Gangshow!!

So all of the last week I have been busy with GANGSHOW! My district holds it every 2 years and we have been rehearsing since september!!

It's a very intense week when it comes to show week. Monday and Tuesday are technical rehearsals in the theatre where all the lighting is set for the different scenes and all the backstage crew work out what props need to be on the stage and when! The cast are also busy getting used to being on the stage and working out just how long we have to get changed and when we need to be in the wings (With a cast of 60 ranging in age from 7-60+) you can't be standing in the wings when you arent needed as you just get in the way! Wednesday was our dress rehearsal with an invited audience of people from the nursing homes in our town. Then thursday night, friday night, saturday afternoon and saturday night were the actual performances!!!

I struggled with quite alot of it and frustratingly had to miss out on quite a few of the scenes I should of been in the first 3 shows due to coughing and or chest pain that I knew would mean as soon as I tried to sing on stage I would just start coughing! However the final show was amazing. Inbetween the saturday shows I did my nebuliser which I think made a big difference, I battled through everything and made it onto the stage for everything i was meant to be in on the saturday night show. Below are a few photos from my week:



Doing my nebuliser backstage between shows



When I wasn't on stage during shows I could mainly be found reading my book!



This was me just before going on stage for the finale in the last show. The finale of the gangshow is always done in uniform (well for our one it is anyway!). So this is me in my leaders uniform wearing the gangshow necker!

A week of alot of baking and other things

So it appears that it wasn't wait and see how I got on with the septrin before I started IVs!! On monday I got a nice surprise phone call from my CF nurse to book in me for some IVs! I will know be starting on those on the 2nd March as I had said the earliest I could start them was the 28th Feb. They couldn't do the 28th Feb and then when I checked my diary I realised I was at diabetic clinic on the 2nd March anyway so it was decided to combine clinic with the start of IVs!!! Whilst wasn't expecting to be booked in, it turns out it probably won't be such a bad thing as I have come out with another cold today, after being cold free for all of about 5days. So whilst the septrin will hopefully prevent this cold from getting on my chest it won't make my chest any better than it was before either.

I have done quite abit of baking this week! On Monday I made a batch of shrewsbury biscuits (a rich biscuit with raisins in). Wednesday I made mini banoffee cupcakes and shared them with my friends (packet mix). Yesterday I made a batch of fairy cakes from scratch and made them rainbow surprise ones (you stir in hundreds and thousands into the mixture before spooning into cases) and then decorated them with icing and glitter writing icing pens! Today I have just made another batch of shrewsbury biscuits but these ones have got white chocolate chips in instead of raisins. I must say all of them have tasted very yummy!!

Clinic and biscuit baking

Yesterday was my clinic appointment. Lost a couple of kgs in weight but still within what appears to be my usual range so they weren't worried about that. Lung function down 10%-they were a little worried about that!! I kind of made a compromise with them in that I said I wasn't having IVs until at least the 28th feb!! I usually go to my parents house if I'm on IVs so my mum can help me out but she goes away for a week on wednesday and then I also have gangshow from 21st-26th feb! There's no way I was going on IVs now and having to drop out of gangshow after 6months of rehearsals!!!
So instead I am on a 2week course of septrin to see how that goes with the view to starting IVs after they have finished if lung function no better.

Didn't see anyone else in clinic except the CF nurse to flush my port and then it was off back home after a relatively quick hour and a half!

Today I have baked some biscuits and here are some photos below:

Not alot has happened

Not alot has really been happening since my last blog post.

I've been busy organising the scout sleepover and doing risk assessments for the activities that we hope to run for it.

I spent some time with my brother and his family on tuesday. I love spending time with my nieces. Even if I did end up covered in rusk biscuit- twice!!

I have also done some more baking. This time I made rocky road cupcakes! They are pretty chocolatey and also very very yummy!!



I also made some more penguin biscuits as my last supply ran out. I have also ordered some new cutters which I look forward to using to see if the shapes are recognisable and how they will work out!! Will post pictures to see if people can work out what they are!!

Today has been a day of baking!!

I have made cupcakes and biscuits.

The biscuits took me 3 attempts to get them to work (I couldnt get the mixture to form into a dough by following the recipe exactly, so I merged a couple of shortbread recipes together and on the third attempt got what I was after!). Today was the first day I used my penguin cutter that I got in my stocking for christmas and below are the results:



The biscuits are very yummy and I have 36 of them left! They had to be cooked in a couple of batches because I dont have enough baking trays or a big enough oven to cook them all in one go.

The cupcakes are a packet mix. They are strawberry and white chocolate cupcakes from morrisons. I was a little disappointed when I realised they only made 6 in a box, I clearly don't pay enough attention when looking at the boxes in the supermarket. I have to wait until tomorrow to try these as I am taking them to my brothers house as he has invited me for tea. Below are the cupcakes:



They look extremely yummy and I am trying to be very good at not having one now!! Here is all of my creations together:



My kitchen looked like a flour and icing sugar bomb had hit it after I had finished!! Its a good job kitchen surfaces are easy to wipe down really.

busy busy busy

Since my last blog I have been busy busy busy!

In March I will be running my very first scout camp/sleepover thing! Whilst I have now been on 2 or 3 camps/sleepovers with the scouts and the beavers this will be the first one that I am in charge of!!

There is alot of planning and organising involved, coming up with fun and new activities that will keep a group of fourteen 10-13yr olds happy and occupied for a weekend. Then the cubs will also be joining us for the second night, so on the sunday I have to plan activities for twenty three 7-13yr olds!! Now that is a large age gap to try and plan for. Especially when I am trying to plan activities that they haven't really done before so it doesn't feel repetitive. They will be staying over in a scout hut which will be their first time as they are usually on a campsite in tents.

I think I am there with all of my activities now. I just need to send out the letters, get money in and get organised. I have a couple of other leaders who will be my 'catering team' for the weekend and so I need to speak to them regarding menus for the weekend.

I am excited about it but there is alot of work involved in the planning of a scout weekend away. I don't think I ever really gave full credit to those who have run the other camps as you don't see all the things like sending NAN forms and filling in home contact forms and all things like that.

Rest In Peace Skittles

On wednesday I got the news that Skittles had died in her sleep :o( My mum had been going to my house every day to check things were ok while I wasn't there. On tuesday Skittles was fine but when my mum went round wednesday morning she had passed on.

It feels very weird being at home at the minute and not looking at her cage