What’s On Your Workdesk this Wednesday?
Continuing to work on my Tiny Carpets project for making needle books. I have made very good progress on Tiny Carpet #4 this week, and began by mapping out the central motifs.
This process involves quite a lot of counting, and stranding the thread across some bare fabric on the back, which of course eventually gets covered up with further stitching.
The next step was to begin to add the other colours in addition to the red. I began with the blue. You can see the central motifs starting to take shape, and the few odd blue stitches in the border.
Adding the green. The motifs are definitely taking shape now. I love watching how the pattern emerges as you work on it.
The border has random single stitches of various colours which you can see in the above photo if you look carefully. These were a bit of a pain to do, being isolated, and they don’t show up terribly well, so perhaps I would have done better not to bother with them but to make them all one colour. They may add to the overall effect though, and I’m happy with that.
Working with the orange.
The final colour required to complete the design is the cream, which I am currently working on. I have nearly completed the border, adding the cream background. It’s amazing what a difference it makes when you fill in the background.
Once I’ve finished the background, I shall fill in the motifs with the last of the cream, and then begin the random red background. I have selected a few different reds to do this, because the random blue background was so successful on Tiny Carpet #3. I really like the effect, and it makes it more interesting to work, too. The main red colour is the skein on the left, separate from the rest.
Last week I was highly amused at LLJ’s chaotic threads and thought, “The poor girl’s got nothing on Shoshi…” so I thought I’d fess up and show you my glorious muddle of threads! Here are the ones I am using for the Tiny Carpets project. Ring a bell, Jan?
This is how I store my threads. They are sorted into colours and kept in small plastic bags which live in a Really Useful Box in my studio.
Messy, eh? I have tried various storage methods. I don’t like winding them around card because they end up kinked. I had a punched card system in a folder which I used for a while but it was such a pain putting them all in and running out of holes that I gave up. As a result, some of the skeins are cut into separate lengths, and I keep these in order by tying a slip knot in the skein – you can see one or to of these in the photos if you look carefully into the jumble!
I have found that this jumble works pretty well for me. I can have a good rummage, seeing all the colours together, and making my choice. I never work according to colour numbers which are allocated by the thread manufacturer. I have inherited a lot of stranded cotton over the years and it is of various makes and a lot of it unlabelled. That doesn’t worry me, because it’s the colour I’m interested in, not the number. My knitting yarns are the same, although not organised according to colour, but stored in a series of banana boxes in my studio (I have a LOT…)
I have had a quick sneak peek at Jan’s latest blog post for this week’s WOYWW and see that she has actually sorted and organised her threads! They do look very nice like that, but I shan’t be following suit!
It’s been a busy week, mostly doing nothing of much consequence, but there always seems to be a lot to do. We are still dealing with oodles of apples off the tree, my hubby picking, peeling and slicing them ready for me to cook and freeze. I’ve had to reorganise both freezers and on several occasions thought I was going to have to go to A&E with frostbite!! We’ve got quite a lot of fruit of various kinds left over from last year and this needs to be at the top to get used first, and the new apples have to go to the bottom. The freezers are really full now, especially as several of my home-cooked ready meals had run out and I’ve done a lot of cooking lately in order to replenish the freezer supplies. Somehow, with a bit of judicious organising, I always seem to manage to squeeze more stuff in!!
Food
Recipe of the Week
Tomato Soup
Since we seem to be on a bit of a soup roll at the moment, I thought I’d share another favourite soup recipe with you. This is a vegan adaptation I made of a recipe given to me by a German lady several years ago. The original had bacon in it, and to get that smoky flavour, I have substituted smoked paprika. If you haven’t come across this spice before, do try it – it’s wonderful! You can get it in the supermarket. I also substituted the brandy with a red wine stock pot. This is quite a useful ingredient that I also get in the supermarket. Now that I am no longer making dairy yoghurt (and continuing to struggle with getting a good consistency with my soya yoghurt) I omitted this from the recipe. What I often do to thicken things these days is mix in some okara (the pulp left from making soya milk) – highly nutritious and fibre-rich, and no refined carbohydrate. This is what I am doing with this recipe now.
I don’t think I’m violating any copyright by giving you my full version of the recipe here. It’s well worth making. I’m afraid I forgot to photograph it.
