Right, before I get stuck into my week that was I have to tell you about something very exciting.
The amazing Sarah Russell, of The Bowel Cancer Recovery Toolkit book fame has done it again for our community!
Firstly her book is a must have for anyone diagnosed with bowel cancer.
…And now this time it’s physical!!
If you’re like me, you may have tried to get back into good shape and good health after stoma surgery, and you might well have succeeded…sadly I never really have.
I’ve tried yoga and Pilates multiple times, but each time I sustain an injury.
Mainly because even if you have 1-2-1 classes the instructor can’t empathise with having a very weak abdominal wall, a stoma and possible hernias.
Well that’s where Sarah comes in!
Sarah herself knows all about ostomies, and therefore was able to design and build a Pilates class for people just like me and you!
The handy thing is, it’s online, so no matter where you are in the world you can join the class.
It is specifically designed for stoma people, that’s what Sarah created it for, but actually I think it would be great for any beginner, especially if you have had any form of abdominal surgery.
I’ve added Sarah’s Facebook page and email details in photo form. As I can’t seem to get a link to work on here.
Sarah has very kindly given me a voucher code for you to use too.
Use LAUNCH50 when booking in to get a half price trial class.
I’m booked in for the 17th December, I’m really very excited, and, no, just to be clear, Sarah hasn’t paid me for this plug, I’m just genuinely excited by something designed just for us…I did use the voucher code though. :)
(Just a reminder it was Sarah that got me cycling great distances, which was wonderful and unexpected.
Although I’ve had to cut back on my long rides. They were causing exhaustion and fatigue. I’ve cut right back on the miles I was doing and have now managed to shift some weight. I know, I’m weird. I think it too.
You’d think cycling hundreds of miles a month would be great for weight loss. But no, I’ve cut it down to 8 miles, 3 times a week and I’m now losing weight).
Happy bending and stretching all! :)
Last week was pretty darn good. Chris and I were having an early dinner, and I made the suggestion that we head into London to see the Christmas lights. Lockdown 2.0 came to an end that night, so it seemed like a good plan, and to be honest I felt it was unlikely to be that busy too.
I reminded Chris that he had said we should be more spontaneous, we’re ‘young’ and responsibility free, so let’s make the most of it.
To which he replied “well, yes, but with a bit of planning!” Hahahahaha
I love spontaneity that’s planned! Hahahahaha.
Anyway, we had a really early dinner so it was perfect timing.
Off we went to see the Christmas lights, spontaneously.
Parts of town were really busy, Oxford Street and Regent Street were. The side streets not so much.
We had a brief look see on the busier streets and then retreated to the more sensible quieter ones.
We walked past Sketch, the restaurant we really love in Mayfair. It was empty, I did suggest to Chris that we pop in for a drink but he’d changed into his painting tracksuit bottoms, apparently the first thing he saw to shove on quick for a trip to see the lights.
It wasn’t really the look they politely ask you to adhere to, that said as it was so dead in there they would have probably welcomed us with open arms.
We decided against it, and popped into F&M to stock up on biscuits again and then headed home.
An hour and a half to get to London, half an hour looking at the lights, an hour and a half to get home. Spontaneity is very time consuming as it turns out. :)
Then Friday came and it was even more exciting that the London Christmas lights trip!
We had SNOWWWW!
Well, if you know me, you’ll know snow is my all time, best ever happy place!!
I was up before sunrise to be out taking photos and lapping up the falling snow (yes, I do believe I’m about 6 years old really).
This time last year we were in Austria, skiing on Chris’s, 50th birthday piste up.
I say skiing because, yes, even I was on skis that year.
I have decided to quit while I was ahead. I had many falls and many accompanying bruises, I felt I was pretty lucky not to break anything. I tried it, I thought it was jolly good fun, but I do value my body being in one piece more.
So, I decided to recreate last years holiday by doing what I do best on ski trips, I took myself off to the back garden for a dip in the hot tub while it snowed.
Friday was a very good day. ;)
I often get asked if you can swim and hot tub with a stoma, the answer is of course you can if you want to. There’s nothing you can’t do. It’s just a matter of what you’re comfortable with. I’m very comfortable half naked in a bikini come sun or snow.
If people wish to stare at me because I have a colostomy then that’s a them problem, not a me problem.
I can honestly say people really don’t care or stare much. Inquisitive, furtive glances maybe, but let’s face it, we’re just struggling along in this life with our own issues to worry too much about other people’s.
Do what you are comfortable with, do what makes you happy.
I had great fun getting out in the snow, it didn’t last much beyond lunch time but it was magical while it lasted.
Then Saturday was even more exciting!! Yes!! More exciting than snow!
With lockdown over we could go and visit Sam, Milly and ZAK!!!
Oh how I’ve missed squashy cuddles with that little boy. Not even sure if cuddles are allowed? And, in general with the adult community I’m ok with not partaking…but my grandson? No, I’m sorry, I can’t wait till next year. Risk or not.
Dress from H&M, Tights from Heist, Boots from Tod’s.
