Hubby started his radiotherapy on Christmas day bank holiday Monday, yes I am confused this year too. It is going well, he’s eating well and has actually gained a kilogram over the Christmas period which the doctors were very pleased about. He is getting tired now though and although I have expected it, I hadn’t expected such lethargy so early and do keep pushing him as he has a long road to travel and I don’t want him to lose muscle tone, or too much muscle tone if we can help it.

So, we are in self imposed lock down again. If we can get through his treatment without him catching covid and having an interruption to the treatment so much the better. Well the doctors think it is pretty vital actually so into lockdown we have gone. Which of course is very difficult when you have an aged father, although he is taking it well and hopefully, fingers crossed remains in fine fettle for the next six weeks.

I’m glad we have finally got a date and started the treatment, there have been a few little bumps in the road as you might imagine and starting treatment has eased the stress of at least that.

Fortunately I have a war time mentality and the freezers and cupboards are always well stocked, so we need little to carry on apart from a supply of fresh fruit and vegetables once a fortnight supplied by Oddbox, a delivery service that fights food waste which I am trying. Which will be a very useful supplement to our frozen fruits and vegetables from the allotment, our pumpkins and our fresh brassicas, brussel sprouts and leeks up the plot, along with jams and pickles that have been made during the year. I have a supermarket delivery booked for the 14th of January, but shall cancel if we don’t need it. Every contact with another person brings such risks.

But within that I do need to exercise and as I’ve had to put my swimming on hold due to the risk of covid I have taken to walking more than normal, so Rupert has perked up as his regime has completely changed and rather than a quick trot around the block, he is being taken far afield, and as a mature dog now, he’s really enjoying it. I’d quite like to get back to my twenties and walk for hours on end, but that might be a bit unrealistic, but I’d certainly like to get up to an hour and a half walk, possibly two on a good day. We shall see.

I haven’t seen the plot for a couple of weeks, Christmas and then rain, rain, rain. There is no point even trying to get onto it when there is water laying in the road, I’d just sink into the mud. It is going to get colder in the next few days, I am reading that as drier, so hopefully I’ll be able to get going on it, if only to plant some broad beans in a tray for the spring. Not forgetting to set the mouse traps for the hungry mice, who adore broad bean seeds.

My knitting brings comfort, but losses too. Practically every time I finish a hat it gets swiped. So far I have only managed to keep one for myself, I’m just finishing another so maybe that will make two. The recipients seems very happy, so it is all to the good.

I must get back on with the quilt, I became side tracked from it earlier in the year when son no.1 stayed so I needed to tidy the sewing room/guest room and haven’t restarted again.

Wishing you all a happy new year, may the next year be so much better than the last.