Raspberries

Not the edible kind, but to the DWP... their ESA department is swamped, the result is chaos, claims not being dealt with properly, paperwork being lost, not being returned and other stuff going astray. Read in the paper today that the government are claiming that over a third of ESA claimants are fit to work as they have failed the medical, well you do need to be brain dead to pass it. I do want to work, but I would also like to access the specialised help to get a suitable job, and not be thrown into the general mix. My own job advisor said I was not fit to work... she couldn't offer me the option to sign on, but some nurse is given the power to decide my future. Sorry but I prefer to put my trust in a well esteemed surgeon who knows all about fractures. When will those in charge wise up and stop penalising genuine claimants! This is a good sign cos I am now getting mad.

Did finally get to finish off my complicated card, it is one that fits into a box, and comes in several pieces, it all has to be decorated piece by piece then put together. Still got to decorate the box, but the card is done. Didn't want to over do it, just used a few peel offs, and a FF decoupage for the centre. Need to get photos processed for next couple of projects, I'm supermarketing tomorrow, so will take flash drive and get photos done there.

Chilling out

Yep, just what the doctor ordered, or he may have done had I asked him. I needed a break from all this rubbish, somewhere to just chill. So where better than Glastonbury? Only one snag, the long drive... it was the heavy traffic mainly that was causing the snarl ups. But it took us nearly 5 hours to drive down... by which time me and my friend were in murderous mode! Tho the last 20 minutes were hilarious, as her SatNav took us on a magical mystery tour off the motorway. Barmy... totally barmy, as there was a more straightforward route at the next junction... but would her SatNav listen.. no.... I am not surprised that people find themselves in wierd and wonderful places with these Gizmos. And that is why I'll stick with a map!

So we ended up at a curry house, excellent food, service... an example of how it should be done. An example of how not to treat customers in a restaurant, promise that although you are about to stop serving food for an hour, you'll still take their order... oh no they didn't! I shall spare their blushes, but I won't ever go there again. Mind you they were not alone, most eateries closed between 5 and 6, even the pubs, well around my part of the world the restaurants at the weekend just keep on serving. That was our Saturday night experience, so we ended up at the chippy, which luckily did have a restaurant, and the meal was excellent, as was the service.

I'd never been to Glastonbury before, but I've never encountered a more horizontal place, well possibly Venice in California, it was chill out time. Everyone just took their time, and it was chock full of characters, which made it even more interesting. I mean it ain't every day you meet a wizard walking down the street! Tho I did once bump into a dalek. No, honest I did.

I'd had a very fed up sort of week, mostly due to the incompentecy of the DWP, not necessarily blaming those at the coal face, but the twits in charge, as in those that sit in Parliament! All very well coming up with fanciful ideas, but you need money to make it work. So will be putting in an appeal... I find it odd that my consultant, my GP, my Occy Health doctor all agree that I am not fit to work in anything other than a sedentary occupation, yet an ATOS employed nurse begs to differ... she said I could do any job... mmmmm... I'm still using a crutch, being treated for depression... am a carer... guess maybe I need to be a junkie, then you get left alone.

So got a week of writing letters... joy, well not me, leaving that up to an expert. In meantime going to play with my new toys, new pendulum, and crystals. And reflect back on a lovely weekend at Jasmin Cottage.

Hope you all had a good weekend.

Busy going nowhere

Just can't get back into crafting, did have go today, see result! It is for a swap, title is 'It's a Jungle out there', couldn't think of much so went for quirky, so we have a giraffe passing a window!

Was going to do a row of monkey's tails, but then thought the better of it, far too fiddly. This was simples, cut a window out of a card, drew the giraffe's neck, then used some foam to make the patches, and then finished it off with a frame of brown and jungly type paper.

Did also start another card, but it is a much more involved type of card, so it will take me time to get all the decoration right. Got interview at job centre tomorrow, a bit pointless since I am employed. And got to get ready for my weekend, stuff to iron, work out routes. Just seen forecast for weekend, it looks rather dire, hope they are wrong otherwise it will be a soggy weekend. It also makes packing a nightmare, got to take stuff for wet weather, and stuff for summer weather. Typical of this blooming country, it is summer yet the weather is more like winter.

Caught some of the MJ funeral, at least it was a memorial and not a huge tacky showbiz thing.

Well best go catch up on rest of e-mails.

Oh phooey....

:-( Not happy, Murray is out, but he did put up a brave fight. He'll make it next year, he's gone one better each year so far.

Didn't think much of the women's final, it was devoid of emotion, even the crowd couldn't get into it. Not blaming the Williams sisters, the rest of the women's tour has to start catching up with them. Now just the men's final to go, think it will be Federer, hope so, he deserves to win.

Arranged a weekend away for next week. Me and my two friends, we were dithering over where to go, in the end I suggested Glastonbury, so that's our choice. Should be fun, just be nice to get away for a few days.

Mind you got some cardmaking to do this week, got to get a RAK made and sent, plus a birthday card, swap card and scrap challenge page designed. Probably just as well that Wimbers only lasts for 2 weeks!

