FeltFinland

Sold out...

2011-12-10T16:46:00.001+02:00

Well almost - 16 Aliens, 48 pincushions, 22 Tonttu hats and 53 Alien postcards amongst other things have all gone to new homes! One very happy felter here! Just a couple of orders to complete and then time to turn my thoughts to our Christmas. The first task is to get the Christmas cards in the mail before New Year and then hunt out where I have hidden all the little gifts I have been gently stockpiling over the last couple of months!
No snow here in Southern Finland yet, just wet and grey - not very cheery I must say, however we have just put the tree up and the Children have liberally applied a great assortment of decorations which must date back at least 25-30 years. Enough to bring a smile to any face!

So May the force be with you...

and a Jolly Green Christmas from these guys! HO HO HO!

Down the line

2011-11-15T18:18:00.001+02:00

4 years for the little man and 10 months for me - after diagnosis day that is.
How are we doing? Well as I said to the doctor today, we are just getting on with life. The kids rushing out the door at the last minute to walk to school, me filling and the refilling the washing machine, restocking the fridge, wondering(again) what to cook for supper - life just trundles along, generally quite happily.
Yes some days are not so great, I struggle to haul myself out of bed some dark grey November mornings, blood sugar numbers do such weird things and I hate not understanding why and the milk has run out. Then there are those little victories that mean so much - finally the nine timestable makes sense to my little lady, at midnight seeing a 'spot on' 6.5mmol/l blood sugar reading and the emergence of another needle felted creature that makes me smile.
Sometimes those little things really grind you down but then so often it is also a little thing that will make you smile and make you realise life is good!

Let them eat cake....

2011-10-25T21:04:00.000+03:00

and ice cream!

Pig cake!


It's my birthday and I will have ice cream!

Guess the carbs in that ice cream - we almost got it right!
My little man turned 8 a couple of weeks ago - still my baby!!

2 hours old!

Finally Felt!

2011-10-06T16:29:00.001+03:00

So I haven't been totally idle these last few weeks, some experimenting, some playing and some money spinners!

Totally!

I'm glad nobody asks what I did at work today!

Practising their ho ho ho's!

Your door stop is watching you!

The alternate Christmas decoration!

The big guys!

Organised chaos I promise!

Catch up

2011-09-28T12:04:00.001+03:00

October next week! 3 months to Christmas! It's all going too fast! So much to do , so much to tell! Felting will finally get a look in soon - I have been busy in my chaos of a workshop and just need to take some photos of the latest creations. It has been good to get back to 'work' even though some days I struggle to motivate myself to do much at all. A 5 day craft fair a couple of months away is actually a good kick up the backside to get busy! Here's something I made this summer.


A seat pad for the bench outside the sauna -black and red representing the Karelia region

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_pennants_of_Finland

All trundling as smoothly as is even vaguely possible on the Diabetes front, HbA1c 7.4, new Enlite CGM sensors to try and also Mio infusion sets instead of Quicksets. Will let you know how we get on.
Big step - trip away for me and my dear husband, 3 nights 4 days - Olli's brother and wife are looking after the children - sounds straight forward until you throw in Diabetes as we all well know. We have already had one set change 'tutorial' and crash course in carb counting! Next task to type out some step by step instructions for the set change, not as easy as it sounds. Some things are so automatic now, you don't realise you have done them but we can do this!

Another grey hair!

2011-08-29T13:52:00.000+03:00

On a good day he could run the course in about 15 minutes I reckoned, say 20 minutes.
The minutes ticked past 20, no sign.
25 minutes went by, OK maybe he got a bit lost or was a bit tired.
30 minutes had now gone since Aleksi went out on his orienteering course.
Now I was a little concerned, I grabbed a gel pack and my crutch but just before I decided to panic and run into the woods searching for him I rang him on his phone. He wears one of Tallygears tummietotes when orienteering, 3 pouches for the pump, a fruit bar snack and his phone.
He answers with a cheery Hello - great he is not lost or so low he can't go any further. No my little man had met another little guy on his course and they had been gently jogging, walking and chatting their merry way round the course. 2 minutes later he charged down to the finishing line waving his map at me as he passed. Big sigh, more grey hairs, just another day!

More summer fun.....

2011-08-25T17:33:00.000+03:00

Caught a big fish!!

Fed the duck family....

chatted to the train driver.....

took the steam drain to Mallaig, passing over a familiar bridge......

went skimming stones in the old slate quarry at Ballachulish.....

had a go at rock climbing....

My haven't we grown!!!!!


had a great time at the Camera Obscura exhibition in Edinburgh!

Love/Hate

2011-08-23T18:33:00.000+03:00

Why I love this time of year in the Finnish forests

Free food - chanterelles and boletus - Yum!

Why I hate this time of year in the Finnish forests

The dreaded Elk fly - Think spiders with wings..........

I know what we did this summer......

2011-07-04T20:53:00.000+03:00

Caught some fish......

Experimented with cornflour, inspired by Mythbusters!(Complete with serious summer haircut!!)

Planned a morning swim in the lake......

Stayed on a 'ship hotel'.......

Found a great use for the minibar...

Ate Candy Floss - guestimated at 40g carbs!

Took the fast train.......

Went Orienteering.......

and made more Mythbuster mess!!

The best bit - we've still got weeks more to go!

Don't cook the insulin!

2011-06-09T19:33:00.000+03:00

Take one small boy on school holiday.
Add one week of sports activity in 25-30 degrees C heat.
Attach one insulin pump in groovy sports pouch to hot sweaty body of above small boy.
Allow to run around for 6 hours.
(Pull off failed CGM sensor after 2½ days(Grrrr)) optional
Watch blood sugar fail and rise like the Himalayas.
A tried and tested recipe for cooked insulin - works everytime!!

On a side note, I went shopping today for the biggest bottle of fizzy brown liquid I could find, along with a large tube of sweets. While it may work wonders for raising those sport induced lows, we have a mission. We are doing MYTHBUSTERS!! I'm sure you have all seen those videos and inspired by a great episode of Adam and Jamie we are undertaking our own science experiment - the coke and mints fountain. Not in my garden I hasten to add but in the safe piece of marshland next to the lake at the summer cottage - So exciting!!

Note to self...

2011-05-29T21:16:00.001+03:00

Don't look at the screen of an insulin pump with 3D cinema glasses on unless you want a heart attack in the cinema...... Quick edit - it shows a horrible black screen with multi coloured splodges on it - thought we had complete pump failure, but no just had my groovy 3D specs on!!!!

Don't let the general public loose with felting needles unless you want a bent broken heap of metal in return...

Don't feed the cat that new cat food unless you want cat sick all over your magazines/clean washing/middle of the stairs.....

Writing

2011-05-10T12:27:00.000+03:00

Writing does not come easily to me. I only ever managed to scrape a couple of pages of a small exercise book at school for that 'create a story ' homework. Even in my job as a Physiotherapist I didn't have to write much and even then it looked a bit like this
#RNOF-> RTHR. SLR/ hip Flex exs. Up FWB. FU OP 6/52.
Another language isn't it!
I have been blogging for just over 3 years now and my writing is still hit and miss! Nowadays the most writing I ever do with a pen is entering blood sugar numbers into a logbook and that is usually a frenzied catch up every fortnight or so! Will the day ever come when we don't have to use a pen? Even the need for signatures is dwindling with chip and pin and online form filling.
OK that's out of my system now - time to go do something I can do - making things. Yes alien production line in full flow! May have to do an Alien Sugar bolus - there's a phrase I'd never thought I'd write......

Something or nothing?

2011-05-05T18:44:00.000+03:00

A blip on the X ray.
For most people, probably nothing.
For me could be something - not something that needs an urgent check but something that needs an eye on it. Could be nothing though.
Otherwise slow steady progress, time to up the exercises and try get back on my bike!
I plan to ease back into work now. I have been doing bits and bobs, particularly these guys for my daughter's birthday party bags !

By popular request they also played 'Pin the eye on the Alien!' a modern take on the donkey I suppose!!

I have a large bag of wool to wash and a couple of very late birthday presents to make plus of course a few more green guys for the shop! The accounts are done, tax forms done, big sigh of relief there thanks to my dear husband/accountant! Back to business finally. Feels good!

No need to ask why, it's just because

2011-04-05T11:39:00.001+03:00

Why did I spend most of last night chasing a low blood sugar, enhanced by a beeping pump and CGM?
Why did I spend the night before last beating down a high blood sugar that would not go away?
Just because.....
Why did our son get type 1 Diabetes?
Why did I get a rare bone cancer that only affects one in a quarter of a million(not because I am the special one!)?
Just because....
Why do I make little green creatures from outer space from wool?
Just because...

