Great Scott! What the chuff is THAT??

A month? How can it possibly have been a month since posting? Certainly hasn't been because of a hectic social life!
I have an ick finger so cannot type much, ick warning (piccies ahead) - was not allowed the drug infusion or (hurrah!) the methotrexate last week  and had  a good telling off from the consultant (apparently I was on  the way to losing part of my infected finger). What started out as a slight scratch became a very infected wicklow - lesson learned, I now take the 'compromised immune system' bit much more seriously.

So the last few weeks  in piccies.

In which very little happens.

I do rather like the strange things I tend to gather.
Book, obviously (I am going through a crime phase, having read all the Harry Hole books, plenty of others of varying levels of interest, and then found Peter James. Nothing superb but a good read).
Scissors - yes, they had a use.
Reel of strong cotton? Ditto.
Kitchen roll?
The unseen bottle of essential oil?
Lettuce?

Ah well,anyone who has wandered through this bit of blogland will understand the lettuce. If I am sitting in theTeenyTiny Garden, chances are that PSidney isn't far away.

How I love thee fatty piggy.
And why yes, of course I potter in the garden bedecked in a silky long shirt.

He is without doubt the most wonderful piggy I have had (and I have always had piggies).

I didn't venture out until lateish, 7pm ish. Grand Prix then a snooze, priorities.
We haven't been blessed with wonderful weather lately, downpour on Thursday, no idea what Friday was like, most days have been warmish but cloudy and very windy.
But I took the spinning wheel outside today, stood it on the garden table and gave it a damned good clean and oil (hence the cotton, paper towels and scissors), finished with a wipe down with a mix of essential oil so it now smells luvverly.

I planned to take part in the Tour de Fleece on Ravelry again, but one thing being ill  has taught me is that I am fekkin hopeless at  working to a timescale or plan. I haven't used either wheel for ages, maybe a year, so if nothing else the incentive has resulted in a clean wheel.
Fibre is all upstairs and my knees simply don't want to go there, so it can wait until tomorrow.

Or whenever.
It's ok.

Hospital last Thursday was a bit of a concern - I have mild angina, and have been having quite bad chest pains etc lately. I had an ECG on Thursday (oh the sheer horror of trying to get my bra off when I cannot unfasten it easily, and the embarrassment of my lovely consultant fiddling about with my less than lovely bosoms!). I do apologise for that mental image ..... my (male) nurse couldn't find a gown so came back with two  huuuuge sheets. I asked if it was a toga party.  I found one of those sticky pads under one boob when I went home (every single time I have had an ECG I have found a sticky pad! On my ankle usually).

Anyway, thankfully the ECG results were fine but I have been referred for an 'urgent' appointment with the cardiologist. Poor mum looked a bit shellshocked.

The RA has been a sod lately, had some terrible pains in my right knee. Left wrist needs a carpal tunnel op but I cannot have anything done, even steroids, whilst on this trial. Heyho.
No improvement in my results this month but I have managed to keep my weight down again. When I say 'down' I mean 'the same', which is better than it going up as it did for the first six months.

We are going through some rather worrying times at the moment with close family illness, so this disease of mine and being fat matters little. Sigh.

Anyway, moving on.
I managed to get my painting to the 'almost finished' stage. It needs work on the bow, face and hair.

Handies haven't been up to it lately, but as with anything else it will get done at some point.

Ditto knitting. This pocket flap idea didn't work - look at those messy edges.
It has been reworked and I think is much neater now, piccies to come.

I have some veh tall lillies in bud and lots of windmills.
Things could be worse.

Go and give someone you love a great big hug please.
Thank you.
Toodles for now.

If it involves a bra and proper clothing it ain't going to happen.

For someone with a ridiculoualy (yet strangely pleasant) dull life there seems quite a bit to report.

Things are / have been happening. Some good, some indifferent, some not good at all. Such is life. More on the not so good another day, maybe. 'Tis scrawled in my diary but maybe won't make it to blogland. Let's just leave it at 'not good at all' for now.

Health is iffy, have had a really bad RA flare, probably the worst my right knee has ever been. Nasty. My left hand decided to join in to the extent all knitty things came to a halt. Pah. But today things feel easier - the flare up has left me with an all day headache and I am wiped out.
I haven't been prone to headaches since I was a teenager, thankfully, but asked mum if she remembered this whole cycle of pain, really bad pain, less pain, headache, shattered before (as in had I mentioned going through it recently) and she agreed. This deffo seems to be the way my flare ups work, and I am glad I am getting better  at recognising them for what they are.

