Lorna and Micky Our-loma

Belated anniversary

2012-02-09T11:33:00.002Z

I realised yesterday that 7th February was the anniversary of my first blog entry. The past two years have flown by and yet at the same time it seems light years since we had a life without the dreaded M.

So Happy Anniversary Blog. Thank you for all the support you have given over the last couple of years, without you I would have gone completely crazy, well crazier than I already am.

While I'm here I might as well give you all the answers to What's That ?!?

This is the hairs on the style of a snap dragon, which until the weekend's snow, was bravely still flowering. If you look carefully you can actually see a grain of pollen on one of the hairs.

This is the gills on a chestnut mushroom that I had lurking in my fridge.

Well I'm tired now. Life is not easy at the moment, but it isn't something I want to share. I'll be back when the Spring comes with photos of my garden. Take care everyone.

What's That ?!? 2012 week 3

2012-02-03T16:40:00.003Z

As no-one has yet made a guess as to last week's teaser I'm going to give it another week before giving out the answer.

This week there are three photos of the same thing, just different angles as it were.

There seems to be a weird dot at the bottom of each photo which I'm guessing is something to do with the camera that came with the microscope. Very strange!

Thank you Buddy

2012-02-02T10:37:00.000Z

Dear Bud,

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I got the parcel this morning. I gave it a quick sniff to make sure it wasn't dangerous and then this is what I did:

Can you tell how excited I was?

Love Toni x

What's That ?!? 2012 week 2

2012-01-27T09:09:00.003Z

Yes it's Friday again. The answer to last week was......... one of my eye lashes. As you can tell I don't get to wear much make-up these days, if it had been my daughter's you would have seen layer upon layer of mascara!

This week I have two pictures of the same thing.

Talking of what's that, I had a "What's that?!?" moment on Saturday when I was tidying the bottom of the wardrobe. Who of you out there remember these;

I mentioned them back in February 2011, but of course I'd forgotten all about them. Well I decided to strike while the iron is hot and so far we have;

A back and most of a front. The bigger needles make me feel really clumsy, but I've got to admit, they don't half make it go quickly!

What's that?!? 2012

2012-01-20T10:53:00.000Z

Firstly, Mike is now much better, well his chest infection has gone at least. My memory continues to be a real problem. It is partly because of it that I blog so infrequently, I either forget to start a post or forget what it was I was going to say. It is so bad now that I often end up giving myself a migraine with the stress of trying to recall where I've put something.

Now that the jumper/dress is finally finished I have started on a pair of socks, surely they won't take me a year? Luckily the pattern repeat is very small and I can manage a set of rows before I put it down, that and a tally makes my memory less of an issue.

I forgot to mention previously that my Christmas pressie from Mike was a microscope which has a small camera that connects to the PC. I am now able to flummox you all with a new season of "What's That!?!" posts. How exciting is that?

Yuk!

2012-01-09T10:24:00.000Z

Poor Mike is still feeling really rough. The paracetamol has given him a HEADACHE and the antibiotics have made him feel sick. He managed to eat 1 cream cracker yesterday and so far today nothing. He has been taking antisickness tablets, but they don't seem to have helped. At least he'll lose the weight he put on over Christmas!

I finally finished the knitting I posted about here. The finished article however doesn't look anything like the idea I had in my head when I started it. I got number 3 daughter to model it for me in the hope that younger curves would improve it. On the plus side it is warm and no-one will see it under a long coat.

2012 - Year of the owl

2012-01-06T00:30:00.000Z

Happy New Year to you all. A bit late I know, but I'm still waiting for my new brain to arrive. Whoever said ignorance is bliss didn't have a clue and the current TV adverts for dementia aren't helping my confidence!

It will seem at little strange then to read that my only resolution for this year is to learn. I realised a couple of weeks ago that despite being an "adult" for 30 years, I am still making some of the same mistakes in my life. So I decided it was time I started to learn from those mistakes. I also want to learn new skills. I am totally addicted to Strictly Come Dancing and yearn to be able to dance. I want to re-learn how to crochet, I seem to have forgotten everything my nan taught me. I want to learn about the people and world around me. I simply want to learn. (I'll probably forget most of it mind you.)

On the health front all seems to be well, but of course like everyone else in the same situation, we tend to find ourselves waiting for the next appointment once the blood tests have been done. At least Christmas was quiet this year, I think it may have been the first one when no-one had a cold or felt like "death warmed up" during the festive period. The only problem we have now is post-Xmas blues, the house looks so bare without the decorations.

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be able to show you the finished article that I started back in 2010!!!

Addendum as at 7 p.m.

Mike started to feel ill just after I blogged and is now on antibiotics and an inhaler for a chest infection. Temperature after paracetamol 38.2 C. Remind me never to blog all is well in the future!

It's on its way. Yipee.

2011-12-22T13:49:00.000Z

Well yesterday was the shortest day so that means Summer is on its way. Yipee. But before I get carried away, I think I had better check how Christmas is doing.

Cards made and posted - check.

Presents all wrapped - check.

Food in cupboard and fridge - well apart from Christmas lunch, we're collecting the meat tomorrow, check.

Food for Christmas Eve - check. This year we are having an Italian Extravaganza. Homemade pizza, lasagna and tiramisu for dessert, and anyone who has ever tried my pizza knows that it will be a meal fit for a king. Now that my eldest two have left home, Christmas Eve is the only chance we get to sit down as a family.

Christmas cake made and iced - check.

So yes, it all seems to be under control this year. It's hard to believe last year was so very different.

Tale of two cities, a fairy tale.

2011-12-16T11:02:00.000Z

Home-made Christmas continues. Daughter number 3 claims she has never, ever glittered and that I am a bad mother for not allowing her to cover my carpets with shiny stuff. So this year she made up for it by glittering all her friend's cards, especially her best male friend's (who is more Gok than, well Gok).

What hasn't gone well is the idea of homemade food presents. Daughter number 1 has a gall bladder problem and is on a restricted diet, Paula as we know is in hospital and sending cookies to Roo and FL given FL's sore mouth might be a tad cruel. I am currently trying to devise a Plan B.

Plan B may include elements of my latest fad, up-cycling or as some might say, good old-fashioned make do and mend. Once upon a time this princess went to parties and the occasional university ball. I had a gorgeous purple silk dress, which I was keeping for a special occasion. My choice of storage was not the best though. The plastic sealed crate kept out the moths and dust, but not the sunlight and my beautiful silk dress became sun bleached. I was going to throw it in the bin until I realised I could unpick the seams and use the silk panels "inside out".

Sun bleached patch. Photo doesn't capture the true colour purple!

I used two of the unpicked panels to line a basket which I bought from the local charity shop for £1.99!

I then filled the basket with wonderful goodies. Single Christmas puddings, jams, fruit teas, cakes, scones and pots of custard.

The basket was then taken, Little Red Riding Hood style off to a poorly patient.

The poorly patient was of course Paula in Liverpool and we did meet a wolf (of sorts) on the way too. As we arrived at Lime Street we spotted several policemen and one of them had a sniffer dog. "Crikey" I said to Mike, "what will he think of our basket of food? Maybe we'll get stopped." Before we reached the dog however, the "wolf" decided that a young gentleman, with his jeans hanging below his boxer shorts, was a far better meal. The "wolf" quickly wrapped the lead he was wearing around the young gentleman's legs and as we passed the officer was explaining to the gentleman what exactly it was that the "wolf" could smell!

We found Paula sitting up on the bed with several VERY large balls of yarn, busily knitting a horse blanket, well she said that was what her Auntie Anne had called it. She seemed in extremely good spirits and was hoping, everything crossed to be home for Christmas, with just the three weekly trips for dialysis. Luckily she didn't turn into the big bad wolf, although it was a possibility when B turned up with her requested sponge. When she opened the bag what should she find but a "body buffer" you know, those weird plastic net things that claim to exfoliate your skin.

My favourite moment though was while Mike was talking to Paula about getting curtains dry-cleaned. The little old lady across the ward was being visited by her husband. Enid was telling him she had had a shower that morning and then asked him "Have you had a shower today, only you smell of poo!" How do you laugh hysterically without drawing attention to yourself? Luckily Enid was very deaf!

After four hours of boring Paula and much later B. we decided around five o'clock that we should head off and find something to eat before getting the train home. We ended up having steak and chips in a Weatherspoons pub, before starting to walk back to the station. All would have been well, had we not spotted McHales, an Irish American bar we had first frequented during New Year 2005/6. A couple of pints later and we were dancing with the rest of the regulars. It seems that lots might have changed in the last 6 years, but the welcome in that bar isn't one of them.

Only problem was we missed the train we were planning to catch and nearly missed the one after that!

Dough or should that be doh?

2011-12-09T09:51:00.001Z

Mike: I'm going to feel like a fruit pastille later.
Lorna: How come?
Mike: Cos I'll be in a tube.

Boom-boom.

Yes today is the day Mike gets a MRI of his spine. Rather him than me! Breathe Lorna, breathe.

--------

Does anyone else have those moments when they go to a cupboard, drawer, box, (insert own container at will) to get an item they KNOW they have got only to discover they must have dreamt it at some point? Well I had one of those moments yesterday. As I mentioned I was testing the recipe for some Christmas biscuits, which were supposed to look like this:

I was 100% sure I had a star shaped cutter. Definitely got one, well definitely not. I should point out now that even if I had found my star cutter, they would not have been iced quite so perfectly! In the end I just used a good old round one.

I'm glad I test drove the recipe as it called for the biscuits to be egg washed, which personally I think looks awful. Daughter number 3 and I tried drizzling chocolate over them in an attempt to make the plain ones more interesting, the taste is like a poor shortbread. I also adapted the last bit of dough by adding almond essence (you probably guessed that from the flaked almonds!)

Back on track

2011-12-08T12:27:00.000Z

Well after Tuesday's rather sobering post I thought I'd better get back on track and tell you all about my Christmas preparations. The card making is going well. I very quickly used up the eight cards I had bought from Lidl and had to move on to some much smaller ones, finances were such we could only afford small ones. I was going to show them to you, but I made a bit of a boo-boo by forgetting to take photos of most of the small cards before I sealed the envelopes, whoops. You'll just have to take my word for the fact they were fantastic!

One of the larger cards for "Special People"

I am still aiming for a certain degree of homemade Christmas but yesterday I realised that maybe a recycled Christmas might almost be as good. Now I know that for some people second-hand is "dirty" but if that were the case, why would anyone buy antiques? Why would you join a library? OK you get my drift. So yesterday we toured the charity shops. I have to say it was a very productive afternoon.

Well I'm off to test run the Christmas cookies, got to make sure they work and taste OK. I'll post photos tomorrow.

What a difference a day makes.

2011-12-06T11:36:00.004Z

Today's contribution has very little to do with Mike and his Myeloma, other than to say that this time last year Mike was due to start his SCT holiday, but had been told there wasn't a bed and call back tomorrow. We called back tomorrow fourteen times in all, they didn't expect us to call weekends. No today it is all about me and a remark I put on facebook late Sunday evening. I quote:
"I had such fantastic plans when I was a naive thirteen year old. Thirty-five years later I am just sad I achieved nothing. Too late now."
That little remark caused a deluge of comments, which I appreciated, but I realised that there was no way I could explain the remark on facebook directly, there just isn't the space! So in the words of a singing nun "Let's start at the very beginning....."

