2014–What a Year

WOYWW visitors – please scroll down to the first post for today.

The second of three posts for today, and the first of two “update” posts – I realised there was going to be too much for a single post, because such a lot has gone on this year. I have therefore decided to devote this first one to personal and health issues and other miscellaneous things, and to make a new post about my creative endeavours during the year, of which there have been many!

I can’t believe it’s that time of year yet again when I look back on the months that have passed and take stock, and look forward, hopefully always with optimism, to the year ahead. This is the fifth annual review post I have made – have I really been blogging this long???

We have celebrated our first year living in our new house, and reaped the benefit of so many months of upheaval, anxiety, stress, joy and fun that took place during the previous year, during the renovations, and this year we have been able to enjoy to the full all the carefully planned alterations which have made life easier for everybody.

One of the things which has been the most fun was finally to be able to move into my beautiful new ARTHaven and get it up and running and planned exactly how I wanted, so that it at last became my favourite room in the house, where I can immerse myself in art and creativity and shed the stresses of the day, in an environment carefully designed and planned by me, and brought to fruition by our wonderful builders, to enable the creative process to take place with the minimum of difficulty.

Heath Issues

The year 2014 has been characterised by a series of health crises for us all – myself, my hubby and my mum, who lives in a flat occupying half the downstairs of the house. Just when we seemed to be entering a more stable period, something else happened, until I got to the stage when I wondered, “What next?” I know that compared with some people, our trials have been light, but nevertheless sometimes they have seemed hard to bear.

At the beginning of the year, now that we were really settled in, my hubby went up country to pick up my buggy (mobility scooter) which had belonged to my uncle, and this was installed in the garage with its own power supply, and enables me to trundle forth at the magnificent heartstopping rate of 4 mph to do my local errands – church, shopping, visiting etc. This is liberating!

In February I caught a nasty throat infection which left me coughing for months, and eventually in the summer I saw the doctor about it, and it became clear that the cough was a result of GORD (Gastro-oesophageal reflux disorder) and I was put on medication for this (Omeprazole) and referred to an ENT surgeon at the hospital for a proper examination, which revealed that there was still evidence of inflammation so I was put on revolting Gaviscon which is a sore trial to take!!

In the summer I also had problems with an extremely dry mouth, but after seeing another hospital consultant, a disease cause was ruled out, and we came to the conclusion that it was just another recurring M.E. symptom raising its ugly head again. I was given some good advice, though, about nasal decongestion which has helped a lot.

I suffered very badly this summer with swollen ankles and again sought medical advice. Several pieces of advice bore good fruit, and I also invested in a Circulation Booster which helped a lot. The cooler weather helped considerably, later on.

Since our return from holiday when I was shocked at how much weight I’d gained, I decided to embark on the famous 5:2 diet, and am happy to report that having hit another plateau recently, with my weight remaining constant for several weeks, I have lost a total of 2 stone 3 lb (31 lb) in six months. I have another 2 stone to lose until I am at the optimum weight for my height, but it is great knowing that I am now officially “overweight” and no longer “obese”!

In the summer also, I was diagnosed with mild anaemia, probably as a result of my ongoing ulcerative colitis, and have been on ferrous sulphate ever since, although now on a reduced dose, with my Hg levels being checked monthly.

In August I had my regular gastro-enterology appointment at the hospital to check on the state of my ulcerative colitis, and I have a colonoscopy coming up in January 2015 (something that has to happen every 2 years). He is pleased with my progress and how I am responding to the medication (Pentasa (mesazaline)).

However, my main health event of the year was a coronary artery spasm causing severe chest pain at the end of July, landing me in hospital for a couple of days. I’ve had no recurrence since, apart from a few periods of much less severe chest pain, all of which have been brought on by stress. I have a nitro-glycerine spray for such events. Coming out of hospital I became a soggy emotional heap, and when that passed, I moved into a period of several months’ mild depression, feeling generally “out of sorts” with myself, which is apparently a very common reaction to any cardiac event.