Last month was the first time that my bloods / DAS had improved, albeit slightly, will see what next weeks' results say.

Anyway.
Isn't the sun lovely?

This is why us Brits are obsessed with the weather; it is  bonkers. Literally four seasons in one day. Sometimes in one hour. But I wouldn't swap it for anything else (well that's a lie. I would happily swap it for the warm days we have had lately, constantly, with rain in the night. We need the rain to keep this green and pleasant land green).

Obviously I am in the teeny tiny garden as often aspossible. Partly to try and get the sun on this godawful rash that I have as a side effect of the Tocilizumab (RoActemra). It is horrid, but painless. I am very freckly so that might disguise  the spots  a bit. Ok,it won't, I know but what the hell.

Ipotted up some strawberry plants - yes, yours are probably onto their seventh crop of  the summer by  now but this is Yorkshire. We are ages behind some other places,and things are only just budding. So far (in ten years) the record crop has been three - count them, THREE - strawbs. So anything above that will be a bonus.

 My sweet peas are looking better than usual (possibly because these were Sarah Raven seeds, more expensive)(not seeds to grow Sarah Raven).
So far very short likeme, but I think these were titchy plants anyway - they are much bushier than usual. Fingers crossed that they flower.

I potted up 21 of the cutest, diddiest, teenytiniest geraniums yesterday - look! Diddy!

Pixie plants! How cute are those!
I also have some diddy 'other' plants (ie can't remember off hand what they are) to pot up, but handies say do it another day please.

I hobbled over the road to collect some Elder flowers today, to make some cordial. My walking stick was perfect for pulling branches down to stumpy person height:

They have had two good rinses in water and vinegar, so I will rinse again tonight then set them to steep in sugar and water. I learned two things doing this.

1) the locals are completely used to my ways. Lady Who Walks Dogs asked what Iwas dyeing.
2) if one gathers Elderflowers whilst wearing a long black silky dress, one not only probably looks rather daft, but one gets ones self covered in pollen:

One is silly.

Knitting? Yes, in between bouts of useless hands there has been some.
This is happening:

but not saying what it is yet. Partly because it might all go tits up.

I finally got the March square finished and online:

Available on Ravelry, and I will add it to the side-bar of this blog after tea. Might even get April done before the end of June.....

Right,tea time.
Toodles.

Hurrah for burnt bosoms!

That's more like it.
Sunshine.
Loads of the stuff.
Smiling people,  very dodgy 'summer' dress sense, the smell of sun cream and a corner shop freezer crammed with giant ice pops.
Bliss!

Not only was it sunny today but it was downright WARM. 20C, not bad at all thank you.
Fabulous!

I still have this horrible rash from the Tocilizumab, so I am hoping that the sunshine will help.
That's my excuse (if one were needed) for afternoons in the sun.

All of a sudden everything seems to be blooming and sprouting at once. These gorgeous poppies are from seeds my mum gave me, collected from her garden, They are stunning, and look! Do you also remember the way poppy heads bend from your  childhood?

I remember peeling them open to look at the petals curled inside (naughty me).
Isn't it funny what obscure things remind you of being a bairn?

Today I doped myself up with Piriton, propped my bad back up with cushions on the bench, had an illicit glass of Pimms (oh blimey, the new version is delicious!)  , read for a while and knitted for a while.

PSidney says he can read perfectly well and would I please turn the pages a bit faster.

Why yes I AM  we ARE reading a book that includes a Princess, a scorpion and  a Quest.
And Sid has suncream for his ears, bless him. How I love thee, Sidders.

And knitting a jacket for a wabbit.

Lovely Egyptian cotton, in one of my favourite bags. Not one I made (the shame of it), slightly larger than the ones I make, and  look at it!

Brilliant!
I bought a few of these in the sales in January, the only snag is that they don't have wrist straps and are definitely a pain to carry anywhere, especially as I always need my walking stick.

The other one I have is this:

They are from Kate Garey. The jewellery is worth a look too, I have my eye on the bluetit necklace.

This might just flower this year. Might.

Look at  the pansies,they are just beautiful.

The little things in  life, always look for the little things.

And look - it only took me 10 months to take  piccies. I really like how this looks,and it was a fun knit if a little boring by the end.

Venomous-Tentacula, free on Ravelry.

And that's it for now.
I have the urge to paint, and this arrived the other day - yes that is me reflected in it, and yes I DO have chubby little arms!

Toodles for now, enjoy the sun!

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.