Dear Billy, it's so cold and wet I've put the heating on.  Norman says he aches all over, arms, legs, body, it's so hard to know what it is, cold making him ache, cancer becoming worse, it's a daily guessing game.  That's so funny that Bren just goes through things, it's obvious it's the shortest route for her.  I have a few things next week, out with Margaret and then Friday with Maureen and Debs, she's retiring so a celebration lunch out.  Take care, Carol x 

Hi everybody, a lovely week of wining and dining with good friends and some retail therapy plus swimming early doors. Mind yesterday's swim was fraught as within five minutes of being in the pool two women in their late forties joined me, only problem.being that they must have weighed 32 stone between them, and that's erring on the polite side!  So have you seen those wild life programmes where a seal is being chased by killer whales, well that was me yesterday!!!  I kept getting blown into the side of the pool, stubbing my toe, then they did back stroke washing water over my head, so I stopped, clung onto the side trying to see where I was going and do you know what one of them said to me, "it's only water, get over it".  So finally I got out, my companion from the previous day got out and everyone else hovered by the side trying to decide whether to risk it or not, they decided not.  Hubby laughed his head off when I told him, he says my plan to go early doors backfired but if truth were kn own it's because his cup of tea is being presented to him at 8am instead of 9am.  So after a shower I got ready and Maureen, Debbie and myself went for lunch, they had never been before and loved Headlam, it was raining so we had coffee in the lounge, the sofas were so soft Maureen nearly nodded off.  So a lovely day but this morning my phone pinged, Maureen has been told to isolate for five days, she is so upset as she is just getting back to normal with having her granddaughter whilst Steph returns to work.  It's all so unfair when you're not ill and double vaccinated to be locked up, this is why after my coffee and cake today I'll be going nowhere where I'm made to leave my details, the country needs to get back to normal. See you soon, love Carol x 

Dear carol .

I was just imagining you being washed out of the swimming pool completely by a tidal wave and flapping your flippers and going arf arf.

Really glad you're getting out and about and seeing friends.  We were planning on going to cemetery where brenda first husband and youngest son is, it'll need a good tidy up not been for years with my medical problems, just not fit to drive that far, but as usual my luck deserted me and raining was going to take brenda and Bella for a trip out maybe even visit brens sister who lives near  Cemetery.  Just hoping weather changes soon.

Brenda is still exercising regularly getting stronger and more determined.despite her problems.

I'm still plodding on as usual no real change.

Bella is still stubborn and typically Bella.

Hope things keep going well with you and Norman.

Take care keep safe and positive.

Love Billy xxxx

Hi everybody, Norman is not very well. He has terrible pain in his remaining ankle and is feeling very sick, we just made it to the hospital and back without him being sick, so we're not sure what is going on, his blood test may give some answers but it's so hard to not know what is happening with his body. Sophie his cancer nurse rang out the blue when we got home, I eaves dropped on his conversation and he said, I'm fine, yes no problems. So when he had finished I said why didn't you tell her the truth, because apparently it was about his lung cancer and he was OK with his breathing, I give up!  Billy it does sound like Bren is doing well and let's hope it continues for you both especially with all that is going on with you.  The weather is atrocious, Sunday night there was the biggest bang of thunder over my House and it blew the electrics. I had to go out in the pouring rain to climb ladders and put it all right, I couldn't find hubby, he was in the downstairs cloakroom, in the dark as there is no window, I'm OK he said through the door. We had to reset everything again, microwave, oven, heating, and so on, it was so scary it sounded like a plane had blown up.  I've just seen my spare Norman and he said its blown his aerial up. I'm staying home due to the weather and my still hoping to go away, I live in hope. Lisa had driven a whole hour yesterday whilst on holiday in Devon to have a special cream tea at a posh hotel for her 43rd birthday, it was shut, due to Covid, they ended up outside in the pouring rain with takeaway coffee and scones, will life ever get back to normal ?  Take care, Carol x 