'Why' is a great question but not always an easy one to answer. Why?
Just because.....

Back on the night shift

2011-03-21T11:24:00.000+02:00

Time to get back to 'normal' - Before my surgery I did the night blood sugar tests. We don't check every night routinely. We have a policy/ criteria for night time checks as discussed with our doctor. You will have your 'policy'( if that's the right word) for your child. This is what we do. ( I am not a doctor - my disclaimer!)
So high before midnight - correction bolus. High after midnight - increased temp basal. Night check - click, clunk dip - back in bed 3 minutes tops.
Last nights scenario - not sure NASA/ MI5 will want me now.
Miss alarm for 3am, forgot to turn up volume in Ipod.
Wake up at 3.32 - groan! Have to push cat of the bed so I can haul myself out of bed.
Find and put on Left running shoe! Very important!
Torch on, put in mouth.
Glasses on head.
Blood sugar meter tucked in armpit.
Find crutches - hop squeak across landing.
Gently and carefully lower self on the boy's very low bed, trying not to squash boy.
Park crutches so they don't fall into most inaccessible place possible.
Remove torch from aching mouth, don glasses.
Click , clunk, dip.
Groan, curse, cheer, fist pump, delete and act as appropriate.
Glasses back on head , torch in mouth.
Haul self back onto crutches, hop squeak back across landing, marvelling at lovely reflective shiny bits on running shoe in the torch light.
Park crutches, glasses, torch.
Apologise to cross cat.
Heave self back into bed - 9 minutes - not bad!!

It took me 30 minutes the other night - big low, sugar search, feed, check 1 hour later, no strips left - new box downstairs, hop squeak down and back up, still a bit low for my liking, I am not going downstairs again - find glucose tablet stash in bedroom - silent cheer in dark. As I feed the boy glucose tabs he mumbles how yummy they are! Reduced temp basal 2 hours One final check - sorted.

Felting - not. I have some great ideas for some bags after reading Heather's blog , but wet felting is out at the moment as I can't carry anything so to and fro to the bathroom with hot soapy water is out. Kneeling on the bathroom floor to pummel and full my felt is out. My ideas will have to wait.
I have prodded some wool into large ball like shapes - my total sum of needle felting.

Doctor tomorrow - 6 week check up - hopefully time to step it up, Please! I have been a good patient, promise!!

7 things you never knew about crutches!

2011-02-28T13:46:00.000+02:00

I have found the cure for 'Bingo wings' - 3 weeks hopping around on crutches and no more flabby arms!!
They are great for gently poking the kids out of their TV coma!
No matter how carefully you park them, one look and they fall over!
When they fall over it is always away from you, so you can't reach to pick them up!
Hand cream and crutches don't go together!
A new curtain opening and closing device!
People give you odd looks when you are on crutches(and really weird looks when you are in a wheelchair)

One last thing I would like to say, a huge thanks to my Mum, who has now gone back to UK for a well earned rest! She has been an absolute star doing all the stuff that needs doing around a house and more! Thanks Mum!!

Basal brainstorming

2011-02-20T17:20:00.000+02:00

OK back to normality/reality, dodgy leg and all! I would love input from you guys who have little people on pumps. At the moment we have have tweaked to almost as good as it gets Aleksi's current set of basal rates. They work well with his current Monday to Friday school routine, same meal times each day, predictable activity levels most days, same bed time etc. Weekends and holidays however are a different matter. We get up later, eat at different times different foods, lazy some days, busy busy other days,later bed times. We have been wondering about setting up a basal particularly for weekends that we could then also apply to holiday times. I am very interested to know if anyone else uses different basals for non school days and whether it is worth the effort of changing the pump setting every Friday night and Monday morning! Thanks!

No place like home!

2011-02-18T12:39:00.000+02:00

Thanks to 21st century medicine and all your wonderful thought and prayers I am home safe and in pretty good nick! I have some new best friends, namely my crutches, a raised toilet seat , shower chair(with handles - deluxe model!!) and my favourite, the long handled picker upper grabby thingy! I am currently supporting 29 staples in my right thigh which I will lose on Monday! My new enemies are few but boy do they pack a punch -a daily blood thinner injection into my tummy with a sting like no other! I have new found respect for my son and others like him who have to endure needle stabs of one type or another every single day of their life. I have also discovered a new form of torture - being made to lay on your back for 8 hours plus and not be allowed to move. Combine this with a cat sat on the upper chest or bladder and I would happily divulge name , rank and number!
My dear Mum is here being a star and the husband and children are adapting to me moving a lot slower than usual!
So, so far so good. Now I just have to be patient and wait for things to heal - at least another 4 weeks with no weight on my leg - chance to catch up with Bones series 1, a stack of books and try crack Angry Birds on my I pod!

A sense of normality

2011-02-05T20:28:00.000+02:00

Despite the fact that I am facing a 3 hour hip operation first thing Monday morning life has to go on! The washing hasn't quite mastered the art of sorting itself and climbing into the washing machine and no matter how many times I open the fridge door it hasn't restocked it's self! Blood sugar still has to be checked and to ease the pressure somewhat we have been blessed with a week of almost perfect numbers! Thank you!
So no time to dwell on what may be even though I took 5 minutes to 'put my affairs in order' - not long really to put all the necessary stuff on a bit of paper! I feel I am in very good hands with the surgeon, whom I met on Thursday and who patiently answered all my probing questions - well a physiotherapist/patient needs to know all those things!
I have even put my felting skills to use and made myself a bag - a ' help I have no hands free, walking on crutches and have shed loads of stuff I need to carry' bag. Felting update on the Aliens - now safely in their new home, Crewcuts, 50 Hudson Street, New York - if you are in the area please go say Hi for me!
So here goes the next step, albeit on crutches and with a tin hip!.............................

Lapland

2011-01-25T16:07:00.000+02:00

Time to catch up with our trip North!
New years eve sees us not wildly partying but playing musical bunk beds on the overnight train! The children are not impressed at having to share a bunk bed but decide that the one in the heavens actually makes a good den! Midnight finds us all fast asleep somewhere in the middle of Finland.

We are jolted awake as we arrive at Kolari station and despite the fact that it is well past 9am it is dark. Olli goes to fetch the car which has travelled with us.

The scenery is amazing, due to the fact that the light is so low and everything is coated in snow. It gives everything a monochromatic look. We also spotted reindeer roaming around, digging in the snow for food!

On Sunday we headed for the Snow Village, which is built every year from snow and ice. It is basically a hotel, with rooms made out of snow, like igloos and beds and chairs carved out of ice. It is beautifully lit and there is even a small chapel!

We opted for supper in the ice restaurant - amazing. Ice table and chairs, food on wooden plates that don't cool as quick. You need to eat with your coat and hat on and you don't dawdle over your meal either.

Monday saw us hit the slopes, the children into ski school, Olli up to the top in the gondola and I, due to dodgy hip, wandering around taking photos and drinking coffee! How did Diabetes manage with all this? Well we were prepared for lows, big time,especially with 90 minutes ski school for 3 days. But no, high, high and higher! We made sure his pump was well insulated, tucked in pants, long johns, ski trousers and no dangling tubes - no frozen insulin thank you. We didn't quite anticipate the pounding the quick set plaster would take on his bottom due to wipeouts! We have now discovered that quick sets and also the CGM sensors do not like skiing and sledging that involves bouncing on one's bottom!!

Tuesday night promised to be a clear night so I set off at 9.30 pm on a mission. I have always wanted to see the Northern lights and here was my chance. I really didn't know what I was looking for but headed off up the hill,found a lay-by and parked the car. Armed with hot juice and camera I waded into thigh deep snow to find a good look out spot. The sky was so clear and there were thousands of stars. I sat in a little snow hole I had made and waited. The sky changed and suddenly there appeared to be a cloud in the sky. I took a photo and only when I looked at the screen realised the cloud was green! I had found them! I spent the next 30 minutes mesmerised and pretty chilly, not daring to move too much due to said dodgy hip and the fact that I was sitting on a slope and couldn't see the bottom! What an experience - the photos say it all....

The days were short, dark by 3pm and also cold, minus 25 degrees Celsius on the Wednesday but that did not deter us from enjoying a fun week. Friday saw us head home on the overnight train, mobile pharmacy in tow! Helsinki beckoned at just after 6 in the morning. The cars were promptly offloaded and we were home by 7 - a fascinating trip in many ways, to be recommended!

Gordon's Alive!

2011-01-16T21:03:00.000+02:00

Thank you Brian and may I introduce Gordon!