When I was born in 1963, my parents were living with my maternal grandparents in what I recall was a lovely house opposite a field (Highfields School took the field over from what I can tell on Goggle maps.) I recall riding on the back of a neighbour's dog in the field and picking buttercups and daisies. By the time I was two and a half, I had been joined by two younger sisters who were only eleven months apart and my father had gone, leaving us for an older woman who didn't have children. More on that later*. In May 1966 my parents divorced and soon after the council offered my mother a 3 bedroomed flat in Blakenhall Gardens, those who know Wolverhampton, will know what became of them later.

The flats were brand new, with underfloor heating, a play area just outside and a fantastic launderette that we were given a weekly slot for. My dear nan and granddad decided to give up their lovely house and move into the flat next door, so that my mom would have help. In 1966 people still didn't get divorced and the stigma was immense. No charity for single mums back then.

Of course a third floor flat is not the best place for three young children and inevitably there were complaints from those living below and those living above about the noise and so in 1969 my mom was offered a house just a short walk away from the flats, which she took. It had a garden and three bedrooms, but the bathroom (and I mean a room with a bath) was off the kitchen downstairs and the toilet was outside. As a six year old it made no real difference to me. I just got on with life, as children do and it wasn't until I was older, maybe 10, that I realised things weren't quite right. My mom would never let me have friends round. No birthday parties for us. My sisters were like twins, so close in age they naturally bonded themselves together leaving me to play alone. I was late learning to read, but once I had mastered the art, I spent hours losing myself in the pages of a fantasy. I realise now that the reason we were not allowed friends was two-fold, my mom didn't have the money to feed another mouth and she was ashamed of the house. Things of course could only get worse.

In September 1974 it was off to "big" school. I had been decided by my teachers, my mom, my grandparents and because of their pressure, me, that I would be going to the grammar school, Wolverhampton Girls' High School. What a culture shock. I had attended a primary school where there were other children just as poor, a fair share of mixed race (even then), Asian children who had to attend parents' evenings to translate for their parents and the more affluent children who's dads were doctors and lived on Goldthorn Hill. At WGHS there appeared to be no poor girls. No English as a second language (makes me giggle to think how they would have been dealt with). Minority group? I felt like I was it. The only way I could possible cope with the weight of it all was to lie. I am so ashamed to admit it, but that was what I did. I lied about my horse and my riding lessons. About an uncle who had a farm. I was caught lying and lost friendships but it didn't stop me I felt I had no choice. How could I tell the posh young ladies (we were all young ladies now) that I had to go outside to the loo and use a potty in winter as the toilet would freeze solid overnight, waiting for someone to pour a kettle of boiling water down it so the potties could be emptied. I dreamt of a much better life, but I was so naive. I heard on the news that miners got paid a fortune and so I jokingly told someone I was going to be a miner and get rich. I never lived it down. I wanted to be an astronaut or "Quincy" but I just wasn't bright enough. Time passed and things of course got worse.

By the time I started my periods on my 14th birthday the inevitable teenage hormones had started to cause the B.O. that so many adolescents suffer from. The weekly bath and only one set of school clothes meant keeping my uniform fresh was a real issue. My mom couldn't afford to heat the water for another bath during the week and so it was wash in the kitchen sink or nothing. But what pubescent girls wants to wash in the kitchen being watched by two younger, cruel, teasing sisters? How could I wash my clothes when I got back from school at half four in the evening and have them dry by 6:30 in the morning? So I did the best I could, but it wasn't really good enough, and so I became Pepe Le Pew.

In 1978 I did meet a boy at a youth club. Unfortunately I cannot remember his name. I wish I could, I would apologise to him if I could. You see this lad was black and the second my mom saw he had walked me home I was given a good slap and told if I ever saw him again she would throw me out. I never went back to the youth club, I wish I had, if only to explain it wasn't me. The trauma of that experience made me go to the hairdressers and have my hair cut like Servalan from Blake's Seven. Bearing in mind my hair was in pigtails up until this point, it was a very brave or stupid thing to do!

Servalan at her best.

We eventually moved out of that house in 1980 when the council finally decided to modernise it. I'm sure we were the last people in Wolverhampton to have an outside loo, but I can't prove it. Sixth form was therefore a much better experience, yet I still left school feeling inferior. I tried desperately to join the Civil Service, to no avail. I thought about the RAF, but the teacher in charge of careers said I wouldn't like it and I listened to her.

Now the point of all that waffling is that today I read Denise's post about regrets and I decided I don't want to have them. My past has left me with a feeling of inferiority, with an inability to make friends and keep them. But I can't keep letting my past determine my future. I want to forgive, if not forget what happened and I'd like all those I did wrong by in the past to do the same. So Ros, Michele, Janet, Debra, Julie (both of you), Heather and anyone else from school I've forgotten to mention who reads this, please forgive anything I may have said or done. My memory is very poor about most things relating to school, I reckon I've deliberately forgotten most of it, although I do recall Michele setting fire to her nails in Biology.

*I almost forgot to tell you more. When I was about to get married aged 21 (far too young) my mom informed me that it was my fault my father had left as he had never wanted children and so I was to blame for her not celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary! Oh yes, I was really wanted.
Well I am now. Thank you my darling Micky for showing me just how much you can love someone.

Ah-ha!

2011-12-05T20:42:00.000Z

I think I now know what Little Miss P. has been doing instead of blogging.

I had read about "Graffiti Knitting" earlier this year and seen some of the evidence on the web thingy. The local group responsible for the Bullring's dressed bull had tried to do it "guerrilla-style" but had been marched away from the shopping centre before the bull could be clothed. You can read more about the group on their blog stitches and hos. I think he looks fabulous and maybe they should give local designers a chance to have a go. Gok Wan eat your heart out!

So soon?

2011-12-03T10:14:00.000Z

Now Pat was a PROPER postman.

It seems I may need to get my skates on. Having checked with the enigma that is the Royal Mail, I appears that Monday 5th Dec is the last recommended day for Christmas post to Australia. That's airmail not surface mail! Mike didn't believe it could take so long. I reminded him of the cheque book saga. I order new cheque book, two weeks later still no cheque book, phone bank and order another, five days later second cheque book arrives (I know this as I was told what the first cheque number would be). Two days later first ordered cheque book arrives, by which time I had already called bank and had said cheques cancelled. Oh yes, our postal service goes from strength to strength.

Our (by which I mean my) homemade Christmas is progressing very slowly. With the exception of the cake, which I made on "Stir-up Sunday" there is very little I can do yet on the food front for fear it won't keep. A bit of a nuisance as I planned to give food presents this year. At least I've made a good start on the cards, just as well given the above fact.

Eat your heart out Delia.

The above cake has already been "fed" with brandy twice. I might need to do the same if things don't pick up.

The Advent Calendar of Life.

2011-12-01T13:35:00.001Z

Despite very severe digging in Mike's "floating" ribs he failed to pass on the following remark:
"For those of you who might recall my previous post about my memory, Dr Cook didn't play the ukulele or turn into an orangutan."

Well December has arrived and yet again we are all left wondering where the last year has gone. Last year we were getting ready for Mike's little holiday, and from Dec 6th onwards we opened the little door on the calendar and wondered if today was the day he'd get a bed. Thank goodness we don't have that to worry about this year. Instead we have others in Myelomaland in our thoughts. Most of you who read the blog will already know that Paula is poorly in hospital, that FL is waiting for his appointment and that Sean too is once more enjoying hospital food. There are others who we know, who don't blog like Sharon, who once again is trying yet another drug having had radiotherapy on yet another plasmacytoma. Yes life is definitely like an Advent calendar and none of us knows what is behind the door for tomorrow.

OK now that's been said I'll get onto something else completely different. Originally I planned to try and share my attempts to have a partial homemade Christmas, but I'm not sure I will have enough homemade stuff to show. So if you will all humour me, I'll do my best to keep you all entertained with my humble attempts.

Today I would like to share the wreath I have made for the front door:

I'm not sure how long it will last so I've got a back-up plan ready.

An awful lot of Myeloma

2011-11-28T22:02:00.001Z

Hi again to the world. This last few days has seen Lorna and I immersed in a whole load of Myeloma.
Firstly we spent several days putting together the CD's we are doing of the "Crossroads" single Lesley Roley recorded for us. The art work and the Technical stuff was done by the intelligent half of the relationship,(Lorna, for those who don't know us) and I did the E:drive in and outs with the CD's and pressed the copy button. Then it was off on Friday night to the Hilton Hotel at Birmingham NEC for the meet and greet session prior to the full Myeloma info day starting at 9.30 on Saturday morning.
A funny thing happened on the way to the meet and greet session. I had booked a hotel close to the Hilton, as it was FAR to expensive to stay there. Only "close" was a £15 taxi ride, because my knowledge of B'ham is a bit sketchy after only living there for 50 years! Things have moved a lot in the last 6 years, well I'm sticking to that as my excuse. We met Ellen and Rebecca from Myeloma Uk, who kindly bought us a beer and a wine, and we also met Kevin and Ann, fellow Myeloma patient and wife and we all had a lovely chat about 8 mile runs and things....... not mine or Lorna's I hasten to add, as we are only play walkers.
Saturday morning we replaced the £15 taxi with a £3.60 bus ride, the wisdom of which will be discussed later. This was followed by a 1000 metre sprint..... well fast walk, across the NEC to the hotel. An interesting point that we encountered at this juncture, was that the "Good Food Show" and the "Motorcycle Show live" (not sure what a "dead" bike looks like but still) were both on in tandem with our Myeloma event, so the crowds were a tad on the crowded side as we walked through.
We managed to arrive for the Info Day on time and we sat at the front next to a couple of the celebrities..... well Dr.Mark Cook from UHB Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Dr. Supratik Basu, my consultant from New Cross Wolverhampton. It was a very informative morning, with Dr. Cook talking about current therapies and how survival rates are hopefully on a steady upwards trend.
Just before the morning recess I was invited to take the mike, (no not a dig at the celebrities, I meant hold a microphone) and tell the gathering about the lovely CD's they could have if they made a suggested donation of £5 to Myeloma research. AND WHAT A SPEECH IT WAS!!! Well it must have been because 10 people made a donation and walked away with a wonderful CD ;-), but that does mean we still got 10 left....lol.

After lunch they had arranged breakout sessions with the various celebs, and we felt compelled to follow Dr. Basu to his "side effects and complications" question and answer session as I had got to attend a Monday @3.20 Appointment in his clinic, and wanted his best affections....lol. One of the really pleasing aspects was that he was happy to recommend that his patients (;-) ) go swimming regularly for exercise.... something I really enjoy......WHOOPEE!
When the day was over, we fought back through the crowds at the NEC rail station and stood on the train all the way home, more on the wisdom of that too, later.

Today was the "Later" I was on about. I attended my 3.20pm appointment with Dr. Basu at his clinic, and started the conversation with "Hello stranger". At the Info day Dr. Basu had informed us that he always starts his patients appointments with "Your paraprotiens are...." (he lied) so as usual I asked him! Despite going in a week earlier to give bloods, they were still not available, so we had to go with October's which were a reading of less than 2 again..... Whoopee, no I mean WHOOPEE really, cause it means I'm still holding. The rest of my results were in this time though, and not all brilliant news. My HB is at 12.6(still below what it should be at a minimum of 13.5) my platelets are back down to 80 from 125 and I'm apparently immuno-suppressed, and banned from public areas such as buses, trains and swimming pools, hence the "later" earlier. :-(
The hip pain I have been suffering lately means I have to be scanned by the MRI machine thing as soon as it can be arranged.
On the PLUS side my creatinine is down from 180 to 145, that's my Kidney function improving, meaning all the Bacardi I swill through em is WORKING!!!!!!!!

