Unclean, Unclean - ding - a - ling..........

Well the two youngest and I have been holed up at home with the lurgy

I don't have it - I'm playing nursemaid

I did suspect swine flu especially in Louise on Tuesday and Nick was following in her wake

Obviously this raised the alarm for both of them but most especially him because of his diabetes

I rang the helpline and they authorised a course of Tamiflu for each of them - I have no idea if they actually have swine-flu - they've not been seen by a medic and the only true way of telling is a blood test apparently. They have been pretty ropey but who can tell?

I spoke to the Diabetes Nurse who gave me advice on what to watch out for with Nick's sugar levels and warned me about the side-effects of the Tamiflu often being worse than the Flu symptoms in youngsters

I took the executive decision to keep them off school for the rest of the week but not to give them the Tamiflu as we were coping with the symptoms

So far they are managing, unwell but not dying and the other three members of the household including myself are okay at the moment

I could definitely have done without the time out of work but it was unavoidable as Nigel is in Spain for work this week so can't share the nursemaid duties

Never mind whatever doesn't get done will no doubt be waiting for me next week and ultimately my kids are more important than the school finances

As an unexpected bonus I've managed to fit in some stitching while administering to the patients

I mentioned my friend Sue in last Thursday's Breast Cancer Awareness Month posting

She was actually on ITV's This Morning programme on Tuesday being interviewed by Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about her diagnosis and how her blog has helped her cope

I started a lap quilt for her when she was first diagnosed and never got further than sandwiching it. Her favourite colour is cerise pink - very apt for a breast cancer patient. Lots of simple piecing and hand appliqued hearts

This week has given me chance to quilt and complete it just in time for her mastectomy next Monday. I've used cream fleece as the backing without wadding so it's not too heavy and the fleece has been brought over onto the front to make a soft binding too

I think she might like to snuggle under a quilt full of cuddles while she's recovering from surgery

The quilt is my PINK item for this Thursday of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ladies, if you do nothing else of great importance today, start a regular regime of checking yourself and going for mammogrammes if you fall in the relevant age bracket - you owe it to yourselves and your loved ones.

All is well

Time has been whizzing along and passed me by in a total haze

I can't believe I've not posted for over three weeks

Nick is doing well, not letting his diabetes get in the way of his life too much and we're all coping with his diagnosis in our own ways but coping well

Work is as busy as ever and getting ever more complex - how much more can my brain take I wonder!

And virtually no stitching is happening - my hands are extremely sore and my mind is elsewhere

In support of our dear friend Sue who lives firstly just up the road from us and secondly with her battle with breast cancer I'm posting a few completely random pink items this Thursday for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I may not remember next Thursday so you're getting a few to be going on with.

A happy picture of Louise playing the fool with an improvised pink hat - what a clown!

A smiley picture of me on Sark in a pink shirt - don't look too closely at the laughter lines

Pretty in pink - Hagley Hybrid - a favourite among my beloved clematis in the garden

And finally the two pink cot quilts I made for the births of Nigel's nieces a few years ago - both photos are taken at the old house - now that is a while ago!