Standing 2 feet/62 cms tall and weighing in at 328 grams/13½ ounces! Go Gordon!

Dodgy hip update

2011-01-14T14:19:00.001+02:00

Well it is official I do have a dodgy hip - Chondrosarcoma to be precise. It means I have to have surgery to rmove it and they will put in a metal implant to replace the bit they remove. It is a bit like having a hip replacement - I am going bionic!
It is a relief to have a diagnosis and now I have almost ready for anything that is thrown at me! Having 3 monster aliens to make has been a welcome distraction and I was cheered up no end this morning by the arrival of 1.5 kilos of bright green wool. Now I can finish Gordon and send him on his merry way.
Knowing my friends in cyber space(and not just the green wooly ones!) are looking out for me is a huge comfort - just look out for the bionic woman hopping your way!

My little guys are featured in Cuteable too! Go Aliens!

Alien invasion in New York

2011-01-11T11:46:00.001+02:00

I would never have thought 10 years ago that I would be married with 2 children, living in Finland and making Aliens for a living. But I am! Now my guys are off to New York - I have an order for 13 Aliens, 10 of your average little green guys plus three who are a bit bigger, 1foot (30 cms), 11/2 feet(45 cms) and 2 feet (60 cms)to be precise! They will be residing in a new children's clothing store - Crewcuts, part of the J Crew store group - in New York - how exciting is that.
Off to do a lot more needling as I have now had my coffee break!

Don't put your 'son' on the stage Mrs Worthington!

2011-01-09T12:12:00.002+02:00

With thanks to Noel Coward and my son!
Also available on You tube!

Tough times

2010-12-30T13:27:00.000+02:00

Life throws some stuff at you and as always we take it in the chin, do what we have to do and move on. Aleksi's type 1 Diabetes was a big smack in the face but we picked ourselves up and carried on with our good life. Now I have been hit straight between the eyes by a bloody great big wrecking ball and now I am in the process of getting back up onto my feet, slowly dusting off the chaos and trying to continue with our good life.
5 days before Christmas( typical bad timing!) I was told I have a tumour in my Right Hip - top of my thigh bone to be precise. Oh shit I said - Yes exactly said the doctor on the phone, as I hovered over the frozen peas. Yes I was in the middle of the supermarket - damn mobile phones, never ring at a convenient place or time!
So now I sit here waiting to find out if it is simply a pain in the backside(groin actually) tumour or one that is out to get me. I am gently glowing from all the x rays and CT scans and the hole in my hip is healing from where they took a bone sample.
Life however continues pretty much as normal - kids to feed, washing to be done, bags to pack for our trip to Lapland - no skiing for me, I will content myself with photographing and videoing the Kids and Olli on the slopes. Work will have to take a back seat for the moment, but I could do with a break after a busy December.
I will know more in a couple of weeks and I will of course keep you updated as things unfold, my dear blogger friends.

Christmas Sugar bolus winner

2010-12-24T19:38:00.000+02:00

Thank you for all your comments for my first sugar bolus - I will be back! (to quote Arnie!)

I must also thank Odile at Wooly Fabulous for her lovely contribution too!

So the winner is...........

Number 24 - sorry couldn't work out how to get the random number box on here, but dear husband checked the result.
So well done to Hallie from The princess and the pump!

So Hallie please e mail me - amanda@feltfinland.com - within the next 48 hours and your goodies will be on their way! If I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

Now I will hand you over to Racheal for Christmas Sugar bolus - the next one!!

Finally Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

My turn for the Sugar bolus!

2010-12-17T17:54:00.000+02:00

I have been following these wonderful 'giveaways' for a couple of months now and felt it was my turn to be the 'giver awayer'! (Great English I know, but making up words is fun!)

This weeks winner will be receiving 2 packages in the mail, most certainly after Christmas now, but won't it be great to open a parcel in dull boring January!

Firstly I have to thank Odile also known as Wooly Fabulous for donating the first gift. Please check out her amazing work on Flickr. She will be sending the winner a wonderful handmade heart brooch similar to the one pictured. Just lovely isn't it? Odile is also a mother of a child with Type 1 Diabetes. Huge thanks again to you Odile!

Secondly the winner will receive a parcel of all things Finnish! I won't give away too much but see what you can spot in the photo!

I have also included some of my handmade needle felted Christmas decorations ,made in my workshop housing my small business known as FeltFinland. They will be a little late for this year but think of them as your first Christmas gift of next year!!

So onto the rules and regulations as so beautifully put by Wendy

● Leave me a comment before midnight on Thursday 23rd December. Please include your first name. Comments left without a name will be eliminated.

● To earn extra entries (post a separate comment for each):
     ● Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter. Then, leave me an additional comment.
     ● Share a link to this contest on Facebook. Then, leave me an additional
          comment to let me know.
     ● Blog about this contest. Then, leave me an additional comment containing
          a link to your blog.

● No duplicate comments are allowed. Duplicate comments will be eliminated.
● Winners will be selected via random draw at http://www.random.org/.
● Winners' names will be posted here on this blog on Friday 24th December
● After winners' names are posted, the winner will have 48 hours to send a message to me at amanda@feltfinland.com. If I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

Finally sending you all warm Christmas wishes and here's to a fun, busy and hopefully 'uncomplicated' 2011!!

Amanda x

Alternate Christmas Greetings!

2010-12-13T12:32:00.000+02:00

To all those little d people, D Mums and Dads, fellow bloggers - Ho Ho Ho!

Pre Christmas rush

2010-12-11T12:55:00.001+02:00

The Christmas fair is behind me and now I am doing some last minute orders, play food - done and posted, 20 christmas decorations - done and awaiting collection, A hamburger(don't ask!) - starting Monday, A collection of woodland animals - after the burger. So no feet up with coffee and a good book just yet!
Also next week I have the privilege to be hosting the weekly Sugar Bolus - this week is being hosted by Nicole at The We Cara Lot blog. Don't forget to come back here next Friday 17th - my turn!!

Half a century, not out!

2010-12-04T21:03:00.001+02:00

I sit here contemplating my last day of being 40 'something'. Tomorrow shuffles in the age of the big F ( said with a big F too!!) How will you be celebrating I hear you ask - working is the answer - smiling at the public and willing them to buy my creations ( think of the money!) Such is life!!
Time for a little reflection of the past 50 years I think - watch this blog!
Happy Birthday me!
Might need one of these!

A little chilly!

2010-11-29T15:54:00.000+02:00

Well actually it is b#**¤y freezing! I know we live in Finland but it doesn't usually get this cold until at least January - currently minus 15 degrees C and falling. I wouldn't mind so much but on Thursday I start Day 1 of a 5 day craft fair in Helsinki - Naisten Messut at Wanha Satama, Thursday 2nd to Monday 6th December, if you are in town! So lots of standing at bus and tram stops to get to the venue, leave in the dark, get home in the dark. Also to boot I will be working on my Birthday!
Actually I am looking forward to it very much - I have a good stash to sell, usually good company from other vendors and lots of enthusiastic people looking for Christmas gifts. Minus 5 degress would be OK!!!

In case of emergency

2010-11-27T18:25:00.000+02:00

Break Glass! Not guaranteed for low blood sugar though!

3 years ago

2010-11-17T09:26:00.000+02:00

Something changed. Not something I would wish on anyone but it happened. It does. Type 1 Diabetes entered our lives and is here to stay. Have we changed? Yes , but in a positive way I think. I have always been a great believer in living each day to the full - even more so now. We will not hold back because of Diabetes.
I cannot spend each day waiting for the worst to happen as I know it can. Perhaps 20 years of working in hospitals with sick people has hardened me a little.
I have 2 amazing children, a wonderful husband, the best Mum and Dad plus 2 brothers and their great families. Would I change anything? Probably not - This is who we are now. Having said that a cure would be the best thing ever, not for me but for my son.

World Diabetes Day 14.11.2010

2010-11-14T10:51:00.000+02:00

This is for my son and ALL those affected by Type 1 Diabetes - we need a cure.

D Blog day - my 6 things I would like you to know

2010-11-09T20:05:00.002+02:00

In honor of D Blog Day...here are 6 things I want the world to know about Diabetes :-

We did nothing 'wrong' to cause A's Diabetes. A mix of genetics, enviromental factors and just sod's law caused this autoimmune disease.
For type 1 Diabetes the only treatment is Insulin. Insulin in too larger doses can kill. There is a fine line between too much and not enough sometimes and we often don't get it right. Not through lack of trying though!
Yes he can eats sweets, ice cream, biscuits - I just need to know the carbohydrate content of everything he eats and calculate the right dose of insulin ( see point 2)
Diabetes affects everyone in the family -A, Mum, Dad, Big sister, Grandma's and Grandad.....
.....Yes Diabetes is in our life but it is not our life - we will do anything and everything as before, but with an extra suitcase for all his supplies.
We would like a cure please.