Blood tests were OK so treatment has been done. We had words in the car as he kept tapping his veins constantly, even though it was 23 degrees as he thinks it helps with the injections, it was driving me mad as the traffic was busy and all I could see out the corner of my eye was this constant movement and it was all for show and all look at me, so I asked him politely to stop, big mistake, so he blew up and said I should be sorry for my attitude to him, well I'm not, so he got out the car, ignored me and hobbled off!  I'd had a bad morning as my optician's appointment was a mess, they'd lost my records since last week, I've worn specs for 70 years so I said to Phil the optician's assistant, my file is the size of a small book, how can you lose it, why wasn't it out ready for my appointment, I don't know he said when I finally found him hiding in a corner, so the specs I'd chosen were  missing, no reference number written down, can you remind me which one it was he asked, No because there are hundreds in the shop. So we narrowed it down and ordered the ones I chose. I'd parked my car in a two hour street parking and someone has scraped the arch of my red Beetle, left no number to contact them and left me with a bill for repair, I'm furious. I came home, washed the kitchen floor, mowed the lawn then hubby called me to go get him, thanks pet he said, I hung up!!  So no porters again everyone is being pinged by the NHS app and isolating so he had to walk, he was exhausted. So that's it guys, see you soon. Love Carol x 

I'm sat watching the Minions because my TV blew up after the bolt of thunder finished it off!  So we went to buy a new one, I more or less bought the up dated version of mine in five minutes flat, so another £300 paid out, the bloke said no woman had bought a new tele as quickly as me.  My spare Norman has Iinstalled it but now I need to re enter all my e mail and passwords for Netflix, I player and so on, I just cannot be bothered so a gin and tonic and the minions is my easiest option!!  Norman is on short fuse but is OK with me, it's definitely getting harder as time goes on with treatment. Lisa is home and Faye has just done a six hour first aid course for school, everyone is tired and ready for school out. However my Alfie got 100% in his maths exam and a really excellent report, as did Harry, Ella is only 8 and does not like school so no one has mentioned her report yet, bless her.  I went and saw Sue, she was in so much pain with her broken wrist that they gave her morphine, lovely jubbly I tell her, only had it once but would definitely have it again, we did laugh. Take care, Carol x 

A quiet week due to not wanting to be at risk from track and trace because knowing my luck it would happen. Christine asked me round for wine and nibbles last night as it was gorgeous, ooh yes I said the realisation hit, she's having her eye op Tuesday after her original surgeon dropped down dead so a covid test Saturday, I'm so sorry but if you test positive in any way I'm going to be locked up, she agreed and we've agreed to meet later on.  Margaret came for coffee and cream scone in my garden and a three hour chat, I've burnt my shoulder even though the umbrella was up. Norman came home and said we could talk under water.  My cousin from Liverpool rang she's trying to find out what our Grandads pub was called, I'll ring Terry I say he might remember.  He didn't, ask someone we knew who was older he suggests, seeing as I'm 73 this year there are not many relatives left to ask!!  So apparently my grandad was adopted, he was with his Mum in the workhouse until he was 2 and his Mum gave him up as they couldn't leave due to being so poor. Denise has the letter giving him up, no official adoption just a letter, he ended up in Byker in Newcastle having been born in Liverpool.  He was always a hard man to deal with now I know why.  So she sent me a photo of us five cousins all together, you should see my beehive and white stilleto shoes, I was the oldest.   Its amazing what you didn't know as a child in the fifties, we were seen and not heard, ask your parents about their life while you can, you'll be surprised at what they did. See you soon, love Carol x 

Dear carol.   Love the idea of talking under water., glad you're getting out still even being careful.

i slipped up got another foil of tablets out of packet (a weeks supply) Monday then realized it was empty, arranged blood test earliest Thursday, have to have test before I can have meds,then phoned hospital just to explain and see if I can have them earlier.but no . Phoning up this morning and hoping test through and can get meds today rather than Monday.. have to be more careful next time.

Got brenda some new sandles and stretch shoes she loved them then decided heels not high enough so went to cobblers and they can raise them lucky bren just hope she'll wear them after done.

Take care keep safe despite lockdown easing.

Love Billy xxxx

Hi Billy, I'm glad you're still replying and happy to read my rubbish!  Nothing goes to plan does it?  It has been so hot that it's unpleasant and affecting Norman. I do hope that he hangs in there until Thursday so I can escape without a conscience. I rang Ella yesterday and I'm sleeping in her bed, it's very comfortable she tells me, have I git a drawer for my knickers I ask her, I'll sort it our Grandma she says. Alfie has been made to isolate but it all changes tomorrow thank God.  Sue has gone to Enids, she showed me a photo of her op, I wish she hadn't, it's horrible and they've cut her from eyelid to jaw bone and stitched her back up, I said to take care as they've now got one with one eye and one with a broken wrist, have a good time I say!!  Take care, Carol x