Me again!

Have been nagged that i haven't blogged for a while so here goes - life continues to be busy, fill my time with lots of different and diverse things. Life is settling down post divorce - strange being single again - think i must have been 19 when i was last living alone - but enjoying it (I think). Have been life laundrying - getting rid of lots of stuff that i don't want to trail around with me anymore - lots of stuff on e bay and car booting - and being amazingly controlled cos my usual car boot style is to bring back more stuff (things i have bought) than i take!
Had planned to get away to Harris but the central heating boiler was in need of intensive care - prioritised and the boiler got mended - the plan is to get to Harris in March or April 2012 - in time for the machair. Busy now with the Christmas things - as usual it is a home made christmas, making cards again this year, the needles and the sewing machine are out. Have found some more tweed stashed away so producing some tweedy things too.
Last weekend was spent on a retreat out on the north Yorks moors - very Kathy and Heathcliffe complete with swirling mist. Organised by pal Jane at the West End outdoor centre the emphasis was on Reiki, meditation, shamanic drumming and stick breaking meditation in the woods. Great weekend had by all although the journey home was pretty horrendous because of thick fog.
Slept in bunks - was in a room of 5 with buddies Angie, Emma and Kath and another. Food was hot filling and plentiful thanks to Jane's husband Paul and his colleague Sarah. Full programme of meditations and treatments - reiki, indian head massage, tarot and heroes journey card readings and lots of other things, a great time! All the pics relate to the retreat - we were in nidderdale.
So what else is happening - busy with community legal advice service undertaking more sessions. Hamish has mellowed - is now eating dog food - he comes to friend Angies - her dog eats dog food and Hamish sneakily eats it - bought him the same food and expect him to eat it but although it comes in an identical box to the food at Angies house, he refuses to eat it and lurks hoping for something else to appear.
In the garden the pond has gone - some hard landscaping going on - filling in the pond, the leeks are fattening out in one of the raised beds, pulled some runty ones last week - absolutely delicious very tender and flavoursome but they won't be ready full size until february, they are better once they have had a frost on them which i don't think will be long judging from the temperature outside! the greenhouse has been stripped out and cleaned, getting ready for some seeds. Will be putting some winter salad in the other raised bed. Have made some very interesting chilli/red tomato chutney, pickled some beetroot and the freezer is full of home made pasta sauce. Will be making christmas cakes this week.

Hamish is here snoring on the sofa alongside me reminding me it's bedtime! see ya x

Time flies!

wow nearly a year has passed since I last wrote on here! What a year it has been - the crafting has taken a big back seat! Have had a lot to deal with personally - got divorced and had a recurrence of the acoustic neuroma - the total excision of 2005 unfortunately was not quite as total as thought - and it grew again, just 1.2cms at discovery - wee compared to the whopper of 2005 at 4.2cms. This one treated by gamma knife at St James' Leeds in March. Gamma knife is a form of radiotherapy - so have had all the post radiotherapy type things - the main one being fatigue! All okay now - big neuro appointment day before my birthday in July. Weight loss has continued and is now about 6.5 st and still going down! Rachel is warning of lolly pop head - I don't think so!
Hamish is fine - having to get used to a changed lifestyle as there is just me now - means that sometimes he is left alone for short periods, try to take him with me everywhere but not always possible. Still fussy with his eating!
The back garden here has been turned over to veg growing, have a big greenhouse with toms, cues, courgettes, peppers and in the garden beans and broccoli - will get some pics done.
Have enjoyed the opening of the Hepworth gallery in Wakefield, love the spaces, the exhibits and the views of the river - a good place to be.
Plans to return to the Hebrides in September to stay with friend Jan at Drinishader - her ex was the bridge builder at Buna, hopefully by then the worst of the midge will have passed, also going to spend some time with Michelle who has moved upto Gravir on Lewis, looking forward to going back and plan to drift up to Skye and view the scenery over a couple of days rather than doing the dash it always was to get back to the island as soon as possible! More soon!