Don't forget World Diabetes Day on 14th November - we will be doing the Big Blue test. Will you?

Boo!

2010-11-03T09:00:00.000+02:00

I don't make hats but when my daughter smiled and asked nicely for a hat, for her Halloween party at school , how could I say no! As my children share my obsession with little green men the subject matter was obvious. It was Halloween after all!
Here it is as it was drying in the sauna. As it is now November, long grey days, dark by 4.30pm , my chances of a good photograph are nil!
So in the sauna it is!

Here's hoping your Halloween celebrations went smoothly ( and without scary blood sugar numbers!) Boo!

Happy!

2010-10-31T16:16:00.000+02:00

It doesn't take much nowadays to make me happy - seeing that lovely 5.5 blood glucose reading at 11 o'clock at night, watching my children confidently heading off for a day at school, that first sip of my mid morning coffee and that satisfaction at finishing another felt creation.
Today I felt as though I had hit the jackpot! There is no doubt that winter is fast approaching here in Finland. The winter tyres are on and the car heaters plugged in. It also means winter jackets and trousers and the dreaded winter boots. Growing children mean rapidly growing feet so with fera and trepidation I made the children try on last years winter boots - 2 sets, one set for cold, wet snow and one set for very cold dry snow. They all fit! That is 200 euros we have saved - now that makes me so happy!

Head down,must felt!

2010-10-27T12:02:00.000+03:00

My first Christmas order is done and now in Japan - how exciting is that! I work well when I have a deadline, can't beat a bit of pressure. Now I am counting down to early December when I will be at a 5 day Craft fair. First I need to take stock, literally and then a bit of planning and making a good old list of things to do.

Roll on Christmas! We have had our first snow already - didn't stay long but those first few inches of snow always look stunnung!

Have pump will travel!

2010-10-08T12:36:00.001+03:00

Our first flight with the pump!(off to the UK for my Dad's 80th birthday!) I have packed spares, extra spares and just in case of disaster spares. I have you never know you might need it stuff, carbs, extra carbs and help I need carbs. I don't think I have forgotten anything but just in case I am checking my list for the twenty sixth time. I now have to explain to my dear daughter why her hand luggage looks like a mobile pharmaceutical supplies unit( just the perfect size bag!)

Just need to do one last check...............

Splat!

2010-10-04T19:01:00.001+03:00

Well a slightly better name than roadkill, which as my dear husband pointed out this little lot look like! Since doing my course with Brigitte Krag Hansen in May I have been scouring the internet for raw fleece. You never quite know what you are going to get but I have had a few good buys from Etsy and E bay. Thankfully the glorious summer we had made washing wool a breeze and from those great piles of wooly fluff these little dears appeared. Meet the Splat Family.

From top right, Sauli, Simo, Saila, Sid, Suvi and Seppo - most who have gone to new homes.
I have been lucky enough to find some new raw fleeces which are drying in the sauna at the moment so some new Splats will be appearing soon. They are really fun to make and each seems to have their own dazed expression - wouldn't you if you had been squashed! Well and truly splatted!!

Little Sami

2010-09-29T13:25:00.000+03:00

This project has been on my To Do list for a year or so at least. Now I had a reason and a subject - my dear neighbours 40th birthday. It was an interesting process, once I had got the hang of constructing the head and face it went very well. The body and in particular the arms seemed harder work! I am not sure I would repeat the project - of course if the money was right!!!!
So here is little Sami

Low on the go.

2010-09-20T13:48:00.000+03:00

Rush out the house, need to buy birthday present. A looks peaky, check blood sugar, 2.8(50) - not ideal! Into supermarket - it's tasting day. Saved!! 4 bread chunks, 2 pieces of pineapple and 2 mini cups of coke - low sorted. Hurray for free food!

Hey NASA/MI5, need help?

2010-09-10T12:52:00.000+03:00

As I staggered, lurched, crawled out of bed at 1.00am this morning, the chimes of Big Ben ringing in my head ( courtesy of my I pod alarm), I managed to avoid kicking the cat, standing on the small toy car parked conveniently in the bedroom door way and destroying the carefully laid out tea party for the Littlest Pet shop hamster.
It got better. Torch in mouth, glasses on, I quietly opened and shut the very loud top on the test strip bottle, inserted said strip the correct way into the blood sugar meter, muffling the very loud beep it makes when you do that.
I then managed to wrestle a hand out that was well and truly buried in the duvet, select a finger that looked the cleanest, click and clunk the blood letter and dip the small end of the test strip into the smallest dot of blood.
Time for more deft pump programming, bolus for the high and then a quick bit of button pressing to set a temp basal to run through til morning.
Job done in 3 minutes, back to bed and no one even stirred, not even the cat!
Impressive or what!!!!

Back to work!

2010-08-25T17:38:00.000+03:00

Kids back to school, me back to work - Hurray! Aliens have been flying off the production line, ready to go to the Astronomy shop in Helsinki, Alnilam. We have had fun naming them all, names beginning with J - easy in Finland! So may I introduce Johannes, Julia, Jaakko, Joonas and Jussi to name a few!

Lowest of lows!

2010-08-17T17:37:00.000+03:00

We saw this the other day - I picked my jaw back of the floor to see A bouncing happily on the sofa - not so low then!
Another test revealed the more pleasing number of 5.1 - breathe again.

Another big hurdle came and went today,uneventfully I am happy to say - his first day in First grade - that great milestone we all pass. His blood sugars were perfect dare I say and now he is crashed out watching TV on the sofa(having done his homework!) Bring on day 2!

Keep calm

2010-08-15T17:21:00.001+03:00

Works every time!!

Made this at http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/

Things we do for love

2010-08-14T17:24:00.000+03:00

Like standing in the supermarket with my all important piece of paper,

studying barcodes on small packets of Lego!
Oh yes, mad as it may sound but it has saved us time, money and the frustration of getting 5 the same. I am talking about Lego minifigures - we love them! Great pocket money buys and good(dare I say it) bribes!

Here is one of our many mutants - a zombie headed, ninja hatted wrestler on one ski, singing karaoke!

Calm before the storm

2010-08-11T19:07:00.000+03:00

Sunday afternoon. 30 degrees C, kids running around the garden, adults chatting and enjoying the sunshine. We had a small party to celebrate my 49 3/4 birthday! December is not a good time to have a birthday in Finland - grey, dark. cold and I am usually working at one of the Christmas fairs.
We had a great afternoon and a big thank you to all my dear friends and famiy for their gifts and good wishes.

A few hours later just as we were sitting down at the end of the day all hell broke loose. My Mum took this photo of the storm front.

Within minutes the sky went black, the wind roared, lightening flashed and the heavens opened. My Dad and Olli just managed to rescue the tent whilst I ran and grabbed umbrellas, chairs and anything else that threatened to fly away. It was spectacular to say the least!
Here is a link to a video on You tube that someone took on a beach near Helsinki and yes it did happen that quickly - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reB8FkJdvo4

Gone

2010-07-31T17:51:00.001+03:00

Someone stole MY bike! My lovely comfy bike that I have pedalled hundreds if not thousands of miles on. Together we have pedalled from John O'Groats to Lands End, Bordeaux to Barcelona, London to Brighton twice, London to Suffolk in the dark and through endless back streets and parks in London as I went to work. OK she was old, 19 to be exact(I even have the original receipt!) but she was MY bike and I will miss her. No it wasn't locked and yes I know it should have been but the fact that someone walked up to the front of our house last night and took her has made me quite angry and a bit sad. Lesson learned.

August 1994, me and my bike at John O'Groats(no grey hair then!!)

Old 'friends' meet new 'friends'

2010-07-28T15:43:00.000+03:00

Mad dogs and Englishlady

2010-07-19T21:05:00.000+03:00

Go out orienteering for a whole week in temperatures hovering around 35 degrees C! Yes even in Finland it can get that hot. Also said englishlady was the only one in the family to get soaked in the massive storm whilst walking to the start of the last day of orienteering, which by the way went very well! We also learnt this week that insulin and 35degree C heat is not a great combination - hence a string of numbers in the 20's, not seen for an age! Finally I have to say a huge thank you to the wonderful child care facility provided at the Fin5 orienteering event near Imatra. As good fortune would have it one of the carers had a young son with Type 1 Diabetes. A was in good hands. We were able to go orienteer knowing he would be fine - Thank you Nora.
Home again and load number 248 done in the washing machine( well 7 at least!). Not content with smelly clothes washing I also washed a load of wool, the weather was perfect, sunny with a breeeze. So now I have some lovely clean wool to look forward to creating with.Can't wait!

