Good News

The scan showed the tumours under control and I can have 6 months off ... still in shock, really. Amazing!

Last chemo for a while???

Today hasn't been too bad ... had a fun time with my Aunty B who brings me in, looking through my extensive collection of fancy shoes that I rarely wear .. cos she is going on a cruise and will be dressing for dinner every night (I imagine) she borrwed three pairs, and a gorgeous dress, which I am delighted to think of her swanning about it .. !

Barb stayed and did great service her keeping me company for a few hours, while the chemo was slowly go tgoing (staff shorages) but a lovely docotor who got good canula on inside of my arm, above wrist..

Mandy Jane came down about 4
then Mr K.
then Dr A.

then the lovely and gorgeous Mrs Wife ... last but not least .. she had governors' meeting tonight ..

So I've had plenty of company and texts and emails too from other family and friends ..
Feel ok -tired but not ready to sleep yet ... it's not easy.

Warm at last!

Aint this weather great?

I've eaten out on the terrace of the Trentham Italian restaurant (Terrazzo del Giardino) three times in a week! B and I went at the weekend, then I went with Celia F for lunch on Tuesday and we took Andy there last night. It is such a treat to sit out and eat there. Very quiet, calm, warm and surrounded by old trees, birds, the heady scents of gernaiums in warmed terracttoa pots, and garlic mingling on the air. It really feels like being on holiday, but only 15 minutes from home!

I had a lovely day in Cannon Hill Park with Jan yesterday too. Birmingham offers a range of treats. In deference to my tired condition we settled for coffee, cookies and ice-cream partaken between slow ambles around the lakes and gardens here, rather than our usual tussle with the City Centre.

ten foot of windows!

I know, we're obsessed -- but here ARE the lovely long windows:


















This gives a sense of the fullsize the open-plan look -- now all walls are down!




















This it the start of new wall between bedroom and living area

More photos

Birthday flowers for B, purple from her workmates, yellow and white from her brother and family.

First of the lovely wide windows at back of living area.

Same window, diff angle! really love this! The rear view is all trees, and this will be ten feet wide of windows when the other one is in to the left of it

poorly paw -- Chris injured his hand :-(

shed progress - inside

All photos are clicky to see bigger version.

This gives a good idea of how nice the new door looks inside, and the sense of bringing the outside. This bit will be the dining area.

B loves this - it shows how our new windows, not frosted or netted, will always allow us a great view of the trees behind.

B taking stock of the inside, standing where the kitchen will be and looking at where we're having the ceiling made "A"-shape to match the middle bit.

Ceiling, in need of a new beam and a bit of work!

The little windows at the back here are the only one's Chris has to fit now. They will be all the width currently covered by mirror as well as the two little window bits.

Where all the mess is now will be the main seating area ... eventually.

shed progress - outside

This week the windows got put in.

These old windows will be re-cycled into cloches for someone's garden.

The two new windows will be either side of our bed on the inside.

She looks so cute on her new deck.

We won't have two doors here for ever, the old one will be blocked off ...

These new patio doors look great, they open into the main seating area. and this other window will be above the kitchen sink.

Election Night

Tried to sleep but even though I've pretty well ignored this election I find myself unable to NOT listen. Mr K is asleep in the living room, so I am relying on the radio for results and analysis ..

Amazing news about some ppl being turned away at 10pm tonight .. so the talk of voter apathy seems also slightly askew to the reality in these wards.

I do, really, love the way the pundits try to build a story on the emerging news, instead of just waiting till the results are in ...

Gordon Brown's count just came in, and he is increased his own majority!

6.9% = swing the Tories need ... so far they're getting 3.9% overall. (1.52 am)

Guilford, "No 1 Top Target" for Libs against Tories ... stayed Tory with bigger majority .. so yet again the Lib-Dem surge is already looking like the myth it usually is!

Tooting, held by Labour, this seat is on the edge of what Tories need to get a majority, so good news they didn't get it! Gedling (sp?) also held by Labour, ditto. Ben Bradshaw kept Exeter .. and Bolton NE saved

1.54 am In Scotland and Wales the Labour vote is up, but it's down in England.

1.57 am pundits are busy talking about Brown making a co-alition with Lib-Dems (if enough of THEM get elected of course!) 60 seats declared so far, so less than 10% in.

2.09 am "If there's one certainty it's that Brown cannot carry on as PM" (in a co-alition context) I think this is Tory pundit talking, wish they'd remind us of who they have in the studio! Was it Ken Clarke?

2.18 Where Tories are trying to win seat from Libs they are failing, so far.

Will the Greens get Brighton?

2.22 am Signs of Tory wins from Labour, but ones quite high on their target list, not evidence of enough to govern.

Ohh I really should try to sleep -- I am suffering with tiredness in general, but not nec. sleepy, if you know the subtle difference!

bits of news

I updated my fitness blog today, with news of someone who is keeping fitter than me, our nephew Aaron, who has been cycling like mad this year!

We had hoped to go over and see them all in Ireland this coming 1/2 term break, but it isn't even certain that my treatment will be finished by then, so we had to back off that idea. A great shame cos we'd love to be cycling around the beautiful places where they live with Aaron and the rest of the family there. :-(

On the other hand we might be able to go to the shed. After a slow start Chris (the joiner) seems to be getting stuck into our work, and the windows arrived on site yesterday.

bank-holiday weekend

Crikey, where is the sun? Typcial bank-holidya frizzon of frost in the air here today!

I am struggling with tiredness, still .. but otherwise not too bad.

On Saturday we had enough sun to eat breakfast outside, which was lovely and B had lots of post to open for her birthday. We went to the Hollybush at Stockton Brook for lunch, which is rapidly becoming our fave place to go out ... the food is really good. Totally on the spur of the moment we popped down to Ann's Antiques and I saw a lovely diamond ring which I just HAD to buy for my wife, so she got double presents! It is lovely, and the price was "right".

Yesterday we went out with Kasia and Gary for lunch in Manchester, at a place called Albert's Shed. Seem to be on a shed theme these days! It doesn't seem like the obvious thing, but duck pizza is a very nice thing to eat! B ordered a rabbit dish and there was NO rabbit in it .. just piles of mushroom, so she had to have something else .. but we had a good time there and will go back.

We then bobbed around to see other mates who live in the Chorlton area in the afternnon.

Today, B's already been out on her bike, and I have done nowt .. the tiredness .. sorry, repeating myself, but it is just ever-present and getting on my nerves ... hey ho, hopefully only two more chemos to do ...