A possible solution to my image hosting issues

Here's a link to this months layouts July 08 I found a new hosting site called My Photo Album It looks like a very good solution. You can upload images, add captions and link directly to each one. I can even post directly from there to here and facebook. Clicking on the image will take you to the original upload and then it can be seen at the original upload size. It's not quite the same but it's a good substitute and really fast. Since I have already typed out the credits for here it's simply select files, upload them copy and paste credits and hit done. I can go back when I am finished uploading and change every single post to the new linking codes, but I don't have time for that right now. Linking directly to the album isn't perfect but it's a good enough alternative until I have more time.

*Edited to add* If you look over to the right you will see I have added a new blinkie, that one is clickable to view all of the albums I currently have uploaded so far I have done July, June, May, April and March 08, The CD Album I made for Mark for Fathers Day and The Mint Tin Album I made with Leo's S.C.B.U photos. I will get the others up as soon as I have time, and then I will start working on getting the links updated so you can see images direct on the blog again. If you scroll way down to the bottom of the page you can see a slideshow of this months layouts. I will try and remember to switch that one out every month but don't be surprised if July's is still there at Christmas lol you know what I am like.

Before anyone emails me

Yes I know all of my images seem to be missing, I have sent an email enquiring why and asking if there's any way I can fix it. Until I receive a reply from the people who host my files, or I get time to make alternative arrangements for hosting them and reupload them all, oh joy lol you can see them all on my facebook account. They are all in albums by month here. I really didn't need this right now since I don't have the time to reupload, relink and fix everything I have a lot of posts that would need sorting out. But I will add it to my to-do list and I will get to it eventually because I like having all of my layouts on here.

From Our Blog To Yours - What Kind Of Music Are You?

As always I have lots to tell you but no time to do it today, but I am going to do another From Our Blog To Yours post since I am so close to getting my 40% off coupon I can almost spend it lol. This one was another quiz, I like these they are nice and simple to do, providing blogger plays nice and lets me post the results lol. Be back in a minute, fingers crossed blogger will cooperate with me.

You Are Electronic Music

You are energetic and expressive. You love feeling alive. You never get sick of your favorite things - they're what makes life special. You don't take tradition or conventions too seriously. You live for the future. You enjoy remixes and re-interpretations of things. Life is about making improvements.

What Kind of Music Are You?

Hmmm not entirely sure about those results lol.

From Our Blog To Yours - Summer Jobs

This prompt is all about summer jobs. I haven't ever really been in the position of having a summer job but I have been in the position of working during the summer. I worked in a small shop we had tills that you needed to manually input everything on, that place was hot in the winter let alone the boiling summer, we had a small fan at the till that was supposed to help. The heat was unbearable and made all the staff bad tempered and grumpy staff mixed with equally hot and grumpy customers is never ever going to be a peaceful combination. Working the till was just one part of my job another was restocking the deep freezers. Now as much as I don't like the heat I don't like the cold. So you come to work in a t-shirt because it's boiling, then you go into a freezer that is insanely cold and you have to be in there for anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour at a time depending on who else had been in there and what a mess it was then you had to load all the stock into a trolley and fill the freezers. It's not easy to stack freezers when you fingers are blue but you are sweating everywhere else. Don't get me wrong I used to love my job (yeah I am a little twisted lol). I used to like chatting to the customers but if I am honest I loved being anywhere that wasn't home with my mum and the kids. If that meant 7am starts and 9pm finishes that was fine with me, even if I did have to hand over my entire wage packet to my mum every week, but that is also something for another time. Right now I am going to crawl into my bed and try and go to sleep. Hopefully I will be able to catch up with some posts tomorrow.

From Our Blog To Yours - Favourite Vacation Spot

This prompt is all about your favourite vacation or holiday spot. As I have said many many times I don't like hot weather, or sand very much at all but I have had some great holidays with Nan. I loved Cyprus but I didn't get to see much of it thanks to Lisa, but that's a story for another day. I loved Corfu but nearly drowning doesn't really make it that appealing to go back to. Loved when we drove from here to Spain in Malcolm's car and stayed in his friends apartment, obviously didn't love getting my period badly and ruining her patio funiture or the fun *insert sarcasm* job of going shopping for sanitary towels with Nan when neither of us speaks Spanish lol. See I don't really have much luck with holidays do I. Went to Great Yarmouth with my mum and the kids, rowed constantly and ended up coming home early. Went to the Isle Of Wight with the school and hated every minute of it because I wanted to go home. Went camping with my mum and the beavers and got a mole in the tent. So I guess I am going to have to go for Scotland. Where we went to visit my dad we had a great time, went out every night to the pub, danced lots, drunk lots but mostly just spent time with him. Sure there were things that went wrong there too but nothing like anywhere else. It also has the added bonus of being the place where we think Lukas may have been conceived lol.

