To Hell and Back

Gosh, how long has it been since I last posted?? As you can see by the title of the post, it hasn't been a particularly good time, lots of things going on and I couldn't get my head around the blogging. I had a horrid health scare which involved doctors, mammograms, ultra-sounds with those horrid words "Oh I don't like the look of that, do we have your permission to do a biopsy now while you're here". All this was back in the UK and we were coming back to France with my youngest daughter for her 2 week holiday on the Sunday and the biopsy was on the Wednesday. It was going to take a week to get the results!!! Do we go on holiday or not?? I decided yes, what the hell I was desperate for Clare to see our house, she has only had a flying visit of one night and that was soon after we bought it, so she hasn't seen any of the renovations yet.

Anyway, I had a call from the hospital on Monday evening and ALL IS WELL!!! I have to go back to be re-scanned in 6 weeks, but they say it is a cyst that had burst and they want to make sure all the "rubbish" has been absorbed. Now we can enjoy having our daughter to stay at our house. As it happened though, her husband wasn't too good and wanted to go home, so they only stayed for one week. I was very upset, but understood the reasoning behind him wanting to go home and at least I had Clare here for a short while.


When we turned up at the house in France I was amazed at how much Richard and our friends had done while I had been in the UK. It looks fantastic and they have made huge progress on the room. Still a lot to do, but we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Also, while I was in the UK, my mum and dad have said they are coming back with us next time, so it will be so good to have them here for a while. Hopefully they will stay for the whole of July, I can't wait, we have so much we want to do with them and introduce them to our friends. I think also, it is going to be their 67th wedding anniversary while they are here, so we will have to have a party for them. That certainly is something to celebrate isn't it?



Before and after pictures!












Last Friday I went on a course for basket making. Not your usual kind of wicker basket, but all stuff you gather in the hedgerows and your garden. We spent the first hour of the class just walking around in woods looking for lovely shaped pieces of wood for handles etc and the actual weaving was done with bull rushes that had been dried over winter. You then soak them and use them. I ended up with a basket, I haven't taken a photo of it yet, but perhaps I will if you promise not to laugh!! After all, it is a first attempt. It was a really good fun day, a bring and share lunch with wine and the weaving after that seemed a piece of cake! Since this has been the first time I have posted for ages, I just hope I have some old friends popping back to see if I'm still around. I have to say a HUGE apology as well because I was given an award before all my troubles began and I haven't done anything about that, so I am really sorry, please forgive me, I was very honoured to receive it. I am now going to catch up on all my blogging friends and wish you all well. After reading one of my friends blogs, Big Blue Barn, my "Hell and Back" is NOTHING, so now is the time to forget and move on. Take care everyone and talk again soon.