Lucky Dip and ickle visits

Summary of past few days:

Thursday: First to enter chemo ward at 8.45 am. Last to leave at about 7pm. Only advantage is I have eyed up my favourite position (in the corner with the shelf) so getting there early means I get a choice of seats. Lucky old me hey? We get straight on with it. 1o hours later I am full of toxic chemicals, steroids, tonnes of fluid, anti sickness and I think I managed half an egg sandwich too.

Friday: Can't remember much. Friday evening we had a visit from Palestine by the boy John Edwards. Well actually I believe the official reason for his visit was it was his father's 70th Birthday celebrations but we will take the credit for Friday night. Apologies that Jonny had you drink so much whisky. Didn't see too many objections though.

I did very well with my Palestinian lucky dip gift bag. Lots of lovely fun little things. One of which is modelled by John Edwards here:

It's the belt we are all looking at it by the way. Not the T-shirt. Not that I am not special.

It was so lovely to have this visit. If a little emotional. "Don't make me cry John," I had to beg. The last time we saw John was in Jerusalem for Christmas. I drank champagne, ate tonnes, and laughed loads every day. Only a few weeks later here I am crashed out on the sofa at home full of "ugh" and not a well girl at all.

Still must be positive. This is to get me back to where I have been before. Surely. Please. Please.

Saturday all a bit of a blur. Today I had a couple of girly visits which was lovely. Am learning that this does perk me up for a bit. It's also about not being on the phone or seeing people too. Oh dear wave of nausia.

But well done United.

Jamie Oliver Italian Restaurant - Kingston

Realise I have been all a bit doom and gloom on here recently. I did do a nice thing today. My sister took me to the new Italian Jamie Oliver Restaurant in Kingston.

We were impressed. Good menu of more traditional Italian food. i.e. there weren't any pizzas on the menu. Anti pasti starters, pasta dishes, and meat and fish mains. I had the mushroom ravioli. Was delicious. And you can see the man rolling and making all the pasta freshly while you eat. Sarah had the pumpkin risotto that she demolished pretty quickly, so we can take that as a sign it was good grub.

On the table next to us were some of Jamie's "team." They were trying every dish to check the quality of the food. They got through a lot of it so I assume they were happy.

No room for puddings and with bread, drinks and two mains in coming in at under £30 was pretty reasonable too. Would definitely go again.

As a complete aside Dame Judi Dench was in there. She really does have amazing skin.

Difficult Lessons - Accepting Help

In life I am naturally happier being the one who is rushing around after other people. What I am not very good at is being on the receiving end of help. I don't say this as a martyr - I just find it hard to let other people do things for me. Since I went to university when I was 18 years old, I have pretty well looked after myself. And for a long time my Jonny too. So, maybe I am just used to being that way.

This leaves me in a tricky situation right now. Because I am not well. And no matter how much I want to be keeping everything together and do everything, my body just isn't up to it at the moment. My achievements of Monday morning, in between two sleeps, were to empty the dishwasher and hang the clothes up to dry. These things are not big tasks. When I am feeling well - they just happen. And on bad chemo days it is more of an achievement to walk up the stairs than anything else.

I really DON'T want to be like this. That may sound obvious but it is so frustrating to not even able to think about what we are going to have for dinner. Let alone struggle to cope with symptoms and side effects of drugs.

I have, however, been offered help. By both the hospital and the community. I took some talking into accepting this, but I guess I am in a place where I know I need help. And so I knew when it was offered it was something I should take. Stubbornness can lead to cutting off your nose to spite your face. And my desire is always to make this bad situation better, not worse.

So. I have my next chemo tomorrow and for the next eight days starting tomorrow, my church will be delivering evening meals to our home. For the first few days these will just be for Jon as my stomach has been so bad. Believe me this wasn't something I accepted just like that. But in reality it is going to be a huge help. I have done this for others in the church when they have not been well, or had babies etc. It's just hard to accept such kindness from the other side.

The second piece of help I have accepted is nursing care at home to help me to cope with the side effects and symptoms. Whilst this is a good thing, again I took some persuasion. How ill do you have to be before this is deemed necessary? I certainly don't want to be ill enough. But maybe I am. Otherwise this wouldn't be offered to me. I found it particularly hard that these nurses are coming from the local hospice. Emotionally hard. I am sure they will be lovely. Just so don't want to be in the place I am.