From Our Blog To Yours - What Your Fireworks Say About You

This is a nice easy quiz, let's hope that I am able to post the results without too much hassle today.

What Your These Fireworks Say About You

You are focused, single minded, and intense. You don't let others see your intensity often, and when they do, they are quite surprised. You burn brightly, but you also burn steadily. You have the endurance to get the one thing you desire most.

The Fireworks Test

That was super simple and I get a pretty firework picture too result lol.

From Our Blog To Yours - Birthday Style

The prompt for this one is to blog about your favourite birthday year, whether you think you have reached or had the best age and what that age was. Not really a very easy prompt for me because I can never remember having a birthday where I wasn't ill, my mum didn't cause trouble/ruin it completely or it didn't just suck lol. So I thought I would go with my best birthday memory. You will have to bear with me tonight my brain is fried, Lukas is still sick, I am still sick, Mark is still a pain and on top of everything else looks like Nan is coming down with what me and Lukas have. It's 1:20am and she's just gone to bed! She has a hospital appointment at the fracture clinic for her arm tomorrow at 12:30 so if the details are a little vagie on this I apologise I will come back and fix them when I am not feeling so yucky. Ok so my best birthday memory ever involves something I normally am not fond of - cake lol. I have never really liked birthday cake, I hate the icing for a start. So Nan decided one year she was going to make me a birthday cake, the only sort of cake I liked a banana cake. Which was cool enough all by itself but she went one better than that she decorated the top with a photograph of my favourite band Boyzone (cut from a magazine and pinned on the cake, edible photos didn't really exist then). I don't think I have ever been so pleased with anything in my life. She went to all that effort for me just to try and give me a nice birthday. I was really touched by that. Especially when she happened to let on that the cake has cost 3x as much as she thought it was going to do lol, and told me that I was worth every penny. As for the age I don't know what age was best, I have a lot more to come yet. The advantage of having a kid though is I get to indulge my childish side so I guess I like being whatever age I am being when I am playing with him lol. That saying about you are only as old as you feel would probably have me somewhere nearer 80 than 24 lol.

yes I know I know

I still haven't finished the blog post I started a week ago lol. It's on my to-do list and I will get to it, eventually. I just can't find the motivation. We did have to call a doctor out yesterday well Monday but since I haven't been to bed that still technically feels like yesterday. She was so helpful *NOT* take paracetamol and drink lots of fluids are not helpful! When your thraots swollen to the point where you can barely swollow, you are running an extremely high temperature, practically falling on your butt everytime you move because you are so dizzy, having one side of your body feeling numb with no feeling at all in your fingers, wanting to throw up or peeing brown sludge and you call a doctor out to the house. You kind of expect more than them to walk in tell you that you are pale and should get out more and then leave with the take paracetamol, drink lots of fluids lecture. It's also not appreciated when said doctor tells you that even though you are shivering under the duvet you shouldn't be under the duvet at all, that's perfectly normal. But my favourite part of all is the most famous words spoken by doctors ever when they can't be bothered with you (obviously after the fluids and paracetamol lines lol) "It's a Viral Infection, nothing I can do about it". Did I mention she also asked me if I was pregnant? not once but 3 times? If I had been myself I would have told her that the last time I checked you couldn't get pregnant if you weren't have sex. I know it's been a while but to my knowledge sleeping in a bed, next to a husband snoring in a bed still doesn't merit being called having sex lol.
Lukas is still off school, tomorrow is the last day of school no school until september yay. So I will be back tomorrow I promise, even if all I manage is some Sweet Shoppe Designs From Our Blog To Yours posts.

So sorry

I really meant to get back the other night but then there were other things that needed to be done, Nan's still needing a lot of help, I'm really sick, Lukas is really sick and Mark's no help at all. *sigh* I feel like I am being buried by my to-do list lately everyday more things get added and nothing seems to get crossed off. I have managed to scrap a little though, usually while Nan is laying down and while Lukas is sleeping. So I have a few to share with you, I think all of them are for sweet shoppe challenges. Even this hectic life isn't going to stop me getting a discount of some kind at Sweet Shoppe Designs. I still have a vague hope of getting the full 40% off but it's looking less likely every single day lol. I can but hope though, since that helps greatly with my shopping addiction.