Nina’s Tomato Soup (Adapted)
Servings: 4-6
2-3 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 14-oz tins tomatoes
1/2 pt tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp each of dried oregano and sage
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped, and more for garnish
A dash of Worcestershire sauce (I omitted this because I no longer have any – it’s not essential anyway)
A dash of soy sauce
A dash of brandy (or 1 red wine stock pot)
1 tin (or packet) baby sweet corn, sliced diagonally
1/4 pt natural yoghurt, stabilised with a little cornflour
1. Dry sauté the onions and garlic.
2. Add remaining ingredients except the yoghurt, and simmer for approx. 15 mins until the flavours are well blended.
3. Remove from heat and add yoghurt.
4. Garnish with fresh parsley.
This is the only chunky soup in my present repertoire, that doesn’t end up getting blended. I love the chunks of veggies in it! It is full, rich, warming and a wonderful colour. Not the sort of soup you can drink from a mug – you need a nice big bowl and lots of crusty seedy wholemeal bread to dunk in it!! Mmmmm. Heavenly.
Nutrition
Meal Planning
One of the secrets to eating a well-balanced whole-food plant-based diet, and being efficient about it, is to get into the habit of meal planning. (Actually, I think anyone could benefit from doing a weekly meal plan even if they are not whole-food plant-based.) Most people seem to do this on a Sunday, ready for the week, and I have found this to be a good time, because it is on Sunday evening that I do my online grocery order, ready for delivery on Tuesday morning, and as I plan the meals, I know what ingredients to add to the list. This is actually a good way of saving money, too, because you are only buying what you actually need, and whether you shop online or in person, you go into the shop prepared, complete with a list – and you don’t forget things so much, either. Putting in my order on Sunday night, I also have the whole of Monday to add anything I’ve forgotten, or run out of in the meantime.
I now have a pretty good collection of favourite recipes and we tend to cycle through these, while occasionally introducing new ones to try. I have worked out a system to make my meal planning easier, with a basic weekly framework, which can, of course, be adapted according to individual circumstances. For supper, we have soup twice a week (different ones) and wraps twice a week (the same, because the recipe is for 4 portions). I now have several wraps recipes, and we ring the changes. We have biscuits (crackers) and hummus twice a week, with matzah and oatcakes. I make the biscuits myself from the pulp left over from almond milk, with lots of additions – I have probably mentioned these before but not shared them as a specific recipe because most people wouldn’t have almond pulp unless they make their own almond milk.
For lunch, we vary things a lot more. My hubby is co-operating with me over the meal planning, because he knows it’s in his interest to follow what I am doing, as he sees the weight continuing to fall off him, and receiving such encouraging results from the doctor about his BP and cholesterol. Before the lockdown, he was mega-busy and hardly ever here, and I had no idea what he was eating while out of the house. Although he was following the 5:2 diet with me for a while, and then eating whole-food plant-based at home, he wasn’t 100% honest and was snacking something chronic away from my beady eye!! After starting at Slimming World and also being forced to be at home and eat only what I prepared, things really began to take off.
Since restrictions were lifted, I asked him to restrict his lunches out to twice a week, which he is now doing. This means that I can do a salad the night before, and all he has to do is grab the bag of his prepared lunch from the fridge and make his way out, without my having to get up earlier than I want in order to do it. Most of my recipes serve 4, so I make enough for 2 days of things that won’t freeze. The salads I make all contain either whole grains or legumes, or both, as well as nuts, seeds, oil-free dressings and chopped veggies such as peppers, cucumber etc. and some dried fruit, all on a bed of leafy green salad. These are satiating and delicious, with lots of different flavours and textures.
So – it’s normally a substantial salad (the same one) on two days. Other days we have curries, pasta dishes, Middle Eastern dishes etc., with different unprocessed whole grains such as brown rice, couscous, bulgur wheat, millet, quinoa, etc., according to what the dish is. I cook all these in bulk and freeze them in portions enough for two, and when I take the last one out, I immediately make up some more so that we are never without. The pasta dishes and curries tend to go a lot further than the original recipe because I generally add a portion of legumes too (different beans, or chickpeas) which I also cook in bulk and freeze in portions. Recipes often call for a tin of legumes, and knowing that this capacity is 1 1/2 cups, I freeze the bulk cooking into batches of this size. It’s not obligatory to cook your own, but it saves a lot of money in the long run.