It’s a bit of a trek to their home, plus we were off to a craft fair that Milly had a stall at. She’s really rather brilliant and has a fantastic eco friendly products business. She sells online as well as at fairs. Boundless Interiors, or find them on Facebook @boundlessinteriorsuk and on Instagram @boundless_interiorsuk She hand makes reusable sandwich bags, which saves on using plastic cling film, and reusable/washable make up remover wipes, they hand make organic soy wax candles too amongst other things to keep our planet safe from future harm. It’s really very good and might I suggest great for Christmas presents.
We headed down on the very chilly drive. I wore one of my big coats. I love calling them big coats, my Nan used to say it. And it is indeed a very big coat. :)
Coat from Sainsbury’s (total bargain at £50), Scarf from Tommy Hilfiger.
The traffic wasn’t too bad and it only took 2 and a half hours. The reason I wore a dress for the journey is because I never know how long it will take to get there.
Jeans and jeggings are all well and good and look great but they really are a high risk of leaking.
Dresses just give me a bit of peace of mind. It doesn’t mean that it definitely won’t leak, after all nothing in life is guaranteed, but I like to minimise risk of leaks if I can.
Come Christmas times of old I became a very wicked mother that wouldn’t let my children touch my Christmas tree decor…no! Christmas might well be for children but my precious tree most certainly isn’t! Hahahahaha.
I did allow them to have their ugly decorated ones (out of the way in the dining room and bedrooms, I’m not a total monster hahahahaha).
But the main tree, in the living room, well that was mine.
So when I saw this little felt tree on an Instagram shop I fell in love with it. It’s perfect for little hands to add their touch of magic to the decor.
Surprisingly for an Instagram shop of late, it actually turned up and it is actually good quality too.
I bought one for Zak to play with at his house and one for here for when he comes.
His little face was an absolute picture. He really loved sticking the Velcro decorations on, his smiley face lights up the room as well as my heart.
We then headed of to Southampton to see Milly and her family, who all had a stall at the fair. They’re very creative and crafty. They were doing very well bearing in mind how cold and wet it was.
It was wonderful seeing Zak and all. That’s it for pre Christmas now.
Next year will be better, and we’ll get to see them more, that’s something to hold on to and have hope for.
We’ve got the vaccine and I will be having as many as I’m allowed! I’m an anti anti vaxxer! Hahahahaha
I’d have all the vaccines going!
I had the Rabies vaccine for when I went to India, total waste of money unless you were planning to go somewhere without hospitals…the Rabies vaccine doesn’t stop you getting rabies, it just buys you time till you get to a hospital for the antidote. So instead of something like 24 hours to get medical attention you get 48 hours, or something like that, but I thought why not have it anyway!!
I love vaccines, I count myself as lucky and privileged enough to live in a country where, a lot of vaccines are not only freely available but also free. That is a blessing, that many are not afforded.
Never should a vaccine be compulsory. In the UK they never have been and I imagine never will be.
So I’m not sure what all the hissy fitting about not wanting to be vaccinated is all about. It’s very simple, if you don’t want it, don’t have it, there you go, problem solved…without having to bleat on about a human rights infringement...that never occurred. ;)
Besides with all the anti vaxxers about it should bump me up the list quicker so yey for them!! Hahahahaha
Sunday was Chris’s Birthday Eve, his birthday was Monday but Ben and Kaitlyn wouldn’t be able to come then, so I threw him a socially distanced, freezing cold, by the fire pit - party.
It’s all you can have legally and for safety. It was actually really very lovely. Make hay while the sunshines and enjoy the moments you can have this year.
Dress from Michael Kors, Boots from Barbour.
Seriously, it was his fifty first birthday, not his 91st like this photo suggests…
Chris had a lovely time, we had a really lovely weekend actually. Seeing Sam, Milly and Zak on Saturday, and Ben and Kaitlyn by the fire Sunday.
Then Monday night we had a curry, and Sam arranged a birthday quiz for Chris as a surprise, which he loved.
Not bad for a pandemic birthday bash. :)
On Tuesday my best friend Michelle came over to make a wreath. I’m obsessed with making them because I finally discovered something crafty I can do.
We had such a lovely time catching up…and this time legally as you are allowed in each other’s gardens again now.
Michelle was very pleased with her one. And I was really pleased with the 4th one I made this year, I did say I was addicted to it.
When you buy anything from a high end store they generally try and make it look worth the extra spendies by dressing the box up all lovely and pretty. Well I have forever pondered the ‘do I bin it or keep it’ conundrum.
I’ve always kept the flowers and ribbons with no real idea why. But finally I have repurposed them. And very pleased with it I am too.
Anyway Michelle had to leave a bit earlier than planned, which left me a bit sad really. We’re all just trying to muddle through this year the best we can. And on the whole I have coped well. But that doesn’t make me immune to the sadness of missing my old life and my friends.
So I picked myself up and went into the fresh air to create a door-scape for Christmas.
I had loads of Christmas tree branches left over from wreath making. It seemed wrong to just throw them out.
So I set about creating. I have never done anything like it ever before…
Martha Stewart eat your heart out!!
I think it’s safe to say I was feeling less sad about Michelle having to go home, once I stood back from my creation and took in what I had made. I doorscaped myself happy. :)
I keep going outside to look at it, mainly because I’m so stunned how well it turned out.
And who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks…this old dog has learned to make the house super Christmassy, for super cheap too. ;)