It's my lovely husbands birthday today and we are off to Stratford to see Twelfth Night. And it is not raining - hurrah!! 


We had a lovely time on Saturday in London - the ballet was wonderful - very funny. 


Great to see Josh and Debs on Sunday and catch up on their news. Hopefully we will manage to be all together again in a months time when Chloe will be home too. 


Chloe has 3 weeks left of her 4th year. Where has that year gone? She will then have one year left until she will be called Dr White. I'm not sure if I have said what her plans are. She will be using home as her base and living out of suitcases as her placements are in Guildford, Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester. Then study leave and finals next June - wow! In October she applies for her Foundation jobs. It doesn't seem any time since she was sitting on my bed with both of us in tears because she had been offered a place at Southampton! She has worked so hard. Ed begins  his new job in London in September - so it is all change. 

Saturday and guess what its raining AGAIN! Looking forward to a day in London with Paul, Chloe and Ed. We are going to the ballet at the Royal Opera House.

I had a wonderful day yesterday. It is great to be able to picture Kit in her new house which is SO like a holiday house. I love it! We sat looking out over her garden and river as a heron popped in for a chat. It even sat long enough to have its picture taken - photos to follow. Her house is so lovely and tidy and I came home to my messy house and wanted to tidy everything! (Not that I did of course). We could do with moving just to sort out all our rubbish (I mean treasured possessions) 


I am quite weary today so will try to rest a bit before our visit to London tomorrow. I could do with sleeping all night I am sure that would help. I haven't slept all night since I stopped dialysis. My kidneys seem to like working at night! I can understand why they used to use potties!! Traipsing down stairs 2 or 3 times a night is exhausting. (For those of you who haven't been to our house we have no upstairs toilet) 


Ben will hear his composition played today. As part of his A level music he has written a piece of music for a string quartet and piano. How amazing to write a piece of music and then hear it played for the first time. I am hoping he will record it for us to hear. 


Well I am off to start the day - slowly! Hope you all have exciting weekend plans - there is a wonderful world out there to explore - please make the most of it. You never know when you won't be able to. 

So excited - today I see Shaun and Kittys'  house - yippee!  I am off to Stroud on the train. It is a really lovely journey on the train. I love it. I am taking my knitting so that I can knit and watch the countryside as we go by. We live in such a beautiful part of the world. 


Today I am SO thankful for sleep and new days. Yesterday I was feeling very tired after some busy days but I have woken refreshed and ready for a new day. Hoping it doesn't rain all day! 


This weekend starts another week of business. 

• Friday - bible study and ladies who lunch with a bit of baking thrown in
• Saturday - Royal Opera House for the ballet with Paul, Chloe and Ed
• Sunday - church 
• Monday - Stratford - Shakespeare and a night in a hotel - lovely Paul's birthday 
• Tuesday - Stratford - sight seeing 
• Wednesday - all day hospital blood test first thing and renal appointment pm
• Thursday - to a friend for coffee 
• Friday - flowers and bible study 
• Saturday - sleep!!!
• Sunday - church 
• Monday - packing and sorting for Ben 
• TUESDAY _ HOLIDAY HURRAH!!!!!

My life is so full now. How ever did I have time to work before!!!! I am getting tearful just thinking about my holiday. To be able to go away for 6 days and not have to have dialysis is AMAZING. Please don't take holidays forgranted so many people can't go away because it takes too much organising for their care or because it just takes too much energy. We are so lucky to be able to go. And I am so thankful. 

This is Chloe's quilt - just the edges to sew. It is so lovely. I can't wait to see it on a bed.

The last few days have been full and busy. Tonight I am very tired. An early night I think before I go to Stroud tomorrow to see Kitty's new house. I can't wait.