Solutions

2011-11-13T09:08:00.000Z

I thought I'd update you all with the solutions to last weeks photos. Unfortunately I am still practically brain-dead and can't think of what to put on this week, so you'll have to give me a bit more time.

OK, last week we had...... drum roll.......

A simple pineapple and melon moment.

What's That!?! 9

2011-11-07T19:41:00.002Z

A bit late in the day, but I finally remembered to post the answers to last week's photos.
I'll start with the second photo which was of course Toni's tummy.

It turns out that Jack Russells have something called "ticking" on their underbellies. When we first got her, she was often called Toni cow.

The first photo was Capsella bursa-pastoris, or Shepherd's-purse. I knew about this little plant long before I ever saw it. As a child I like many others in the 60's and 70's lived in a world made up of The Magic Faraway Tree, The Wishing Chair, where pixies, goblins, humans and fairies, sorry Paula, furries, all lived side by side. Enid Blyton may no longer be "PC" but she was a very important part of my childhood. Reading and the characters the books contained, were often my only friends. One of my favourite books when very young was The Adventures of Pip, a rather mischievous pixie who often seemed to get into trouble with his friend Jinky, much to the horror of his Aunt Twinkle. In one adventure, Pip used a purse from a shepherd's-purse as a replacement for his Aunt's, which he had lost.

It was that very book that also taught me how to recognise a male blackbird (they dipped their bills in liquid gold) and male sparrows with their black bibs.

This week I give you:

Yes, I remember it well.

2011-11-04T10:30:00.000Z

I have been meaning to blog about a dream I had for weeks now, but I just kept forgetting to do it. My memory is so bad these days that I have to get Mike to remind me to write a list and then make sure I've got it and then make me use it while I go round the shop and then check it's all out of the trolley and, oh I forgot before we leave the house make sure I have my purse. I think you will all have the picture by now. It turns out that it is all because of my "little op" last year. I had tried a couple of strengths of the standard HRT tablets issued (turns out they are 60 years old and based on the urine of pregnant mares from Kentucky.) They really hadn't suited me at all so after only a month I gave up, thinking "it's only hot flushes I can cope!" Well after 6 months I decided I couldn't cope and it wasn't just the sweats that were a problem, it turns out that the lack of hormones has caused a communication breakdown between my brain, which thinks it is still on honeymoon, and the relevant area responsible with such things. So back to see the doctor who looked EXTREMELY embarrassed at the thought that I might have such depraved thoughts and came up with a prescription which I duly took away. All might have well had I not read the word "bromide" at the end of it's long chemical name. I reckon he thought if he could just keep me quiet.......

So Mike decided that obviously the NHS wasn't going to help me and so we searched for someone to see privately. Eventually we found a female doctor who specialised in gynaecological endocrinology. The Australia fund took a hit, but she soon had it all sussed. It was she who told us about the horse's pee and that not everyone's liver can process it into the right hormone. She asked how my short term memory was and Mike piped up "well she goes to make me a cup of coffee and 45 minutes later I'm still waiting because she's forgotten what she went to do." Yes it is bad. I might remember to make it and then forget to carry it through. At the end of the consultation she wrote to my GP telling him what to prescribe. I went to see him the other day and he duly gave me a prescription, typically enough there is a manufacturing problem and Boots (our national chain of chemists for those outside the UK) cannot get hold of any. Good old Mike rang around all day yesterday and finally managed to track some down fifteen miles away. Why didn't I get the doc to change the prescription? Well he only knows what to prescribe as he was given the name and there is a seven day wait for non-urgent appointments and changing your prescription is non-urgent by definition of the receptionists.

Back to the dream. Mike and I are off to the Myeloma UK infoday in Birmingham at the end of the month and I dreamt that we had been joined by Paula and Bernard. It was very busy and Mike decided as he had an awful lot of writing to do that he should sit at the table while P, B and me sat on the floor with our backs against the wall, a bit like being back at school. Dr. Mark Cook from the QE in Birmingham was up first to talk about current treatments. He stood there in an orange Myeloma UK T-shirt and started to play his ukulele. It was at this point I noticed how his underarm hair was visible at the edge of his sleeves and how his hair and beard seemed to be become more bushy and ginger, so much so that he eventually looked like an orang-utan. Mike kept saying how informative and knowledgeable Dr. Cook was and how he was learning so much. Meanwhile P turned to me and said “Gosh he’s furry.”

What's That!?! 8

2011-10-30T11:14:00.000Z

OK, it seems What's That!?! has a small, but nevertheless important, cult following. So by popular demand I give you these little beauties:

No more What's That!?!

2011-10-28T11:39:00.000+01:00

Are we really up to week 8? Are you all bored with the game now? I suspect we have all had enough of it by now, so last week will be the last.

I better put you all out of your misery and provide the solution to the second picture from last week, as I suspected the first was super easy, the second one had you all stumped.

Yes the second photo was some of the card making kit that I bought from Lidl for the grand price of £1.49. For that I got four cards and envelopes and a load of things to stick on. Yes that's right, I've started getting ready for Christmas and as I blogged the photo last week I believe that means I was first to mention it Little Miss Ho Ho Ho.

I am of course now kicking myself for not buying more. I hadn't realised how easy it was to make your own cards and make them very individual at the same time. I would love to share them with you, but that would spoil the surprise when your very own card makes it's way to you.

If any of our readers have any good ideas for home made presents or wants a Lorna original for Christmas, just leave us a message. As I mentioned before, all comments are moderated and so if you do leave us a private message we will never publish it's contents.

I'll leave you all with a pic of my home made toffee. It's the everlasting, stick your teeth together stuff that we always had as kids for Bonfire Night. (There was no such thing as Halloween when I was a girl.) At least it should keep those pesky trick or treaters quiet.

Feel good.

2011-10-21T16:17:00.000+01:00

Not only do I get to feel good about the fact I am currently only a third of a percent of those eligible in England (yes that means only 3 in 1000 are registered as bone marrow donors) I also get a funky blue card to carry around with me. Watch out people of Wolves, I intend to flash it whenever possible and hopefully get a few more joining in.

18 to 40? painless to register, just a quick swab inside the cheek.

What's That!?! 7

2011-10-21T10:50:00.000+01:00

OK I know it's the 21st and in the past I would have been posting photos of my garden, but to be honest there isn't alot to show you. I haven't got the hang of year round growing so with the exception of one leek and raspberries which are still growing, still ripening and yet have no flavour, there is nothing to see. I'd like to say next year will be different, but I'll probably fail yet again. Story of my life, a heap of good intentions which inevitably end in either disaster or a bag at the back of the under stairs' cupboard. I wish like Roo and Paula I could actually finish my projects. I mean come on, Paula has been ill and look what she gets done!

Back to the answers to last week's teasers.

An apple and cinnamon teabag. Which makes the old tea strainer rather redundant. I know how it feels.

This week I have at least one easy photo. They might both be easy, who can tell.

What's That!?! 6

2011-10-14T10:08:00.000+01:00

Last week I shared a couple of photos with you. This is what they were:

A mini grater that came with a mug and hot chocolate. A novelty Christmas pressie I received a couple of years ago.

A ginger nut. No not from next doors tom cat, but a biscuit which Mike is extremely fond of, well with a bit of help from Toni, he can get through a pack in one sitting.

This week's brain teasers are:

This last picture is not so much a "What's That" as a "What on Earth happened?".

Two tomatoes, one stalk. No photoshop has been used or abused!

What's That!?! 5

2011-10-07T10:34:00.001+01:00

As some kind soul suggested, last week's photo was indeed a nasty patch on Mike's skin, that appeared about six weeks after his SCT. Nothing seemed to help and eventually he was referred to a dermatologist. The only trouble was, that by the time they eventually saw him, the patches had gone away.

So the answer to last week's puzzle was:

A red onion. I didn't have a picture of Mike's patches, but I swear they were very, very similar to the close up from last week.

Talking of Mike, the nice gastro man decided that a course of steroids might help. Although not as bad as dex, they are still making him eat anything not nailed down. It is going to be an expensive six weeks! They seem to be giving him horrendous night cramps too. I wouldn't mind, but his screaming wakes me up. When we saw SB on Monday Mike mentioned the cramps, who said everything looked fine on his bloods and that he didn't think quinine was a good idea given Mike's history.

Look at me rabbiting on about medical stuff when you all came to see what this week's photo is.

I couldn't decide which one to use so I'll have two this week.

Oh and I'm still waiting for homemade gift suggestions.

For Roo and FL

2011-10-04T20:54:00.001+01:00

After reading Roobeedoo'sblog today I thought of this song:

http://youtu.be/lTi3bRKohQU

I think it might just say it all.

What's That!?! 4

2011-09-30T09:47:00.000+01:00

It cannot possibly be Friday already! Where does the time go? At this rate it'll be Christmas. I really must make an early start this year. Maybe make should be the operative word, but what? Suggestions gratefully received.

Any way let's have a look at the answer to last weeks puzzle.

I rather liked Sandy's idea of 12 worms heading for lunch. It is fascinating that a poppy head resembles a clock, did mankind borrow the idea or is it coincidence? You've got to admire Mother Nature.

This week I would like to share this with you all.

Do you know what it is?

This photo was actually on a leaflet that I was given when I signed up to be a bone marrow donor. It is a baby stem cell in the eye of a needle. WOW. To think they expect people to produce millions and millions of them just so they can have a SCT. It's a wonder there is enough space in the blood!

This week's photo is an easy one (I think.) Extra points for comical answers will be given as I need a bit of a cheer-up.

What's That!?! 3

2011-09-23T10:09:00.000+01:00

OK here's the answer to last week's puzzle. I'm happy to say that luckily it wasn't yet another medical condition for Mike.

That fig is one of my very own, from my very own fig tree as mentioned here. The two decent sized figs ripened at about the same time and we were going to share, but Mike was too slow and so I ate his too.

So what about this week's photo?

September 21st Garden

2011-09-21T22:18:00.000+01:00

Another month has flown by and it's time to show you all my garden. It is probably the very last time as the weather has turned a bit nippy and most of my produce has done it's thing and is now over.

A mess of unthinned leeks and compost tomatoes.

Slowly going red, chillies now it's chilly.

The raspberries are still doing what raspberries do.

The tomatoes still refuse to ripen.

Next month we'll have to find something more interesting to blog about, although if good news is no news we're glad we're boring you all.

What's That!?! 2

2011-09-16T09:00:00.005+01:00

Firstly the solution to last week's puzzle.

Yes it was a bit of Toni, her smile in fact. Well done to Denise and Paula, although I loved Bill's answer and wish I had got a zebra as Birdie suggested.

This week I have a more challenging photo:

Go on, have a guess, it costs nothing.

Old news is good news.

2011-09-15T16:22:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, while we were doing some work on the house we found a page from the Sunday Mirror, dated February 15th 1981. We just had to share it with you all.

As you can see there was no Premiership or Championship, just the good old Division 1 and Division 2. West Bromwich beat Norwich 2-0 and Chelsea were in Division 2 and had been beaten 4-0 by West Ham.
West Brom were fourth in the 1st Division on goal difference, but with a game in hand over Liverpool, who were on the same points.

Cheered us up no end.

What's That!?!

2011-09-09T14:17:00.000+01:00

Let's be honest Freebie Friday was a big fat fail. So inspired by Paula's Quality Street yarn photo yesterday I thought it might be a bit of fun to have "What's That!?!" Fridays instead.

I'm sure you all know the game so I'd like as many of you as possible to leave a guess, that includes you Dave and Lynne. I'll post the answer next week along with the next photo.

