Race Against Time: Time is Winning!

Howdy doody on this fine, bright, summer morn.

Well, that is a bit of a fib.  It isn't bright, it isn't morn and if it is summer then it needs to get it's act together and get warmer and sunnier before I will believe it!
I am a bit disappointed in the little craftyness I have achieved since my last post which also talked about a lack of mojo.  I seem to have lost it big time!

 I have made something for an exchange but it hasn't been received yet so I can't show it.

 I've joined a lovely quilting club in Roscommon with lovely, inspirational members and thanks to their support I'm working on a quilted panel.  It looks a bit ropey at the moment..sorry.  It was folded away for my holiday and I promise it will be ironed before I start working on it again.  I was so brave..I cut out and added the side panels and the quilting is a mixture of hand quilting and machine quilting.  Panels are a nice, easy way to gently ease your way into the world of quilting and I am very pleased with the results so far.  It will eventually be a wall hanging for my bedroom.

I do have a stitchy start which is all I have to show for my WIPopocalypse this month.

And I do have some good excuses for my lack of productivity honest guv!

Firstly, on holiday, for the first time since my big c diagnosis, I relaxed.  I had such a fun time.  And unfortunately when I came back my body remained on holiday.  It had finally been given the rest it needed and it just didn't want to come back.  I was exhausted.  So fatigued.  Strangely no one else around me seems surprised by my almost complete collapse.  I guess I was the only one kidding myself and to be honest I have been running on adrenalin and sheer determination and this was during a time I should have been healing.

It is a woman/mother thing though isn't it?  We just do not look after ourselves and I really struggle to rest and not do anything.  Well, I have to behave now if I want any quality of life at all. At least for a little while anyway.

Secondly, the garden has been productive despite the lack of attention it has had and I have been busy making blackcurrent jam and pickled beetroots...and of course so many eggs...so I tried lemon curd.  It is gorgeous!

Thirdly and Finally.....meet Bella.

Bella is a rescue dog.  She is a boxer cross, and is gorgeous.  We brought her home just over a week ago ands he has settled in beautifully but as we already have three dogs and lots of hens, ducks and geese, we are allowing her to get used to everything very slowly and gently.  She is getting on very well with our other dogs now and ignores the birds most of the time but we don't dare let her off the long lead yet as she doesn't know recall and is a wee bit too interested in the chicks etc.
It is very time consuming but it is better in the long term that we do things gradually and give her a chance to get used to us and our routine.

We have been very lucky.  Apart from a few accidents and an urge to steal food, she is great.  She is just the right height to get things from the table and was neglected to food would of course be an issue.  She will learn though: it will just take time.

I tease my husband a lot.  We said that once I got better we could travel and see the world and fill whatever time I have with fun and adventure....then he came to pick me up from the ISPCA and I stupidly let him look at the dogs.  ' No more dogs' was my final word...next thing we are bringing Bella home.  No way will my daughter look after FOUR dogs lol.  Still...look at that sad expression..which she is very good at using to maximum effect when I catch her up the table! She had been at the centre for a long time so it was good to be able to offer her a home.

I've been reading all your blogs but have not had the energy to reply to many.  I am sorry.  I feel (or am hoping) that my mojo will be back as soon as I stop being so tired....and I have won a few giveaways which all help the inspirational juices!
Maggee had a giveaway and I was so lucky to win.  I received this lovely chart.

I also won another giveaway but will wait until it arrives to post about it.  It is so nice getting something which isn't a bill or junk-mail in the post isn't it?

I've been doing a lot of reading so I am well on my way to my 100 books in a year book challenge. For now books are easier than stitching sadly. And that is me done....tired just adding a post to my blog rofl.

So I will love you and leave you and hopefully I will have something more to show you next post.