Dear Boris?

Possibly not the best start to a letter – not sure whether to address it to Dear Boris, Dear Mr Johnson or Dear Mr Boris Johnson. Mr Mayor? Hmm. So, Dear Boris seems simplest! ‘Yo Boris’ just seemed rude. Bo-Jo just seems…well…let’s not go there eh?

Anyway – Mr BJ Mayor Type Person! We need and would really appreciate your help. In 2008, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer – the really crappy kind that sort of tries it’s best to kill you as soon as possible. BUT, I did the chemo thing [nuked the little suckers], I did the ‘omg I have no hair’ thing. And I did the ‘wth? I am very scared’ thing after treatment. Cancer does the most peculiar and irritating things to one’s head. But I am now doing the Survivor thing. Bring THAT on! Oh – and the cyclist thing. Lycra? Moi? Good Lord…

Anyway – onward and upward to the Now.

My husband decided [in his wisdom] to get me to sign up for a 400km cycle across Kenya once I had recovered. I signed up in a moment of madness in 2010 [after a couple of glasses of fortifying Oyster Bay]. Since then, I have never looked back. Having cycled 400km across Kenya in 2011, including the Rift Valley, I am now cycling 400km across Cuba in October this year.

These cycles are organised by a woman called Ann Frampton. Ann is a teeny weeny anti cancer bomb – the word ‘inspirational’ is overused and worn. But in this instance, it’s the only word to use. Ann is truly our inspiration – she climbs up and down Ben Nevis – she’s cycled across India, China, Kenya – she’s stormed through the desert burning her feet. She has encouraged literally thousands of women to join her cycles and treks to raise money and awareness for these three charities. Ann is a cervical cancer survivor herself. But that does not define her – she is an incredible person, doing incredible things.

But ‘Ah yes’, you cry – ‘lot’s of people are doing this kind of thing’. And you would be right! [of course – you’re Boris]. But our next challenge is interesting. For you.

I know you support cycling. So – read on young man!

We are doing the very FIRST women only cycle through London at night. It’s called the Women v Cancer Ride the Night.  We will cycle 100km through London to raise funds and awareness for Ovarian Cancer Action, Jo’s Cervical Trust and Breast Cancer Care. We will stay awake all day, cycle all night and curse the very idea of it on the afternoon after we finish. BUT – we will have done something incredible. We’ll have raised lots of money. And we’ll have raised awareness of the symptoms of all three cancers. Which means we’ll have saved at the very least – ONE woman’s life. And we will totter about on stiff legs for a week afterward. Chuckling all the while. Because it will be hilarious!

There will be 2000 women on this cycle. And we would like your good self to lead us out. Boris and 2000 women. How can you resist?

Oh, and if you could bring Arnie, that would be such fun ;)

Please get in touch – either through this blog by making a comment, or facebook or twitter. Or, answer Ann’s letter, which is winging it’s way toward you as you read this. Or call Ann on 0845 408 2698! Your People could talk to her People!

Thanks for reading – we’re looking forward to hearing from you!

women rule!

Between freelance work, which is buzzing merrily along at last [fingers firmly crossed about THAT - look! I even placed an advert! - my self confidence is at LAST reappearing.] And fund raising for Cuba and waiting for my check-up and trying [with limited success I might add] to TRAIN for Cuba, I haven’t much thought about an update on here. But due to some gentle nagging from various parties, here I am again.

I think the most important thing to the majority of followers of this rather lazily updated blog is that I am still NED! I had my check-up on the 11 June – it was the last 6 monthly check up I ever hope to have. In August, I reach my ‘5 year all clear’ [scary!] so my next one is in a year. Changing over to an annual check up is strangely disturbing. Like letting go of the hand that is supporting you. One wobbles a bit at first. I am still wavering between relief and panic. Mostly panic. Which I will get over. I still have a large risk of recurrence – but I also still have my amazing cancer team at the RD&E. So. Not thinking too much about that.

