It has been a while...

 Hello friends

It has been a while, a long while since I visited you in blogland

and I hope this long overdue post finds you all festive and well.

What a year! 

I'll get all the horrible news out the way first...

It has been a sloooow road to recovery with my new hip and gall bladder removal

 but I feel at last I'm on the right path - 

I've now started driving again and getting around a bit more normally.

The main news and what has occupied me is my boy,

Elliott has unfortunately been very unwell.

Rushed into hospital with sepsis, he spent time in ITU and then moved to a ward.

We are still discovering what could have happened, various thoughts that

three hospitals are arguing out - his brain tumour saying hello again,

a pituitary bleed among other things.  

He came home to stay and thankfully is recovering and due to go

back to work in the New Year.

So all in all - most definitely what a year!! 

And now some nicer stuff that happened this year:

I am typing this from a new office, 

yes, I have a home office now, no longer parked in the dining room.

I'm currently working 4 days a week from home

returning to hybrid working in the office in January.

It took quite a bit of work to get to this, completely re-plastered, painted,

boiler cupboard built.

My new home office when tidy...

 My work colleagues on the other side of the room...

It makes a big difference having these little characters with me during the day,

although I have to say Bella gets a little too enthusiastic on Teams calls.

Oh yes - talking of Bella she didn't want to miss out on drama this year and had

to have an op on her eye - she recovered perfectly 

as opposed to the human recovering from paying the bill!

Mum celebrated a big birthday. 

This was obviously before the snow! 

It was a lovely day.  

Mum, bless her, still has lots of hospital appointments.

What has kept me sane is my tiny garden.

I threw myself into growing, planting and reading about growing and planting.

First time I've grown plants from seeds and plugs,

I'm still learning and trying to remember to make notes so I don't 

make the same mistakes next year.  Monty makes it all look easy.

Solar fairy lights are the way forward everyone, 

if I had a larger garden it would be festooned.

These little ones from Amazon - bargain and lasting very well. 

I invested in a greenhouse, I say "invested" it was £10 - it has 

done me proud and protected plants from all the recent snow,

funny how a small spend can give you a lot of joy.

Once Autumn arrived and then the snow it put pay to my gardening escape 

so I figured it was time for me to finally pick up my crochet hook.

I started the Attic 24 Fireside Blanket which I am enjoying.

The colours are indeed warming on these very dark evenings.

Photo bombed by Bella.

And putting up my tree takes a ridiculous amount of time and yes,

it is wonky again.

Well my friends, it has been nice to sit down and say hello to you all again.

Lots of thanks to those who have been reaching out with messages and emails,

received at a time when they were appreciated far more than you could know.

I want to wish you all a joyous Christmas and the 

happiest and healthiest of New Years.  

I will be back - I promise! 

Much love.