"Chesterfield is Blooming"

                 INSPIRE COMMUNITY GARDEN 

On a bright sunny day the Mayor goes walkabout through the stalls in The Market area of Chesterfield, I appear to keep bumping into the town's Mayor's over the last 3 years!

 "It's Bloomin' Lovely!"
with the Mayor & Mayoress of Chesterfield

I put on a big smile and start talking about the Inspire Community Garden to any passer-by as this garden has already filled me with so much happiness; what a treat.



Fleur & Charles were busy with the stall.


















And look who appeared again!
Yes, The Mayor & Mayoress

 

Sometimes pictures can tell a story without any words. It's time for the facey/selfie. I prefer the word facey as that's all that I can capture.

The Mayor has his own pictures taken for the event of Chesterfield is Blooming.

Nick and Steve spoke about the clearing of the overgrown green areas.
Catherine has discussions over the pictures on the stall about their visions of the Inspire Community Garden.

Inspiring conversations with Catherine.

Many Thanks to Andrew from Peters Shoemakers & Restorers for supporting us with this project and allowing me to put the advertisement on his window.

Many Thanks to Ollie from Magnolia Barbering for supporting us with this project and allowing me to put the advertisement on his window.

A good day out promoting the Inspire Community Garden.

                                                              To be continued..................

Neurocare Head Start to Inspire Community Garden

When people say "It all comes at the same time"  my answer is "Yes, it certainly does!"
My two favourite things came on Sunday 17th April 2016, walking for Neurocare's Head Start at Rother Valley Park and watching/helping the creation of  Inspire Community Garden Chesterfield.
If there's a will; there's a way so I thought I could do both on the same day........ How wrong was I...
Do I listen to the Dr's and Nurses when they say to me "Take a little step at a time"
"Me! A little step at a time? You must be joking!"
These days I always want things "yesterday"
I want to run before I can walk or even walk with a sprint in my step.
When will I learn?

I asked Catherine Clinton if she could take some time out from the Inspire clearing of the garden to drive me over to Rother Valley Park to enable me to join Neurocare's Head Start.
When I got dropped off inside the park you would have thought that I would start the walk on time; but not for me......
I always appear to be late for everything Yikes! Well, at least I got there.....
Well, I was 15 minutes late for the 5k walk time and Sophie from Neurocare Charity cheered me off the Start line.
I was the only person at the start line and suddenly I seen the runners of the 5k were whizzing past me as they ran across the Finish line. Oops! (I'm really late?)
Then I heard a familiar voice of Mc Nige through the microphone calling "Quinny, Quinny!"
I was the last person to start the walk and obviously the last person to cross the finish line.

 

Sophie from Neurocare Charity cheering me off.














Mc Nige joining me in a Selfie

















I enjoyed the lovely scenery of the park on a bright and warm day in April.
I noticed the Ambulance in the distance had stopped and I hoped that all was well as it was always behind the last of the 5k walking group, I knew I'd find out if I caught up with them at some point.

Enjoying the beauty of the scenery and the sunshine on my face.

I may paint this scene in the future!

I then heard McNige talk as his voice was transferring across the water.
I looked across and seen the marquee and thought.....nearly there!

Then I caught up and passed the ambulance and they smiled as I walked past.
No drama there Phew!

Suddenly there was a motor engine running behind me so I looked backwards with the technology I had and noticed that the ambulance had it's flashing lights on but there was no rush to pass me by.
I had stepped off the road and moved onto the grass verge and I kept moving forward but there was still no sign of the ambulance passing me by?

What's going on here! I said.
They were actually waiting to see me cross the finish line.
Bless!

Sophie looked down the path awaiting for my arrival.





She ran down to see what was happening as she saw the lights flashing from the ambulance alongside me.
I then had great support as Sophie decided to do the last bit of the walk with me over the finish line.

Many, Many ThanX to Margaret Mitchell wink emoticon
I look totally "Dun In" with help from Sophie, Neurocare assisting me across the finish line.