My M.E. continues much the same. The condition appears to have “bottomed out” and while I am not improving, neither am I continuing to go downhill as I did at the beginning. I have many days when I am pretty well unable to function and need to rest, which can be frustrating at times, but there’s nothing to be done about it and one just has to go with the flow and try and be as sensible as possible. Having a new adjustable bed is giving me more comfort and better nights and I no longer hanker after my wonderful hospital bed that I wanted to take home with me! This is also helping a lot with the reflux. Life is certainly easier with the renovations we had done in the house to suit my needs and also that my hubby isn’t having to run around after me quite so much as in the past.

A few weeks ago my hubby had an accident on his motorcycle and broke his wrist. He was in plaster for several weeks, and is now wearing a wrist splint after the latest X-ray revealed that the bone had knit. He will have another X-ray in a couple of weeks’ time and hopefully then will be back to normal. It feels painful now the rigid support of the cast is gone, and it will take time for it to regain its full strength. The worst part of it from our point of view was that he was not allowed to drive with a cast, and with all the running around he has to do on our behalf, this added to the already considerable inconvenience for him.

Mum’s health has presented us with several crises this year – firstly the common occurrence of minor injuries to her paper-thin skin necessitating hospital visits and the regular and frequent re-application of dressings. She is now very deaf and also needs her ears syringing regularly. She has also started suffering a series of TIAs (mini-strokes) and has been diagnosed with AF (atrial fibrillation) and is now on warfarin, which necessitates weekly visits to the surgery for her blood to be tested to determine the dose. Her short term memory is poor, and since her most recent bout of TIAs she has become more difficult, which is stressful for me, and my dear hubby is trying to shield me as much as possible, by taking on most of the contacts with her. We both experience ongoing low-level stress, interspersed by the high-octane version brought on by frequent confrontations with Mum on various issues. How true it is that whatever one’s personality, this tends to be exaggerated in old age.

It wasn’t just us humans in the family who had health issues this year. Our senior kitty, Beatrice (aged 14), after being registered with our new vet, had four teeth extracted, and was discovered to have a growth in the back of her neck that had to be removed, which proved to be quite major surgery, but was fortunately proved to be non-malignant. In order to protect the wound, she wore a premature babygro!

Then followed a series of urinary tract infections which have become ever more frequent so that she is more or less constantly on antibiotics now, but keeping pretty well, and with a good appetite. She is too thin, and with her delicate stomach has to be on a prescription diet, and requires frequent small meals in order to prevent vomiting. She continues to be a great character and much loved by us all, and she and “Granny” have developed a strong mutual affection and she enjoys spending time with Mum in her flat. The vet, “Uncle Luke,” is extremely fond of her, and everyone down at the vets’ has a huge soft spot for this very unusual kitty who is bursting with character and a bit too intelligent for her own good sometimes!!

All these health pressures have definitely been helped by having my hair permed again in the summer! Luuurve the curls. Thank goodness for good hair days, fragrant baths, kitties, art, and my wonderful hubby.

Technology

I was devastated this year that my faithful old sewing machine (21st birthday present) bit the dust, but delighted to get a new Brother machine, which, as things have turned out, I haven’t had a lot of time to get up and running – just a few boring household jobs to be done, and I still have to look up in the book how to thread it!!

At the beginning of the year I invested in an iMac and after an initial trial period trying to run both the Mac OS and Windows on it via a system called Parallels, eventually came to the conclusion that Windows didn’t work well enough on this for me, and I would continue with my two (now fairly elderly but excellent) laptops for Windows, and use the Mac pretty well exclusively for video. I had a brief experience with an upgrade to the latest version of Pinnacle video editing software on Windows but as with earlier versions, was frustrated by its instability, and decided to bite the bullet and move to Final Cut Pro for Mac which has proved to be a very successful move indeed. With my new video camera setup I can now produce good quality HD videos and the program is a total dream to operate – makes me wonder why I didn’t stop messing about years ago and spend the money and get serious – I’d have saved a great deal in the long run! I have not had as much time to create videos this year as I would have liked – it is a highly time-consuming process but also very creative and enjoyable.

