Christmas & Other Stuff.

I meant to write a blog post to wish all my lovely readers a very Happy Christmas, but that didn't seem to happen unfortunately.  We had a lovely Christmas Day at my son and daughter in law's house.  They cooked a lovely meal for us all and we had a great day.  I made my traditional pavlova and fresh fruit salad.

The only problem was I didn't get to bring any home as they kept what was left over, so I missed out on my 'traditional' Boxing Day Pavlova breakfast!

The bags of pressies has arrived.

I didn't get any photos of us opening them.  In fact I got very few photos this year.

I did take some of the Christmas table, but neglected to take a group photo of us all like I usually do, and also forgot to take a photo of the food!

We didn't get to taste this wonderful gingerbread house that the Sailor made.

I hope everyone had a lovely day with family and friends or however they spend it.  Enjoy the next few days with the lead up to the New Year.

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Today I feel a bit deflated...not sure if it is because it all seems so quiet here in our house and the weather is just so horrible after the lovely day it was yesterday.  It is very dark and dismal.

I came off my steroids completely a few days ago and I have to say I have not felt good since the dose has been decreasing.  Pains that I had hoped were gone for good have come back.  My feet are very painful again, my back hurts and I have had a a few bad flare ups in my right side.  Obviously the steroids were helping them as well as the Mesenteric panniculitis I was on them for.  I saw the specialist on 20th December for the results of the CT Scan and a couple of the nodes have reduced in size and the others have remained stable.  So now it is just a waiting game to see how I get on without medication.  I told him how good I had been feeling on the steroids and how they had helped the other pain issues I had/have and he said that proves they are an inflammatory response to something, so it is a case of trying to determine what is causing it...and he has written a good letter for me to also take to the Pain Clinic in January, although I have to say I am not confident they will take anything on board as they seem relatively disinterested, and I always have to wait so long between seeing anyone and also getting any results of tests they might deign to do.  

Having had  a taste of how good I can feel and also how I 'used to be' pre pain I want to feel like that again!  I have had a few good months, and I feel like I have just gone right back to how I was before I started the treatment but in a way it feels worse as I realise how bad it is, and how good I 'could' feel if we could just sort out what is going on and treat it.

I think I am going to have a break from blogging for a little while...hopefully just until the New Year...I just don't feel great, and don't want to be harping on about it.  

Sunday Summary.

Well things seem to be going a little pear shaped, or whatever.  I have been taking photos of the little pictures inside my Advent Calendar each day, but then have not posted them, so really doesn't seem much point now.  Christmas feels a bit odd here this year as due to much of our house being packed up in boxes, and the rest a jolly mess, we won't be having Christmas Day here for the first time in many many years.  As such we also don't have room for a Christmas Tree, although I do have a few little decorations out.  We have got the lights up outside and some other decorations, so that is something at least!  The days seem to be disappearing oh so quickly and I feel a bit dazed by it all.  

As my son and daughter in law are hosting Christmas Dinner this year  I wanted to make a Christmas centre piece for my son's table.

I cut out the pieces and laid them out, then sewed them together, got some wadding and backing and a little while later...

Finished!  

We have been out a couple of times to some garden centres, one of which has the most amazing and intricate Chistmas/Snow Scene display.  I spent ages looking at it all as there was so much to see.

I'm still walking with the walking group three times a week and of course walking the dogs daily.  Stanley has been on a hunger strike as we have changed his food to a sensitivity control diet as I am fed up with trying to clear up 'soggy runny wotsits' while out.  Hopefully once he finally accepts the diet it will work on sorting out his stomach and bowel issues.  

Percy had his chemo treatment the week before last and also had blood tests which shows things are improving which is good to see.

I'm now down to 5 mg of Prednisilone   Not sure I am completely happy on this lower dose, as not been feeling as good as I was when the dose was higher.  I guess I will know more on Friday when I see the specialist.  

We got this lovely little rustic wooden church from one of the garden centres and it now takes pride of place on top of the drawers in the hallway.  

We have had some rather spectacular sunrises recently.

Advent 2019 - Day One

Searching through my 'bottom drawer' I found a new Advent Calendar that I bought when Woolworths was closing down.  10p it cost.  Perfect for this month.

It is simple but colourful and brightens up the hall drawers.

The first little window was opened today.

How is it December already?!

Beautiful!

I just love this photo I took this morning on our group walk.  I wish I'd taken more, but was chatting so much, it was the only photo I took!  It was a beautiful day, cold but one of those really lovely mornings when everything looks so beautiful.  It was rather muddy in places though!

I can't believe it is already the end of November.  Time sure has flown by.  We have a busy week ahead... our younger son's PIP assessment on Tuesday, Percy's Chemo on Wednesday and my scan and then my car is going in to be serviced on Friday.  There was a group dinner on Friday but I think realistically I am going to have to miss it which is a shame.  (Thinking I have probably repeated myself here!) 

