Nearly there

Day 2, cycle 8. 
The last infusion was straightforward, the shortest time we have been at the hospital.  I was not looking forward to it, because I do think there is an accumulative effect, with the tingling lasting almost until the next dose (but no more of those!) and a loss of balance which I put down to weakness of the leg and buttock muscles.  I fell onto my bottom twice yesterday, once because I trod on the handle of my handbag and my ankle went over, and the next time trying to stand on one leg to pull on my trousers.  A foretaste of getting old I suppose.

This cycle I managed to make green tomato chutney.  It is good to know the unripened tomatoes will not just rot on the stalks, but I am not sure how edible the finished prduct will be as I left it to simmer and it burnt on the bottom.  It would have been OK if I hadn't rushed in and given it a vigorous stir, finishing up with black flakes spread right through the pan.  I spent about half an hour fishing bits out, but we shall have to see how fussy the family are going to be.  I think the actual chutney is OK, but I may have to eat six jars of it myself!  I have inherited my mother's reluctance to throw anything away.

Mike has printed me off a sample copy of 'When Grandma was Little', but we both agree the ring-binder is not ideal.  Also the colours are a bit faded, which is either a change to a semi-gloss paper or the random way I saved it to pdf.  I really need a lesson about the technicalities of scanning, resolution, output and and all the things I have hitherto just done as I was told.  There is some tidying up to do, for instance a letter t floating in a hedge that I only noticed in the printed version.  Also the book ends rather abruptly with the Village Shop page.  There is an introduction at the beginning, but the rest of the book is a series of unconnected pages with various themes of things that stick in a child's memory, so it finishes when I couldn't dredge up any more of those.  I have noticed though that there is something satisfactory when reading to a child about the last page, even if it only says The End.  If nothing else it is a good bed-time signal.  The cover is a watercolour rendering of the Whitman family posed outside for a photo, and the back cover is me reading to the boys on the Chesterfield, and I feel the last page needs to link past and present in some way, as the introduction does.  No doubt it will come to me at 4 o'clock one morning!

Dave and I joined up with the Baptist Christmas choir last evening to practice for the carol service on the 19th Dec.  We have four songs to sing, one of which is entirely new and written by one of our singers with music by Graham our pianist.  We are doing a repeaat performance of last year's In the Bleak Midwinter, I Wonder as I Wander, and a version of Silent Night with some rather unusual harmonies.  Steve came last night and I think really enjoyed singing bass with Dave.  If he hadn't come Dave would have been bassing by himself, so they are looking for recruits for next week.

Next Wednesday I am doing a book signing for Green Pastures.  A bit over the top for a twenty-page booklet, but if it helps the sales I don't mind.  I have no idea what I am supposed to write, but hopefully someone will help me.  Both my Tesco's cashmere sweaters have moth-holes in the sleeves, so my plans for casual elegance have been thwarted.  Dave went to the Big C centre on Wednesday with Barbara, our church friend whose husband John is just embarking on chemotherapy for his third primary cancer in 2 years!  Dave came back with a sheaf of leaflets about complementary therapies and beauty treatments, all emphasizing that if you look good you feel better.  Personally I think it is the other way round, but it is a good excuse for a new top for the Signing.  I also fancy a pair of leggings, returning to my youth while my legs are wasted enough to look good in them, but I am too cold for the cropped ones and if I don't buy Petite the crotch will head towards my knees or the waistband will come up to my ribs.  Whitman heritage again!

Next week I have an audiolgy appointment to try to sort out my ability to hear speech.  The following week I have my flujab and then on the Friday we are off to Stone for the family weekend.  Dave and I are staying over until the Tuesday morning.  It will be our first sortie out of Norfolk since February so we are really looking forward to it.

I am a bit wobbly this morning which is why I am blogging.  Dave is trying to get his three services done in good time to get to Coffee Shop at church, get the shopping done (market and Tesco), get the car washed, visit the bottle bank and buy my new top.  I need to conserve some energy for that lot, or I will finish up on the old ladies' chairs at the Tesco check-out.  That is SO embarrassing!