Secondly I would like to apologise for not wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, but the truth is everything went pear shaped for us here just before the holidays and I never got the chance to post on my blog as planned.
I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I was going to the UK on the 14th December to meet up with my mum and my brother John and travel back with them to Spain on the 15th for them to spend Christmas and the New Year with us. The journey to the UK was uneventful and although we had a slight delay on the way back to Malaga, all went well and we arrived home to my place at about lunchtime.
We had lunch and chatted for the afternoon, I think, if I remember rightly, my mum started to knit a woolly hat for one of my dolls. Then my mum went to my friends place (she was away and offered my family her place to stay in as since moving we haven't a lot of room), just a minutes walk away, to unpack.
A little while later my brother came running back to tell me that my mum had fallen over and he couldn't get her up. I ran with him back to my mum and she had fallen backwards down a small step......
The ambulance came and took her to hospital, she was in a lot of pain and having a panic attack because of this pain.
To cut a long story short, my 83 year old mum was hospitalised with a broken hip and was operated on the following day. Here in Spain, you're more or less expected to stay in the hospital 24/7 with your person, so I slept in the chair next to her bed for four nights. We went home on the 19th and from that date on I looked after my mum at home, she was encouraged to walk using a walking frame, and has been doing really well, thank goodness.
My mum needed a lot of help at first, especially with her personal care, and I stayed with her at my friends place whilst my brother stayed with Brian and the dogs at ours. My brother John has learning disabilities so he needs a certain amount of supervision too.
Christmas Day was nice though, if hard work. We had our dinner outside on our deck as it was such a lovely day. I didn't get time to wrap the presents until late on Christmas Eve, the Christmas cards remained in the box, the proper linen napkins and table cloth remained elusive and we had to resort to a paper tablecloth and paper napkins....the prawns for my seafood starter were uncooked so we couldn't eat those, and I had to substitute them for some crab sticks that were in my fridge that were barely in date.....and it wasn't until halfway through lunch that I realised I'd forgotten to put glasses on the table and wine in the fridge...but apart from that the food tasted good and there was plenty of it!!!!
After Christmas mum's insurance company sent a nurse from the UK to travel back with her to her home on the 3rd January, I had planned to go with her for a few days but decided to stay for just over a week so that I could help her in her home as well as get a care plan in place for when I came back home to Spain.
I arrived home last Saturday, 11th January, and slept in my own bed, with my husband for the first time in almost a month! I have never appreciated my own bed so much! 😊
In the meantime my mum has a carer visiting each morning and a physiotherapist has been each day this week to help her to regain a good level of mobility. She seems to be doing well and hopefully when I return to the UK again next month to visit her, she will be able to go back upstairs in her house as so far she has had to remain downstairs.
So today I got back to my Christmas present doll from my husband Brian. She is a Zwergnase Junior Wentje and she is 55cm tall. Wentje is one of a limited edition of 50 dolls worldwide, she is handpainted and has a human hair wig. I haven't had time to sew her anything yet but hope to do so soon.
Here are a few photos of her. I think she is one of those dolls that really benefits from being photographed in natural light as she looked quite plain inside my doll room, but I think she came more alive when I took her outside this evening just as the sun was starting to set.
So there you have our Christmas. My mum falling was a horrible end to what had already been a really awful year. I am hoping that 2020 will be better for all of us. I'm very glad to see the back of 2019 to be honest and am going into this new year with a positive attitude.
I hope 2020 is great for all of you. Thank you for continuing to visit my blog, please keep coming and commenting as I really appreciate it.
Big hugs to all of you
Sharon xxx
Happy New Year Sharon. I'm not surprised you want to put 2019 behind you! Your poor mum! But it sounds like she was well looked after and is on the mend. From your emails I know your mum is a very active person which will stand her in good stead for a full recovery . I bet she'll be moving around really well by the time you come back over for a visit.
ReplyDeleteWentje looks lovely, I have to say I was very taken with her and almost bought one when they first came out but managed to resist although I do find the Zwergnase very tempting!I have to try not to look at them as I always find a couple to fall in love with!
Well here's wishing you a wonderful 2020 full of sunshine and happiness big hugs xx
Thanks very much Dee, and yes I really am happy to see the back of 2019.
DeleteYes my mum is on the mend, she is having physiotherapy and already talking about getting the bed put back upstairs again so that she can return to sleeping up there. I hope that she's not being over ambitious, but as you say, she is a very active person so hopefully it'll not be too long before she's back to normal.