So the next few days should be better than last time as I accept this help. Just because a lesson is difficult that doesn't mean it is not worth learning or when you do it won't make life better or easier. And I can see the bigger picture here. Someone (who happens to be me) is not well. And there are things than can be done to help. That someone is letting help in.

We just seem to have got to this place mighty quickly. So I've had a steep learning curve. But this is where I am. Even though I don't want to be. I just am. And I am incredibly grateful for the help I receive.

Rubbish Day

We all have bad days from time to time. I had one today. I don't want any sympathy. I have enough of that. This is my blog and am just writing down that I have had a rubbish day.

I knew I was going to be in a funny mood. It is five years today since my surgeon delivered the news to me that I had breast cancer in the Royal Marsden in Sutton. I was just 27 years old at the time. And I felt like my whole world had shattered into pieces. Today I enter the statistics as someone who has "survived" breast cancer for five years. This is not what survival was meant to look like.

I don't feel very well at all at the moment. At all. I spent a good few hours at the hospital this afternoon having various blood tests, injections and my consultation. You can loose hours and hours in that hospital. I am very grateful for the care I receive. It's just hard to sit there for hours when you feel so rubbish anyway. Then I had to wait 45 minutes for a prescription that they didn't have and ended up like some sort of lost soul in Boots at Fulham Broadway trying to buy Gaviscon.

I collapsed when I got home. Fell asleep. Again. But then things got better when my lovely friend brought our tea round for us. And now Jonny is home. More chemo on Thursday. I so know I need it. It's not nice feeling ill like this. Or having rubbish days.

Business Skills

I had my last day of teaching on my course yesterday morning. The subject was business skills. The first section was more revision for myself and the other last student standing. We started as a group of four a few months ago and now we are just two. I knew all about basic business skills from my many days spent qualifying and practicing as a Chartered Accountant. And my other fellow trainee ran her own business for thirty odd years so she knew about business too.

The afternoon proved more interesting. We had to come up with our own business plan. This was obviously more of a theoretical exercise for me. I hadn't told my other trainee about the elephant for all these months. The studio and this course has been a place for me to be free of all that. If you don't tell people then there is no danger of this illness defining you.

Over lunch she started asking me questions about my plans. I gave my usual elusive responses around not being well and just having to see. Not sure, just focusing on the training.... And then I just decided as it was the last day to mention the c word. I didn't go into lots of detail and think she was pretty surprised. I have done really well at the training, even if I do say so myself. It's strange though. I get stuck in this mix of not wanting some people to know about the elephant because I refuse to be defined by it. I am so much more than this wretched disease. And yet I find it a huge liberating to not carry the load of the load of old nellie around with me and to sometimes just tell people.

Anyway it is now over to me to write a dissertation and shadow and run a number of classes over the summer months. Someone is on my side. I have attended every training day and now I can do the rest when I feel well enough. You see that elephant wants to get in there but I have other ideas.

Little things become Big things

So I have done some nice things this week. Not big things. But nice little things. Cups of tea and chats with friends mainly.

I'm finding doing this really tiring though. Not to the extent that I want to stop doing it. But meet a friend for a couple of hours and I am firmly in need of a nap to get me through the next part of the day. People are telling me I look a little pale. I say this is nothing compared to the week before.

I had a friend and her husband visit earlier in the week. He had had one of the drugs I am on as part of a chemotherapy regime a couple of years ago. And similarly it took him a long time in the cycle to recover. Of the other regimes I have had over the years, this one is certainly taking a long time of still feeling tired. With others I would feel awful for a good few days, but then feel pretty OK in between times.

I know I am tired. I have no interest in cooking whatsoever. Just can't face the effort of it. And this is very unlike me. I want to drive everywhere because I am scared I will get somewhere and be too tired to get back. Usually I like to walk everywhere as much as I can. And I am having to manage very carefully I don't have too many activities in a single day. I am well aware if I do too many then I am going to wipe myself out for a couple of days and then I won't be doing any.

I'm loving the winter Olympics though. And the Ugly Betty box set and radio 4 are keeping me good. These things I can't do in the days after my chemo as I can't even think. Depending on my blood count it will be time to go again at the end of next week. But I know I can keep doing it. I just know I can.

My friends Mum sent me a lovely email yesterday. At the end she had attached this poem:

What cancer cannot do
It cannot cripple Love
It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot corrode Faith
It cannot destroy Peace
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot steal Eternal Life
It cannot conquer the Spirit

After the rain

Yesterday it was like a monsoon had hit Sheen. It did not stop raining ALL day. But today was a different day. The sun was out, the temperature warmer and I managed to take a short walk in Richmond Park this morning. It was muddy but beautiful.

