After an agonising previous 4 weeks I had a wonderful week of relaxation, fun and pure joy. All the fear is in the past (for now, I know it will happen again at some stage, but for now it’s over and life is good, more than good in fact, it’s amazing...and it only took a clear scan result, yoga, meditation, a classic shopping spree and about 3 litres of alcohol free Rescue Remedy...
Last Friday I went for a little shopping trip with Ben’s friend Leonie, I don’t have daughters for such trips but Ben has great mates and Sam has a lovely girlfriend, so I have excellent shopping companions should I need one.
On the subject of Sam’s lovely girlfriend, she sent me a bouquet of flowers by post for Mothers Day, how sweet is that! I’m new to all this being a ‘mother in law’ malarkey but I’ve got to be honest I really like it! I’ve been trained by the best! Although more so in what not to do ;) hahahahaha...
Anyway, Len and I went into Chelmsford for shopping and a spot of lunch at one of my favourite places to go, Chopbloc, possibly a bit weird that a non red meat eater would like a steak restaurant but what can I tell you, I’m a complex women, with an infinite amount of complex needs. :) They do food other than steak and the ambience is great!
Our trip out was an early birthday lunch for Len, and just look at how happy a belly full of steak makes her!
Whilst on our shopping trip we popped into River Island, it’s not a shop I often frequent, if ever so god bless going shopping with a young person because in there I found the answer to all my prayers! Hahahahaha...errrr, well maybe not ALL of my prayers but certainly a tiny little one.
I love that preppy look, you know the one, the shirt and jumper combo. I loved belts incorporated into that look too, I had, prior to my operation built up quite an impressive collection of rather lovely belts, and ironically just weeks before I was diagnosed with cancer I bought a gorgeous Gucci belt to complete that look.
Well, a bag of poo stuck to your waist just at the point of where a belt would sit is a real stumbling block. Rule number one of stoma club, don’t add a belt to jeans when you’re trying not to leak in the jeans as it is.
So that was the end of that, the belts all went off to EBay to fulfil their belting destinies. And I had to find other ways of achieving the same look without adding extra bulk to my stoma.
It wasn’t just the belts that were a problem, I find that shirts under jumpers looks so sophisticated but I’m not good with feeling restricted and confined by a double layer of clothing (layering is my nemesis)....but one trip out with Len and hey presto, problem solved.
Now come on! How clever is this little beauty!
‘Shirt’ from River Island (£12!!), Jumper from Ralph Lauren, Jeans from Topshop, Boots from Dubarry.
I absolutely love it! I wore it with pride the very next day when friends came over for dinner.
It’s comfy, it looks good and I asked Jacq if she could tell it was an imposter of a shirt and she hadn’t realised till I showed her.
Then Sunday was Mother’s Day in the UK, and I spent the day chilling out, in the full knowledge that I didn’t have to cook...or even have to think about cooking, it’s mum’s day off. Yey!!...I think that ‘Yey’ was more from Chris and the boys...I’m not the best cook in the world. I’m yet to discover my actual talent in this world but we can definitely cross cooking off the list of possibilities. Hahahahaha...
Sam cooked a delicious meal, he’s a very very good cook and both boys excelled themselves with their thoughtful gifts and cards...and Ben even posted a gushing and lovely photo on Instagram, how sweet is that. You can’t see the gentle shake of my head and eye roll from there but please know, it’s exactly what I’m doing!
...and then life imitates art and all is right in the world...
Huge huge thank you to Milly for my beautiful Mother’s Day flowers. xxx