The House

Finishing touches to the renovations included the installation of solar panels in the summer. We had been at a bit of a loss to know which company to approach, but our visit to the County Show was very fruitful, as we were able to speak one-to-one with several companies and come home armed with fliers. It was not hard to make our final choice, and the work went ahead very smoothly.

Personal

The major event of this year was my hubby’s retirement in the summer. He continues to be quite overwhelmed by the tremendous send-off he received, and all the gifts, cards, letters, emails etc. etc. I was a bit worried that he might feel the loss of role quite badly but he has had an incredibly busy time since, being carer for both Mum and myself, and various other commitments, but I am glad that he has been able to fit in quite a few days out doing the things he enjoys the most, and spending time with his friends. In the summer, for the first time he was able to volunteer on the local annual archaeological dig on a full-time basis. Knowing how precious these times are for him, I guard them jealously and try not to add to his commitments by asking that he drive me to things that aren’t strictly necessary, but we have had some nice outings together, and had a wonderful holiday (our first for 4 years) in the summer, coinciding with my school reunion, and the opportunity to immerse myself in some fabulous art. Our major and best day outing was to Bristol to view the Kaffe Fassett exhibition (click on the link at the top of my sidebar for pictures).

Since moving here, I have found an excellent church to join, and was admitted to full membership in the summer. I am thrilled that is is right on the doorstep and takes only a few minutes on the buggy to get there. I have made new friends there and the quality of worship and teaching is excellent.

Health Update–September 2014

Following my last health update, I have been taking the Omeprazole for some time now, and it definitely seems to be helping with the reflux, although I am still aware of something at the back of my throat. I am not coughing as much, and haven’t been disturbed at night by acid in my throat, but the GP said I should definitely see the ENT surgeon just to make sure everything was OK.

I had my hospital appointment today, and after a brief consultation he shone a light in my mouth, and palpated my neck. I thought that was going to be it, but no… he then sprayed some local anaesthetic up my nostril and proceeded to poke a light up my nose!! It was very small, on the end of a flexible tube, but despite the local anaesthetic, it felt like a lamp-post! It was pretty unpleasant. My nasal passages are apparently very narrow (which would explain why my nose is so often blocked). He said he needed to examine my vocal cords and the back of my throat in general, and said that there was still evidence of reflux there.

He prescribed Gaviscon Advance for six weeks, and said to continue with the Omeprazole, and then see my GP. The Gaviscon puts a blanket layer over the top of the stomach contents, and along with the acid-reducing Omeprazole, this should sort the problem. He also recommended propping the head of the bed up on bricks to elevate my upper body so my hubby is going to sort that – although what it will look like I don’t know – it’s a four-poster and might look like a ship on the high seas!

I saw the gastroenterologist a few weeks ago about my ulcerative colitis, and he continues to be pleased with my condition, which is responding well to the Pentasa medication. I had thought that my next colonoscopy wouldn’t be until August 2015 (two years after my first one) but he wants me to have it in February, which will be something nice to look forward to after Christmas (not…)!

Following a recent blood test, I have been told I am still mildly anaemic, so continuing with the iron for another few weeks. I am probably bleeding from the bowel although I’m not aware of it, but it could be enough to lower my haemoglobin sufficiently to need medication.

I bought a circulation booster from Ebay and it really helped with the swollen ankles. Now the weather has cooled off, the problem really isn’t so bad, and I have stopped using the machine for now, but it’s there if I need it.