Thank you also on Wentje, I liked her when I first saw her so am happy to have her. I also fell in love with a few but am hopefully sticking to just this one for now.
Big hugs xxx
Dear Sharon, oh my goodness. I am beginning prayers right away for your family. I am happy that your mother has good care.
ReplyDeleteI too am claiming all good things for 2020.
I have been wanting an Iplehouse Erzulie in light brown skin for a while. I just haven't moved on getting her because I am afraid that I won't like the face-up. Crazy reason, right? Today I was visiting a friend who has one and now I have decided that I MUST get one. Sooooo, I am officially adding her to my doll wish list.
We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment (women getting the vote) here in the US. There are many activities planned all year. I am quite excited about that.
I like your new doll. Her red hair is very pretty.
Thanks for writing this blog. I love learning about dolls.
Thank you very much Dorothy, I appreciate your prayers. I hope that 2020 will be a good year for us all, it has a nicer ring to it than 2019, I've always preferred even numbers!!! :D
DeleteI think Erzulie is a very cute sculpt and the light brown skin tone is a lovely colour. The only thing is, I looked on their website and this sculpt doesn't appear to be available anymore as a basic...unless I am missing something. Will you have to look for her on the secondhand market?
I hope you're able to find her anyway.
I hope you will enjoy your celebrations and activities.
I'm glad you enjoy reading my blog, it's lovely having you visiting and commenting.
xxx
Well Sharon, that was a post that ended on a positive note. I'm so pleased to read your mum is on the mend and that things are getting back to normal for you. OMG A whole month sleeping in strange beds, I bet Brian missed his cuddles. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI do like your Wentje, she is very pretty and I love that she is a red head! Some of the Zwergnase Junior dolls can be a little ordinary looking, but Brian did well with this little girl. I still have my Violet, but have never found another that tempted me enough to spend my pennies on, but I haven't looked at them in a long time.
I hope this year is a much better year for you, stay positive and be happy.
Love and big hugs,
X
Thanks Sandi, yes I can tell you that it was not great sleeping in beds other than my own as both were a little less comfortable. Well Brian would be lucky to get any cuddles from me as he has to bypass a Miniature Pinscher and two Chihuahuas normally LOL :D But I'm sure he didn't miss my snoring ;)
DeleteThank you also on Wentje, she is a sweet little thing isn't she! I have redressed her in a dress that I made sometime ago and will take more photos soon, at the moment it's very windy and I don't want her to face plant!!!
Love and big hugs to you too xxx
Hi Sharon! I hope your mother will keep on getting better and better. Wentje is a lovely redhead. You will make her some outfits whenever you can. As for now, take good care of yourself so that you can help her in the best way possible if and when she needs you.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for visiting and commenting, I'm glad you like Wentje :)
DeleteThanks also on my mum, I am going back to the UK in February just to make sure my mum is getting on ok although I speak to her every day on the phone, it's not the same as seeing for myself!!
Big hugs xxx
Oh dear, that was my entire year last year. So glad your mum is on the mend and back in the UK, it must have been worrying and exhausting for you. I used to live in Spain and the Spaniards influenced me greatly on looking after family. There's certainly nothing like your own bed! Hope 2020 is a good one, as you say,a positive attitude is the best, keep those lovely photos coming. Best wishes, Viv.
ReplyDeleteYou had a bad year last year too Viv? I'm really hoping that 2020 will be a better year for all of us.
DeleteThanks very much on my mum, she does seem to be doing a lot better now, thank goodness and I hope that will continue. Yes here in Spain, in the main, people do look after their extended families, it can be challenging for them but most people seem to make it work.
Best wishes to you too xxx
Oh Sharon! I'm glad your mom is doing better. At least Spain isn't so terribly far you can't go over and help her. Your new doll is beautiful. I would love a Zwergnase, but that will never be in my budget!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Tam, me too :)
DeleteAnd yes, you're right it's not too far and I actually managed to find return flights next month for just 25,25 euros, honestly you couldn't go very far by train for that small amount, never mind fly to another country, could you!!!
Maybe one day you will have a Zwergnase, they are lovely dolls with very quirky faces, I think you would enjoy one.
xxx
I am so sorry to hear about your mother! I hope that she is doing better now, with small steps forward. I am glad that the walking frame helps her. Hopefully you can visit her soon!
ReplyDeleteWentje is an adorable doll. Such a precious gift!
Big hugs to you! <3
Thank you Niina, she is indeed doing well now, thank goodness. And yes, small steps with her walker frame thingy, she still needs that for her confidence and stability at the moment.
