General Blog

Wedding Update

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

My daughter has let me have copies of her wedding photos, so I can bring you an update on how it all went.

parentals
This is the bride and groom with their parents.  I’m the one in purple

I think the flowers turned out really well, Vicci’s choice of colours was lovely and bright and cheery

bridesmaids
Beautiful autumn shades for all the bridesmaids

The men weren’t left out

buttonholes
The groom’s buttonhole

I do think my darling daughter looked particularly lovely 🙂

1497.JPG

My son scrubs up pretty well too – Heffalump was also part of the bridal party

168.JPG

It was definitely a wonderful day, filled with happy people enjoying themselves.  The perfect start to a marriage.

This is my favourite picture from the day.  I have a framed copy to go up on the wall.  It’s just so fabulously romantic and gloriously gothic, there could be werewolves or vampires hiding behind those gravestones and the lit up window in the background is just perfect!

wedding

 

Being Art

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

Last night I had the pleasure of modelling for a life art class in Huntingdon.

It’s a fabulous thing to do.  It’s one of the few times where it genuinely doesn’t matter what size or shape you are, you will still be appreciated.  I find it really relaxing, all I have to do is keep still for however long the pose it, it gives me time to meditate with absolutely nothing to distract me.  The time just flies by.

I usually hate photos of me, my mental picture of me doesn’t match up with the short, fat, clumsy looking blob that always turns up in photos and seeing the reality is depressing.  I’m absolutely dreading the photos at Vicci’s wedding, I feel like I’ll ruin any of the pictures I’m in by being so fat and ugly.  I’ve been dieting ever since I knew it was happening and I know it will be a wonderful day but I’ll still feel like a hideous monster when the photos start to appear.

Somehow though, drawings are a different matter.  I love seeing the wonderful range of pictures that people produce.  There’s so many different ways of making art.  The artists always manage to capture something I like, even when they’re showing all the lumps and bumps.

I inevitably come away feeling really good about myself and just that little bit more confident about how I look.  I know I need to lose weight but even as fat as I am, I still have a body that can inspire art. (I’ve just been diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetic so I definitely do need to lose weight and improve my eating habits as it will have a positive impact on how I feel) .

Last night was especially good for me.  A couple of the artists told me I was their favourite model and one of them was kind enough to let me have one of the pictures she had drawn of me curled up in a comfy chair with a book.  I am going to get it framed and it will hang in my bedroom as a reminder that however bad I may feel about my body, it is still worth something.  I am art.

Working

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

I’ve got some extra office work for a few months.

For once it’s actually something a bit more interesting and creative than general admin.  I’m working for an agronomist doing soil analysis zoning.

It looks really interesting.  They use geophysical surveys and satellite images to collect data about fields and my job is to use that data to define zones within the field.  They then take samples from each zone which are sent off to a lab for analysis. The agronomists and farmers then use that data to decide exactly what fertilizers are needed in each area for optimum results.

From my perspective it looks a lot like trying to convert photographs or pictures into cross stitch charts or simplifying them into bands of colour for artwork.  So it should be kind of fun 🙂

And now I pay…

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

This is what I hate about having fibromyalgia.  The day after.

I feel so useless.

My legs feel like they have heavy weights strapped to them.  They ache and moving them requires so much extra effort.  There is no way to sit comfortably but the pain involved in adjusting position is overwhelming.

Laying down would be a good option for my legs, but doing that makes my neck and shoulders feel even worse.  Sitting up they are just a dull throb that I can almost ignore unless I try to do something strenuous – like lifting a cup of tea or turning the page of a book.

My hands are already shaking just from this little bit of typing.  I definitely won’t be able to do any crafts or handwriting today.  My right hand is worst, it feels swollen, every little movement hurts as it stretches the already throbbing tissue.  I suspect that’s my price for getting all the stock made over the last few days.

At least today’s headache isn’t as bad as having a migraine, it’s more at the annoying level than the crippling level.  My eyes feel heavy and it’s hard to concentrate, but that could just as easily be because the pain stopped me getting a decent night’s sleep as an actual fibro symptom.

I am lucky enough to have my wonderful Gary to look after me so I won’t have to try and keep doing more than I can manage. He’ll do the cooking and bring me drinks and food.  He’ll do any other fetching and carrying that’s needed.  All I have to do is try and find the most comfortable position to rest in – but right now that feels like an almost unmanageable challenge.

61a867f1d9a8ce18a3aa96c7e558d21c

Exciting times

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

First – I have a craft fair on Saturday.  Am going to be spending the next few days frantically making stuff to sell.  My aim is to end up with a couple of display boards filled with earrings plus a few necklaces and earrings.  Today I also bought a couple of packs of canvas so if I get enough made tomorrow and Thursday I will try and create a few mixed media collages as well.

