Dear Carol,

I can't remember if I told you I went to geelong to buy material to make masks for us.  Well. since then I've made quite a few, Deana and I both have 5, Nick has 6, made 2 each for Nick's Mum and Dad, 3 for Bree and 1 for Jamie which Deana will drop on their doorstep when she has her next trip to Melbourne for flowers.  And with so much material left over I've been making more.  Deana keeps finding people on our local buy, swap and sell that want home made masks, so I've been making them as well.  So for days, it seems like I've done nothing but cut, sew, and hand sew.  Only problem I have is whenever the bobbin runs out, it means I have to rethread the machine and I can't see the hole in  the needle to thread it, so that's it for the mahine sewing if Deana and Nick have gone to bed.  But there is always the handsewing.  Will catch up on your posts with what you have been upto with the family.

We have 43 cases here so it has gone from 1 to 43 in a week.  We have to wear masks now if we to the supermarket or elsewhere if there are others.  We are all ok though so far.

Take care and love to all.  Sue xx

Dear Sue, Mary made ours for us but they are far too small.  I just wrapped a scarf around my face yesterday, but I watched people taking them out their pockets, then removing them and shoving them back into jeans et.  How is that healthy?  I knew this would not work well, but we are having to obey it, just like you, a scarf is easier and can just be put in the wash with other clothes.  It's hospital again this week, these three weeks just fly past.  Lisa is home and as far as I know Anthony has gone to Bristol to see how his Mum is, he was not in a hurry to go because he has no one to help him, he rang his Dad the other day but he's moved on and had two marriages since then, so I personally think he wasn't interested and he was no help at all.  The weather is so changeable, it would be so nice to get up and have a full day of sun without wind and rain.  So not much else happening today, let's hope things pick up soon!  Love Carol x 

Dear Carol.

I'm taking a break tonight from making masks.  That's all I've done the last few days.  Poor Cookie is feeling deprived. so tonight I'm sitting here and she is on my knee purring and very happy to be here.  I tried one pattern first and it just didn't fit at all, so scraped that one, then tried another pattern, it was very easy and fits really well, have made 2 sizes the smaller seems to fit women well, and a larger which so far works well for Nick and his father.  I guess I'll find out how it fits Jamie on Tuesday.  Have made 7 as orders which are being picked up tomorrow.  So far they work well.  Two visitors, but I'm guessing they won't come in though.  I've forgotten what the doorbell sounds like.

I love your hedgehog, it would be so nicw ro have something like that in the garden, all we seem to get is lizards occasionally or sometimes frogs. and as far as birds go, sparrows, miner birds, magpies and cockatoos.  It's the miner birds that keep ending up in the wood fire (coonara), not when it's going though.

Take care, and love to all.  Sue xx

Dear all, I'm struggling with this mask scenario, this morning I went to get the papers at my village shop but a man was stood outside fiddling with his mask, the elastic had snapped so you can imagine how clean that was!  I wrapped my just washed scarf around my nose and mouth, only me in the shop but I was  steaming up as it was 20 degrees outside so I nudged it down so I could see, Jayne then asked me if my scarf was my mask, yes I replied, well you need it up round your face she said, I was so bloody mad as I was on my own, so she approached me to tell me off!!  I left and came home only realising when I got home I'd forgotten the Sunday papers.  So off I went again but this time to the garage, filled my car full of fuel, bought the papers, two bags of sugar and thought that's it, I'm not going out again for two weeks!!  I've just texted Lisa to see how Tugs Mum was, she apparently wouldn't see him and told him not to bother going, I texted back, at least she's talking!  I'm really tired today as I took two tablets to help me sleep, they worked because I woke up with an imprint of my ring in my cheek which has taken all day to disappear, good job my hairs so long, I looked  like the old movie star who draped her hair across one side of her face.  Hubby is having left over spagh boo for tea, it was lovely as I put fresh thyme and parsley in it from my miniature herb garden.  The hog has been out, eaten, drunk and disappeared again he's such a cutie, I'll miss him come winter.  So another day passes by, hospital tomorrow for bloods, another mask scenario and me stood outside waiting, don't you just love this life!!!! 

