Saturday 27 May 2017

Glasgow Kiltwalk 2017 - the lead up


Hello everyone, Auntie H here! I haven't posted in a long time, I've realised just how busy life can be, before you know it it's been 3 months since you last blogged!! I hope to rectify this soon, I've still a few ideas which have been sitting on the back burner.
Anyway, today I'm here to tell you all about my experience as a volunteer for the Glasgow Kiltwalk this year. I'll be doing this over 2 different posts, one for the lead up to the event and one for the day of the event.  

A bit about it: "Kiltwalk is a unique charity that enables walkers to raise money for any Scottish charity of their choice. By staging events that bring together thousands of walkers who fundraise for their chosen charity or cause, we support those in need of a helping hand. A Kiltwalk is a powerful fundraising model, developed and under-written by Sir Tom Hunter and The Hunter Foundation. Their support will enable 110% of the sponsorship money raised by Kiltwalkers to go directly to their charity or local cause. Every walker can select the charity or local cause that they wish to donate to." taken from the Kiltwalk website.

So it all started when I was at Gospel one Friday night and S (a fellow Centrestager who works for Kiltwalk) came along and told us all about the Kiltwalk, specifically the Glasgow one, as there are 4. It sounded like great fun, raising money for charity by doing something a bit different, and Centrestage were going to be involved this year so a lot of my friends would be doing it too. Now the Kiltwalk has 3 different distances you can walk; 6 miles, 15 miles or 23 miles. One person from Centrestage was going to lead each distance for the Cs teams. P was leading the 23 miles, and as he is the head of tech I had chosen that distance. However due to ongoing medical issues with my foot I was advised it would be best not to do the walk this year. I was gutted, I had been really hoping I'd be able to do it but unfortunately not. I still wanted to be involved so I had decided I would volunteer.

A couple of weeks before the Kiltwalk S posted up on Facebook about them still looking for volunteers, Carnival Kilties to be precise. A Kiltie is what the volunteers are called, it's a pretty cool name. Carnival Kilties were a brand new role created this year, whose job all day was to motivate the walkers. Dress daft, dance around like a clown and shout encouragement all day? That sounded like something I could do! (Anyone who knows me is nodding their head in agreement haha) So I signed up and I am so happy I did. After a short telephone interview I was given a training date to go along to. The training day was very informative and gave us an opportunity to meet other volunteers before the big day. This was when I met T who was going to be a Carnival Chieftain. (Chieftain means you have an extra layer of responsibility on the day, with a team of up to 12 Kilties to look after) It was good fun and the Carnival Kilties stayed for extra time afterwards to learn a dance routine.

In order to sign up for shifts we all created a login for the volunteer portal. It was handy as we could then pick the location and times of our shifts. I chose to sign up for a set up shift at Glasgow Green on the Saturday 11am-3pm and then had my set shift on the Sunday. As Carnival Kilties we were scheduled from 7am-4.30pm, starting at Glasgow Green but then redeploying to wherever we were needed. As part of the training we were sent a link during the week to an e-learning module. This was useful as it meant all Kilties had the same information and anyone coming from further away who couldn't make the training days could still be fully informed. That was me all ready to go....or so I thought. I got a call on the Thursday night before the walk letting me know that more Carnival Kilties had signed up, and there were now too many for one Chieftain, so would I like to be a Carnival Chieftain? I said yes please, what a great opportunity! I was super excited to meet everyone and help keep us going all day.

The set up day was great fun, we put out fences, unloaded more water than I've seen in my life, decorated the barriers and put up signs to direct walkers to registration. We had lots of fun whilst doing it!

One of our Kilties trying out the waterproofs for size
It was nice to meet other Kilties and I saw T again so we did some planning for the next day.

Once we'd finished our set up shift I was directed on the quickest way back to the train station (thanks Trish!) as my sense of direction is awful! Haha anyway I headed back to Ayr for a catch up dinner with my friend H and she dropped me at Tesco once we were finished. There I purchased my supplies for the next day; bits and bobs for our Carnival team, some on the go food for myself and some treats for passing walkers :)

My supplies for the big day
M picked me up and we headed home to get a good night's rest before the big day.  (he was getting up at 5am to take me to Glasgow as Sunday public transport wouldn't suffice)
More on the big day in a further post available soon!!

Project 365 week 21

Sunday

Another full day at work, so home for an exciting tea, don't use convenience foods very often but they are handy to have. Not as nice as it use to be years ago or is it just my taste buds have changed?