In other news, I have made it to the semi-finals of the Venus Awards! Devon page here. My category is sponsored by The Old Bag Company. For the Inspirational Woman category, there were 307 nominations. I am so touched to have made it through to the semi finals! Amazing. I am not quite sure how many semi-finalists there are, but at the end of the day, just making it through AND being nominated at all is such an honour. Thank you Rita and sundry other friends for nominating me!

And I am cycling! Training for the 400km across Cuba – I even have a new bike, kindly sold to me at a stupid price by my fellow cyclist, Kate. This weekend coming, we will be sallying forth to do the 60 mile Force Cancer Charity ride. I am convinced I haven’t trained enough, but hey ho – we will do it! Check out the shirt design by Chameleon Design! This is Kate and me at the training weekend in the Cotswolds. Good fun!

Other good news is that I have beaten my fundraising target! Thank you SO much all of you who went to brunches, bought raffle tickets, appeared at events and donated raffle prizes. It does mean a lot to me, and I note every single donation, no matter how small – every little helps! Thank you all!

It's not about me

What a week. I went to my BNI meeting on Wednesday and after being unmercifully ragged about the YOU magazine article, one of the members blurted out privately to me that a friend of his had died that week of ovarian cancer - in one week! And just before her wedding.
I almost threw up in his lap. He was sitting next to me. Fortunately I didn't but it was a close call. My skin went cold - horrible. It was 7.00 in the morning! It turns out that the woman in question had had ovarian cancer 4 years back, and been in chemo ever since. Her story is here. It's tragic. But I was relieved when I read it - sad to say but I felt better knowing she hadn't been killed by this in only a week -  that would have been too much...

Other friends in the OC facebook group are going through hell. Rising CA 125's, CT scans...random things that are scary to say the least. They are my friends. It's hard to read their messages and not want to jump or a plane or train and go and see them...sadly, it's not possible. And it's hard to deal with. I just want them all to be well. Or at the very least, to achieve remission for some time.

And that's the worst thing - some women never get into remission. That so sucks!! And that's why I am so concerned with raising funds for research!

I get the impression that some people have the idea that I am 'self aggrandising' with all this 'Awareness' stuff [radio, TV, newspaper etc] - just for them/you to know; I would rather have never ever been heard of by anyone than have had cancer.

But as I HAVE had it, and as it may kill me eventually, I WILL take every opportunity to raise awareness, and I WILL try to get it out there as much as I can. Think what you want - as long as there's a chance of even ONE woman being saved/warned/woken up - I will be there.
This is not about 'me' - this is about what I can do to help by being out there. And I am simply trying my best to do just that. Things like live TV terrify me - but I will do it, because an ordinary person like me could just make someone think that 'one' thought that may save her life. 
I hope to help women like me - women who have no IDEA about this insidious disease. Women who could survive a diagnosis if they get diagnosed early enough.

So, no, it's not about me - it's about being AWARE!!

Lily and I...

Photo courtesy of http://www.adriansherratt.com/

This is Lily and me....Lily not too impressed with being photographed as you can tell from her grumpy expression! But I've put this on the blog simply to say thank you to Adrian Sherratt for sending me some of the pics from the photo-shoot for the Mail on Sunday You magazine article. See his site. Good photographer! He actually managed to make me look normal ;)

Apart from running around like a chicken with it's head chopped off trying to grow my freelance graphic design business, I am mainly trying to do as much for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month as possible, plus start training for The Nightrider and start the fund raising for the Cuba Cycle 2013. At the moment, that amounts to selling some Havaianas! Best get cracking...

Two weeks ago, on a whim,  we did the 'Home to Budleigh and Back' route with Rick and Julie [they ride a tandem], which is about 37 miles. This was the first cycle I have done since the Kenya Cycle in October 2011!
I was fine...until the next day when I felt like I'd been hit by a Mack truck!

So this week we started a training 'plan' - 11 miles a day [weather permitting] Alphington to the Turf Locks. That's the Plan for this week, then add two hills to that next week to make it harder [and further]. Then we'll do the 'Home to Budleigh and Back' round trip at weekends. Plus I need to get back to spinning once a week! Groan...thank God for the FH or I'd never achieve anything!