Another morning spent stood outside a hospital in the wind and rain waiting for hubby to have a blood test, I can't sit in the car as I never know when he will come out!  Back home Sarah tells me that she has seen a hedgehog in the garden and has tried to capture it as they are nocturnal and it should be asleep, I nearly have a fit and tell her he's been there for weeks, she tells me that it could have blood suckling ticks on it and she'd rung the vet to see what she should do, anyway it did a runner, so it's safely back in its hedge.  Hu by was not amused and said it looked healthy enough and as she had tried to capture it we probably won't see it again.  Mary and I have just had a long chat as her family were here as well.  She asked me what plans I had as she's off to Newcastle shopping tomorrow, I think she was going to see if I wanted to go but I have no inclination to go mask shopping and I'm off to Sue's as its her birthday and we're having lunch together.  I'm going to try and find a couple of classes to join as I need to be doing other things apart from TV, housework and feeding animals.  See you soon, love Carol x 

My mouth is playing up again but as I'm off to Sue's for lunch I take painkillers and hope for the best, I should have known better!  I nibbled my way round cheese on toast like a geriatric mouse, apologising for leaving my crusts but the pain is horrible.  I pop to my brothers garage as my car is telling me I need an oil change, during the journey I realise I've got bone coming through my gum again, five months on I'm still suffering, I truly think about ringing a Compensation solicitor as this has cost me a fortune!!  Hubby has gone to see the Toffs but its so windy he gets blown over, twice, so he's home and so am I, fortunately he's not hurt and I've now got a dentist appointment again, so 2pm drop him off for treatment, pick him up from Bishop then off to Darlington for 4.30pm dentist appointment, so tomorrow will be a fun day.  Its a good job we're having fish fingers for tea, at least I can suck them, a gin and tonic is required to deaden the pain, don't you just love life!!  Take care, Carol x 

So I have more bone shards removed, another painful injection, gauze shoved in and a swollen lip again!  I've asked for my records after five months I'm truly thinking about writing to them, they had written to my dentists saying everything had gione smoothly, I think they were referring to a different patient.  I was going to have coffee with Margaret today but she's cancelled on me, the mood I'm in its probably for the best.  It was such a rush yesterday as hubby was dropped off for 2pm and by 3. 20pm he still hadn't called me, so when I finally got there to collect him he'd had a nightmare, a student nurse had burst a blood vessel in his hand so he was black and blue and had to wait for another nurse to do it, of course my appointment was in Darlington, his in Bishop so opposite directions!  Anyway we are both having a quiet day as guess what, its raining again.  Take care, love Carol x 

Hi Carol and sue. 

Bit of good news with bren she's getting very bossy which is a nice change (it's something normal around our house). She's moving her limbs about plenty not just laying there, no chance of her walking yet. And still got two tablets to come off yet. Hair dresser has been twice so that really cheered her up.

I've couple of problems, cancer count has shot up from 2.2 beginning of year to 65 three weeks ago, oncologist told me she's put me on wrong tablets three months ago so she's changing them so waiting for letter so i can get new ones probably end of next month then got to wait three months to see if they work.

Like everyone else fed up with waiting luckily feeling OK in myself 

Didn't realise my mot had expired in May, phoned up garage got told 6 months extension. Big relief anyway getting booked in ASAP.

Hope you're managing OK Carol and the swelling soon goes and everything is fine now, a neighbour makes masks she's made couple of thousand, she also makes special to order with emblems on like sharks mouth or big red kissy lips, standard one's she's giving away others it's money for charity. 

Hope everyone is as well as can be. 

Keep safe. 

Love Billy xxx 

Hi everyone, especially Billy and Sue, thanks for your news and Billy it's sounding better where Bren is concerned.  I've had an interesting day, the tumble dryer basically blew up, I inherited it from the previous occupier of my house so it's quite old, someone's coming Monday but I think it's beyond redemption.  I said to hubby we hadn't seen the hog for a couple of days, so I carefully mowed the lawn avoiding the bushes but after putting the mower away it was under Alfies tree, that's weird I thought as it was only 11am, I went to have a look and it was covered in bluebottle flies and shaking, it's nose was bloody and I knew it had been attacked.  I rang the vet, bring it in and we will sort it out, I relay this to hubby, wear gloves he instructs me, I give him one of my looks!!  Who would pick iup a hedgehog without gloves?  I found an old box put him on a little blanket and off we went.  Three people with dogs were stood outside as obviously no one is allowed in.  Ten minutes later the veterinary nurse came out collecting names, hedgehog I answered, off she went with him, two minutes later she came back, he'd lost a leg as well and was being put down.  Hubby and I were heartbroken, Ella is coming next week and is bringing a house with hedgehogs that you build up as something to do with Grandma, Faye and I have decided not to tell her!!  Then we went to the tip with the two bedside cabinets, four men were stood directing us where to go but the wood tip was on the slope so I had to lift them over my head, the drawer fell out and hit me in the face!  Hubby was fuming as he can't help but no one else was, set of lazy bs'tds he said.  Anyway it wasn't my swollen face side so I'm OK.  Lisa rang, Mum in law has recovered but no one knows what to do with her, Anthony is off to Bristol tomorrow to sort it out.  So I'm settled down now for the night and a gin and tonic is on the menu.  Take care, love Carol x