Ok this week's pic is:

Guilt free shopping

2011-09-07T22:06:00.002+01:00

Do you like to shop?
Do you like to shop online?
Well why not kill two birds with one stone and raise funds while you are indulging in a little bit of retail therapy.
Registration costs nothing, so go on, if you are in the UK just do it.

OK maybe not completely guilt free, but it helps.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/myelomauk

Wash day blues.

2011-09-05T11:52:00.000+01:00

Cartoon by Kev Moore.

Just after we got back our poor old dishwasher decided to have a nervous breakdown. Not the "I'm not going to start" or "I've had enough thank you" sort of breakdown. No this was a "switch me on and I'll simply blow the fuse box" type. This would have been fine, but for the fact it decided that half way through a cycle was a good time and as we usually put it on last thing at night, left us plunged into darkness while we tried to work out if it was a power cut (which we quickly realised it wasn't as every other house still had lights) quickly followed by fumblings in the dark as we searched for that elusive torch which is always put on the shelf next to the fuse box, but which mysteriously wanders when needed. It then took forever to find the culprit for the constant tripping of the box. Every socket was checked and turned off. As you would expect, the dishwasher was the last thing we thought of (doh) and so there was an awful lot of flick-click, flick-click.

While Mike is fixing the old dear this old dear has had to take up the role. It's not so bad, I don't mind washing the easy things like glasses, cups and plates, it's just those nasty greasy, baked on saucepans and baking trays I hate. I actually find it theraputic, it seems to give my brain space to wander over troubles and worries.

I ain't half getting through the Furry liquid mind you.

Well I never.

2011-09-04T19:32:00.001+01:00

When we left home for the festival we hadn't bothered to arrange anywhere to camp on the way back, maybe Mike thought it would be easier going downhill. After the journey up, and the length of time it took, we decided on Bank Holiday Monday that we ought to find somewhere to camp half way again. Luckily we had picked up a leaflet to the farm we stayed at the previous week. Tentatively we rang the number, hoping everyone was leaving now that the weekend was nearly over. Phew, they had spaces and so we set off once more for Ormskirk.

It turned out to be an excellent decision. We arrived back at the farm just after six at after quickly putting up "Connie" set off for the local pub, The Martin Arms for a bite to eat. Unfortunately we forgot we weren't in Birmingham, where the pubs serve until 9 and when we walked in at 7:10 we were told the kitchen shut at seven. Very kindly they told us that the pub by the canal might still be serving, so we hot footed it up the road.

The Farmer's Arms was just the other side of the bridge over the canal. We had spotted it the previous week, but on that occasion the bridge was stuck open (or is that closed?) and we couldn't get across. By now we were starving and walked in with our fingers firmly crossed. It turned out the kitchen didn't shut until eight so we had time to buy a drink and have a quick look at the specials board.

The food was absolutely fabulous, far better than anything we would normally be served in a pub. I had chicken and ham tagliatelle and Mike had rump steak with Lancashire black pudding in a creamy mustard and mushroom sauce. They must have used a pint of cream between us. If you are ever in the area you really must go and try their wonderful fare.
The Farmer's Arms

Solfest sunshine and showers.

2011-09-03T11:25:00.000+01:00

Our first festival morning was bright and sunny. So we set off in shorts and wellies, you just HAVE to wear wellies at a festival. We wandered around the traders tents and were slightly shocked at some of the prices, especially on a stall selling knitted goods. If you want to make money it seems gullible festival goers might just be the way to do it.

As you can see, Mike "David Bailey" is a bit obsessed with taking photos of my rear. Is he trying to tell me it's my best side?

Big knitting workshop.

The Hoochie Coochie Moonshine Band

The first act on the main stage was The Hoochie Coochie Moonshine Band and they were fantastic. By the time they have finished the Cumbrian weather had reverted to type and the grey clouds poured in.

Dogan Mehmet and The Deerhunters.

The real highlight of the day was the above band. "Dogan Mehmet, along with his backing band the Deerhunters, creates an Anglo-Turkish, Gypsy-Punk style mix of traditions and strong acoustic grooves." He certainly had the crowd in the palm of his hand and us all literally bouncing along and singing in Turkish.

We awoke the next day and oh boy did we know we'd been bouncing. Legs like lead and red raw throats. We dressed up in our costumes, but the weather was so changeable that we spent most of the day in our waterproof capes. So here are our costumes:

Yes I know we're not wearing them, but we forgot to take a photo while it wasn't raining.

Lost in translation

2011-09-02T10:10:00.003+01:00

Today I'd like to tell you all about our journey to Solfest. We decided as it was such a long way towing "Connie" our trusted trailer tent and with Mike still not being 100%, that we would stop off half way and camp for the night. So we found a really quiet campsite just outside Ormskirk where we could pitch up for the night.

We decided it was also the ideal opportunity to meet up with friends who lived "just down the road". I did have to bribe them with the promise of cupcakes mind you, so as Mike says about Toni, their friendship is probably cupboard love, although they don't live in a cupboard (well so Mike says.)

So off we went to the local pub for a bite to eat. Our friend started talking about her nephew who is currently studying at Lancaster University. When we drove past it the following day I realised it was four times the size of the campus I attended over twenty-five years ago. Any way she was telling us about a fancy dress party he had been to the previous year where he had to go as a "Furry Tails" character. Not having young kids anymore I assumed it was the latest preschool programme and that like students before who had become obsessed with Teletubbies and Sesame Street, it was simply the latest craze. She went on to describe his costume, vest, tu-tu, wings and explained she was surprised when he said he had only needed to buy the vest. It wasn't until she told us that his girlfriend had gone as Dorothy that the penny dropped. It wasn't a "Furry" that he had gone as, but a FAIRY!! In my defence I did have a really bad cold and I blame my bunged up head for the confusion. It did have us all giggling hysterically mind you.

Come back tomorrow for the continuing story of our trip. I might even post pics of our costumes.

Cupcakes before I added chocolate buttons and Rolos.

Solfest and September.

2011-09-01T16:59:00.000+01:00

So we're back from Solfest and September has crept up behind us. After over thirty years of "school" either as a student, wife or mother, it always feels like a new start. So what are my "New Academic Year" resolutions?

To blog more often, but that would inevitably mean a lot of posts about stuff you don't really want to read I suspect. I know that when we started the blog was to be about Mike and his Myeloma and our journey through it all. There came a point where we both wanted to talk and think about anything but the illness and so we started posting about other things (OK I did, but Mike was on the side giving directions.) We have been accused of not being informative. Very true, we're not doctors. In the early days I researched and read, but soon realised that even if I found something that related to Mike's weird responses to every drug they gave him, the information was shoved aside, leaving me feeling helpless and angry, so I stopped looking. I report events as they happen and maybe they will help others, but there are much better places to go to find medical information. Mike is in remission, which is fantastic, but I for one never forget what is around the corner and so we enjoy every day as it comes, including all the mundane stuff.

To get back onto my D.I.E.T. I decided that I would give myself a treat and took August off. A month of simply eating whatever I liked, not overeating, just enjoying homemade pizza or a slice of toast. It is time to get back to more sensible ways ready for the festive season ahead.

There are loads of similar ones like commenting more on other people's blogs and making more of an effort with my appearance (I've fallen into bad habits now I'm at home all day, jogging pants and trainers are the norm, not good.)

So tomorrow I'll be back to tell you all about our holiday up North. I bet you can't wait.

Oops I did it again.

2011-08-23T11:55:00.000+01:00

Dad isn't very pleased with me. How was I supposed to know it wasn't allowed anymore? I mean Mom just stood there and watched me doing it, she never said a word. It seems I'm in the dog house again. :(

August 21st Garden

2011-08-21T21:55:00.000+01:00

Well August has arrived. The peas are over now, so no more photos this year.

The courgettes continue to grow.

The tomatoes are doing a bit better, but still green.

The onions are small, but perfect for pickling.

The first of the beetroot has been picked and pickled.

The chillies, the red ones are picked regularly.

A second crop of raspberries.

Baby sweet corn.

Good advice.

2011-08-12T17:54:00.001+01:00

Way back at the very start Roo suggested we take up knitting, so I did. After a few false starts I managed to finish my pixie scarf and daughters' fingerless gloves and of course when Mike was day +4 I started the "green" thing. The thing has become my hospital waiting knitting and over the last eight months has grown from this:

to this:

Wait, knit, knit. Fret, knit, knit. Count, knit, knit. Cry, knit, knit. Knit, knit knit. Hour after hour of myeloma and miscellaneous conditions. It'll be alright, knit, knit. This time, knit, knit. But what about? knit, knit. Does anyone else understand? knit, knit. It was only an hour and a half today.

Thank you Ruth x

Vermouth and Volante

2011-08-11T20:56:00.003+01:00

Monday saw me making my way to New Cross Hospital for the first of this week's appointments. Armed with my appointment letter and a bottle of human pop I waited in the reception queue to be called.

"Michael Gormley" called the health care assistant. I got up and walked over to her and she said: "you're looking well this morning", so I started to limp. I limped down the corridor to Dr. M's clinic and took a seat, holding out my bottle of "Pop". HCA :"I know it says we need it on your letter, but it is a standard letter and we don't actually need it, but thank you for making the effort". Where to put it now..... in my pocket it went with a prayer that the lid might be tight.

Dr. M introduced himself as one of Dr. B's team.....AAAAAAH....NOW I know why I'm here...... the Gastro-intestinal man has asked Dr.M to consult with me. What a pleasant man Dr.M is, explaining why I needed to see him. I had complained that I have a regular urgency that makes me run back home from bus stops, turn the car around and rush back home mid journey and to trek the landing in the middle of most nights, and he was going to take a look at possible causes. I became defensive and proffered that I thought it was to do with the damage done to my insides by the "second world war mustard gas" that they had given me before my SCT at Christmas. Dr.M agrees that it might be the case, but he needs to do a thorough examination to be sure that it is not polyps or even worse.

So out comes the consent form and the Shaffer pen..... well if your gonna sign away your dignity, it may as well be with a Shaffer.

Initial gel,air and camera investigation leads to an appointment I have to ring and request myself the following day, presumably so that they know I'm gonna turn up .

After I finish the consultation, I make my way out of the door limping. To my suprise, the HCA calls down the corridor: "Wrong leg Mr. Gormley". TEE HEE.

Dutifully I made that phonecall yesterday and requested an appointment for my Colonoscopy and they tell me they will be in touch.

Appointment number 2 was yesterday with the wonderful Dr. A. B. which was my usual 6 week check on Myeloma business. My numbers are ok with my HB @ 12.9, WBC @5.6, Neutrophils@ 3.7, Creatinine , (June 20th figure as these take for ever to come from lab )@147 and platelets @ 102.

Paraproteins "less than 2".

I do not need any treatment still at present so that is good.

Lorna took the opportunity to ask if she could donate Stem Cells to be stored and used for the future by someone in need, but Dr. A B explained that resources don't exist at present to store them and you can only donate fresh if matched. So Lorna is going to take the test and go on the register ASAP. Roll on a Euro Lottery win and maybe we can set up a storage facility.

Well today I was minding my own business when the phone rang.

"Hello.... Mr. Gormley" Yes, you guessed, they have of all things, A CANCELLATION in the Colonoscopy dept. for tomorrow @3.15 pm. so i'm currently shoving down 1 litre of Klean Prep every hour till i'm nice and ........... empty? Tastes like a cross between cream soda and iodine, but they say it will do the job so "down the hatch". No solids for me till tomorrow at about 6 pm, so wish me luck xx.

So, you wonder, what about the above title?

" Any time, any place, Anywhere", and SPEED is of the essence just now and I probably will have to FLY xxxx.

