So I have not been blogging for a few months, well since I came back from Switzerland and both me and Mum got Covid and after I recovered things went back to normal – well as normal as it can be and I never got around to writing.
But speaking to someone earlier this week reminded me that people do read my blogs and are interested in what I get up to so on this Platinum Bank Holiday Weekend where we are celebrating the 70 year reign of Queen Elisabeth II I decided to update on things present and things past.
Today saw 100 days since the War in Ukraine started and although its not the main thing in the news its still in the forefront of many peoples minds, war sees the worst and best in people and locally as well as nationally saw the generosity of everyone, I tried to do my bit by donating things that would be useful and somewhere there is a dozen of my hats made with Molly’s love direct from Yorkshire.
My garden has played such a major part this year, growing things shows that there is life and I have been getting my green fingers prepped – potatoes, cabbage, courgette, strawberries, raspberries, lettuce as well as beautiful flowers which are now all starting to bloom. On a bad day I can look out and know that I did that. This weekend its decked in all things jubilee!
March was a hard month with highs and lows. I got to see The Wanted in concert in Leeds and the beginning with my friend Liesl – Tom Parker missed this one due to treatment and being ill although he managed to make the final few concerts. Since seeing him twice before in London and Blackpool and knowing the severity of his brain tumour I knew that this could be the last time I would get to see him, the concert was still amazing but I came away disappointed. But it was still a shock when a few weeks later his death was announced. Such a sad loss, someone so young with a family. Today I finished the book he was writing at the time HOPE and he had so much.
Years ago I met a wonderful lady called Harriet who taught Pilates and did running weekends – now with the power of ZOOM she does different classes from home (or her studio) She has managed to create a fantastic CHAIR PILATES class for me and others who for one reason or another can’t get down on the floor. While I haven’t managed to do every week for 25 minutes I stretch, relax and feel I can still do some sort of exercise.
April saw Mum in hospital after a fall which gave her really bad concussion, this was a really stressful time and my team were in two minds whether to give me treatment as my blood pressure was so high but luckily both Mum and I are made of stronger stuff and we are still here! She still won’t slow down – I have got fed up of asking now!
May is always a good month – usually the weather is better but I at least got to see another birthday and have been taking up another new hobby (hats are only a winter thing. After a shout out on Facebook about the local Flowerpot Festival I went along to Watershed Mill where they have a studio to see if I could help.
I was immediately hooked – my love of power tools and painting coming to the forefront and after I had finished my first animal, a flying parrot (or something similar) I was on the look out for something else to do – Doris the Giraffe was created. Now I am doing two projects simultaneously, a windmill for the local jewellers and my friend Carrie and also a Sue Ryder Manorlands Nurse who will be on the trail outside my house, a nod to the hospice who will care for me and their fantastic nurses.
Last year I got membership for Leeds United Football club so that I could take my brother to see a match and they are fantastic at looking after their disabled fans. We managed to get 2 tickets – I was front row – for the last match of the season against Brighton. A match they couldn’t afford to lose, well with a few minutes to go they were 1-0 down so we decided to beat the masses and leave the ground (along with many others) We got on the bus to go to the train station when the bus erupted in cheering – trust us a goal in extra time, they got their draw. It still all hung on the last game as to whether Burnley or Leeds went down, playing away at Brentford they won – again in extra time. Reference for future always stay until the end! Membership bought for next season as they stayed up.
I had already booked a holiday to Gran Canaria hoping that my scans would have been completed by then and the results would have been back but an issue with my port and my local hospital saw me being referred to St James in Leeds – stressful in itself when the referral kept getting mislaid and the day before I went away it was done (although the contrast wasn’t a success) and results are due Monday. If results are good and I am stable then I can start planning for a further few months at least – change in treatment could mean that I would not have the flexibility as I do now.
Holiday was a huge success, I did nothing, went nowhere but the pool, the restaurant, the bar and my room. I read 3 books, watched all Selling Sunset on Netflix and met some lovely people to talk to. Being All Inclusive I also came back 7lbs heavier!!!
Other break aways included Liverpool with some fantastic ladies in my support group and meals out with family and friends. Hope to add to more of these memories in the coming months but guarantee I won’t leave it as long before blogging.
canmollyrun 