DeleteI will be off to visit her again next month :)
Thank you on Wentje, she needs a new name, that one does not roll of the tongue like some names, does it!
Big hugs to you too xxx
I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your mum but am glad she is doing a lot better now. It does sound like you had quite the difficult time over that holiday period. But I'm glad things turned out well in the end and your mum is on the way to recovery.
ReplyDeleteYour doll is quite pretty. I love the vibrancy of her hair and her expression is so very precious. Husbands are sweet aren't they?
Thank you Alasse, she is certainly on the mend now :)
DeleteIt is funny how so many people seem to like red hair on dolls, I usually am not really into red hair as I particularly like brunette hair, but when I saw Wentje I really liked her face and her hair colour. As you say, it's very vibrant in colour.
Husbands can be very sweet but mine sometimes needs a lot of hints! ;) :D
xxx
Too bad your mom fell and you had to end the year in such a stressful way. But luckily, you're home now. I hope you can leave all the negative things that happened in 2019 behind and have an awesome 2020. I'm also trying to look at the new year in a possitive light, 2019 was very stressful.
ReplyDeleteYour new doll is very cute, your husband was very thoughtful. I wonder if dolls that big could use kids clothes, maybe with a few modifications. Nowadays, kids clothes have some awesome designs.
Take care and have a nice weekend.
Thank you very much, it is a real shame that my mum fell but thank goodness it was just a broken bone and nothing more serious, although it was obviously very painful for her.
DeleteYes I'm trying to look very positively on 2020 and hope that 2019 will soon be a distant memory, I found it a very stressful year too and am sorry to hear that it was like that for you too. :(
I don't know if she could use kids clothes but I did buy a couple of nice children's dresses in Primark and cut one up to use the fabric for the bigger dolls. I think it would have been a lot of work to resize it, so it was better to just unpick it and start over using the fabric. Primark has some lovely childrens clothing and the prices are really reasonable.
Hugs xxx
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteWow, what a whirlwind of events that happened. I'm so happy to hear that your mum is doing better and that she has care set up and in place. It must be very stressful to be far away. Sometimes in those moments of chaos, it really forces you to just let go and go with the flow and I have "been there" many times!
Your new doll is amazing. I love her hair and her face conveys so much emotion! It's like they all have their own little story to tell. I'm looking forward to see more photos of her and the outfit(s) you create not only for her, but for all of your little doll crew. Do you still have all of your Diana Efner dolls? They are probably my favorite in your collection. :)
xx
Thank you Farrah, it's nice to see you again! Yes my mum is doing a lot better now and hopefully that will continue. It is stressful with her being in the UK and me here in Spain but I do talk to her every day. I'm trying to persuade her that it would be really good if she had the internet and invested in a tablet so we could 'face time' but she's not convinced!
DeleteI am glad you like my new girl, she's got the sort of face that really appeals to me, sort of pensive and not too smiley!
I still have 4 of the Little Darlings, and for me that is more than enough but I cannot decide who, if any, should go so they end up staying. I did sell three of them in the last 18 months or so, and felt instantly better as there were just too many. I got rid of so many dolls last year that I have to be careful not to add too many more again. I do not want to get overwhelmed with dolls again!!!
xxx
Well I don't know what happened to the comment I made days back , I'm wondering if I didn't press the right button! So I'll try again.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear your mum is on the bend and getting the help she needs while she recovers. I'm sure she'll be dashing about by the time you return to see her as she strikes ma as a lady who doesn't do 'woe is me ' like some ;)
I was very tempted to get Wentje when I first saw her at the order stage but being one of the taller dolls I was not sure, although I did love her look. But thankfully I managed to resist when she bacame available as I am supposed to be downsizing my dolls not building them up again!! I will enjoy her through seeing what you do with her :)
and lastly a very happy new year, I hope 2020 will be much better for you that 2019 xxx
LOL I'm sorry Dee, that's my fault. I had to turn 'moderation' on to my blog as there was someone who kept putting annoying advertising on my blog and despite constantly deleting the comments the person kept returning. It wouldn't have bothered me so much except that they kept posting on my post about my little Choco dying. Who does that to someone who's lost a beloved pet? There are some odd people out there. And as soon as I'd deleted the comment, so they'd do it again. In the end I just thought I'd go on to moderating and have kept it that way for now.
DeleteSo no, you weren't losing the plot :)
Big hugs xxx
LOL glad to know I didn't delete the first one by mistake. How terriable that they should keep putting advertizing on poor Choco's goodbye post!
