Yes - Mat and I are engaged

Emerald cut diamond with step baguette diamonds Art Deco style

BLING!!

Just in case you are reading this blog from the bottom up, yes you read that correctly from my previous post.  I finally now have an engagement ring I absolutely love.


I think we have informed most people but apologies if we have not got around to telling you. We will be celebrating it in some way, but to confirm, Mat and I are engaged. It happened during our Indonesia trip. Specifically, on Friday 13th May whilst watching an electrical storm on Pemuteran beach at Taman Sari resort, northern Bali. It's a good job we're not superstitious!

Unfortunately, the gesture ring Mat bought for the occassion wasn't really 'me' so I got him to swap it for a lovely watch 
instead :-) To mark the passage of time and one year since my cancer diagnosis.

He knows I am a fussy cow so was kind of expecting this.  Anyway, above is my engagement ring. I am very lucky. I have a beautiful ring that I have always wanted but most of all, a most generous and amazing husband-to-be :-)

No date set or even plans made so don't get too excited. We've been together nearly nine years now so you can't really hurry these things...

Watch this blog!

Where was I?

It's been a while.

Since my last post, almost 3 weeks ago, quite a few things have happened and because of either busy-ness, laziness, tiredness, headaches, hot weather, hangovers or a combination of all six, I haven't had a chance to post on here in great detail.  

So, in no particular order, she with a capital V;

Got given her 6-month complete remission
The 24th June saw me be told that 6 months on since my stem-cell transplant back in December, I'm still in complete remission. Given that the 6-month mark is usually the earliest when this cancer flares up again (if it does flare up again), I was a little worried and nervous. 
It was one test I really wanted to pass and I did.  My consultant was very matter of fact about it as they all have to be I suppose in case it is not good news. I just sat there stupefied. Mat just kept stroking my knee!  I am by no means in the all clear as I still have to undergo regular check-ups and monitoring and my body is still settling down to how it was. But it's a start and I will take it.

We celebrated by finally buying me an engagement ring that I actually liked, in fact, love. 


Saw 'Take That' at Wembley Stadium

Take That Progress Tour June 2011 at  Wembley Stadium

 

 

 

 

 

Yes I was there. On the first night of their 8 night stint at Wembley - myself, Kira, Debs and Fran along with around 77,000 other people (mostly women of a certain age) sang, danced and generally had a fantastic time to the fab four and Robbie.  


I have been to a few gigs in my life but this is probably the only one where before the start, I was quaffing champagne at the top of Wembley stadium where the sun was shining and laughter and chat was flowing. How civilised! And very, very cool.  
Equally, I haven't really been to many gigs where you get to hear people say; "Mind how you go down those steps, they are ever so steep" or "The toilets are really good, they are ever so clean" or "Look at all that rubbish down there! Some poor person has got to clear that up" or "Another bottle of your house champagne please".  How terribly middle-class! Grown-up even! 

But I suppose that's what you get when you go to see everyone's favourite man-band.  They were amazing and the show was superb. What a class act.  Robbie did his thing and at times it did feel a little bit like Robbie Williams and Take That but it was still a great evening.

I was quite emotional throughout most of it. When Sean managed to organise the tickets for Kira's surprise birthday present it was way back in December - when I was literally on my death-bed and although appreciative, not even thinking beyond the next day let alone a Take That concert in June.  
Six months on, I am listening to Gary, Howard, Mark, Jason and Robbie singing Rule the World and seeing a sea of hands and listening to a stadium of cheers. Back for Good indeed.  


Said au revoir to two friends (Sam and Marc)
One to a new job. The other to a new life abroad with his beloved. For both, bigger and better things.
I'm really happy for them but a little heavyhearted too as I will miss them both in different ways. It made me think of this quote;

"And I hate when things are over when so much is left undone"

And this very cheesy 90s classic it came from. Love this song!  Whatever happened to Deep Blue Something?