I have a regular routine of activities during the week:
Sunday: In the evening, meal and cooking planning, and online grocery order. I look at the ingredients of any recipes I need to cook for the week’s meals or freezer replenishment, and add anything I haven’t got in stock to my shopping list. For lunch we nearly always have my favourite Ultimate Vegan Winter Stew and I add any veggies left over from last week’s delivery. For supper we always have dry sautéed mushrooms with Creamy White Sauce, served with home-made bread. Other activities: Church if I can make it, ironing.
Monday: Finalise grocery order. Lunch: something from the freezer (curry, pasta dish etc.) Supper: soup, home-made bread, which I also have in the freezer so it’s always nice and fresh. Ironing if I haven’t managed it on Sunday. I try to keep Mondays as free of cooking as possible.
Tuesday: Grocery delivery a.m., most of the rest of the day washing fruit, prepping veg if necessary, putting away etc. Main meal from the freezer to avoid having to cook when I’m so busy, and biscuits and hummus for supper – again, no cooking, and easy to prepare.
Wednesday: My main cooking day, making up any recipes I’ve planned for, restocking the freezer etc., and making wraps recipe for supper. Main meal: something from the freezer unless I’m cooking something specific for the day. Supper: the first serving of the week’s wraps, served with leafy green salad. Clean laundry to take from the airing cupboard and put away. My cleaning lady comes in the afternoon. Before the lockdown, this was also my Bible study group night.
Thursday: Rest day. I try not to cook at all, but just take something from the freezer for lunch, and soup for supper. Clean bedding. Evening: putting tea towels, table napkins and my home-made eco cloths (substitute for kitchen paper) to soak overnight to remove any stains.
Friday: A busy domestic day with laundry, hair washing etc. in the morning. My hubby puts out the whirligig washing line if it looks to be fine, and I can hang my washing out to dry. All I make on Fridays is a fresh batch of kombucha in the afternoon. For lunch we have a substantial salad. Friday is a regular day for my hubby to be out.
Saturday: Another rest day when I try not to have to cook. As far as possible, I like to keep the day following a busy day free so that I can rest, because there’s always delayed payback with ME. If I plan in sufficient rest times, and plan for rest days following busy ones, I am able to manage the condition and do pretty well. Lunch is something from the freezer, and supper, the 2nd serving of wraps.
The main meal is flexible, allowing me to make a salad if my hubby is going out. I often make smaller salads to accompany supper dishes.
On any day I may need to cook grains, legumes etc. to restock the freezer, or to make up my breakfast oatmeal which lasts 4 days. I also make a litre of rehydration/electrolyte drink for myself on a daily basis, and attempt to make a decent batch of soya yoghurt! I also make almond milk and soya milk as required (usually every couple of days). I don’t make a lot of fancy desserts but we eat a lot of stewed fruit served with custard made with soya milk. Otherwise our dessert is just raw, fresh fruit – a nice plateful of at least 3 varieties of fruit. It’s a myth that all that fructose gives you insulin spikes and puts on weight. The fruit sugar is found up with lots of fibre, and is released gradually into the body so that it is not overwhelmed with a sugar jolt. This is why it is better to eat whole fruit than to make it into juices or smoothies – you have predigested it that way, and it makes the sugar too readily absorbed by the body.
There’s always something going on in the kitchen even on rest days! I do try to keep some days free of it, though, so I can concentrate on other things like being in my studio (I wish!).
I tend to start my days pretty late because I have a disrupted sleep pattern with my ME. Kitchen activities tend to take place from mid-morning onwards, and I try not to extend it into the afternoon (with the exception of Tuesdays and Wednesdays). There is often office work to be done (accounts monthly), and emails, blogging, editing photos etc. In the evenings I like to do my embroidery or knitting etc. while watching TV with my hubby, and I like to clear up the kitchen before bed, and leave everything neat and tidy ready for the next day, including laying up my breakfast tray so I can start my lazy mornings with minimal effort!
I use the Paprika recipe app on the iPad, synced with my laptop. I use this for my weekly meal plan as well. I blogged about this app some time ago, if you want to read about it. It has revolutionised how I organise my recipes and plan my meals and shopping.