I'm looking after my son and daughter in law's guinea pigs for a few days and they brought some watermelon down for them.... this is one of mine Jay (Jeremy) enjoying a slice.

I made myself another little bear as I discovered 'Lawrence' is difficult to photograph.  I made this new one from a man's shirt I bought from a charity shop.  I made him a pair of trousers and knitted him a blue jumper.  

The little bear in front 'Potter' was made by a friend who sent him to me a few years ago.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and has a lovely Sunday.

Not something you expect to see...

in an English garden in winter!

Taken through the patio windows...the tree is half way down our garden so not the clearest of pictures.

A good reminder to fill up the feeders - which are now done!

Words on Wednesday

At the beginning of October I bought a lovely Denby mug with a picture of a Wren on it.  Yesterday while walking round the charity shops in our little town I spotted two more cups, so of course they came home with me.

Two of my favourite garden birds, a Robin and a Blue Tit.

It is interesting that they have information on the back about each bird.

So my new 'collection' now consists of three of these lovely mugs.  

I also spotted this for £1.99 and door stops are always handy especially heavy ones.

They fit in with a theme that also seems to be developing!

Monday afternoon we popped over to a local shopping complex as our son and his wife had come down and they and my husband wanted to pop into Marks and Spencers.  I wasn't too keen but went along for the ride.  They got a few things in there and then we went over to TK Maxx, again another shop I am not too keen on shopping in, but I did find a couple of lovely lambswool jumpers that were nice and cheap and look good on.

A nautical themed jumper

and a nice bright and cheerful orange jumper.

I now need to clear two jumpers (at least) for these to replace.  I do have some well worn ones that I think are well over due to go.

I took some things down to the CS yesterday so that was good and made a little bit more progress on my clearing.  

This morning I've got to take my bike down the road for the light to be replaced - he had to order it in.  I'll go for my walk, then pick up the bike to ride it back home.  We are then going out for a family Christmas Lunch - a bit early, but it was the only date we could all get together to do.

Next week we have our younger son's PIP assessment which we are fretting and stressing over as so much depends on it as does he!  I've got my CT Scan, which seems to have come round quickly and Percy goes back in for another round of Chemo treatment.  

Summing up Sunday on Monday

I walked on both Saturday and Sunday with the two walking groups I belong to.  Saturday was very damp so I didn't take any photos but I took a few yesterday afternoon.  We went somewhere I hadn't been before so that was interesting, especially as it was one of my Dad's childhood haunts.

There were quite a few ducks and swans on the lake.

Some pretty old buildings

Leafy tracks.

Since reduces my steroid dose from 20 mg to 15 mg and now down to 10 mg my feet have started hurting again which is a nuisance.  Obviously one of the unexpected positive side effects was reducing inflammation in other parts of my body.  I will have to see if it gets any worse. If it does I think I will be requesting to go back up again for longer as it was nice to have less pain going on.  

In the morning I cleared some more cardboard boxes that I had stored in case I needed them, and listed some items on evilbay.  Hopefully I will make some sales. I also started to sort out some more things for the charity shops.  Some nice leather handbags that I just don't use.  I had contemplated listing them on evilbay but after my last experience of trying to sell a handbag decided it was easier to give them to charity.  Far less stress.   This week will see more clearing, sorting and tidying, a Christmas lunch tomorrow and various other activities including walking.

Sorry I haven't been visiting my usual blogs.  Hope to make some time to catch up sometime this week.  Hope everyone has a good week.

IOW for the Day.

Yesterday we had a lovely day out on the Isle of Wight.

We caught the 7.30  am ferry from Southampton and arrived just before 9 am in the morning.

We had a wander around Godshill when we first arrived and had a lovely cuppa in a Cafe there before we headed off to have a walk around St Lawrence and Ventnor.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Plantation Room Cafe before having a wander around the beautiful gardens that even now have lots of interesting plants to admire.

We walked down to Steephill Cove

Stanley absolutely loved it!

My daughter in law enjoyed it as well.

This place has really been left to deteriorate.  I took a photo of it several years ago and it wasn't any where near as bad as this.  It was bought a few years ago and a ridiculous planning application was submitted for huge extension and changes that just would not have suited the property.  I am not sure if they were approved or not...I suspect not...and cynical me now suspects that it is being left to get to the stage where it is no longer tenable to restore, so it can be torn down and some modern monstrosity built in its place...  

We then headed back up to the Botanical Gardens and enjoyed some of the flowers.

We finished the day in a wonderful very dog friendly cafe in Ventnor on the beach front.

Dog beds were provided for the four legged 'customers' and Percy took full advantage of one.

We enjoyed very tasty cakes and tea/coffee.  

We caught the 6 pm Ferry back and was home just before 9 pm.