had slowly put her to bed more and more each day.  Slowly she was also eating less and less.  She had gotten so weak she couldn't take care of herself anymore, and it was time to strong arm her into getting some medical assistance.  Its very hard/damn near impossible to get my Mum to/near a doctor.  I've managed to do it in the past but I had an inkling that this time it would require an ambulance.

Not only is my Mum so weak she can't make it across a room without assistance, it has been discovered that there are issues with her liver.  She's already had a couple of tests, but now we're waiting on an MRI which I don't suspect will happen until Tuesday, its a long weekend and its one of those ones where the ambulances tend to be very busy.  My Mum is in a small-town hospital, and the only way to get her specific tests is to have her transported by ambulance into the city and a bigger hospital.  She already had to do this once for her first two tests.  There are moments where her sense of humour still peeks through, after her first tests she mentioned that she was a little tired of waking up in different places.

Mum does keep hoping she's going home soon, but I think its going to be awhile.  We've been dividing up the visiting hours among us to make sure that Mum isn't alone for long.

So life has kinda gone on hold for now, I am continuing going into work and spending the evenings in the hospital.  I'll save my days for when I'm really needed, for when Mum comes home.  Very little stitching is going on, and I don't think the wedding sampler I'm working on will be ready for Saturday, the 10th.  Also I don't know if I'll be able to go to the wedding, it depends on how Mum is doing and if I feel comfortable being a 2 hour drive from her.  I could of also been at one of our wonderful stitchy weekends this weekend, but again I didn't want to be 3 hours from home, nor do I think I would of enjoyed myself or been good company.

That's where things stand for now, I'm skipping out on setting goals for this month cause I don't think I'll even be able to accomplish a single one.  I do get a few stitches in when I can, and when I'm not so exhausted that I just want to crawl into bed.

Its not easy having an ill parent.

PhotoHunt: Wrong

This week's theme is Wrong.  Gosh so many pictures could fall under the category of "wrong" it was almost hard to pick...

Earlier this summer Todd tried to make me kiss the pike I had caught.  Now that is just WRONG!  Can you not tell by the look on my face that this wasn't happening?

CRAZY PINK GIVEAWAY TO SAVE BOOBIES!!!!

Hello kind readers and fellow bloggers!  I just wanted to give you a quick update on my fundraising efforts for the 2011 CIBC Run For The Cure.

My goal this year is to raise $1000 towards Breast Cancer Research, last year I managed to raise just shy of $1,500 with your help!  This is my chance to give back after my Breast Cancer scare in 2007, this has become a cause very close to my heart.  I know that without the money raised in the past I would not of received the excellent and speedy care when my lump was found in my breast.

I've currently raised $205.00 ($170.00 through online donations, and $35 in person donations).

Click HERE to go to my personal online donation page

So what's with the giveaway you ask?  Well its going to be for anyone who makes (or has made) a donation and has done so because of one of my Blog entries!  Its going to be a CRAZY PINK BONANZA!   I will stitch you something PINK and I will fill the parcel with all kinds of PINK goodies.  If you haven't yet made a donation please leave me a personal message when you make your online donation (there's a box for that), letting me know you are donating because of my blog and you will be entered in the CRAZY PINK GIVEAWAY TO SAVE BOOBIES!  If you'd like to receive two extra entries (for a total of three) please share the information about this giveaway for a good cause on your blog!  Grab my little logo, post it on your blog and link to this blog entry!  Please leave me a comment to let me know you've shared my giveaway on your blog.  If you have already made a donation drop me a comment, or e-mail to let me know so I know to enter your name in the draw.

The deadline is October 1st... the run is on October 2nd!

TUSAL for August 29th

Its another New Moon which means its time for the TUSAL!

This month the ort jar is full of whites, blues, greys, and a little red.  I've worked on Enchantment of Winter, JBW Bear and currently a wedding sampler.

Today I received a wonderful surprise in the mail!  Dee was a superstar and offered to stitch up four quilt squares for me!  Dee and I have never met in person but we've got this wonderful online friendship... I hope sometime in the near future we'll have an opportunity to meet in person!

Not only did she stitch up 4 blocks but she knitted up these gorgeous cloths for me and included an adorable Mill Hill kit which I know Dee is a huge fan of!  Thanks Dee you rock!

Taekwon-Do Annual Outdoor Training Weekend

For the last few years at this time of year many of the students of Almonte Takewon-Do get together at Fitzroy Provincial Park for a day of outdoor training, BBQ, and just some all around fun!  Some of us, like myself we camp for the whole weekend, and boy did we have a beautiful weekend for it!

Here are some of my photos from the weekend:

Good friends... good times!

 

 Our younger students

 Almost Everyone in attendance, parents, students, kids and all

Yours Truly 

Doing a little teaching

Teaching the kids a little self defense, how to release a collar grab.

Working on writs grab releases

Little Tigers, our 4-6 year old program, practicing front snap kick

A little one-on-one with the non-student kids joining us in a little outdoor training

Flippin' the burgs'

Our head instructor Sabum Marin holding Logan one of our instructor's first child.  Check out his onesie, he's dressed up ready to train!

PhotoHunt: Symbolic

Today's PhtoHunt theme is Symbolic.  I started hunting through my pictures and it hit me right away... flags!  There is nothing more symbolic than a flag it can evoke a sense of pride, patriotism, anger, hope and so much more. 

The United Nations flag, this was taken this summer in Quebec City which was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  I'd like to think this flag/symbol gives a sense of hope to those around the world who live in war ravaged countries where Peacekeeping is needed.  The UN does so much more than Peacekeeping, but helping in developing nations, human rights, education, health care and more.

This picture was taken in the fall during at tour around "The Valley" with my friend Tracey.  I spotted this bucket of flags in a antique/junk store.  My ancestry is British.

This photo I took in March of 2010 in the Dominican Republic... the Canadian Flag, need I say more?

Stitching For Friends and Friends Stitching For Me

Quite some time ago I saw this post on Carolyn's blog.  Her Alphabet Zoo Round Robin had made it back home, but it wasn't finished!  Being the kind, wonderful person I am I left a comment on Carolyn's blog offering to stitch a block for her if she decided she needed a couple of needles to get the round robin finished.  My good friend Kathy also made the same kind offer.  Some time passed, and Carolyn did decide to take us up on our offer and Beatrice decided to get in on the fun too since there were 3 blocks to be done.

Kathy and Beatrice stitched theirs up in quick order, and when I arrived at Kathy's last Friday afternoon she passed the piece onto me.  I was going to tuck it away until I finished the wedding sampler I NEED to get done before September 10th.  Kathy told me it was such a quick stitch that I could finish it before I left on Sunday.

As usual, Kathy was right!

Alphabet Zoo

Blue Ribbon Designs

The block I stitched

While so many have been stitching for me, it was nice to return the favour for someone else.  Speaking of stitching for me, I had more quilt squares returned to me this past weekend.

Quilt Blocks stitched by Ann

Christin stitched these four for me