Sunday 13 October 2013

My dear, neglected blog

Part of me wondered if 
I would ever find my way back to you but...

here I am!

The past few months have been so busy. 
Beau has settled back at home.
Michelle and Alex bought a house!!! 
There was a lot of work involved with 
preparing the house for them to move into,
not to mention all the packing and finishing up
with the rental home. 
The days leading up to their big move were
long and filled with hard work 
and lots of babysitting. 
We were all quite exhausted but 
what a joy it was to see them
move into their first home.
SO exciting!
Michelle already has it looking
like something out of a HOME BEAUTIFUL magazine.

A glimpse of Mikayla's and Maddy's room
Photo copyright - Michelle Hallmond

I sewed curtains for their living room and kitchen
and they look quite pretty if I do say so myself.


Maddy (granddaughter) is nearly 11 months old and 
has taken her first steps. 
She is quite a character and
I love her to bits!


Mikayla (granddaughter) seems to have matured so much 
since Madelyn came along. 
She adores animals just like her Grandma (me).
Photo copyright - Michelle Hallmond


Mikayla loves wearing her sunglasses. 
She's our little celebrity. hehe
She loves soft toy animals as well....
Photo copyright - Michelle Hallmond

Bradley turned 30 in August and a huge
surprise party was planned with an
Elton John (Brad's idol) theme but
it had to be cancelled due to
bouts of sickness hitting both immediate and extended families.
We did manage to make his day special regardless,
just no party.
I had already ordered the huge party cake
which we 'forced' our way through.
OH, the things we must do. lol
Yes, it was delicious!


I battled with asthmatic cough for over a month and,
just like last time,
I was left with severe inflammation of the chest wall.
It was very painful and hard to breathe.
It felt like I had a heavy bowling ball crammed inside my chest cavity.
I had to rest and, thankfully, after another three weeks,
 I'm finally over it.

My two furry bedfellows
modelling my new quilt cover.


Poor Dad ended up back in hospital
with a lung infection in recent weeks.
Parkinson's disease affects the
swallowing reflex and liquids
ended up in Dad's lung.
He is now back home and, from here-on,
only allowed to drink mildly thickened fluids.

Have I been doing much sketching or art?
Unfortunately, no!
This is all I have to show for myself on that score.
We took a day trip out to Burgess Park and I sketched part of a tree
using BIC ballpoint pens and a black PITT pen in my large Moleskine sketchbook.

Life seems to be returning to normal now
although I'm almost afraid to say that out loud
in case I jinx myself. lol

26 comments:

  1. nice catching up with you Serena! It's been busy for you. Your grandkids are gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Christine. I hope to be around more frequently now. :)

      Delete
  2. busy busy!!
    "felt like I had a heavy bowling ball crammed inside my chest cavity" that is exactly how my right lung feels, perfect way to describe the feeling

    the 2 girls look so much like their mom

    happy belated birthday wishes to brad :) looks like a really nice cake to fore yourselves to eat :p

    sorry to read about your dad ending up in the hospital but glad he is back home and that you are feeling better yourself :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry you're feeling that way with your lung. It's a terribly pain and so debilitating. Take it easy.

      Yep, Madelyn and Mikayla are the image of their Mum.

      I'll pass on your birthday wishes to Brad....the cake was YUMMY!

      Poor Dad has been quite a worry this year with us almost losing him in April. Every day is a blessing. xo

      Delete
  3. Hi my son and daughter in law has just moved to your city and my daughter and her partner have just bought a house so it makes life busy I also like to paint so we have a few things in common.
    Merle.......................

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Life sure can get busy, Merle! SO much has happened this year, good and bad. Nice to 'meet' you and thanks so much from dropping by. :)

      Delete
  4. What a joy to see you back in Blog land! I have really missed you my friend! I know you have been through so much health wise but happy to know you are on the mend! Hope your Dad gets some relief from his ailments too. Happy belated birthday to Bradley too.
    I am so happy that Michelle has a new home. The girl's room looks lovely! I can't believe how big Maddy and Mikala are already! Looking at Maddy she reminds me of Mikala when she was that age. :)
    Lots of hugs and so happy you are back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Norma!

      So lovely to be back. :) Maddy is so much like Mikayla in looks except she has the brown eyes, dark hair, and olive skin.