Cycles I am doing this year so far:
The Nightrider [100 km] - 9 /10 June 2012
The Force Century Challenge [100km] - 24 June 2012
The Great Shakespeare Ride [100km] - 12 August 2012
A cycle in Manchester in October - no idea what or when!

This is to try to keep up a modicum of fitness so that training for Cuba next year isn't a total nightmare!

Feeling very nervous about appearing on 'Lorraine' next week Tuesday, but hey ho - if it helps raise awareness of this stupid disease, bring it on! I had a horrible experience this morning. Someone told me that  a friend of theirs had been DX with OC, then died within a week. That completely spazzed me out for the rest of the day. But, he also said his Mum had been OC FREE for for 8 years...yay! A little less stressful.

Oh, and I really need to do my garden!!

If you would like to help me raise money for research into Ovarian, Cervical and Breast cancers, please donate here? Thank you :)

Talc Use Linked to Ovarian Cancer Risk

This article is a little bit technical, but the long and the short of it appears to be – don't use talc in the vaginal area. It may increase the risk of invasive ovarian cancer.

This should be a warning on the pack maybe? It certainly wouldn't do any harm would it? And as a matter of interest, I used talc for years as a teenager.

Image: www.etsy.com
__________________________________________________________

This report is part of a 12-month Clinical Context series.

By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Published: April 07, 2011

Reviewed by Vandana G. Abramson, MD; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

Action Points

• Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Note that the use of talc-based powder increased ovarian cancer risk by 30%.

ORLANDO - Use of talc-based powder significantly increased the risk of invasive ovarian cancer in a large case-control study that confirmed other analyses performed over the past 30 years.
Overall, talc use increased ovarian cancer risk by about 30%; however, the risk increased by two- to threefold among women reporting long-term frequent application of talc powder to the genital area, as reported here at the American Association for Cancer Research.
"I have always advised gynaecologists, if they examine a woman and see that she is using talc in the vaginal area, tell her to stop," said Daniel W. Cramer, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "There are alternatives. This study strongly reinforces that advice."

Results of more than 20 epidemiologic studies have supported an association between application of talc-based powder to the external genitalia and ovarian cancer, but the findings have met with considerable scepticism and criticism, in part, because of a lack of evidence for a dose-response effect, said Cramer.

The biologic plausibility of the association also has been questioned. Cramer previously hypothesized that talc had an effect on cancer risk similar to that of asbestos. More recently, he has come to believe that the association involves up regulation of heat-shock proteins, mucins, and other molecules that predispose to chronic inflammation.

Inadequate cleansing after use of talc, particularly frequent use, might allow the powder to migrate into the lower genital tract and initiate an inflammatory reaction, Cramer speculates.

Talc particles have been found in lymph nodes and other tissues of ovarian cancer patients, he added.

In an effort to resolve the uncertainty surrounding the talc-ovarian cancer association, Cramer and his colleagues analyzed data from a case-control study involving more than 2,000 women with ovarian cancer and a similar number of women without the cancer.

All study participants resided in New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts. History of talc use had a reference date of one year before diagnosis for the ovarian cancer patients and use at the date of interview for the control group.

Logistic regression analysis examined the association between ovarian cancer and regular use of genital talc and from the perspective of total number of talc applications, estimated from patient-reported frequency and duration of use. The investigators adjusted for age, parity, oral contraceptive use, tubal ligation, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, Jewish ethnicity, and family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

They performed separate analyses for all cases, nonmuscinous invasive cancer, serous invasive cancer, and serous invasive cancer unlikely to be familial.

For all analyses, talc use was associated with an increased prevalence of ovarian cancer; the magnitude of the difference between users and nonusers ranged between 20% and 40%, most often about 30%.

None of the analyses yielded significant differences among premenopausal women.

All analyses produced statistically significant differences for all study participants and for the subgroup of postmenopausal women, who accounted for 60% of the study participants.

Adjustment for clinical, demographic, and histological factors had minimal impact in analyses of the overall population or the postmenopausal subgroup.

For example, analysis of all histological subtypes yielded a hazard ratio of 1.30 in all participants (P=0.0003) and 1.31 for postmenopausal women (P=0.003).

