My week in review.

     First things first, apologies for missing a week in review over Christmas, but like most people I was busy enjoying myself. This this will be two weeks in review lol. 

    We had a lovely Christmas, despite restrictions, and I got some amazing pressies. Including of course my new laptop which was an early Christmas present, I also got a new electric wheelchair. I have been wanting one for so long, so I can get myself around the shops and hospital without poor Dan having to push me. Dan even spent the first part of his Christmas holiday getting rid of some surface rust on it and repainting it for me in a lovely and very bright shade of pink lol. What do you think? 

    I wasn't the only one to get a fun new toy though, as I couldn't get Dan's car I got him a new toy also. Something he really wanted, the worlds fuggliest mini tractor. Which I have named, Fugly. 

    As well as my new toys, I also got a lovely cast iron hand crafted rose from Dan which is beautiful and so detailed and a unicorn ornament. 

    And a whole host of wonderful things from friends and family, including two awesome Christmas hats, one a pixie hat and one a hand knitted beanie, and its pink!!! I lovely little hand made bag, some lip gloss, a face mask, and cute bare of soap, a nice new top and bracelet, some awesome pink and white fluffy socks, a box of celebrations and a cute little note book with things to remember written on the front. 

    And this year I got and extra special surprise, as for the first year ever, Kye brought me a present using his own money and completely of his own choice. And it was a great choice as he got me a diamond art kit, of Lady and the Tramp. I have been wanting to have a go at Diamond art for ages. and I love it. 

    We had a hell of a day leading up to Christmas, when we went to collect Dan's present from Dorset. That was a nightmare. The drive up there was nice, but when we got there the guy said he was running later, due to traffic and was going to be an hour and a half late. 

    It seemed strange that someone would go off somewhere, when they knew someone was coming all the way from Cornwall to have a look at something they were selling, but we figured he may have had an emergency or just figured he would be back in plenty of time. So we weren't to bother and went and sat watching people getting soaked by waves, breaking over the sea wall, down at the beach. And the kittiwakes flying around. It was really nice actually 

    But after an hour and a half had passed and we went back to this guys lock up there was still no sign of him and Dan tried messaging him again, but there was no reply. But as we knew he was driving that didn't worry us to much. 

    So another hour passes and we get a message saying he is 5 minutes away, and shortly after that the guys father turns up, and he lets Dan in to have a look, but he finds the tractor buried under pile and piles of stuff. So they have to dig it out first, they do that and Dan does his thing and still this guy is nowhere to be seen. 

    But Dan is happy with the tractor so he gets it loaded and then stands chatting to this guys Dad, still waiting for this bloke. And at this point it's about the time we had calculated that we would be back home. 

    When the guy finally show up, he won't stop talking. Now, Kye and I have stayed in the car, seeing as I am meant to be self isolating and Dan has been keeping his distance from the bloke and his mask on, so we're getting pretty bored by this point and Kye keeps telling me is hungry. But all I have in my bag is some mints, so I keep passing him mints and praying for Dan to hurry up. 

    Then I hear this guy start talking about all the places he has been. London, Kent, all places in Tier one and boasting about how he got a load of stuff cheap because people wanted rid but knew people weren't going to be wanting to go into tier one, so were putting stuff up cheap to get rid. 

    And I hear Dan go "but I asked you if you had been following the rules and staying in tier two before I came, and told you that my wife has a compromised immune system so we had to be really careful and you said that you had been following the rules."

    And the guy was like "Yeah and I had, until today." Dan was fuming, but thankfully he had been keeping his distance from the guy and wearing his mask and he uses this as his excuse to finally get out of their. 

    But who does that, really. Tell's someone they have been careful and following the rules and then goes off up into tier 4, like that. 

    

    Anyway, we didn't get home till late, but stopped for McDonalds, to sort out all our hunger pangs. I was so relieved to get out the car though, I had only got out once while we were out, just to stretch my legs, as it was only while we were waiting at the guys lockup that there were no people about, so it felt safe too. So I had serious numb bum.

    

    But at least the journey itself went okay, though we were going through a lot of flooded areas, and the rain, fog and wind were really bad on the way home. With loads of branches and things brought down when we were really close to home and one massive one right on a corner, that we didn't have time to swerve. Thankfully our 4x4 went over it okay, though the trailer dragged it a good way. But that meant it was safely out of the way of anything else coming round the bend and Dan was able to stop and drag it out the road. God know what would have happened, had a smaller car come around the bend and hit it first. 

    but anyway, Christmas was lovely, we spent it at home just the three of us, of course. And then Dan spent most of the holiday out playing with fugly, so he was happy, but we still watched a lot of christmassy and non christmassy films together and played some games. 

