Raisie Bay - A Family and Lifestyle Blog

My Sunday Photo 16th June 2019 – Drone Cake

June 16, 2019 by Anne Sweet 1 Comment

Drone Cake

Yesterday it was my brother’s birthday and he loves his drone. My Sister-in-law asked if I would make him a birthday cake featuring a drone. I’ve not made a celebration cake in a long time so I was excited to make it.

First thing I do when asked to make a cake is visit Pinterest where there is generally loads of inspiration. Sadly, I couldn’t find anything that I liked and drones made from icing looked pretty naff. (And I’m sure if I made one it would look even worse.) So I came up with an idea.

I searched online for a mini drone that would fit on the top of the cake. I was looking for a plastic figure of a drone, but then I found this mini one which was perfect. It actually works!

Decorating the Cake

Next step was to decorate the cake so I decided to go for a sky blue with clouds and a landing pad in the middle with a birthday message. I also made an icing figure of my brother. As I’d ordered the wrong tin for the cake I got to work on the icing figure and landing pad before making the cake. The idea was for the figure to be smaller than the side of the cake but after a little cake baking issues I ended up with a taller figure.

I made some posts for the drone to sit on out of icing, but the drone is free to fly away. The idea was to present the cake to my brother on his birthday and then he could use the controller to make the drone fly off and reveal the birthday message beneath.

My brother didn’t wait until his birthday, like a big kid he played with the drone straight away, and had much more control over it than we did. Here is a little video I made of us trying it out. It’s only a minute long. I’d love for you to subscribe to my Youtube channel, pretty please.

Word of the Week #24 2019

June 14, 2019 by Anne Sweet 10 Comments

Hello and welcome to the home of Word of the Week, a nice and simple weekly linky, with everyone welcome to pop by and share. The idea of the linky is to reflect back on your past week and share it with us. It’s great if you can sum it up in a word or phrase, hence giving us your Word of the Week.

I’m not totally strict on using just a word or phrase but please try to stick to the theme of summing up your week.

There are not too many rules with this linky, just remember to read at least another couple of posts in the link up after adding your link. I will read and comment on all posts and tweet them out for you. I also have a Pinterest board devoted to Word of the Week and I will add posts to Mix Please add the badge below to your post so that others may find us and join in. If you comment or tweet then please use the hashtag #WotW

Word of the Week is open from 6am on Friday Morning to 12 noon on Monday. Plenty of time to join in!

If you are unfamiliar with the Word of the Week linky then please feel free to ask any questions. New linkers are always welcome, we love to hear what you have been up to in the past week.

MY WORD OF THE WEEK.

Last week I left you while I was feeling frustrated. Well, I’m still waiting for my living room to be decorated but there has been a little more done (with the emphasis on little.) I’m not stressing about it so much now though. It will be done one day, I’m sure.

So, this week I have a nicer word for you.

Photo by Dilyara Garifullina on Unsplash

Cake!

Before I got sick I loved making cakes. My biggest achievement was the four tier wedding cake I made for my friend. I’ve made all my kids birthday cakes, ranging from Minecraft, Princess Towers, Pirates, (many) Pokemon cakes and even a cake that looked like a squid. Oh, and a Portal Cake (If you don’t know what that is then you may think it’s a lie…if you do know, then you will know it isn’t.)

I haven’t made many cakes since being sick, it’s too much work for me. My hands are not so steady and my eyesight is poor. But this week I have been making a special birthday cake and it’s given me a lot of joy to be working on something so creative again. I can’t show it to you yet, but it may feature in my Sunday Photo if it’s a success (Please keep your fingers crossed it is.)

It’s not been an easy week, first I needed a new cake tin but ordered the wrong one, so I had to get another. Then the mix was wrong and I had to do it again. Time was running out and I had to leave the cake in the oven while taking Star to a hospital appointment. My oven turns off by itself on a timer so I had to put my faith in that, and in that it would be cooked enough.

Thankfully, while waiting for the right tin I did manage to get all the decorations finished to put on the icing when it’s done. I was given an idea of what to do but my research on finding cakes to get inspiration from didn’t give me much to go on. (they were all pretty crap!) So I came up with an idea all by myself and I’m really proud. The decorations are fab, and if it works it will give the recipient a lovely surprise too. I wish I could tell you more but you’ll have to wait.

Apart from making a cake, I’ve also been out shopping and taken Star to the hospital. So I’ve been out too, twice!

Here’s the badge, or you can just link back if you wish. Sharing lets other’s know about our community.

Raisie Bay

Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML

Now it’s over to you, what have you been up to this week?

Star, Five Years Ago

June 11, 2019 by Anne Sweet 5 Comments

This time five years ago I was sitting on a hospital ward with Graham waiting to hear news of Star who was in the operating theatre.

