i took this the other night from tonys place, i think it was a full moon, very eerie looking with the sun still letting over from the right hand side...

mom... tired today, although on her third day of steriods, and her last, from this session of chemo, she had been full of energy, we have the CAT scan tomorrow afternoon... so hope she can keep going up to then, the scan should have been first, and these next few days are the ones the doctor said mom may not feel like leaving the house at all and just resting up... flu like symptoms.

last night, with barry being here too for the weekend at tonys, i went to collect mom and brought her back to st albans and the five of us went to 'little marakesh' restaurant in the high street, we sat in the little booth that feels like you are actually in morocco! the curtains and lights and stuff... anyway we all ate hartily and was a good evening, out side the temperature was falling to 0! and felt like it on the way to and from the restaurant... therefore was not a surprise to find a small layer of snow this morning on the roof tops and paths...

TTFN
Marian

these pics are also taken at milton keynes, the christmas
display in the big plaza infront of john lewis department
store.

tony thought this little fairy girl looked like me!?!





and this is the beautiful carousel thats here every year, its just like the one down in fuengirola, as i say, every year... i know ;-)









here is the little black bull on the ride... i was actually going to go on this, not the bull, but a horse, or in the carriage with mom, but then we forgot....







one of the ladies holding up the roof!!!









when i just came to post this i noticed on my first page of today the advert had changed to back ache problems! quick work guys!

hi there folks... seems un real posting photos of regents street in london where tony his girlfriend and i went a week last friday, i think... cant remember. but we did so here they are.


yesterday mom and i went to mount vernon for the pre chemo visit, a look around the chemotherapy suite, and mom had a blood test, so tomorrows chemo visit will be quicker than the rest... they dont actually make up the chemicals until after the blood test, incase the platelets are not right, and therefore too weak to take the chemo yet, this usually means another weeks wait and the 21 day cycle will carry on from that date instead.


i have now been to milton keynes twice on this visit, so far, keep it coming i say, but sunday was so busy, not been there when its been like that since i moved to spain, and they say there is a recession? all the people had many many bags and everyone was buy buy buy... christmas is in full swing for sure.

mom and i were in aylesbury earlier this week and i was at the till, i turned to mom and said why dont you go on up stairs to where she wanted to buy something, she said ok and off she went, i followed 2 or 3 mintues later, up one flight of stairs i went, to the display i expected to find her... walked all around up stairs in Boots (the chemist shop!) looked down the other flight of stairs, no mom, walked around again and down these stairs, looked around down stairs before back up and repeating the tour! finally i went back down to the till area again, worried mom and fallen or something, i had in mind i was going to ask to look on the store cameras! like they would have let me, but then there she was, just standing by the door! and she said oh marian, where have you been in was worried! she had forgotton to up stairs at all!!! heck...

then she bought a pretty little snow globe of a golden christmas tree, i made sure it worked... when she got home she phoned to tell me the winder was missing! i said how weird it was there? mom had put that one back and picked one up lower down on the shelf... and not checked!

and on filling up the car with petrol on our way home, i got back in the car and started the engine to find... i hadnt switched it off! not good... but at least i wasnted on my mobile and smoking too eh!!!

think mom wanted to go out again today, but i thought she should rest up a bit, or just pop down into berkhamsted with her friend she hasnt seen that much of since i have been here! and yesterday i bought some real strong (good stuff) pain killers for a head ache and all over ache i couldnt shake yesterday, took an hour or so work, but they are real good, feel bit heady again today, its just my neck.. stress eh...

more photos to post in a minute, but they will be above and you will have already seen them.

TTFN
Marian

well i didn't expect to be here in England at this time, i left Malaga airport on the plane that should have been bringing my mom to me in Spain!

things never turn out... no not strictly true, sometimes things do not turn out as we think they will, the plans of mice and men etc...

well results of mom MRI scan were not good, and when she was home Monday evening with tony, who had taken her, she called me, and an hour later i had brought my November 20th flight forward to Wednesday 5th, already they are using the phrase about remembering where you were etc when news of our 44th President came in, well i wont be forgetting for sure.

friends dropped me off at Malaga and once in the departure lounge another friend was there working and i was glad to see her there.

