Category Archives: Me on…

December and Me

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This lovely idea is Sian’s over at high in the sky.

I was laughing with my husband about the way things used to be and how very old and out of touch with the modern world we feel. There, did you notice? I used the phrase ‘Modern World’ I used it quite naturally, without thought, it’s become part of my language. My grandmother used to say that!

We used to go to the village to see what lovely things The Goblin Market had in stock. Call in at the bank to get some cash, then onto Cantells to look and possibly order some of our Christmas fayre. Then along the road to Elsies the florist to see what new ideas she had for christmas floral decorations. Drop in at the post office to buy stamps and drop them into the box outside. His mums or her mums for Christmas day lunch would already be decided, we go to the opposite one from last year. And on the way home call in at Clays the butcher to order what we wanted for new year

Now its all ‘on line’ Should I pay for next day? I’ve booked ‘my slot’ at the supermarket, I have until 15th to make alterations. My friend is taking me to a wreath making class. I can’t remember the last time I had any money in my purse, I don’t even need a few pounds since I can now fast pay on my card.
The ‘kids are going to Lapland to see Father Christmas for a week! What’s wrong with the co-op? Does he not go there anymore?
Mind you I remember e-mailing him last year!

Hey Ho as I’m prone to chanting these days. We will have a wonderful day, the only things I am making are some gifts for the family. I have long since learnt that Christmas is still magical even though the most I do is have a supermarket delivery, peel the sprouts and open the rather luscious Christmas pudding.
I need, ‘at home together’, more than anything this year.

Today I am sticking with the wonderful tradition of actually hand writing my Christmas cards with Christmas carols filling the air around me.

Happy December.

Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas this year is for the person reading this to be Healthy Happy and loved.

Pairs Week 42

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And an update

Yesterday was the last day of my radiotherapy treatments. Hooray hooray hooray. It seems to have been a long struggle, starting off very up beat and positive but slowly declining into a nightmare of side effects, but now its all over! I am free of daily visits to the hospital. I can concentrate on getting back to my old self (whatever that is).

The sun setting over Ashton Park on our way home yesterday
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So, a huge thank you, to all of you, from the bottom of my heart for every good wish, passing thought, prayer, positive vibe, card, post card, e-mail and/or Instagram. I am truly grateful. Not only did all the messages help me with the diagnosis and the treatments but they will help me back to blogging.
That old chestnut called insecurity will no doubt rear its ugly head but I’ll look at my box of hearts and they will give me positivity.

So, what’s new? What have you all been up to? Been on holiday? Had friends over? Started any new blog things? Any new memes? Anything I can join?
I have done some sewing, photography, leaf collecting and flower making (with the leaves).
I kept a daily diary which I made before my hospital stay. Oh! and I had my hair permed so that it would be easy to care for when I didn’t want to care for it. It needs re-doing then I’ll change my picture on the side bar.
I bought a new phone, I choose the iPad 5s because the camera is just brilliant.

I’m sorry I had to bow out of your Scavenger Hunt Rinda. I did get most of the items but ran out of concentration when it came to collating /posting them. I do hope you will do it again next year. I wonder if Joy & Eileen might organise a winter one again?

I see my flickr feed needs updating although Instagram seems to be OK.
My header could do with updating too. I feel a list coming on.

I have missed Pairs so I’ll start off my catching up with Helena’s lovely meme.
These made me smile. If you have seen them on Instagram, maybe they will make you smile again.

Edible

Version 2

Inedible

Seahorse – Version 2

We have had this little thing for 50+ years, long before we knew better.

Isn’t autumn just beautiful here and around the world? Instagram has definitely been a creative lifesaver for me. I’ve seen life continue, seen the season change around the world and made some new friends. For all of this I am grateful.

Of course I am also grateful for my life, my health and my family and friends. I’m not sure how I feel about ‘life after cancer’ or being ‘a survivor’. I have another procedure and follow-up appointments to come but right now I just want to join you all again in Blogland. That OK with you?

The sky here this morning
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Me on Monday

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Just to let you know how things are in my corner of blogland.

Me, on Monday 7th September 2015

Today is the 7th day of my course of radiotherapy. The treatment itself is painless, nothing to see, hear or feel. Actually, that’s not quite true. One of the machines that I am booked on could do with a drop of oil!
I have given up referring to the board that I lie on a bed! It is about as far away from a bed as you can imagine and no pillows, not one!
The daily grind up to the city is exhausting, the waiting around at the hospital takes some deep breathing and an easy going book to read. It is a four hour ‘round trip and I just want to get home afterwards. I had great plans to have a little photo walk every day but I can’t do that just yet.

