Bikini days and picnics.

Don't think I have worn a bikini since I was about 9, for which the world is extremely grateful. Or gratefuk as I originally typed.

I  know I am not alone in being utterly fed up with this godawful weather.
Dark.
Pouring down.
Very windy.
Chuffin' cold  .
2C - what's that  all about?

I don't  want to do anything, I am fed up and suspect I am turning into a big flabby slug.

By hell there are some MONSTROUS slugs in the garden, eeewwwwww.

I have done that knitting thing - still  haven't blocked the jumper I finished so it is  likely that finished thing #2 will remain invisible for years. Or maybe sorted tomorrow.  It is black, it is tank-toppish, it is possibly ridiculous.
Such is life.

I nearly wet myself just then ! It is what, 12.23 in the morning and a cat just did one those loud, weird scraaaoooolllllll cries right outside the door! As the door opens straight into this tiny living  room it was LOUD!

Thanks cat.  I nearly piddled on the settee.

I was about to witter on about misery and illness and life being rather shitty, but loud cat noise has made me grin and decide to go to bed.
I tend to nod off around 3am, have ridiculously clear action-insanity packed  dreams and wake up drained at about 6am. Joy.

But at least screeeeeeeeeechy cat has saved you from my teenage-esque angst ridden ramblings.
For now .......

Twice. In one week.

Blog posts, dunno what you dirty souls were thinking ....

I have a very happy, VERY farty piggy. I managed to walk half way to the park yesterday (quite frustrating  not to make  it the whole way, but my  knees said NO. Who am I to argue. I gathered a bag of greenery for PSidney,  washed it thoroughly and by hell he is enjoying it!
I think he ate himself into a stupor last night.

I also sat  in the garden, in the rain, sketching  a (pretty poor) picture of the remaining orange tulips.

Ooooh! Hello tootsies!
I have called it 'A Ten Year Old Could Draw Better!', and might add a photo when it is finished. It isn't  good, but any - any! - sketching is brilliant for me mentally because it means an hour or so with functional fingers. Modom.
They are very swollen, but not as painful as they have been. The pins and needles carpal tunnel is a sod still, especially in the left  hand, but I am not allowed to have anything done to it whilst on the RoActemra trial. A bit of a sod really,  it needs  operating on.

The  trial? You want to know how it's going?  No? Well skip this bit then.
I do think there is a bit of improvement this time, I hope so as this month is the decider for any further infusions.  I go back on the 30th. I am exhausted (but have not been sleeping, I haven't had a sleeping tablet for two weeks and although I amrelieved to find I can come off them easily when I need to, my sleep is back to its usual 'nod off at about 2am, wake up at 4am' routine. Not enough.

I had my tablets delivered today so will have a sleeping tab tonight and see if I get a bit more snoozation.
The main sideeffect at the  moment is a huge rash, I have had it across the tops of my arms since I started the drug, but blimey its pretty grim at the moment. Itchy too.  I keep reminding myself 'better knees, better hands' and try to ignore them. Maybe I could play dot to dot with them?

The garden is confused, as I think we all are. Two days of glorious weather, then a week of grey. Frost. HAILSTONES. Gale force winds.

The tree finally blossomed, a month later than usual and that seems to be the same delay for  most of my plants.

I can smell this half way down the street (OK, in fairness it is a very short street). It's just passed its best and has started dropping, clouds of blossom confetti  into  the street.

I had to resort to slug pellets, we are infested again. Bloody horrible things. Die.
They got to the marigolds, but the cabbages and lettuce might survive. They started in  the greenhouse. Again, a good month or more behind.

Ignore the horrible carpet (my landlord let me choose everything except the carpets - apparently this is neutral! I am going to ask if I can recarpet, its been down for the ten years I have been here and is more grotty by the day).
But look at Sid! I can section off a third of the room for him to scamper in (also ignore strategic placing of various things to block off wires and wool). Sadly I forgot my painting stuff was behind the chair and he commented  on my talents by piddling on it.
Thanks.
His exercise regime is along the lines of I throw bits of lettuce, Sid pootles off after it, eats,  comes to  the grill and stares at me. Repeat.

I am knitting a Thing. In black. More on that later.

Before I pootle of in a PSidney Stylie, anyone want to buy all these books for £40?

 

 

Toodles.

Darth Vader of Yorkshire. Betcha jealous.

I am croaky as a croaky thing on croaky day in croaky town.
Tis either hayfever or a cough, whichever it is it can bog off. Please.

A post of many piccies and few words, am so tired.

Hospital last week, went as well as it can do but next one is the biggy - if there is no improvement that is it, finito. As my DAS (disease activity score) had gone UP quite a bit last week (the previous one was the first that had shown slight signs of improvement) nobody is very optimistic.

I had a long chat with my nurse and then with (thankfully the excellent dr and not  the one who looks stoned) the consultant.When I was struggling with the 'other' family of drugs, the DMARDs, I had reached the point where there was only one option left, and it was one I didn't really want (gold injections into ones bum). Thankfully the Prof. then managed to get me onto this current trial.
I am concerned that same scenario will happen with the biologics, but was reassured that my 'scores' are bad enough to go onto another biologic, should they decide to stop  this trial. That  of course means the risk of another set of side effects and waiting - as I said at hopical it has been over 2 years  of constant new drug / side effects / new drug. The neck x-rays from last month show early RA in my neck, so they want to keep an eye on that and my painful back. Yippee.

Soooooo....apart from health.

Sunshine, isn't it just wondrous stuff!?
Heat! Proper sunshine with HEAT! And light! And blue skies!

Sulky kitten came round the other day and cleared all one side of the garden to make it nicer for me to sit in, and ordered some gravel courtesy of mum as there are slightly bare patches appearing. I have a lovely family.
We turned a tatty corner into this:

The painted bit of fence looks  nice against the red brick of the house. Yes it is tiny, yes it is still a bit tatty but I really like it. The plants are on part of a wine cabinet I  threw out, laid on its side.

I turned a manky £1 planter into something half decent, for a giant yukka I was given via Freegle, piccies to come. Nothing exciting, but it looks fine.
I get the sitty down jobs to try and rest my bod. I am 93 dontcha  know.

The blossom tree went from utterly bare to this in the space of 5 days:

probably partly to blame for the cough but it is so pretty and smells so fabulous that I couldn't care less. I love this tree so much every year, it is the only one in the street. A swine when it starts to drop but worth it.
Thank you Mother Nature.

Knitting  has happened, I finished this jumper (from Knit to Flatter by Amy Herzog, more on that book to come). Good fun to knit, just needs a bit of a press (ie cheats blocking) then will see what it  is like on. Of course I haven't tried it on as I seamed / knit it, what are you on  about??! That's tantamount to swatching!

Shudder.

I also washed some material - other folk may have crisp white cottons on their washing line. I have skulls.

Destined to become a simple 3/4 circular skirt, which I think will be a useful bit of clothing over summer with black tee shirts and sandals.
It is too heavy for a dress, but might work as part of something else (that's vague!). I have the urge to sew and have been slowly -very slooooowly - reorganising the living room to make my sewing area (ie the table) more functional. And tidier.

Ooooh- I did a bit  of stitchery yesterday too, for cushion covers, must get piccies.
My hands must be improving even a little bit because I managed maybe 15 minutes of stitching yesterday, which is more than I can usually even think of.

I will leave you with this little charmer, who is not as brave or as fabulous as Charlie the robin, but who makes me smile. He (?) hops lower and lower in the tree, then comes closer and closer. Then hops onto the plant pot next to my feet, stares at me, realises what he has done and flies to the tree again!
Repeat many times.
Absolutely lovely.