OUCH!!!

Oh dear - I guess it was going to happen sooner or later

I know, I know - rugby is a dangerous sport

And I know Sarah is very, very lucky, over the past five seasons, to get away with a couple of sprains and a dislocation

But today her luck ran out

One broken thumb!

I know it doesn't sound much

But if I tell you that it looks on the x-ray that it's completely parted company, that is to say snapped clean off the rest of her hand and is held roughly in place only by ligaments, muscle and skin and now a plaster cast

And I tell you that as a result of this break she will be in plaster for a minimum of six to eight weeks

And I also tell you that as a result of this she will miss the entire County programme for this season - with the possibility of not getting through to Regional because all triallists are selected from that County programme

And finally if I tell you that she will also be unable to trial for the English Colleges Squad in two and a half weeks time

You will understand why her smile isn't its usual sunny self

It's a very, very long time since I've had to wash my baby's hair for her :o(

Nick also visited A & E this afternoon with a nasty football foul induced bump to the knee - thankfully this was only bruised ligaments - now that would have been a challenge - two out of three in plaster!

And Lou has had a tough few days at school this week - don't you just hate the bitchiness of girls

This was a picture she rustled up after one particularly upsetting day - kind of sums up her mood. Fortunately school have been brilliant and I think the worst is over - hurray!

I've not been totally idle since my last post - lots of bits and pieces - some I can't show you as the man in the red suit is stalking about waiting to whisk off a couple of Secret Santa items

But I can show you a very belated - as in should have been sent off in October, not November - birthday block - different, but fun to do. My allotted month was August and the illustration was all sunshine colours and sunflowers but I elected to represent our somewhat damp English summer with cooler blues, turquoises and sands - kind of says it all to me.

Here's a pot-free girl showing off her newly completed (by mum) crocheted scarf (and snazzy new glasses)

And finally a little 6" block I rustled up this morning for the centre of one of a pair of large table mats I've been commissioned to make by a colleague at work for her mother's Christmas gift

I was actually stitching away quite happily before being rudely interrupted by a two patient A & E visit!

Testosterone Free Zone

Last Sunday we managed a rarity in the Bebbington household

Sarah had no rugby

Nick had football playing his match at Frome (rhymes with Broom) right over on the other side of Somerset and Nigel was playing taxi driver - they won 8 - 4 - hurray! and both got soaked to the skin for their trouble!

So we managed a girly afternoon..........

Mum was doing a mad 'quilt in one day' construction for her ALQS2 effort

Lou was keeping herself occupied with a little stitching of her own

And Sarah was keeping her nose firmly to the Geography coursework grindstone

A veritable testosterone free zone

And the result of all this peace, perfect peace?

One 20" square present for my ALQS2 partner a long way from Taunton

p.s. I must confess I finished stitching down the binding on Monday morning so it wasn't strictly a quilt in a day - however at least I got it into the post on time :o)

Lest we forget

In Flanders Fields
John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields

Ninety years ago today the signing of the armistice marked the end of the four most bloody years in recent history.

Our family were privileged to live close to this area for a short while - now the fields and hillsides show little of the horror and carnage as nature has reclaimed the battlefields into its modern green and pleasant land again.

My father has always told us that as a country we lost the cream of our timber, the cream of our horses and the cream of our men in those four short years.

Today, in London, the last remaining combatants from that terrible war paid their own tributes to their fallen comrades. Amazingly these three gentlemen, one each from the airforce, navy and army have lived to see this ninetieth anniversary. So many of their pals have not

May we and our children always remember and appreciate this ultimate sacrifice made by so many for our freedom.

The craft fair won!

Interesting comments from you all on my last post - as he knew I needed help it didn't even occur to me that he should go to the rugby - he'd obviously be a lot better off living with some of my fellow bloggers :o))

The bigger sickener is that I could've gone with him to use the other ticket - which, as I've never actually been to Twickenham, meant my loss was actually greater than his

Then sadly the fact that the craft sale was poorly attended and didn't net me anything as much as I'd have liked in my pocket meant we both rather wished we'd gone down the sports route

Never mind hindsight is always 20/20 vision

The day wasn't without gain - the lady on the next stall to mine told me of another sale at the end of November which could prove far more lucrative

So we'll see if I can book a table tomorrow - all my midnight stitching won't have been in vain.

If that doesn't come off I may well just explore the possibilities of Etsy...............

anyone for a Bebbington Original? :o)

Well what would your answer have been?

I consider myself very lucky to be happily married to a wonderful man - okay he drives me crazy sometimes but on the whole he's worth keeping.

But I ask you.............

What are men like?

The past two or three weeks I have been dashing around even more than normal - hence my blog silence.

I've had the half term week off work but also had my elderly parents to stay for two weeks

It was lovely to see them but they are quite high maintenance in the attention stakes

This is absolutely fine, it's been wonderful to have them stay.

But..........

I had also committed myself to taking a table at the local Craft Sale this coming Saturday and so in my usual 11th hour fashion I've also been manically trying to create stock.

The sale is Saturday

Yes the day after tomorrow

My dearly beloved husband will be needed for at least the start and end of the day to help with tables, put posters in the vicinity, look after our children etc etc etc and to be frank may well be roped in for even more of the day

He has willingly agreed to do this and I'm very grateful

But...............

This afternoon I received a text, and I quote:

"Nigel do you want two tickets for England v Pacific Islands Saturday Twickers. Can I go?"

Now without turning the air blue what do you suppose my response was?

Sometimes they push you just a little bit too far!