Catching Up

Hello Everyone.

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks here and i am so sorry for not getting here sooner but life has been keeping us really busy what with one thing and another.

Before i go any further though i must tell you that Gordon has been given the complete thumbs up by his surgeon and he has not been stopped from driving or flying as he is one of the very lucky 10 % of people who go through what he did and come out perfectly fine with no cause found and no long term damage and for that we are sooooo extremely greatful.

The N E C was fantastic and it was so lovely to meet friends and customers both old and new and have a little natter.

My reunion with my old pals was wonderful and we had such a fabulous evening together reminiscing and catching up with each others lives. I felt on cloud nine for days after and just kept smiling to myself because i was so happy to have my old friends back (Thank You Facebook) and heres a pic of us all below. Thats my sister on the far right and her two children on the far left.

Another good thing to come out of the reunion was that i have quit the weed (3 weeks and a few days now and not missing the cigs too much ). I was the only one of us left who smoked and it didnt bother me until the day after and i started feeling like an old dinosaur still plodding on with a smokestick in my hand while everyone else has stopped, If you cant beat em join em.

I have stopped loads of times before and thats the easy part but the hard part is staying stopped so i hope i do it this time forever.

The week after the NEC was manic at the shop what with back orders and deliveries and we werent getting home until gone 9.00 pm for the first four days .

We both were starting to feel done in so decided to go to Norfolk the next week with Harry and it did us the world of good aand Harry loved it.

The highlights were sitting in the garden of the little cottage we hired just before dusk and seeing a Barn Owl fly right past us and Harrys face when he came head to head with a pack of seals on a remote patch of golden sand near Stiffkey. Im sure he thought they were mer-dogs and i dont know what they thought of him haha.

Heres a pic of one of the seals having a little swim.

Have not had such a fab break for ages and we feel great for it too.

At the moment we are all getting ready for the next ideal world tv show and we will have some fabulous samples and demonstrations featuring some of the new dies from Marianne as well as some of our own products to tempt you with.

Tomorrow is Good Friday and we will be open from 11.00 am until 3.00 pm and some of my pals from the Monday Class i go to incuding Clare and Diane from America are coming too to have a play day so it should be fun.

Well thats about it for this post and i will try and get back sometime next week for a natter.

I will post our holiday snaps on flickr to sometime next week so you can see what a great time we all had.

Thanks for dropping by.

Love and Smiles Rob, Gordon and Harry xxx

From Harrogate to the NEC

Hi All

Had a fantastic time at the Great Northern Paper Show last weekend and it was great to say hello and have a natter with everybody who came to our stall.

The show was a great success for us and we are really glad that you loved our demos and liked our prices.

Gordon had so many people wishing him well and nobody could believe the progress he has made in the last couple of months and we really do cherish your good wishes so much.

Well on Sunday i took part in the Ready Steady Craft Challenge and am so amazed that i actually won.

It was so much fun and honestly the maddest thing i have taken part in for a long time.

If anyone has any photos or movies they took of it i would love you to send them and then i can put some up on the blog for people who werent there to see.

I am writing this from our hotel room in Birmingham as tomorrow is the opening day of the Hobbycrafts and Stitch show at the N E C and we are really looking forward to meeting all our customers old and new.

Karen will be showing you new ideas with the Scor-pal, Scor Buddy and Scor Bug and i will be demoing some amazing dies that allow you to make big cards with your cuttlebug and big shot without having to upgrade to A4 machines and dies. I will also be showing you how you can make beautiful cards that are cut and embossed in 8 seconds using some new dies by Marianne and i think you will be very impressed.

Tomorrow night i am having a reunion with some fantastic friends that i lost contact with over ten years ago and cant wait to see them and share our stories and also talk about old times i am sure its going to be a hoot and this time i have made sure my camera battery is charged up.

If i dont get back to the hotel too late tomorrow i will put up some pics for you to see and tell you how the show and reunion went.

