Up & Down Like a Yo-Yo

I am really starting to get frustrated with everything..... can't seem to get over this constant fatigue. As soon as I do anything much or go out for a day I end up aching & sore all over & feel like I am dragging myself around. I soooo want to get into my scrapbooking and graphics but haven't touched anything this month as yet. I've hardly been away from home the last fortnight except for appointments. Then last weekend was wet which doesn't help..... even though we need the rain I don't cope with wet days - seems to make me feel worse.

REALLY REALLY UPSET & ANGRY ...........

GRRR - Had a rotweiller come out at me this morning when I was going for my walk. It was so scary - he really meant it too. At first I thought he was going to stay inside his gateway but he came across the street to have a go. I really thought I was going to end up being attacked. Fortunately I was carrying an umbrella because it looked like rain but I didn't want to aggrevate the dog more so just slowly backed away & didn't look at him.

I had to get past him to go home otherwise it meant an additional 5 klm walk so in the end I had to flag down a passing motorist & he drove me past the dog & up to the corner of the main road. I don't think I have ever been so scared.

Got home and just collapsed in a heap - I think it all hit me so sat down in front of the TV for a while & have now made a nice hot cup of coffee & am sitting here catching up with some computer.

Rang the council & put in a complaint but it's not classed as an attack because I wasn't bitten - it's just a worrying incident. However they didn't have Rottie registered for that address & when they rang the owners the council was told that no - they don't own that sort of dog. But they also said they have stray dogs come in because they don't have a gate but I have now taken photos of the property WITH the gate showing. They are short staffed at the moment and didn't send anyone out either.

However I have since remembered that another walker had the same thing happen to her earlier this year so I am going to mention that to the council too as they investigated that one.

Anyway - feeling better now.

Some more craft offerings.

Well I only got a few more challenges completed for the end of September as my motivation has gone on holidays. However I did have fun playing around with the ones I managed to get done.

This was the White With 1 challenge for September. The colours were Brown and it was to be about your Dad.
This layout was for the second Black Magic Sketch challenge for September. Both the 'Me & My Dad' photo and this one were taken at my sister's 40th Birthday Party.
I did a couple of challenges for Blumars last month. I can't remember now what the actual criteria was ... brain fog ... but for the card I did like a tag in a pocket and the layout was of Graham & I at Byron Bay on our holidays earlier this year. It was blustery, cold & wet when we visited the lighthouse but still had a great day. Unfortunately the lighthouse was closed for tours that day. This is the most easterly point in Australia.

Wiped Out Again ..............

You would think I would learn but the last couple of days I have felt totally wiped out - probably have done too much AGAIN. But when I have a better day am always tempted to do just that little bit extra...my hands & arms have been giving me a lot of trouble again - particularly my left wrist which I fell on - ummmm - must be 4 years ago now.

Had my regular physio appointment today and that always takes a bit out of me. Katie manages to find so many stiff & sore areas. I'm sure she chases them around my body or they play tag with each other or something - Hehe. I know it's just the Fibromyalgia and there is no rhyme or reason as to why different muscles decide to spasm but it gets very frustrating all the same. Always enjoy the day with Judy though as we often do a bit of retail therapy & just spend time chatting & sharing.

My creative efforts so far this month.

Have managed to do a little bit of scrapping this month - a mixture of blind challenges, weekend workshops, monthly marathon scrap weekends & monthly challenges. I don't think I would be motivated to get anything done were it not for these craft groups. Having the challenges gives me the push I need to get layouts completed.

First the Blind Challenges ........... I wasn't sure whether I really liked these at first as there is no diagram or page map to follow. We are given a list of items required for the layout & then the instructions are given in stages. Depending on how everyone interprets the instructions means we can all end up with completely different layouts. But now I really enjoy the challenge and love to see what everyone comes up with.

The following layout was actually one I did last month & was called a recipe challenge but very similar to a blind challenge. We are given 'ingredients' and then the 'recipe' to follow.
This is the layout I did for the first Black Magic Scrap Challenge this month. There is a second one to complete as yet which I am hoping to be able to do but will just have to see how things go.

I WON A PRIZE - WOOHOO.
This is the flower embellishment which I won a prize with at Mystical Scrapbooks earlier this month. I was so thrilled when I found out.......the prize was a bottle of glimmer mist which I have never used so now have to do a layout using it but first I need to experiment with it a bit.

