A beautiful day, sun, blue skies so Margaret and I set off on a hike, it took us an hour and a half but we did it!  Hubby dropped me off as her husband has been causing problems again, Paul is one of those who complains about everything, this time it was a parked car and the enforcement officer was coming so we met elsewhere.   I told her about how hubby and I finally started courting, after doing a midnight 25 mile charity walk.  I was seeing someone else at the time and we had been to a barbecue for the night, I got home late and Norman had begged a lift from my Dad, so we were both late setting off, leaving us both to do the charity walk on our own, the rest, as they say, is history.  So a good matter and lots of fresh air, it was lovely to get out the house.  On the way home we saw Keith cleaning his windows, so we stopped and chatted to him, June is in the care home and he hasn't seen her since her birthday, months ago.  He looked really thin and it turned out he had a small check up in hospital, caught pneumonia and had then been admitted to another hospital for five days.  All of this on his own as his only child was self isolating as her husband had covid, neither of them were ill but couldn't see their Dad.  We told him if he is ill again to call us.  Hubby was stabbed three times yesterday until another nurse came, he was strapped up like a Christmas turkey, poor thing.  So last night I thought I would have a gin and tonic, so I crept out the front door into the garage for some ice, I didn't dare let on what I was doing otherwise I would have been made to wait until the ice maker had made me six ice cubes!!  So take care, Carol x 

Dear Carol and Friends,
I feel for you all with the restrictions you have at present, ours are easing here.  I know how hard they can be on everyone.  Hopeing yhour grandson is fine Chris.  We had the same with one of my daughters boys, being in the same class as a confirmed case of the virus, having to be tested and isolate.  Luckily they were both fine, she has twin boys in the same class at school. 
We will always miss those that have passed, but some days are harder than others, special days or days that meant a lot. 
Brighter weather in the UK will make you feel a little less isolated if you can get out for a walk with someone.  Love your story Carol about how you and Norman met,  A 25 mile charity walk, that was some achievement.  I like walking but 25 miles, don't think I could have done that.  

Sneaking out of the house to get ice, love it, gave me a chuckle.  It would be good sitting on the bar in a hotel, but despite thinking it was a great present, it does defeat the purpose if you have to store the ice cubes in the garage.  Shame it doesn't keep then as ice cubes in the unit itself.  
I didn't end up going to Camperdown on Friday, weather wasn't great, so I stayed home, planning to go on Monday.  At least no rain predicted then.

Not much else happening here.

Take care and love to all.  Sue xx
 

Dear Sue and friends, yesterday was horrible, damp, foggy and cold, hubby looked really down in the dumps, I escaped to buy food so we could have beef curry for tea.  That didn't work out as I sorted all the meat into date order thinking I had mince and beef out but when I arrived home Mary rang me (I know!) and we chatted for so long that when I went to out the beef in the oven I'd got two packs of mince out, didn't fancy curried mince so we had steak pie instead!  Norman said it was a challenge wrapping the beef curry in pastry when I presented him with his tea, you could start a new trend he says.  I enjoyed Strictly, then watched the Voice final which was uplifting.  Maureen sent me a photo if Phoebe Rose with a gummy smile, she is gorgeous and Maureen was right it put a smile on my face, she was six weeks old yesterday.  Lisa face timed  to show how the kitchen looks, the whole house is a bombsite, Zippy ran up the stairs and Lisa ran after him, carrying the lap top, slipping on the plastic covering on the carpet and I could see why, when she got to the top as the banisters have gone and he would have fallen over the top!  I do hope that it starts coming together this week as it's now into seven weeks.  Faye is now working one to one with a child who is being diagnosed with autism, personally I think it's wrong to place a five year old with special needs with a TA but so many are off school that it's needs must. So must go and get dressed, speak soon, Billy I hope you are doing OK as we miss your sense of humour. Carol x 

Oh dear, we missed the phone call from the oncologist.  I rang our cancer nurse and the liver is looking better but no change in the lung cancer, so really good news as far as we can see.  We had a lovely ride out yesterday and called in at Barnard Castle for chips (yes Dominic Cummings blind drive out), we took our empty boxes home with us so if we got stopped we could prove we'd been out for lunch, we told Faye this story and she just shook her head, she knows us well, I hasten to add hubby stayed isolated in the car.  I really enjoyed I'm a celebrity last night, it's trash TV but it's so funny, you should have seen them stood on top of a Welsh cliff top in a force Gale wind, a little different to Australia.  I'm watching DNA on BBC I player its very good if you're looking for something good to watch during lockdown.  So that's it really, take care, Carol x 

Dear Carol.
Good news with Norman's results.  I had a lovely drive today to Camperdown and bought my shoes.  The sun was out although very. very windy, although maybe not as bad as on top of a Welsh cliff top.  I almost died though when I went to my car, with the rain we'd had and a bit of a dust storm my white car was literally brown, it so badly needs a wash.  I had to clean the windscreen before I could even leave.  Your drive out yesterday sounds nice.  