Going to get some sleep now so i am ready for tomorrow ( Gordon snoring already haha )

Love and smiles Rob and Gordon xxxxx and a big one for Harry X

See You At Harrogate This Weekend

Hello Everyone

Just to let you all know that Di, Karen, Gordon and myself will all be at the Great Northern Papercraft Extravaganza show in Harrogate this weekend.

If you are going please come and say hello and have a natter with us as we really love meeting you all.

We have some fab demonstrations for you and loads of good price deals too and im sure we will all have lots of fun.

I have been signed up for the Ready Steady Craft challenge on Sunday afternoon and i really havnt a clue what its all about but im sure i will end up in a mess and laughing as i love a bit of fun.

Harry is staying with his best friend Bob and Aunty Michelle and we are missing him already.

Better get some sleep now as we have an early set off tomorrow.

Thanks for dropping bye and hope to see some of you over the weekend.

Love and Smiles Rob Gordon and Harry xxx

Gordon On Create and Craft today and a pic of Harry Too.

Hi everyone.

I know i havnt posted for a while and i am so sorry.

You know how it is one thing leads to another and another and there just isnt enough time in the day.

It has been a very busy few weeks for us as we are ordering things for the big paper craft shows which are getting nearer every day, making samples for T V , the shows,and the shop with all the new products coming out

(all very exciting ) and getting all the classes at the shop sorted so they are ready to start again inApril.

Gordon has really improved dramatically over the last few weeks and today i was so proud of him watching him back to himself on Create and Craft and him and Karen did an excellent job and done us all proud.

We have been inundated with calls to the shop and e.mails saying how fab it was to see Gordon looking so well and back to normal.

Heres a picture of Harry to finish with and as you can see he has had a good hair cut.

I wanted to put this pic up because this is how he goes to sleep sometimes while watching the TV. He sort of stays in the position he is in and just nods off and it is so funny to see.

Yes he does like television especially anything with dogs and cats.

His favorite programme is In The Night Garden and he has watched it all the way through since he was a puppy, he even has an Iggle Piggle that sings and it is his favorite toy and is always near him at home.

Anyway

I will close now and speak to you all again soon.

Thanks for dropping by.

Love and Smiles Rob Gordon and Harry xxx

Gordon the Van Stevenage and Haircuts

Hi everyone.

Sorry i havnt posted for over a week but its been busy busy busy here.

Gordon continues to improve daily and is behaving himself by just coming to the shop and doing light jobs like processing orders and checking the mail and at the moment we are coming in later than the girls and leave at 3.00pm, so we are only spending four hours there at the moment.

His taste is slowly starting to come back so i make a lot of salads as its cooked veg that seems to taste horrible ( especially Brocolli which he loved before ).

The girls and i packed everything and filled the van up with all the goodies for the Stamparama show at Stevenage on Friday evening so that we could get an early start on Saturday morning.

Well as soon as we got in it on Saturday and jean started it up we got about 20 yards and then it just conked out.

Luckily we got it back to the garage next door to the shop and the guys worked like crazy to get it mended which eventually they achieved ( thanks guys ).

We arrived at Stevenage an hour before set up closing time and believe it or not Jean and i got the stand set up and nearly everything hooked onto it before it closed so we felt really proud of ourselves.

.

The show was fabulous and i really enjoyed meeting old friends and new .

Jean and i demonstrated while Sandra served the customers and Gordon sat and packed bags for people and was made a fuss of all day so he really enjoyed it too.

Above is a pic of Gordon myself Sandra and Jean just before the show finished.

Thank you to store holders and customers who came and wished Gordon a speedy recovery too.

On Monday i started back to a new term with the lovely Claire and for the next three months will be doing canvas art in the mornings and a round robin journal in the afternoons based on colour choices of the other students ( i will post pics on my other blog as things get made )

Dont worry i didnt leave Gordon on his own he was at the shop with Harry and the girls.