Analysis of serous invasive cancer by menopausal status and after exclusion of women with Jewish ethnicity and family history of cancer resulted in odds ratios of 1.39 (P=0.001) and 1.35 (P=0.01) for all participants and postmenopausal women, respectively.

Analysis of dose-response associations by total applications (quartiles of none to ≥8,400) showed a significant trend for all women (P=0.002), premenopausal women (P=0.05), and postmenopausal women (P=0.02).

The trend held up in most of the analyses by histological subtype and by differences in demographic and clinical variables.

The significant trend for dose-response effect persisted whether women reporting no talc use were excluded or included (P=0.001).

"Menopausal status has a striking effect on the dose-response for the association," said Cramer. "Premenopausal women with frequent use may have more than a threefold increase in their risk for invasive serous cancer of the ovary. Repeating these analyses in existing data sets may help clarify the association between talc and ovarian cancer."

Cramer told MedPage Today that the association between talc and ovarian cancer has led to a lawsuit against talc manufacturers by a woman in South Dakota. Depositions are expected to begin later this year.

The plaintiff's attorney previously represented patients with mesothelioma in successful lawsuits and settlements involving asbestos manufacturers, Cramer added.

The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute.

________________________________________________________________________________

There is another article here.

OMG!

I woke up this morning and realised that this time next week, I will [no doubt!] be frantically stuffing things into a bag last minute and wondering what I've forgotten. THUD goes the heart! There are 50 things I should have already done, but time just disappears, and half of them will remain un-done.

NEXT SATURDAY is CKA-Day – the Cycle Kenya Adventure begins!! Here's the itinerary and below is the [approximate] scary map of the ride…but it takes ages to load…

But today I am trundling off to the Salt Mine, then coming home to complete a logo design and try to get some drawings of egg cups done [with animals heads – cool], then out again this evening to wait tables. Then at last I'll be able to pay the £290.00 air and fuel taxes on Monday. I am beginning to rather look forward to the cycle as a rest. At least I'll have just ONE thing to do…get from Nyeri to Lake Vic…alive!

NERVOUS puts it mildly, but also excited – only one way to go, and that's FORWARDS!

You can still donate here if you would like to help make a difference to research into ovarian, breast and cervical cancer. Thank you EVERYONE who has donated and helped me raise an amazing £4805.00!

7 days 21 hours and 52 minutes to go!

What happened?? This cycle was AGES away…now it's next week! I don't feel ready at all, and yet I feel I can't wait to get there and get to it. I am going with a great bunch of women – they really are something. So we will support one another, and of course, it's always easier to achieve something as a team than it is to do it alone. That's the theory anyway!

I HAVE trained. The FH has been a Godsend, in that he has been forcing me out, and because he's faster [grr!] I am always pushed to keep up with my short little legs. He gets little breaks to drink water and rest while he waits for me to huff and puff my way to wherever he is. I get to try [and fail mostly] to guzzle water and speak [complain] whilst not being able to breathe…then off we go again.

To be honest, I am astounded at myself. I am NOT a person who has ever done charity stuff. And I am certainly not a person who has ever been sporty.  I think the most extreme sport I ever did was ice hockey – and it seemed easy because I was on skates! A bike is a totally different thing – one has to actually put a 'whole body' effort in…but I'm doing it. And enjoying it.

Recently, we  [the cycle group] have been wondering precisely how much of the money we've raised actually goes to the three charities we are supporting. Obviously the Action for Charity peeps have to make something, so we are interested in what is left after they take their cut.

I was interested [and shocked] to read the way that Cancer Research UK use THEIR funds for research. See below – ovarian cancer, which has the WORST survival rate in the UK [compared to the rest of Europe] seems very low on the scale. 

So – now we know why we have the worst survival rate!!

Ovarian cancer is the second leading cancer in women (affecting about 1/70) and the leading cause of death from gynaecological cancer, and the deadliest (1% of all women die of it). It is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, causing an estimated 15,000 deaths in 2008. Incidence is higher in developed countries.