Then I had much fun with my niece who came to visit. I was very popular today. Think it was the sticker books and chocolate buttons and cake that did it. But I will take the credit anyway. And despite the rain she was very insistent that the plants all needed watering in the garden. Bless.

Pancake Day

I have just had lots of laughter and fun over a stack of delicious pancakes at my friends home. Lemon and sugar is the best way to serve a pancake in my book.

Last year I gave up clothes shopping for lent. This year I am giving up nothing at all. Far too hard given the elephant situation. There is a time for discipline and a time for enjoying grace.

And now is a time where treats are very much allowed.

Lovely Lunch

So a week ago all I could eat was toast and ice cubes. I could hardly hold a conversation let alone leave the house. Which made a simple day today SO nice.

My friend Lynds drove down to see me. Her parents took care of her two little girls so she could come, which I was so grateful for. She arrived with homemade soup for the freezer and an enormous homemade cake with chocolate buttons all over it. Her inner domestic goddess that has been hiding out all these years clearly emerged.

We head to Pizza Express for lunch. Nothing fancy. But just SO nice to sit and talk and be out. We talk about loads of stuff. How I am. About how I need to let people help me. Community. Friends.

Then she holds my hand. And asks me to be her little girl's godmother. The tears start rolling now for both of us. But what about... and I may not... and we don't know... She says she knows. She just knows. But would have asked me if there was no elephant and it wasn't going to stop her asking because of it.

We cry a little more. I share my heart. And then say I would love to.

Pizza Express is full of kids and noise because it is half term. The waiters must think we are nuts we all this crying and hand holding. But it was special.

We head back for a cuppa and a big piece of cake and she has to leave to drive 3 hours to get back to her girls.

It's amazing how a simple chicken salad and bottle of mineral water with an old friend can become the biggest luxury. And also how the act of asking an old friend to have a special role in your child's life becomes such an emotionally loaded thing when there is an elephant in the room. But it feels like we are in it together. That we are not going to let the elephant trample and get it's trunk in the way of stuff because of what ifs.

I will give little Sophie the best I can as her godmother for as long as I can. And I guess that is all anyone can do. Elephant or not.

Hello! Magazine

There is a two page spread in this weeks Hello! magazine on the Anna Valentine Fashion Show. For some reason they didn't select the pictures with me in them.

Actually apparently they did originally and it was a three page spread and then they had to pull one of the pages at the last minute.

Never mind hey. It was still a magical night.

Treats

I have a saying when things get bad. I tell myself "well at least the good news is there is currently no limit on treats."

And today I got treats. I arrived home earlier and my lovely friends had left Jon and I a "chemo survival pack." It was a bag with a card in it with just lots of lovely things. Chocolates for Jonny. Moisturiser. Hand Wipes. Special Tea. Socks. And a very pretty bracelet. How spoilt am I? I don't deserve it because this is just the way life is for me. It's not like I actually did anything. BUT that is where my saying kicks in. I don't have to feel guilty because there is no limit on treats.

I also got given a hand made Valentine Heart Biscuit by my friends little baby boy earlier.

And I have just won a fabulous box of chocolates in my friends Valentine's Day competition.

I like treats.

So today I had treats.

Photographs of Camilla, Lucy and Me

I have just been sent these photographs which were taken by the Hello! photographer at the fashion show on Thursday evening when we were talking to HRH. I doubt they will make it into the issue (as I am not really celeb material!) but all very exciting anyway:

My Valentine

The doorbell rung at 9am this morning.

And these were delivered with a lovely card from my Jonny.



I haven't even had a chance to get him a card. And he knows it.

He also knows that I am as completely in love with him today as ever. If not more so. Life may have dealt me some very tough cards, but not when it comes to finding the one.

Happy Valentines Day Jonny. (Even if you do really think it is all a load of commercial rubbish!!)

Still Stretching

I woke this morning and felt ok so decided to go along to my course. I am well aware that to many I maybe should be firmly on the sofa. But believe me - I have done nothing else. I have a very nice sofa but I am SO fed up of being on it. I wanted a change of scene. And I am still Jo. And this course is one of the things I am doing in my life right now.

There is only this weekend and one day next weekend of the course left, and I have come so far with it, it would seem such a shame not to see it through. I really enjoy doing this. Besides, I quite frankly really don't see why I shouldn't continue with it.

