Saturday 30th June

Saturday 30^th June

Woke early as very excited about visitors staying and planning our day! The girls had breakfast and then we drove to the Merton for a swim. Needless to they loved it, and we ended up staying for lunch!

A fairly quick turnaround of ‘equipment’ and off to the beach, Archirondel seemed the best bet for being out of the wind- so after ‘depositing’ the three of them- hubby and I went to play a game of Pentanque. We played 2 games against each other (one each if you’re asking)! The wind was really strong on the green and a bit cloudy so we headed back to the beach to ‘rescue’ the family- and it was gorgeous down there!

The boys came in on their boat and told us of their successful catch of mackerel, lobsters and crabs, and so we made our way back home (just managed to keep both girls awake for the 5 minute trip!!).

The girls had tea and then a bath whilst the boys got ready to prepare the fruits de mer, of course it all snowballed from there!! Various friends arrived, BBQ was fired up, and beers cracked open, the usual impromptu party!!

Not quite sure of that spider crab!

“At the end of every party there is always a girl crying”                       Peter kay

Friday 29th June

Friday 29th June

How can ordinary old housework be so exhausting? Trying to get prepared for nephews arrival and look like I am fully competent as a hostess......in-between sorting my own 'brood' out!

Hubby and I have been choosing carpets for bedrooms, adventurous we are not....we have ended up with 'magnolia' walls and carpet to match (maybe with a touch of brown fleck) hold me back!

A trip to the local shop where I managed successfully to bump into at least 3 people and chat, had a delicious fresh food delivery of beetroot/cucumber and potatoes dropped at home-(Pdlh) and the promise of a pork and beans dinner arriving on Sunday!(CM) Thanks ladies!!

All that excitement I needed lunch and Wimbledon watching (was going to make 'fairy cakes' for my little Great Nieces but ended up sending daughter to buy them instead!). We went to collect them from the airport at 4.30pm- at five and three years old they are just enchanting (more girls in this male dominated house-whoop!) Of course lovely to see my nephew too, and in the role of 'daddy' one he plays brilliantly I hasten to add!

After a whirl of 'tea making' hubby and I went out for a meal with friends (pre- arranged) It was good to catch up with people not seen for ages, but equally very tiring- plus despite my tablet taking and mouth washes my blinking ulcers have come back- grrrrrr. Still a mild side effect compared to what others have to cope with, but irritating all the same!

“If your baby is beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on time- you’re the Grandma.                                  Theresa Bloomingdale

Thursday 28th June

Thursday 28^th June

Where to start, such a busy emotional day today! Felt a bit better this morning, less pain and more energy.

Went to the Macmillan coffee morning at the Lido, met some lovely people and had some very interesting discussions. Talked about different chemotherapy drugs and the adverse effects it has on your body- so far I have managed to keep my eyebrows and eyelashes (but they are thinning) whereas one lady who has finished all her treatment and her hair is growing back, said she lost ALL hair and the worst was nasal hair!! You would think it didn’t matter, but she couldn’t stop her nose constantly ‘dripping’! It comes to something when your 8yr old son tells you your nose needs blowing!! Plus, when it grew back it was really, really long- we did laugh (but not unkindly)!!

Lunch and a little rest outside with my sunhat/cream on before tackling house jobs to get ready for my nephew and great nieces that arrive tomorrow!

We had 5 of us in the garden, putting up scaffold ready for painting the outside of the house, hubby cutting the grass(he wouldn’t let me do it, said I’d not get the lines straight and I’d get out of puff!) Annoyingly he’s probably right on both counts, anyway our daughter calls very excited to say a photo of her with a cake that she baked is in the latest edition of Good Food magazine!! (Brownie point for mum for sending that in- well it was a ‘Union jack’ design and she did it for Liberation Day!)

This evening we had the Leavers Mass and prize giving at Beaulieu, a very poignant service, the girls all looked lovely and so grown up- and………….our daughter got the  Excellence Award for business Studies!!!! Just so fantastic, and very, very proud of her- a good day all round! 

To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.”
― John Henry Newman

Wednesday 27th June

Wednesday 27^th June

I was once an active, participating member of this family, or at least I thought I was! You know, one of the main cogs in the ever turning wheel of life…..   Competently able to direct sons to missing socks, a daughter to the elusive piece of homework, a reminder to hubby about his overflowing diary commitments and social engagements………….. Now I feel like a piece of flotsam or jetsam (what’s the difference?) on the seashore down at Gorey harbour!!

n maritime law, flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict describe specific kinds of wreck. The words have specific nautical meanings, with legal consequences in the law of admiralty and marine salvage.^[1]
Flotsam is floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo. Jetsam is part of a ship, its equipment, or its cargo that is purposefully cast overboard or jettisoned to lighten the load in time of distress and that sinks or is washed ashore. Lagan (also called ligan^[2]) is cargo that is lying on the bottom of the ocean, sometimes marked by a buoy, which can be reclaimed. Derelict is cargo that is also on the bottom of the ocean, but which no one has any hope of reclaiming.