I have to be up for Eli in the morning, Deana has a trip to Melbourne for flowers.  Might take a drive to Birregurra and see a friend and return her books, if she is home.  She lent them to me back in March and it's only now that we can visit.  Nothing else planned.

Take care, Love Sue xx

Hi deer carol and sue.

Sorry for not getting back on earlier,not much to write down.still not much, but bit of an update though my latest anti cancer meds are working My PSA has gone down alot but still more to go,

My voice hasn't changed yet, but I'm not shaving Very much at all now and don't need a bra YET.

Think Brenda had a small Tia yesterday, but okay now.

Bella is still ok, still Very bossy or huffy if I tell her off.

Glad Norman is managing well .

Sue  hope your new shoes are a good comfortable fit,wait until it rains it'll wash your car for nothing.

Just throw soapy water over it as it starts..

Hope all keeping safe and positive.

Love to all Billy XXX

Dear Billy and Sue, it's lovely to have this blog during this lockdown as there is so little else to do!  Brilliant news Billy, we are happy that Norman's liver cancer is under control because this would have finished him off, so at least he isn't coping with hot flushes etc.  Still he could borrow my bras should he need one.  I hope Bren is better today.  Sue, lucky you having a cheerful little boy to break your day up but the getting up early is hard, Ella was always up at five am and by breakfast I was ready to have a lie down, she still gets up early but as they can't stay here then I don't have to do it.  I'm getting concerned now that we won't get out for Christmas lunch which we've booked as they are now saying we will all go into stricter tiers and the North East is not doing well.  This will be the straw that breaks the camels back, no family, no grandchildren and no lunch arrgh!!  I rang Sue my sister in law and she now has displasia of the tongue due to her low immune system from the kidney transplant, apparently this can turn cancerous so she is going in for it to be lasered, not a good experience as she can't eat or talk for two weeks, she has said it had better be before Christmas or she'll be sucking her lunch, crikey everyone is falling apart.  Luke rang and is back from the Maldives, out of one hundred beach bungalows there were only fourteen in use, he said it was bliss, so jealous.  We've escaped again today and gone to Pity Me (I know) and bought winter hanging baskets plus three pots of hyacinths, I love their smell and keep them in the conservatory as it keeps them chilled.  We're having left over shepherds pie for tea, so an easy night.  This ice machine has stopped me drinking as hubby is watching me and wants me to use his new gadget, having to plan a drink and how long the ice takes rather puts me off, who knew I would be practically tee total, not me!!!  Love Carol x 

It's Margaret's birthday today, this time last year she was in Australia for her 70th, a little different today.  I bought a big bouquet of flowers and wrote an IOU in her card saying we would have a meal out when we are free from our homes  She was a little upset with her gift from Charlotte as she had asked for a Ted Baker wassh bag when she was here showing her the design but she had obviously not remembered so it was a different one.  I told her about Faye sending me a burgundy nylon shopping bag for my birthday to take  to zumba with me, I was so upset as it was so old fashioned and I like to think I'm quite fashionable!  It's stuck under my car seat, never been used but its there in case she asks about it.  So Margaret said should she change it but I said no, if Charlotte is like mine she will notice!  So that's it today guys, take care, Carol x 

Faye asked me what I wanted for Christmas, so I wracked my brains, seeing I'm the woman who has very much everything according to hubby, I decided that as I write to family that writing paper would be very nice and also the new CD by Michael Kinawuka.  When I rang she was getting in the shower so we left it.  Two hours later she rings, have you asked Lisa for anything, No, then ask her as I saw something in the back Friday deal and bought you that!  Well I said at least it will be a surprise.  Lisa is not home yet so I'm leaving her alone, she's just sent a photo of her new worktops but the house is still a mess, I am going home regardless she states, I've had enough!!  So tea is over,  a gin and tonic has been drunk, it's down to 3 degrees to night so we have hunkered down.  See you soon, love Carol x