Pleasure in little things

It’s a beautiful sunny morning. We’ve had a series of grey damp days which makes this day or the more welcome.

With the sun my spirits are also rising. Oh the joy of not having to go down to Preston! Yesterday I was able to get up at 7.30 am, a time when it was light enough to see around, even if not full daylight. Today it was nearer 8 before I emerged.

It’s the little things that give me such pleasure. It’s the not having to do things without having one eye on the clock as we’ll have to be ready for the off soon.

It’s great to get back to my jigsaws & to be able to read my books in peace. Even going to the supermarket yesterday had a novelty. It was the first big shop this year.

I can dress in what I want. Normally, at this time of year,  I wear about 4 layers on my top half, but of late, through the week, it’s been down to two for speed of changing at the hospital. Today I’m even wearing a skirt. I generally prefer to wear a skirt. I feel they are more flattering to my figure, but trousers are more practical, especially when you have to climb on & off beds at a hospital. Admittedly I’m back to two layers on top today. It’s my Indian head massage day for which I need a strappy top & a quick change.

The Fox is looking forward to his massage too. He’s feeling weary after having driven a thousand miles this year - far more than he usually does. Now we need a relax & a resurgence of some energy.

Life is slowly getting back to normality. I’m even beginning to feel a bit less tender than I have of late. There is still appointments to come but at least there is time for a breather.

We’ve also been able to cook a bit more adventurously, with the Fox making Scallops & Chorizo with Lemon Butter yesterday.

Our home is once more looking clean. It’s been very difficult to arrange a time for our home help to come during this period & the Fox has been far too tired to do much. She did manage to get her last week, but yesterday, she was back to her normal day. This was only her second visit since the week before Christmas. That seems a long time ago.

It’s also been good to have chance to start to catch up on friends, some of whom we’ve seen this week for the first time this year.

It’s so good to get back into our comfy rut. We’re not quite there yet, but it’s wonderful not to have the thought at the back of your mind that you have to get ready to go to Preston & the hospital. It’s good to be home.

Cornish pasties

I’m relieved that the trip to the hospital is not so early this morning. It was very cold last night. When I got up, the windscreen of our car was covered with a thick layer of ice. As I went around to the laundry room I had a look at the thermometer on the shed wall, -10̊̊̊̊°C.  Brr.

It’s given me chance to make some Cornish Pasties. It’s not the traditional recipe but an amendment of one I found over 40 years ago, when we were first married. It is from the first hand-written book of recipes I have. In these books I keep successful recipes from leaflets, magazines, labels and my imagination. I’m now on book four.

Anyhow, this recipe is on page 6 of that first book. We’ve had it numerous times throughout out married life & it’s still a winner. This time, however, I’ve amended it slightly by using minced lamb rather than minced beef.

When I was first married it was impossible to buy ready minced lamb, pork etc., just minced beef. Any other meat you had to mince yourself. Today I’m using up from the freezer & found a small bag of 2oz of minced lamb, just enough for a pasty each.

The real secret of the success of this recipe I’m quite convinced is the little bit of undiluted condensed mushroom soup I add. It gives it an extra moisture which is very satisfying. The pasties are now par-cooked, enough to soften the potato inside & harden the pastry off without unduly browning it. When we get back from Preston & the hospital it is just a case of continuing the cooking at a lower temperature to thoroughly cook through the meat & onion. We’re both looking forward to it.

The weekend

Three cheers! It’s the weekend. Oh the joy of getting up & having my breakfast mug of tea without having to put the lights on first.

Weekends are a real celebration for us at the moment. No trip down the motorway to Preston hospital for two whole days. This time it’s even more special. Monday will be the last trip, hopefully for a long time. Even the prospect of going down the motorway to meet up with family or to go to the airport to get to foreign places has little allure when it means going south down the M6 past Preston.

It seems in another couple of months I will be seeing the doctor responsible for my radiography treatment again. I suspect I will be seeing the surgeon at the Breast Clinic before long to be told whether I need any further treatment. I know I will continue to have the bisphosphonates once every six months for the next 3 years to ensure my bones remain strong. The next visit for that is due in May. There will also be regular mammograms to make sure there’s no sign of any further tumour starting to appear.  All this will be at Lancaster once more. At least life should be able to go back to more normal routines. We’re longing to creep back into our comfy rut & just relax a bit.

To celebrate I’ve made a Chicken & Vegetable Pie for dinner tonight. That’s always a treat we look forward to.