Here is what Cancer Research UK say [and - where does the other 20 pence in a pound go??]:

"For every £1 donated, 80 pence is available to spend on our work to beat cancer. We receive no government funding for our research.

"We spent £332 million on our annual research activity in 2010/11. In almost every type of cancer, we fund more research than any other organisation in the UK.

We need to make sure nothing slows down the tremendous progress we’re making. Whilst we make the best use of every pound we raise, each year we receive a growing number of outstanding research proposals that we cannot afford to fund."

This image is from Cancer Research UK. They are patently quite pleased with themselves. I am just confused – why not have an even distribution of funds?

WHY is the funding for Ovarian cancer research A QUARTER of the amount spent on Breast Cancer research?? Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynaecologic cancer and the deadliest in terms of absolute figure. It's insane – any research into ovarian cancer benefits breast cancer research. The reverse is not true.

Ovarian cancer is the second most common cancer in women - around 6,500 cases are diagnosed annually in the UK. Around one woman in 70 in the general population is at risk of developing ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer often develops without any clear symptoms and many women only discover they have it once it has spread. Surely this warrants the self same amount of funding as breast cancer?

And here's a peculiar factoid I discovered on Wiki:

"A Swedish study, which followed more than 61,000 women for 13 years, has found a significant link between milk consumption and ovarian cancer. According to the BBC, "[Researchers] found that milk had the strongest link with ovarian cancer—those women who drank two or more glasses a day were at double the risk of those who did not consume it at all, or only in small amounts."

Recent studies have shown that women in sunnier countries have a lower rate of ovarian cancer, which may have some kind of connection with exposure to Vitamin D.^[27]

And another [rather horrible] thing I discovered on Wiki is this: Grade 3 tumours have the worst prognosis and their cells are abnormal, referred to as poorly differentiated. There are four grades indicating the likelihood of the cancer to spread and the higher the grade, the more likely for this to occur.

Oooo shit! 'Occur'. HATE that word. Although 'reoccur' is worse…I didn't realise that I have the 'worst prognosis'!! Ovarian cancer, as  any other type of cancer, is graded, as well as staged. I had a Grade 3B [IIIB - macroscopic peritoneal metastases beyond pelvis less than 2cm in size] tumour. The tumour was bigger than my womb! [revolting factoid for your horror] the metastases was in the peritoneum. And other bits. Deleted.

Here's a world map – of ovarian cancer death rates. Nice huh? NOT

English: Age-standardised death rates from Ovarian cancer by country (per 100,000 inhabitants).

No wonder we're all trying to raise money for research! It's critical!

So all you women complaining about sore arms from inoculations and sore butts from cycling…worrying about whether we need mosquito nets and hair tongs…think about how bad it is for women who have sore arms from having an 8 hour dose of chemo…once every few weeks until there ARE no more veins to push the needle into. And no hair to use those Ever So Important hair tongs ON.
Be proud of yourselves for what you're doing – SO many women will benefit. And, God forbid, it could be you who benefits one day...it sort of makes the sore arm less painful doesn't it?

cycle Kenya is a definite!

Well, it seems my brain may have fixed itself – I'm feeling almost normal again. Yay. I think. We'll see. I have my friend constantly on my mind, so it's hard. BUT I know she'd kill me if she thought I was like this due to her. And it's not just her. It's a lot of random things too. Hey ho - onward and upward. Right? Right.

Today was exciting – the letters came out from Action for Charity, to let us know we are definitely confirmed on the cycle! WOOP!! Lots of girls posting on Facebook to say they have their letters, so lots of glee! Quite chuckalicious.

The Oldest Step Daughter [hence known as The OSD for brevity – I can't keep typing all that!], Vick, text me to say she had rung up Action for Charity and is confirmed on the ride – I text back to say I was not yet, and two minutes later, the [beastly and LATE!] postman arrived with the letter to tell me I am too! Surreal! So now all I have to do is find £294.03 for the air taxes…heavens above! It's a lot!! Plus, Kenya insists on a £30.00 CASH payment [surprise, surprise!] for the visa to enter.

