communications

ppl trying to phone us need to know that our land line is unplugged for technical trauma reasons (that means I dont really know what is wrong with the bloody'thing! )

and you can either use our mobiles or tinternet to talk to us ..

Christmas Day

This time last year we sat on the cliff tops by the Atlantic eating crackers and salsa for lunch! We were in Lanzerote and had been rough tracking on the bikes along the volcanoes by the cliffs and beaches near Papgayo.

This year was a return to more traditional matters, which seemed a bit odd to be here for Christmas without Mr Kettle! We both missed him!!

We had a mini-platter in his absence, with all the traditional trimmings of turkey and stuffing, with lots of various veggies. Seems we were too busy doing the cooking or eating it all to take any snaps, so you'll have to make do with these photos of our tree and other decorations!

We hope you all had a very MERRY Christmas, and wish all our family and friends a very Happy New Year.

Snowy

Had a pretty grotty, disturbed night, up for three hours with repeated toilet tripping .... YAWN .. but the day dawned bright and sunny and we went out yomping in the snow ..

This is the moorland at the back of our house ... notched up 7000 steps on this outing!

You can also see the value of the SKI PANTS!

It was very bright when we set out, but changed quickly as the clouds rolled in...

festive finery

got to hospital today and there was a guy with lights and tinsel on his stand ... so I got B to get some for me ...

cute, eh? it's a snow theme

Good weekend

Spent a great weekend with the Two Jays ...

Did some walking around both the Roaches and the Lake at Trentham. Ate out lots too, the Tea Rooms at the Roaches are open every day of the year now, except three days over the festive period .. which is good news!

Must admit it looks like we are entrants in a comedy hat competition, but I don't care ... I even wear this bonnet up 'anley duck, and ignore the stares and sniggers!

Visitors

A slight change from the usual crowd this week:

one loss adjuster,
two sexy Celias,
three carpet fitters
four feisty cleaners
five delivery guys,
and an engine load of firemen

Crikey!

The Celias were obviously the high spot of this melody ..

Celia F knows how to do lunch - we'd already arranged that she would come over on Tuesday and she generally brings food with her, when she comes. I called her on Monday and alerted her to the severe kitchen crisis: nothing daunted she shifted her food plans.

She swept in here on Tuesday with a big flask of home-made soup, some chunky ham rolls and individual ramekins of apricot and brandy trifle. Plus the cakes and mince-pies in a tin as well! Awesome, as I'd say if I was American ..

The trifles looked amazing, heaped high with whipped cream and toasted almonds, the miracle was that they'd travelled at all, but Celia has a knack with packing as well as cuisine! The brandy in the trifles was my first drop of alcohol for 18 months: surprised I wasn't tipsy!

Thanks Celia.

And progress in the kitchen means it is all clean, the new flooring is down and the cooker is plumbed in .. so if you don't look up and see the smoke damaged ceiling, or spot the singed work-surface you'd just think I had a very clean kitchen!

Come Dine with Me

I love that programme (perhaps a bit sad to say?)

I think I'd be a natural for it, friendly enough and enjoy cooking and eating!

I also reckon I'd be good for the comedy element .. take this Friday Night, for example, from which I have learnt these two tips which I offer to you too:

However lovely your recipe, and however keen you are to get to the table, when you've cooked it

1. make sure you turn all gas jets fully off ..

and

2. if you accidentally leave gas jet slightly on, DO NOT put plastic chopping board on top of it.

If you neglect these two bits of advice you will find yourself with a kitchen fire and two fire-engines outside for the evening ..


I kid you not, this is what happened to me on Friday evening.

I have spent the day dealing with insurance ppl, though hats off to them, the Co-Op and LV have been great so far!

Stepper

I recently put a new battery in my stepper as part of my "Keep Moving" campaign and went around the lake at Trentham yestersday. I was amazed to find this "proper"walk only clocked up about 5,000 steps, and strolling to Bourne Sports and around Sainsburys in Stoke ratcheted up 3,000. Quite a surprise that these were so close.

I am going to log my daily steps as a way of keeping an eye on my campaign. If you are interested in this anorak-y stuff I am going to use the fitness blog as my notebook for my stats ... http://suzeblogfitness.blogspot.com/

I've done two little bike rides this week and should get another one in this weekend with Brigid, but whatever you do on a bike doesn't really record on a stepper.

Today we are awaiting the arrival of B's mum and David. They've been in the Lake District, just outside the worst of the flood areas.

Phew

Good news all round. I feel better now. Vesuvius rumblings from belly have subsided and I don't feel too sick any more.

Even better: Dr Adab's ideas on the timings of the treatment were laughed out of court by the nurses, who have planned three week gaps so that hospital and patients alike can get a break over Christmas. This is great, means next chemo will be starting on 15th Dec, then off until the 5th Jan.

Even better better: I've been able to do walking or cycling most days, and am optimistic of sustaining my drive to keep moving more through this lot of treatment. The new regime hasn't made me feel any worse than the old one did ... well better, in fact, since the sore hands and feet scenario it taken out (Vesuvius belly isn't as bad as a trade-off!)

My ride today included bobbing into the college car-park to collect my bike lock. Tho I am too scared of germs to risk going in, there are always a few chaps loitering in the car-park to banter with ... :) guess who I saw?