I spoke to the teacher yesterday and filled her in on the hideous situation with the elephant right now. I was a little worried about the practical side of things today. I was a little shaky before I left and told Jon I may well be home in half an hour. But once I was there, I was ok. And when we got to the practical session the teacher lead us through a relaxation rather than any deep stretching. And it was just what my body and my spirit needed.

More than one person has commented on my feisty spirit in the past week. Maybe that is what got me in my tracksuit and into the studio today. I don't know what it was. I don't really care. I know it is crazy that for a week I could hardly move and on my Saturday I went to a day learning about health and exercise.

But I also know that despite everything this body is going through, quite a lot of it still works. And for as long as I can I'm going to keep using it. And stretching it too.

The handbag Camilla held when she shook my hand

Oh yes it is in the press. Check out this article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250408/Camilla-arrives-charity-fashion-class-handbag.html

What a night (and Meeting HRH)

Wow. What a night. Cannot believe it. Cannot believe the course of the week. For days I am firmly in chemo land, literally unable to move at times, and then last night I was in a different place.

Ah. Where to start.

The Event. The Anna Valentine Fashion Show in aid of Maggies Cancer Centres. Anna Valentine is an amazing designer who famously dressed HRH The Duchess of Cornwall for her wedding to Prince Charles.

The location. The Royal Courts of Justice, London. LOVE places like this. LOVE this about London. They are so old and so magnificent. Incredible building.

Why am I there? My lovely friend Lucy is an old friend of Anna Valentines. She has been on the committee for organising this event for months. I have been invited to attend like lots of her other friends and committed to go ages ago.

Obviously this week has been so hard it had been very doubtful at times whether I would be able to make it. But I did. And yesterday lunchtime Lucy tells me it is good I am coming because I am her plus one as one of the very specially selected people to meet and greet HRH The Duchess of Cornwall (yes Camilla) herself at the evening. What?!! I know. I know.

So we arrive. I feel like a different person in heels and my black dress. I loose a false nail before we even get to the venue but hope no one will notice. The place looks amazing. There is much re event stress going on - the amount of organisation that has gone into this is incredible.

We head to the drinks reception. I have a glass of champagne. The girl who could only manage ice cubes two days earlier is sipping a glass of fizz and has an enormous smile on her face. All the food is prepared my famous chef Tom Aitken. I like the canapes but don't have many as am too scared it may all ooze down my front before I meet HRH.

We are told that at 7.10 to stand in a particular spot and HRH will come and meet us. It is really crazy busy in there so we are moved to a slightly quieter area. The Hello! photographers are told to make sure they get pictures of us talking to Camilla. Loads of people are now looking at us like we are VIPs ourselves because we are clearly next to meet her.

We have practiced our curtsy's. Apparently the official line we are to say is "It is very nice to meet you your Royal Highness." We are both giggling and think we are going to totally mess that entire thing up. As I am stood there about to meet her I say to Lucy "This is so nuts. I haven't even told my neighbours I have cancer, and now I think I am about to tell the wife of the heir to the throne!"

Camilla is brought over to us. We are introduced. We do some attempt at our curtsy and our line. But Camilla is really down to earth and isn't waiting for us to make sure we do it all right. We talk for probably about 5 minutes or so before she is moved on. We talk about Maggies. We talk about Anna Valentine. We say I have not been well all week and how pleased we are I made it. Camilla smiles and looks at the glass of champagne in my hand and tells me how good it is I am having a glass of that. During that time there are official photographers taking photo's of the moment. And then she is moved on.

And then we move on to talk to..... Rupert Everett and Janet Ellis. Rupert Everett has enormous nostrils. Seriously gigantic. Lucy tries all the shots to get him to laugh at her jokes. I think he must have been nervous about his speech. I get chatting to Janet Ellis. She is SO lovely. It is like a happy childhood moment talking to the Blue Peter presenter of my youth. We talk about her kids. We talk about Maggies. We talk about my week. She is so surprised because last night I looked really well. We start talking about hair and wigs. She knows this amazing wig cutter who apparently will restyle my beautiful Parisian real hair wig for me and make it even better. She says to make sure I give her my phone number during the evening. I feel like she is my new friend!

We then head down for the Event itself. Janet's speech is fabulous. It doesn't make me upset at all. I just agree with every word. Then the show starts.