Well, so glad I looked that up!! Let’s hope I don’t end up as DERELICT!!

I had an invitation to a ‘healing’ service at Church this morning, it was very calming and in many ways therapeutic, of course I was exhausted afterwards, and I had fully intended to supermarket shop….. However lunch and a rest was more important (even tidying the house and hanging washing out requires EFFORT!)

I have enjoyed looking at my new gardening magazines (thanks Jdlh) so even if my body is not able to hoe and weed and prune, I can instruct others!!! (Who am I kidding- they don’t listen!!)

Son no 1 enquired when his aunt was next over, and had she booked her flight? I thought that’s so sweet, he obviously misses her and is looking forward to her arrival this year. The myth was blown out of the water when he added – the gravel desperately needs weeding!!!!

Caught up with lots of work colleagues at Ransoms this afternoon, we can’t believe how fast this school year has gone, they only have about 3 weeks left before the end of term.  (My days/weeks blur into hospital/chemo/recovery cycles!)

“While there is a chance of the world getting through its troubles, I hold that a reasonable man has to behave as though he were sure of it. If at the end your cheerfulness is not justified, at any rate you will have been cheerful.”                           H G Wells

Tuesday 26th June

Tuesday 26^th June

Didn’t feel like leaping out of bed this morning, in fact felt rubbish all day!! Very little energy, Frankenstein legs, achy joints blah blah blah ………..

It was bound to happen and although half expecting it, still don’t like it!!

Did have a little visit on the bird table from the squirrel today, nice to see him/her enjoying the few remaining peanuts that the woodpecker and blue tits had left.

Had to have a morning sleep in the conservatory, how sad was that?! I did manage to tackle the ironing though and after lunch watched a bit of Wimbledon.

Half an hour in the garden was about enough before a kind neighbour PdlH kindly popped in and made me a cup of tea!

Accompanied my daughter to her swimming lesson, as needed to be in Highlands for an Induction evening by 7pm… worth attending, but not entirely sure how much information I absorbed…

Still, tomorrow is another day

" The amount of sleep required by the average person is about 5 minutes more"      Max Kauffmann

Monday 25th June

Monday 25^th June

Lovely sunshine streaming in the window at 6.15am, so after breakfast I dragged the hubby from his emails on the computer and had a walk down to St Catherine’s, we knew it was going to be the best part of the day and wanted to make the most of it.

I felt ok to partake in my aqua aerobics, it was a good class, even if the water was a little chilly, 5 minutes in the steam room after the class sorted that out ( wearing a bandana a necessity but not advisable!!) AND before you ALL have a go at me at even entertaining the idea of sitting in a steamy room, I would never go in on my own, or for longer than 5 minutes!) I know……. it’s because you all care…….

I dropped into school to see my work colleagues and of course the CHILDREN- so lovely to catch up and big hugs from lots of the men (and women) was a bonus! I did do SOME ‘work’ but equally lots of chatting- that’s exhausting even for me the ‘Queen’ of conversation!!!  

We decided on the spur of the moment (and depending on if I was feeling up to it) to go to the Opera House this evening and see Acorn Antiques. It was excellent, lots of talent, and lots of hard work goes into any production, well worth supporting. 

“Herbert Ross told me that I couldn’t act. I said, “Well, that’s no news to me. If you’re any kind of a director, you’ll make it look like I’m acting”.           Dolly Parton

Sunday 24th June

Sunday 24^th June

The three R’s are the theme of tonight’s blog, rhubarb, roses and rain!! Not necessarily in that order!

I did sleep last night (hurrah) and am tentatively optimistic about the 4^th cycle of chemo, I am feeling better today than I thought I would so long may it last!

A few household chores before Keep Fit with the girls this morning, felt more energised than last week, and of course enjoyed the exercise, especially as the rain meant I couldn’t do anything outside! Those kind girls gave me some roses to cheer me up, so sweet – thanks x

I had a lovely long ‘rest/sleep ‘ this afternoon before going out into the garden with hubby, good and bad news in the ‘veg’ patch I’m afraid, bad news is the turnips have rotted(hubby not too bothered not his favourite!!) The good news is the rhubarb is fantastic- we pulled loads of stalks, and made a crumble, and still had some to share with the family!

 "I was flattered to have a rose named after me until i read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but perfect up against a wall"                             Eleanor Roosevelt