This was the beginning of the end of an eighteen month journey which started when Star woke up one morning with a wonky neck. We took her to the GP who told us she had tonsillitis. I knew he was wrong though, so I took her to A&E. They said she had a torticollis and would be fine in 48 hours. She wasn’t, she got worse. Sometimes as a parent you have to tune into your instincts, even when the Dr’s turn you away, you have to persist if you feel something is wrong.

Three more trips to A&E and eventually they listened to me and did a scan. She was admitted immediately. One of the discs at the top her spine had twisted out of place. She was give a bed and some muscle relaxants, when they didn’t work we were told they were trying to find a traction bed. We were allowed home for the weekend with Star in a neck collar. When we arrived back on Monday morning the traction bed had been found and it looked like some kind of Victorian torture contraption. Thankfully they decided against using it and Star was sent home again.

Sadly, it didn’t stop there though because they started small and worked their way up with treatments. Physio made her worse, medication made her worse and eventually she was taken to theatre for a manipulation to put the bones back into place. She came out of theatre in a halo, which is not as nice as it sounds. A metal ring is screwed into the skull and it has four long poles which are attached to a plastic vest. It cannot be removed unless by a surgeon.

It was horrific, but after a few months we were quite used to it. My little Star was just eight years old at the time.

She even had to wear it in bed.

It Didn’t Work

As soon as the halo was removed in march 2014, it was obvious that it hadn’t worked. Star’s neck flopped back into it’s former abnormal position and she was back wearing a collar. We were so down about it, but Star took everything in her stride.

Then we heard that she would have to be fixed with screws and titanium plates, it was the only option. This involved two operations, the first was on 9th June 2014 where they manipulated her again and replaced the halo. Then two days later they took her for her plates and pins. The bone had deteriorated so much they had to do a bone transplant from her skull. The operations took hours and all we could was wait and pray that she would be okay. While staying in hospital we had been witnesses to two child deaths on the ward. It really is a horrible situation to be in and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Star was back on the ward at 7pm, half her head shaved and the halo in place for another three months.

A Life Time Ago

In one sense it feels like it was a life time ago, so much has happened since then and my little girl has grown into a young woman of almost fourteen years. In another sense I can remember everything about that time like it happened yesterday. It is difficult to even begin to imagine the emotions you go through while waiting for your child to be returned. And the hospital was like a second home, we didn’t go to outpatients for appointments, we just went straight to the ward. We knew everyone, and everyone knew Star.

Now my girl barely remembers it all now, well apart from the nice thing like the toy room on the ward. She remembers her home tutor that she had for a whole year while recovering, and not having to go to school. Surprisingly has forgotten about the halo she wore twice. She even forgot about her scars, well she can’t see the one on the back of her neck or head. She has noticed the ones on her forehead but they are disappearing well.

The Future for Star

During all this time it was discovered that Star had a connective tissue disorder and she was eventually diagnosed with Elhers Danlos Syndrome. Since then she has been seen by a geneticist who believes she may have a different connective tissue disorder and is convinced she has Marfan Syndrome. There are more tests to be done because the test for Marfan Syndrome involves the febrillin gene and Star doesn’t have that. But, there are 3000 different mutations of the gene so her DNA is being tested again. She is also having her chromosomes tested as the geneticist thinks there may be a connection between her physical disabilities and her autism.

In the meantime, Star is working hard at school and will be doing her GCSE’s next year. She gets a lot of help and support and the school, although mainstream, are very understanding. I do have hopes that her future will be fine so long as she gets the extra help after leaving school.

I worry so much about my children, especially now that I am sick. While Star was ill I was running around like crazy, taking the other two to school and nursery and the older kids to college. Taking Star to her appointments at the hospital, or even taking it in turns to stay with her overnight. I was fit and able to deal with getting up several times every night. I managed that, but if any of my children needed me like that now I would not be as much help.

It’s hard to imagine how different life was five years ago, but that day changed everything and most probably saved my daughter’s life.

Estarer PU Leather Briefcase – Perfect for Father’s Day!

June 10, 2019 by Anne Sweet 1 Comment

I was asked to review the Estarer PU leather Briefcase which would make a perfect Father’s Day gift.

PU Leather Briefcase as viewed from the front

Estarer Mens PU Leather Briefcase 15.6 Inch Laptop Satchel Messenger Bag for Business Work Office

What Does this Briefcase Offer?

