Strawberry cheesecake.

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

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

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

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

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.

Is anybody watching?



I'll just have a little bite.



I know nothing.



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

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.

"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

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.