And to finish with Harry has had a big haircut and looks really lovely how the lady has done it this time.When you look at him head on he looks like a little sphinx the way she has trimmed his ears and i will put a photo of him on next post.

Right im going to make myself a cup of coffee now as i forgot about this one and its gone cold.

Thanks for dropping by and i will post again in a couple of days.

Love and smiles Rob Gordon and Harry xxx

What a Brilliant Week

Well its been just over a week since my last post and Gordon is coming on with leaps and bounds ( must be my cooking haha ).

Last Monday our mate Tim took Gordon to the bank as he wanted to get the accounts up to date etc and they were out for 5 hours in the end.

Tim took Gordon for a coffee after then they did some shopping and went to have a look around some car show rooms as Tim and Gordon are car mad.

I was really good and only phoned them twice just to make sure everything was ok and i was doing little dances all around the kitchen ( not a sight you want to see believe me ) because i was so happy.

Tuesday was my day off so we took Harry for a walk in the park and just had a lazy day .

Gordon took it easy for the next couple of days and then on Saturday decided he wanted to come to the shop for a while.

He was amazed by the work the girls and myself have done while he hasnt been there.

We have totally changed the workshop area, re vamped the stock room and office and made a few changes in the kitchen as well. He couldnt believe it wa s the same place.

All the customers were really pleased to see him and made a big fuss of him and he and Glenys were swapping near death experience stories ( so strange how they both had more or less the same experience ).

I cant believe how amazingly fast he is recovering and we are all just so really really happy.

Today we had a letter from the hospital explaining what had happened to Gordon and they dont want to see him until March and really dont think he has anything to worry about as they think this was just a one off occurrence and there was no sign of anything else showing up in the scans.

Gordon is coming with me next weekend to the Papercraft Show at Stevenage ( just to show me how to set the stand up and then he is being sent to the restaraunt with a few magazines and a cuppa ) so if you are around do come and say hello.

Myself and Sandra will be on the stand and maybe Tim or Jean.

I have some great demo's lined up and am looking forward to going as its been a while since i was at the Stevenage show.

Dont forget to look at all the new spellbinders dies on the web shop they should be arriving late February into March they are all fabby and i cant wait to play.

Right ive yacked on enough for one post.

Thanks everyone for stopping by and i will post after the Stevenage show and will take some photo"s for you to see how Gordon is doing.

Love and Smiles Rob Gordon and Harry xxx

A Little Stronger Every Day

Hello everyone

The picture above is of Gordon and Harry today on our first walk since he has been back at home.

As you can see he is looking really well and is slowly getting stronger.

Harry has got a mouth full of pine-cones which he loves collecting for some reason.

We walked about a mile today and then came home had dinner and relaxed.

We have slowly weaned out Gordons pain killers and he has only had one since Friday which is fantastic.

He is just taking things easy still and is being a really good patient.

I bring him all the post home every day from work and he goes through all that and then tells me what to do about it for the following day so that way he still feels part of the shop even though he isnt there.

I have just about caught up with the ironing and have become best friends with my slow cooker ( could not have done without it )

The most important tablets Gordon has been on will stop on Wednesday and that means no more waking up at 2.00 am and 6.00 am so we are both really looking forward to that as you can imagine.

Harry is entertainments manager and is always doing something to make us laugh and he is being so good around Gordon and sits with him for hours with his little head resting on his lap.

So all is looking good and in three weeks time you and i will be just as likely as Gordon to get an aneurysm and he will be completely out of danger.

I still have moments when i look back and think what might have happened, but am now concentrating on the future and our civil ceromony later on in the year ( i have coaxed Gordon into us both wearing traditional Scottish dress for the big day and he said thats fine as long as i dont wear fishnet stockings under my kilt haha ).

Harry will be wearing a tartan bow tie for the occasion and will be our little page boy.

So that is how our week has gone and i will write again soon and keep you all informed on Gordons progress.

Thank you all so much for your support, love, cards and kind words.

We love each and every one of you and you have kept us going .

Rob Gordon and Harry xxxxxx

Step by Step

Hello Everybody.
I was so glad Gordon blogged you all last night he really is so moved by all your kind and supporting words as i am too.
I have managed to work out his tablets so that he does not have any pain in his back or head any more so thats great.
We have got used to the getting up at strange hours to administer the medication ( i just find it hard to go back to sleep straight away but am sure i will do soon and its only for another 10 days )
Today i was really brave and left Gordon for 5 hours with Harry while i went to see his doctor and do some other stuff and then went and processed the orders at the shop. I phoned him hourly and i think Gordon enjoyed just having some quiet time ( he says i worry to much ).
The Nurse who visited him today said this was a good thing we did as we should try and get back to normal as soon as we can, and she is really pleased with Gordons progress.
When i got home he was looking fine and was just relaxing watching t.v.
I cant beleive that it will be two weeks tomorrow when this story could have ended so differently.
I am going to have a few days off blogging now as i have loads of ironing and other chores to do and im going to have a little rest too.
I will keep you all up to date on how we are all doing at least once or twice a week and also whats going on in the shop.
Once again thank you everyone for your support and friendship through all this we love you all.
Smiles from Rob Gordon and Harry ( all back together again ) xxxx

Thank You Everyone From Gordon

Hi everyone

I have just managed to have a look at all of your comforting comments and i would just like to take this chance to thank you all. Its great to know in times of trouble that there are so many great feelings out there towards you , i am very humbled .
Of course my special thanks and love goes out to to Robert , who as i am sure you will have seen , has been with me all the way and been a remarkable partner , nurse and organiser and everything you can imagine , he has been through hell and more taking me from deaths door and back .Robert is a remarkable person
A special thanks too goes to all the ladies who have helped Robert keep the business going during this time .
This teaches all of us a very valuable lesson , our time here is very precious as we never know when anything like this will happen randomely to any of us just out of the blue with no warning.
I have been given more time i guess , very very lucky indeed .
Again i cannot praise enough all of ther staff in the neurology unit at Queens Medical Centre , Nottingham , quite a remarkable bunch of people from the porters , cleaners , nurses , doctors , surgeons etc , you people are beyond words in what anyone can say about you . You brought me though my eleven days there with nothing but kindness .
Lastly , i firmly believe another pair of hands were at work and brought me though this and as a result of my experience when i briefly left this world i no longer fear death , there is something else , i dont know what it is , but i experienced something and it was nothing frightening at all , quite the opposite a very calming experience for those few minutes .
I am so very pleased to still be here to tell my story and to be able to thank everyone around me
Love to you all.

Gordon

Gordons First Day Back At Home.

Hi All.
Oh what a night as the song goes .
I got Gordon into bed at around 12.30 am as he hasnt been sleeping much at night in the hospital because of all the noises other patients and equipment make ( and i think you become more anxious at night in hospitals when the lights dim down ).
I tried getting him comfy but we werent having much luck so i decided to go downstairs and do 10 minute checks on him.
This carried on for nearly an hour and the last time i checked he had gone to sleep.
I felt really sorry for him as i had to wake him up at 2.00am for to give him his medication so he only slept for half an hour and was in pain again so i suggested he try the reclining settee downstairs as it may be more comfy than lying flat.
Well it worked a treat and he was off to sleep by 3.00am.
I decided to forget about crafting as i didnt relise how tired i was either so just i made a bed up on the floor and sort of slept with one ear open if that makes sense.
6.00 am and time for more medication but he was in no pain at all and we both went back to sleep until 10.00 until his next tablets were due.
Still no pain and he said the settee was really comfy so thats where hes sleeping for a while.
His Mom and Brother were coming at mid day so when we had got ourselves together i asked if he would be ok if i ran up to the shop to get some things to make his mom and his brother sandwiches for their journey back home this evening he was fine with it ( i was scared to death ).
Oh i ran up to that shop got all i needed and was back in the house in 7 minutes flat and tried not to look to out of breath when i walked in.
Gordon had the broom in hand and was sweeping the hallway so i said when he had finished that he could tidy the bathroom and do the work surfaces in the kitchen while i got the lounge straightened. I was really proud of him.
When his family arrived i had a cuppa and a natter with them and then his brother took me to the shop for a couple of hours so that i could help the girls.
Di had bought us two V shaped pillows and a pill organiser (wonderful thanks Di ) and stayed on for a while to help Jean and i as we were quite busy.
Jean bought me home (thanks Jean ) and came and had a chat with Gord and his family i think she was amazed by how good he is looking.
Gords family left at tea time and we wished them a safe journey and by this time he was tired so i let him nap for a good hour.
He has had no pain and has been comfy all day and really has improved i this short time it is amazing.
We have had a nice chilled out evening just chatting and laughing and i am not scared now when i go into the kitchen to make a cuppa worrying if he is ok in the lounge like i was this morning and kept looking through the door to check.
We have had some more good news Harry is coming back tomorrow morning now and we cant wait.
Gordon is going to have a go at reading the blog tomorow and if hes up to it wants to write tomorrows entry.
Thanks for popping by everyone and for your kind words and support.
Also a big thank you to our Karen from the shop who is representing us on Ideal World Create and Craft tonmorrow at 12.00 mid day demonstrating the Scor-Buddy.
Karen we shall be watching and will blow you a kiss or two we love you loads.
See you all tomorrow
Love and Smiles Robert and Gordon xxxxxxxx and some for Harry xxxxxx

Welcome Home Gordon.

Hello everyone.
Imagine my surprise and my smile when i walked into the hospital this evening to be told Gordon could come home tonight.
Its really strange as i wasnt going to take his clothes in until tomorrow as i hadnt had a phone call this morning but they had only decided at 5.00 this afternoon .
Gordons Mom and his brother came in soon afterwards for their second visit of the day just after he had got himself dressed.
There were hugs kisses and a few tears all round and it was fab to see them.
I went and had a word with the nurse about Gords medication and what he can and cant do thanked them all from the bottom of our hearts for all they have done.
We then got Gordons things together and came home ( i think we were both grinning like Cheshire cats all the way ).
So i have now settled him in and he says he feels much better already.
I have to wake him up at 2.00am and 6.00 am to give him his medication but this will only be for the next ten days and i used to do this in my previous job so its no problem for me.
I will probably stay awake after the 2.00 one till 6.00 and do a bit of crafting tonight as i have an idea for a wall hanging i was working on and couldnt quite figure out where i was going with it and now a PING of inspiration has just happened.
Little Harry is coming home on Monday morning and we both cant wait to have him home again.
Right im going to make the bed all comfy for his lordship now and then im sure we will both drop off to sleep till 2.00am.
Thanks everyone for helping me through all this and i will post again tomorrow and let you know how his first day at home went.
Love and Smiles to you all.
And a special kiss or two to Harry from both of his dads.xxxxxxx
Rob and Gordon xxxxxx

More Good News

Gordon is even brighter tonight and his headache has almost disappeared he is even off the morphine spray so i am praying now that this is the start of his recovery.
The Nurse told me that the doctors are really pleased with his progress and that once his sodium levels are balanced he can come home HOORRRRREYYYYYYY.
This could even happen in the next three days and as you can imagine Gordon cant wait.
I know he will get stronger at home with Harry and me as although it is a special ward for really poorly people it is still quite noisy and he can be as quiet as he wants at home.
I am so happy that this has had a happy ending because we have met families this week where the ending hasnt been happy and my heart goes out to them all.
Gordons mom will have a lovely surprise when she sees how well he is doing and i cant wait to give her a big hug and a kiss tomorrow.
I cant wait to get my two boys back home the house is so empty without them.
The Girls and i have re arranged the shop a bit over the last two days and i had my first solo business meeting today and was really proud of myself as i think i got my points across to them very well and everything went great.
I have had help from Ideal world getting things ready and signing forms for Karen to do the Toolshop programme on Sunday where she will be demonstrating the Scor--Buddy and they also have the No more Shims mat and the Stay-Put no slip craft mat on from us too.
I have done all the banking and ordering too and i think Gordon will be really proud of me .
I am so tired tonight i think everything is catching up with me tonight and i have also had a great adrenaline rush all evening.
So i am off to bed now and hope i sleep for ten hours.
Thanks again for your kind thoughts and cards you have all been so supportive and have kept me going through this awful time.
I will write again tomorrow .
Love and Smiles Rob xxxxxx

What A Difference A Day Made

Hellooooooo All
I am on cloud nine ten and bloomin eleven as when I got to the hospital tonight Gordon was sitting in his chair talking to the patient in the next bed.
He gave me a big grin when he saw me and i was grinning too ( not a pretty site with my big mouth all those teeth haha ).
He had eaten his breakfast, lunch and evening meal was back to being Gordon.
He let me give him a wet shave and i gently gave his hair a brush and i must admit he really did scrub up well and looked even more like himself.
We stayed for three hours until he said he felt tired and so i helped him get comfy on his bed and left him to relax.
The surgeons reckon it was a spontanious aneurysm which i think means it just shot up like a firework on its own rather than being part of anything more sinister.
He has been told with this kind that yes he could have another one but also he may not so instead of worrying about it to go on living the life he still has and enjoy living.
And thats exactly what we both intend to do.
Its going to be quite a while before he is one hundred per cent but thats ok hes in good hands.
Our friend Tim who takes me to the hospital every night have just had a chinese take away with a glass of wine to celebrate today.
Im not getting too excited as i know he could be on a downer again tomorrow but i couldnt help having a little celebration.
Once again thank you all for your kind wishes and i dont think it will be long before Gordon sees them and thank you to those people who have sent cards to the shop for us, i will be putting these up at home for when he comes home as he cant have cards or flowers in his ward.
I have also learnt more new things at the shop today on the buisiness side so i think he will be shocked when he sees what i can do now.
Speak to you all tomorrow.
Love and Smiles Rob xxxxx

One week on Already.

I just cant believe a week has gone by so quickly and the best thing is Gordon is still here.
He is a tiny bit stronger today and has got a bit of a snappy head on.
I couldnt do right for doing wrong and i said to him "Well Hello Mr Grumpy they say its a good sign when the patient starts to moan".
He gave me a little smile then and blamed the morphine spray.
I stayed with him for just over an hour then he started getting sleepy so we said night night and i came home.
I keep smiling tonight because he was so funny wagging his finger at me and blaming me for his pillows being uncomfortable to his dinner smelling horrible (it didnt by the way and he wouldnt touch it ).
When i look back to how this was playing out last week i am in awe of the change in him tonight.
I am quite pleased with myself too as ive stayed calm and tried to carry on with a good outlook which isnt usually me at times like this.
I have never done any of the buisiness side but have been thrown in at the deep end and with the help of the girls at the shop we seem to be doing ok finding where we pay this and how do we order that so thanks again girls i love you all like you are my own sisters.
Tonight i have finally worked out how to work the message machine on the telephone at home and have a weeks worth of phone calls to catch up with so i am sorry to everyone who thought i was ignoring them i will be in touch tonight or tomorrow.
I want to thank everyone again who has sent comments here they really do keep me going and i will photo copy them all and leave them with all the others ( in Gords locker ) for Gordon to read when he is up to it.
Am going to catch up with some of those phone calls now.
See you all tomorrow.
Love and smiles Rob xxx and some kisses for my two boys as well xxxxxx