Monday

Did the gymnastics run, looked like it was going to rain so went and sat in the library and did some sewing while watching part of a film on my kindle. Loved Minky's new jogging suit he was wearing. Not the clearest picture as he was not pleased about having it taken so it was a zoom from the far end of the room with my phone.






Tuesday

Back to the Dr for me, antibiotics to take and steroids in case I need them as my peak flow has been seriously going down the last few nights making it impossible to sleep. Lilly went for a short back and sides. had been booked in for last Wednesday but we cancelled after the trauma she went through the day before.



Wednesday

Spoke to the vet this morning again about the pain Lilly is in, seems cruel she is suffering and wondering what else we can do for her.  So as we have pet insurance he has sent off her x-rays to the Glasgow Veterinary school and they are going to take a look at them and we will get a referral up to see what else they can do for her.

Did some sewing to try and take my mind off of things. Made this for a colleague at work. part of my #cashforkids fund raising.








Thursday

DD1 fancied taking the children out somewhere as it was to nice to stay in, so I said I would go with her, spending time with them all is fun and took my mind off of home. We headed off to the beach park followed by a paddle in the sea, It was very busy for a weekday but then the weather was beautiful. Laugh at daughter cos she parks in the bus car park, well she drives a mini bus so why not I suppose.





Friday



Got through Lillys appointment for Glasgow, we go to see them on Tuesday 6th June. Feel a bit better about going away on holiday and leaving her as we have not had to postpone her appointment so we can go. Handed in signed permission for either of the girls to take her to the vet and get her treatment if they feel she needs it.





Saturday

Took Lilly in to get a top up of injections to keep her going till we get back, save the girls having to work out whether she needs them or not. Stopped for a walk at Auchincruive on the way back and spotted a tree with hundreds and hundreds of hatching baby caterpillars.




Thursday 25 May 2017

The making of Bob's birthday present - a Minecraft quilt

As my regular followers will know I have got into applique and quilting since the start of the year, so I thought I would see what I could come up with for Bob's birthday. So having asked him what he is into at the moment I decided to make a minecraft quilt.

As per usual I used Pinterest as my source of inspiration and came up with a blog that has run a whole series on making a quilt for her son. 

So I ordered up the plain coloured material I needed to make it and then got started. On starting out I was not sure how many squares to make or how large to make it. But I decided on making twelve squares and making it double sided with six squares on each side with some wadding in the middle.

So I made the first six squares, choosing ones that were not overly complex.Each of the squares are made up from sixty four small squares and I chose to cut 2.5 inch squares so each one should be 16 inches when finished allowing for sewing a 1/4 inch seam. Have to say the cutting was the tedious part.

Following the patterns  I started off by making the eight rows, pressed them and then stitched the eight rows together to make each square. Pressed them all again and then trimmed them if needed.




So first up











 I then chose another six to compliment the first six so the back and the front would be similar. Once all the squares were finished I laid out the first six, decided on the best order to place them and then brought out various green materials to see which complimented the best



. Having selected the colour I felt went best I cut strips to join each set of two together.







The next step was to add a border, I decide to use the same colour as I had for the connecting blocks. I want the squares to be the main focus not the border. I added the top and bottom border and then pinned the wadding onto the back and and stitched it on when I attached the side borders. 









So just the second side to make up.

This one is green and black but not photographed well, It looks much better in the picture of the completed side of the quilt.










These were placed in the same colour order as the first side. I put this together in the same way but decided to use blue for my border so the finished product has two different looks so he can pick and choose which way to use it.




I then placed the two fronts together and stitched a seam round 3 1/2 sides, trimmed off all excesses before turning the right way round and finished it off by hand stitching the last bit.

Sunday 21 May 2017

My Sunday Photo 21st May

We all remember the song "five little ducks" well here is my adaptation in photo form, ok only one lot are ducks and none come in fives but hey lets not be too picky......

I feel honoured to live in an area that is home to such a wide diversity in wildlife.










Photalife

Saturday 20 May 2017

Project 365 week 20

Been a horrible week I have to say, but my mood is happier than it was this time last week.


Sunday

Been feeling really crappy the last few days. not ill enough not to be at work but glad I have not got an overtime shift. A couple of painkillers and fell asleep on the couch for over an hour.






