Thinning Thursdays - week 4. A month already?

It's that day of the week again. I'm happy to report that I have lost another one and a half pounds. I blame our day trip on Monday. That beer and crisps have a lot to answer for. On the subject of our, as Sandy put it, "Liverpoolian" friends Mike was having a bit of a sort out this afternoon and found something that might be of use.

Out of doors mode.

No need to hang out of bed mode.

For one week only (I think) I also have a creative space or two to share. While Mike was having a sort I finished off the bath panel. I tiled it weeks ago, but hadn't until today got round to grouting the gaps. We hope you like it.

Never mind a night on the tiles, I've spent days on them.

I mentioned four weeks ago that I had bought 50 metres of curtain lining. I also bought 20 metres of curtain fabric to try and make curtains for both of the reception rooms (get her and her posh ways.) The need to make my own becomes evident when you realise that the one room has a ceiling to floor window and measures 2.4m x 2.4m. We did price up made to measure curtains, but I nearly fainted at the thought of spending an arm and a leg just for a bit of privacy. So this is my other creative space of the day:

Yes it's GREEN.

Great Northern Run

Waking up yesterday feeling a lot better for some reason best known to the Myeloma secrets society, Lorna and I decided to try and help a maiden in distress. We set off from home on the Great Northern Run, aka train to St. Helens to deliver a crochet hook. A most pleasant day it was too. We had tea and a long chat with Paula and B and reluctantly bade farewell when B gave us a lift back to the railway station.
Well planned so it appeared....... until we realised that the next train was at 18.10 and it was 17.15. But we need not have worried, as someone with aforethought had conveniently built an inn called "The Junction" right over the railway bridge. We hastily ventured across the bridge and out of the cold night air settling down to a pint and a packet of crisps quietly tucked away in a corner, the locals all lined up against the bar on stools.
A friendly bunch they were, chatting away. I wasn't taking much notice until I heard the words "Spearmint Rhino"...... why were the locals so amused by chewing gum? And why then did the conversation turn to the function room upstairs being named "The Gay Loft". Jim in his cap was bemused.....chewing gum and happy people in the loft? Good job it was 18.05..... time to make a sharp exit.
All in all a really god day, thank you to our northern hosts xxxx

Enough already

Those of you who keep up with the goings on of Myeloma bods who blog will know only too well that it hasn't been a good 6 months here in the UK. Naming no names for fear of causing embarrassment we have had a spate of relapses and it feels as if there must have been something in the water as people have been dropping like flies. So without further ado:

"Myeloma enough already. Go away and leave us all in peace for at least the next 50 years!"

Poor Mike has been feeling a bit under the weather today. He reckons his Hb is low and plans to give the Day Unit a call in the morning so that they can check his levels and either put his mind at rest or give him the blood he thinks he needs. It's a long time until his next appointment with his consultant!

Thinning Thursdays - week 3

Two and a half pounds this week. Things are going OK, I do realise that it is a good weight loss, especially as I am eating plenty and not having to put up with hospital food! I do have moments when I lose motivation, but I just have to remind myself why I'm doing it. 16 weeks 4 days to go. Plenty of time then!

Sunny Saturday but Poorly Paula.

I logged on to FB this morning to find a message from  Margaret concerned about Paula as she hasn't blogged for over a week. Now I had started worrying last Saturday when she missed her daily blog. I just knew she wouldn't be beaten by a little bout of anything short of pubonic, I mean bubonic plague. So as I had her mobile number I sent her a text. Turned out she had decided to take a short break as her counts were low and they wanted to prod and poke her to find the little infection causing her high temperatures. Not being one to gossip, I felt it necessary to ask Paula if she minded me spreading her business about so I called her to ask. Turns out that although she has her lap top, she doesn't have any internet, so couldn't blog to keep us all informed. Obviously she didn't mind, that or I just decided to air her dirty laundry any way. It has however given her an unfair advantage on the Thinning Thursday front, the hospital food helped her lose 2kg in one week! I told her that I did think that maybe I'd jinxed her with my remark about her stash and a bus through her bedroom. Luckily I got away with it.

As part of Thinning Thursdays I have tried to increase the amount of activity in my life. I'd fallen into bad habits with the help of Mike. At one time I would walk to the shop every day for the day's supplies, now Mike drives us. So over the last couple of weeks I have been making sure I walk to the shop at least three times, aiming for six. I discovered today that my mobile phone has a little app that allows me to know how far I have walked, how quickly and how many calories I have used up.

Today has been a glorious sunny day, with a definite air of Spring about it, the perfect day for walking. Mike was up for it so we set off to the local DIY store to look for a few bits and pieces for the kitchen. We walked there and we walked back, with 10kg of tile adhesive in a back pack on my back! So at the risk of looking like a show-off  I'll share with you what I learnt. We took 1 hour 13 minutes to walk 4.1 miles at an average speed of 3.4 miles per hour and I burnt  592 calories (does that mean I can eat a Mars bar?) No? What about a funsize? OK, you're right. No point undoing all my good work.