I’m really nervous, selling is not something I am at all good at so this will show me whether I have actually learned anything from this course I’ve been doing.  Fingers crossed and all that!

In other even more exciting news, my lovely daughter Vicci announced her engagement a few days ago.  She’s marrying a lovely guy who I am sure she will be very happy with so I couldn’t be more thrilled for her.

They’ve picked a date just 5 months away so it’s going to be a whirlwind of preparation. We’ve already been dress shopping and she’s bought a beautiful frock that she looks amazing in.  I only cried once, which is pretty good going I thought.

IMG_2024

That is not THE dress, just one of the many she tried on.

I’m not even thinking about what I’m wearing yet, I want to try and get some serious dieting in before we reach that point.  Vicci has suggested that I wear something with plum tones which is her bridesmaids colour so it will probably be easier to find something in that colour once the autumn gets here.

I get the fun of doing the flowers and maybe making some jewellery for Vicci and her bridesmaids.  I love wedding crafts so am looking forward to it  She has some lovely ideas for what she wants.

Since this is supposed to be a crafts blog, I shall end by sharing the card insert I made for Vicci’s engagement card.  She likes sheep and thankfully found it amusing rather than cringeworthy 🙂

IMG_1974

So much for that idea

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

A friend of mine started a facebook group a couple of days ago, aimed at those of us who fear that the new tory government will mean more suffering for those most in need.  The idea being that rather than just moaning about how unfair it all is we’d try and do what we could to provide mutual support.  I think this is a brilliant way of looking at the situation – practical help and emotional support can make a real difference to those who need them, and lets face it that could be any of us.

This time last year I had a nice full time office job that I knew I was good at and that felt ‘safe’ – now I think it’s unlikely that I will ever work full time again.

Anyway, one of the things I decided to do as a way of making a little bit of a difference was to volunteer with the local food bank.  There’s one run from the church in Ramsey that’s part of the Trussel Trust.  I found their website and tried emailing them but the email bounced so when I went to the craft course this morning I thought I’d call in.  The website said to ask at the cafe in the indoor market – only when I got there they told me that was no longer the case so I went down to the church where the food bank was actually in session.

I had a chat and gave my details and it all looked to be going ok until they started talking about “Revive” which is a prayer group which also serves food.  I said that wasn’t for me as I am not a Christian and just wanted to help with the foodbank.  And at that point I was told that I couldn’t be a volunteer as it was a church thing only.

If that’s their attitude to potential volunteers what on earth are they like with non Christians who need help?  That’s over 40% of the population if we match up to the national average.  We probably don’t match up given how ‘middle England’ Ramsey is but I know there are pagans and buddhists and muslims in the area at least.

Voting

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

I’ve just been and voted.  It only took a few minutes, the polling station is within walking distance.  It doesn’t seem like such a big deal really, but that just shows how fortunate we are.  There are places where people face violence for exercising the same right I have just, so casually enjoyed.  I live in what is considered an ultra safe area so the chances of our current MP being replaced are slim to none, but even so I can be sure that my vote will be counted and that only the votes of those who made that minimal effort to turn up and make their mark or arranged a postal vote in advance will be counted alongside mine.

I don’t like the current government and I like some of the parties standing against them even less.  To be honest there isn’t a single party I am 100% in favour of, but even if my choice of government won’t win this seat at least I can vote against the ones I really dislike.  It’s good to know that even if they win outright they will know that there are people like me who object, perhaps it will be enough to sway their minds on some of the policies.

I have no idea what the outcome is going to be, but I think it was worth taking part.

New project – furry monster dice bags

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

I am going to have a try at making furry monster dice bags.  Gary wants one and if I make a couple one can be donated to the raffle at Contraption to help the lovely Chris buy Raspberry Pis for the school that Jack goes to.

I don’t have a pattern so will be making it up as I go along.  It should be easy enough though, just a simple drawstring bag, fur on the outside, red on the inside, teeth around the edge.  Maybe with a tongue to loll around inside.

How hard can it be?

Hello world!

~ DMWCarol ~ Leave a comment

So people keep telling me I should try blogging.  I’m not entirely sure what I’ll write about – probably my various dabblings with crafts and recipes and writing and whatnot. I’m not promising to be interesting or different.

I’m hoping having a blog will inspire me to actually be more creative and give me a way to connect with other people who have similar interests to my own.

If you happen to drop by, please do leave me a comment, it would be nice to know who reads and what you think.