Sunshiney catch up.

Good Morning Blogland,

How gorgeous is this weather. Three weeks til end of term but I'm in full on holiday mode already! Look at this beautiful photo of the biggest plant in my garden. It isn't purple but it is ancient, I hides the bins and a billion bees are in it at anyone time!

Firstly, someone has switched on some sort of keyboard sound and as I type this it's making a cutesy clicky noise! How long I will think this is cutesy is unknown. Probably not long due to being less tolerant of anything due to pain in my jaw from finally having the blasted roots taken out from the failed tooth extraction last year.
The procedure was 'interesting.' I say 'interesting' but what I mean is absolutely horrifically brutal and I'm not even sugar coating it! In reality, I'd taken 20mg of temazepan so was quite not quite with it! The room was light and airy and the nurses were so friendly and kind. The dentist seemed lovely too. A few injections later and off we went. I honestly thought it'd be a piece of cake. But no, it was not. It was hard prolongued pushing and twisting and pulling and DRILLING. "Julie, pass me the blade, no not that one, the bigger one." Was heard. And "We are going to have to drill this one out of the bone plate." To the student dentist. They did keep telling me I was doing Really Well. I felt the opposite of Really Well. Did I mention the pushing? They really do PUSH into your gum so you feel like your tooth is going to come out of your nose! Then I was counting the 'tings' into the little metal medical dish. I counted 3 and one fell in my mouth. It was hard! In my head I thought the roots would be soft??? Then next was the 40ft of thick rope they started stitching the gaping wound with. Of course it's probably less than dental floss but it felt like garden twine! Next minute, I'm being sat up and They thrust an information sheet at me warning me not to drive and to take care with eating and drinking. I stood up and wobbled. The temazepan had proper kicked in by now and I was jelly legs for sure. I staggered out into the what was empty but was now full waiting room looking like an extra on The Walking Dead. My jaw was hanging open and drooping to one side and I was dribbling blood onto the dried blood down my chin!! I walked like I'd had 15 vodka and limes and my poor Dad helped me to the car.

I've no real recollection of getting home but the HG was worried I was going to fall backwards down the stairs. I flopped onto the bed and sank into a coma.
Strong painkillers round the clock and a visit to the North East to see these. We then didn't go see Miss And Freddie as she had only been to ours the weekend before for my birthday. Which felt horrible actually, but she was at work. We just went for a stroll around Beamish.I kept up the painkillers. I had SW friendly fish and chips for lunch from the coal fired fryers. It is SW friendly because I had no chips and just ate the fish from the batter as it was soft and the only thing I could manage. Because my jaw won't open properly. I guess it's all bruised. I think I had drugs in my system still that masked everything. Because yesterday, Sunday, I became more aware of pain and discomfort so much so I'm not at work today, Monday. Anyway, on to more palatable things......

THE PUPPIES! One of these is mine. Sorry, ours. To be honest I don't mind which is ours because they were all ADORABUBBLE and all wobbled and wobbled and came to me so just another four weeks to wait.
I was excited the day they were born. I am more excited now I have seen them. I will probably burst open by the time it comes to go collect our little floofy bundle of joy. We do keep saying, oh what have we done...but we have dithered about this for years and you know what, life is short so if you want a puppy, get a bloody puppy. The love and joy far outweighs the dog hair everywhere! Name to be confirmed. There's a few contenders. The HG stated he should get to choose as I chose the names of the children. I hotly disputed this as I have no recollection of being so forthright way back when!
We both really liked the name Rosie, but, the HG said, that it isn't fair on Freddie, who has a Springer friend he goes out with called Rosie, and he would get confused!!!

Hurty Shoulders Update now.
Well, one x Ray later and the sad news is that I've got quite progressive osteoarthritis in my left shoulder. I have it in my right shoulder but obviously not as bad because it hurts less.
To be honest, it wasn't what I was expecting and I was proper upset. Anyway, she prescribed amytryptalline to help with the pain at night which is unreal. The pain I mean. Waiting list for steroid injection. Booked in for Physio and will need shoulder replacement. She kept saying, 'and you are only 46.' I'm thinking, stop saying bloody 46!!!!
So that's that.

Birthdays - Miss 23 turned 24 and I turned forty seven. Less shocking typing it out! Absolutely spoilt rotten I was. Ruined. Beautiful cards and gifts and even being at work on it increased the loveliness of my day. It was a great day. No cake for me but I did treat myself to trifle SWway which is just as delicious! Miss 24, the Beau and Freddie arrived for the weekend and it was lovely to see them. She saw her friends. Family all popped round and we had a lovely walk on the Sunday then back for the World Cup England game and a BBQ for tea. Well, we lit the BBQ but it wouldn't keep its heat so I did the stuff in the oven! We still ate outside and it was all lovely. Monday was my birthday and when I got home at lunch, sadly they'd gone but they'd tidied up and left my home so tidy and neat and hoovered and clean! Wonderful. We went for a walk at Kirkby Lonsdale which is. Gorgeous place.
"Let's go this way," says the HG. My Dad describes it at being like the Grand Canyon.  This photo does not really show the vertical drop we scrambled down to get to the bottom! It was DEEEEEEEEPER than Barry White's voice!

I sewed a little coverall jacket for Miss 24's birthday. She is off to Mexico in September and this is perfect for the heat. 

I finally finished this little jacket. I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Ofstead - got the call, two day visit, left. Report due soon. Lips sealed as I'm not allowed to say a thing. The staff pulled together and the children were amazing. Sport's Day - been and had! This weather is frazzling and it's ok, because it'll all be over come July 18th when we break up for the Summer!


Gigs - The Killers on the 13th July in Bolton and then Lytham Festival the 20th for a bit of dancing, if both venues remain unaffected by the close wildfires that are burning right now. Can you believe that it's just been on the news that some UTTER MINDLESS MORON was spotted TRYING TO START ANOTHER FIRE?????
Honestly, I cannot believe what human beings are capeable of.
They are also capeable of planting trees in the shape of a heart so legend would have us believe. I like to believe the story rather than the science of the trees growing in a ravine. They are called Honeymoon woods. I always try to take a pic on the way home from further oop North.

SW I am now pounds to target. Really I'm a few pounds less than my original target of what I wanted. It's week 48 and I have lost weight every single week on plan. The success for me is because I have truly believed I am not on a diet. I have not felt deprived. I love all the food I am eating ( when my gum isn't sliced open and stitched back together ) and I am not hungry at all. I've been going to aquafir for the past 5 weeks - something I never thought I'd ever do. It was 25 years since I'd worn a costume and been in a public pool. Yes my costume is cute with a skirt and yes I wear magic knickers underneath but I have this confidence to do things. With this huge weightloss ( 8 stone plus ) comes a whole host of other demons - horrible horrible crepey loose skin - self doubt - opinions and comments left right and centre from Uncle Tom Cobbley and all - but all the positives outweigh these negatives. If anyone wins the lottery before me, please can you lend me £10k until I win it to pay for surgery to remove all my excess skin. Thanks in advance! If you ever saw the brave Lisa Riley documentary you will know that's what I'm living right now. It's not going to sway me at the moment to start eating again. I'm lighter than I can ever ever remember being. I'd like to get to one year of SW without a gain. If I have a gain, the. So be it. This is my life now and I'm ok with that. I'm planning to celebrate in style with cocktails with my lovely friends I work Night Owls with. Can't wait.

I also finished my hand sewn rabbity hare Luna Lapin. She needs some clothes and she did have two nose jobs! 

Right I will try to put some lovely photos on to this post and press publish.

Lots of love from

Rachel *puppy love* Radiostar xx