Good Weekend after the pain

I knew it would happen. The pain after the pleasure. 10 minutes of belly dancing ( see previous blog) on Wednesday lead to 4 days of severe back pain. I don't know why I think I can get away with it. I never learn.

The weekend was good. My son, daughter in law and their grand daughters came to see me on Saturday. I like to see the babies even though the baby was whinging all the time. It took my mind off my back pain having a bit of company. The dog of course was very glad to see his mum and dad again and sulked a bit once they went. He soon revived with a walk.

On Sunday my niece came to take me to Ramsbottom to the craft shop and to do a bit of shopping. We finished up in the garden centre. I bought some broad beans, lettuce and some herbs and several packets of seeds to I guess I will be busy in the next few weeks. My plastic mini greenhouse arrived from Amazon this morning (the grow house arrived on Friday) so it is now made up and housing the baby plants and is ready for the seeds. I think I should have ordered another one or two of them.

My niece brought me her crochet jumper that she had started from the Happy Hooker book. She has done very well with the body part but needs the sleeves to be a bit wider than the pattern (our family is blessed with quite chunky upper arms) so needs Auntie to improvise on them and make them wider and yet still fit the armhole! Hmm I will have to work on that one! As she is a beginner she cannot vary from the pattern as written, so any variations she can't cope with. It will all come to her with time and practise.

The picture on the blog is of a shawl I have started for my niece for her holiday abroad. It is in some black Lystwist I found in my stash in the loft. The yarn is somewhat finer than the pattern so I will have to do some improvisation to make it long enough. If I just keep increasing and do a lot more rows it should eventually get to the right length. It will be a labour of love as I think it will take me some time to finish it. I am always doing 2 or 3 garments at once. Black I can only work in daylight and I have 2 black crochet garments on the go. The cardigan seen in the last blog and now the shawl. I am also crocheting a white bolero and knitting a red mohair cardigan for myself in between.

The joys of a bad back

No crochet today as yet. The sun was shining for once. It doesn't happen that often at this time of the year in rainy Manchester so I decided to venture out into the place that I laughingly call my garden. It wouldn't be so bad if the grass wasn't mostly moss and if next door's holly bush had remained a bush instead of being allowed to revert to nature as is now a massive tree. I have to wage a weekly war on the horrible prickly holly leaves that only blow on my garden and never the neighbours.

I decided to treat myself to a leaf hoover blower thinking it would make the job easier. Big mistake. I am waiting for major back surgery and that thing was not designed for anyone who has even a twinge of backache. I keep thinking of ways to modify it so that I would not have to lean slighty forward supporting the full weight of the contraption whilst it hovers about an inch from the ground. If I stand straight then I can't see the leaves! My back starts to protest like mad from the first minute and by the end of the hoovering session is screaming for the mercy that only a hot bath can give it. If anyone does read my ramblings I would welcome any suggestions. A neck harness like a ploughman's yolk maybe? At least I have the satisfaction of knowing that the noise the hoover makes kept next door from their Sunday afternoon nap! When I asked about maybe chopping the tree down or at least trimming it so I could get a modicum of sunlight on the lawn I was told it was a feature of the garden!

Not a great day all in all. I was awakened at 7am when I put my hand in a wet patch made I presume by the cat who must have had a wee on my bed (with me in it!) I think the poor old soul has finally lost it. He is almost 15yrs old and has thyroid trouble and now maybe kidney troubles as well. I will see what the vet says. Has e lost his marbles or what? I love him to bits having adopted him when his owner, one of my neighbours, moved to a house on a main road and as the cat is deaf as well as old was not going to keep him as there was no garden for him. Like all pet owners I am dreading the day when I have to say enough is enough so hope this morning's mishap was a one off. I can't face washing the duvet every day!

Maybe tonight I will finally get around to my crochet again. Last night I fell asleep watching the tv. Another sign of me getting old! The cat and I are well matched I think. The photo is Ollie having a rest after trying to attack the baubles on the tree at Christmas!