    

    Then New years eve we got a bit of surprise. Will call it a surprise injection of cash. Which means, we now have enough for our new car, although we are gonna save a little bit longer, just so we can get a really nice one. But that's okay as it takes Dan ages to decided exactly what he wants anyway. 

    In other news, I am nearly off of the steroids and already I am having pain. So that's not looking good at the moment. but my next infusion is next week, and I have heard people say they start to get some pain a couple of weeks before an infusion is due, so I am hoping that's all it is and it doesn't mean the infusions still aren't working. But I will have to contact my team today and let them know and the dietician to get my liquid diet sorted. Which they said I would need to do if I started flaring again. 

    I have also got another new wig. This one looks more like my natural hair, for when I want to feel more like myself. What do you think? 

    Well that's pretty much it from me, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that this year will be better for everyone. Once they get all this covid stuff under control of course. 

love and hugs all

Joss xxx 

    

Book thoughts: The good bear by Sarah Lean

Blurb: A wintry animal story for readers aged 9+ that will warm your heart and take you on an adventure you will never forget. From the bestselling author of A DOG CALLED HOMELESS. This is the perfect Christmas gift for fans of Michael Morpurgo, Lauren St John and Sara Pennypacker's PAX . 
  
It’s the Christmas holidays and Thea is looking forward to spending them with her father. She can tell him all about her plans to become a writer, and maybe he’ll buy her the typewriter she’s been dreaming of. 

But when Thea arrives in Norway, everything feels . . . wrong. Her father is as distant as ever and now she has to share him with his new family: his girlfriend Inge and her children.Then Thea makes a surprising discovery. Deep in the snowy woods by the house, is a bear. He’s scared and hungry and he desperately needs Thea’s help. 

When the town hears about a bear living in the woods, Bear’s life is in even greater danger. Thea needs to show everyone that he’s not dangerous – he’s a good bear – if she’s to save him. 

Beautifully illustrated by award-winning illustrator Fiona Woodcock, the artist behind Abi Elphinstone's The Snow Dragon. 

My thoughts: When I sported this book on Netgalley, I was instantly intrigued, not only did it have a swet cover but it had a connection to Norway, as does my family, so I had to make a request for it and thankyflly my request was accepted in return of course for an honest review. 

So the story starts with a mother cuddling up with her daughter, to retell a story that they've share together every year as part of their Christmas celebrations. 

So in escense Thea (the main character) is retelling her own story from 30 years before, to her daughter, of a trip she took to visit her somewhat estranged father Henry in Norway. It's a little bit sad really as Thea sets off with all this misconceptions about just what the holiday will be like, how her father will recieve her, and what a lovely time they will have, but more of all, she hopes that when she arrives she will find that he has perchased for her, as a belated birthday present, her dream gift, which is a typewriter. 

Sadly, non of this is to be, instead she finds her father rather distant, and his new family fairly indifferent to her and she feels pushed aside and unwanted. 

I was a little angry at her mother for this, I felt like she should have given her daughter a heads up, but then as you get to know Thea it quickly becomes apparent that she is a bit of a dreamer, and that even had her mum done so, it was likely Thea would have believed her. So perhaps her mother felt she needed a bit of a reality check. 

Thea isn't an easy character to like, she's quite snooty and bossy and very rude to her fathers new family. Especailly Lar's who constantly trys to be friends with her and even takes the blame for something that was in part, Thea's fault too. 

But although Thea isn't easy to like, her feeling and emotions are easy to understand, you could see how she might be feeling the way that she does, and how she might respond to those feelings, being that she is young, and not really wise to the ways of the world yet.

And then, Thea, meet a bear. But this is no ordinary bear, it's not a wild bear but an escaped bear, who for years has been used to entertain tourists by being forced to dance. A bear that is incredibly wary of people, because in the past, humans have been incredibly crawl to him, but who also is very hungry, and has of course learned, that as well as bringing cruelty, humans also bring food. 

Thea's loneliness and the bears despreation and hunger, sparks an unlikely friendship, but that friendship comes under threat, when Thea learns that there are other people looking for her bear and Lar's has discovered her secret. 