From the hard stuff to the soft stuff.

2010-07-09T20:36:00.000+03:00

Lego, lego everywhere and what fun we had! We had a really very pleasant drive through Sweden and Denmark and then spent 2 busy hot days at Legoland. The hotel was perfect, right next to the park, lego everywhere to build and excellent food. Yay, no cooking! Needless to say we came home with a car load of lego, squeezed in along side the duty free!! Now it's home to do the washing and I had hoped a bit of felting, perhaps planning for Christmas. Weird I know in the middle of a summer heatwave but time zooms along. However we are off to do a bit of orienteering first at the Finnish 5 day event near Imatra, Eastern Finland. Thankfully it is near our summer cottage, so swims in the lake and wood fueled saunas after a hot days running in the woods.
So with luck I may get to dive into the soft stuff and get creating again in a weeks time. The hard stuff is here to stay - we almost have enough lego to build the garden shed we so desperately need!
Of course Diabetes gets a quick mention, hurray for the pump, hurray for easy bolusing those enormous ice creams, hurray for getting most of our carb calculations right. OK we had the odd - oops where did that number come from but generally Diabetes behaved itself.
Mmmm - I wonder if I could make a pancreas from Lego.................

Midsummer

2010-06-30T16:30:00.000+03:00

Glorious weather, warm water in the lake, long evenings and 3 generations of the Mononen family all make for a wonderful midsummer. Of course diabetes came along too but generally behaved. I did discover however that sand and quick sets don't mix and it is a good idea to take off the (rather expensive) pump when A goes off fishing with his Dad on the lake!

We found a safe spot for the pump on a birch tree next to the lake, whilst the kids messed about in the warm water.

We fished and we celebrated Midsummer with the traditional bonfire, despite the hundreds of mosquitoes!!!

Now I am tackling the usual humungous pile of washing and doing all the chores that need to be done.......

On a side note, for some reason this made me smile and I am sure to some of you reading this you will smile too. I doubt too many people have their alarm clocks set up like this!

Sleep well!

Think big!

2010-06-14T20:30:00.000+03:00

2 metres by 1.5 metres to be exact, shrinking to a mere 1.88m by 1.44, after 5 hours of almost non stop rolling. Drain pipe, bubble wrap , bamboo blind, old sheet, 3 kilos of wet wool , all held together with old tights. I made a mat, not a dinky door mat, a whopping big mat and boy do my back and arm muscles know it.
I have posted a series of photos on flickr ! I collect it tomorrow,then I have the task of getting it dry and then finding a new home for it. It was a local course and it was brilliant. I'll be back again next year!

Neglect

2010-06-03T13:23:00.000+03:00

Sorry blog and bloggers for neglecting you all. I do have a huge long list of excuses..........
May flew by far to fast. It seem to be consumed by health issues, all good though. A's pump is ticking along nicely, yes we have had disconnections at night, ripped tubing at the summer cottage, air bubbles when you shouldn't have air bubbles, highs and lows, frantic phone calls from school - but all in all it is great!
I have even managed some felting and I will do a post about the fabulous course I did a month ago(already!). I have been making gifts for school teachers and day care staff, end of term this week(already!).That's another post!
Not one to sit still too long I am also taking another felting course locally. I am making a floor mat, just a mere 2 metres by 1.5 metres. I have been weight training! I have just made some prefelt which I now have to cut into 5x10 cms rectangles, about 150 I reckon. Next week I have 2 evenings to put it all together and will then spend the weekend, rocking and rolling with gallons of hot soapy water and a heavy pile of wet wool! Exciting!!

3 demons

2010-05-16T18:06:00.000+03:00

I have 3 demons sitting on my shoulders at the moment all telling me different things , all pulling me in different directions. Firstly is wool, begging me to create something from it, pleading to be made into one of the many ideas floating around my head. Secondly we have insulin, teasing me and getting me to guess what will happen next. Finally we have sleep, beckoning at the times when I should be doing a multitude of useful chores and even some work(see wool).
I'm not quite sure who is top dog at the moment, certainly not me!

B, Act, Esc

2010-05-05T18:46:00.001+03:00

Not some new weird language, just the buttons we now have to press many times a day on A's new insulin pump. It is now day 3 and so far so good!

A, amazingly, has taken it all in his stride as 6 year olds do. My husband and I have a new friend in the 'telephone book sized' pump user manual! We have new words in our vocabulary now too - basal, sensor,bolus, quick set and shunker(the thing that 'shunks' in the new quick set). Actually it is almost like a new weird language!

Life goes on!

Adventure time!

2010-04-29T10:54:00.000+03:00

We have a busy week ahead, well more busy than usual! I am off to Copenhagen to do a weekend felting course with Birgitte Krag Hansen. I am so looking forward to it! On the flip side today we go get A's new insulin pump along with a shed load of information prior to us checking into the hospital 9am Monday morning. We then spend 3 days being taught the ways of the pump! Our next step or it feels more like a giant leap in this 'adventure' called Type 1 Diabetes.....

Aliens in Helsinki!

2010-04-15T19:58:00.002+03:00

Not the latest news headlines but just a little announcement to say that my Aliens have taken up residence in a wondeful little astronomy shop in Helsinki. Anu from Alnilam is now selling my aliens in her shop on Lönnrotinkatu 15. Please pop in to say hi and give an alien a new home!

Our other life.

2010-04-06T12:08:00.003+03:00

A place where wellies are essential and at this time of year, long johns and lots of layers are required. A place where we have to drill a hole in the lake for water to wash with. A place where important chores take priority - shovelling a path through the snow,filling the log baskets, lighting the fires, heating the water, warming the sauna. A place where fun is fishing through little holes drilled in to the frozen lake, racing across the ice on Grandma's old kick sledge, Easter egg hunts in the snow and rain!

I love our other life - it makes me grateful for things we take so much for granted - running water, flushing toilets, central heating. But there is something special about having to work quite hard to achieve basic things like hot water and heating. I love the lake - we caught lots of tiddlers but nothing worth eating! We are already planning our first fishing trip once the ice has melted. I think it may be a little while before it is warm enough for a post sauna dip - depends on how brave we are feeling!

Here is our water supply - only for washing us and the dishes!

So back home to all mod cons, school, work. I need to get busy on the Alien front - but more about them in my next post......

Heavy?!

2010-03-31T13:52:00.003+03:00

Guess who has just got back from a trip to the UK?

Mmm can't imagine why!!!!!(Maybe it was the chocolate, Marmite, cheese, Easter eggs............)

A break?

2010-03-16T12:04:00.004+02:00

My Spring craft fair is done and now maybe the felting pressure is off for a few weeks. It will be nice to do some wet felting and other projects/experiments. I really like making my little creatures especially the Aliens as I know they sell and sell well, important if you are running a business. However it is nice to be able to do some creating for my pleasure not just for profit!!

Some of the latest inmates, most of whom have new homes now!

Seat pads for the garden chairs(when summer eventually arrives!)

Finally my latest felting in a jar creations! Aleksi made the little mushroom in the pot(with a little Mummy help!)

How do you solve a problem like...

2010-02-24T20:25:00.002+02:00

A frozen blood glucose meter! It has not been above freezing here since Christmas and we have snow aplenty. Lovely to look at and with the right gear on -20 c is manageable. However Blood glucose meters do not like the cold. 10 minutes in anything below -10c and it refuses to play. So we have had to go to extravagent lengths to keep it happy. No more stuffing it in the pocket when we go out to play, skate, sledge, ski etc. Firstly I warm a gel pack in a bowl of hot water, next said warm gel pack is lovingly nestled next to the blood glucose meter, tucked safely in its own case, in a small insulated food bag. If it's really chilly it may be lucky to be wrapped in a hand towel too. Result one happy blood glucose meter that will work in Arctic temperatures!

In the pump queue

2010-02-19T09:22:00.003+02:00

So now we wait, hopefully not too long, before we take the next step in our diabetes 'adventure' (can I call it that?!) Aleksi's HbA1C was much better at 7.3 from 8.2, helped along I'm sure by a few 'lows'. However we now feel, including the Doctor, that the insulin pump is the way to go. Here in Finland they use the Minimed Paradigm Veo pump and they are hoping to get approval for us to be supplied with the Continuos Glucose Monitoring sensors too. With luck it will be our turn April/early May. It involves a 3 day stay in hospital and lots of learning!
Meanwhile it is still very cold and snowy, actually quite normal for February in Finland, but we haven't had a day above freezing since Christmas.
It was Alien eye day yesterday - fiddly but the end result is so satisfying as you see the little guys and gals come to life! Rabbbit eyes and noses next then sprinkles for the doughnuts. I hope to squeeze in a bit of wet felting soon but it is school holidays next week and I have promised to make real pasta with Elli. Sounds like fun too!!

