Feeling Blessed

It is no secret that friends and family are important and I feel for those who don't have either in their lives. This new journey I am on has made me appreciate both family and friends even more so, and how blessed I am to have such support. I have been overwhelmed with all your kind messages and I can tell you that they truly help. One can find oneself feeling somewhat mellow and then a message will come through that lifts the spirits. Some friends have perhaps been a little quieter than I thought they might be but perhaps that is because they don't know what to say and I think I have even been the same with people I know who have faced this very challenge. I can tell you though that it is just the very best to get a little cheerio! One special friend who lives 4-5 hours away has been sending me images from her garden every day and gee they pick me up and make me smile!......

I received these gorgeous flowers a week ago from someone I don't know that well and that really stirred my heart. The deep pink stock flowers have smelt gorgeous and the cards and messages have made me smile too.......

Emily being a nurse put on her practical hat and prepared a basket of wonders (and fear) for me!! I love the messages from Beau and Maisie but we will forgive Beau for the "gonna" in his message!! I feel so lucky that Emily is an RN and has insight into the process but we did both get a little muddled with the chemo protocol and what I thought was 12 weeks of weekly chemo is actually 20 weeks with an extra 8 weeks of fortnightly tacked on the end......so it looks like I will still be at it over Christmas and New Year too.....

Another dear friend who also lives 4 hours away surprised me with these thoughtful gifts and special words that arrived in the mail. I was going to journal but I think the blog will replace that from time to time instead and I will fill the journal with something positive another day......

With one treatment down I have been doing my best to be healthy so a walk each day with Larry has been welcome. We went looking for ducks but a recent storm had rendered the river rather brown and murky and there were not many ducks to be found........

And walks on the beach despite the chilly air are rather contemplative and refreshing.........

Larry took one last snapshot of my hair before the first chemo session and I can tell you it doesn't look like that now! I think tomorrow I might need a very short trim as I'm told the hair will probably be gone in a week or so.........

So what better way to conclude than with a quilt....this time from Elaine of her version of my Fantasy quilt. It is just stunning and Elaine's son was the lucky recipient. Thanks for sending me your photo Elaine x. Blessings to all and hope wherever you are that you are safe and well xx

The detour begins

 First of all a huge thankyou from the bottom of my heart for all your lovely messages from my last post. I wish I could answer you all personally but many were not linked to an email address but please know the difference it makes having such wonderful support. The 'detour' begins this week with weekly chemotherapy for 12 weeks so I might be absent for lengthy periods! It has been a very busy two weeks having many scans and further tests and knowing I have an aggressive form of cancer means that I am going to be determined and somewhat aggressive in kicking it into oblivion! I have learnt so much in this short space of time but can't absorb any more information.....I will just go with the flow and do my best to keep my chin up when I am feeling low. I have all sorts of headwear ready and waiting and my scarves might come in very handy on my head instead of my neck!.......

I will certainly miss cuddles with the little people in our lives but I've had many these past couple of weeks. Only yesterday I spent the afternoon with Beau on our own. We went for a long walk on the beach and he kept grabbing my hand and telling me I was awesome. I asked him why and he said "because you are famous Nanna"!! I told him I was only famous in the quilting world but he still thought it was "awesome" as it meant he is famous too! 

Maisie had her ears pierced a week ago and it was an extra special treat for her confidence with her little microtia ear.......

Cuddles with Wade will be few and far between and my oncologist has said No to any childcare. The other day I asked for a smile and what a cracker this one was!!.......

I have met so many of you across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada and the US and I know many of you have travelled this rather unpleasant detour as well, so I am most definitely not alone. So please forgive me if your emails or messages are left unanswered for a time.....I will try my best to keep up with them. I've received more flowers this past week and it has been joyful to watch them each day.........

The garden is also changing with Spring just around the corner so there will be more blooms to enjoy........

I will leave you with this lovely photo from Hellen in New Zealand. She has just completed it from a class that I taught in New Zealand a couple of years ago. I just love the bright colours that Hellen has used.....a bright and happy quilt that makes me smile. Thankyou Hellen x Take care all and I hope that my next chat is not too far away x

Taking a detour

As we travel through life we are often faced with "detours" that take us to places we may not have traveled before. Some of the best detours Larry and I have taken have been on our travels both here and overseas. One of the best memories was a detour we took in the Cotswolds. We had a regular driver who would meet us at Heathrow and we had some long and enjoyable chats to him. On our first visit he decided to take us on a scenic route to see some quintessential chocolate box cottages........

Closer to home we take a detour on our local Morris tours to visit secrets in the hills.......

And just a few minutes from home we often take a detour for some time out walking along the coast this time watching some kite flyers......

Another recent detour took us to see the blossom that seems to have come early despite the very cold winter....

And along the way looking for a coffee stop we found these beauties.......

Taking detours with this little man is always a joy and this time it was to a new adventure playground......

I am about to take a major detour of a different kind. The future is unknown but it will involve some serious treatment for several months. Facing one's mortality is always confronting and losing my hair even more so! But I will do my very best to beat this beast with love and support around me. I've already discovered what friendship and support means with lots of lovely flowers, phone calls and emails........

It has been very difficult letting people know but I felt that with some knowing and some not that it was time to "go public". Whilst I have had to cancel several events I will still keep the mind busy (and body if it allows!), into stitching and designing new work.  So till next time I hope you are safe and well. We are especially thinking of those across the border in Victoria as they face another severe lockdown with this second wave of Covid. Take care all x