Look what last weekend brought us! Actually, we get some snow most years, about the same as the English East coast.
I went on my travels again in October. This time I had an unseasonably warm two weeks in Corfu and the Aegean with my Mum. I swam in the sea, went on a boat trip to some beautiful islands, used my few words of Greek and learned more, had a haircut in a Greek unisex barbers (cultural experience more cos of a whole bunch of giggling boys one of whom was having his mohican cut off and some fashionable cut or other instead lol), and a Turkish shopping experience being hailed by all the shopkeepers, highly entertaining if pushing the comfort bubble a bit. Next time I shall learn to haggle.
I was able to do all this thanks to being back on Lyme treatment again having been in relapse since having a virus last winter. Joanna got set back by having a fall and damaging her ankle which is recuperating now, and Ruth looked after her so I could still go on holiday, so both are a bit set back for the moment.
On my trip I had a lovely meet up with cousins Ray and Mel, we mustn't leave it so long next time. Thank you both for the amazingly healing acceptance words.
Also had a trip to Derby to meet up with Dad. Beautiful autumnal walk along the river including seeing moorhens fighting (!), grebe fishing and a cormorant hanging itself out to dry.
Back home the picture is very different. We're very short of rain. As you can see from the pic of the autumnal vines the grass is still brown, the second season of growth just didn't happen. The garden is too hard to be able to make holes to put bulbs in. But we did get a cherry tree planted and a helper watered it in for us.
Helper wise we're in a good place this month. One old helper is back after extensive sick leave and we have a lovely new lady too.
Discovering about neurodiversity. Mainly encouraging, reassuring stuff. None of us would ever have got a diagnosis, though arguably it would have been helpful to have understood some things better.
This has been a very good year for me as far as a Facebook support group goes. I highly value the friendship and support of a number of women, mostly in even more tricksy situations than us, all in varying states of health caring for sick offspring 24/7 and sometimes parents too. Just normal women rising to the occasion, struggling some days, coping. My heroes. It was lovely to meet up with a few when I was in the UK, and I value the effort it cost them. [ Actually I don't think they are just normal, not any more certainly fiven how they've set their minds and wills and hearts to the job in hand, and maybe they never were. Not that any of them had planned to spend their lives looking after poorly people, but if they'd been more 'ordinary' maybe they'd have rested more earlier instead of trying to juggle their projects, careers and dreams, whilst caring for their own needies and others' needs and leaving their own requirements to get the sweepings of their energies. Just a thought. Like I said, my heroes.]
We hope you have a very happy Christmas however you celebrate it and all God's blessings for the coming year. We're really hoping that this year one or more of us might be able to get to at least part of a christmas service.
Lots of love from
xxx Liz, Ruth and Joanna xxx
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| Ginger hard at work with Ruth |
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| Me looking at my new glasses in a selfie |
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| Lili doing what Lili does |
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| Joanna's beautiful ride out |
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| Say no more! |
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| In the garden, all together 😀 |