Since my recent heart attack, I haven’t really been feeling myself – not exactly depressed, but feeling under the weather and a bit down, and rather unsettled. This is very unlike me because I’m usually very upbeat and bubbly. My creative mojo seems to have departed a bit recently, too. I had put it down to the constant low-level stress I suffer from with Mum in the house, but the other day I thought to myself that whenever I’ve had a day feeling like this, after a good night’s sleep the feeling generally disappears, but recently this has not happened. I mentioned it to my hubby at this point, and he said he wished I’d said something before, because he knows that it is very common indeed for people to get depression after a heart attack. I had no idea, but since then have spoken to several people who have experienced it. My hubby told me to Google it, and 18,900,000 search results appeared!!! He said, “Well, get reading then…” and I said if I read all that lot I’d be severely depressed by the end, not to mention still being at it well into the New Year!! It made me feel a lot better knowing that this was quite normal, and although I felt very down a couple of days ago, I’m feeling very much better again today.

I think I have to accept that it’s going to take time, and that my whole system suffered more of a shock than I was aware of. The most important thing is not to worry, and to know that it will pass. I don’t feel it’s bad enough to approach the doctor with.

My M.E. is ongoing, of course, and fluctuates from day to day, but there’s nothing new to report there, except to say that the dry mouth problem was probably a recurrence of this very common M.E. symptom, which has now gone into abeyance again. I have been continuing with the Sterimar routine before bed, and making sure my nose is as clear as possible before I go to sleep, and this is helping.

Ending on a cheerful note, I have been doing the 5:2, or “Fast” diet since our return from holiday towards the end of June, and am happy to report that this is the most brilliant diet I’ve ever been on. Because you reduce your calorie intake on only two days a week, and eat normally for the rest of the week, it is sustainable. Having to watch one’s diet every day, and deprive oneself of all the things one enjoys, soon becomes very tedious, and this is why so many people give up, especially when the weight loss tends to plateau, sometimes for several weeks.

I have had a three or four week plateau when I lost no weight, but I’ve stuck with it, and over the past couple of weeks, the weight loss has started again, resulting in a further half-stone coming off! I have now lost a total of 1 1/2 stone since June, and I am highly delighted. It doesn’t seem to be showing much – at least, not where I want it to (my stomach and bum) but one or two people have asked me if I’ve lost weight as it’s showing round my face, apparently!

So, generally speaking, I am pleased with how things are going. I am hoping that will be the last of the hospital visits for the rest of this year, at least for myself!

Mum, on the other hand, seems to be constantly going to the hospital or GP surgery these days. She had a TIA (transient ischaemic attack, or mini-stroke) a little while ago and has been undergoing tests since then, resulting in a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) and she is now on Warfarin, necessitating a weekly blood test until they stabilise the dose. Her blood pressure continues to be very high, and she is therefore at increased risk of another TIA or more serious stroke. She has bashed her leg again… and a few weeks ago, Phoebe, one of our kitties, scratched her arm, both of which needed an A&E visit and dressings which required changing – each time she has such an injury to her paper-thin skin, she digs her heels in and refuses point-blank to go to the hospital and we have to go through the whole process every time, of my hubby getting really stroppy with her and bullying her into submission! She never learns… she has no idea how serious such things can be at her age (93), and how they could easily get infected and lead to ulceration and worse. Oh well, my sister can deal with it for 10 days – we are currently enjoying a lovely break! After everything that’s happened recently, I think we deserve it – my hubby especially, as he is the one who has to drive her, and pick up all the prescriptions, etc.

My New Buggy

 

Shortly after the move to our new house, my hubby went up to the Midlands to collect my buggy. My uncle, who died two years ago, acquired this buggy to enable him to get out and about when he got Parkinson’s Disease, but eventually he became house-bound, and then bedridden, and the buggy remained in the garage. My aunt was more than happy for me to have it as she had no use for it, as long as we arranged for its removal.