The last few meters were a mixture of rapid walking/jogging movements which surprised me as I lay on the ground when I crossed the line.

I'm OK!
I'm just catching my breath and resting for a moment.

I asked the gentlemen who were giving out the medals to take a picture of the Neurocare Team and myself.

I asked them what they were doing for Neurocare and the reply was...
"We're the Trustee's!"
I was Gobsmacked and said......







"C'mon and get into the pictures with us!"
























A great morning for Neurocare Charity

The FINISH Line Yeehaaaaa!

Legs were getting rather weary by this time and I had to walk all the way up to the entrance of the park for Catherine to pick me up.
McNige then offered and drove me up to the entrance where I was getting collected from.
"What a relief! Thanks McNige"

Catherine arrived and brought me back to Chesterfield to join the group at Inspire Community Garden, she had made a picnic lunch to eat alfresco which boosted my energy. I got up out of the deckchair then I was showing off today's new colourful Neurocare medal.

I was very impressed when I looked at all the work they had achieved so far.

No shirkers here as they're putting their hearts into this project, you can actually feel the energy from them all.












Tree pruning @ Inspire Community Garden

They were looking for stones to create into steps in one particular area. The visions from the group are very creative in their minds and I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome.

I offered to help in the area that had just been turned over and he asked if I could pull out some of the weed roots?
I said "Yes, I can do that!" enthusiastically.
Did I realise about the effort of the bending over for this minuscule task? it was extremely small & tiny to do but to me it was huge.

I'm waving goodbye to all as "I'm Dun' In" (exhausted; need a nap!)

Charles offered to take me home as my energy and mental spirit was fading.......
I bent over too many times (about 10 bends to pull out weed roots/can you believe that! Ouch!)
I do laugh!
I should learn as I've been told too many times "a little step at a time!"

I got home and fully clothed, jumped straight into bed ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
3xhours later I woke up..........

It's Monday morning and I'm going nowhere...........

Dougie: "Wish Upon A Star"

Today I was out looking for a shop named Papercraft in Chesterfield. 

I was looking for a piece of black paper which would be 50cmX50cm for the backdrop of a donated painting by Catherine Clinton. 

It's for the Specialist Stroke Services Winter Ball auction; which will be held in The Winding Wheel on Tuesday 17th November from 7pm till 11pm.

The auctioneer for that night will be Charles Hanson from the BBC's Bargain Hunt.

I thought I was walking in the right direction for this shop then I saw this black labradooodle sitting at the side of a pram. Some wonderful memories came back from when I was younger and remembered that the dogs; especially "Nibbs" the black labradoodle was always sitting like a sentry guard on duty. The dogs were looking after Robert out in the back garden. I've lived in the Portencross house at the end of West Kilbride Golf Links twice in my life, once as a family home and then moved back in with mum as we were moving back to Scotland from England, so it was a stop off until we found a place to move too. 

Great memories with Robert, Sarah-Jane, Michael, Sabre and Nibbs.

 I looked down at the dog as I was about to walk past them and gave the dog a pat on his head and mentioned that I used to have the same type of dog many years ago. I looked down at the young child and I seen the tracheostomy which was opening his windpipe and straight away I pulled the polo neck down and showed the parent my own scar on my throat and he asked me if I was born with this too?
A tracheostomy is an artifical opening into the windpipe (trachea) that is held open by a tracheostomy tube. This helps your child to breath more easily.
Air now goes in and out through the tracheostomy tube and bypasses the nose and mouth.
We started chatting about this subject and I found out the childs name was Dougie and he has been living with a tracheostomy since he was born so he knows nothing else. What a happy child he is as I talked away and I seen a smile appear as I gently rubbed the back of my finger onto his cheek. He uplifted my heart as I seen his reaction with a smile. I asked what was wrong with him and the reply was that no-one knows what's wrong with him.
There is so many people who moan and groan about their life and about this and that and "I can'nae!"
It seems to be  their main topic as they become oblivious of anything else as they natter away.
I appreciate what I can do now; even to have the feelings of all the aches and pains as I have good days and the bad days. I walk with a smile on my face and can't wait till I sit down again for a wee breather and rest the legs before I start again. (well it's really any excuse to stop for a cuppa!"

