HelenV

Hi Aimee I live in NZ too. I have found the best place to get bass wood is model shops. The one that seems to have the biggest range is https://www.acornmodels.co.nz/ I have bought from them a number of times and they are really good to deal with and super quick with dispatching orders. Also I discovered by chance that our local demolition store (demolition traders in Hamilton) sell really thin plywood- I think some of it is seconds but is really cheap.

Thanks so much Kathie, Holly and Jeremy you guys did my heart a world of good Aww Selkie not only did you do my heart a world of good you made me smile and laugh so thank you so much. I'll add some of those to my to do list. PS had to cut the emoticons in the quote as apparently I was trying to post more than the forum allows.

Hi all, thought I'd pop in and let you know my operation went well this time. It turned out to be more involved than just a large hernia repair and I woke up with tubes everywhere. We were all quite cautious for the first few days (surgeon,nurses and anesthetist included) but no complications this time! I'm 2 weeks post op tomorrow ( Monday) and things seem to be going well. Am seeing the surgeon tomorrow and hope to be cleared to do more than sit, lie or walk but as I don't want lumpy to return I'll follow his instructions. But have to admit to be bored out of my mind ... It's coming up to a year since it all started and I'm over it. Sorry I seem to have lost some of my positivity at the mo.

Selkie I hope it's a quick and cheap fix for you. You go Kat, look forward to hearing how it all turns out. I finally got confirmation that my hernia op is next Monday ... I'm the first op of the day so pleased we won't be waiting around. Because of the mistake last time and the subsequent issues we have mixed emotions about this op But what we keep hanging onto is that once the 3 month recovery period is over I can finally start a return to fitness programme that will bring me back to how I was before it all went wrong. And then I can start working for decent lengths of time on my houses again. In happy news my daughter ( our middle child ) is 21 on Saturday ... She doesn't want a big do but we're organising doing things that she enjoys along with catering for her grandparents who don't quite get why she doesn't want to do anything. 18 seems to be more of the big thing now.

Rebecca have you looked at the stains we can get in NZ that are meant to look like native wood? I have one that's a combination stain and varnish and emulates rimu, of course you don't get the natural variations unless the wood does.

It's pretty much 9 am new years day here so Happy New year to you all, may 2015 be a great year for one and all and may your expectations be exceeded! Me and hubby had a quiet night at home last night and just lasted to midnight.

Thanks again for all your kind words,love and understanding. Rebecca I live in NZ too but as she was a Ragdoll (and they're not road smart) we tried to keep her either inside or in our backyard but she figured out a way to escape.

Thank you all so much for your kind words and hugs.

On Dec 27 my world was turned upside down again. My precious ragdoll cat ( my avatar pic) Miss T escaped and was hit by a bus. She was my constant companion and my miniature "helper" and we had lots of chats everyday. My world feels empty without her and my heart is broken. My hubby misses her deeply too, she comforted him for the 5 weeks I was in hospital and every night she spent time sitting with him. In hospital I fought really hard to get home to my pets but particularly her - one of the Dr's said he'd like to meet my cat as she was obviously so special. I have another big op on Jan 19 and will be in hospital for about a week and I'm not sure how we're going to get through without her. She really was that once in a lifetime pet. We love and have loved all our pets but she made her way into a special place in our hearts.

Happy birthday Roxy :yay:. Sorry you have the flu at the same time, but trusting you'll be better really soon. Jeremy I'm really sorry to hear you're going through such a tough financial time, I pray this ends soon and that you are able to get ahead soon. Deb it's lovely to see you back but I'm so sorry you had to go through such a horrible time. I'm still plodding along, I found some good deals on mini furniture so they're on their way and of course my Magnolia is whispering away, but I've explained to her she'll have to wait till I'm fully recovered. In the mean time I'm plodding away with my village. I saw a very nice surgeon last week and am going to go with him for my hernia op (Lumpy just keeps on growing), he knew all about me from working at the hospital but wasn't put off by my history, plus he has great people skills and a good reputation for hernia surgery. I'm now waiting for ACC to approve the funding for this surgery and hopefully it'll be approved in time for me to have my operation on Jan 19 - this year would have been better but they're not likely to approve it by then. The other plus side is that this will be in a private hospital and as he thinks I'll be there for a week it'll be nice to have all the mod cons plus they don't really have visiting hours so my family can come and go at will. After last time I think we'll all be a bit worried for the first couple of days. It'll be 3 months before he lets me do anything other than walk, but at least the end is in sight and mid way through next year I may finally have no back pain! Anyway as summer is attempting to happen here I'm off to enjoy some sunshine - summer is my favourite season and I missed the best part last year through being in the coma etc so this year I'm gonna get sun whenever I can! Have a great day everyone.

Thank you so much Holly and for your other post too :hug:

Hi Selkie, I've been absent for a while so missed you going in for your op but I'm so pleased to hear all went well and that you are well on the road to recovery! Keep up the good work and remember to look after you. Hugs.

Hi everyone Wow so much has happened since I last popped in, too much for me to touch on but I will say my thoughts and prayers are with everyone going through difficult times and my heartfelt congrats go out to all those celebrating good things! I'm well into my recovery now - finally! I still have memory and cognitive issues but I'm learning to adapt to them in everyday life, it may not be the same in my work life (when I can finally get back to working) as my prior to this quickfire and very accurate mathematical skills appear to have been majorly affected. I've also discovered I no longer enjoy some of the things I used to - but my counsellor tells me this is very common for people who have experienced trauma and that it may stay this way but the important thing is to find the things I do enjoy. Of course this was frustrating because with memory and cognitive issues you want to stick to what you know. On the plus side I still have a love for minis and I have just started working on my Greenleaf village I got last Christmas and I can do it!!!! It's great to be achieving even in little steps. I developed a post trauma anxiety issue (actually I pretty much had PTSD) so have been very debilitated by that but with the help of an amazing counsellor I'm getting on top of that. On another positive note I'm not long back from an amazing week away in Surfers Paradise in the Gold Coast of Australia with my husband, his brother and his fiancée ... it was an amazing time and I pushed myself really hard which was all worth it as my muscles are finally developing memory and re growing (for want of a better way to put it). The weather was lovely and warm and the views from our apartment were just staggering! We had a fantastic time and it did my mind the world of good to be somewhere where I wasn't defined by what has happened to me and this change of mindset came home with me!!! Lumpy (my hernia) is still hanging around and I'm waiting for an operation date so this whole saga can finally be over and I can jump the last hurdles of recovery - Until now I didn't realise how much we do utilises the core including my much needed knee and back exercises so once I've healed from the next (and last ever I hope) operation I'll be going hard out on my fitness recovery. Anyway that's enough of a waffle from me.

Hee hee hee Holly, well if he did he's changed his calling! AW thanks Kat xxx

Ooooh you're lucky yours hardly ever appears Holly (can't work out how to quote on my tablet) ... When I'm not wearing my binder my daughter and I reckon lumpy looks like a babies head ... Because of my scar and the scar tissue it's all on my left side.