Then we had a challenge to complete a layout preferably using the flower which we made for the previous challenge. This was my effort.
The card challenge for this month with Mystical is to do a pop-up card. I had never made one of these before but was quite pleased with how mine has turned out. As you can see ... I LOVE butterflies - LoL.
This month's Monthly Mammoth Marathon had a few challenges. I managed to complete a few but unfortunately my arms started flaring so I had to pull out of entering the last challenge.

The was the colour challenge where we were given a chart of certain colours to use in our layouts. I just adored the Heliconias on Dunk Island and felt the colour combination lent itself to using these photos.


Then this was the "Heartfelt" challenge using felt and hearts. The journalling was supposed to be mushy too but I am not a mushy person so used the photos we took at Josephine Falls & wrote about my love of the rainforest and cascades.

Another challenge was to do a mini layout. I chose the 8"x 8" size. These are both sunrises taken when we were on holidays last year... one from the MV Trinity (the cargo ship we took to The Cape) and the other of the beach at Bingil Bay (North Mission Beach) on one of my early morning walks. Yeah - I know - most of my layouts lately have been of that trip but I have sooooo many photos to scrap.This was the layout I did for the Blumars Weekend Workshop. It had to be a layout depicting a holiday photo but had to be blue & show water. I used a collage of different colours of blue to make what I hope looks like the sea & waves - LoL ... but you do need a good imagination.

My Sooky Dog

This is a photo of my sooky dog Shadow last night during a storm. Even though she is never allowed into the house ... only the breezeway ... during storms she gets so upset that she forgets all the rules & usually follows me everywhere I go & sits on my feet. However this time she tippy-toed into where my hubby was watching TV & won him over .... LoL .... next thing I knew he had her sitting on his lap.

A Sad Day

Yesterday we had to have our sons old dog (Amber) put to sleep. Amber had 'owned' him for 10 years.....from the day we brought her home from the breeders as a 3 year old she attached herself to him like glue.....waiting at the gate every afternoon till he got home from first school, then uni & later on - work.

She was 13 (14 this year) and had a couple of mild strokes this past 12 months. Although the vet assured us in January this year at her last check-up that she wasn't in any pain she has slowly been getting disorientated & more unsteady on her legs. He said we would monitor her & see how things progressed.

Wednesday morning she was particularly reluctant to move & by night-time couldn't stand at all, wouldn't eat & was having trouble swallowing so we felt that the time had come to take her to the vet. Our son decided that he should be the one to take her as Amber was his dog & he wanted to be the last person that she saw so I just went along as moral support.

It was so sad - even though we knew we were doing the right thing it's still awful to lose a 'family member' - particularly one with such a sweet, loving nature.

The decision was made to bring her home & bury her in our paddock along with other four legged family we have lost over the years.

Our son wanted one last photo of Amber & himself so here is one we took on the Thursday morning.

Wow - Wonderful Rain

We had a wonderful fall of rain yesterday - nearly 4 inches here (94.5mm). Everything was starting to dry out again as August was a very dry month. Don't think we had any falls at all & I was starting to have to pump from the dam again. Now with Spring & the warmer days everything should start to grow. I've noticed new pink tips on the lilly-pillies & the day-lillies are starting to shoot so hopefully there'll be a wonderful display this year.

Feeling Blah

Haven't been very productive so far this week. Think I might have overdone things last weekend & I've ended up with a persistent dull headache all week. At my massage yesterday Steph found my neck / shoulders / jaw very tight. Maybe they have just decided that it's their turn to cause problems for a change as my lower back & hips have been troublesome the last month or so - LoL.

Really wanted to do some graphics but just can't focus or concentrate on the computer screen. I would love to get into making tags & doing digital scrapping but have put it all on hold for the time being. Want to do a web-design course too - arghhhhhh - I get so fed-up sometimes from the limitations that FMS seem to put on me.

Try so hard to not let this cruddy problem control my life but somedays it's just too hard to fight back.

Well that's my whinge for today anyway......LoL

Mum & Dad's New Home

Well Mum & Dad have finally moved into their new home. Things are slowly taking shape with the essentials now unpacked. Still have lots of boxes to move & Dad is waiting for his shed so he can start on some woodwork but they are settling in.

It's a lovely little cottage. Mum now has a table, chairs and some plants on the front patio & her water feature is soon to be connected. We purchased some curtains for the rumpas room & a blind for the dining room this morning so that's a start.