Paul bought me some particularly photogenic flowers at the weekend.

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I am recovering well from the operation I had almost 8 weeks ago. I still can’t stand,(everything feels as though it’s falling out!) but walking is a lot better, no speed yet, my greyhound still overtakes me but come the end of September I hope to beat her up the stairs.

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I have attempted to catch up with some blog reading but find it impossible to concentrate. I miss you but some of you post to Instagram so I get to say hello to you. I have had so many good wishes, cards, e-mail and IG that it makes my heart swell. I have this dichotomy, I want to read your blogs, I want to contribute, but I can’t concentrate and that makes me sad. So to keep myself up-beat I have decided not to try to visit for another few weeks. I do think about you though.

You may remember that my son Ben ran his first 10K race in Cardiff this time last year? He has asked me to put his Just Giving page here on my blog. He wasn’t going to run to support a charity as he feels he has ‘only just’ asked but cancer has hit right at the heart and soul of his life so he is asking again.
I am so proud of him as you can imagine.

I am hoping to go to Bristol to cheer him on next weekend. Perhaps you would think of him and will him to Run Ben, Run!

This is the link to his page if you would like to make a donation or see a picture of Ben & I hugging a Shaun. 🙂

This is just a screen shot of his page, you can’t make a donation from here.

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It is a beautiful day here today I hope the sun is shining for you.

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I went for a coffee with a friend and we sat under this beautiful sun shade.

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Thankful for my friends, those I can touch with my hands and those I can touch with my heart.

Thanks to you all, I feel loved and cherished.

Needs Must

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“Why have we invested 50p in two bunches of dead dahlias?’ He asked shaking his head.

“To photograph their beauty and to press some petals of course!” I said

I took them home, sorted the good from the not so good, sorted long stems and short stems and kept some buds.
I took the small vase of short stems up to my room with my phone. The light was fading, much like some of the dahlias, but needs must.

I don’t have the energy yet to go out on a photo walk with my friend and our cameras but I know a garden full of dahlias which the lady of the house picks, and puts out on a table for sale. £1 a bunch if they are ‘alive’(!) She had been away and these two bunches were long past their best so she would only take 50p for them all.

It was a short car ride away, an extremely small financial investment, I had fun photographing them and this morning pulled off lots of petals and put them in my flower press. Oh! and hanging upside down in a bulldog clip are three buds, drying nicely in the breeze… more photo fodder.

Needs must as they say.

I still have a very large vase of the long stems yet to photograph. I just need a little more energy and some light would be nice, it is very overcast here today.

Dahlias

Thank you for the e-mails, I really appreciate them. Have nice weekends.:)

Me, Right Now…an update

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Four weeks ago today I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

A lot has happened to me during those weeks, but the last visit to the hospital on 29th July resulted in the knowledge that by removing my womb, my cancer went with it. Wonderful news!

I’m so glad I remained positive and cheerful throughout those 4 weeks, the many trips to hospital and the many phone calls both made and received. I am sure it will help me with the next steps.

The surgery also removed everything in the pelvis area that ‘you don’t need, including your appendix’ the surgeon told me. Unfortunately, I have been left with a “high risk” of the cancer re-occurring in the one place I have left. The top of my vagina, now stitched closed at the join where my cervix was and the lymph nodes in the pelvic area. So, the oncologist has advised me to have 25 sessions of radiotherapy to give me the best chance. As soon as I am recovered from the surgery the next stage will begin. 5 daily sessions at the Bristol hospital for 5 weeks.

I am praying for strength and positivity to get me through. Can I ask you to send your prayers/positive thoughts out to me again? You have all been so wonderful to me during the past few weeks. I have had so many cards, e-mails, comments on my blog and get well wishes on Instagram that I have been truly overwhelmed.

Before I went in to hospital for my operation I punched hearts out of card stock and wrote on the back of each one the names of my family, friends, blog friends, IG friends and people I hardly know then I put the paper hearts into a pretty box and took it with me. A box of love sat on my table for 5 days. Now I have put them into a box frame and hung it on my wall right here where I can see them each time I spend a little time on my Mac.

Thank you again for all the love. You are very special people x

Every heart carries a message of love

Box-of-love

I am still posting to Instagram, you can find me here.