Up The Farway Tree

Final Countdown!

Where this week go? I can't believe there are only 7 sleeps until Christmas! I have had a busy wee time of it over the last week and am so tired - but looking forward to a well earned long lie tomorrow :-)

Last weekend we had mum and dad over for dinner and a trip to see 'A Christmas Carol' at the Imax (3D cinema). I had a go at making mulled wine which turned out quite well for a first attempt so we had with mince pies in the afternoon. We then had roast ham for dinner and I tried a new recipe for individual pineapple upside down cakes which have coconut in the cake mix - yum :-) By this time we were all so full we couldn't even fit in any popcorn at the cinema! The film was really good and worked well with the 3D effect. I had a very embarrassing moment though when my phone alarm (to remind me to take anti rejections) went off half way through the film! I had my phone on silent but I forgot that the alarm will still go off regardless. To make matters worse I had this giant bag where you can't find anything so I was raking about for what seemed like an eternity before i found the phone - and of course the alarm gets louder and louder until you switch it off. Very embarrassing.

On Tuesday I had a great afternoon as it involved clothes and buying clothes. My friend Alison has just set up a business as an agent for clothing stores - mostly supplying those small quirkier style shops. She also has a website with vintage style jewellery and purses - click HERE to have a look (5% profit goes to Live Life Then Give Life and Cancer Research). Anyway she was selling off the autumn/winter clothing samples and since they are all small sizes she invited me over for a look. I could have happily bought most of the stock but had to try and curtail things a little. I say a little. I got a few tunic style tops which I like at the moment and a couple were quite quirky - one grey tunic covered in little owls and another top with russian doll print which is really popular just now. In between trying on clothes I was playing with her 5 month old Boston Terrier - Elvis - who is so cute! We then met Andrew and her partner Neal and had some dinner at an Italian which was really nice. So that was a lovely day out for me.

Last night I also met up with my friends Lucie and Lauren for dinner, which again was lovely. I am sure I am going to put on quite a few kilos over Christmas! I was a bit upset later though as this pain has been worse again in one of my wounds from the fundoplication surgery last January. It comes on if I eat anything more than my normal and then is like a stitch pain when I walk. It is so so annoying but I think I will have to learn to live with it. The surgeon wasn't sure what was causing it other than perhaps scar tissue - either from the laparoscopy or the peg tube repair. It's a shame that after I get an appetite for the first time in my life I then feel like I can't eat very much in case I get this pain. At least the surgery should help protect my lungs though which is more important in the long run!

Today was the last PBL before the Christmas holidays so I am glad to be having a short break. I am still enjoying it but it has been quite hard work so far. I am facilitating on topics I have long forgotten so am doing a lot of background reading so it's nice not to have any 'study' to do for a few weeks. My last day at my 'proper' work will be Wednesday so I can't wait - I think I deserve a wee holiday now :-)