Geology in a jar!

2010-02-11T15:52:00.004+02:00

You know when you have an idea and you just have to do it - well I had one of those moments last night! I was browsing flickr a couple of days ago and I spotted a wonderful felt piece by lilfishstudios done in a glass jar. I got me thinking. Initially I was very keen to try something very similar and knowing how much the Finns love their mushrooms I probably will pursue that project another day. However a little seed of an idea came to me and after a few scribbled drawings and a google search my project was born. Geology in a jar - basically a cross esction of the earth starting at the core nad moving up through the layers(although not to scale!) ending with a luscious green filed complete with grazing sheep.

It was odd needling inside a spaghetti jar and I have a very sore thumb knuckle from bashing against the side but once I set to last night there was no stopping me.
I took a few photos this morning and learnt that photographing glass is a nightmare.

Thank you lilfishstudios for your idea and inspiration!

Eemeli comes to stay!

2010-02-09T18:08:00.005+02:00

Thanks to dear gunknitter we have a new house guest, Eemeli. It is always lovely to receive surprise gifts and for me great to have chance to see a fellow felters work up close. He has the most wonderful face and I have to say I am very impressed with your 'needle' work Gunn. Thank you so much!
Here he is peering out into our completely snowed under garden. The snow is very light (hopeless for snowballs and snowmen)and consequently blows into deep drifts(great for snow angels!). Most days I have had a good work out shovelling snow so we can get out of the house and get the car out of the garage. Most of the shrubs are well and truly buried and I have no idea when I will finally seee my daffodils!

I am finally back in the groove with my felting - I even managed to do a large picture I have been planning for ages. I have been saving allsorts of yarn, locks, bits of silk and wool oddments to make the seaweed and plants. I am reasonably pleased with the composition, something I struggle with. I haven't quite got the sea right but nevertheless it's a start!

I am doing well in restocking my pincushions, owls, doughnuts and liquorice allsorts this time, plus easter eggs and bunnies of course. Only a few weeks to my next craft fair in early march, which will soon go especially as one week is half term!
How time flies when your having fun!!

Multiple stab injuries

2010-01-27T13:24:00.003+02:00

I have struggled to get back into felting after holidays, Christmas etc and it shows. This week I have really got stuck into the needle felting again but I have stabbed myself so many times. Usually I stick myself once/twice in a days work. Well I'm well into double figures and it's only Wednesday! Must pay more attention and not get so carried away.
Here is what I am working on.... Waiting for a bit of colour. I often make the core of a project with grey or white wool as the dyed wool is a lot more expensive and no one sees the inside!

Easter bunnies in bits!

Need some icing and a few sprinkles!

Aliens quietly awaiting a few teeth and of course the all important eye or eyes!

Marvin's new home is going to be ...........

2010-01-19T17:29:00.005+02:00

In Scotland, with Suse the slow knitta! Elli picked your name out of the suitably alien green bowl. Aleksi also wanted to pick out a name so Gunknitter with also be getting a little green something in the mail. E mail me so I can organise travel arrangements!

Thank you all for you comments and wonderful name ideas. I am well on my way to creating my next Alien batch - I have at least a dozen 'hatching' at the moment. I will have great fun in giving them some unique names!

No tweeting but plenty of tweaking

2010-01-17T15:50:00.002+02:00

I haven't really got into Twitter - I spend enough time on my laptop already, so no tweeting for me. However I do spend an inordinate amount of time tweaking. Many of you with Diabetic children can relate to this I am sure - tweaking units of insulin, carb ratios, amounts of carbs, night time doses, morning doses, school doses and so on. Every day seems to be different at the moment - great for my mental arithmatic skills I suppose, but it would be nice to have the odd couple of days when things just tick along nicely with no tweaks needed!
I will be drawing names out of a hat tomorrow for Marvin's rehoming. His bag is packed and he is ready to go!

Wanted - a new home for Marvin!

2010-01-11T11:34:00.002+02:00

To celebrate 100 posts on my blog, it's giveaway time! poor Marvin needs a new home. All his buddies have gone off to pastures new and he is feeling a bit put out and lonesome. So to help out Marvin and me leave me a comment with a suggestion for new Alien names beginning with 'E'. Names will go in a hat next week and Marvin will be on his way!

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-01T10:13:00.002+02:00

We made it to UK safe and sound(albeit late!) and we made it back home safe. Christmas was a wonderful family affair, A's blood sugars behaved and I came back with my usual suitcase of English chocolate!
Now it is 2010, what can we expect? Well hopefully we can work to getting A onto an insulin pump, a big step but one which can only benefit him. I plan to get back into the workshop next week and start creating again. I have some larger wet felting projects I really want to do soon but I also need to replenish my stock of Aliens ready for a craft fair in March. Eggs are also on the menu along with bunnies and some more plants.
The children are back to school next week but in the meantime are enjoying the inordinate amount of snow we have!
I hope 2010 is a good if not great year for you all. It won't be easy it never is, but we will have fun along the way and we will look back in a year time and wonder at all that we have achieved.
Finally talking of achievements, this is post 99 so the big 100 next time. A 'giveaway' seems the way to go and of course it has to be an alien. So watch this space...........

Will we Won't we?

2009-12-20T13:58:00.002+02:00

It is a nervous wait whilst we see what the weather will do in the next couple of days. Fingers crossed everything gets back to normal so we will be able to fly to UK. Meanwhile we are celebrating Christmas here today in Finland! The ham is cooked and carrot casserole, mashed potato and swede all done. Mud pie for pudding, not very traditional I know but my mother in law loves chocolate!
I will take this opportunity too to wish you all a wonderful Christmas, may those blood sugars be perfect and I look forward to an exciting 2010!

Some answers

2009-12-16T19:40:00.002+02:00

Well I got the freezer defrosted , Aleksi's blood sugars behaved very well today(at least) and yes it got colder ,-18 this morning as I waited for the bus to take me to Helsinki for my eye appointment. It seems my eye problems may stem from the chronic sinus problems I have and which showed up beautifully on the MRI scan. I got to see my brain today - it was so amazing! The doctor said it looked perfect which pleased me no end.
I still haven't solved my wool storage problems and have come to the conclusion that one can never have enough wool!!
Also I have just noticed I am nearing 100 posts - I feel a 'giveaway' coming on.......

Too many questions

2009-12-15T17:12:00.002+02:00

I have so many questions going through my head at the moment and I have no idea where to start!

Have I bought Christmas gifts for all those people I need to get gifts for?
Did I really buy up half of Amazon's stock!?
Have I forgotten anyone off my Christmas card list?
What will happen at the eye clinic tomorrow when I see the neuro opthamologist?
Do we start using the insulin pump with Aleksi?
Will Aleksi's blood sugar settle down a bit? (please!)
Will we get to UK for Christmas without too much hassle? (strikes permitting)
Can it possibly get any colder? (-16 C at the moment)
While it's this cold will I get chance to defrost the freezer?
Where can I store all my wool!?
Do I have enough wool!?

Not earth shattering stuff I know but these things niggle away sometimes. Some are easily answered, others we just have to wait for the answer and some take a lot of time, talking, advice and support from friends before we know the answer.
And tomorrow, more questions and hopefully some answers too!

Big sigh

2009-12-09T08:15:00.002+02:00

Well I survived the 5 day Naisten JouluMessut - one of the first Christmas fairs in Helsinki, helped along by lovely stall neighbours and I am pleased to say it was very much worth it. The pincushions were very popular and my alien population is severely depleted. I like to think however, that they will all be having a ball in their new homes! I have a couple of new aliens and viruses to make so can't quite put my feet upjust yet. Then I need to start planning my next fair in March - not so far away........

Countdown

2009-11-30T17:06:00.006+02:00

Only one day to go before my busiest time of the year - the Naisten Joulumessut at the Wanha Satama in Helsinki. 5 days of (I hope )sell, sell, sell! The days are long but attendance is usually very good with people looking for Christmas gifts. I only have a small table so lots of small gifts are the order of the day. I have been busy making Christmas decorations - Some no nonsense plants such as this poinsettia and of course this lot get a look in as do these

Christmas is coming............