Tough and Water Resistant: Crafted from water resistant yet sturdy PU Leather for an exceptional long- term performance and durability.Finishing touches include a protective base feet and closed by a non-slip secure fastening.
Multi-functional Central Compartment:Dimensions:42.5x32x10cm.Inside equipped with 1 computer pocket for 15-15.6 Inch laptop,1 padded sleeve for 12.9“ iPad/tablets,1 x divided compartment for A4 folders, document and 2-3 books,2 easy access pockets for mouse and charger,1 inner 500ml water bottle pocket.
Extensive Business Accessory Organizer: Front pocket with self-healing zippers includes 2 pen slots,1 open top pocket for sunglasses,4 elastic pockets for usb,1 zip pocket for wallet,4 business card slots,2 mesh pockets for cables and keys.
Indispensable Luggage Strap: Rear exterior features 1 pocket for papers and files,1 trolley strap to the reverse that neatly hooks over your wheeled luggage.,1 back anti theft zip pocket for a passport.
Comfort and Versatile Option: Carry using the sturdy dual top handle and a fully-adjustable, detachable padded shoulder strap to wear on the shoulder or cross-body for complete versatility.Sharp and functional, this professional case is sure to become your favourite office and business trips companion.

My Review

Considering it’s not made of real leather it looks really great. It’s waterproof and stylish and has so many pockets you will never find yourself searching for anything again. (I call my bag the bottomless pit because I can never find anything.)

The briefcase is big enough to carry a full size laptop like my Asus 15″.

With a laptop inside there is still plenty of place for storing everything else you could need, books pens, folders etc. And even a special separate drinks holder.

There are pockets galore and I give this briefcase 10 out of 10 for storage and organisation. There are also pockets on the front and back, just in case you have any more stuff to pack into it. I like the back pocket, it would be great for popping in your business cards for super easy access. Or your passport if you were travelling, it is safer too as it’s on the back of the bag.

Another feature I love is the fastening. It looks like a buckle strap, but underneath there is a little clip that you can just slip loose to open. Safe and secure, but easier to open than unbuckling a clip.

For carrying around you can use the handle on the top or the attachable strap to throw it over your shoulder. The shoulder strap even has an extra padded bit for comfort. It also has a strap on the back so you can slip it over your suitcase handle when travelling.

Estarer make many products including backpacks, camera bags, women’s laptop bags and much more. You can view them on Amazon.

Disclosure: This Briefcase was sent to me free of charge, my review is my personal and honest opinion of the product. This post also contains affiliate links.

My Sunday Photo 9th May 2019 River and Field

June 9, 2019 by Anne Sweet 18 Comments

The River

This is a photo of a river taken on our recent trip to Wales.

photo graph of a river running between two hills taken in Elan Valley, Wales, uk

Do I change like a river, widening and deepening, eddying back on myself sometimes, bursting my banks sometimes when there’s too much water, too much life in me, and sometimes dried up from lack of rain? Will the I that is me grow and widen and deepen? Or will I stagnate and become an arid riverbed? Will I allow people to dam me up and confine me to wall so that I flow only where they want? Will I allow them to turn me into a canal to use for they own purposes? Or will I make sure I flow freely, coursing my way through the land and ploughing a valley of my own?”
― Aidan Chambers, This is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn

I love this quote, it’s great advice for life. I know I’ve experienced so much life being a river, even a canal. I fear that I’ve now becoming an arid riverbed, I need something to keep me running this race called life. Something more to make me flow.

Yesterday was a bad day, but I don’t want to call them bad days, it sounds so negative. Suggestions given to me on Twitter were, rest days (well, I certainly rested being unable to move for at least two hours!) or Gathering Day, where you need to recoup and gather energy to go on.

They both sound better than bad day or sick day. I have to confess though; the pain was so bad at one point I was beginning to think it was my last day.

The Field.

Another photo from Wales, I’ve not been out this week and I’m missing fresh air and views. I rarely get views like this, Which I took outside the Tynrhyd Retreat where I stayed.

Photograph of a green field with hills in the background and a cloudy sky scape. Lots of trees are also seen. taken at Thynrhyd retreat in Wales, UK

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’
doesn’t make any sense.
By Rumi

I was sent this quote on Twitter. I remember seeing it at the end the television drama, The Victim. Sometimes we need to take ourselves away from the world in front of us and just focus on us instead. It’s hard to do but it brings many rewards. In The Victim they used the quote as a kind of forgiveness. So much wrong doing had been done it was hard to conceive and the only way to move forward was to forgive. To take away the reasoning and focus on the wellbeing and conciousness of those involved.

Maybe I need to forgive myself for being sick. I get so angry sometimes at myself. It’s so frustrating that I can’t do the things I used to do and then I take it out on others, blaming them for not doing it.

I need to go into a field and lie down, just look around at the beauty of nature and forget the world and it’s woes. Forget myself and my pain. Forget the stresses of life. It may be impossible now, but one day I want to be the ashes beneath a cherry tree. I want to live in that field forever.

You can read more about my time at The Flea Retreat in Wales here.

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