DeleteI have had one or two appear on my comments now and then luckilynot enough to cause me to have to put the moderator on but I'm sure it will only be a matter of time. xxx
No, you're good Dee!
DeleteIt just made me so sad that someone would keep doing it, and I mean keep doing it because every day I woke up and they'd commented on that post, so I'd delete it and then the next day it would happen again. I didn't need something like that so soon after losing him, it just seemed very cruel...of all the posts they could have chosen so they chose to advertise their holiday company on those posts. One day I'll go back to how it was before but apart from forgetting to click on 'publish' it's not been too bad and it does keep the nutjobs off my blog!! ;) xx
Thank you very much Linda, and for visiting and commenting on my blog :)
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to say that my mum is certainly getting a lot better, so thank you very much on that too.
Hugs xxx
It is probably very scary to have a medical emergency when you are not in your home country. Why does Spain require you to stay with your loved one? I'm glad that your mother seems to be on the mend.
ReplyDeleteYour Zwergnase definitely has her own personality, and her red hair does look glorious in the sunshine.
I think you're right Barb, especially at my mum's age. Well I don't think they 'require' you to stay with your person as much as it's sort of become a tradition. I remember when we first came to live here, my neighbour was staying at the hospital with her father in law and I asked her what happened if you didn't have a relative to stay with you (because when I'd told my husband about it, he'd said something like "but if you were in hospital I couldn't stay with you, I mean what about the dogs!" (Yes, I am obviously further down the food chain than the dogs :D ) anyway, she told me that the hospital would usually have one of the local nuns come and sit with you!!! I thought "Goodness me, I think I'd rather be alone than wake up and find one of the local nuns sitting next to me, dressed from head to toe in black!" I'd probably think that I'd died!!! Never mind the fact that our local order of nuns are actually a silent order!!!! :D
DeleteBut as I say, I think it's probably a tradition that has grown up over many many years, maybe when there weren't many auxiliaries and family members helped with personal care? For my mum it was great as she doesn't speak Spanish and a lot of the nursing staff spoke very little English so me being there made things a whole lot easier.
Thank you on my Zwergnase girl, her hair is a lovely colour isn't it!
xxx
Oh Sharon, I'm so sorry that you had to go through all this. Your post especially resonates with me since we're at the stage of our lives now where my husband and I have to cope with our elderly parents who are starting to lose their independence.
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note, you seem to be coping admirably. Tell yourself to keep strong, try to find humour when there are challenges, and take it one day at a time. All cliche's, I know, but in the end that's what pulls us through.
The Zwergnase Junior Wentje is a stunner! I love dolls with subtle beauty and this one has a solemn look but so much 'presence'. You will have lots of pleasure from her.
Thank you very much Megan, it is worrying isn't it? I find it sort of scary that my mum, who has always been a strong person, suddenly seems kind of frail and small, I'm sure she's shrunk several inches over the last year or so!!! And she's always been so independent, she's never driven so she gets on public transport several times a week to go to her local shopping centre, she is so active, but hopefully this will continue once she finishes with the physiotherapy.
DeleteThank you, I hope that I did cope quite well when I was looking after her and it helped me that I had to sort out her care plan etc.
I'm glad you like my Zwergnase girl, they do have very unique face sculpts, I always wonder why they're not more popular!
xxx
Zwergnase dolls are really special, congratulations with your Wentje.
ReplyDeleteNever met a person who liked 2019. Sadly, it was not also good for you and your mum. I wish your mum a full recovery asap, and new ideas and a lot of forces for their implementation for you ;)
Thank you Ariadne, I agree they are special dolls :)
DeleteI agree, so many people didn't seem to have a good year in 2019, how weird is that? Maybe the stars were all misaligned somehow :) Thankfully my mum is doing very well now and she's walking well with a walking stick, so that's very good for her :)
xxx
We seem to have had never ending colds here that have really knocked us for six - so I'm only just catching up on blogs etc. Glad to herar your mum is making a good recovery - such a worry. Your new girl is lovely - good choice Brian ;-)
ReplyDeleteHopefully 2020 will be a much better year for you xx
I'm sorry to hear that you've all been unwell Tricia, when they linger like that you just went them to move on and let you get on with your life, don't you! I hope by the fact that you're catching up, that you're on the mend now.
DeleteThanks very much re my mum, she's definitely on the mend, thank goodness. She's been discharged by the physiotherapists now so that's really good news too.
I also hope that this will be a better year for all of us xxx