Myeloma Fraud

2011-08-05T21:40:00.000+01:00

Hi to all my friends out there!

You may be wondering what I mean by the above title..... well since I had my SCT in December and after, all be it a slow recovery, I seem to have been in remarkable health. I've managed to oversee a house re-fit and also to help Lorna rebuild the garden and fit a fishpond....... Don't feel ill at all......what a fraud! (I thought to myself this morning). I've been so busy being full of myself lately that I have been leaving Lorna to give all of our news on here and I feel more than a bit guilty about that.

I've got some appointments at New Cross next week, so maybe I'll find out if my new found health is real or a fraud.....here's hopin!

Did I say hopin? or Hoppin? Maybe hoppin soon cause we are off to Solfest on the 23rd August, my first pop festival since 1972 Lincoln), and Lorna's first ever!

I'm wafflin again!, I really must get back into Myeloma mode, so I will be reporting next week after my appointments, when I've been given my readings (hopefully a line of zero's, well not my reds and whites, but certainly my pp's) and hope I'm not as grreen as my new lawn.

Isn't marriage WONDERFUL!!!!!!!

Love Mike xxxx

Would you Adam and Eve it.

2011-08-04T13:14:00.001+01:00

We're into August already! The work on the garden has continued, leaving poor Toni bare earth to lie on.

That was until Tuesday when we took delivery of this little lot:

As you can see Toni thought I was possibly a new piece of climbing apparatus, that or a means of escape.

We spent a day and a half in blistering temperatures careful laying it all. The results aren't too bad either.

What's that growing in the middle of your lawn I hear you cry.

That is our new fig tree, complete with 4 figs!

Oh and just to make Paula green with envy, I harvested the ripe cherry tomatoes this morning:

Introducing.

2011-07-29T11:51:00.000+01:00

At long last the pond is finished. Yes the slabs are meant to look like that, we will be adding some ground cover plants to fill the gaps in due course. We also took a shine to a garden arch that we spotted in the local DIY store.

As you can see from the photo we worked late into the night installing it. The plan is to have roses climbing over it. The photo was taken from the new concrete pad where a shed will be going, again in due course.

Of course a pond wouldn't be complete without residents, so we'd like to introduce you to some of them.

You can see the three golden koi, the golden tench and two A. N. Others who are also some sort of koi (I'm not an expert, my son's mate is.) There are another three koi, one of them silver and two green tench somewhere.

They'll have to learn to be quick eating mind you, Toni keeps stealing their food from the top of the water!

July 21st Garden

2011-07-21T09:02:00.000+01:00

It's the 21st again so time for an update on my vegetable garden.

Beetroot looking good.

NO!!! Not more courgette/zucchini

Cherry Tomatoes

Marmande tomato

Raspberry plants take over the world

I mentioned last week that we had been busy in the garden, doing this:

Which resulted in this:

So much soil for such a small hole and I get to riddle it all and put the big stones in a skip.

Friday Freebie

2011-07-15T18:00:00.007+01:00

Today's offering. Mmm, let me think. What about those shoes I tried selling on eBay but no-one wanted?

Nope, too expensive to post outside the UK and I'm not sure they would be wanted here either.

What about those postcards? We acquired them during many evenings drinking Woo-woos in the local Revolution Bar. Miss-spent middle age and all that.

Too risque?

Just add beef.

2011-07-14T16:46:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd keep you all posted with happenings here in the sunny West Midlands. We've been busy in garden and Mike has had a couple of hospital appointments. More on that when he gets a chance to blog.

Today I decided to share my plans for our evening meal. I am going to make a lovely cottage pie with extra lean diced steak, which I will mince with my new electric mincer, carrots, peas and onions. The vegetables are of course home grown and organic.

I left the dirt on the carrots and onions to prove I grew them myself! I bet you are all glad I didn't grow the beef too.

Friday Freebie

2011-07-08T11:06:00.002+01:00

"Yipee it's Friday. I wonder what Lorna is giving away today?" I hear you all cry.

This week I was going to share some rather "unusual" postcards with you, but as the content of such postcards is adult and possibly offensive to some I chickened out this week. Maybe if people ask I will offer them next.

So this weeks Freebie is a belt that I bought, wore once, and has since been languishing (what a lovely word, languish....) at the bottom of a drawer. It measures 74" from end to end (that's 190cm in new money.)

If you would like to give it a new home leave your details as before in the comment box. I promise they won't get published.

Update: Birdie has now adopted this item.

The Doldrums

2011-07-04T18:12:00.000+01:00

It's that time of year when life seems to be stuck in a rut. It didn't used to be this way. When the kids were younger and I worked in a school, July was the month of endings and excitement. Year 6 frantically preparing their leavers assembly, the final days of being the big kids dwindling away. The long Summer Holidays ahead, a break away from it all, at least 4 weeks without having to think about "school". There were the new beginnings to look forward to when September arrived. The kids are now all grown up and I no longer have the school terms and the holidays to regulate my life. I miss my old life, but I don't miss the groups of unruly kids.

The wedding, and all it's excitement, already feels months away, but it's only been three weeks. I feel deflated like the balloons that never made it to the reception. We're frantically trying to save our pennies to fund our Great Australian Adventure, so despite needing a new project to occupy my tiny mind, there aren't the funds to waste. Mike potters around cutting the hedge and fixing the car (ours or one of the boy's cars usually need some attention) while I potter after him tidying up the mess. Life is bogged down with the mundane and humdrum tasks like washing. I should be looking forward to the festival in August, but I just can't find the spark.

I've got Mike and I love him dearly, but I realise on days like today, when he goes off somewhere without me, that I am so darn lonely and lost. Mike is my harbour and without him I'm a ship without a port, stuck in the doldrums, wishing for a breath of air to catch my sails and take me home.

Friday Freebie

2011-07-01T13:21:00.001+01:00

Inspired by KimmyB's blog Gift Horse which I discovered when she left us a wonderful comment saying we were in the top 10 list (although not informative which is true as Mike's reaction to everything treatment related tends to the bizarre) and by Roo's need for different earrings and small pleasures, I have decide to have Freebie Fridays.

The basic idea is, if you want what I have to give away leave your name and address in the comment box (or alternatively your email address so I can contact you). As regular comment leavers know, all comments are moderated and so your info will not be published.

When you receive your gift, simply pop back and tell us what you think of it.

Here is this weeks Friday Freebie

A pair of solid silver and pearl earrings. Never worn. I bought them along with 9 other pairs as a job lot when I tried making and selling my own hand-made jewellery ten years ago. (I actually have 3 pairs left so maybe there will be more than one lucky person.)
I realise this may fail abysmally, but hey at least I tried to recycle my junk!

Update: Paula has adopted one pair, but there are still two more.

How rude!

2011-06-25T12:13:00.000+01:00

I was just having another look at all the wedding photos when I spotted this:

I was hungry

2011-06-25T10:15:00.000+01:00

That'll teach them not to give me cupcakes!

Love Toni

Well what do you know?

2011-06-24T13:15:00.000+01:00

Not a lot is my usual reply. I have learnt over the last few months, what with TT and stuff that my relationship with food is ~~complex~~ very simple. I use food as a celebration; weddings, birthdays, winning the lottery, having good news. I also use it as a comforter; funerals, bad news, lonliness. When I'm bored I cook, when I'm happy I cook, when I'm depressed I cook, let's be honest I generally cook! So it is easy to see how I got to put so much weight on, especially over the last couple of years with no job and no-one to keep me company. Today's baking falls into the "I need cheering up" category. I'm suffering from Aussie withdrawal.

Lemon icing cupcakes

Having had 2 weeks off the D.I.E.T. thing I of course gained a couple of pounds, not that I mind in the slightest, it averages out at less than 3 ounces a day, a very small price to pay for all the joy I have had over the last fortnight. It does mean that I won't be eating any of the above!!

June 21st Garden

2011-06-21T11:50:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Paula for her very prompt reminder that it is that time of the month again. It is also the longest day of the year, a fact which hadn't escaped my notice as the dawn chorus started at 3:41 this morning.

So here they are:

Some of my courgettes

Chilli plants

Carrots and peas

Beetroots

Garden peas

Tomatoes

A chilli

3 blackcurrants, the only 3!

Time to talk

2011-06-18T09:45:00.001+01:00

It has been a busy week with an awful lot of wining and dining, meeting friends and talking into the wee small hours. It's not every week that friends from Australia fly over to attend your wedding and you have to make the most of it.

Yesterday Lynne, Dave, Mike and me went off on a trip into the past, visiting The Severn Valley Railway at Kidderminster. We got to ride on a proper chuff-chuff (steam train to the uninitiated). I forgot to take my camera (where is my brain?) so haven't got any pics. We got off the train at Highley and had a look around the museum before popping down to the Ship Inn for a bite to eat and a pint. (Like I said, a LOT of wining and dining).

After lunch we continued our journey to Bridgnorth. It was on this leg of our journey that it became quite clear why I am pleased Mike didn't make a speech on Tuesday.

Mike and Dave were chatting away. The following is a snippet:

Mike: Lorna is like a Rolex.......... perpetual.
Dave: Are you sure she's real and not an imitation?
Mike: Definitely real, she sweeps......... Boom, boom!!

Talking of Tuesday, I'm still grinning like a Cheshire Cat. I could talk about the day in minute detail and bore you all to tears, but that was then and this is now and we have new adventures to plan for. There is the festival in August and a trip to Australia to save for. Possibly next year, but definitely, 100% guaranteed by my big birthday in 2013. Which is of course exactly 2 years today!! (Mike said I can carry him in my hand luggage if necessary.)

We rounded off our day with a trip to an All You Can Eat Chinese Buffet, mmmmmmmmm double helpings and as many desserts as you like. A very enjoyable day!

Wonderful Wedding

2011-06-15T15:54:00.003+01:00

Thank you all for your very best wishes, we had an absolutely wonderful, fantastic, special day. I promised we would share our photos with you all so here is the link to our album on Photobucket:

Wedding Album

Or Flickr here:

Wedding Album

I only wish I could post the joy we felt to be sharing our special day with people who mean the world to us both, especially those who's journeys were long. As always seems to be the way, there were some who couldn't make it, they were missed. Special thanks to Dr SB, who only stayed for a short while, I think he came to make sure Mike wasn't over doing it.

Something Borrowed

2011-06-14T15:30:00.001+01:00

We were out with our friends from Australia and another couple on Friday evening. John (not Australian) asked me if it is difficult to write the blog. No I said, you just type into a little box and click publish. I realised later that what he really meant was did I find it hard to think of things to say. Again the answer is no. In fact I find it much easier to say things in the blog. My tears while I type, be they tears of joy or sadness, don't stop me getting my message across. Words be they via email, text or IM have always been an important part of our relationship, in fact if it had not been for the Internet, Mike and I would never have met.

Today we are getting married and I know that tears of joy will flow freely and probably almost constantly. It is because of this that I would like to say a very special vow to Mike that I would never manage to express in the flesh. I actually found it on the internet, hence the title of the post.

"I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to accept you the way you are. I fell in love with you for the qualities, abilities and outlook on life that you have, and won't try to reshape you in a different image.
I promise to respect you as a person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realise that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own.
I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my personal world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
And finally, I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how... completely and forever."

It's the final countdown.

2011-06-13T17:28:00.002+01:00

Dress, check.
Shoes, check.
Undies, check.
Jewellery, check.
Suit, check.
Shirt and tie, check.
Rings, check.
Catering organised.
Money for licence in envelope.
Flowers in buckets in garage ready for making bouquet tomorrow. Yes that's right, I'm making my own bouquet, well it can't be that hard and I did spend 2 weeks a few years ago helping out in a florist's over a busy period that had both Valentine's Day and Mother's Day in it.