 

Deep Blue Something - Breakfast at Tiffanys

Finally, got told how to 'solve' a maze after all these years

Unfortunately, it took about 20 minutes of copious laughter at my expense whilst I drove myself demented trying to get out of the maze at Tatton Park.

Mat, Amy and Fraser - thanks!  Some photos of the Japanese garden at Tatton Park below which was beautiful.

Has watched our garden grow even more

I know it's only salad leaves, pak choi and ping pong courgettes amongst others but Mat and I are ever so proud. Freshly weeded by my own fair hand, our vegetable patch is looking luscious n'est ce pas? Can't wait to eat it!

Confirmation - the 'greatest tickets on earth'..........for Judo! Woo!

Copy of my confirmation email below from the London 2012 Ticketing Team for 2 tickets to watch Judo at next year's Olympics. Relevant info deleted and no, not interested in selling, swapping etc.

We are very pleased!

 
Dear VANESSA 

Congratulations! You have been allocated some of the greatest tickets on earth!

This email is from the London 2012 Ticketing team, confirming that your Olympic Games ticket application has now been processed. Your new Olympic Games ticket reference number is

We are delighted to confirm that you have been allocated the following tickets to the London 2012 Olympic Games:

Sport: Judo
Session code: JU001
Venue: EXCEL
Date/Time: 28 JULY 2012 
Price category: C
Quantity: 2

Total number of tickets: 2
Total cost of tickets: £70
Total cost of merchandise: £0
Delivery charge: £6
Total amount charged: £76

To plan your travel to your Games event, please read Travel

If you have any questions regarding your Olympic Games ticket application, please use our Frequently asked questions

Please include your Olympic Games ticket reference number, which can be found at the top of this email, in all communications.

We will give full details of your seat location when we send your tickets in summer 2012. For security purposes, your tickets will be billed and delivered to the address you provided in your ticket application. This must be the same address at which your Visa card is registered. If you need to update your address, please contact the London 2012 Ticketing team.

You will be able to apply for remaining tickets on the London 2012 ticketing website from 6:00am on 8 July to 6:00pm on 17 July 2011.

There are still lots of great sports available in the second chance sales window, including Volleyball, Wrestling, Football, Handball and Hockey. Please read Availability for a full list.

The application process for second chance sales has important differences to the application phase which ran from 15 March to 26 April 2011. Please read How to apply for full information.


Thomas Cook Games Breaks
As the official provider of short breaks to the Games, Thomas Cook still have a limited number of Games Breaks available. Thomas Cook Games Breaks start at £99 per person and include official tickets, accommodation in London hotels and a range of other services. Find out more at the Thomas Cook website

Don't be fooled by bogus websites and organisations claiming to sell tickets to the Games. London 2012 will never contact you directly to ask for personal or financial details in relation to your ticketing account, or ask you to reveal your ticketing account password. To check whether a website is an official sales channel use our website checker.

This email is generated automatically, please do not reply.

Best wishes and congratulations again,
London 2012 Ticketing team

How does your garden grow?

Our vegetable patch - waiting for the first shoots!

How rubbish has the weather been this weekend? On the positive side, you could say it has been tropical - really hot one minute and then showers the next. Except the showers are not the lukewarm kind you get in say Indonesia. It has felt like October at times!  Wimbledon starts tomorrow so the weather is just about right I guess.

After the action packed events of Portland last weekend, Mat and I have spent most of this weekend working on the saga that is our Japanese garden. Weeding, cutting, trimming, mowing and sawing. There is still loads to do but we are slowly denting the mammoth task of prettifying it all and we also managed to get some planting done.  Woop! 

I'm very excited about our vegetable patch.  As it is so late in the planting season, we have gone for a variety of salad leaves, green beans, mangetout, purple sprouting broccoli, pak choi and 'ping pong ball' courgettes. I got very 'Good Life' writing on the label sticks and very much looking forward to seeing and eating the fruits of our labour. Just call me Barbara Good!  Thank you very much to Marc for lending his strength and helping shift our granite bench over to its rightful position. And as for the pick-axe wielding - I'm impressed!

