Wednesday 30 March 2016

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #356

Desk Day again already. March is almost at an end and I'm yet to sew anything this year. The solution? A kit to make life easy and get my hand back in. I've always fancied having a go at making a tie and bought this, at the end of last year, when Sew Over It had a half price offer on their kits. I couldn't resist the polka dots.

























Inspired by Jane and her friend Joe's tie making adventures, I dug the box out of my wardrobe at the weekend. I've ironed the fabric and pattern pieces, ready to cut out when an opportunity presents itself. You never know I might have some progress shots for next week.

Linking up with Julia and Co. this afternoon.




Monday 21 March 2016

Memorandum Monday ~ Red Tape

Yesterday I learnt that my boy is (officially) eligible for help while at university. It has only taken the powers that be until now, well over half way through the academic year, to make a decision on our case. We applied in September.

I have filled in all the forms that I have been asked to and sent copies of all the supporting evidence that I have in my possession. The formal diagnosis, the Speech and Language assessment, along with various other letters from medical professionals and consultants, all experts in their field. None of it was considered to be good enough proof. They sent me this form last month.....

























.....asking for the opinion of his GP on the matter. In the end it just took a couple of sentences from her (who incidentally has never met him), in a box on that form, for them to agree he is eligible. The letter she refers to is another copy of one I had previously sent stating his initial diagnosis.

The next step is a formal assessment, by an independent party, to decide what he actually needs to enable him to have full access to his course. Will that be by the end of his first year? Who knows? To say the process has been frustrating would be an understatement.

I have also learnt just how tenacious we both are. Although we kind of knew that already, from the three years it took us to get a diagnosis in the first place. I cannot help but feel my boy has been badly let down by the education system.....again. All the help, that the university said was available to him, is entirely dependent on Student Finance putting the funds in place. He has been managing (barely) with help only from me. A tall order when I am over a hundred miles away.

























Waving to Sian and the Mondayers from a hilltop in Hardy country.

Wednesday 16 March 2016

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #354

On the kitchen table today, a raft of Easter baskets waiting for ribbons to be tied to their handles. They are to be filled with little chocolate bunnies, ready to hand out to my nieces and nephews next weekend.

























I taught a class this morning, which included those very baskets in a couple of different guises.

























One to match an Easter card from the previous session.....

























.....and a cheerful polka dot version with teeny tags.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers on this beautiful sunny afternoon.

Wednesday 9 March 2016

One Photo & Twenty Words ~ Landslide

I'm a little out of the blogging groove lately. There is nothing on my kitchen table for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. I don't have a set of photos to share for Snap! Instead I'm falling back on an old favourite. A meme begun by Abi and continued now and then by her readers, on the 9th of the month.

























Not what I expected to find, when I reached Dinah's Hollow. The "School Run" was quite an adventure this morning.

Monday 7 March 2016

Memorandum Monday ~ Hereford

I've just returned from a wonderful weekend away with some lovely crafting friends and three husbands, acting as chauffeurs for their non-driving wives.

Regulars around here may be thinking there's nothing new in that, she goes every year and you'd be quite right. However, we decided to try a new barn this year and found this one.....




.....nestled in the Black Mountains.....

























.....with a cosy lounge.....


























....and this amazing view.

Waving to Sian and the Mondayers. Have a great week.








Wednesday 2 March 2016

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #352 ~ Snap!

Two for the price of one, as it's probably the only chance I'll get to blog this week.

First up, the state of the kitchen table, for the perusal of Julia and the Deskers.

























The few remaining bits to be put away after class this morning, along with my diary, lip balm, recipe book (Mushroom Stroganoff tonight) and wallet. Also a page from the Blackmore Vale Magazine, handed to me by a friend this morning, detailing an exhibition he thought I might be interested in.

And here's what we made. Three Spring themed cards so that I can at least pretend it's on its way, despite battling through high winds and hail this morning.






































































A little therapeutic colouring in of the Spring wreath and a way to adapt the Christmas wreath, on the middle card, to year round use. Making a set of (between 2 and 4) visually linked images for Helena's weekly photographic meme: Snap!

Happy Wednesday to you, wherever you are visiting me from today.