The models all stick their hips forward and slouch back as they walk. The clothes are beautiful. Truly stunning. Wish I had some of them. The fabrics just float and hang in a way that oozes chic and quality and style.

Then we have some more Tom Aitken food and, yes, I have another glass of champagne. It's the real stuff and tastes fantastic. There is an auction for prizes as well as a silent auction for loads of stuff people have donated. The biggest single amount raised I think was £22,000 for a 2 week holiday in the Seychelles. Sadie Frosts boyfriends band play. We have much debate because no one can remember his name. Scott something. I have no photo's as we were not allowed to take cameras to the evening. But am so hoping to be able to get some of the official ones that the Hello! photographer took. I think I should be able to and then will scan some in and post them.

It gets to nearly 10 and my body starts to give in. I start to feel I am struggling a little to sit in the chair. The event officially ends at 10.30 so decide I must go. I exchange smiles with Lulu Guinness. In true Jo style I have lost my coat tag so cause problems at the cloakroom looking for a black size 8 Karen Millen Coat..... but it is found.

I squeeze my lovely friend Lucy unable to say words of what a fairy tale night it has been. Dare I say it, the sweet is sweeter, given the days before. I step out onto the Strand, get straight into a black cab and am home in bed about half an hour.

As my head touches the pillow I smile. And am grateful for this night. The philosophy of Maggies is not to allow the fear of dying to stop the joy of living. And tonight I had joy living.

http://www.maggiescentres.org/maggies/maggiescentres/home/home.html

Different day

I can hardly type. This isn't a chemo side effect. It is false nails. I bought them in boots earlier in an emergency. Now I am struggling to do ANYTHING. Not helpful as:

I am wearing a frock. Yes a frock. And diamonds. Real ones. 24 hours ago I was firmly on "i don't think so" BUT I have turned a corner. I feel like a human being. And this human being is about to meet a VERY famous person.

I am off to the Anna Valentine fashion show in aid of Maggies Cancer Centres. It is at the Royal Courts of Justice. There are going to be tonnes of celebs there (oh yes including me.)

I will write all about it tomorrow I hope. My friend is on the organising committee and told me this afternoon that we are going to meet the famous person.

Thankful the dress and shoes I bought on line fit me. Thankful I was too weak to wash my own hair so booked myself a blow dry today.

Thankful for concealer. And make up.

My friend is borrowing an uber expensive dress and going to look stunning. I have coloured in my bags, and tried to make myself look as pretty as I can today.

Maybe I need to practice my curtsy?

I am laughing so much. I can't cry because of the mascara. I have spent the last week in chemo land horridness. But today is a different day.

I said I would emerge.

Ice cubes and cornflakes

I am confused about what to write on my blog right now. I started writing this blog for me. So that I had a record of all the good things that I do in my life. So that, when the dark days come, I could see what else my life was about. What else I have done. Who I share it with. What makes me laugh and smile and feel good.

It was never intended to be a blog about cancer. Far from it. I've said it a million times. This disease is what has happened to me. It isn't what is me. I never would have chosen any of this. And I didn't want it to be a blog about cancer.

However, having not left the house for a week, my body having just undergone a chemical onslaught on highly toxic chemotherapy drugs, I am a little lost with my theory.

If we stick with the theory - it is about what I do - then the past few days all I have done is be in a very bad place with treatment. And the tiny moments of pleasure that have been snatched are so far from the bigger world.

For example. Yesterday I ate ice cubes. Yes. Ice cubes. Having been able to take in no liquid whatsoever for days, without causing crippling nausea and vomiting, this was a breakthrough moment. And today, my Mum and I both wept with joy that I could sip water.

So far from travel, photography, stretching, (er cakes,) that would usually make me feel lifted. Ice cubes were the thing I was most grateful for in the entire world.

So perspectives change. When I have felt so weak I cannot describe - here we have it - the last week the things I have enjoyed are:

• I think around about Monday I managed to play the game qwirkle with Jonny. (Bit like dominoes)


• Today I put a hot water bottle on my lower back. It felt nice.


• Yesterday my Mum washed my hair. Too weak to even do this myself, it was her idea. It exhausted me, and I went a little funny afterwards with the nausea again, but was worth it


• I ate cornflakes around about Sunday. Long forgotten cereal that is so right. I don't care what Gillian McKeith says.


• I have had a couple of local friends popping in. In truth I didn't really feel like it, and nearly cancelled them all, but once they were here, it did perk me up, however briefly. This morning was lovely - I could talk to them.