It's a shame all our loyal followers can't be here with us tomorrow. We promise we will upload the photos just as soon as we get chance. I've already made sure that the album I created on Photobucket is open for you all to view (I know there maybe better sites, but I already had an account with them, I am open to suggestions if there is somewhere much better.)

8.30 p.m. update:

One poorly friend calling to say she and hubby are coming down from Liverpool, despite doctor's orders, check.

Bucket load of tears and phone handed over to Mike, check.

I am so ecstatically happy.

Thinning Thursdays - the final week before the wedding.

2011-06-09T19:35:00.001+01:00

The results are in. After 19 weeks I have lost a grand total of two stone seven and a half pounds. That's 35 1/2 pounds. I am, to put it simply, dead chuffed.

I have gone from this to this:

Something old.

2011-06-09T09:03:00.001+01:00

Dear Auntie Paula,

I thought I would let you know what I have been up to recently. I had a bit of excitement on Monday night, well actually Tuesday morning at 1:30, when I heard a couple of foxes fighting outside the house. I jumped up to look out of the window and there it was, a fox. Being a friendly sort (ahem) I said hello, quite loudly so I could be heard and it looked up at me. Wow I thought, a fox is looking at me, so I shouted even louder and started wagging my tail. I tried to get Mike and Lorna to let me out to play, but they just grumbled about the time and went back to sleep.

The two of them haven't been spending as much time playing with me recently, so I've had to amuse myself. Any way yesterday they were busy and I got bored.

Mom says she doesn't know how so much stuffing fitted into such a small ball.

Sorry, Mom says it has had it this time.

Hope you, B. and Bud are well

Love Toni x x x

Something new.

2011-06-04T08:05:00.000+01:00

The weather the past couple of days has been so fantastic that we finally decided to unwrap and use the beach chairs we bought last year.

Mine seemed to have something missing, I'm talking to Trading Standards.

So far so good.

2011-06-02T12:08:00.000+01:00

Finished necklaces.

Finished earrings.

Forgive me people.

2011-06-02T09:26:00.004+01:00

I might as well warn you all that this is not an uplifting, cheerful, or helpful post. It is a tear stained grumble of the biggest possible magnitude. The reasons are many, at least I think they are, maybe everything is linked and it is more a domino effect, hell I don't know and more importantly I don't care.

First thing was that yesterday I went to see my hairdresser, worried about getting a cut on the day, just in case, I decided 2 weeks before was a good idea. Oh boy I am glad I did. A trim turned into a massacre. It is so short, and I can only hope it grows miraculously over the next 12 days. Every time I go to the loo I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I burst into tears. Everything was meant to be perfect for my special day. I thought about posting a pic, but my red rimmed eyes are not attractive. Mike thinks it looks wonderful. The irony is that it is how I wanted it for Solidarność but on that occasion it was left too long. I don't have a long hair fetish, just an idea of how I thought it should look given the dress I'm wearing. So that was the starter.

The main course (well the next bit) was something I cannot really discuss, let's just say there are a few issues with the extended family.

Which brings us to the dessert course which is exactly what I did last night. I drank a bottle of wine (yes a whole one to myself) and defrosted a cheesecake (lemon and very yummy) and this morning I feel wretched because I have spoilt my D.I.E.T. and the guilt of that and my hair and the spitefulness of other people makes me want to buy a cream cake.

12 days to go folks, do you think I'll cheer up in time?

I'm buzzing.

2011-05-28T14:15:00.002+01:00

I'm so excited. The tickets for my first festival arrived this morning. I missed doing the whole wellies and muddy field thing when I was younger, far too sensible and settled down as the little woman, but that's another story for another time. So what with Mike not knowing when the number 90 bus is coming through our door and me having had a deprived and definitely not depraved youth (oh the regrets) we decided that this year a few days in a muddy field in Cumbria were needed.

We found out a week ago that the Saturday is fancy dress. Mike thought he might go as Tina, but I soon vetoed that idea as his legs are better than mine and I'm fed up of him getting the compliments. Funnily enough we were asked yesterday by Dr SB who was going to be the bride and who the groom!!!! Bloomin' cheek. So I came up with what I think is a brilliant idea and I'm going to make us some costumes. Yes, I'm going to sew!!!

In true Lorna style, I am keen to make a start, even though I have curtains to finish (yep still sitting waiting to be hemmed), various knitting projects to continue and several small repair jobs, all of which I should really attend to first, but...... Any way I have found the pattern I intend to use courtesy of a young lady called Dixie I have the pattern sitting next to me. It is going to be so cool.

Windy

2011-05-23T10:25:00.000+01:00

It's really windy here today. Maybe the River God came down from Newcastle with us.

River God - Andre Wallace

May 21st Garden

2011-05-21T09:58:00.000+01:00

I love Paula and her blog (when she posts on time!) as together they remind me it is time to get out in the garden and take some pics. Yes it's that time again. 21st Century Garden, May edition:

Sugar snap peas and beetroot

Garden peas just starting to flower

Our first courgette

The rest of the courgette rabble

Carrots, well they will be

Chillies, in flower too.

Aubergine, what can I say?

Might just get one punnet this year

Tomato, oh dear

Sweet corn

I forgot

2011-05-20T14:13:00.000+01:00

I forgot to mention on my earlier post that today it is someone special's birthday. Yes I know, it's always someone's birthday and they are always special to someone, (I was going to point out that even nasty people have mothers, but given what happened to that Danish director my lips are sealed.) Well today a very, very special person is three years old. So without further ado I would just like to say:

Happy Birthday Toni.

As you can see we bought her a nice new squeaky hedgehog toy:

But it didn't last long:

So now I'm off to the kitchen to make her favourite lemon cakes.

Thinning Thursdays - weeks 15 and 16

2011-05-20T08:46:00.000+01:00

I've just been reminded by Ruth that I need to update my progress. I refused to post last week as a protest at losing another paltry half a pound. I was so mad with useless body that I had to give it a good dressing down. So there you have it week 15 a grotty half a pound.

I have to admit that after our adventures up north I was dreading the way-in yesterday. There was far, far too much alcohol on Tuesday, which of course led to a bit of a binge on take away, although in my defence it was a proper chicken shish kebab and salad and I didn't touch the pitta bread. I did however eat the pitta bread with my mezzes on Wednesday and that was after a full English breakfast. All I could do was hope that I would have maintained. Oh while I think about it I can post a couple of photos of the pair of us at the Baltic.

Moi

In my defence, when Mike takes my photo he does so with the camera pointing down and I reckon it makes me look dumpy.

Him in doors.

And just for fun:

Stop smiling man and take it seriously.

OK back to the topic. Drum roll......... yesterday I had lost one and a half pounds.

Great Northern Run - Geordie edition part one.

2011-05-19T10:06:00.004+01:00

I thought I would share our latest great adventure with you all, whether you like it or not. We had been invited by Lesley Roley to attend the recording of her latest album, way up north in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Having never been there we decided we needed a bit of a break so off on the train we went.

Of course things are never easy for grumpies like us, so when we got on the train to find our reserved seats occupied I just had to say something, well quite alot actually and even though there was an empty seat on the other side of the table, I refused to use it and made the lady sitting in our seats (and I mean she needed both seats!) move into it. Mike just stood and watched me.

Three and a half hours later we were in Geordie land. What a surprise. We had imagined a city very much the same as those found here in the Midlands, we were wrong. Instead we found a place full of history and culture. Let me show you what I mean.

Bessie Surtees House from the 17th century

Part of the orginal city wall.

The hotel where we stayed

A painted building

That's the history, well some of it. Having arrived just after lunch on Tuesday, we spent the afternoon wandering around the shops before getting a bite to eat and making our way to watch Lesley.

Wednesday was spent crossing bridges, looking at art and checking out the opposition for Sunday. Needless to say, we weren't surprised to find the following at St James' Park:

They need one?

That's probably enough culture for now. I'll have to bore you with the other 999 photos some other time.

I would like to share a conversation that we had though. We were sitting in the Turkish restaurant we found (we love Turkish food) having finished our meals. After about 20 minutes we were still waiting for the guy we assume was the owner to come back to us and ask about coffee or desserts, you all know the drill. Having been to Turkey a few times, we do know that if they have no-one else in the restaurant they like to keep you there so they look like they have customers. Anyway this is how it went:

Me: Do you think he is holding us hostage?

Mike: He's not holding my ostrich.

Mike's Myeloma deafness strikes again. I laughed so much I needed tissues!

P.S. Blatant advertising here. The fantastic Turkish Restaurant is called Seven Hills and is situated on Sandhill. Just in case anyone stumbles onto the blog and fancies a good meal.

I'm feeling a little list

2011-05-15T10:20:00.000+01:00

Yes folks, the grumpy old man is BACK.
Bolstered by the current list of "important things to get done soon", I awoke this bright Sunday morning with a dark foreboding thought that it is only 4 weeks on Tuesday till I tie the knot and there are a few little things we need to get done first, and the builders in the meantime have decided they now need to come and measure up for the new conservatory before they knock the old one down next week ready to buld a new one....... OMG! not much is happening then....... i.e. my not gonna get done if i don't pedal faster....list.

1) Tidy the garage out and make room for the washing machine, tumble dryer , washing baskets and the only willing participant in the "keep everyboby clean and dressed" person....Lorna. (Note: garage not attached to house, so might have a problem if the builders don't get finished before winter!)
2)Concrete behind garage so I can erect a shed for all the extras out of the garage to go in.
3)Sort out the garden after the builders have finnished.
4)Prepare the folding camper ready for our trip up to Cumbria for Solfest Festival.
5) Make enough room in the house for people to be able to walk in and out.
6)Decorate the Lounge, Hall and Stairs and fit new carpet in the hallway, where the electricians, plumbers and builders hacked out chunks earlier in the year.
7) Fill the Squash bottles.
8)Empty the sunlounge so that it can be demolished.

I think there are lots more things, but I can't think of them just now, and anyway if there is, I would never get them done anyway.
Must remind Lorna to ring the hairdressers tomorrow for her appointment on 14th June 2011, cause she keeps saying something important is happening on that day, and she doesn't want to look a mess.

Hooray, I have a solution to all of this: What gets done, gets done. What I fail to get done doesn't really matter, because I am still here breathing and relatively healthy and at the moment drug-free,and I have more important things to do, like worrying about my friends and their health and making sure that Lorna's mounting panic about everything gets my full attention, cause she's such a diamond!

Chest feels light as a feather now that that lot is not residing on it.

How are you lot anyway?
xxxx

Thinning Thursdays - week 14

2011-05-05T22:11:00.002+01:00

Another Thursday already. My, where do the weeks go. I only have 39 days until the big day. Don't panic Lorna you'll get it all done. On my to do list is:

Buy shoes. I just can't find the right ones. I did buy a pair from eBay, but when they arrived they were not as unblemished as the seller had described them. So back to the drawing board.
Finish off pearl necklaces for the day and make earrings.
Sew some of the same pearls onto headgear.
Decide what I am going to do about my hair.
Organise hen night. Even more important now that we have Dave and Lynne coming over from Australia for the wedding. Dave has demanded a lads only evening so Lynne and I have got to have a girls only trip up town.
Buy Mike a new shirt, tie and suit.

I wonder if William and Kate found things so difficult?

And before I forget, this week's loss is a measly half a pound. Well as they say better off than on.

