This time last week, I was worried about Steve's prolonged chest infection with bouts of coughing by day and by night, which kept both of us awake. Although he's still clearing his chest occasionally, the horrible hacking cough has gone and we are now getting a good night's sleep. As a result, we decided to take the plunge and commit to some time away from home in the near future.
In a flurry of activity, over the last few days we've planned the itinerary; researched transport options; bought bus, plane and rail tickets, maps and guidebooks; found some lovely-looking places to stay and liaised with our hosts. It's still too early to pack, but in all other respects we are now ready for our next mini-adventure! I'm not going to tell you what, where or when - you'll have to wait and see :-)
We've also made progress on other things and tied up one or two loose ends:
A hot air balloon flight originally scheduled for August 2011 and subsequently rebooked and cancelled on numerous occasions due to adverse weather conditions has now been rescheduled for early May. We're not holding our breath given past experience, but you never know...we might just take to the skies next time :-)
The last of the online auctions to sell furniture and other items that Steve's mum no longer needs now she's in a care home finished last Monday, so it's been a busy time packing and posting some things and waiting for others to be collected by the winning bidders. The last item was taken away by its new owner on Saturday afternoon. Mission accomplished! Just have to do the maths now and transfer the net proceeds into the care fund pot.
Before the end of the financial year on 5 April we had to do some number crunching for Wride & Company. Although we had cleared the work diary of all commitments for five months or so while Steve was having chemo, it's still been a long and tedious task crossing checking banks and credit card statements with invoices and receipts. But it's done now, ready for the accountant to check. Another mission accomplished!
Prompted by son Jack, I went on a mission into our (very dilapidated) garden shed and rescued my old Brompton folding bike which has been stored there for years. Have brushed and wiped away the plant and animal life that had made the bike home in the last decade, I think it can be salvaged. Assuming we can make it safe and roadworthy, Jack plans to ride it in the Brompton World Championship Race in July to raise money for Mesothelioma UK. More of that in a future post...
In between all this, I've spend an hour or so most days judging for the Best Shots Photography Competition which finishes at the end of this month. Our own photography was put on hold while Steve was having chemo and has been very slow to resume - so far, just a flying visit to the Second Severn Crossing when we were in Bristol on family matters and a day out in London. However, one of the London photos has just been published in Stark Magazine Issue 12
and we have both had work accepted by a local gallery, The Jam Factory (where Frank Coopers Oxford Marmalade used to be made) for a group exhibition during Oxfordshire Artweeks in May.
Our forthcoming trip looks like it will offer lots of photo opportunities as well as the chance to meet up face-to-face with a fellow photographer we have only known in the virtual world so far. If our experience of meeting Giuseppe in Rome is anything to go by, this next meeting will be something to look forward to...In the meantime, I must go back to looking at other people's Best Shots!
Will be thinking of all the meso-warriors while we are away and hoping that everybody will be able to enjoy spring now that it's finally arrived. Here's hoping that the sniffles we have both been having over the last 24 hour hours will clear up and go away as quickly as they have come....
In a flurry of activity, over the last few days we've planned the itinerary; researched transport options; bought bus, plane and rail tickets, maps and guidebooks; found some lovely-looking places to stay and liaised with our hosts. It's still too early to pack, but in all other respects we are now ready for our next mini-adventure! I'm not going to tell you what, where or when - you'll have to wait and see :-)
We've also made progress on other things and tied up one or two loose ends:
A hot air balloon flight originally scheduled for August 2011 and subsequently rebooked and cancelled on numerous occasions due to adverse weather conditions has now been rescheduled for early May. We're not holding our breath given past experience, but you never know...we might just take to the skies next time :-)
The last of the online auctions to sell furniture and other items that Steve's mum no longer needs now she's in a care home finished last Monday, so it's been a busy time packing and posting some things and waiting for others to be collected by the winning bidders. The last item was taken away by its new owner on Saturday afternoon. Mission accomplished! Just have to do the maths now and transfer the net proceeds into the care fund pot.
Before the end of the financial year on 5 April we had to do some number crunching for Wride & Company. Although we had cleared the work diary of all commitments for five months or so while Steve was having chemo, it's still been a long and tedious task crossing checking banks and credit card statements with invoices and receipts. But it's done now, ready for the accountant to check. Another mission accomplished!
Prompted by son Jack, I went on a mission into our (very dilapidated) garden shed and rescued my old Brompton folding bike which has been stored there for years. Have brushed and wiped away the plant and animal life that had made the bike home in the last decade, I think it can be salvaged. Assuming we can make it safe and roadworthy, Jack plans to ride it in the Brompton World Championship Race in July to raise money for Mesothelioma UK. More of that in a future post...
In between all this, I've spend an hour or so most days judging for the Best Shots Photography Competition which finishes at the end of this month. Our own photography was put on hold while Steve was having chemo and has been very slow to resume - so far, just a flying visit to the Second Severn Crossing when we were in Bristol on family matters and a day out in London. However, one of the London photos has just been published in Stark Magazine Issue 12
and we have both had work accepted by a local gallery, The Jam Factory (where Frank Coopers Oxford Marmalade used to be made) for a group exhibition during Oxfordshire Artweeks in May.
Our forthcoming trip looks like it will offer lots of photo opportunities as well as the chance to meet up face-to-face with a fellow photographer we have only known in the virtual world so far. If our experience of meeting Giuseppe in Rome is anything to go by, this next meeting will be something to look forward to...In the meantime, I must go back to looking at other people's Best Shots!
Will be thinking of all the meso-warriors while we are away and hoping that everybody will be able to enjoy spring now that it's finally arrived. Here's hoping that the sniffles we have both been having over the last 24 hour hours will clear up and go away as quickly as they have come....
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