In the first picture you can see the eye movement over to me as I was talking and then in the second picture you can see the eye movement over to the passer-by who was talking as he took the pictures.
I'm going to Wish Upon A Star at night for Dougie as he uplifts my spirit with his happiness.

Life is for living and I can see that Dougie brings so much happiness to his family and the likes of myself as I was walking by. 

Touched by a special moment.

To Dad, TIME, The Circle Of Life

Life is all about Time and how we all use it.
Life is like an everlasting Circle.
Our circle starts from a dot on a piece of paper; it stretches out and gets bigger (it's a bit like growing up in life!)
When your circle reaches the biggest point; it stays in that space and you learn to live your life the best way that you can.
When you've had the maximum amount of time when you were at your peak; it's then time for that circle to decrease.
When the circle decreases; we're actually going through the twilight years of our life. We notice the silver grey hairs (in the once time dark glossy locks hanging down the nape of the neck)
Lines appear around the eyes and lips, but don't despair as it gives you character and shows your life's experience.
You become a person who goes for a gentle stroll instead of that energetic person who ran around the park playing with the dog.
You walk around the edge of a Loch with forest walks instead of climbing up to the highest point of Arran or Skye.
Those days have gone for me now but I enjoy the stroll through a park or looking at the scenery of the hills from the waters edge as I'm eating a cucumber sandwich and a cuppa tea from the thermas flask.
You're just tweeking the time in the park, you stroll instead of run.
You look at the hills in awe instead of "Climb(ing) Every Mountain" by Julie Andrews.

This Circle is coming to an end for my dad ; George Quinn.
For me, this is "unconditional love " for my dad and I love him completely; from the bottom of my heart.

Last weekend ; Christine and Lance were with Alan in Merseyside to visit dad in hospital.
On the 6th of September, early Sunday morning, Christine had a message sent to her accommodation from the nurse at Arrowe Park Hospital at the Wirral University Teaching Hospital.
The message was that dad was saying "Pauline", Christine then called me and asked if I could travel through that day. I arranged myself and got ready to travel through to him. Lance drove from Merseyside to pick me up in Chesterfield, we arrived at the hospital around 5:30ish.

This is where time is So precious to us all.
Every moment I have with him is priceless.
I'm his roomie/roommate.
I have a cot at the side of his bed and as he no longer opens his eyes or speaks; I give him all the information that I can see and what I'm doing as I read all the crossword questions and answers.
I actually have some wonderful conversations and I don't need any reply, I'm filling our time every day.

This has been a very emotional time in my life as it has opened up my eyes to how much love I truly have for my dad, he will always be there in my heart and that shall never dissappear.
Being with him 24hrs a day has made me stronger as a person, I want to be with him as he takes his last walk in life and I'm so lucky to share his time with Alan and Christine.
This emotional time mixes across two situations, just like crossing some signals in my mind.
The bed that dad lays on moves in different positions and the mattress blows up to help the body's blood circulation and that's where I was 4 years ago and I'll never forget that I've just been through what he is going through now.
When I was told of my situation, I fantasised about how I would have looked and I seen it in my mind as a glamorous situation that you would have seen from one of those black and white movies as you put the back of your hand to your forehead and dramatically say...
"Oh, woe is me!"
I now see how I was, and what I actually looked like which saddens my heart but I'm uplifted when I realise that my family were there continuously for the lengthy months as I was silent and unable to walk.

Thanx for being you dad
LOTS of LOVE
The Circle Continues...........




ThanX for the picture Christine XXX