Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Two WIPs, one finished and an almost-done!

I've almost finished this simple pink and white granny square blanket, which is to be a birthday gift for my Mum.  She actually asked me if I would make a blanket for her ~ I was happy to oblige!  The main colour is a very pretty sparkly yarn in an ivory shade by James C Brett; I already had the pink yarns in my stash.

I'm working on the edging at the moment, which is from Around the Corner Crochet Borders by Edie Eckman.  I'm contemplating adding a flat crochet flower motif to the centre of the plain ivory squares ~ I'll see how it looks once the border is done 😊

As soon as I saw Lucy's (Attic 24) gorgeous Hydrangea Stripe Blanket pattern I just fell in love with it!  I thought I would have some fun with the yarn and make a blanket for myself using James C. Brett Stonewash double knit.  It's a lovely soft yarn and will feel so nice to snuggle up in when the weather gets cooler later in the year.  I couldn't decide which of the shades I liked best.....so I bought all six of them LOL  Like I said, I wanted something fun and a little different for a change 😉

After I took this photo I frogged the blanket ~ good job I'd only done a couple of rows!  I like to make my starting chains using a larger hook but decided that the foundation row of double-crochet would be better using the same size hook as the chains as well.  I'm making the blanket with a 5mm hook, so have started it with a 6mm.  I've also made the blanket wider than in the photo.  It's a very simple shell stitch once you get started, so should hopefully be a nice and soothing project to make.

I'm still working on blanket number three for Blankets for the Homeless, alternating a few rows of each project ~ I like to have more than one thing on the go at once LOL

And finally, here is the finished blanket I made for my sister-in-law's birthday earlier this month.  She was really pleased with it and I was happy with how it turned out, too 😊

A diagnosis at last

You may recall that waaay back in March my GP wrote to the dermatology department regarding my itchy/sore/scaly/just-generally-yucky skin.  I finally got to see a dermatologist yesterday, and he has diagnosed me as having lichen planus ~ which to be honest sounds like something one would find growing on a tree!  However, according to the brochure the doctor gave me: "In dermatology, the word 'lichen' means small bumps on the skin and 'planus' means flat, so the name comes from a description of the rash's appearance."  So that's me told then 😉  I have to go back to see him in two months but in the meantime I've been prescribed:

A 28-day course of atarax tablets to help with the itchiness.  They can cause drowsiness, so the doctor has said to take one at night.  I took the first one last night and apart from waking once, I slept like a log!  Oh, the bliss of a decent night's sleep after weeks of deprivation!

Etrivex shampoo to be used on the affected skin in the shower once a day.  I am to spread it thinly, leave for two or three minutes, then rinse off.  I haven't used it yet but will start the daily shower regime tomorrow.  Actually, I don't usually shower every day, and haven't done for many years ~ and no, I don't smell stinky 😄 My skin has always been sensitive and although it was very oily in my youth, once I got to my early forties it started to get much drier.  Then, when the menopause hit, that dryness and sensitivity got worse.  I do, of course, have a daily wash at the bathroom sink though!

Dermovate ointment, which is a "very potent steroid preparation".  I am to apply it to the affected areas twice a day for three weeks, then once a day for another three weeks.  I am not super-keen on steroid treatments but needs must, I'm afraid.  At this stage of my skin issues I'm willing to try almost anything for some relief!  I've only used it on my legs so far but even after that first application last night, they were left feeling more soothed than has been the case for weeks.  The discomfort recently has been utterly miserable, a horrible itchy, razor-burn/sunburn feeling.  And much as I know that I shouldn't scratch, it's been almost impossible not to, with the result that my legs in particular have become a mess of red, dry, scabby (because I've made them bleed), scaly and swollen skin *sigh*  I applied the ointment again this morning and my legs have felt much more comfortable today.  Hopefully, this will be a short-term treatment for just a few weeks.

And finally Epaderm ointment, which is to be applied to the skin after the dermovate has been given a few minutes to sink in.  Epaderm is for moisturising the skin and again, my legs feel much better even after only a couple of applications.

I'm really hoping that these treatments will help to clear up the lichen planus, although I suspect it may take a good few weeks.  Onwards and upwards, my loves, onwards and upwards! 

Little words of (doggy) wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)