Numbers

2009-11-26T17:09:00.002+02:00

You can't escape numbers, birth dates, prices, bus times, holidays...
Some numbers are good, my favourite number 9 stems back to the days I used to play field hockey. I was the centre forward always in search of the glory goal - all the best strikers wore number 9. I still have the shirt!
102 is a great number - the total number of years that my parents, my 2 brothers and I have been married to our respective partners.
13 is not all bad - we live in our lovely house at number 13 and Aleksi was born on the 13th - definately can't be bad!
Some numbers have tragic stories to tell - 9/11 2001 is one example. However 11 days later on 9/22 2001 a beautiful story unfolded - our wedding day!
Our life now is ruled by numbers, some too high ,some too low and with luck and hard work some just right. My favourite - anything between 5 and 7 is perfect!
So in 3 months time we will go back to get Aleksi's 'numbers' checked - to see if his HbA1c has come down after its present blip of 8.2. So carbs will be counted, units of insulin calculated , ratios altered , in search of that perfect number - whatever it is.......

2 years on

2009-11-17T22:06:00.003+02:00

It is now 2 years since Aleksi was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. So what has changed, what have we learned?

He has grown 23cms and is 4.5 kgs heavier
His feet have gone up at least 3 if not 4 sizes!
He has become an expert in Lego
He and I have wasted many hours playing Lego Star Wars or Batman on Playstation - I'm always the Joker to his Batman.
His writing is now legible and can count to 'big numbers' in English and Finnish.
The whole family's mathematical ability has improved considerably.
He started pre school this Autumn.
We took Grandma to meet Mickey Mouse and big favourite Goofy in Disney Florida.
We built sandcastles and ate huge waffles in Crete.
We went orienteering in Scotland and didn't get lost too much!
He and his sister learnt to downhill ski and loved it!
He has almost learnt to ride his 'big boys bike'
His ice skating ability leaves me hanging onto the railings.
He has finally learnt to make his bed and put his washing in the laundry basket.
He will spend all day in the shower if we let him.
He is not a morning person(me neither!)
He loves his food and will eat anything and everything
His HbA1C and gone from 10.9 to 7.3
He never complains about his injections or blood tests.

And what about me - well a few/a lot more grey hairs, an intimate knowledge of most foodstuffs carbohydrate content, a brilliant husband who has breakfast down to a fine art :), new spectacles to read the nutritional information(always in the tiniest writing ever!) , a liking for skimmed milk and low fat spread, extra cuddles for Elli, a new business that keeps me busy but allows me the flexibility I need.

We've come a long way and learnt a lot about Diabetes and ourselves. We have a long way to go but we are having fun getting there. We have many many good days and these always outweigh the not so good days.
Life is good.

Done

2009-11-09T21:06:00.002+02:00

Well we queued in temperatures of about 0 degrees C from 8.50 until 11.45, then we were moved inside and finally at 12.30 Aleksi got his swine flu jab and seasonal flu jab. Poor lad, he puts up , without a whimper, 5+ injections every day but he screamed blue murder with his flu jabs! He was not impressed to say the least. But now it's done and I feel quite relieved. No reactions so far almost 12 hours later so I might get a good nights sleep.
It is typical November at the moment - GREY! We may get some snow tomorrow which does help brighten things a bit plus the kids love the snow! Hot soup and mulled wine weather!
Felting is slow, which it shouldn't be as I have a craft fair looming - other stuff seems to be taking over at the moment. I have noses and buttons to put on 20 or so snowmen! Tomorrow is another day however........

Vaccination time

2009-11-03T12:20:00.002+02:00

Next week Aleksi is due his swine flu vaccination, being in risk group 3 here in Finland - Type 1 and asthma. He is also due the usual flu jab and his final MMR jab - whew!( We have to leave at least a month after the swine flu jab before he can have the MMR)
My concern is to get the swine flu jab as soon as possible, the bugs are heading our way!I feel we could cope with haywire blood sugars but not with poorly lungs. Elli should also get the jab the end of this month and Hubby and I , with luck may get the jab too. I have no doubt it is the right thing to do but I know it is a very personal choice.
More cheery matters - Christmas is rapidly approaching and I am furiously felting snowmen, gingerbread men and christmas trees! I have made some more flowers and plants in pots(photos soon) and Elli has been drawing me some more alien and virus designs! I have a 5 day christmas fair in Helsinki early December which isn't too far away now, so back to the foam and needle!

It's official!

2009-10-31T15:36:00.003+02:00

I have a brain and it's 'normal'! (This photo is not actually my brain though!)

After developing a 'twitching' eye out of the blue last sunday, by Wednesday I had had enough so went to see and Opthamologist. Apparently the symptoms I displayed , although mild, were a sign of one of the few emergencies in eye conditions. I was sent immediately to the main eye clinic in Helsinki for further tests and scheduled for an MRI scan the next day. An interesting experience, not too unpleasant - the main displeasure being made to listen to Celine Dion as I lay inside what sounded like a broken washing machine!
Fortunately the outcome was good in that I didn't have a brain aneurysm and my brain was looking good!
I have nothing but praise for the treatment and care I received at the obviously very busy eye clinic - Thank you!
My twitching eye remains a bit of a mystery so I have a review at the clinic next week, but with luck it should settle of its own accord. I just have to be a little more careful needle felting - sharp needles and twitchy eyes are not a good combination!

Up!

2009-10-30T13:27:00.003+02:00

The children and I ventured into Helsinki last weekend to see Up. What a great film, definitely one to see and we can't wait for the DVD to come out!
At a particularly poignant bit, when the old man is reminiscing over some old photos( imagine silent cinema, people taking in the moment) a little 'loud' voice next to me says " Mummy are you crying?" (I was!). Aleksi kept a close eye on me for the rest of the film, checking I was OK. Bless!
But there was more words of wisdom to come. As we headed back to catch the bus home, there was a young man standing next to us at the zebra crossing - that little 'loud' voice again - "Look Mummy a boat man!" Actually quite correct , a sailor probably heading back to his 'boat' after the weekend!
Makes me smile just thinking of it now!

Where do you get your ideas from?

2009-10-18T11:32:00.006+03:00

I get asked this a lot! Sometimes there is no obvious answer - ideas do literally pop into my head, just as I am going to sleep is a popular time! Having said that I do find inspiration in the most unexpected places - a news headline about the swine flu, including a photo of a highly magnified virus, gave me the idea to make the virus family.
This plant was inspired after playing Playstation Batman Lego - The final 'baddy' to beat was a rather impressive venus fly trap - though this one ate lego bricks!
I find children's books are a great source for ideas - the pictures are often quite 'simple' with great colours. I also take loads of photographs and have an impressive collection of postcards that give me ideas for shape and colour. Kids TV is another great resource (also gives me an excuse to watch cartoons!)
I then have my own design consultant - my 7½ year old daughter!

Here is the finished article!

More often than not though I just pick up a fistful of wool and needle away! So keep those eyes open and your next project may be staring right back at you!

Six

2009-10-13T12:43:00.004+03:00



When I was One,
I had just begun.

When I was Two,
I was nearly new.

When I was Three,
I was hardly me.

When I was Four,
I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.
(with acknowledgement to A.A.Milne)

Happy Birthday Aleksi!

Fruitful times

2009-09-29T11:26:00.005+03:00

I spent a very pleasant hour or so at the weekend, wandering in the woods near our summer cottage. There are so many mushrooms around at the moment and I managed to find a few chanterelles, some trumpet chanterelles (great for soup) and also some veriseitikki(bloodied webcap) - for wool dyeing.
Here are the webcaps brewing away on the decking out back.

There are down sides to wandering in the woods at the moment - I wasn't sure if I should be more worried about becoming a snack for a bear(one was spotted near the cabin not long ago) or being mistaken for an elk(elk hunting started on Saturday!) I am happy to say my little walk was most uneventful and I even managed to escape the invasion of the Elk flies(think of spiders with wings)
My husband wasn't so lucky and came back from mushroom hunt literally covered in them - he even found one the next morning, crawling in his hair. Persistent little so and so's!!
A more pleasant photo - Autumn, summed up beautifully!

Irony?

2009-09-20T13:15:00.002+03:00

My dear husband (of 8 years on Tuesday!) is, as I type, running the Espoo marathon. It has taken me back to 1992 when I ran the London marathon - as much out of curiosity, one of those things you have to do, sheer madness(?), as well as an opportunity to do my bit for charity. I have just been reminiscing that day, looking at the photos and press cuttings and then it struck me. The charity I was running for was the Juvenile Diabetes foundation. How ironic that now 17 years later, we have a son with Type 1 (also known as Juvenile) Diabetes. How weird/spooky/bizarre that I was raising money for something that would become so important in our lives. Coincidence? Fate? Destiny? - who knows and who knows what may happen in the world of research in the next 5,10,15 years........ here's hoping lots(but no more marathon running!!!!)