After sitting idle for so long, the batteries were as dead as a doornail. Our local battery centre tried to revive them for us, but without success, so we had to buy new ones. They were expensive, but considering we got the buggy for nothing, we feel it was a very good price to pay!

Once my hubby’s Man Cave was completed, we had somewhere to keep it, and he could go and collect it for me. There is a power point for its charger by the electric door to the Man Cave, and it’s easy for me to drive it out, and go to the shops and out and about.

My hubby found an excellent bag on Ebay, that straps around the back of the seat, to put shopping and things in. Each side of the main bag is a tall narrow bag for my crutches, and it has reflective strips on it. There is a rather pathetic little basket on the front that could probably be improved upon, but it will do for now. I have also got a drink holder from Ebay which my hubby put on for me, and a license holder for when I get the road tax disc I shall need when I am super-confident and want to go on the road, at which time I will be permitted to flip the magic switch and up the maximum speed from 4 mph (fastest allowed for pavement use) to a blistering 8 mph!

I haven’t used it very much lately, mostly because the weather has been so atrocious, and also we have been very busy, and then very exhausted, after my dad’s death and organising the funeral. To start with, I was terrified of it and was sure I was either going to crash it, or fall off, or drive into someone’s car or worse… but the more times I use it, the more confident I am becoming. I am beginning to enjoy it, rather than having kittens every time I go out!

I didn’t post about it earlier because I wanted my hubby to take a photo of me on it, and today was the first opportunity we had! This afternoon he suggested that we went for a “walk” – he would do the walking and I’d drive the buggy. I suggested we went down to our nearest shopping centre of any size – we have a little street of local shops, but for the bank etc., I would need to go further afield. My hubby originally thought it would be too far for me, and I said I wanted to try it the first time with him beside me, in case I needed rescuing!!

It took us about 40 minutes to get there, and I reckon I could do it in much less time once I’m more confident and can go faster, and when I know the route so well that I don’t have to keep stopping to check! We went down one way, and returned another way, which was much less satisfactory because the pavements weren’t nearly as suitable – some were too narrow, necessitating my having to drive on the road. You have to try it out for yourself to see what is best, and although my hubby said the second route was shorter, when you are in the car, you are not aware of any buggy-related hazards, so I shall stick to the safer, longer route.

The only trouble with today’s outing was that it was so cold!! By the time we got back, my hands were freezing. The trouble is, since we moved, one of the things that I can’t immediately find is the bag of scarves, hats and gloves!

I am very impressed indeed that my beautiful buggy managed the whole trip, there and back, with no problem at all, and it didn’t even make a dent in the full battery charge that I set out with. It was also extremely comfortable and I didn’t feel any discomfort, sitting in it for so long.

I love the compactness of my gorgeous little personal car and the independence it gives me!

When the spring weather comes, I plan to go down one morning and do some shopping, have lunch and then return, making a day of it. There is a lovely little pedestrianised area with lots of characterful shops and a pleasant old-fashioned atmosphere. There are lots of little cafes with tables for eating outside. I even found a whole food shop where I can buy seeds for my bread making!

My hubby, who has a bus pass, is often out and about on the local bus these days – he has joined the local library and is always popping into town. He has discovered that a bus runs from near our local shops, to this shopping centre and beyond – stopping on its circuit at various places I would be interested in visiting. Now I am 60 I am also eligible for a bus pass, and as the local buses are wheelchair accessible, I could manage, but I couldn’t take the buggy. I need to see if I can make it on my own to and from the bus stop with the wheelchair – I think it may be too far. If I can manage it, the world will be my oyster, and I’ll be more independent than I’ve ever been since becoming disabled! My hubby says he will come with me to see how I get on, and push me home if I run out of steam!