But there you go, got to be paid, and the result, lots of awareness [we hope] and lots of funds for research gained. Now just to train to get through the cycle that supports women everywhere who are either in treatment, just out of it or living with the delightful aftermath of having had one of these hideous cancers.

We live with the constant fear of recurrence…it's not nice. We are in remission, but the fear is always still there in the back of the mind. A repulsive rat, gnawing away at ones confidence and every day life. So any support is good, and this cycle is women supporting women.

Women supporting women who SO desperately need that support. Ovarian cancer, cervical, breast cancer -  whatever! All these cancers attack women like Wild Dogs on a young animal – with no mercy, and a lot of gruesome bloodshed. Fighting it off is one thing – keeping it at bay – quite another. The strength of mind one needs to cope is quite astounding – I am not sure that I have it. I hope I do, as I need it. This is a trip one travels alone, no matter how many amazing people [and I have a lot of them!] are there beside the road – it's still a journey of solitude in many respects.

After all, it's we who could die of it, no-one else.

If you are at all concerned about any of these women's cancers, please donate here – the smallest donation helps. Thank you!

more fund raising!

Well, the Golf Day went swimmingly! Julie did everything! All I had to do was design the poster and the prize vouchers, and I got ONE prize for the golfers. Not a great deal of effort on my part, and for that Julie raised £850.50 [love that .50p bit].

Fingle Glen were very generous with a gigantic bacon butty on arrival and a buffet dinner [beef curry, chicken curry, chips, rice etc] for which Julie gave them a percentage of the days take. Sundry other people donated loads of raffle prizes, and popped down after the event if they hadn’t been there, for a drink and the raffle.

I think Julie spent about a week on the phone arranging all the other prizes, golf days, weekend breaks, TONS of prizes for the raffle, the longest putt [is it putt?], the overall winners, the people who came second etc. The working out of those winners seemed like a right nightmare – Julie was at it for ages, so if you do one of these events, get an expert like her involved!

And, there was wine, designer golf hats, sports shirts, books, you name it, she had it. The winners were delighted, as they went off with loads of swag. I was working all day, so the FH went down and spent his day off helping Julie – the highlight of his day was racing about in the golf cart getting beers to the players ;)

Someone asked me how it all worked, as they want to do one too. Not having personally organised it, I am hoping I am correct in the following. Each person paid £25 [they had to raise a team of 4] for golf, bacon butty and buffet meal after. The T-offs were staggered throughout the day.  Julie sold each team a balloon [and I am not quite sure of the details here, as I don’t understand golf at all]. The balloon could be let go if you wanted to retake your shot I believe. Some of the Fingle girls with their balloon.

She also imposed fines of £2.00 and £5.00 on people who did naughty stuff on the course. One chap was fined a fiver for being scruffy and mistaking the herb bread for ‘mouldy’ bread in a rather loud voice heh heh. In advance of the event, Julie sold raffle tickets, and four lots of Fitness First vouchers that they kindly donated. During the day she was there making sure everyone went off ok and organising drinks etc. for the players.

Judi Spiers came to help with the raffle and a little auction; people were very generous with raffle prizes and donated so much. All the people who came spent a fortune. So, a fabulous result all round!

My effort – appearing at the end and saying thanks! Then racing off to work at the Port Royal whilst Julie raced off home for a well deserved feet up! Oh, but not after letting a few people know that there may be another one in September…Teign Valley have offered to allow us to stage one there, but we’ll see how gluttonous for punishment we're feeling by then!

Here's the girl herself. Thanks Julie! And everyone who gave their support!

cycle kenya funds and cat news

this is going to be a lightning post, as I am racing out the door to work - but just had to share this - a friend of Tracey's, Darren, is doing this really amazing thing for me.

He's never even met me, but to help raise funds for the Women v Cancer cycle Kenya, he is selling products on eBay and giving me the profits! Not ME personally, but he'll put the money into the justgiving account.

How kind is that? I am chuffed to bits. Please see the link here if you'd like to buy one. Ovarian Cancer charity mug [it even has my ribbon on it - woo hoo!]. Thanks SO much Darren, and thanks to Tracey too for the intro. T-shirt next, when I have time to get the design sorted.

