This afternoon I am joining a blogging friend, Clare from Clares Craftroom!  Clare came up with the idea of  having a link up so we could all share our dolls.

I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at the dolls and reading their stories – a lot of reminiscing going on …….

When I was a little girl, the only doll I remember was a beautiful, dark haired, walking doll that my uncle bought for me.  This uncle was special because he was in the navy and visited places all over the world (said with a voice of wonder of a child!  ). On one of his ‘leaves’ he arrived home to Grandma’s with 2 dolls and he let me choose which one I would like.

My Mum thought I would choose the lovely blonde in a frilly blue dress but she was wrong!!! I chose my doll because she was dressed in a red dress that had a sailor suit collar trimmed in navy blue and white – just like my uncle (well he didn’t have a dress, and his uniform was a very dark blue with white trim, but you get what I mean).

Anyway, needless to say, I lost her when my baby brother took her outside and left her there without me knowing. The weather ruined her – her face and exposed arms and legs peeled away……makes me sad just writing about it!  I don’t even have a photo of her…  🙁      I should add that I long ago forgave my brother – he was just a baby!

So what can I add to Clares Link-up? – thinking, thinking, when I thought of my lady in a hat!  My Grandma gave me this many years ago and I have carried her with me all these years, keeping her near to me on the dressing table – so I guess she is my dolly!

Hi everyone!

Today hasn’t been a wonderful day for Nanny – anyone who suffers from Chronic Pain will understand how difficult it is to try to ‘create’ when your mind is foggy, you are in pain, you are tired, your head is aching – anyway, you get the picture……

I knew better but still tried sewing – lol – thank goodness for quick unpicks!!!  I did however, get my hats cut out so still on track with the Kids Clothes Week Challenge!

I have recently joined a support group for Chronic Pain Sufferers  and, while feeling so miserable today, I thought that I should make the effort to record my experiences in the hope that it may save someone else such a looong journey.

My journey in Chronic Pain began in 1988 when, travelling on the job, I was involved in a Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) as a front seat passenger.  I was admitted to hospital with a fractured sternum and was told it would take 6 weeks to mend.

I attended physiotherapy and the pain continued.  After a period of time, the Dr I was seeing commented that I was one of ‘ those’ patients and when I questioned him he said – you know, you must have kids at school that just don’t learn!!!  I explained that it was my job to encourage teachers not to ‘blame the child’ but rather  to take a look at their methods and try something different!!  Needless to say, I was admitted to a Rehabilitation facility very quickly!!!

I spent a total of 5 weeks at a residential rehabilitation centre – a long time to be away from my family – where they took all medication from us, scheduled physio, hydrotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology and back specialist appointments.  They told me that I had the worst whiplash they had ever seen, as I had very little movement in my neck – the girls in the pool called me ‘the neck’!

Funny the things when you look back – I used to play tennis – never a Wimbledon champion but enjoyed playing.  I am just remembering the day they gave me a tennis racquet and told me I could play – I said you must be joking – they weren’t!  Playing tennis to them (so they could tick a box – am I too cynical??) was lobbing a ball up against a wall – so I couldn’t run, I couldn’t complete a serve, or a backhand, or a drive but I could lob the ball softly up against a wall.  mmm I could see that working on a Wednesday night!!

So it was in this way that I was rehabilitated – imagine the boxes ticked again – didn’t require medication, could play tennis, oh and I could drive (they took me out for a little drive) – now I’m sure you could see this working in the ‘real’ world – a world where I was a Mum and a wife and working full time in a job that required me to travel sometimes 6 hours a day!!  Surely that would be no different to 2 sessions of physio and hydro each day, all meals prepared and your bed made…….

Anyway, that led me back to work, on to the Medico-Legal merry-go-round and down the long long road of chronic pain, all the time believing that I was ‘getting better’ and it would just ‘take time’…………

I’ll share some more another day.

Until next time
Nanny xx

Hi everyone!

Well, I had a post all prepared – just had to add the photos- but now the computer and printer aren’t talking to each other and even after intensive mediation, they still refuse to communicate!

So just an update:

Nanny has been travelling today and so didn’t get to do any sewing but I did manage to prepare the fabric and patterns for some hats – that fulfilled the one hour on something for the children (Kids Clothes Week Challenge) so hopefully tomorrows efforts will show results!!

I’m still not sure on which pattern to try – have one from Martha Stewart but the comments on the site aren’t very encouraging and I have a couple of different bucket hats (as different as a bucket hat can be!) and also one from a magazine.  Maybe I should try one of each – then I’ll know which ones to turf out!!

Anyway, this little Nanny is a bit worn out so it’s off to bed for me!

Until next time
Nanny xx

Hi everyone!

Today I joined the Kids Clothes Week Challenge!  It is organised by Elsie Marley and I think it will help me get those Xmas things started!!

So for Day 1:  I out did myself and made 3 little Peasant dresses: