Well, aren't I the unreliable one! I fully intended to post last Sunday but found myself in the grip of the worst migraine I've had for ages - it started on Friday night and lasted right through till Monday afternoon. Not my favourite way to spend a weekend but at least they don't happen often.

Anyway besides the migraine I've had a few other things keeping me occupied, apart from the usual work and daily grind.
My parents were due back from their antipodean adventure on Friday 16th so I was rather peturbed to get a phone call from my brother saying that they wouldn't be back as expected because mum's bag had been stolen and it contained their plane tickets and passports as well as cash and credit cards etc. They were trying to sort out everything and would be home as soon as possible but it was likely to be several days before they could get another flight. I then heard that the bag had been found and the only thing missing was the cash so mum and dad had been able to get a flight for Thursday 22nd as their passports were now back in their possession. They spent another few days in Auckland, seeing the sights and making the most of their unintentionally extended holiday
In the meantime, I had had my own little drama: trying to cancel the flowers that I had ordered for Mother's Day as I knew she wouldn't be there to receive them. It was sorted eventually but not without extreme stubbornness on my part which really shouldn't have been necessary. (I'm good at stubborn, especially if I know I'm right).
Thursday dawns and I get another call from my brother - mum and dad had arrived at Auckland airport but had been refused clearance at passport control because their passports had been reported stolen. They were marched off to the police station and then taken to the British Consulate where a couple of phone calls solved the problem (God, I hate bureaucracy). Of course, their plane had left without them so there was another delay and another unexpected night in a hotel but they finally arrived back at Heathrow on Saturday, only to face a further two-hour wait while the plane looked for a parking space and their baggage was unloaded. They finally arrived home about 8 days later than planned and were greeted by the flowers which I had cancelled (and been refunded for), still apparently looking lovely.

So Mother's Day was not quite the event I had planned for my mum but I had a lovely day thanks to my wonderful, beautiful, amazing daughters (Lucy told me to put that!). They bought me a card and pressies and we spent a very relaxed day together just enjoying each others' company - what more can a mum ask for?

The creative spirits have been out and about too, and have visited Bethany. She is in the process of planning her final piece of work for her Art GCSE exam and has been using all different kinds of media. The latest ouevre is a photo she took of Lucy and then manipulated on the computer. I was bowled over by it:



I have also been hard at it, but not with such spectacular results. Bethany's prom outfit is nearing completion - there is the hemline and the lace trim to do on the dress and a ribbon fastening for the shrug to be finished. There's also the matter of the head-dress but I haven't quite got my head round that yet.




(The shrug is actually not uneven at the front - Bethany obviously didn't inherit her photographic skills from me!) The pattern for the crochet choker is now available here click "Shop", then scroll down a bit.

By the way, the competition (in which you have to think of an idea for a fibre-related competition!) is still open so keep those entries coming.