Thursday 6th we went to Mount Vernon, a very very good specialist hospital, for cancer, tony drove, was glad he was with us, and we got the full details of what the MRI scan showed, mom needs chemotherapy treatment, every three weeks for a course of six sessions, and will possible need more, she has a tumor that is where the previous cancer was, but was completely eradicated, so this has taken its place, the hemorrhage was to do with this and it aggravated another part, which in a way was good, or she would never have known of its presence.

the cancer has also spread to her lymph nodes. this is bad news.

mom is so positive, she has a very good mind set and is very determined to get through all the treatment and says she has so many more things to do in this life time and plans on doing them!

i am positive too, when i am with her, but when i am not - then my mind starts thinking stuff and its hard to think ahead at all.

i will be here to take her for a CAT scan she needs first and a visit to the chemo ward to learn what will be happening and all the procedures. and also for her first chemo session. then its back to tony...

please everyone send a prayer for my mom, Muriel...

Marian

Halloween and my last day!

bit late i know but had to show these wonderful photos my Uncle Richard in Long Island, NY sent me, absolutely fantastic eh! Done with real American feeling!

what fantastic pumpkin pie all these would make! heck!


and the old truck! looks like attack of the killer pumpkins....

Our Halloween was fairly quiet, due to the heavy rain! and i think most of the children who came round were the same 3 or 4, just trying to look different!

still we have plenty of sweets left over... probably full of MSG and i am still recovering from the drinks that i think made my face flare up again, someone suggested i try that Aquarius soda, well it did seem to help with thirst, but then on Monday i see it contains over 20% sodium, not good for me!

and yes Halloween also my last day on this contract down at the two Estanco's... good last day, not good with clients because of the torrential rain, but good with las chicas, lots of chat in the morning, a lovely meal in a nearby Italian restuarant, we drove, the other option would have been to swim! i had pizza and the five of us shared five wonderful deserts on one plate afterwards, a little rose wine and two(!!) cherry liquers... and at 4.30pm back to work, rain let up a little to allow the customers to come and get their supplies before heading of back to the UK! friday was the last day also for one of the girls and the shop has gone from 5 chicas to two next week for the month! we exchanged pressents and hugs and kisses and said our goodbye for nows... they gave me the worlds largest leaving card and written lovely things inside to me... so a day of very mixed emotions... but we have email address and phone numbers and i am sure we will keep in contact...

photos tomorrow of the lunch!

now this weeks notes... i went to Ikea three times!?! Tuesday to buy new neck pillows, Thursday for lunch with friend i used to work for in Cristinas, also to buy outer pillows for the above, and Friday... because one of the outer pillows was the wrong size! so this was an in and out, no stopping for meatballs on my way and get home quick...

the mornings when there was no rain i noticed lots of dew on the grass on the way through to de la Torre, reminded me of when i was little and i used to run around barefoot in the garden in the early morning dew, destroying the work of many spiders whose webs were strung from blade to blade and glistening like jewels... then sometimes my mate who lives over the small field between our houses would meet me half way and we would race around the field in the same manner making the horses bolt... and yes still in our nighties! well we were little, and stopped when we were at least 30! no just kidding!!!

i had thought when i had come to end of this contract job i would be able to claim a little benefit for a month or so till i got another job, but i think it seems you have to work or acrue 12 months to claim 4 months benefit, so will check to make sure, but dosent look hopeful.

well now awaiting news if mom can fly and is up to a road trip, she sees her speciallist tomorrow, monday and we will find out!

An enemy always represents a weakness.
This might be fear of physical pain,
but it could also be a premature sense of victory
or the desire to abandon the fight
because it is no longer worthwhile.
The Pilgrimage

TTFN
Marian