Today I shall be Mainly...

[Big Kev]

Good news Stanley, identified early through regular routine maintenance at the doc's and dealt with accordingly.

[Marilyn]

You have the right attitude, Panbiker.
We don't even think of Cancer any more....too much living to do to give that word any oxygen...

[PanBiker]

Indeed Maz but with one of my other hats on I have to face it monthly as a trustee at our cancer support meetings. With the Autumn and Winter months approaching we are running a poll on our group Facebook site to see if there is call for holding a daytime support session as well as our regular monthly evening sessions. We discuss all types of cancer as required and get some good feedback from those that attend.

Anyway, today we will mainly be finishing the papering in Jacks living room. Just have the former fireplace to to finish and a few reluctant edges to re-paste. They can crack on with painting then I will shove the sockets onto the new ring main that we have installed.

[Marilyn]

I do understand many folk don't beat the fight of Cancer, Panbiker. ( think of our dear friend Moh, whom I miss dearly). All the more reason why those that do should give it the two fingered salute.

Treat yourself to a Lottery Ticket, Stanley...

[Stanley]

" though the two are linked" Really? How do you know that Marilyn?
I would never, ever in a million years buy a lottery ticket. It's a tax on stupidity in my opinion , the odds are far higher against you than beating cancer.
Very easy to have opinions about ignoring cancer but when you've a brother minus his prostate and bladder, still under treatment (He has never smoked...) and you have lost a good friend to bladder cancer any sensible person would be aware of the possible dangers. I deal with it in my own way and am comfortable with it.
The most glorious thing about the whole process is the way our health system works. I know there are occasional glitches and worries but the vast number of patients are like me and Ian, immensely grateful to the wonderful staff and treatments and totally satisfied. The NHS is the most wonderful piece of social engineering ever attempted and I shall defend it to the end!

[Marilyn]

Have emailed you some info, Stanley.

[Stanley]

And I have seen nothing I didn't know. I'm not going to get into an argument Maz, have it your way. I shall just carry on into my 84th year......

[Sue]

You are a lucky man Stanley, sadly I have lost too many friends and family to this dreadful disease, tomorrow will be the funeral of the latest victim. Its a very complicated disease, indeed it isn’t one but many, all having different causes, treatments and prognoses but going under the global name of cancer. What is becoming apparent is that there are many predisposing factors that can determine why one person succumbs and another does not. One of the greatest is smoking, but there is also diet, environmental factors , lifestyle, exercise and genetics and of course age itself as cells start to malfunction naturally. I know of no one who was more careful about the way he lived than my father in law. He was textbook perfection and yet he still died of cancer. It seems (from looking into genealogy ) that there was along history of cancer sufferers in his family line including his father, grandfather and his own daughter. Unfortunately in my mother in laws too. I watch Bobs health very acutely!

I agree we are lucky to be able to obtain care quickly and reliably with the NHS. Cancer research has always been a charity I support and live in hope we will be able to find better treatments with less side effects very soon. I was reading an article only yesterday that one of the many side effects of chemo is a weakening of the heart muscle and indeed one of my closest friends died of a massive heart attack after undergoing years, yes years, of chemo for ovarian cancer.

On to happier topics. This afternoon is my first sewing session with Maxine since July. This sessions long term project is a nice, hopefully nice , shirt for Bob. This evening is pilates. I see this morning is set to be dryish so I may continue with clearing the garden and refilling the brown bin.

[Stanley]

You are right Sue, I have been very lucky so far and as you say, looking at my own experience I know only too well what can happen. Janet's death was due to multiple malignant tumours. As I have said before, I can't understand how I have survived this far after the multiple exposures I know I have had. That's why my treatment team were so surprised when they did the full MRI scans on me and didn't find a single abnormal indication.
The shirt will be fine Sue! And you should have your dry weather this morning..... I hope you enjoy the day, I shall!

[Marilyn]

Hang on! You ask me how I know what I am claiming - I privately email you information - you come back with "tell me something I didn't know" ( so you DID know!).
I'm confused. I am not being antagonistic, which is why I privately emailed the info rather than have an online argument.
Stanley...all I can say is you have a very selective memory! We had daaaaayyyys of your early posts where we ALL tried to reassure you but you had your doomsday glasses on.
You are the most contrary ( narrow-minded) man I have ever met.
(Aaahhhh...frustration)

[Marilyn]

That doesn't mean I don't think the world of you, Old Bean, but for some reason we push each other's buttons!

