Monday 20 May 2013

catch up

Well that's it then. Definitely cancer and no chance of surgery as the tumour has attached to the bone. I'm on Arimadex which is HRT to
stop my body making oestrogen and feeding the cancer. A week on Tuesday I go to see the oncologist and I do hope and pray that she will be able to treat me.

Well, no more of that. One nice thing while at the hospital was live music - a pianist who changed from Bach to Berlin to Beatles seamlessly. It was amazing as the whole waiting area was stilled and calm.

What's been happening since? Apart from telling people, I've had my family round on Friday for supper as usual with my three granddaughters eating half a macaroni cheese (a recipe for 6 adults. They are 5 years old.) and half a side of salmon. I'd rather keep them a week than a fortnight as my Gran used to say. But at least it is good food. Next Friday I think they are coming for a sleepover. Oh dear!

Talking of music, I woke in the early hours on Friday morning to find BBC 4 playing away to itself on my TV with an amazing programme about Wagner's Ring Cycle.The conductor talked about the need for a special kind of female singer whose voice could cut through the orchestra, about the story line in each separate opera, making it quite simple!! and how Wagner made the orchestration fit with the action. There was of course something about anti-semitism and some pictures of Hitler. The architecture of the new concert at Bayreuth was an eye opener too as the orchestra was under the stage, couldn't hear the singers and had to rely on the conductor's beat, while the singer had to be slightly ahead of the beat for it alI to come together. i also learned about the number of  contemporary with Wagner composers who went to hear or see the first perfomance at Bayreuth. I always tend to think about composers in isolation but there was a whole rack of famous names including Tchaikovsky. Well done BBC4. As I wake a lot in the night,I find it a real life saver, but not much of a sleep inducer as it is so interesting.

People are being very kind to me when they hear my news and my house is full of flowers, a bright pink pelargonium which brightens up my rather brown living room and an amazing collection from the Wholeness and Healing group at church with a handmade card.




Certainly dresses up the kitchen! I'm going to post a picture of my kitchen next time. My favourite room! finishing now and going to buy some lupins which I believe are bee friendly. Can't see many bees coming out in this cold weather. Then this afternoon I want to listen to the debate on marriage for all, That won't do my blood pressure much good.
Until the next time
Beth