So thankful for new days and God's hand guiding me. I have just looked back to 2 years ago when I had not restarted chemo after my renal failure. I was concerned that if I couldn't have chemo I would die. I am so glad that they changed their minds and I was able to have the 2 lots of chemo because here I am 2 years later alive and SO much better. I am living a near normal life - well as normal as I will ever have! 


A quiet day today after a busy one yesterday. Paul has just 3 weeks left at work. So it will be all change again as we readjust to that for a while. We are praying that he will be able to find just the right job at just the right time. (My right time is after he has done some painting of our downstairs! His right time is after the proms!) We shall see. 

 Goodness me I can't believe these photos were a year ago today! I have just watched a photo sequence I made last year and cried all over again - remembering what a special day it was. I am SO glad I was well enough to really enjoy the day. It was magical! 
Debs and Josh spent a night at The Hilton in Brighton on Friday evening to celebrate. Life is busy for them now as they get ready for their move to London at the end of July. It will be so much better for Josh then rather than the long commute he does at the moment.  I am looking forward to seeing their new flat. 


Chloe surprised us yesterday by arriving - driving Ed's car. Ed has kindly put her onto his insurance and she is going to take her test again. It is now a race between Ben and Chloe to see who can pass first!!!!!! 

She has a scary week this week - in intensive care and supporting the crash team. I expect some tears, but a great experience for the future. 


I am off now to make cakes, before the day really begins!  

Today church – I am doing prayers. Then slow roasted pork for lunch with Chloe, Ed, Ben Paul and I. Lovely! Then tennis – COME ON ANDY!

This week –

v     Hoping to see Olympic Torch relay in Reading

v     Cooking for Strawberry tea

v     Strawberry tea with our older ladies and gentlemen

v     Tutoring

v     Leavers concert at school

v     Hydrotherapy with a friend

v     Flower festival

v     Breakfast lunch with ladies

v     Flower arranging

A steady but busy week.

Guess what - it's raining again! Surely we have had enough rain now! We need sunshine. 


Yesterday was busy but good. I managed to fit in everything that needed to be done and felt quite glad when it was all over. What was extra good was I managed such a busy day after my busy day at Slimbridge. Very encouraging to know that I can still do more and more.

The flowers look really lovely in church this week. In summer we are spoilt for choice. It is such a joy to be doing flower arranging - learning a new skill in peaceful surroundings with lovely friends - perfect.

Today - a quieter day catching up on home stuff. Putting away the ironing I did at the beginning of the week! Might need ironing again!!!! Watching the tennis - glad there is a roof on centre Court! Looking forward to tomorrows tennis - although will we be able to cope with the tension!

Slimbridge from tower - including flamingos 

Nene - who fed out of my hand 

 These photos don't do justice to the wonderful day we had yesterday or show the variety of different birds we saw. Kitty had a much better camera and hopefully will send me some of her photos later.

We had a great time - much helped by Kit's friend Sally who acted as guided tour. It is a really wonderful place to visit and is great for children.

I saw so many different birds that I hadn't seen before.

Bewick's swans with Dougal 

Signets and many others 

Otters showing us that they can climb trees 

We also saw otters who put on a performance just for us - climbing tress and swimming under water below us.
It was also lovely to meet up with kit's other friend Bex who works at Slimbridge.

I am now going to be obsessed with birds for a while so that I can name more of them when we go next time.

I will add more details in my next post but I need to be off this morning to shop before doing flowers before ladies bible study. Our last study before the holidays - where has the time gone. Next week we meet for breakfast in our PJs at lunchtime! And yes I do think there will be photos!

So today I stop - I am exhausted again! I do love my busy days but....... 

My GP and I had a good chat about my blood pressure tablets and side effects and we have decided to try changing them. I take 3 different tablets to control my blood pressure (one of the functions of the kidney is to control blood pressure) all have side effects and you have to weigh up the pros against the cons! I am changing the one which seems to give me the most difficulties. We shall see! Thankfully my blood pressure was quite good when I went to see her so no big concerns at the moment. 

Paul is immersed in meetings about redundancy and getting a new job. It is hard to keep on being reminded of what is happening. I am already fed up with looking at the prices of everything!!!!! I know I should have always been doing that. In Tescos on Monday I looked at some of the people shopping and thought that this has always been their life and I have been so lucky! Shopping takes sooooooooooooooooooooo long when you have to check all the prices! 

Goodness this is turning into a poor me post! Really there is nothing poor me about my life. It remains wonderful - a life full of joys. I have so much. 

This picture was my lovely goats cheese salad on Monday evening - very yummy. I also had some illegal chips! Good food, lovely location and great company - what more can you ask for. 

Tomorrow I will be sharing my lunch with swans, greenshanks, redshanks, flamingos, godwits, avocets, sandpipers, grebes, little egrets, etc..... I need to get my bird book out so that I will know what I am looking at. I must remember my binoculars (thank you CA) Expect photos in the hundreds! Probably of dots on the horizon! I will also be sharing my lunch with Kitty! 

 Yesterday was yet another day full of surprises. It is good to go looking for joy - because you will find it. Sometimes in unexpected places. 


Church was lovely and we got to meet Miss Sophie Grace for the first time. She is SO beautiful. I am excited to see what God has in store for her. 


The drive to Guildford was fine - just a bit of scary lane changing near Bagshot! I haven't had to change lanes for over 3 1/2 years! I was very glad to be able to do it. 


It was good to be able to see where Chloe is staying and we popped into the hospital so that I can imagine her there. 


Then we ticked another cathedral off my list! Guildford Cathedral is a rather ugly building from the outside but it is stunning on the inside.

 Beautiful pale stone work and long arches complemented by simple but beautiful stained glass. They have some lovely art work dotted around the cathedral. It was very peaceful walking round - only a small handful of visitors. We also had our own organ recital -  an organist was practising for some of the time we were there. 
The flowers - as ever in cathedrals - were very beautiful. I did wonder what their flower budget was and if they had new ones every week. It would be lovely to be able to do flowers in a cathedral - with a lot of help of course! What a privilege to have such lovely flowers to work with. 


Then the unexpected bit of the day - a Teddy Bear shopping opportunity. I am not sure what to call it. maybe you all know about  these bears and their owners but it was new to us. Charlie's Bears. They had taken over the refectory at the cathedral. Charlie's Bears are collectable bears - all handmade - with rather expensive price tags. 

 The refectory was full of about 150 - 200 middle aged women clutching these bears - like children. They were stroking and cuddling them as if they were real. It was quite, quite weird. The bears were very lovely but.......... Chloe and I were both amazed! 


My drive home was also fine - just one point where I stopped thinking I had gone the wrong way but it was fine. I was very, very tired when I got home and I fell asleep watching the football! 

 Today - coffee with a friend, shopping, ironing, tidying, tutoring and a meal out with bible study ladies this evening. 


 This week I have Dr's appointment hopefully to sort out my BP tablets, tennis watching, helping a friend sort, a visit to Kitty's and we are going to Slimbridge, flower arranging and bible study. A steady but busy week. 


My hand is firmly being held as I trust for the future. I am having to keep remembering He is in charge. It is so easy to listen to the whispers of fear that creep into my thinking. 


I am realising how easy it is to spend money - it will be very good for me to think much more carefully about it. It is all the little things we spend which we or certainly I  don't need but just make life pleasant.