Thank you Moo!

2009-09-09T11:44:00.003+03:00

I am a huge fan of Moo.com and in particular their mini cards - which I use as fantastic business cards. I can use pictures of my work on the cards which makes them very eyecatching. However I have found a new function for Moo minicards - as a child damage limitation device!
At the craft fair I attended in Helsinki at the weekend, people were greatly cheered by my table full of aliens and viruses amongst other things.
However, as much as I don't mined people picking them up, some little people were hell bent on 'mangling' them. Enter the Moo mincard and they had their own little Alien to take hope - all happy - me, stressed parents and little one!
Thank you Moo :)

Pen to paper...

2009-08-31T17:20:00.004+03:00

...Or rather fingers to keyboard :)
Summer is all but gone here, cooler nights and days slowly but surely getting shorter. The children are settled back in school and with luck we should have a plan in place quite soon for Aleksi and his injections.
The holidays ( ie the time the children were at home!!) were busy and fun - lots of time at the summer cottage, lots of jumping off the new jetty, berries and mushrooms galore, only a few horrendous high blood sugar(slight miscalculation for pizza and ice cream!), a wonderful week in Scotland with great friends and a really varied 6 days of orienteering.
The down side - well not much - not enough felting time but managed a few sneaked hours to feed the addiction, a cracked rib - serves me right for trying to run too fast downhill with the last control in sight, the hour queue just to get into the car park at Puuhamaa, an outdoor fun/swimming park - otherwise a lovely summer.
I have a Craft fair in Helsinki this weekend at Wanha Satama , stand C10 - check it out at http://www.kadentaitomessut.fi
I have had a few new ideas over the summer months - I'll try post some photos here and on my flickr - http://www.flickr.com/
Meanwhile here is a photo that just about says it all!

Blog, what's that?

2009-07-10T13:27:00.003+03:00

Ah yes I remember I have a blog! What with the children at home on school holidays and any rare 'free' time taken up with felting(keeps me sane!) my poor old blog has been ignored. It probably won't get much attention in the next few weeks either as O starts his holiday and we have to dig out the pier at the summer cottage and install a new one. I have been busy with a felting order which is potentially very exciting for me but will tell more later......!
Happy holidays all - the strawberry season has just started here too, so I'm off to sit by the lake and eat strawberries!

New career - I think not!

2009-07-01T16:08:00.003+03:00

School holidays so we have been playing!

Almost perfect

2009-06-05T19:47:00.002+03:00

A has had 5 days of almost 'perfect' blood sugars. Thank you , thank you, thank you!
O has taken the kids off to the summer cottage for the weekend as I have a felting order I have to finish by the end of next week. After that the kids are at home so 'work' will have to take a bit of a back seat. So Home alone - feels weird but kind of nice. Nice not to have to worry about anyone but me! Beer and pizza time........!

Whilst the sun shines...

2009-06-01T11:51:00.002+03:00

Not quite making hay, but the lawn /dandelion patch got mowed, the lounge rug got washed(good old fashioned on your hands and knees scrubbing and I have the blisters to prove it!), the decking got oiled, the mould got scrubbed from the shed door, the garage floor got a wash and the kids had a ball playing outdoors all day. The ice cream and cold beer helped alot too!

Little green men in Porvoo

2009-05-20T10:35:00.003+03:00

I went to a craft fair at the weekend, in Porvoo, a town about 70 kms away which is predominately Swedish speaking. About 6% of the Finnish population speak Swedish as their mother tongue. I think it stems back to the time when Finland was part of Sweden - but I digress.
Sales weren't at their best but I was interviewed by a reporter for the local paper, Borgåbladet, and yesterday there was an article in the paper with me and my guys! Result!And Breaking news - Elli has lost a front top tooth. She couldn't wait to show her school mates. I found this little note to the tooth fairy on her bedroom wall - so sweet!

R and R

2009-05-10T14:42:00.003+03:00

A week in sunny Crete - the perfect way to get in the mood for spring and summer. It was lovely to relax in bright sunshine, watch the kids digging on the beach, eat delicious(and very cheap) food and finally not to be in a hurry to be somewhere or do something. A beautiful country and very friendly too. We rented Atlantis house with a pool through http://villascreteholidays.com and it was lovely.

Here are a few photos to whet you appetite!

Inspired by a floor

2009-04-24T09:30:00.002+03:00

As I was waiting for an interview regarding my business start up grant, when I happened to notice the floor! It was carved granite, I think, with a pattern that immediately made me think of seaweed - Ping - idea for a new picture. So as soon as I got home I scribbled(literally, as my drawing is pretty poor!) a sketch for a picture. Now I just need a bit of time to put soap to wool!
I also received a wonderful bag of wool from http://www.norwegianwool.co.uk , 46 different colour samples of C1 wool. I just want to dive in. There is a lime green which is a perfect alien colour too!
And finally spring is here - the garden is full of birds, especially fieldfares and redwings, the resident huge hare, who is already eyeing up my crocuses, and the bulbs are just peeking through the lawn(well moss actually!) There is still sneaky frosts at night but time to get the BBQ out me thinks!

The Jesus book, little boys and scissors

2009-04-08T19:20:00.003+03:00

Both the children went to church yesterday for an Easter service, which prompted Elli into scouring her book shelves, then eventually shouting - "Mum, where's my Jesus book?!" (aka the Bible!!)
Then last night my dear boy decided teddy needed a hair cut.
Obviously spurred on by his hairdressing success with ted, he then 'attacked'(the only word I can find) his own hair, using my sharpest , pointiest craft scissors.
So off to the hair dresser this evening for some first aid. We just managed to avoid a head shave but his military style buzz cut looks quite good!!

Pink Party Aliens!

2009-03-30T17:40:00.003+03:00

The hardest part of a children's birthday party nowadays seems to be the goodie bag to take home - that is trying to fill it with fun stuff that hasn't cost you a second mortgage! After scouring the shops and failing to find much I decided to make these!

Miniature pink party aliens(plus a green one for Aleksi!)

The party was great fun with the children essentially entertaining themselves,playing, singing and eating,whilst O and I drank tea! Most civilised!

Home!

2009-03-23T21:21:00.002+02:00

Quick update - just got home(23/03) after a couple of nights in hospital with A. He is fine now with the help of a glucose drip and some insulin juggling! A few more grey hairs for me and a huge learning experience for us all!

Sick in the supermarket!

2009-03-21T11:52:00.005+02:00

Not what you need on a busy Saturday morning - sorry if your having you lunch! Poor Aleksi threw up big time whilst we were out shopping. Thanks to the staff, who helped us sort ourselves out. Now back home we have the task of getting something into him as his blood sugar is low. Not much fun when you are feeling peaky - however the old favourite strawberry milk to the rescue! Fingers crossed.
On a more cheerful note the snow is finally melting, we have a lovely sunny day but the garden is still well and truly buried. I expect it will be a week or 2 before we see the grass again, and at least a good month before any bulbs will start to grow. Can't wait!

Honest Scrap!

2009-03-14T09:02:00.006+02:00

Thank you Suse-the-slow-knitter for nominating me for the Honest Scrap award! My first blog award :)

The rules go like this :-

1. Pick 7 or so blogs that make you happy
2. Let them know and post their names on your blog.
3. List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

1 and 2 - no problem. 3 a little trickier.

These are some of my favourite blogs that inspire and entertain me! Thank you :)
http://mywildandpreciouslife.blogspot.com/
http://housewifeuniversity.blogspot.com/
http://www.raspberry.co.uk/
http://willowdale.typepad.com/
http://www.sixuntilme.com/
http://www.ragpets.com/
http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/

Here goes with the honesty!
1. I can quite happily spend hours playing with Lego!
2. I am a huge Star Wars fan, and have seen the films countless times, just watched episode VI today with my son!
3. I'm also happy to waste many hours playing Playstation - favourite game - Lego Star Wars of course!
4. Out of my immediate family, M & D and 2 brothers I am the smallest by far at 5' 7'' 170 cms.
5. I have cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End, climbing Snowden, Scafell and Ben Nevis on the way.
6. When I met my 'now' husband I didn't know exactly where Finland was - after checking, it wasn't where I expected! (Got it muddled with Norway)
7. If I was 30 years younger I would love to have a go at playing top class womens football.
8. I love sport but you will never find me with a racquet in my hand.
9.I spent almost 20 years as a Physiotherapist and loved (just about) every minute of it.
10. Every day I hope they are a step nearer to finding a cure for type 1 Diabetes.
11. My husband and 2 children are the best!