      I'll pop over to visit your blog in the coming days.

      Love and hugs xo

      Delete
  5. Wonderful to catch up and read you again - Glad you remembered your blog and all the best to your family - glad your Dad is doing better - glad you are doing better, happy birthday to Bradley and congrats to Michelle and family - those adorable girls are ......ADORABLE!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sandy. No doubt you are still enjoying those beautiful Grand-kids of your own. I'll be over to visit your blogs soon. xo

      Delete
  6. so good to see you ....followed you over here from FB. A lot has happened since we were in touch.
    You have a 2nd grand daughter. She, well both of them are adorable. Precious.
    I have 2 new grandkids as well. A boy and a girl both are 1 year olds. I aril have your beautiful blue rose painting. I LOVE it.
    Hope to visit you more often. Stay WELL. Sending my love

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gemma, how love to hear from you! Congratulations on your grand-kids...they sure make our hearts swell with love, don't they?
      I'm happy to hear you still have and love the rose painting.

      Thanks for dropping by and I hope to visit you soon too. xo

      Delete
  7. welcome back, Serena! you've been missed in the blogger world. xoxo. Your granddaughter is PRECIOUS! How lucky you are to have such a lovely family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jenny!

      I have missed Blogland big-time and it feels great to be back. :)

      I feel very blessed to have such a beautiful family, thanks. xo

      Delete
  8. Sounds like it's been a busy few months for you all. Your grand daughters are beautiful and I love their new bedroom decor as I also love your new duvet cover! Sorry Brad's party had to cancelled. I hope you're all on the mend now and your dad too. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's certainly has been a busy year, Nic. I'm hoping we're all over the sicknesses now too.

      I love my new quilt/duvet cover! I adore blues and greens with some purple. I need to find time to paint another abstract canvas in those colours. :)

      Thanks for dropping by. xo

      Delete
  9. It's good to see you again! And you've been busy, too. Those little girls are so adorable. I'm sure you're enjoying spending time with them...they grow up so fast.

    I hope you're feeling better. You've certainly had your share of illness this past year. Let's hope next year will be illness-free!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Janet. I do love spending time with my granddaughters....they always make my day.

      I would love a year with no illness....here's hoping! xx

      Delete
  10. Hi Serena, it certainly sounds like you have definitely had a lot going on. I know how that is as my blogging as been spotty since April. Lots of crazy going on over here. And time just isn't always on my side. Congrats to your daughter and her family on their new home. I hope your dad is doing okay now. My husband had a slight medical condition while on our recent trip which meant we had to cancel some of our plans and his movement was limited for a couple of days but we did the best we could with the change in plans. Over the next couple of days he will see a doctor to determine the best course of action. Our boys both have birthdays this month. Yusef turned 18 on the 3rd and Zack will be 15 on the 26th. I can't believe you have a 30 year old son. Sending good wishes your way for health and happiness. Tammy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Tammy,

      So sorry to hear your hubby faced some medical issues while you were away. I wish him a swift recovery. Yep, life can sure change plans quite unexpectedly.

      Have a lovely weekend ~ xo

      Delete
  11. hi Serena!! You may not have been sketching much, but that tree you did is unbelievable! i just adore your style.
    Your granddaughters - what cuties! i would love them to bits too. i can tell they are loved. :-) oh, and i just love your quilt! The colors, the flowers, LOVE it. It looks very peaceful in that room. :-) Wishing you (and your dad) better days ahead. xox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Pauline! Yes, my room is like my haven and I love spending time there. Blues and greens are so relaxing and calming to me. Thanks for the well wishes. xo

      Delete
  12. I enjoy my visit here so much, you have been one busy lady!! I love your work and your grand children are beautiful! Such beautiful photos,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OH yes, it certainly has been crazy, Laurie. Thanks for your lovely comment and for dropping by ~ xo

      Delete
  13. Glad things may be normalizing somewhat for you! Happy Birthday to Brad!!! I cannot believe how big your two grand-girls are!!! They are both growing like weeds!!! So beautiful, I tell ya! BEAUTIFUL! Love your new bed quilt!!!
    Glad your Dad is better. Take care, Serena!!!!!
    xoxo- Julie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So good to 'see' you again, Julie. Thanks for your lovely comment. I'll be by soon to 'visit'....have missed you. xo

      Delete