In the meantime, we now know the kittens are GIRLS, yay! So now to find some names that suit them - this morning, lightning and speedy come to mind, as they are like two little rockets racing about!

They seem rather partial to wine ;) Right I'm off, please tell your friends about the cool mug? Thanks!

tea cups and tables

this week has been quite a week so far - and it's only Tuesday!! Stunning weather all the way too.  Friday night we had one of those lovely evenings where everything is impromptu. Friends popped by just for a drink [and to drop me the first garden path wooden slab step thing!] and we ended up having a bbq and a jolly good evening.

Sunday I worked from 7.00 until late cleaning. Uff. Yesterday the FH and I sprang out of bed [well, FH sprang, I sort of grumpled my way downstairs as usual] and spent our day off out 'achieving' stuff. First we walked all the houses in our village - it's a BIG village! We stuffed A5 fliers through as many doors as we could for the Fairy Cakes in the Garden affair this Sunday. And in doing so, we met more people than we've met for the last 10 years of living here.

One fellow rushed into his house waving the flier and came back with his wife, who is now delivering some fairy cakes on Sunday morning…just like that. Another chap, works voluntarily for the Cats Protection League, said he'd find me some tea cups - this evening he rang me and says he has 26 tea cups [perhaps not quite so many saucers, but who cares?] and that he's left them on a table in his drive so I can pick them up when I want to. 99% of people we spoke to or met were so kind and so helpful. Our neighbour, George, is coming down to serve tea! Amazing how nice people can be.

Once we'd finished our rambling [in the boiling heat I might add - uff!] we decided to try the pergola in the driveway, just to make sure it fits. Never trust the weather in the UK. Hopefully we will need it for SHADE, not rain! So, that was fun - and it fits. Happily we succeeded with this without amputating any fingers in the big folding mechanism. Then, the hanging baskets out on the front of the house at last. Hoorah! Grow!!

THEN we decided that we needed some R&R, so we cycled the 5.5 miles to the Turf Locks. Collapsed there and had a sandwiches and wine picnic. Then raced back the same route - we did the usual 45 minute trip in 30 minutes. Then we ambled to the Quay, popped into the Port Royal to see Carlos and Ellie, then trundled home.

Today was another rush - worked with my Furniture Chap all day on his web site, zoomed home, got changed, cycled to the Quay at speed and met Mark Travis at the Port Royal to sort a few details for Augusts event. Carlos and Ellie have been planning all sorts of amazing things that I didn't expect - more lovely peeps! Update on the Port Royal event AFTER the Fairy Cakes in the Garden is dealt with…it's all pretty exhausting, this fund raising. But also very energising, as it renews faith in people and it's such a good cause. Plus - I'm getting fit whether I like it or not! :o)

Oh, and Furniture Chap is lending me a stunning table to serve the fairy cakes and tea from…it'll have a price tag should anyone want to buy it on the day!! Check it out!

looking back - and forward

My life is great [knocking on wood as I type]. I am so happy, apart from a few niggles large and small, but I am hoping they will resolve themselves eventually. One small niggle being trying to make ends meet around here.

All the bills seem to have gone UP, arrived all at once and are just generally trying to swamp us. Everything is self destructing out of spite. Amazing how inanimate objects can gang together when you're not looking. The fan in the convection oven just started making the most monstrous clonking noise [that's it! BBQ for the rest of the year! I refuse to even hear it again], the back windscreen wiper on the [supposedly indestructible] Beemer has conked out, the service date has passed ages ago and the garden gate is falling apart. Literally. I need to build a new one. Quickly! Before the Fairy Cake in the Garden fundraiser. Or people will be getting whacked on the head by the cross strut.

The front of the house [the charming 300 year old cottage - humph] has decided it would like to take leave of it’s moorings...sigh. The FH has spent the last two weekends doing repairs to the window sills and the render. Rather like putting ones thumb in a dyke, but what else can you do? Hey ho, KBO eh? Here's the offending structure.