May Day

2011-05-01T21:49:00.000+01:00

Yes it is May Day. I started out with so many plans. I may finally repot my tomatoes and put my snap dragons out in the front garden. I may cook the piece of beef I bought yesterday and make the family a proper Sunday roast. May be I would play my saxaphone for the first time since Mike was diagnosed or may be I would sort out my wardrobe, full of clothes that don't fit for one of two reasons.

So on this bright, sunny and very windy day, what exactly did I achieve? Absolutely none of the above. More of a May Be Not Day.

Strawberry cheesecake.

2011-04-30T21:16:00.000+01:00

I just had to share this with you all. Well I would share it, but they have yet to sort out the technology of cake division via the Internet. Come on Microsoft, cake sharing has to be a priority.

Thinning Thursdays - week "unlucky for some" 13

2011-04-29T08:42:00.000+01:00

I'm late again. Why do I find it so hard to blog on Thursday evenings now? More precisely, why am I having such a hard time blogging at all? Lots of funny things happen, but I have a tendency to forget them by the time I sit down at the computer. I blame Mike.

Easter weekend came and went without much effect. The bank holidays were more an inconvenice than a relaxing holiday. That's the trouble with not having a proper, leave the house every morning type of job. We had another barbie, which everyone enjoyed. I never realised how easy and how tasty homemade burgers could be. Even better is the fact the whole family love the healthier quarter pounders they are presented with. Good news for any overbearing, blame ridden mom who feels responsible for the eating habits of her errant children.

Myeloma news; Mike had his four weekly visit to the hospital on Wednesday. His counts are slowly rising all by themselves, Dr AB reckons it will be a while still until they are good enough for Mike to be let out alone into the world of employment, too many unclean customers, if you get my drift. The good news is that both she AND Mike's consultant Dr SB are attending the evening party when we get married. Hang on that's not such a good thing, they might see Mike drinking 5 litres........... of beer!

Any way, weight loss this week, two and a half pounds. The half I should have lost last week obviously got stuck somewhere and had to tag along with this week's two pounds. That or it's the half a pound of finger and blood I lost when I shut my finger in the car door resulting in a bit of a need for stitches.

Thinning Thursdays - week 12

2011-04-21T21:03:00.000+01:00

Our tea

Just a quickie, if you'll pardon the expression. This week I have lost another one and a half pounds, which frustrates me no end as it means I am half a pound short of the two stone mark. Hey at least I'm almost guaranteed to achieve it next week.

Mmmmm, homemade burgers.

April 21st Garden

2011-04-21T14:21:00.001+01:00

Time for my monthly update on the garden.

Our little peas.

The courgettes.

The cold frames containing the aubergines.

The chillies. My how you've grown.

Fruit corner.

We have also planted three fruit trees, an apple, a pear and a plum. Mike can't wait to see them grow and bear fruit. Positive thinking all the way.

The apple tree.

It's a dog's life - By Toni

2011-04-20T23:17:00.000+01:00

I thought I would share today's adventure with you all. L and M decided I had earned a nice long walk as I have spent many long days watching the pair of them in the garden. I'm not sure what it is they are doing, other than providing my mortal enemies, (the blackbirds,) with a constant source of fresh worms to eat. On the plus side, it does mean they have to land and I only have to perfect my creep and I'm sure I will get one.

After a bit of discussion and a sitting at the computer they finally decided where to take me. They even printed off a map:

We got to Himley after lunch and after a quick walk around the Great Pool set off towards Baggeridge. I was so excited as I was allowed to run off my lead. I chased a few birds and nearly caught something I heard rustling in the undergrowth. When we got to the visitor centre we stopped and had a drink. There were some water bowls provided, but I didn't know who else had been drinking from them so L had to get my own bowl out of her bag. L and M had a coffee.

After a short break we set off once more. Past a couple of waterfalls:

I met loads of other woofers. Most of them were friendly enough. One even tried to follow us and completely ignored the human she was with.

We had to stop for a sit down a couple of times:

For some strange reason M decided he looked better like that. It might explain his slightly dodgy photo of L:

Or maybe she was just hoping if she closed her eyes, she would wake up back at home with a nice cup of tea.

Finally we got back to Himley and we all had an ice cream. Well L got a couple of licks of hers and then I helped her with her dye-eating thing and finished off the ice cream and cornet. The pair of them reckoned I should sleep well tonight after our 6 mile walk.

On the way home L and M popped into a shop to get some food for tea. I thought they had abandoned me forever. Luckily they made sure there was steak for me too.

I've got to admit, my paws are a bit on the sore side.

"I believe I can fly....." Watch the birdie.

2011-04-18T20:58:00.000+01:00

Is anybody watching?

I'll just have a little bite.

I know nothing.

Thinning Thursdays - weeks 10 & 11, temperatures and tonsils.

2011-04-14T20:30:00.001+01:00

You'll all be pleased to read that I'm still alive, despite having had a temperature of 38.5 this afternoon. The cause of my spike is plain for all to see, if they fancy staring down past my yucky tongue, I have tonsillitis. Yippee! I usually get it once a year around Christmas, but it was a bit late arriving, hopefully I will have had this year's dose early. Mike did consider calling the ward, until he remembered they wouldn't be interested in my spike, instead he has me drugged up on anything he still had lying around from his various infections and stays in hospital. Personally I wanted to try the garlic and malt whisky cure, but Mike wasn't keen.

So it's tuck myself up in bed and hope that tomorrow I feel a bit better. For those who still follow my dye-it, my weight loss over the last two weeks was three and a half pounds. Nearly half way to my final target so I'm really chuffed

Miles away.

2011-04-05T10:54:00.000+01:00

"Penny for your thoughts, you look miles away." I'm always saying it to Mike. I saw a comedian on TV once doing his stand up routine on the subject. Turned out, according to him, that men usually aren't thinking of anything when they get that glazed look on their face, may be what they had for tea, but nothing world shattering. This morning it was Mike's turn to say it to me.

Funnily enough I was miles away, or at least wishing that I was. No I haven't fallen out with Mike enough to be thinking of getting away from him, more how useful I could be if I lived further north with my spade and drain rods so that I could help my dear friend in her hour of need. That, or how great a Star Trek transporter would be in such circumstances.

By the way, you might all like to check the date that Mike posted last. I think you may be surprised to find we still haven't got a linen basket.

Basket Case

2011-04-01T10:51:00.001+01:00

Hi People's, long time no post.
Not a lot different has been happening for me in the last week or two........ until this week that is.
No, I haven't just become a basket case, I will come to that in a while when I have explained about my two hospital appointments I have attended this week.
Numero uno was on Monday at 4 pm when I was summoned to the Outpatients dept. to see Dr. B.
We turned up at 3.35pm to allow time for the vampires to do their worst, and worst it was too. My regular vamp, Miss J, was absent, so I pointed to the place on my arm that is the best, least painful spot...... mistake..... Never TELL a vampire where to put a needle. This one knew much better, and decided on a vein 1cm to the left of normal and found the smallest most painful vein in my arm and proceeded to attach/remove 5 vials ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch.
Once I'd wussed back into the waiting room and my arm had stopped throbbing, I was called in to the consultation room by one of the junior doctors in Dr. B's team." Do you meaan I have gone through all of that pain, just to speak to someone who is asking me to tell her how i'm getting on with my mantainence Revelamid that I've not yet started!" I whispered loudly to Lorna.
Not to panic, cause after explaining that this appointment was arranged so that Dr. B could explain about the mantainence therapy he was considering putting me on, the very pleasant jd popped through and dragged Dr. B into the room.
Obviously trying to appeal to my vanity, Dr.B's first words were: "Your looking thin".
"I think it is due to the Melphelan dieting aid" was my quickfire reply." and you have only ever known me as fat since it was you who gave me 'Mr Chubbycheeks Dex' as a side dish. This is now the real me!"
Well it transpires that I am doing too well for the government to allow the "mantainence" treatment, as my Igg is stable at below 2 and my pp's are also below 2 and my bloods aren't strong enough at 11.5 hb and 73 platelets, because the Revelamid would make em worse and anyway, there are newer drugs and some trials coming through soon.
I'M CONFUSED, but still sane..... watch this space.
My second appointment was with Dr. O, in the Renal clinic, who said that he may have some idea of what is wong with my Kidileys....ta Paula,lol. To go any further he would want to do another biopsy, but me platelets are too low for this at present.....PHEW, Lorna still doesn't understand this one. He is just going to keep a watching brief instead and see me again in 3 months. So again watch this space if you want to help us sort the mystery.
On the subject of space, I decided earlier this week to start my own creative day, just to keep up with the rest of you talented beings, aka Lorna with her Knitting, Paula and Ruth with their Knitting and stuff. So here is my "Creative Friday".... Well I started the other day, but it is now Friday.
Yes you guessed it..... Basket weaving, and here I am sat in the sunshine with the fruits of my labour takin shape:

Soon we will be blessed with a new linen basket and my life then will not just have been in vein.

Thinning Thursdays - week 9. Another month gone.

2011-03-31T22:58:00.000+01:00

It's Thursday again. Another pound lost. I'm not going to make excuses, I know I haven't been as active as I could have been. Mike has had a couple of hospital appointments this week, I had a blood donor appointment another and that with a couple of days of rain has stopped me getting into the garden as much as I would have liked. Hang on I think I just made excuses. Oh well.

I have been trying to get Mike to post on his appointments. You will all have to ask him nicely what was said.

On the subject of blood donation, I would like to encourage those who can to give blood too. I feel so guilty that I used to give regularly, but what with pregnancy and the 9 month wait after, I got out of the habit and hadn't given for 20 years. We worked out that during Mike's illness 14 units of blood donated by complete strangers have been used. Fourteen people gave the gift of life. It doesn't hurt and in my case took 15 minutes not counting the wait for a bed and the tea and biscuits afterwards. (Actually I can blame the biscuits for my abysmal weight loss!)

Thinning Thursdays - week 8 posted on fry-day morning.

2011-03-25T07:42:00.001Z

Please let me know if you are getting bored with this topic. I'm not sure whether the lack of comments the past week have been due to lack of interest / you've all gone to sleep / nobody looks at the blog anymore.

After a busy day digging the garden (we've only done about 1/8th so far) I was too tired to post last night. I think all the soil moving has helped with the weight loss, four and a half pounds last week, my BMI is finally down below 30. I know I still have a way to go, but it is definitely progress.

Toni is enjoying the beautiful weather and spends most of her day sunning herself on the lawn. I have tried using the special sunblock we bought from the vet's for £15 in a bottle that we could carry in our hand luggage if we were taking the dog abroad! She isn't too keen on holding still while I spray it on her delicate skin and more goes on me than on her.

I think I've been here before

2011-03-22T13:04:00.000Z

Mike is having a wonderful day at the hospital having a much needed top-up of little red things. We're not sure if last Tuesday's results were a blip or someone else's, we just know that by Friday his Hb was 10.1 and creatinine 178. His platelets were down to 70 as well. So while Mike relaxes/sits bored stiff, I've been painting fence panels. It's not as easy as I had hoped. So far I have painted three panels in three hours.

The weather here is glorious. The sun is beating down on us, which is why I have had to give up painting for a while, the sun is too hot on my back and my face is starting to burn. I realise now that I should have put some sun cream on, I just didn't think I would need it in March! It feels like it did last May, when Mike had his long holiday and I spent all my spare time tending my vegetable patch. I just hope we get plenty more sunshine as the Summer approaches with evenings and nights of showers for my plants.

All this hard work is making me hungry, I could do with a Chorley cake (currants in shortcrust pastry) not to be confused with an Eccles cake (currants in puff pastry), as eaten by a lad from Southport who I met while at uni in Lancaster. He would toast his and eat them warm spread with butter. Delicious.