And it was a case of great timing this morning. Got to the car park and went over to the machine to pay and... found the warden covering up the machine, at first I thought it was broke,but nope, it was free parking! Yippee... had I got there ten minutes earlier I'd have had to have paid.

Funny old day weatherwise, it is a bit cooler, but we've had rain on and off all day, but that at least saves me the job of watering the pots. Hope you're all enjoying the sun where you are.

Phew what a hot week

it was bliss to go stand in the supermarket today, love air con... okay it ain't eco friendly but it is wonderful when it is hot. Think everyone had the same idea - to go for a slow walk round supermarket.

Had to laugh at one young lady, dressed in tight trousers, very tight, tight top and ludicrously high heels, with her mobile permanently stuck to her ear... she was oblivious to the rest of us. It was her shoes that made me laugh, she did not look comfortable, it was obvious that her feet were killing her, yet she kept on strutting round in these daft shoes.

My only concern was to get home in time for the tennis, everything takes a back seat this time of year, my only focus is Wimbers. It was a thrilling match on Monday night, tho I was worried that Murray might have been left emotionally drained, but this is what I love about the guy, he learns fast! He went thru an emotional match last year and so lost his next match easily, he never makes the same mistake twice. He came thru easily today, just went into cruise control. Can't see either Roddick or Hewitt beating him in the semis... we could be in for a thrilling Sunday.

Not in the mood for crafting, well if I want to watch the tennis then that means getting out my small craft table, which isn't really big enough for scrapbooking, only card making, and I have to be very organised. I'm also too hot, it is this humidity, love dry heat, can cope with that, but this... I just go into melt mode. Tho I am managing to sleep, but we had a cracker of a thunderstorm last night, woke up to some rumblings, then there was a very loud bang, followed by a big flash... so I made a cuppa.

Think the MJ stuff is now ott, and no doubt it will drag on for months. No peace in life, and none in death. Sad state of affairs.

Phew...

It's hot, luckily we do have a nice breeze. Had to go to doctors at 4.30, seemed hotter then than it had been in the morning. Bunged a bottle of vino in the fridge, red, but chilled red wine can be as nice as white. Good thing about hot weather is, I don't feel like eating! I'll have lettuce leaves coming out of my ears soon. Need a haircut, this mop is too long and thick to keep me cool... Why can't you just rewind it? The hair that is! Why does it have to keep growing, can't we just choose and optimum length and it stays there!

Half watching Murray, he's not got off to a good start, hope he can pull it off. Let's hope the swiss runs out of steam soon.

Was too hot to get the craft stuff out, so have made do with a card I made yesterday with the FF kit. The cardstock is white pearlescent card, which I got at a bargain price at the craft fair a while ago, it is lovely to work with, easy to cut and crease. You can also paint on it, was using the FF stamps yesterday and doing some painting, the card I made won't photo very well, it looks fine in real life, but rubbish as a photo. The pic is DL size, landscape, chose to put the decoupaged bear at the end, then used one of the topper strips, and the card stock topper Happy Birthday, along with a few dots! Nice to work with this stuff, all Do Crafts, so no problems with quality, tho the rub ons are a bit problematic, I had an awful time getting one onto acetate. Had to use the craft knife to ease it off in the end...

Well all for now... can I bear to watch Murray?

Phew... in melt mode....

The sky maybe grey, but it ain't off hot! The merest movement and I start having a hot flush, or more like a hot leak... We did have a nice breeze before, but it has gone. Hopefully the sun will return...

But have been playing with my TSV, the FF kit, lovely kit, keep finding different bits. I've made 15 cards so far, some are a case of peel and stick, or rub off... (if you can, they are tricky!), on ready made card stock, but the decoupage stuff does require a bit of work and imagination. Found also some use for the near redundant patchwork friends cardstock, it matches perfectly with this kit.

Did go for a potter amongst me pots, did a spot of pruning on some plants, and a tidy up was necessary. At last my impatients are blooming, thought they'd become prey once again to the dreaded weevil. I do now treat them once they're planted, this bunch took a week or so to get going, but they're blooming now.

So all nice on the western front, well almost, if my mother would stop moaning. She has not stopped all flaming week. The latest was a moan about Tesco's cheese coleslaw, which she enjoyed last week.... plus the quiche I got, which she assumed was from T, but in fact was from S - and she darn well enjoyed it the other week! Then she moaned about our new windows... which are far better than the old ones, they keep the warm in, and keep the place cool in summer. But is she happy... no. Yesterday I had to listen to her moan about the weather, the day before it had been too hot, then yesterday it was too grey, and she didn't want to stay in again... actually on Friday she'd decided not to go out... then she moans about the taxi fares... her fault for buying that oversized stroller. I just can't cope with the darn thing, and curse it every time I go downstairs as it is in the way of the front door. But what gets me is that last year mum had a pop at me for being miserable, think I had every right to feel 'got at' with all that was going on, but I took note and made an effort to be more positive. But will she do the same... no, she just locks into self pity mode.

Ah well, one more week of Wimbers... isn't he doing well. Long way to go tho, not sure what I'll do if he gets thru to final against the Fed, my loyalties will be divided.

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend, thanks for stopping by. :-))