This first one was created for a Spin-A-Lift Challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs.
Spin-A-Lift of Gracielou's Daddy's Girl (flipped horizontally)
Credits: Layered template (Collection 19, Template 1) by Jen Caputo, Little Buddies by Dani Mogstad and Gina Miller and Date It Tags by GG Digital Designs (The Golden Girls). Fonts are DJB Writes A Lot by Darcy Baldwin and 4990810.

Journalling reads: All I seem to have been hearing lately is “mummy, can I have a dog?” You know how much I hate to say “No” to you, but there are lots of reasons why we can’t have a dog at the moment. When me and Nana saw these on the shopping channel we knew we had to get them for you. Pat their heads and they lay down, sit and bark. Pat their paws and they shake your hand and rub them on the chin and they jump up and down. So we bought them and then listened to you saying “are my dogs coming today” every single day, at least once an hour until they finally arrived. When they came you were thrilled to see they even came complete with little collars. To you they are the best thing in the world. You love to play with them and stroke their soft fur. You finally have your very own “pets” to love and play with. We thought for a long time what we should call them. Me and Nana suggested lots of different names but eventually we decided on Yip and Yap. You made up a cute little song “Yippy and Yappy, my doggies make me happy”. I think they are a great substitute for the real thing because I don’t have to feed them, or walk them. I don’t have to take them to the vets or groom them. I don’t have to clean up any little accidents or presents. But best of all once you go to sleep I can turn them off and forget about them. Maybe one day we will be ready for the responsibility of owning a real pet, but for now these two are enough to make you happy Lukas.

Enabling:

This second one was created for a recipe challenge (Challenge #39) at Sweet Shoppe Designs.
Credits: Layered template (Jaelicious, Template 3) by Chrissy W, Life Is A Journey by Eva Kipler and Espirit by Kristin Cronin Barrow. Font is DJB Erika by Darcy Baldwin.

Journalling reads: Mummy and Lukas sitting in the tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G. First he smiles sweetly and moves in real quick. A really lovely cuddle and a great big LICK!! Playing in the trees @ the park 24/06/2008.

Enabling:

This third one was created for a recipe challenge (Challenge #38) at Sweet Shoppe Designs.
Credits: Layered template (Jaelicious, template 1) by Chrissy W, Live Outloud by Sara AMarie, You've Got Pizazz by Traci Reed, Wordy Bits Dates by Kate Hadfield, Stampy Alpha Brushes and Fade To Black 2 Alpha Brushes both by Christy Lyle. Fonts are MTF Base by Miss Tiina and DJB Megan by Darcy Baldwin.

Journalling reads: We saw these street artists on our trip to London. For as long as I can remember people who choose to do this have fascinated me. I always wonder how they can bear wearing so much make-up, standing still for hours on end and remaining silent. I really love to watch them work, maybe it’s because I could never do it!

Quote:Art is... a question mark in the minds of those who want to know what's happening. Author: Aaron Howard

Enabling:

This fourth one was created for a Cookie Decorating 101 challenge (challenge #41) at Sweet Shoppe Designs.
Credits: Layered template (Cookie Decorating 101, July 8th 2008) by Meghan Mullens, Katarina by Melissa Bennett, Tons Of Tags by Shawna Clingerman and Paper Bits Blooms by Fee Jardine. Glitter Styles by Megan Farrows (Flergs). Fonts are LMS School Girl Crush and DJB MANDYK2 by Darcy Baldwin.

Journalling reads: When Nan fell and broke her arm and needed it to be put in plaster, we all knew that she would only have one colour cast PURPLE.

Enabling:

The fifth and final one was created for another Cookie Decorating 101 challenge (challenge #40) at Sweet Shoppe Designs.
Credits: Layered template (Cookie Decorating 101, July 1st 2008) by Aggie Aviso, He Said She Said Collaboration contributions by Amanda Slagle (Mandabean), Christy Lyle, Shawna Clingerman, Heather Roselli, Lauren Grier and Robin Carlton and Fade To Black 1 Alpha Brushes by Christy Lyle. Glitter Styles by Megan Farrows (Flergs). Font is DJB SOPHIEM aka DJB Boy V Girl by Darcy Baldwin.