Apart from that [and a few other things that don't bear mentioning] I am in the midst of a mad frenzy of fund raising. It's quite fun [in a scary sort of way - 4K?? OMG] - all the Cycle Kenya girls are getting together on Facebook, which is a nice way to get to know people before you meet them. We are all swapping fundraising ideas, and trying to hook up with people near to us for training. Training by oneself quite probably sucks. I really need to get into a spinning class!

Plus of course I am doing the garden - this year is the first time since I was diagnosed that I am actually really able to get going full tilt at it. It's fantastic! I am like 'jumping for joy'!! And it's so satisfying. I was really diagnosed on Wednesday 30th January; inadvertently. But it took a while to get the REAL diagnosis. But personally, I go from the January date.

The combination of gardening and Chalet Whacking is definitely helping my strength and stamina. Talk about things happening for weird reasons. When I worked in Portugal all the time, everything got so neglected. I sat on my butt in front of the computer most of the time, and when I was away, things just grew out of control. Not this year! I have been staking and potting up like a crazy woman - digging? Bring it ON! Next: hanging baskets.

And I'm planning lots of fund raising stuff - it's a tad chaotic, but I am hoping to get there eventually!! Really must make a list of my Forthcoming Events. Keeping things in my head is NOT a good idea! Do you know, someone actually told me recently that there is no such thing as Chemo brain? No, you guessed it, they haven't had chemo. Pah.

 

anyone have a cupcake cannon?

After the date fiasco - had to move the Fairy Cakes in the Garden event because in my Outlook calendar, Fathers Day is on the 18th? What? Oh - I see…it puts it on the same DATE every annual reminder. NOT the third Sunday etc. Well, that's remedied anyway. No wonder I am always late with things. Grumble.

So, now it's on the 27th which is during the World Cup Football. I expect about 3000 women to arrive at my gate merely to escape the constant footy on the TV! ;o)

I will have to MAKE [or is it bake?] some Fairy Cakes myself I suppose. Bad idea…they will be black underneath. I don't bake. Ever. Therefore I have been trundling about on various 'Cupcake' sites. For inspiration. And ideas. Might make some with Hershey's cocoa in them.

But in my trundling, this is the best thing I've seen yet - must have one! I saw it on the Iron Cupcake's site and went and downloaded it from YouTube. LOVE it.

But it doesn't help with me baking some, so I'm back to the rounds to find an idiot proof recipe…

Fairy Cakes in the Garden Sunday, 27 June 2010

Make a diary date please! Date: Sunday, 27 June 2010

Time: 12:00 - 16:00, Location: Alphington, Exeter

This is going to be my first fundraiser for the Woman V Cancer cycle Kenya palaver. I am a bit nervous in case no-one turns up! Imagine that…oops. Or 300 people arrive and can't fit? heh heh - or, not enough fairy cakes??

Anyway, this is the story - ANYONE from anywhere at all, is invited to view my little garden. A public event! Eek! In MY garden? Which is the size of a postage stamp? Hmm - well, hey ho, should be amusing if nothing else eh? I am hoping it will look fab by then. Damn these English summers! SO unreliable!! At the moment it is tipping with rain. Bah. Slug City round here - I really feel like waiting out there for them with the salt pot…my poor Hostas! Although the Bressingham Blue is doing really well so far...no munch marks yet. The Tree Fern is very happy with all this crabby weather mind you. Sprouting fronds like no tomorrow.

I am also hoping to have a few of the plants that grow in the garden potted up to sell. Solomon's Seal, Mollis [Lady's Mantle], Shasta Daisy, Cornflower [Bachelor's Button] etc. That's for the peeps who don't eat cake. Plants will be £1.00 each. No, you can't eat them. You mustn't!!

There will be a gate fee of £2.50 per person. Kids, as they're not really people, enter for £1.00 each. This is because the kids [Yay them!] will need to eat at least TWO Fairy Cakes each. ;o) No throwing stones either you small persons!

Coffee and tea will be .50p a cup, and the Fairy Cakes will be .50p each too. I have yet to discuss this with my Fairy Cake makers. Hmm - could be an idea to do that…

Please either come, or tell people in the area about it. Would love to see you! And thanks.