Every cloud (and disappearance) has a silver lining

These are my silver lining

It's been four weeks since I last posted fully intending to post in a few days and show my finished quilt with binding (binding only partly on now) and some new journal pages (backgrounds done). I had ten days left of the school holidays and I was planning a very crafty time.

Unfortunately mum fell that night and badly injured her hip muscles and lay stuck on the floor overnight not wanting to bother anyone. She did phone in the morning and I rushed to her house with a small overnight bag. Needless to say the next ten days I became her carer 24/7 as she could not even get out of bed without help. As the days to return to work came faster and faster I hounded her local doctor and health team asking for help, explaining that once I was back at school I could no longer be there to care for her. I would just like to say that they were wonderful and the Reach team made up of doctor, district nurse, physio and occupational therapist came and assessed her. They agreed she needed 24/7 care and found a Rehab bed for her in a nursing home ten minutes from her home. This was great (only problem is that it is 80 minutes from my home and 30 from work). My solution has been to stay some of the time in her house and arrange a team of visitors including my lovely other half (thank you Lens Guy) to visit and help out.
As a result I spend my days waking up saying it's Wednesday I must be at mum's, or home, or school or a combination of all three. Back to school is always a whirlwind and this year I am teaching additional Advanced Higher courses (sort of like super A Levels) which is challenging and fun but means my workload is very full.
That's my rather sorry excuse for my absence. But what is the silver lining you ask? Stop wittering on and get to the point. My silver lining is that I won a wonderful bundle of Lotta Jansdotter's new Bella fabric. I always enter blog giveaways but never seem to have any luck, but this time fate felt I needed cheering up. The lovely Kerry had a wonderful giveaway. Please check out her blog VeryKerryBerry as it  is inspiring and makes me want to try out paper piecing. She was given the bundle by Annie of the Village Haberdashery which is a wonderful online store I visit and wish I had money to spend on all the lovely things there. You can also see Kerry's pattern for a duvet using these gorgeous Bella fabrics. I have 18 fat quarters and now just need to find time to make something beautiful with them.

Time might be a little in short supply. Mum  has had great care and is being discharged  on Monday with carers coming in once a day and a newly installed mex alarm so she can get help immediately if she falls. However I think she is going to need even more support and help and I imagine as I triangulate my life between home, mum and school I might not have enough time to craft. But I will try as it really does keep me sane.
Finally after what has become a long and wordy post...I would like to say thank you to the NHS as they have been fab.