Journalling reads: Egg and Spoon Race, Football Dribbling Race, Quoit Balancing Race, Dressing Up Race, Rat Race, Enjoying Every Minute, Green Team Winning!

Enabling:

I will be back to do the enabling once I have got Lukas to bed.

I think we got up to Sunday night didn't we?

and I left it just as Nan was being taken up to a ward? So let's pick up from there the sooner I get last week typed up the sooner I can start telling you about this week lol. So they wanted Nan to stay overnight and keep her arm elevated but Trauma (who were the ones telling her to stay) had no beds available so they decided to send her up to the specialist surgery ward, mostly private rooms complete with en-suite bathrooms. Which i have to admit made Nan slightly less bothered about staying. I don't know if I have ever mentioned it before but Nan had a car accident years ago and was told she would never walk again, well because she's a stubborn old bat she did but since then she has been unable to sleep in a bed. She has to sleep on a sofa with her back resting against the back and her pillows on the arm. Obviously this makes hospital stays very very difficult. With a little persuasion the nurse went off to find me a stack of blankets (since they don't have pillows) and I managed to knock up something resembling a suitable alternative. The Ora-Morph by this time was making Nan well for the want of a better term stoned lol. Morphine mixed with her normal medications about 5 hours late is a bit of a loopy combination lol. She kind of alternated between being wide awake and dozing on the bed while I sat up and watched over her to make sure she was ok. That's when all the fun (note the sarcasm lol) really started. Another nurse came in to take Nan's vitals a little strange considering no-one had said anything about that downstairs. Then she started arguing with me over Nan's tablets. I had all of them with me and she stated that it was hospital policy that all tablets were locked away. That sounded fair enough until I reminded her that Nan would be needing her usual Oxycodone 10mg in about 1 hour. She told me that Nan couldn't have those because the doctor had crossed through them on the prescription sheet. So I argued with her and I argued with her and eventually got her to agree to leave the morning one for Nan and then talk to the doctor. She then took the rest away to lock them up because they were "controlled drugs". Side note here these painkillers are what Nan takes for her back pain they DO NOT and I am capitalizing that because it's important (you will see why in a minute) work for anything else, no other pain whatsoever. Gotta leave it there i'll be back in a bit once I have put Nan to bed.

Super quick layout share

I have to be up in 3 hours eeek lol but I just desperately needed to relax and I find that scrapping is a great way to do that. It's Lukas's sports day tomorrow so I can't even go back to bed *sigh*. Anyway here is the layout created for an Inspiration challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs using one of Chrissy's brand new template set Jaelicious.Credits: Layered template (Jaelicious, template 4) by Chrissy W, Chunky Monkey by Amanda Slagle (Mandabean) and Robin Carlton and Hand Sewn Corners by Kate Hadfield.

Enabling: Jaelicious templates by Chrissy W available here, Chunky Monkey by Amanda Slagle (Mandabean) and Robin Carlton available here and Hand Sewn Corners by Kate Hadfield available here.

Changing the subject

I thought I would take a break from typing up details of this week today and just share some layouts that I have somehow managed to get done while Nan has been laying down each day. Scrapping helps keep me sane, it also helps keep my hands from becoming completely useless claws lol. I will freely admit that I wouldn't normally scrap like this, I don't really like to stop and start when it comes to layouts but I will take whatever I can get right now, even if that is 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there lol.

The first one was created for the Treat Of The Month Challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs. This month's treat is Ranie O'Dell known in the forums as Juliet.Credits: Layered template (Inspired by Juliet, Template 5) by Bree Clarkson, iCandy by Traci Reed and Label Marker Dates by Shawna Clingerman. Font is DJB Nicole by Darcy Baldwin.

