back ache

Being in pain really is not very good fun. Since I had a great time doing the team building activity day two weeks ago, my back has been very painful. At first I thought I had pulled a muscle in my back, something I have done often. But two weeks later I am still in pain and getting pretty fed up. This is different to what I normally suffer. The pain is very low in my back, around the coccyx region; I guess it is similar to when I fell down on my bottom about 20 years when I fell down some stairs. That took months to get better. Two weeks later it still hurts to sit for more than 20 mins and walking is difficult. You should see me getting out of bed in the morning, I'm like an old lady, having to lean on everything and shuffle slowly, even though my bladder is bursting.

I just hope with some rest and gentle exercise things will start to improve.

UK Art fest

we all took a piece of jigsaw and "altered it" to make one whole jigsaw


Here we are learning how to make dottess, being taught by Marina

courdroy cat trying to get to grips with learning to crochet

Elizabeth showing us how to crochet

Me poring over the needle and wool starting my crochet

I set off to Cheshire for a weekend with other crafters who I had "met" through the ATCs for all forum. We had a great time, chatting mostly, but we did spend the whole of Saturday making ATCS and learning/teaching each other new crafts. i learnt that you can make original stamps using cheap Tesco rubbers, I learnt how to crochet and how to make a dottee doll. We are definetly going to do it again, this time in Scotland. A lot of the Americans were interested in going to Scotland and having this Artfest weekend as part of their trip, so I think the numbers will have increased by then. Elizabeth and Margeux, our two Scottish lasses, are going to organise that one. Here are some photos of the weekend.

goodbye allotment

Am pretty upset today as have had to give up my allotment. I loved going there as it was so nice to work away listening to the birds and other people toiling over the soil. I am just in too much pain all the time that I just cannot cope with it. I have been trying for the past year to get someone to help me but no luck there, so today I handed in my keys. I burst into tears, how embarrasing. Woah that is spooky, as I was writing this I got a phone call from the allotment people to say that they would save the potatoes that I put in for me. And they found some secateurs that Sarah bought me that I thought I had lost. Oh how sweet of them. I think I shall mourn the loss of the peace and quiet the allotment allowed me. But I guess I really must now sort out the aches and pains that I suffer with. This can't go on. Having to give up my hobbies because of the pain is not good news at all. But I bet you anything the docs say there is nothing that can be done as there is probably nothing much wrong. BIG SIGH.

busy busy

Phew what a busy few weeks it has been. I went to Stubbers (web page www.stubbers.co.uk/)yesterday as part of a team building day for my ILM 5 Leadership and Managment course. It was really great fun. The staff were fanastic and everyone who was there had a great time and worked really well together. I was in a team of 7, Lisa, Ali, Sarah, Jessie, Diane, Natasha and me.

This is a picture of the whole of the ILM 5 just after the raft race.

Our first task was to try to cross a pond by using ropes and two logs. It took us a while to figure out what to do with all the available equipment, but we got there in the end and we all managed to get across safely without getting wet. Once on the other side of the pond we all pulled on the rope to get the next person across, so by the last person there were six of us pulling and she went really really fast along the rope across the pond. It was really cool.

The second task was to build a tower out of milk crates, as high as we could with two people standing at the top. It was really great fun. Again it took us a while to figure out the best plan but when we got it set up we really whizzed along. Natasha had a great time at the top. We managed a height of 21 crates, but the next team managed 25. Still we were pleased with our achievement.

We had a very well earned lunch break and then went on to a third task which involved moving along tightrope wires using ropes to help us and getting across from one platform to another. Then we had to balance ourselves on a large seesaw. Then finally we had to get each person in the team through a spider's web made of rope. That required a lot of trust in each other as we had to lift a few people and guide a few people through.

The final task involved all three groups racing to make a raft out of empty barrels and poles and ropes. We were offered an optimal design and went with that. I learnt how to tie a great knot. Just need to practise it otherwise I will forget how to do it. We all finished making the rafts and went into the water at the same time. We had to get to a platform in the middle of the lake and rescue our "damsel in distress" and row like crazy to a buoy, touch it and turn back. We were well in the lead the whole way. It was really exhausting and my arms still ache from rowing so hard, but our team got back first. But the race wasn't over, we had to untie it all and put it all back neatly. It was a great laugh and we finished well ahead of the other two teams. Several people got very wet but I think everyone had a great time. That was the end of the day and we all finished on a high. Fortunately the weather was really good, sunny with some cloud, so it was not too hot or too cold.

WE WON THE RAFT RACE! YAY