Three Good Things

I’ve had a friend visiting this weekend. It’s been lovely. 

1. We visited Standen House, a National Trust property, and enjoyed the arts and crafts exhibition. It was one of the very first houses built to have electric lights. Apparently, the ladies of the property were worried about the bare light bulbs ruining their pale complexions and so created the first lamp shades to protect their delicate skins. 

2. We ate cheese fondu and Swiss chocolate  - my friend lives in Geneva and brings them with her

3. We went to the Theatre Royal in Stratford (what a gem) to see Our Lady of Kibeho,  a play about three Rwandan schoolgirls who are visited by the Virgin Mary in the run up to the genocide there. It was gripping and included some wonderful singing 

Sofa day! But a nice one once I’d given in to it 

1. Cracked on with the crochet. I’m making a beautiful wrap out of my odds and sods. I have enough to be able to select blues and pinks. It’s shaping up really well if I say so myself 

2. I made a dinner from an Anna Jones book, my favourite chef currently. It was a bean and quinoa stew with cinnamon and preserved lemons served with saffron yoghurt and rocket. It was delicious and pretty. Although I realise I risk sounding a right old hippy. 

3. My daughter walked in to the house one minute before the heavens opened.  We drank tea and watched the horizontal rain from the comfort of the living room

xx

Another sofa day for me too

I got home from hospital on Friday. Delighted to be in my own bed surrounded by my own things. 

My daughter and young Ted are staying and are doing a great job keeping my spirits up. One smile from Ted and I feel 100% better 

Managed a walk along the pier to the lighthouse yesterday totally exhausted afterwards but good to be out. 

Saw my consultant on Monday. He confirmed that he had no more rabbits to pull out of hats for me. Perforated bowel means it’s too dangerous to have any more chemo. Slippery slope approaches but strangely along with the huge disappointment there’s a certain underlying sense of relief. No more chemo, no more pretending I’m feeling great when I feel rubbish. Just picking up from here and hopefully having a fun few months. 

Take care all.  Theatre visits sound like a great tonic. Just need to perk up a bit. 

Polly

Hi Polly 

you sound as though you’re in a place of acceptance. I know what you mean about the slippery slope. I’ve talked to friends about my sense that I’m sliding down a muddy bank and I can’t make my way back up it. Enjoying each day for what it has to offer is my only way forward. 

I had a tricky day yesterday (posted elsewhere under busy few weeks thread) so I won’t repeat but I’ll pick out three good things to focus on 

1. Kind radiolographers and nurses and doctor who made me feel like a person, not a patient

2. Getting a seat on the train home from London 

3. Salted caramel chocolate puddles from Hotel Chocolat 

xx

Hi Kirkcal polly

feel for you ,it is hard to realise that you have finished with chemo etc but  you can have more time with the family and friends without lots of hospital appointments 

kindest thoughts 

janet

xxxxxxxxxxx

Salted caramel puddings sound delicious 

janet 

xxxxxx

Hi 

my three good things today 

1. A chance to rest after yesterday’s over excitement 

2. My neighbour (who’s getting our puppy’s brother) and I had a puppy trainer over to talk through the first few days. I think we are going to be fine 

3. My daughter came home from university. It’s so good to see her. And her washing. And the piles of stuff she’s dumped all the way up the stairs. And my younger daughter  laughing like she’s not laughed since her sister left. 

Xx

Had the family to stay to celebrate the youngest granddaughter’s second birthday and I found the energy to organise it all - with plenty of help from my OH of course.

Watching the five-year-old help her little cousin on the soft play was priceless.

They have - thankfully- all gone home now!

Phew! What a weekend. I was with my family at my niece’s second hen do. The first was a drinking affair with her friends. This was a civilised affair organised partly for the benefit of her mother in law to be who, as a mother of sons, is desperate to enjoy some of the womanly side of a wedding. So yes, the spa, the big dinner, the fun, the conversations, the company, the singing round the piano and so on was great but my first good thing is my niece’s generosity of spirit towards her mother in law. It bodes well for her marriage. 
My second good thing is the puppy, or rather my daughter taking such wonderful care of her puppy. We picked the puppy up yesterday. She’s got a new name (decided last week) and she’s called Noodle. My daughter is amazing with Noodle and by the time I went to bed last night she had already trained her to wait patiently and quietly to be let out of her crate on waking. 
My third good thing is sleeping in my own bed 

xxx

You had a very similar experience to me this weekend Daloni! 

Saturday my Dad drove my Mum and I to pick up my niece, nephew, their mum, and her mum. Lol. Dad was on babysitting duty while the 4 of us went to a spa for 2 hours with a treatment included, then we had a couple of glasses of prosecco with an afternoon tea. Then it was off to a cocktail bar for more drinks and a couple of meat and cheese platters. Then my Dad had dropped the kids home with my brother by 5pm, so came and picked us up at about 10pm and took us all back home - with a stop for chips on the way. Lol.

The brides original hen was a weekend in Newcastle, well, just one night actually, on a pub crawl. Then she'd planned this to be more sedate for the Mums. I was lucky enough to be invited to both, but couldn't make the Newcastle one due to health issues. 

Then on Sunday, I went for a birthday lunch at a restaurant in Edinburgh I fancied trying. Got 2 brothers along, with my parents, and the fiancé I don't like, but nothing can be perfect. Lol. Food was fab, and there was 0 sign of a hangover from the night before. (The 4 of us put away a little over £160 worth of drinks!!!!)

Sadly, the train home was really uncomfortable - The new Azuma trains are seriously lacking in the padding department! - and hot, so not great. Plus I started with a really sore throat, so it seems the cold everyone in Edinburgh has, has got me!

Today I opened some little gifts, decided I must learn to crochet as I REALLY want to make Animaguri figures, and am chilling out until it's time for my second MRI after I got stuck in the tube of the one last week..... 

Lass

Xx