Journalling reads: Right now I am listening to...
Backstreet Boys (Backstreet’s Back, Black and Blue, Millennium, Never Gone and Unbreakable albums)
Journey South (Journey South album)
Boyzone (By Request, A Different Beat and Where We Belong albums)
Westlife (Back Home, Face To Face and World Of Our Own Albums)
Savage Garden (I knew I loved you single)
Atomic Kitten (It’s OK single)
BBMak (Still on your side single)
Ronan Keating (10 years of hits album)
Stephen Gately (new beginning album)
Shayne Ward (Shayne Ward album)
Brad Paisley (5th Gear, Time Well Wasted and Mud On The Tires Albums)
Enrique Inglesias (Escape and Insomniac albums)
Robson and Jerome (Happy Days album)
Mika (Life in cartoon motion album)
Nick Lachey (What’s Left Of Me and SoulO albums)
No Mercy (Greatest Hits album)
Britney Spears (Blackout album)
Shane Richie (I’m your man single)
Gareth Gates (What my heart wants to say album)
All-4-One (I Swear single)
Leona Lewis (Spirit album)
Lonestar (Amazed single)
Sean Maguire (Sean Maguire album)
and Vanessa Hudgens (V album)

Enabling: Inspired by Juliet Templates by Bree Clarkson available here, iCandy by Traci Reed available here, Label Marker Dates by Shawna Clingerman available here and DJB Nicole by Darcy Baldwin available here.

The second one was for a Spin-A-Lift Challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs, another Ranie O'Dell aka Juliet layout.Spin-A-Lift (Flipped horizontally) of Juliet's Nature.
Credits: Layered template (Inspired by Juliet, Template 4) by Bree Clarkson, Marco by Libby Weifenbach, Epoxy Dates by Shawna Clingerman, Bloomin' Wordart by Jodie McNally. ScrapSimple Tools - Actions Stitching 4901 by Shalee Tippets. Fonts are DJB MEGAN by Darcy Baldwin and MarkerFinePoint-Plain.

Journalling reads: This little herb planting kit started off as a pot and a handful of different seeds.You added a little soil, a little water and some patience. After that all you had left to do was enjoy the time spent with Nana.

Enabling: Inspired by Juliet Templates by Bree Clarkson available here, Marco by Libby Weifenbach available here, Epoxy Dates by Shawna Clingerman available here, Bloomin' Wordart by Jodie McNally available here, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions Stitching 4901 by Shalee Tippetts available here, DJB Megan by Darcy Baldwin available here and MarkerFinePoint-Plain available here.

The last one is a great example of why multitasking rocks lol. It was created for Chrissy's 1st blog template challenge and a One Word Challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs.Credits: Layered template (Template Challenge 1) by Chrissy W, Defined by Michelle Coleman, Easily Amused by Traci Reed, Paper Masks by Kim Wresh and Paper Strips by Laura18K.Wordart from Elemental Emotions by Traci Reed defined as brush and Glitter styles by Megan Farrows (Flergs) Fonts are DJB Nicole by Darcy Baldwin and AL Highlight.

Journalling reads: I have always been proud of the fact that you are pleased by the simplest of things. This plastic fireman’s hat we bought at the school fete cost 50p, but the huge smile and repeated thank you’s it produced were truly priceless. You are one in a million and I am so lucky to have you in my life.

Enabling: Defined by Michelle Coleman available here, Easily Amused by Traci Reed available here, AL Highlight available here and DJB Nicole by Darcy Baldwin available here. Paper Masks by Kim Wresh currently available in her grab bag here, Elemental Emotions by Traci Reed is now retired, Paper Strips by Laura18K don't appear to be in her store or on her blog sorry and Glitter Styles were a previous freebie on Megan Farrow's (Flergs) blog but she has lots of other glitter styles available in her store here and you can find all the details about the template challenge including the download link on Chrissy's blog here.

Shall we carry on from Sunday morning?