Without planning, you tend to lead a haphazard sort of life and do things on an ad-hoc basis, which wastes time and resources, and you can’t be sure you are eating what you need. If you plan your meals, you make sure that you get a good balance of the foods for health on a daily and weekly basis. Here’s what Forks Over Knives recommends, and this is borne out by the whole-food plant-based medical experts.
What I love about all this variety is the colour! Eat the rainbow! It’s all sooo delicious too.
Kitties
No new photos of the girlies this week because my hubby has been out and about a lot, and they haven’t had many runs in the garden. When they are indoors, especially now it’s cooler, they spend most of the time asleep, the lazy lumps. To satisfy the cravings of the kitty-addicted among you out there, I’ve included a couple of older pictures which I don’t think you have seen. Both were taken in the early summer of 2018 when they were one year old.
Ruby relaxing in the laundry basket. She finds it more comforting if there’s a nice bed of dirty laundry in there. We’ve had several kitties who enjoyed the laundry basket, and they push the heavy lid off with their noses!
The two of them chilling out on my hubby’s office chair.
Clothes
This week I am wearing yet another gift – this time from a friend more recently. It is a mini-dress/tunic top which I wear over leggings. It is not something I would ever thought of buying but I absolutely love it! I have seen another one similar in an online shop and I am tempted to buy it. Anyway, here it is.
I’m wearing it over a long-sleeved black t-shirt and dark navy leggings, with PINK socks!! (I don’t think you’ve seen the pink ones before lol!) It is made of fairly thick jersey material and it’s so comfortable to wear, and I love the colours and pattern of the fabric. As you can see, I am wearing my great-grandmother’s gold locket on a velvet ribbon. It has the picture of my great-grandfather (with the mutton chop whiskers!) and my grandfather as a baby inside.
Health update
Still not having heard a whisper from the hospital in Exeter, I emailed the woman at the PALS complaints office yet again. I had first contacted them back in January when I had discovered that I’d been lost in their system for months. At the time I was told that it would take 45 working days for them to deal with this and she would be in touch again. After that I heard nothing, and we had the lockdown which put everything on the back burner anyway, so for that reason I gave them the benefit of the doubt. However, as the months went on, I emailed her again in July, and again this month, and last week I got a brief email from someone else in the office, asking me to phone him, which I did the following day. He was very apologetic, and said that the woman had left the PALS service, and had not dealt with my complaint properly. He said he would definitely be taking this on personally, and that if I needed to phone, to ask for him specifically. At this stage he didn’t have anything to report because he was probably clearing up the unfinished business the woman had left. He agreed that what had happened to me was unacceptable. In December, it will be two whole years since Mr. Pullan, my colorectal surgeon here in Torbay, referred me to Mr. Daniels in Exeter. It has been delay after delay, and I have been lost in their system twice. I can’t say I have much faith in RD&E (Royal Devon and Exeter) Hospital. I wish Mr. Daniels was working at Torbay Hospital, which has always given excellent service, not just for myself, but for other members of my family as well.
So… I wait in somewhat sceptical hope that something will start to happen soon. I really do think I should be shunted to the head of the list for my operation after having been messed about and ignored for so long.
Have a great creative week, everybody.
At least it sounds as if someone competent is on the case for you with PALS Shoshi. I keep my embroidery threads in the DMC gold concept binders hooked onto the special individual skein holders and labelled by number range on the spine. Love the look of that tomato soup recipe so thanks for sharing. Meow to the misses lazy. Stay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #5
I think it boils down to whether you’re a Happy Rummager ot not! You are, I’m not, lol!! I am so much happier since sorting out the threads as I can now see what I want at a glance. Having said that, if I had as much floss as you own, I probably wouldn’t have started either ;-). Your little carpet pages are beautiful and I really enjoy seeing the step by step process.
Hugs LLJ 2 xxx
Hi Shoshi,
Maybe I missed a much earlier post but I’m glad to know now what your magic carpets are for – needle books! Beautiful as ever.
So sorry to hear you’re getting the runaround from the hospital. I hope your new PALS contact helps.
I love the picture of your cat in the laundry basket. Our Thea would love one like that, too, but Dino generally likes to stretch out.
Stay safe, happy WOYWW
Hugs
Lynnecrafts #19
I so enjoyed seeing how your little carpet grew with the addition of a new colour to it. That was very interesting and really gave me the full picture of it by my noticing parts I might have missed previously. Thanks for that Shoshi.
