Friday, November 11, 2011

All's well at last...

Thank you SO much for all your prayers and well wishes for Mr E.
The gastro bug (stomach flu) was indeed nasty, and I had to keep my nurses cap on fairly tight for 48 hours, but my beloved has come through it all and gallantly ridden off today back to the mine - a bit the worse for wear, but intent on regaining good health as quickly as possible. 
Thankfully I was spared from following in his footsteps, only succumbing to a migraine yesterday - probably from worry. 
Before he left we shared these fresh fruits as an extra dose of healthy fluids before his very hot five hour ride..
Due to Mr E's illness we missed our son's birthday.
On the big day we could only chat with Sam on the phone, but both his sisters came to the rescue and one took him to lunch, whilst the other delivered pizza to his door for dinner! Family are so important, aren't they!?
Finally this morning Mr E was able to drop into Sam's work to deliver his gift, and now we've rescheduled a birthday dinner for all the family next Thursday.
~~~~~
I've shared before about the lack of fly screen on our tropical home and how ghastly this is on hot summer nights when the bugs from the mango trees invade our home. Worse though, are the wasps flying through our open louvres looking for places to build nests! 
 We kill as many as we can, but the nests can be found behind wardrobes, shelving, on curtains...they seem to build anywhere and everywhere.
We really need the louvres open during the night for fresh air while we sleep, and in the early mornings for a view (I hate houses all shut up), but the bugs, wasps and mosquitoes are a hazard to health and sewing. 
After a year of pleading, our landlord has consented to  having fly screens installed!! \o/\o/\o/ 
Today Jim arrived with his assistant and began the work....
The job will take a few days, but already we have 4 windows covered and are so grateful. When Mr E returns home next Wednesday he'll be able to rest from the wasp-exterminating and enjoy the fresh air without bugs.
~~~~~
We have other pests too, but fortunately these ones stay outside.The bats are still going crazy in the mango trees outside our bedroom, and the ground underneath is littered with their scraps...
We have many hundreds of mangoes on both trees, but we cannot eat them due to the bats having bitten into them or scratched them. Honestly, nights here are pretty crazy with bats outside your windows and doors. The sky is black with them at sunset, and the smell is awful, but we live just 200 metres from the colony so there is no avoiding it. Life in the tropics has it's ups and downs, just more downs during the hot months.
~~~~~
Have you heard of Quilt Aid?
This is the third year it has been running, with proceeds being donated to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. The hospital is dedicated to the treatment and care of women who suffer horrendous childbirth injuries, known as obstetric fistula.
There are twelve different blocks to purchase, and six different finishing kits to make up a quilt. A portion of the designers proceeds from the sale of the blocks, and the fabric store's quilt kits, is donated to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.
 I can't afford to purchase all twelve blocks, but I did purchased six of them, and two arrived this week...
The theme is "Whimsy and Wonder", and the designers involved have outdone themselves with the gorgeous block designs! It was very hard to choose which six to purchase.
I also bought the recommended thread kit because I've never used Finca threads and wondered what they'd be like.
The fabric used in the blocks is "Ruby" by Bonnie and Camille, and as I have some "Ruby" in my stash I'll use it to make the six blocks I've purchased into a lap quilt.
You can visit the website HERE for more information.
~~~~~
I should tell you that while Mr E was resting during his illness, I quietly stitched...
...a new design for Creating Country Threads magazine next year. Can you guess the theme?
~~~~~
Sorry this blog post has been all higgeldy piggeldy tonight. Think I am needing to catch up on some sleep. :-)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs
Jenny
xx
PS: Someone asked what a "pillion wife" was? It's a wife who doesn't ride a motorbike herself, but sits behind her husband instead. :-)

10 comments:

Mommarock said...

Not quite the lovely weekend you had envisioned.. but I'm glad you are all feeling better now. Perhaps your next weekend can be VERY much better than you had envisioned for this weekend.

Fee said...

Glad to hear Mr E is well again Jen. Enjoy your bug-free house once all the screens are up.
Love Fee x

vernagrace said...

So glad Mr E is better and that you are getting a relief from most of those pests. I'm afraid I just couldn't handle the bats. Great post and so informative.
Happy Birthday, to Sam!!

Lida said...

Happy Mr.E is feeling so much better and that you had a headache is normal after so much stress! Please try to relex and you will feel much better and you can enjoy the lovele QuilAid project! Greetings
Lida

Carrie P. said...

Glad Mr. E is feeling much better. I did buy some of the Quilt Aid blocks last year. I am off to see what they look like this year.

Jeanette said...

Glad to hear Mr E is well again. Those bats are so annoying. I get them in my loquat tree. I don't have screens either so i know what you go through every summer. :) Hugs,

Susan said...

I'm glad MR E was OK to go on the long ride - certainly no fun if you need to hop off everyn hour or so & find a loo!! Great news about the screens - sbaolutely essential up there - anywhere really!

Margaret said...

The bats make me shudder, the wasps make me feel sick --- But the new projects and the work others have done with your patterns is all joy joy joy.

Karen said...

How wonderful to be surrounded by so much 'nature'... but I understand your pain with them being pests.

I wanted to buy some of the Quilt Aid blocks this year, but I haven't even opened the blocks that I bought from the last one! Like you, I couldn't afford the whole lot so only bought 4 and some fabric to make them into a quilt. They're sitting in my "to do some time when I feel the urge" pile. This years blocks are so pretty too and I love the fabric! I wish I had the money (and the time) to justify buying a few.

Janice said...

I'm glad Mr E is on the mend. You were lucky that he didn't share his bug with you. It will be so much more comfortable with screens on the windows.