God's Promise

 God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

 God hath not promised we shall not know

Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;

He hath not told us we shall not bear

Many a burden, many a care.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

 God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,

Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;

Never a mountain rocky and steep,

Never a river turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Gillingham - wheres that?

My girlie is going to Kent - Gillingham to be exact. Yesterday she heard where her first 2 years will be spent. Her first year  will be at The Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham and she will work in A&E, cardiology and obs and gynae. A wonderful combination of jobs. There are not many opportunites to work in obs and gynae as an F1 so Chloe is very lucky to be able to do that. It all sounds quite scary to me but she is delighted. Her F2 year will be spent in Kingston and her jobs there will be sorted out nearer the time. As you can imagine we are now investigating all things Kent and have looked at maps and houses! I don't know Kent at all so it will be really interesting to get to know a new bit of England. My Grandparents were  born and grew up in Gravesend and the surrounding area so it will be great to go and visit some of the places they lived in. I hope to go and see the church where they were married etc... There is plenty of water for Ed which will be good for sailing when Chloe is working and when she is not! And a 45 minute journney into London for his work . So just the minor issue of finals to take care of and then she will be Dr Chloe - wow!

Today I am off to have my blood taken at the hospital (new forms have been written). I have to go to the hospital as I can only have blood taken out of one hand and it is quite tricky. At the hospital they use a tiny tiny needle and get it first time. So even though I have to drive into Reading and wait sometimes ages it is worth it.

This weekend Chloe and Ed home and celebrations for the new job. I am sure we shall be looking at houses too!

My weekend

Swans and ducks a plenty

 My weekend was really wonderful. It was so lovely to spend a whole weekend with Kitty. Slimbridge was great - still don't know enough names. We had lunch with Kit's friends Ruth, Matt and Becks who work there. They are very knowledgeable and I would have loved to have had a conducted tour with them. Passion for anything is very attractive and encourages you to join in. I WILL LEARN more names before I go again! 
We had the privilege of seeing the Somerset Cranes who have returned to Slimbridge possibly to nest. Everyone is very excited about this.

Berwick swans

 These 2 Berwick swans should have flown to warmer places by now but this pair are still here. Ruth thought it was because one is poorly and the mate is staying with it.
The flamingos are brilliant. They are like joke birds! I am not at all sure how they manage to stand up on their tiny, tiny legs.
We came home to the yummiest slow cooker casserole ever.

Flamingo

 Saturday was spent quietly - enjoying the peace and quiet of Kit and Shauns' house. It is so so peaceful - perfect for a resting day with a duvet and my knitting. I did venture out to see Kit's new allotment - which is coming along nicely. I did take photos but they don't want to download! I did have allotment jealousy and wished I could have one. I know Paul before you tell me - I would be a fair weather allotment gardener! But I love the idea.

Flamingos

 On Sunday we went to visit Mark and the girls. I hadn't been to his house for over 5 years and it was really lovely to see all the progress they have made. It is in an idyllic spot and they have a house built around their needs, all settled into the hillside overlooking Stroud. 

The girls introduced me to Moshi monsters and we caught up on all their news - relayed at 100 miles an hour as only children can.

Avocet and Stilt

 Nell made the most yummy rolls from scratch - all by herself. Only needing reminding to watch them in the oven. Paul Hollywood would be very proud of her - she is 11.

The train journey yesterday afternoon was PACKED - every space full of suitcases, bags, backpacks etc..... Thankfully I got a seat and the guard jiggled the bags to find me a space for my suitcase.

Lovely little stilt

 Today I am chilling -  I am very tired, understandably after such a busy weekend. I was also very sick this morning - ho hum! But I loved my time with Kitty.

Cranes

 This week - still trying to get my blood tested - I have lost my blood forms now! Oh dear! Lots of flower related activities, throwing away Easter flowers (which have lasted nearly a month), buying new ones and then flower arranging. Lots of seed related activities, I have planted first lots which are in the propagator, new ones to plant and some potting on this week. Hoping we see some sunshine to cheer us all up. Bible study restarting and Chloe and Ed home for weekend.

 This Wednesday Chloe hears where she will be for the next 2 years. I am excited to hear what that brings - just praying it is not to far away and not too far for Ed to travel to London. This is her last full week as a medical student. She starts revision time in the middle of next week.The end is so near! 

Josh and Debs move house next weekend. They are moving flats to Archway  - not far from where they are now but in a quieter area. I am looking forward to visiting soon to see where they are.

