A Different Day ...

Friday was a very different day for us.
We got up at 5.19 am!  One Weetabix for me. Nothing for Other Half!

Left the house at 6.30 am for the hour trip to Swansea.
Made our way to the Cardiac Day Case Unit in the enormous Morriston Hospital, one of several Swansea hospitals.
OH had an 8.00 am appointment.

Checked in. Name taken, details noted and compared with ones already laid out in one of several files on the table at the end of the narrow bed. Name label put on wrist. Blood taken. Details checked again.  Attractive hospital gown and paper underwear was provided!! 

There were eight other male and female patients checking in for that day's procedures; angiograms, angioplastys and pacemaker checks.

OH had had problems for a relatively short time in the scheme of things - thinking he had indigestion, only to be told he had heart problems! A terrible shock for him.  Things weren't improving as expected and he had been referred for the angiogram.  GP was concerned and wrote a second letter. Then at the beginning of the week he was given a sudden and unexpected appointment for Friday.

Both of us quite apprehensive about it all, but everything was carefully explained and although he had to wait a bit longer because an emergency came in, he went off  'for about an hour'.  He came back after about an hour and a half, having had the angiogram and also an angioplasty - insertion of a metal stent into a main artery that was found to be 95% blocked! What a shock. But so wonderful that it could be sorted out immediately.  The consultant was nearly as surprised as us. 

It is a constant wonder to me that an operation can be done to your heart, by entering it via an artery (which if cut can allow you to bleed to death) and wiggling tubes containing coloured dye and wires with metal 'baskets' around, by only having a local anaesthetic and being in hospital for only a few hours.  Although I felt the NHS part of the Olympic Opening Extravaganza was just that - extravagant - they certainly looked after OH wonderfully and he had their full attention the whole time he was under their care.  Thanks to the Cardiac Centre at Morriston Hospital.

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Ann x 

Hooray! - Sunshine! .....

Yesterday

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We visited our 'girls'.

We are going to look after them while their new owners are on holiday.

It is a year since they left, but they look just the same and are obviously happy and settled.

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I pulled up our Wight garlic which was planted last November.

It is looking very good and smells wonderful!

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The sunflowers are just beginning to come out.

Never planted them before and used a children's sunflower pack.

They are looking great and very cheerful!

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Sunny Face.

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Today we even managed to strip off and sunbathe on our private patio.

No photos!!!

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Then I dug up our carrot!

Yes, we had only one!

Even Monty Don only had about six because of the bad weather, so I didn't feel too bad about it.

Have now planted out two more lots and will keep our fingers crossed.

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Enjoy the warmth and sun in case it goes away again!

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Ann x

Lampeter (2)

One reason for going to Lampeter was to visit The Welsh Quilt Centre.

This is situated in The Old Town Hall, High Street, Lampeter, Ceredigion

www.welshquilts.com

This web site has a mass of information to link into. Do take a look.

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I wanted to see the current exhibition which is on until 3 November.

It is absolutely fascinating and it does seem as though the Amish quilters

took a lot of their ideas from the Welsh quilters.

If you are coming to Wales for your holidays and are interested in the history of quilting I think you will find this exhibition well worth a visit.

There is a wonderful quilting shop next door as well! 

So you can spend all your holiday money!

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They even used to use their old quilts to keep their cattle warm!

Jen Jones, the owner of the quilt centre, showed us around and told us that she has met the old lady in the above photograph.

(The above three photographs have been taken from Welsh Quilt Centre images)

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The reason for all this sudden interest in quilts is that a 'quilting' shop has recently

opened in our nearest village, Kilgetty.  The wife of a  member of our short mat

bowls club does quilting. The local quilting and patchwork group had an open day

which I attended and was told 'it is easy to do, why don't you come along'?

So I did.

Now I am hooked, after about four weeks!

The above is the beginning of my first quilt

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I can see that I haven't quite got the hang of it and the colours just yet.

My quilt is 'Yellow Brick Road' pattern.

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I have had two quilting lessons.

Attended three quilting classes (sitting chatting with tea and biscuits included).

Met a whole lot of lovely new friends.

Just bought my first lot of accessories.

Had my 20 year old Frister & Rossman serviced.

Even bought 6 fat quarters for my next small quilt.

I am definitely hooked!

And looking foward to lots of new experiences.

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Ann x

(Foreveryoung at 74!)



Trip to Lampeter ...

Lampeter (Welsh: Llanbedr Pont Steffan or, more informally, Llambed) is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.

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The first time I have visited this lovely small, university town.

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It is very Welsh.

Lots of Welsh-speaking people and English/Welsh speaking people everywhere.

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It has some very colourful shops.

Long time since a saw a tin bath - especially on the pavement!

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Makes our dun-coloured broom look so uninteresting.

It must be much more fun to sweep with a coloured one!

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Cheerful garden watering to be done.

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Just looking at the shops and wandering around

was not the only reason for visiting Lampeter.

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Back later.

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Ann x

Miners Walk - The Pylons ...

We have often done The Miners Walk, starting from Begelly, or part of it.

It is a walk that we love.

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But all along the path we can see the pylons.

Following us.

They fascinate me.

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Where are they going to?

They are walking aren't they?

I'm sure they are on the move!

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The more you look at them,

the more they multiply.

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They hide behind trees and bushes.

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They come upon you out of nowhere.

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They buzz and fizz at you.

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Quite uncanny really.

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Ann x

(Please click on the photos to see how fascinating they are!)

First Pickings!

Delicious!

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Can't wait for the rest to ripen.

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Sorry - got to go - there's tennis to be watched!

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Ann x

Look .....

Can you see them ?

There, in the middle.

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That lovely purple.

More in the background

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Our own blueberries!

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We did get one or two last year which was great. 

But this year I have netted our three bushes against the birds,

kept a close eye on them and look at the result.

Looks like there are loads more to come, so hope they ripen as well.

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I shall have them on my porridge tomorrow.

Pembrokeshire blueberries, fresh from the garden, no travel miles!

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Just waiting for the tomatoes now!

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Ann x

Photo A Day - Busy!

I keep trying to take part in Photo A Day.

You can find out all the details here.  and try to take a particular photo each day of the month.

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I have not done very well so far!

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Anyway, 1 was 'Self-Portrait' - might go back to that!

2 is 'Busy'

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As its raining cats and dogs again the only things busy in our house

are the washing machine and the dryer - so here they are!!

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Not a very brilliant idea, but hey ho, at least I had a go.

Why don't you too?  There are some quite novel ideas to have a go at.

Number 26 is Sunshine - Hope it gets here by then!

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Back to some more tennis with a cup of tea.

Bowls practice tonight.

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Ann x

Brighten up the Day

Raining. 

No tennis.

No Nadal.

No Federer.

No Murray. 

Other Half cooking today. 

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Sowed some radish seeds.

Watered the tomatoes.

Sorted through the old seed packets!

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Drank four cups of tea and one mug of coffee.

Checked up on all you lovely readers and bloggers.

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All being busy.

I felt idle.

What to do?

Change my title picture to something a bit cheeful.

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So that's what I've done.

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Cheer up. More tennis to watch next week!

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Ann x