Highly recommend the Fiskars Weed Puller for a bit of weed pulling action. I saw the advert and fell for the hype but this product really works so go and get one if you want to 'pull' next weekend :-)

Edward Scissorhands eat your heart out



Mat & Marc planting the cherry tree

Strange brew

Thank your god it's Friday and all that. And that I'm tucked up in bed.

The weather is atrocious (cold, wet, windy) and I'm heading to sleep as tomorrow I am going on my first outdoor climbing trip to Portland - the climbing mecca of the south coast. Or something like that. I don't think I have mentioned it on here, but I have started climbing again.

Back in the harness again

Nothing too strenuous mind - I'm doing routes akin to climbing a ladder. I know my physical limitations at the moment and I am taking my time getting back into it. I have done two sessions so far and have enjoyed both. Portland is more out of curiosity and if I really don't like it, there's always the view to enjoy.

It has been a strange old week. Mostly because amongst the routine and general busy-ness of work, there's been the matter of my 6-month post transplant re-staging. 

I had yet another bone marrow biopsy on Wednesday - a different part on my hip bone this time but the same hideous, painful procedure and another MRI scan earlier to check on my bones. I know I have to go through it all as it is necessary to keep an eye on me but sometimes, just sometimes I really wish I didn't have to go through any of this. 

I know I laugh and joke and make light of it but in reality these are fairly heavy duty medical stuff to go through. I not only find it all physically challenging but pretty hard going psychologically too. I'm not asking for sympathy, just asking for a bit of slack. And understanding. 

I'm rather hoping that my complete remission from three months ago continues but you never know with this disease and as the 6 month mark is key, I'm keen to pass this particular test. I'll let you know in 2 weeks what the result is.

In the meantime, Mat and I made the most of the nice early evening weather earlier by traipsing over to the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park - a beautiful Japanese garden in central London. Mat was hoping to get some planting ideas  for our own garden and it was definitely worth the trip as it is beautiful - small but perfectly formed. And a peacock even made an appearance. Strange brew indeed.

More news to follow this weekend. Watch this space. 

In the meantime, enjoy the pics of the Kyoto Garden below.

2012 Olympics here we come!

Save us a seat!

We have 2012 Olympic tickets! My application was one of the lucky ones who got randomly chosen by the Olympic ticket chooser-machine-computer-thingy-whatever and Mat and I are either off to see the Judo or the Field Hockey competition. Confirmation will be made at the end of this month.


Not exactly the glamour sports but having had a conversation with someone who had experience of applying for tickets to the Sydney 2000 Olympics, we were advised to go for the least popular events to boost our chances of getting tickets. And I refuse to pay silly money - bankruptcy is never a good look!


Still not quite sure how it is all allocated but I am pleased that we will be there for a once in a lifetime experience. And we found out that the Olympic Cycling Road Race route will go past outside where we live so we can be there waving our flags and cheering on the cyclists - and it is all free!


All very exciting and something else to look forward to in 2012...

Regular blogging resumption...

Yes, yes, yes I know I have been a bit slack with my blogging. But now that life is relatively getting back to a bit of a routine, I hope to resume regular blogging again.

Although in saying that, this post will be on the short side as I am a little tired and need my sleep following a fun packed birthday weekend for Alex in Buckinghamshire and a lovely family lunch in a beautiful village in Kent on Saturday. It was all go and a great time was had by all where we met some fantastic people and chowed down on delicious food. Nom, nom, nom!

It's weekends like this that make me appreciate even more what beautiful countryside we have in the UK. When the sun is shining and the birds are singing, the green rolling hills of our fair isle is hard to beat in terms of scenery. Abso-bloomin-lovely in my opinion and worthy of comparison to the beauty of exotic rice terraces.

Get me, I'm getting poetic. I think it is time for sleeps.

More blogging soon. Over and out for now.