Tomato Soup – one of my favourites but not had this one so am keen to try it. Smoked Paprika is something I use a lot of in my cooking and I do enjoy the smoky flavour it brings to the various dishes. In fact sometimes I use it rather than plain paprika just because I like it so much.
The picture of Ruby in the basket is very appealing and i always enjoy seeing the two of them curled up together. When the house nearest to us had a brother and sister cat the two of them did not fight but were not anywhere near as close as your two. In fact when we fed them at ours (yes, we used to buy food for them, crazy or what) one would stand outside whilst the other ate in the doorway.
A totally different outfit today – tunic and leggings. I have just sent for some new coloured tights – one mustard and one pink to go with my teal ones. I chose the colours because I liked them not because I had something to wear with them. I am usually a jeans and mainly t-shirt/sweater type person but lately have been drawn to wearing skirts and my legs are so cold that I thought maybe I should start wearing tights a bit more. Came across this company that do long legged ones (I am 5’10” tall) so I am giving them a try. It will make a change from my usual black ones. Will I model them? I doubt it, I am not as photogenic as you are, maybe if I miss my head off.
Sorry about the messing about still going on with regards to your health – let’s hope that you get somewhere with this new guy at last. Keep us posted please.
Stay safe and well, Hugs, Neet 8 xx
Oh my!! I hope this new bloke sorts things it. You are so organised (apart from the embroidery threads lol) but I can see how it benefits you. I couldn’t do it though, I’m not that kind of person! Have a good week
I am exhausted from reading all of that, so I can only image it exhausted you to write it all. Comprehensive, in a word! The meal planning stuff is super interesting but boy, you really have to be dedicated to make it happen, I think. Not sure I am there, esp. when my energy and strength levels fluctuate so wildly. Looking forward to seeing the little carpet – sorry to say at the moment it is a bit…eyeball-y LOL! I know it won’t end up that way but in this transition phase, well, what can I say? A little bit creepy 😀
Don’t even get me started on the hospital stuff…but the cat-in-a-basket did make me smile.
Happy WOYWW!
Mary Anne (1, after a sleepless night)
Hi Shoshi. The little carpet is coming on great – well done. Glad you have managed to contact someone at the hoispital.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #4
Hello Shoshi, so many things to comment on this week! You have such patience with the counted stitchwork – I gave up on cross stitch years ago as I find it strains my eyes but I did use to love it. You really do have a lot of silks!! Very pretty tunic, I do like the whole leggings and short dress thing – can’t wear short dresses any more lol so its a good compromise. You are very organised with your meal planning – I too ‘plan’ my meals on a Sunday for delivery on Tuesday and find it is very helpful with not overbuying. Plans seem to still change quite rapidly in this house so I rarely stick to the menu but if I didn’t do it we’d end up with beans on toast every night! Sadly I have to report that we let our old lady go over the rainbow bridge this week. She had recovered from a minor infection really really well but when we gave her medication to aid with her arthritis etc she went down hill pretty rapidly and over the w/e lost the use of her back legs. The vet had warned us it might happen but whether that was the cause we don’t know. She was however fighting till the very end to get up and out in the garden but it was no good and we had to act. It would be hypocritical to say it wasn’t in some ways a relief, but I still do miss her being around, she had been with us over 18 years. Keep finding myself listening out for her…. Hope you get your surgery sorted soon it does sound like such a shambles. Annoying how one place can be so different to another. Happy WOYWW, stay well, stay safe, Cindy #22
Ok Shoshi…..those bags of threads…….goodness, that looks like a stash I would have!!!! LOL But hey, most of the time, there is a method to one’s madness! LOL I surely love your little carpet and how it’s coming along. The colors are right up may alley too, so pretty!!! Ok so your recipe for the week is singing my song! Tomato soup is one of my all-time favorite and I WILL be giving that recipe a go! YUMMMY Now onto the clothes….LOVE!!! And, I love it just how you are wearing it with leggings and a the shaw! So stinking cute and my style for sure!! I love your friends….I need friends like that! LOL Are you sure you don’t live in my home town??? Because I tell you, those shenanigans that you have been going through, sounds much like the scenario that we would go through here with our hospital system!! Goodness! I pray you get word soon!! Well happy crafting the rest of this week and blessings to you! 🙂 Felicia, #26