[Stanley]

I'm not arguing....
The shed is tarting to pull more and more. I keep checking for rust or other nasties caused by inactivity and everything is fine. Such an advantage having it attached to the house and heated. If it was a shed down the garden I would be in trouble. As Maurice Windle once said when justifying his habit of spraying the underside of vehicles with waste oil, "You've never seen a mechanic's bench or tools go rusty!"
Otherwise carrying on carrying on if you see what I mean.

[Sue]

Just back from our friends funeral or to be exact one of Bobs engineering friends. He fought cancer for years, but in May was told there was nothing else they could do. He had the best care the NHS could offer or indeed anyone else for that matter. A sad day, but if you can have such a thing, a nice funeral and wake. Bobs eulogy went down well. Thank goodness for Matalan and a good looking suit for an affordable price. The moral of the story is don’t leave your one and only suit in France.

Talking of clothes, I was wearing my best funeral dress when for some reason I decided to look at the hem. This dress cost me money, not cheap, not expensive but the standard of sewing on that hem would never pass my critical eye on my own made stuff. i will never say in future. ‘ Oh its only something I made’

Feet up tonight, yoga cancelled. I am glad, I need to chill out. Emotions are tiring

[Stanley]

"I will never say in future. ‘ Oh its only something I made’"
Good!! Glad the funeral went well and is over.



My new winter work/walk boots arrived. Zug Fell Boots made on a spring last. Good leather (already had one coat of Neat's Foot Oil) and already comfortable before any breaking in. My last working boots had bitten the dust after long service so they are welcome. They are going to be like a pair of old slippers.
(Zug is a waterproof grained leather most often associated with "Veldtschoen" boots and shoes (Afrikaans for "field shoe", although the Veldtschoen was developed by an Englishman, Albert Ingham of Northampton). Zug leather originates from the famous tannery of the Swiss town of the same name.)

[Sue]

Looking good there Stanley.

Craft this morning, I shall probably knit and natter as todays project is not ‘my cup of tea’ extended lunch afterwards. In fact I shall be lunching out for the next three days. Tomorrow we are meeting my sister and cousin at THE ANCHOR INN in in your neck of the woods and on Sunday we are lunching in Littleborough with friends I used to work with.

The sewing lesson went well. The toile for my trousers fitted so I can now look for material. Bobs shirt pattern needed some adjustments due to the lack of significant seam allowances and my sweatshirt fitting was completed. A successful few weeks sewing since our return from France. Talking of France we still have no more news of our friend and neighbour after his fall. I hope he is recovering satisfactorily.

[plaques]

Tomorrow we are meeting my sister and cousin at THE ANCHOR INN in in your neck of the woods

See this for some detail on the Anchor Inn. Link. Its a Facebook page which should be set at the Anchor inn. Sorry I don't know how to pull up the article as a single unit. But if it should fail put Anchor Inn in the search box at the left hand side.

[PanBiker]

Tomorrow we are meeting my sister and cousin at THE ANCHOR INN in in your neck of the woods

See this for some detail on the Anchor Inn. Link. Its a Facebook page which should be set at the Anchor inn. Sorry I don't know how to pull up the article as a single unit. But if it should fail put Anchor Inn in the search box at the left hand side.

Or you could just try here:

Tha Anchor Inn Website

[Sue]

Thanks but we needed to check about whether dogs are allowed. We had been on their website when we checked opening hours menu etc. They are allowed but the Kitchen is closed during the day for renovations. We are now going somewhere else.

[Wendyf]

Try Cafe Cargo in Foulridge Sue.

[Stanley]

Whatever you do make it an indoor venue Sue. It's raining now and the forecast isn't good. One thing that I noticed in Skipton when I went there to book my funeral was the number of places that had 'Dogs Welcome' signs in the window.
Not sure what I'll be doing yet beyond a bit of cooking. Must start attacking the meat in the freezer. Stew season is fast approaching! I vacuumed yesterday so I don't need to do that!

[PanBiker]

Going for our flu jabs.

[Tizer]

Ours next Saturday!

[PanBiker]

All three clinics were busy when we tipped up. We were a bit early but as long as you are ticked off the list in reception the nurses take you on a first come first served basis. We were out before our appointment times which were one minute apart.

[Tizer]

Ours are a minute apart too and you have to wear a short-sleeved shirt and have your jacket off etc before your minute starts!

[Stanley]

I feel neglected! I have had no word yet...
Drying waterproofs from the look of the weather!
Apart from that, I'll take a view of the piste when I have woken up properly.