That's where we got up to yesterday isn't it? You will have to forgive me if I am a bit vague today I am not feeling very well, on top of being very run down and exhausted from everything this week. To be fair the days have all kind of melded together it's hard keeping track of what day of the week it is at the moment lol.
Sunday night Nan's arm was causing her extreme pain, her fingers had swollen up a lot and were turning a very nasty colour. That was about 10pm, since she wouldn't let me call Lisa because she would be in bed, or anyone else we opted for calling another ambulance. I spoke to the rudest most obnoxious operator on the phone, who then transferred me to a doctor. He was also very unhelpful and said he would send the on-call doctor out to see Nan. When the on-call doctor arrived he took one look at Nan's hand and promptly called an ambulance. He said if the cast didn't come off immediately Nan would be in danger of losing her hand!. So the ambulance arrived, luckily we got 2 amazingly helpful crew members. They made Nan a lot more comfortable and were very concerned about her. They booked her into A&E and then the fun really started. First off a nurse removed the cast, Nan's entire arm was black and blue. They were amazed at how tight the other cast had been applied, it should have been loose enough to allow for the inevitable swelling, instead it was so tight it almost doubled the amount of swelling. Nan was having a lot of trouble with her fingers at this point, they were really cold and numb, she had no feeling at all in her thumb and was causing the doctors to panic a little. The doctor who had treated her the night before sent her for yet more x-rays. I had to wheel her around there myself since no-one bothered to call a porter to take her. We waited around for ages for an x-ray there was no-one around to even hand the form to. Oh the joys of late night hospital visits lol. After more waiting around we were told that the position of the bones had changed and more manipulation would be needed to get it back into the right position to set. Nan was obviously not very happy about the idea of having that done, and being in incredible pain again. The doctor who had done it previously was not happy to attempt it again, so he called for a consultation from a Trauma doctor. Which meant more waiting, eventually I went and asked them if it was possible to get Nan something for the pain just to make her more comfortable. They gave her Ora-Morph (oral morphine) which started off a whole other set of issues, but I don't have time to get into that yet. When they came to manipulate her arm, they gave her gas and air, no anaesthetic this time. She really couldn't get the hang of doing the gas and air properly she was taking very shallow breaths (mainly because she was struggling to catch her breath because she was panicing). There was a very abrupt nurse barking orders at her all the time which didn't help matters. After they manipulated it we had to go for yet more x-rays. This time I had to wheel the bed round to x-ray not the easiest job in the world but admitedly easier than pushing my old twin buggy lol. She had 2 x-rays done and I was just about to take her back to her bay when they called us back saying they needed to take some more. After looking at the x-rays the trauma doctor decided that the position was "acceptable" as long as Nan's arm remained elevated in a 90 degree angle position. She had to be taken to a ward and have a sling (well a makeshift sling made of a pillowcase and some bandages anyway lol) rigged up to a drip stand to help maintain this position. To say Nan was not very happy about the idea of staying overnight is an understatement. They gave her another dose of Ora-Morph and transferred her to a wheelchair to be moved. By that time it was 3:30am, Nan hadn't taken her usual nightly medication and I had taken great lumps out of my arms scratching thanks to the latex allergy. I think I had taken about 12 (dose is supposed to be 1 a day lol) of my allergy tablets by that point usually my latex allergy leaves me unable to breathe I have found that by taking lots of allergy tablets I can reduce the effects from life threatening to annoying lol. I am going to have to leave it there as I have run out of time again, I will try and get back as soon as possible to fill you in on the rest of the week. If I am lucky that might even be later today or tomorrow.

What a week!!

