The year started on an optimistic note, although I got the flu on boxing day and seemed to take ages to get better. By the beginning of February I decided to go and see the doctor and got quite a shock; she did an ECG at the surgery and then got me booked into hospital, so Stephen had to come home from work to take me down as I wasn’t allowed to drive. I had what is called Atrial Fibrillation, where my heart is beating too fast and not at the correct rhythm. I ended up in hospital for four nights and was off work for three weeks. I still have the condition and will always need to take medicine, including Warfarin; as you can guess Stephen makes lots of jokes about my ‘rat poison’.
I have been managing this condition all year and it was on a regular visit to my GP that I mentioned something about my health and ended up having further tests, the end result being that I go into hospital on 1st December for an operation and will probably be off work for about eight weeks. As my librarian friends tell me it is a heck of a way to get time off to read books!
The book comment is because I am chairing a panel of judges for a major children’s book award and I have to read 55 books by the end of January, at least it should stop me getting too bored at home.
Thankfully you will be glad to know that Stephen is in good health as are both the boys. They are doing really well with their jobs and Christopher set up his own software company at the beginning of the year. He works really hard, but at least feels that he has control over what is going on. The high spot of the summer was that Nicholas and Louise got engaged. They had bought a house in the early summer, in Basingstoke (where I used to live), so it is very déjà vu every time we go to visit them. Nick was very romantic and proposed on the top of Mount Olympus in Cyprus and Louise luckily said yes. They are planning the wedding for 2011, but no news beyond that.
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| Walls around the ancient city of Rhodes |
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| Sublime, the peaceful Monastery of Panormitis on the island ofSymi |
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| The extraordinary architechture in the capital town of Symi |
We were out at the house at the beginning of November and could not believe how hot it still was, about 24 –25 degrees most days. Stephen was busy decorating the sitting room and stairs, but I just went and did the shopping and had a bit of a rest. Even as I am doing this Stephen is busily decorating the family bathroom here in Banwell. He has just replaced the ceiling and has been doing the fittings for new lights. My job will be to provide tea, food and later on a new set of curtains.
Work this year has been very stressful for both if us, with Stephen now working for ‘South West One’, doing nearly the same job but for two councils as well as the police and with basically the same staff.
I am still at the school library service and have acted up as the manager over the lat year, but am now back doing my old job, just full time. We are undergoing a review, so they are not filling any vacancies at the moment, so we will be glad when it is all sorted. We keep reminding ourselves that we don’t have that many years to go and then we can forget all about the rat race.
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| Grapes growing, not in Sicily, but in Shropshire ! |
This year we had hoped to get out and visit more family and friends, but that has not really been possible. The only week end away we had was in the summer when we went wine tasting. The boys bought us a vineyard visit as a Christmas present, so in August we went to Shropshire and had a lovely time. We also visited a Romans remains at Wroxeter and a Victorian outdoor museum at Ironbridge. Next year all being well, we will try and get to visit all the people we hope to.
We did manage to go to one of the outdoor concerts that Nick was engineering in the summer. It was at Highclere castle which is not too far from Basingstoke and despite less than perfect weather we had a great time with us and Louise’s parents providing the picnic.
Stephen is still flying whenever he can, although the weather has not always been kind for him. He also got a crystal glass from the blood transfusion service for 100 donations. He does platelet doning about every three weeks and I am very proud of him for that. He also celebrated his 60th birthday in June and now has a bus pass!! The boys bought him a balloon flight as a present and he had a fantastic time, flying over the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the city of Bristol. It was a perfect present as he has wanted to do this for a long time.
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| Treated to a balloon flight, I experienced amazing views |
Have a wonderful Christmas and let us hope that 2010 will live up to our hopes and dreams
Love