We had a lovely weekend of sewing and quilts. Chloe got on with a quilt that she started quite a while ago which is really beautiful. I LOVE it. She now just has the edges to sew and it is finished and joy of joys it is to live in my house for now. How lucky am I!  The above photo was taking by Ed on his phone. It is such a lovely photo and captures Chloe's preoccupation when she is sewing. 


We went to a quilt show over the weekend where we saw some stunning quilts. They were amazing - so much work goes into each one. I have come home with a kit for a tiny, tiny quilt picture to make. I feel that I might manage that! Chloe was very inspired to keep going with her quilt making. I think it is a good job that she will be quite well payed when she is working as quilt making is not a cheep hobby! I will need to stick to little quilts I think! However my knitting has been going very well and I have finished Chloe's tank top which she is pleased with and will be perfect for wearing over shirts for placements at the hospital. My cardigan without sleeves which I started to knit for wearing in dialysis is nearly finished and will be useful for colder summer days. I love - making! 


This week - I am having coffee and lunch with friends, cooking and sorting with another friend, going to Stroud to see Kitty and Shauns new house,AGM ing  flower arranging and bible study, plus plenty of cooking, sewing and knitting and maybe a bit of tidying and ironing thrown in! . A full and happy life with no hospital appointments hopefully! I am nearly at the countdown to our holiday which is in 2 1/2 weeks time. I am very excited. I still can't quite believe that I will be able to go and stand by the stepping stones listening to the bleating of sheep and the trickling of water, surrounded by mountains. It was my 'go to' place at the worst of times and soon I will actually be there again. I am hoping for a bit of beautiful sunshine if possible too! 


I hope your weeks - whatever you are doing are full of joy and a bit of sunshine too. 

I am not sure what is happening to my blog - it has all changed. My last blog should have been all in the same colour and all the same size! Why do things change? Just when you are used to them!

Well it's Friday! Today flowers and bible study. Chloe and Ed are coming back this weekend to help with a charity auction tomorrow. And Chloe is back to play with the sewing machine!

My blood test results from yesterday are good and very reassuring. It is over 2 months since I had my last one and the levels are all stable. Even though I have been less strict with my diet it seems to be ok. The idea that a little of what you fancy ..... seems to be working. So rather than cutting everything out I have a tiny bit of those things I shouldn't have - occasionally. This makes eating a bit more bearable.

After my hospital visit I went to Hobbycraft and got some more bits to get on with projects. This weekend I hope to make a ruffle bag with Chloe.

I hope your weekends all allow you some time to stop hurrying and to look at all your blessings.

Mark Buchanan was was once asked what was his most profound regret in life?“Being in a hurry.” That is what he said.“Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing.… Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away.”

How true is this - when our life is lived in a hurray we miss so much. So many moments to treasure and hold onto - so many beautiful things surrounding us, provided for us to enjoy but we just rush past. So much missed joy. In this new life I am now living I am trying to learn to slow down and appreciate all that I am given each day. We are surrounded by so much to be thankful for. In our hurry how much do we miss. Even as my life gets busier - I am trying to remind myself to be slow and to appreciate the many blessing in this moment. What about you?

This week has been quite full already. Coffee with friends, cookery lessons with another friend, meal with house group, blood tests at the hospital but plenty of time to be grateful. Grateful for good friends, good food, a warm house, a gentle nurse, a new sewing machine and a God who loves me unconditionally.

Heaven is just a breath away. Paul and I chatted yesterday in the car on the way to Savill about heaven. So many unanswered questions. What will our new bodies be like? - will we know each other? - will we wake and Jesus will have returned and we will be part of a new heaven and a new earth? Thankfully we don't have to be worried because all things are in His hands. What we can be assured of is that we will be with Jesus and it will be glorious.

Back to earthly things! We went to Savill yesterday - but it was FREEZING! We had a lovely lunch and then a very short walk around. It was much too cold to linger although the sun was shining. No photos as I was too cold to get my camera out. Even the tulips to celebrate the Queens diamond jubilee had finished! So quite a disappointing time. However I did manage some shopping for presents which was good.