Monday

Still feeling crappy and spent a lot of the day in bed. Did mange to write out some postal competition entries, mostly biggies for the tv competitions, a nice win would be much appreciated.

fingers crossed 



Tuesday
Lilly went to the vet for her tests. four xrays showing a mass on her left lung and an endoscopy showing very swollen tonsils. This accounts for her symptoms and her suffering. They are treating it as pneumonia at the moment with a secondary infection in her tonsils. A long lasting steroid injection and a two week course of antibiotics. Vet was not hopeful that is what it is as the lump was too consolidated normally pneumonia is not as solid a lump.
 I am convincing myself that is what it is but am not too hopeful. To go back in two weeks for more xrays to see how it is going, or take her back quicker if things do not improve.We need to get to the bottom of it for her sake cos her life is pretty miserable with it.
Have to say she deteriorated very badly over the weekend and I really did think I would not be bringing her home again.I left the vet surgery covered in dog hairs and in tears.  But I did bring her home.

hubby putting on her car harness 



Wednesday

Lilly is eating bits and pieces, very small bits but eating again which is good, swelling must be going down . Took her for a slow leisurely stroll round the fishery, she did enjoy a few short burst of running and tried to get into the pond after the ducks. She struggled to finish her walk so the short distance was a better choice than a big walk. One day at a time.

Lots of baby birds with their parents.








Thursday

Been doing some sewing this week which I cannot share as it is being kept for a present. Looking good I have to say. Visit day today but no real chance for any photos or a walk round the area as we need to come straight back for Lilly.

Treated myself to a dash cam as I have wanted one for a while and I fancy filming our way round Arran at the end of the month. So it is up and running.





Friday

Lilly's improvement continues, as it has in the past, just hoping with the longer lasting steroid and the antibiotics we do not get a deterioration again at the end of the course of treatment.  Another short walk round the fishery, nice flat ground for her again.


wonder if they are singing "five little ducks" to the babies 





Saturday

A bit of cross stitching this week, working on a cushion cover that requires smaller writing than I can cut out and applique so combining two skills to make this one.

using one of last years Christmas pressies.




Sunday 14 May 2017

My Sunday photo.

Had some down time during a training weekend in Glasgow last weekend. Far to nice to go to the local watering hole and make small talk, so I went a wander along the Clyde walkway doing some geocaching as I went. Took a number of photographs, many of which will never see the light of day. But a camera is a handy tool when caching to waste time while the area clears so you can hunt again without looking too obvious.

The last one I did was at the Science Centre, itself shut by then, but crossing the bridge the reflections in the BBC Scotland building were amazing, and you got a different  picture depending on where you took it from.

with the river in front

zoomed in


from further across the bridge 



Photalife

Saturday 13 May 2017

Project 365 week 19

Sunday

The conference itself is ok but oh boy their catering is letting them down. I liaised with them before hand  giving them the huge list of foods I cannot eat, which includes dairy, any uncooked fruit and veg, and apples no matter how they are done. So they offer me cream of tomato soup because cream is not dairy, they make me a dairy free apple crumble and add tomato and lettuce to my burger, not to mention my snack was dried banana chips and dates. No wonder I never go out to eat. It is very embarrassing having to keep saying no I cannot eat that, no that is no good etc.  Think when I go back for the second half I will take food with me or ask for beans on toast.
I could not sleep and so was playing silly with the lights on all the adjacent hotel buildings




Monday
 No gym run as DD1 is on holiday with the children. Made Lilly some scrambled egg and she did not eat it, so I put it out for the birds and watched them all fly off to their various nests to feed to their young.





Tuesday

Lilly is seriously struggling to eat again and so back to the vets it was. We thought we may have to have an emergency call last night to them but managed to get her through it. Another steroid injection but this time I have asked for tests so next week will be a general anaesthetic and they are going to x ray her lungs and  do an endoscopy. When she is feeling crap for some reason she seems to prefer to sit with me.





Wednesday

A walk with Lilly today. Just a short gentle stroll.  She has managed to eat this morning so that is a good improvement. Seems to have a bit more energy and is breathing better.




Thursday

Been doing some sewing this week, got two pictures done. One of them  for Suzanne at Chicken Ruby. She wanted a multi coloured Flaming cushion cover so this was my design.




Friday


Down at the post office earlier and was watching the demolition of the old community centre, the new one is now in the new school along with the library. Impressed that all the stuff is being segregated into piles ready for recycling.








Saturday

I entered a blog post on Coombe Mill into the #Trash2Treasure linky last month and my post won. This was my prize. Will need to see what I can use it for. Thinking along the lines of button pictures with the tape as a border or maybe some more hama bead art. But that will need to wait until my applique picture list is completed.