I love this book, it’s such a heart warming story and reminds us of what’s really important about Christmas. 

It’s also a book that would be lovely to share with kids and  I highly recommend that you read it. 

It will make you laugh and cry, and also get you in the mood for Christmas. 

I can see this book becoming a real Christmas classic, that will be passed down through the generations. A favorite for many families. 

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishes for allowing me to read this for free in exchange for an honest review and to the author Sarah Lean for this enchanting read. 

As always please forgive any errors, I have Crohn’s disease and it can give me pretty bad brain fog which can cause me to misspell words, muddle words and names and make all kinds of other mistakes.

Love and hugs

Joss xx

Happy belated Christmas!!!!

Hello all, I'm a little late with my Christmas post, but I figure Christmas is the perfect time for forgiveness and so you're getting late wishes, for a grand old Christmas. 

So Christmas Day, how was yours? Ours was good, we enjoyed the morning together and then headed to my mothers for the evening, where I was pleased to discover her roast dinner was as delioucious as I remembered. I also successfully dodged the tucking into Christmas dinner photo, yay me!

My son did really well for himself this year and unwrapped a custom built gaming PC, with a case that's so big he could probably fit inside it, and fancy blue lights. Well, that is his favourite colour after all. Beyond the superficial stuff o can't really tell you to much about it, because when it comes to the inner workings of computers, I'm pretty clueless. For all I know there could be a little mouse running around on a wheel, powering the whole thing. 

Okay, okay so I know there's no mouse because I have actually seen inside, but as far as I'm concerned it was just a mass of coloured wires, box like things and boards covered in all manner of metallic looking blobs and little creepy looking bug like things which I think are called chips, but don't hold me to that. 

Any who, as well as his computer, he also received a whole heap of minion goodies from my mum, a great minecraft jumper from his Godmother and a collection of awesome pirates of the caribian ships, which were a last minute find, by hubby and I and an absolute bargain. 

For hubby it was lots of bloke bits for his steam engine and work shop. 

And me!!!! Well let's just say I was really smiling this year. Alright I'll tell you. 

From hubby my own personalised Marmite jar, for being naughty apparently. Although if that's meant to be a punishment then I really need to be naughty more often. 

Ten, yep ten Michael Morpurgo books. Cause your never too old for Michael Morpurgo. Hehe

And the ultimate of ultimate of ultimate, an incredibly realistic looking Cavalier King Charles teddy. I'm in love!

From others, I received an awesome mug, that reads, "keep calm and read books" better advice there never was hehe, the softest most snuggleble purple blanket, Pj's!!!! Books, galaxy chocolate and a lovely bracelet and top.

It's been a good Christmas spent with my family and we are definitely looking forward to the new year. 

So what did you get this Christmas? Did you have fun? Let me know, because I love seeing people's gifts. Sometimes it gives you great ideas for future gifts hehe. 

Love and hugs all

Joss xx 

A Christmas gift that could well become a family treasure for generations to come

Today while finishing up my Christmas shopping I came across a lovely gift that you can buy for your mum, dad, sisters, brothers, grandparents ect, called the me to you Journal.

The idea of the gift is that your loved ones can fill them in over a time and then give them back to you, perhaps as a gift for your birthday or even Christmas again, so that you can learn all about them and their lives, you can also buy one for yourself to fill out for your own children and it can then be passed on down through the family for generations to come.

With questions like:  

Tell me about the time and place you were born . . .

What were your favourite childhood toys or games?

What would you do for a night out when you were dating?

Tell me about a special piece of music that you and Dad had ‘just for you’ . . .

Before I was born, what other names had you thought of calling me?

What was the first word or words you remember me saying?

What are the happiest or greatest memories of your life?

What are a few of your favourite things?

If you were an animal . . . what type of animal would you be, and why?

Describe something you still want to achieve in your life . . .

Tell me about the things that have made you happy or laugh . . .

Given your experiences, what piece of advice would you like to offer me?

This book can give you treasured insight into your loved ones lives, loves and longings, and can also make for great conversation on Christmas day.

On top of that the book apparently won the gift of the year award, which is an added bonus, I grabbed a copy for my mum and one for my sister too, and can’t wait to hand them over this Christmas, so if you’re looking for a little extra this year, and want a really special gift, this could be the perfect one.

Love and hugs

Jossie Marie xx