• My family have loved me completely - and I have allowed them to. I've let some friends see me not well too - I'm letting people in.

In the middle of all this my day dream has been a sunny day. Sat in an English countryside field. Gentle breeze. No hayfever. No pain. No sickness. Just complete peace. And Jonny and I eat strawberries and drink champagne. And then friends come. And we eat English scones and cake and it tastes so good. And everything is right with the world.

My friend sent me flowers. The bouquet was called Sunny Day. I do believe in signs so let's hope that day is not so far away.

Am I emerging?

I don't know. I am on the computer. And I've just eaten two slices of toast. And I'm not unconcious.

Don't mention my tummy. Don't mention the nausia. Don't mention it. Don't mention food. Especially not good for you food. Don't mention the juicer. urghh. Let's move on. Don't mention liqued.

Just had a friend pop over and managed a shot at a conversation for half an hour or so. Perked me up and ate my toast afterwards. And my feet are lovely and toasty in my cashmere bed socks. Perfect.

So maybe I am emerging. Maybe tomorrow WILL be a better day. Just maybe.

I am so aware of the emotional cascade I am on. This disease goes against the grain of me. I don't want to be the needy one. The one who can't do the most simple things. When the cascade kicks in then no one should know me. No one should care about me. No one should visit because it is kinder for them to not have to deal with this.

This weekend we learnt the sad news that a friends baby has been born with a deforming syndrome. The same day I was dealt my latest blow of scan results. At the end of the moving email that made me cry the baby's father concludes:

"The more time we have spent with her, the more we have come to adore her. She didn't ask for any of this, any more that we did, and she is the one who has to live with it. Ok, she may not win any beauty contests but she is a cute as a button and as happy as a baby you could hope to meet and we'll sure you'll love her as much as we do."

And in that moment I thought. I thought that I was like that baby. All this load I carry of guilt of the impact of this illness, I didn't choose any of it either. I would have chosen so much else. But I can't. But I saw the picture of that little girl, and my heart was moved with love for her. Not because she was deformed, but just because she was a little girl. And maybe that is what people see with me. Just Jo. Nothing amazing. But here, loved by her family and friends. And Jo just wants to love back.

So emerge I must. Just not sure when right now.

Non amazing

• Family member managed to scrape 3 panels of their car driving me home from hospital on Thursday night. Any other time, wouldn't have happened. Dark, stress. Bang.
• Have had Jonny fill the entire food recycling to over full of all the organic vegetable deliveries. Can't write anymore about that. Nice while it lasted. Right now SO wrong.
• My nice smellies in the shower this morning made me feel so awful it was one of the most consuming low points of last few days.

Don't know what else to blog. I'm not in a place to collect my thoughts, and right now not too sure I want to. But have been told to keep blogging....

Blog.

There is nothing amazing about this

Please. Stop telling me I am amazing. I'm not. Believe me.


What is amazing about having this enlarging elephant in my life? What is amazing about being given the only option of taking more treatment, and taking it? Who wouldn't? Who wouldn't at my age want more time with their husband, more time with their family and friends, dare I say - increase their chance of survival?


How I cope? That's not amazing either. That is some experience. More than I would have liked. More than any would choose. But that wasn't my choice either. So that doesn't make me amazing.


All I do is get on with this the best I can. That is all anyone would be able to do right now.


I'm completely unsure what to post on this blog about what is going on and when. How I am actually feeling, physically or emotionally.

What's going on right now? The 02 is packed with people watching Strictly Come Dancing Live - and I should be there. I had tickets. But I am not. I am somewhere else right now.


But still here.

Hairspray removes Paint from clothes

Random post for a few days. But after a google search a few days ago I tried and tested that some hairspray on a jumper that had caught some wet paint. Let it dry a little, stiff brush and off it comes.

A new one on me.

Tube Station Fancy dress Party

I went to a farewell fancy dress party at the weekend. The theme was to go dressed as a tube station. Tough one I thought initially but here are some of the things people came up with:

Little Paddington Bear:

Seven Sisters:

Angel, Paddington Bear and Heathrow:

And I also went as Angel:

`

Other costumes included Oxford Circus, quite a lot of Bakers, a Banker, a very cross David Brent (Brent Cross) and four forks and a hall for Vauxhall. Oh and an England footballer for Wembley.

Gen and I put our culinary baking skills to action and came up with these little cakes:

Much fun and laughter was had by all. Have a great time in Oz Mark.