Thinning Thursdays - Week 2

It's that time of the week again when I bore you all with my progress or lack of it. This week I have lost 5lbs,(it's probably under the pile of newspapers on the bedroom floor.) I'm not sure how it happened, maybe last week I drank too much water before I weighed myself, or maybe this week I didn't drink as much. Either way it is progress, I've now lost half a stone! Shame there is so much still to go. 17 weeks and 4 days left to turn myself into a gazelle instead of a hippo.



Too early?

I've spent the last couple of days contemplating Mike's visit to see Dr SB on Monday. Six weeks after his SCT and Mike was told he had achieved a partial response. When I raised an eyebrow of disappointment I was told only 30% achieve a complete response. In blogland it somehow feels like more, but I'm guessing that is because everyone is so positive. Dr SB is hoping that Mike will be approved for maintenance therapy, Mike has more questions to ask before deciding what to do. He has another appointment in six weeks.

The thing that puzzles me is that Mike hasn't had a bone marrow test and the paraprotein level was from blood taken on 28 Jan, which was just under five weeks after his SCT, is it maybe too early to tell what Mike's response has been? Or am I clinging by my fingernails to the cliff face at Dover?

Oh and I hope a friend in hospital gets well soon, I miss her. She'd know what to say to me. You aren't allowed flowers in hospital so these virtual ones are for you.

I've been a bad girl

You know how I mentioned the Rowan pattern books? Well I was bored on Wednesday and so I was just window shopping online, looking at this and that. I discovered that the yarn in two of the books has been discontinued, I wasn't too worried though as I was sure a substitute yarn could be found at a later date. Then the dreaded link to eBay appeared. Someone was selling their stash and in it was the very yarn I needed. I tried to resist, but it was no use, I had to place a small bid. Every thing was fine until there was only two minutes to go. I quickly worked out how much the yarn would cost to buy had it still been available and then halved it. That was my maximum bid. Sixteen  seconds to go and I was outbid again by 50p. No way I was  going to lose it for 50p! So with only seconds to go I placed one last bid. Would it be enough? Was there a Ruth or Paula in the background bidding against me? The seconds counted down........

My new additions

As you can see I won. Now don't look at me like that, Mike knew what I was doing AND he encouraged me. So it gives me great pleasure to introduce the new additions to my house.

Sandy: Rowan Linen Print. 20 small balls.

Gauguin: Rowan Braid 10 small balls

I've just got to find a home in the wardrobe for them, I must finish the other glove and jumper. Well it stops me using my hands for anything naughty! Wash your mind out Paula I meant eating!!!

Talking of Paula, this new purchase got me wondering whether she had made suitable arrangements for her stash should a bus go through the front of her house squashing her.  

Thinning Thursdays - The fat and the thin of it.

On Tuesday I mentioned purchasing a fat quarter of fabric. This prompted Paula to ask what I was doing with said piece of material. I also mentioned buying 100 unsorted dpn and it was because of them that I realised I needed somewhere to store them. Mike suggested a needle case, but when I saw how much they wanted for them I decided to make my own using the fat quarter and a small amount of the curtain lining I bought (52 metres of cotton sateen for £74!).  I only need 20m for the curtains I've got to make so I'm wondering if the other 30m will make a dress for a wedding.


So here it is, my very own needle case:

That's the fat so what about the thin? After a week of dye ate ing I have lost 3lbs. So how do I feel about it? A little disappointed as in the past I would lose twice that, but I should be realistic and remember I'm older now and in reality have given up very little. So on balance (balance get it?) I'm pleased with the week's achievements.


P.S. I'd just published mine when I realised Paula had done Thinning Thursday too. More the merrier I say. Oh, but if you are having or just had an SCT you are disqualified on the grounds of unfair advantage.


P.P.S. Mike is very good with the zoom on his lap top and has managed to find out Paula's weight, who would have thought she weighs as much as a bag of spuds.

Lessons part 2

I have just taken delivery of four gorgeous Rowan pattern books, which of course I bought from the usual auction site. I may never get round to knitting most of them, but the photos are a joy by themselves. I can see there is a good chance, when I need a new wardrobe, that more yarn will be looked for in the Summer sales.

As an added bonus, Mike suddenly has a whole new interest in knitting and has requested that I knit him this little beauty:

 

Being the generous soul I am, I agreed immediately, on one condition, that I can also knit this:

I wonder what gauge of needle you need for him?

Lessons

I thought that I would share a few of the lessons that I have recently learnt:

• That blueberries taste way better when muffed. They are just weird!
• That buying a bundle of assorted dpn on eBay means a Sunday morning spent sizing and sorting. Will I ever use them?
• What a fat quarter of fabric is. Mike thought I'd said fat hind quarters, not sure why I'd be looking for those on eBay.
• That Mike is an expert on curtain making. Especially good at sideline comments.
• That builders arrive too early in the morning to have a proper breakfast and yogurt does get boring, bordering on revulsion now.
• That too much choice can cause heated discussions. Who knew you could disagree on bell chimes?
• That chocolate should be made fat and sugar free so I can have some.

Knitting continues to go very slowly. I have started a pair of mittens for daughter number 2 in the same purple wool. She has requested mitten style with fingerless glove underneath. You all know the sort, the ones where you can unbutton the mitten and fold it back.