Happy WOYWW – and I have just spent a while reading through your blog posts that I had missed. Your tiny carpets are incredible, just as all your projects are. I think you must have more hours in the day than me, as I am nowhere near as productive as you. I would definitely be interested in trying a plant-based diet, but it is a struggle to even get hubby to accept one meat-free meal per week! I have not got enough energy to cook well-balanced meals from scratch every day anyway, let alone having to cook separate meals for me. Sadly, the freezer/ready meals/sauce jars etc feature strongly in our week. I do spend a lot of time cleaning/laundry etc, so that is my excuse for not being in the kitchen more! At the moment I am reading through the 2nd book by Gemma Bray, The Organised Time Technique, and we have to keep a record for 7 days of everything we do throughout the day. I definitely have a very long and varied list, with quite a lot of rest periods needed when I watch tv/social media/blog etc. I am hoping that I will be able to reorganise myself a bit and make more time for what is really important – my health. Better go and get our meal cooked now (Chinese ready meal !). Had a very busy day with laundry and housework, so will be glad to sit down in front of some tv tonight. Ali x #8
You have such an informative post! I’m with LLJ as to the embroidery thread. In fact, mine are sorted an in a plastic bin arranged by colors. But I haven’t done cross stitch in quite a few years.
Your outfit is very youthful! And I love your little carpets!
Have a great week!
Carol N #24
Loved seeing the process as your cross stitched needbook progresses, always nice to look back on and see your handy work. Those pink socks are another well matched accessory to your lovely outfit, looks charming and comfy Shoshi. Your Grand Mothers locket is a beautiful thing, how wonderful are those mutton chops, a very special heirloom. Hope you hear from the hospital soon.
Take care & enjoy your week.. Stay safe Tracey #7
Terrific meal planning tips ~ Your kitties look so happy ~ Your outfit is ready for the fall weather – Enjoy the rest of the week ~ Love, Karen#32
I could have sworn I visited yesterday, but it looks like I didn’t. I was working my way down the list and didn’t quite make it to yours before our Team Call – even though it was my day off! Nice to see the different stages of your carpet – it must be satisfying filling the empty space. That’s a LOT of thread there – you can make dozens more tiny carpets – or perhaps even a bigger one! I could just about eat that salad! Kitties are super cute huddled together. Love your top – it’s all floaty. I like things like that with leggings – hides all my flab – of course, you don’t have any to hide. I’m trying to lose my lockdown weight but it’s slow going and I always go to bed hungry! I’ve managed to lose 5 pounds but looks like a hit a plateau – even though I hardly eat anything! So annoying! That locket is precious – I wish I have something like that from my ancestors. Hope they sort out your operation soon – it’s not nice being messed around – it must be emotionally exhausting. Happy belated WOYWW! xx
I absolutely love your tiny carpet – the progress is fantastic. The little tunic/dress really suits your style and the locket is so precious. I really hope that you do get shunted to the top of the list – the time you have had to wait is ridiculous. Happy belated WOYWW. Take care and stay safe. With love & God Bless, Caro xxx (#14)
Thank you for your visit to my blog, I hope that PALS get everything sorted real soon for you. I love the cross stitch lovely colours, What a great picture its always nice when you get something new,
Heeey!
Sorry I’m getting round to you so late, time has escaped me lately. The mini carpets are coming along well, they look fantastic!
Aww the kitties are adorable xx
Ellie #30
Hi Shoshi, sorry for the belated visit. I’m grabbing a few minutes blogging time when I can, inbetween all that is currently keeping me busy. Your embroidery muddle of threads look like mine. I’m not so organised to put them in little bags. I did/do love cross stitch, and I do have a project on the go – a birth chart for my grandson – who turns 8 this month! I really do need to finish some of these projects. Your carpet is coming along nicely – you have far more patience than I. The soup recipe looks tasty, although J would have to omit the paprika – I’ve snapped a screenshot to remind me to try it. I shall let you know how it turns out. I plan our meals on a Sunday evening and Mr M picks the groceries up on his way home on Tuesdays. I hope you do hear from the hospital soon – it is so frustrating waiting for so long. Have a lovely week, Heather xx#17