Mail, Treasure, & Sewing.

We have had some lovely balmy days. Not very Wintery, for this time of year. A gentle warm breeze, & some beautiful blue skies & sunny days. We are warned it is all about to go pear-shaped, so at least we can be grateful we have had such a nice break/

Monday brought treasure in the mail. How excited I was to recieve a packet in the mail from England. I had been told it had been posted, & was quite impressed with the speedy delivery!

Inside the parcel was this lovely treasure from Quilting Bebbs. It is so sweet, & every bit as lovely in 'person' as it looks in the picture. I was the lucky person to win this on a giveaway Anne had.

Anne's work is lovely, so neat & her stitching is perfect. Just the thing to perk up winter days. I love strawberries!

I have been very busy sewing, working away on gift quilts. I have finished, & even labelled one I Spy quilt, ready to give away. I chose a cheqered patterned fabric for the binding, as I thought it a little like a snake to go around the jungly border. I am quite happy with the way it finished, & I have backed it with flannelette for warmth, & snuggles. My daughter made the first I Spy quilt I ever saw, for her daughter, & we all had so much fun playing with it. A good way to dispel some boredom.

I decided to finish this quilt instead of the other I Spy. As the recipients are sisters, I thought they might like something different, & perhaps can share. I love this quilt & am very happy with they way it has finished too. I decided to call it Raspberry Ripple. I love the colours.

It is also backed with flannelette, for cuddles.

I hope both quilts will be enjoyed & loved.


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Skin update number blahtey blah blah.

Finally got to see Specialist. He was stunned to see the referral letter was written in February! Perhaps I should have explained how it came to be, that I could not get an appointment until now! Perhaps he doesn't realise how busy he is!

As it was, I apologised for the disgusting letter of referral. It was handwritten, in illegible writing, & the page was covered in masses of blobs of ink, from a leaky printer. I don't think he could quite believe the state of it either!

As it happened when I went to see my GP, in desperation, for a referral for the Specialist, GP was away on holiday. Consequently the Doctor I saw was a relieving GP. He seemed to be very disgruntled with a lot of things, the printer not least, leaking it's ink as it was.

Isn't it funny how we become loyal to those we like. I felt quite indignant at the criticism implied, & offended to think he was making noises of disapproval. It so happens we really like our GP. We feel really comfortable with him, & we know he is a very thorough Doctor.

End result of today's visit is I am to try Light Therapy.
This in itself sounds ok. The idea is, rays of UV light, & UB -I think- light will be directed on my body 3 times a week. Times for the exposure will vary, increasing as I progress, from what I can gather.

After declaring I am not claustrophobic, I was taken to a cubicle to disrobe! Completely! Imagine if you will, the horror of such a thought.

Then, it turns out I have to walk stark naked, from this cubicle with just a mere curtain for privacy, over to a contraption box, Octagonal in shape. Rather like a circular phone box- or the Tardis, for those who like Dr Who.

There are lotions, & potions to be applied to certain -ahem- extremities. N!pples is one location. Not being a male, the other location did not apply to me!

Sunglasses are supplied, with disinfectant to wash them before you wear them. There is a curtain arrangement for the face. This has your name applied & lives in a plastic bag, in a cabinet for future use. I noticed there are cotton gloves, presumably for those whose hands dont itch.

I cringed out into the light box/cabinet. I was so traumatised I had forgotten to remove my knickers. They lay on the floor after prompting from the nurse to remove them.

Huge elements turned on & glared rays at me. Quite a warm sensation. Quite short blasts. I was assured the door is able to be opened, should sudden claustrophobia occur.

I thought to myself, it is very lucky that it is not Gom who suffers this ailment. He is extremely claustrophobic, as he discovered when he had to have his head scanned for fractures, after being attacked in the Hotel.

The plan is, I will recieve this treatment 3 times a week for a time. I was told it is not a quick result. I was also told I can actually wear my underwear to walk to the Light Box - if I feel embarrassed?? WTH?? Who wouldnt feel embarrassed knowing all it takes is a twitch of a curtain to expose your *all*? Sometimes I think they become so blase, they don't realise how traumatising it can be, to have to suddenly 'grin & bare it'!!

Not much comfort there, but better than nothing!

I have new tabs to take. Hope they work. "Itch Pills" the Professor called them!

Hope the light works. There is no readily available parking in the vicinity. Stressful to say the least!

Roberta Flack, Trade Winds.