Today - tidying, putting away ironing done yesterday, cooking, knitting (just the arm holes to go). I am thinking of all my friends returning to work at schools today. I miss you.

So here is my apron - I love it. Although I don't think I will be wearing it to cook in!!! I loved making it. It is good to actually finish a project or two! I have nearly finished knitting Chloe's tank top which is the first 'big' knitting I have done in years. All my other knitting projects have been for babies, necks, brooches or feet!

Yesterday I enjoyed a lovely morning with a friend. Well it was nearly a day as the morning slipped into the afternoon with out me realising!

Today church and a visit to Savill Gardens with a bit of knitting and possibly some ironing thrown in!

This week brings coffee with friends, blood test (postponed from last week), flower arranging, tutoring, ladies bible study, housegroup meal, cooking and finishing projects.

I am nearing my 2 year anniversary of diagnosis. With breast cancer you have so many dates which are etched on your brain - diagnosis, first and last chemo, mastectomy and final treatment but for me I will celebrate that I am alive 2 years after diagnosis and continuing to get better. I am not sure how I will mark this - but I will. (Ideas on a postcard!!!!) I am SO thankful to be here and to be loving life in all its fullness. Our summer ahead is full of lovely things;

• Shakespeare at Stratford and an overnight stay
• Holiday in the Lakes
• Ballet and Opera visits
• Vincent and Flavia with my sisters and daughters
• Chelsea Flower Show
• Summer exhibition at RA
• Afternoon tea in London
• Olympics - rowing tickets
• Para-Olympics - swimming and stadium tickets

How can I not be grateful that I have so much? All of this is interspersed with hospital visits just to keep my feet on the ground and my heart trusting the creator of the world.

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well", Julian of Norwich

Not bad for 2 days sewing - these are Chloe's

first 2 projects on the sewing machine. My

ruffle apron is nearly finished - just 3 ruffles

to sew on. The sewing machine works like a dream

it is wonderful and very easy to use. It is now living here while Chloe has gone back to uni to finish her project, so I get to play a bit. I have also nearly finished the knitting I have been doing for Chloe - it is a waistcoat/ tank top to wear for placements next year. I am looking forward to seeing it finished now. How wonderful to actual finish a project!

Today is tidying, sewing, knitting, flower arranging at church, cooking and gardening day! Not sure I will fit all of that in! I am happy to be feeling so much better - just coughing nicely now!

Sorry for not updating sooner but I am a bit poorly. Nothing serious just a cold but I am feeling quite yuck. The radiotherapy may have scarred my lung so when I have a cold it feels quite sore which added to a sore throat and nose makes me feel a bit sorry for myself. It is nothing really but I am a bit whingy! Thankfully on Monday I was feeling fine and we had a marvellous day. We started with lunch in a little cafe type place in Covent Garden - the food was very yummy. Then some shopping in Lush(of course) and our first look at the 200 large decorated eggs which were displayed around Covent Garden. They have been designed and are being sold for 2 charities. Some of them were amazing and all so different. We then went and found our box - yes you heard correctly a box at Covent Garden. It is quite a different experience being in a box. You are so close to the stage so that you can see clearly the faces of the dancers and the wonderful costumes but you do have to lean forward all the time to see. It is also best if 2 of the 4 people stand to get a good view. We were seeing Alice in Wonderland and it was a-maz-ing. The staging was very clever and the costumes and make up were wonderful. It is a great ballet to take someone who has never been to a ballet before as the story telling is great. It was a really wonderful experience and at the end we just wanted to stay and see it all again to see all the bits we missed the first time - there is so much going on. Afterwards we looked at some more of the eggs before going for our Tapas meal which was very yummy too. All in all a magical memory making day.