Everything about our new home is working out so well. It’s a lovely neighbourhood – OK, a lot more built-up than we’ve been used to, but everything is so close at hand, with easy access to the shops etc. Having lived in the house for over three months now (I cannot believe it’s been that long! Time absolutely flies…) I am enjoying the renovations and adaptations to the full, and loving the fact that I can now do so much more for myself, without having to bother my hubby all the time. He has more pressures on his time these days, with all the extra driving he has to do now, and a lot of running around after Mum, and I want to try and guard what time he does have for himself, so that he can go off metal detecting, or boating with his buddies, without having me to worry about! The house is so easy to live in, and we love its somewhat quirky character, and the fact that so many original features are still present. Andy and his pals certainly did a most sympathetic restoration for us. I still can’t get over just how much we did last year, and how radically our circumstances have changed during that time. I just wish Dad were alive to see it all.

WOYWW 116

Thanks again to Julia for organising another WOYWW – for all messy crafting voyeurs lol! (See the link on the right of my blog.)

This week I’ve been working on my painted ATCs and yesterday started making some of them up into thank you cards to give the various volunteer carers who’ve been coming in each day to help me while my hubby’s been away. He’s home now, and today I’ve not had a good health day and I’ve been too exhausted to go in my ARTHaven except to take a photo of my table to show you what I’ve been up to.

On the table you can see the almost-completed cards on the left (they just need a sentiment) and on the right, some ATCs ready to be matted onto some paper which has been inked with distress inks, and which needs some background stamping. All these ATCs on the craft mat have been matted onto co-ordinating card, and the ones at the back of the table will be left un-matted as I want to retain them as simple ATCs.

On the far left you can see my new Rock-a-Blocks which came in the post yesterday – I’ve been aware of this wonderful tool for a while now, and finally decided to get some as I was ordering some larger stamps, and I wish I’d known about them from the beginning as they are brilliant! You can see some of my new stamps on the table – the swirl and 2 sizes of grasses, both of which I have used on this project. There’s a test piece just above the finished cards on the left.

At the back of the table you can see my Inkylicious Ink Dusters which are the best thing since sliced bread (but don’t taste quite so good). I never use anything else for inking these days. Also on the table are the distress inks I’ve been using for these cards, and my photo glue which I’ve finally settled on as the best thing for matting and layering for someone who’s incapable of getting it straight!!!

Hopefully I’ll be able to get these cards completed over the next few days.

Happy WOYWW, folks.

WOYWW 115

Well, another week has gone by (I can’t think where the time goes these days!!). Again, I haven’t done a lot this week, because my energy levels have been low, but I have managed to finish my latest big project, the altered box frame for our nephew’s wedding present (see separate post also on today’s date).

Today I have started something new. My hubby is away in Estonia for our nephew’s wedding on 20th August, and volunteers from amongst our friends are coming in for an hour or two each day, to be my carers in my hubby’s absence. They are so kind, giving up their time to come and do the odd jobs for me that I find hard to do, and as I usually do in these circumstances, I am making each one a special card to say thank you.

The “Create and Craft” show on TV has been featuring Sheena Douglass and her “Paint Fusion” technique and products as their “pick of the week” this week, and I’ve been enjoying watching her again. I’ve decided to use this painting technique to decorate a collection of ATC-sized cards, and then matting and layering them to form greeting cards.

So far I’ve cut the pieces and primed them with a thin layer of gesso, and then painted the base coat in blue fluid acrylic paint.

When this is dry, I am going to apply some crackle glaze, and finally some cream-coloured acrylic paint, and then use this background as the base for some floral and leaf painting using these same fluid acrylic paints. (I shan’t need Sheena’s stamps for this as I can draw my own shapes,)

I have done a bit of this before – you may remember this mirror that I painted for Wonderwoman’s 50th birthday back in April:

The painting of the flowers and leaves takes very little time; it’s preparing the background that’s so time-consuming because you’ve got to let each layer dry before applying the next. The painting is really fun to do, and so simple and effective – by loading 2 or 3 different shades of paint onto the brush, you can achieve instant shaded effects with a single brush-stroke.

