Have a fun evening

Nic tells me that you are out with the boys tonight, have fun. lots of love Cathyxxx

Happy Birthday Daddy

Thats my Daddy that is

Untitled #7

Untitled #7
Originally uploaded by crestweed

Check fbk for card from JR

Eighty Five years old yeah?

Happy Birthday Dad

Invisiblity

I seem to be having trouble with facebook unbeknown to me. I have disappeared. I have been posting up health reports as usual but apparently they have not been showing up. So here is an up date........ Friday to Monday very rough from the chemo, Monday.......light at the end of the tunnel, by the end of the day feeling O.K, but then I broke a tooth eating toast with the crusts cut off....must have been teeth grinding...so full of panic re the dentist as I now come into my immunity compromised days. Tuesday woke feeling brilliant, spoke to the dentist who saw me straight away and put a temporary patch on the tooth,then swanned about Aber happy as Larry....so nice not to feel ill, came home and cooked shellfish free paella....Wednesday not quite so brilliant but still good, mucking about on the computer all morning, some light cleaning followed by toast eating, then tears as I find out why no one has been in touch....Love to all Cathy

The English Winter

We are basking in the English winter at Woolacombe Bay. A long awaited and much needed break, even though Julian is of course working, painting boats and cottages..... Louis meanwhile has discovered the joys of the bucket and spade, and is enjoying revisiting old Merrow-Smith haunts. His vocabulary has been extended to include sheep, cow, grass, beach, bucket and, most importantly, he has added to fish - CHIPS!

grandpa

Louis saw this picture and said "Grandpa!" quite confusing as he saw two grandpas in two days!

Alls the news

So we've been reading about lots of goings on and birthdays, but as it's Friday night, about all I can muster is a hello to all,

Love Nic

Happy Birthday to Gemma

Dear Gem
I don't know where you are, but wherever it is I hope you have a super birthday. If you are with Mandy and John, pass on my best wishes to them and the girls (and Clive) Love from Grandad XXXXXXXXX

A lovely day

Lovely to see you looking so smashing Cath.
Julian and Louis turned up on Wednesday morning. Louis seemed to recognise me (called me granpa) and realised that he had been here before.
He was full of fun and now I cannot find my door stop to my bedroom door!
Ruth rang up and we agreed to meet her outside the Randolph in Beaumont Street, which we did.
Then it was high tail it to the Trout in Wolvercote for lunch. Once more Louis was the centre of attention as he watched the ducks and swans on the river.(not the one where the two old ladies see the streaker run on,where one lets out a screech and one has a stroke, but the other just couldn't reach) (Sounds like a 2 Ronnie sketch). Anyway to return to my day out, we all had a very nice lunch. with some drinkies, and Louis made friends with other (nearly)2 year olds.
Next step was to go to South Parade (Summertown) on the Banbury Road where Ruth was determined to do some shopping at a classy butchers and returned with a half leg of local spring lamb, plus veggies for our evening dinner. She had previously done some M&S shopping for clothes to replace those spoilt in the house fire and looked sassy, having also lost a few pounds during the stress of the fire. Next stop was Wheatley where they went into Asda and I stayed in the hired car.
Ruth has agreed NOT to join the orchestra for this year's Garsington Opera as she was committed to play in an orchestra in Paris.
But we went to Garsington where they were staying with an old friend (Mrs.Wyn Jones) and we spent the rest of the afternoon in Wyn's garden, looking out for miles to the countryside of Oxfordshire below, with Louis enjoying the freedom of no shoes and pants and was playing on the grass. We spent an hour or two in this lovely garden, while Ruth was trying out the Aga cooker and was preparing our evening meal. As the afternoon closed and the sun eventually went down, we went indoors and joined Wyn for dinner of roast new Berkshire lamb. The best lamb I have ever tasted. We sat and chatted for an hour or two until my lovely Julian drove me home to K/s and back to bed for me.
Needless to say you were were in all our thoughts, Cath and we agreed that after a visit to Ruth's Dad Tom on the morrow and lunch with Ruth's friend Kipper in Chipping Norton on Friday we would all make arrangements to come to Wales before the return journey to France. Lots of love from Dad, Julian, Ruth and Louis.