Smews - great name

Kitty and Shauns view

The garden

Mark's view

Weekend plans

So tomorrow off to Stroud for the weekend. I am really looking forward to spending time with Kit and Shaun. Hoping to have enough energy to cope. I continue to learn what it means to have chronic illnesses. I have been quite sick - randomly this week. A couple of mornings and an evening. It wipes me out for a while. I know in the big plan it is nothing but along with the tiredness and achy joints it makes something. It is the reminder that this is my new normal - never very ill but always a little bit ill! I am working on being content - right here right now but I am a work in progress! Not quite there yet! I am getting better at resting and timetabling rest into our diaries. I am learning to say no to evening things or if I do say yes then understanding that means I can do nothing in the daytime. I am learning patience - slowly! Maybe it will be my lifetimes work! But I am thankful for all that I can do and I try not to take anything for granted. Joy in each and every day.

I hope you all have wonderful weekend plans - which hopefully include a little sunshine.

Amazing Pete!

 

I would like to introduce you all to  my friend Pete. I am so proud of him. He has walked from Lands End to John o Groats all by himself.  It has taken him 2 months to cover the approx.1,200 miles. What an amazing achievement! He has been raising money for CLIC sargent who are a charirty for children with cancer and their families. If you would like to support this wonderful charity you can do it here 

https://www.justgiving.com/peter-Faulkner. 

He has kept us all engaged through facebook and we have been part of his journey. He has also taken photos every day, I think. The photos are  a wonderful picture of Britain today. He has coped with some of the worst weather and kept going through snow, hale, wind, rain, cloud and the occasional glimpse of sunshine. He has made forever memories.

WELL DONE PETE!

Changing - who needs it!

Thank you so much for all your texts emails and messages about my last post - I touched a chord for many of you. Life is so much about changing and this is just another change! My biggest problem is - I don't do change! I love stability and same! Even as a tiny child moving school when we moved house was a very traumatic experience and took me a long time to recover from. Thankfully I have a wonderfully stable husband to help me through. 

This week brings - Cameo, blood tests, coffee with friends, some knitting (photos to follow when I have finished) and next weekend I am going to stay the weekend in Stroud with Kitty. I am really looking foward to this - we are going to Slimbridge again to catch up with our feathered friends, a rest day looking out over her beautiful river and then lunch with Mark and the girls on Sunday. We are hoping for a bit of sunshine - if possible. A lovely week!

Slipping through my fingers

So today my girlie goes back to Portsmouth and I begin to grieve. I know it is a few months away but I can feel the pull of her new life, one that she has dreamed of, becoming reality. The next few months will be lovely as she comes home for revision and then her holiday but the end of July will all too soon be here. I have the privilige of having a wonderful relationship with my daughter, we enjoy so many of the same things and she is a great friend. I know this won't change when she leaves home and starts her new life but we will have to find new ways of spending time together, working around a very busy, exciting job. I have been so lucky to have had her around for 6 years after leaving school especially since she has been my near constant companion throughout my illness. Maybe that makes this moving on all the harder. It is the thing that they don't tell you in antenatal classes - you are giving birth to this lovely baby only to bring it up and equip it to leave you. That is your job! To prepare your baby for independent, adult life. I am looking forward to seeing her life unfold, to helping her choose her new home, hearing all about her new job but there will be that hole in my heart and that space in our home that will miss her. 

So if you have small children - hold them tight, make memories now for the time goes - oh so quickly, the sleepless nights and the tantrums pass, leave the housework and paint pictures.

And if you see me wondering in August with a tear in my eye you will know why - my girlie has moved on.I have done my job!

This song is from Mama Mia and we heard it first in the Summer before Chloe went to uni. I cry everytime I hear it!

Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while
The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
(slipping through my fingers all the time)
Well, some of that we did but most we didn't
And why I just don't know

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
Slipping through my fingers...

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Schoolbag in hand she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile...

Monday - rest

Lovely family day yesterday. We celebrated Easter and my niece - Talia's birthday. There were 14 of us at Joy and Matts for lunch. It was great to see everyone get stuck into some puzzles that Mark had bought with him. The hardest was  balancing 14 nails on a single nail - Ed was the only one to suss that (with a clue), Ben was the only one to manage the 4 piece puzzle making a T, after a lot of thought. It was great to see everyone working together. We had yummy food all day. It was such a shame not to have Josh and Debs with us though - we are always missing someone now.

Today is a resting day - Chloe and Ed have gone walking, Ben is revising and Paul is tidying up! I am in bed with the cat - reading.

This week - brings time with Chloe (when she isn't revising), blood tests to see how my red blood cells are doing without epo, tutoring, haircut and writing. A steady week.