New Look

New header using one of my own paintings

Cleaner and clearer design for easier reading

Looks much better

I think!

Chevron Rug

I'm trying my hand at a crocheted chevron rug like the pic above but in purple shades.

Wish me luck!!

The pattern can be found in Patons Book 1257 

Today is .........

Cold

Raining

Some might say its miserable

I LOVE it!!!

A day to be inside and

read a book

watch a movie with family

snuggle down under the quilts and have a little nap

BUT

Don't forget to dance!

4th of July

To all of my friends in America 

Happy

A House ...... A Home

We picked out our house design

We've made a few changes

Flipped a few rooms

Added under roofline verandahs all the way around the house

Will post the final design when we have it fully done

Where Do We Go?

Just before Christmas 2015, we were contacted by Main Roads to say they were interested in buying us out.

They had already resumed part of our property in July 2015 for part of a major highway upgrade. Who knows when they will begin.

Who knows when they will end.

Over the Christmas break we thought long and hard about what it all would mean. 

What would the construction do to disrupt our lives if we stayed? 

How would moving the kids from their current schools disrupt their lives?

Where would we go?

Would we buy an established house?

Would we build again?

We finally decided that we didn't think we could live with a year or more of construction with some days not being able to access our home.

The boys decided that yes, they could leave school and keep their friends. They would be happy to give it a try.

We decided we would buy land again and build.

So we started the process with Main Roads.

We started looking for property.

And look ............

Eventually we found a parcel of land that we hoped to call home.

That was 2 wks ago.

We signed a contract and started all the searches.

Tomorrow we start to finalise the deal with Main Roads.

We have our home plan picked out and have made our adjustments to it.

Now we be patient!

Keeping Up A Blog

Can be hard ....... for me.

I find I just get busy with other things in LIFE and then forget that I have a Blog to do haha

I'm going to try to do more. I make that promise to myself all the time. I need to honour it!

I hope to do many posts over the next few months especially as we are entering an EXCITING phase of our life!

Come back for more ;)

1st post of 2015

Unfortunately I didn't get to continue the rest of my 2013 journey as I relapsed in 2014.

After two rounds of chemo I broke my wrist and then couldn't have any more treatment.

During this time I was told by my specialists that they didn't think I would go back into remission if I relapsed again so my choices were have a bone marrow transplant or they could make the remainder of my days comfortable.

I of course had the transplant.

So its now 2015 and I am day +112 after the transplant and currently back in hospital with RSV. Doing well and hoping to go home today.

Will catch up more soon and post photos.

Until then ...........

My 2013 Journey

In the New Year of 2013 I could never quite be well. We didn’t really worry about it much because I’m never well with so many medical conditions that I hold. But this did seem to be different. I was getting colds in summer, flu like symptoms but not the flu. Infections coming left and right.

 This went on for months but as I said we didn’t really worry (we as in Gary, I and my team of Drs). Every month I have a blood tests to check full blood count, liver and kidney functions and other things the Drs need and they always came back normal.

That is until April 2013.

On the night of 30 April 2013 at 8:30 pm I got a phone call from my GP. She told me there was an anomaly with my white blood cell count and S&N (who were the group who drew my blood) had just rang her about it. She was trying to decide whether to send me to hospital that night but I told her I had a hospital appointment the next day with my Endocrinologist for the Diabetes. So she was happy to let me wait until then.

So the next morning I wasn’t concerned because I really didn’t know what it all meant. Then I got a phone call from the hospital. “Mrs Neilson could you please come in earlier than your appointment today?” So I went in early, the Endo met me at the counter and said “Toni, what are you up to this time? I’ve have been getting phone calls from your drs non-stop. We’re not  going to be looking at your diabetes today, we’re admitting you to hospital.”

Ok so now this is where I started to become worried. Apparently your White Cells have their own count but they are also broken down.  One breakdown is Neutrophils. My Neutrophils were extremely and well outside the normal count. I still didn’t understand what this actually meant other than I was more susceptible to extremely bad infections because I wouldn’t have been able to fight them off. I had no immunity.

Then I was put into an isolation room. Anyone who thought they might even have a slight cold had to be gowned and masked to visit me.

 

A Haematologist/Oncologist came and saw me and told me I would have to have a Bone Marrow Biopsy because they believed I had Leukaemia and needed to find out what type.

 Wow that blew both Gary and I out of the water.

To be continued ……..

2013

Very soon (if not by the weekend) I will have posts made to share with you the majority of my year of 2013. It wasn't a good year in any way, shape or size but in the end it was a GREAT year.

Keep your eyes on this space :D