Yesterday we went to collect Chloe's new sewing machine. It is wonderful - and can do so much. She is very, very pleased with it and has already made a ruffle apron - photos to follow! My material is all cut out for mine and just needs me to feel better so that I can sew it! Chloe's plan was to return to Southampton yesterday but has now stayed until Thursday to use the machine! It is going to live here as she will have her project to finish in the next month.

We are now on the countdown for our holiday to the Lakes - less than a month to go - yippee! Paul has bought me a new suitcase which I just look at to remind me that it is possible for me to go on holiday - I am SO thankful not to be doing dialysis.

My seeds are coming on well - next stage is to move them into the leanto green house preparing them for going into the garden when it gets warmer. The propagator has done a wonderful job and just speeds everything up.

My Kitty moves into her new house today - hurrah! It has been a bit of a stressful few weeks but they exchanged contracts yesterday! I can't wait to go and see it and then I will be able to imagine her there.

So today - a quiet recovery day I think. Hoping this cold won't stay too long - I have plans!!!! My life is too busy to be ill!

Wonderful evening yesterday seeing Katya and Pasha dance. We were so close to them - it felt like our television screens had opened up and there they were! They were joined by 2 dancers from a Sky dancing programme that I hadn't seen but they too were wonderful. One of the the highlight of the show however was the dancing competition when people from the audience went up onto the stage to learn how to dance. 6 couple went up including 2 little girls. The girls had brought their ball room shoes with them and were obviously used to dancing. They were wonderful and Pasha and Katya were lovely with them. Their mummy was sat behind us and was in tears watching them. We waited afterwards to take photos - mmmm mine are rubbish. I need to practise using my zoom! But at least I have a photo! The other photo is of some of the people I went with.

Our other major activity yesterday was the purchase of a new sewing machine for Chloe. We went to the sewing shop near cemetery junction where the man was VERY helpful. We will be collecting it on Tuesday. It is amazing what it can do. Chloe can't wait to get her hands on it. For the next month it will live here while Chloe finishes her project - so I will get to have a little go. Lovely!

It is now only a month until we go on holiday - wow! I just have to get through 2 more blood tests and a renal appointment!

Today - a bit of tidying, gardening(planting the little tiny plants that arrived yesterday looking a bit poorly) and slow cooking lamb for tea - yummy!

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

What powerful words - 'From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell or scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand.Till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand. '

This is my song today - its all about Him.

I am quite tired after 2 quite busy weeks. But I continue to do more and more. It is really lovely to have a life which feels more like normal. Our house is beginning to look more like it used to although we still can't see out of our windows!!! This week I have cleaned up after last weeks holiday, cooked cakes and soup, visited friends, helped out at a friends house, shopped with Chloe, knitted and flower arranged. I loved flower arranging today - it is amazing that flowers in buckets as above can turn into arrangements as on right. The church will look so beautiful on Sunday after 6 weeks of no flowers for lent it will then be transformed by yellow and purple flowers to celebrate that Jesus is risen.

Tomorrow I am going with friends to see Katya and Pasha dance - lovely. Saturday Chloe and I are going sewing machine shopping and Sunday we are going to Joy and Matts to celebrate Talia's birthday. On Monday we are off to London to see the ballet Alice in Wonderland. We have got a box for the first time - how lovely. More forever memories.

This is a family photo from yesterday(minus Paul and I). It is the best of quite a few photos none of them quite right - someone is pulling a funny face or not looking on everyone! But at least we have photos. We had a really lovely day all together. We don't very often manage that. For the first time we couldn't fit everyone around the tables and had to eat on laps. The food was lovely although it did feel like all we did all day was eat and make cups of tea! By the evening my legs and feet had swollen quite a lot. We had a bit of a kidney damage thought but then decided that hopefully it was because I had been on my feet all day. This morning it is much better so maybe it is just a warning that I still need to put my legs up at some point during the day. It was a reminder that trust is still a daily thing - the future is all in His hands. So today a slower, quieter day. It was lovely to be at the centre of my family - doing what I love.