I really don't know where to start lol. Last Saturday we went to the school fete and despite the rain we had a lovely time. Between cake decorating (fairy cakes and assorted icings and decorations), games and various other things we were kept very busy. After a quick stop in the school cafe for hot drinks and cake we came home. Mark went to work, Lukas was complaining he didn't feel well (combination of being tired and having too many cakes lol) and I was planning on listening to some music to keep myself awake and catching up in some computer stuff. Well things never quite go to plan in this house do they. I came upstairs and Lukas wanted to watch cartoons so I opted for using my headphones to listen to my music. While I was happily singing along loudly Nan was downstairs. She decided that instead of sitting around she would take out the black sack of rubbish into the garden before she ran the hoover around. The bag was almost empty but she decided to put it out anyway since she had already taken it out of the bin. Somewhere between the doorstep, the outside step and the concrete she managed to fall. Obviously she started calling to me to come and help her but thanks to my headphones I was completely oblivious to it all. Luckily for her one of the neighbours and his wife heard her calling for help and rushed to help her. After negotiating with our very stubborn back gate they finally got into our garden to help her. She asked them to come and get me, so they called from the bottom of the stairs, "Crystal, your mum's fallen". To be fair when I heard them the first thing I thought was it was my step dad Karl, the next thing I thought was why are you telling me, I don't give a damn lol. Lucky for me common sense clicks in eventually and reminds me that Karl would have come straight upstairs because he's already seen the mess I live in and wouldn't care lol. I went flying down the stairs and nearly fell in the process. All of this had happened in the space of a few minutes, 10 at the most. When I went outside I saw Nan in a heap on the floor and I wondered how the hell I was going to get her up. She was refusing to let anyone but me touch her. Somehow I found the strength to lift her right up on the 1st attempt, don't ask me how I did it because I can honestly say I don't know. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that her arm was broken, so I called Lisa. Who didn't seem to grasp when I explained that Nan needed to go to the hospital. Nan called Lisa and seemed to have a bit more luck. Did I mention Lisa was in the middle of holding a BBQ lol. Eventually Lisa arrived with her friend in tow, and from the minute she walked in the door she was off. She decided that instead of asking how Nan was, or worrying about her she would throw a complete hissy fit at me and tell me exactly how useless, worthless and pointless of a human being I was. Sounds fun doesn't it lol. I was already feeling incredibly guilty that Nan had fallen while I was upstairs, but that's Lisa all over she seems to get some sort of pleasure out of making everyone feel bad. By the time she got here Nan was in too much pain to even attempt a trip to the hospital in a car, so we called an ambulance. Lisa had called Malcolm, apparently with the words "Mum's fallen, you will have to sort it I have people here" so he arrived just as the ambulance did. They decided that Malcolm would go with Nan, Lisa went back home with her friend and I was left to comfort a very hysterical Lukas, he thinks everyone who goes to hospital will die. Can't really blame him since almost every time anyone he knows has gone to hospital they haven't come back. I was able to reassure him with promises that Nan would be back later and she would be fine. He trusts me and he knows I would never lie to him. I managed to get hold of Mark at work and beg him to come home. When he got home he found me sat on the sofa, fast asleep holding the house phone and my mobile. He made me go straight to bed. I think at that point I had been up since about Thursday morning lol. When Nan got back I may have been asleep but Lukas wasn't he had waited up to make sure she came home. That was about 12 or 1am. I got woken up on Sunday morning at I think 5am. I had to help Nan do everything. She couldn't get up or down, or use the toilet on her own, couldn't dress herself or feed herself. Couldn't open jars or milk to make herself a coffee. It's not easy to watch such a proud woman suddenly becoming so helpless and dependant. It was made so much harder by all of my own medical issues, I am not exactly the most reliable source of help lol. I can barely take care of myself and Lukas let alone her as well. She told me all about what they had done. She had broken her arm very badly and apparently the bone had punctured her skin. She ended up having to have her arm manipulated back into position with the assistance of anaesthetic and gas and air, She had needed steri-strips on a cut on her arm and because of this they had needed to leave her temporary cast open, that was also supposed to help with the swelling. On Sunday morning she had to go back up to the hospital to have her cast completed with a fibre glass covering. Malcolm came back to get her and take her up to the hospital. When she came home they had done more x-rays and ended up adding a purple fibre glass cast to almost complete her cast. I am going to have to leave the week's adventures there for now. I have so much to do and so little time to do it, I am only able to use the computer at the moment while she lays down. The rest of my time I am spending doing everything she needs. I have become a pro at coffee making, washing dishes and various other things. Not bad for someone whose basically surviving on about 2/3 hours sleep a day at the moment. I am exhausted and there doesn't seem to really be an end in sight, she will be in plaster for a minimum of 6 weeks which is enough of a pain on it's own but she is still in incredible pain. Every movement leaves her almost crying in agony. There is lots more to tell you but she's just gotten up so I have to run, I will get back when I can and tell you all of the other details about this week, trust me this was nothing compared to how the rest of the week has gone. Every day has bought it's own different set of problems.

Tagged by Kate

It has been quite a week here but since I don't have time right now to tell you all about. But while Nan is laying down and Lukas is in the bath I do have time to answer a tag I received from Kate.
The Rules: Answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four others.

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? downstairs
3. Your hair? long
4. Your mother? annoying
5. Your father? absent
6. Your favorite thing? computer
7. Your dream last night? unmemorable
8 Your favorite drink? squash
9. Your dream/goal? comfort
10. The room you’re in? bedroom
11. Your hobby? scrapbooking
12. Your fear? death
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
14. What you’re not? skinny
15. Muffins? mmmm
16. One of your wish list items? freedom
17. Where you grew up? oxford
18. The last thing you did? typed
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Favorite gadget? ipod
21. Your pets? none
22. Your computer? lifeline
23. Your mood? depressed
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? nonexistant
26. Something you’re not wearing? knickers
27. Favorite store? shakeaway
28. Like someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? unsure
31. Last time you cried? yesterday

Thanks Kate, ok I am going to tag Cyndi, Renae, Chrissy and Royanna. If I get chance I will pop back later and try and type up everything that's been going on since I was last here lol but I will need a huge block of time lol.