I’m preparing nearly 30 of the ATCs and won’t make them all into cards at this stage – they will go in my stash to be used either for ATC swaps, further cards, or other uses. Watch this space!

Thank You Cards

Well, I’ve finished my cards! I made 15, which I thought was a huge amount, but Celeste on the Creative Inspirations group makes 45 and more at a time and would blink and miss 15!! Anyway, this is a big production run by my standards!
I am so grateful to Penny Duncan of
http://pennyduncancreations.blogspot.com
for her free downloadable .svg cut files, which I used to create the flowers for these cards – a doddle, using SCAL 2, to cut them on Jiminy, my new Cricut machine! The flowers on my previous post were made for these cards, and also the embossed gold card. They have all been sent off now, and I hope the recipients really enjoy receiving them. I so enjoyed making them, and while I was doing it, thinking of all these lovely ladies who came in and helped me while my hubby was away, and also I sent one to my GP to thank her for her support in my recent DLA application – without her support, I am sure I would not have been awarded it, and it’s such a weight off my mind.

So – if any of you are reading this – a Big Thank You to you all!

South West Disability Show

Today I went to the South West Disability Show at Westpoint, Exeter. I went last year as well. It's on a much smaller scale than Naidex, the big national one held each April at the NEC, Birmingham. Being smaller, it's easier to take on board, and there's little danger of missing anything.

As soon as I went in, someone said “I saw you last year!” This is because I'm so recognisable (once seen, never forgotten??) with my Rolls Royce wheelchair with its flowers! In fact, everywhere I went, I heard the word “flowers!” following me!

(This was taken a couple of years ago at our nephew's wedding.)

I saw several people I knew, and also met some new people. There was a super lady who was trying out a scooter - actually it was more like a boy racer motorbike! It had an evil looking front with a headlight, chrome, go-faster-stripes, and came in a snazzy dark red colour! It was her face that said it all. She had a smile that met round the back, and she zipped off in it at high speed, and the blokes on the stand said “we were told to get rid of all the scooters at the show - that one's disappeared for sure, but we were supposed to be selling them!!!” She and I then had a race, and she managed to scare a policeman! This lady had a beautiful daughter who looked after her - there was such a special bond between them that was lovely to see - a very caring, special young lady. Then came the question as to whether she could actually afford this scooter, and she said “I could always sell my husband!” - he was standing there - and I said yes, but the scooter wouldn't make you a nice cup of tea, would it!

I had a lovely chat with a couple over lunch - she was severely disabled with MS and she had a wonderful caring husband. It made me think - there are so many of us who depend on our loved ones for the support and care that we need - these are the unsung heroes of our society who care for disabled relatives day in, day out, with very little recognition, given the huge expense they are saving the nation.

The Global Leather glove man was there again, and he recognised me from last year too! We had a nice chat. I noticed a deterioration in his health since last year, and he finds many aspects of his disability to be very restricting, but he still manages to run his business. I bought a new pair of gloves to replace the ones that are now falling apart after much use! He said that some people complain that his gloves fall apart. He said if you walk long enough in shoes, they fall apart, too! Wheelchair gloves take a lot of punishment. I'd rather have gloves that eventually fall apart than hands full of blisters.

I met a lady with a prosthetic leg, and she had nail art on the toenails! Brilliant!

So many really lovely people to meet and chat with, disabled and able bodied alike.

It was a long, tiring day for me. I am now practically horizontal on the recliner, having had a cup of tea (courtesy of my wonderful hubby bless him!!!) and a sleep. It was well worth going, though, as it's an opportunity to see the latest equipment and keep up to date with what's going on.

Here's what I saw when I was leaving, as part of the display of a local firm who supply adapted vehicles. This is the very latest in ramped access vehicles, complete with the latest lightweight sporty wheelchair. (Note the nice authentic touch of the rust on the vehicle!)

Orders, anyone?