Gardening for the 21st Century

2011-03-21T20:31:00.000Z

Well to be more precise, another way to bore you all with my garden. Like Paula's monthly photo of the view from her house I thought I could have a monthly pic of my garden and the plants as they grow. I actually planted the first of my seeds a month ago, chillies and aubergines.

Chillies after 10 days

A week ago I planted sweetcorn and courgettes.

Courgettes today

Chillies and aubergines today

Today I started digging over the vegetable patch ready to plant the carrots, leeks and beetroots next weekend. There is still a lot to do before then though.

Vegetable patch

Thinning Thursdays - week 7.

2011-03-17T22:00:00.000Z

After last week's success comes this week's mediocre offering. A measly one pound, despite all my efforts down the gym and continued healthy diet. Oh well, a pound is one small step towards my goal. Despite my slight disappointment, I will continue to work at it. That way, when the special day arrives, I will know I did all I could and any way my size hardly matters really. It will be the words that matter, not my dress size.

On that subject I am pleased to say we have started getting things for the big day. I'm not sure how much I should give away beforehand. Wouldn't you all like to wait for the photos? Inevitably there will be few, if any, surprises for either of us. It's difficult to hide a whole outfit when you share a wardrobe. Worst of it is, Mike's skirts are a size smaller than mine.

False alarm

2011-03-16T09:22:00.000Z

It turns out that yesterday was a false alarm. I know I could have got back to you all straight away (well when Mike finally got home at 2 o'clock in the afternoon), but by then I was busy doing other things so you have all had to wait. In fact Mike's Hb was actually nearly normal, back to 11.7 where it hasn't been since he was first referred back in December 2009. Even better news was that his creatinine level was 120, yes 120!!!! It hasn't been that low since....... well again December 2009. He has an appointment for Friday to pop back for another blood test ready to see SB on 28th. We will all just have to wait and see what the outcome of those tests will be.

For those who are wondering what the cause of Mike's "My blood feels low" moment was, Dr AB happened to be on the Day Unit and she reckons may be Mike had over done things in the garden on Sunday. I must be more careful with my slave driving in future.

Living in Oz

2011-03-15T09:02:00.000Z

It is extremely conceited of me, but I like to think that on the whole I have been like Glinda, a good witch. I certainly tried to do everything I could to help and support Mike during his treatment.

Today however I feel more like the wicked witch.

Mike has gone off to the hospital to have his Hb checked and I have stayed at home. It is the first time I have voluntarily not gone to the hospital with him. I do feel guilty, but in reality, what is the point of me sitting there for hours, only for us to be told the same thing as three weeks ago? I do worry about the fact he feels he needs a transfusion yet again, it is only two weeks since his last one. Does it mean his SCT was a failure? Are we about to start the roller-coaster ride of treatment again? May be those worries are the very reason I chose not to go today. If when we see SB in two weeks time he tells us Mike has got to go back treatment, we're both going to be spending a lot more time back at NX.

I'm sure some of you will understand that I need some me time before that happens. I love him dearly, but I have put certain areas of my life on hold. We drive when Mike doesn't feel up to walking, take lifts instead of stairs. My health and fitness have both suffered and I'm just starting to take control of them again. I need more time to build myself up both physically and emotionally. For those times when it suits him, I know Mike is seriously ill and for those times when he is feeling great, together we will conqueor the world.

Thinning Thursdays - week 6.

2011-03-10T21:27:00.000Z

As requested by Paula I am taking the opportunity to share the photos I took while sewing the curtains. I had meant to post them on Tuesday, but I couldn't find the lead for my camera! Well you've waited long enough. So here we go:

I pinned

And pinned some more

I sewed

I checked the seams

Finally they were finished

Here they are in all their glory

So that done, I can get back to my knitting.

Back to the title of today's post. It is Thinning Thursday again. Gosh the weeks roll around quickly. I went to the hairdresser's today and had my hair cut again, I think that is why I lost two and a half pounds today, bringing my total loss to one stone! I think I'll go out and celebrate at the weekend.

Did anyone notice my little helper?

Drawing a veil over things.

2011-03-07T22:20:00.000Z

Well the first pair of curtains are finally complete. I'm not sure if it was my lack of experience or the sheer size of them that caused the project to take so long. I know it took the two of us to hang them, one to put the hooks in the other to hold the weight! They did cause a few heated discussions too, there were moments when methods were questioned and suggestions given. Some were taken others were not. Any way they are drawn now and look very impressive.

Talking of veils, I am beginning to start thinking seriously about what I should wear for my big day in fourteen weeks time. I'm definitely not going for the meringue dress, I'm too old and it just isn't me. (Phew I hear you all say!) I'm not even sure whether I'm even going to wear a dress, may be I'll wear trousers (yes Mike I know, I already wear the trousers...hehe hehe.) I'm actually contemplating doing something really different and would love to at least make the little touches myself. I'm definitely not up to making my own clothes, but I do have some ideas which I will share with you all as the weeks go by.

I wonder if may be I should start a new blog, or change the title of this one. We certainly don't mention the dreaded M word much and I feel a bit of a fraud! Mike still has very itchy skin and is still Fred Bear. That's one thing I might have to make for June if Fred is still Bear.

Thinning Thursdays - week 5.

2011-03-03T21:44:00.000Z

Well it is week 5 and I have lost another one and a half pounds. I'm bitterly disappointed, especially as I've been trying so hard and exercising to the point that I thought my knees would seize up and I'd never be able to move them again. I doesn't matter how much I try to oil them, they just won't move these days. In truth all I wanted to lose was two pounds a week to achieve a decent weight-lose for the big day, but that missing half a pound for the last two weeks has really made me mad.

My creative space is still piled high with curtains. Hopefully they'll be completed by next week and I'll be able to post pics. One good thing about having my machine out the loft is that I finally got round to replacing a zip on a denim skirt that broke about 4 years ago. Funnily enough it doesn't even fit me anymore. Mike says it will soon. He also kindly pointed out that if the weight took a year to arrive it might take a year to shift, which is great if you consider I've got four years to shift!!!!

The jumper I'm knitting continues to grow very, very slowly. May be by next Winter it will be completed. (I'm not saying which Winter though.)

Mike is currently suffering from an extremely bad case of itchiness. He has either been playing with poison ivy (who ever she may be) or lying down with dogs (not Toni or Bud because they are both clean and flea-free). Talk about ants in the pants, he scratches all through the night, it's like sleeping on a vibrating bed.

Thinning Thursdays - week 4. A month already?

2011-02-24T21:59:00.000Z

It's that day of the week again. I'm happy to report that I have lost another one and a half pounds. I blame our day trip on Monday. That beer and crisps have a lot to answer for. On the subject of our, as Sandy put it, "Liverpoolian" friends Mike was having a bit of a sort out this afternoon and found something that might be of use.

Out of doors mode.

No need to hang out of bed mode.

For one week only (I think) I also have a creative space or two to share. While Mike was having a sort I finished off the bath panel. I tiled it weeks ago, but hadn't until today got round to grouting the gaps. We hope you like it.

Never mind a night on the tiles, I've spent days on them.

I mentioned four weeks ago that I had bought 50 metres of curtain lining. I also bought 20 metres of curtain fabric to try and make curtains for both of the reception rooms (get her and her posh ways.) The need to make my own becomes evident when you realise that the one room has a ceiling to floor window and measures 2.4m x 2.4m. We did price up made to measure curtains, but I nearly fainted at the thought of spending an arm and a leg just for a bit of privacy. So this is my other creative space of the day:

Yes it's GREEN.

Great Northern Run

2011-02-22T10:53:00.001Z

Waking up yesterday feeling a lot better for some reason best known to the Myeloma secrets society, Lorna and I decided to try and help a maiden in distress. We set off from home on the Great Northern Run, aka train to St. Helens to deliver a crochet hook. A most pleasant day it was too. We had tea and a long chat with Paula and B and reluctantly bade farewell when B gave us a lift back to the railway station.
Well planned so it appeared....... until we realised that the next train was at 18.10 and it was 17.15. But we need not have worried, as someone with aforethought had conveniently built an inn called "The Junction" right over the railway bridge. We hastily ventured across the bridge and out of the cold night air settling down to a pint and a packet of crisps quietly tucked away in a corner, the locals all lined up against the bar on stools.
A friendly bunch they were, chatting away. I wasn't taking much notice until I heard the words "Spearmint Rhino"...... why were the locals so amused by chewing gum? And why then did the conversation turn to the function room upstairs being named "The Gay Loft". Jim in his cap was bemused.....chewing gum and happy people in the loft? Good job it was 18.05..... time to make a sharp exit.
All in all a really god day, thank you to our northern hosts xxxx

Enough already

2011-02-20T19:31:00.000Z

Those of you who keep up with the goings on of Myeloma bods who blog will know only too well that it hasn't been a good 6 months here in the UK. Naming no names for fear of causing embarrassment we have had a spate of relapses and it feels as if there must have been something in the water as people have been dropping like flies. So without further ado:

"Myeloma enough already. Go away and leave us all in peace for at least the next 50 years!"

Poor Mike has been feeling a bit under the weather today. He reckons his Hb is low and plans to give the Day Unit a call in the morning so that they can check his levels and either put his mind at rest or give him the blood he thinks he needs. It's a long time until his next appointment with his consultant!

Thinning Thursdays - week 3

2011-02-17T21:35:00.003Z

Two and a half pounds this week. Things are going OK, I do realise that it is a good weight loss, especially as I am eating plenty and not having to put up with hospital food! I do have moments when I lose motivation, but I just have to remind myself why I'm doing it. 16 weeks 4 days to go. Plenty of time then!

Sunny Saturday but Poorly Paula.

2011-02-12T19:04:00.002Z

I logged on to FB this morning to find a message from Margaret concerned about Paula as she hasn't blogged for over a week. Now I had started worrying last Saturday when she missed her daily blog. I just knew she wouldn't be beaten by a little bout of anything short of pubonic, I mean bubonic plague. So as I had her mobile number I sent her a text. Turned out she had decided to take a short break as her counts were low and they wanted to prod and poke her to find the little infection causing her high temperatures. Not being one to gossip, I felt it necessary to ask Paula if she minded me spreading her business about so I called her to ask. Turns out that although she has her lap top, she doesn't have any internet, so couldn't blog to keep us all informed. Obviously she didn't mind, that or I just decided to air her dirty laundry any way. It has however given her an unfair advantage on the Thinning Thursday front, the hospital food helped her lose 2kg in one week! I told her that I did think that maybe I'd jinxed her with my remark about her stash and a bus through her bedroom. Luckily I got away with it.

As part of Thinning Thursdays I have tried to increase the amount of activity in my life. I'd fallen into bad habits with the help of Mike. At one time I would walk to the shop every day for the day's supplies, now Mike drives us. So over the last couple of weeks I have been making sure I walk to the shop at least three times, aiming for six. I discovered today that my mobile phone has a little app that allows me to know how far I have walked, how quickly and how many calories I have used up.

Today has been a glorious sunny day, with a definite air of Spring about it, the perfect day for walking. Mike was up for it so we set off to the local DIY store to look for a few bits and pieces for the kitchen. We walked there and we walked back, with 10kg of tile adhesive in a back pack on my back! So at the risk of looking like a show-off I'll share with you what I learnt. We took 1 hour 13 minutes to walk 4.1 miles at an average speed of 3.4 miles per hour and I burnt 592 calories (does that mean I can eat a Mars bar?) No? What about a funsize? OK, you're right. No point undoing all my good work.