New look

Cathy's new look if a bit itchy.. JR managed to walk by without twigging even though Cath was with Nikki hoo hah




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Thanks to you also, Steve

It was very heartening to read your blog, Steve and to know that you were able to get down to LL/BR to be with Cathy and family and to share with them some encouraging news after the c/t scan. Thanks for that - I know how much you love us all and we hope that little improvements will lead to bigger ones next time there is a scan. Love from Dad XXXXXX

Llandewi Breffi

To Wales for Cathy's scan Friday and it seemed that her breathing was less wheezy when we had a little stroll up the Old Drovers way afterwards and we became more hopeful.
Todays visit to the hospital decided whether or not to carry on with the treatment.
John called this afternoon to say that the CT scan fortunately shows there has been some improvement and no spreading of the disease elsewhere so on we go to the next phase.
The news has nearly sunk in!
Thanks to John for his attentiveness and his hospitality (in the form of daily poached eggs on toast and curry after the rugby) while I was there and to Kate and Thomas for Mothers Day chocolates for Sunday Breakfast and to my sister for being a brave girl..(proud brother)
Thanks to Nikki Laa for dropping everything to be there today as well.
Being there is a skill that's so important when things get difficult isn't it.
Sorry if this sounds like a stilted after-dinner speech but it has been quite a weekend.

Auntie Celia

from T via Facebook

Hi Steve, just an update, the hospital said that following the latest stroke that Ed's Mum now requires 24hr nursing care & is unable to live at home with Rick any longer.

They moved her into Sandown Nursing Home last week, Ed & myself were lucky enough to be able to choose her room, so she has quite a good size room on the ground floor with lovely french windows out to a courtyard. She has settled in quite well, but doesn't really understand why she is unable to go home, we have tried to explain that she now has no balance & it is safer this way, but she does miss Dad so much. He visits her everyday & we've put as many of her things in the room as possible to make it more like home.

On a plus note at least she is out of hospital and now able to have visitors at any time, which is n
icer for her.

Hope you guys are all doing well, I have to say that Cathy is amazing & a complete inspiration to everyone.

Love & hugs,
Teresa & Eddie x

Spring flowers.

and another

I just keep stealing Kate lovely photographs

Looking forward to seeing you three

Now I will have to do some washing up! Love from Dad

Booked...

...to come to the UK on the 20th so will see you around then Dad (we'll start off down the road at Wynn's in Garsington and have a car for the two weeks) Planning trip to the ends of the earth Wales, and otherwise entirely free for any pub lunches or other jaunts that can involve precocious youngsters (and I'm not talking about me or Ruth)

and the other end of Thomas's room

and looking in the other direction

and from the inside

from the outside.

Thomas in his student bedsit when he firsy moved in.

Apeldorn

Note that traffic calming in place these days. I remember running out to see when a car came past.. or steam roller or pop pop tractor.

Mrs South and daughter

Chickens gone but a line of washing instead

Lookit! Appeldorn Googlemap

I recognise that concrete drive.. rockery-ants kettle of boiling water..
Little nut tree gone, but that tree..

not yet!

49, Thame Road, Haddenham

Does anyone know the full postal address i.e Post Code? I'd like to see it on Google house map.

Brief break skiing...

...in the alps spectacular weather but the snow melting faster than an August lolly!

picture of Louis possibly having a disagreement with Chloe (probably over sledging rights)

BTW. I just got asked for the postcode of my birthplace (you know where the blue plaque is ;-))) and so checked on google and course you can see the house on the google street view was it no.49 with the post box outside, corner of Brydens way?

The right way up this time.

Hair today, gone tomorrow.

Kate and me, on the beach at Cei Bach.

Gold Star for effort persistence and being good egg!

By jove I think I've got it,

Let us see if I can remember how to do it next time, after time away from the computor!

Breakfast of Titans.

Nikki, Mark, and Deian, Dec 2011.

Aberyswyth Prom.

Christmas well probably Johns birthaday 2011/2012

I'm just going to keep going untill I get it right!

Another one of Kates lovely photos but not the one I ment to put up!

Ramdom uploads

The Quintessential Peggy Lee

I have just been listening to this super track from You Tube - I saw it on my Sky+ and I have recorded it. I recommend it, Steve. Come over some time and Watch/Listen Love from Dad
Peggy Lee at her greatest.

Tired today.

but all is well, such a boost to have such a lovely weekend.