Stylish home touches, and Daphne dog

 

Hello friends,

We usually call these richly scented oriental lilies ‘Christmas lilies’ since they bloom during our summer Christmas here in New Zealand.

But it’s August and we are in the depths of a frosty winter, so what do I call them now? Mid-winter Christmas lilies? Because they always smell like Christmas to me.

‘Mid-winter Christmas’ was a thing in the 1980s when my parents held and went to dinner parties.

It was a chance to feel a little festive when it was cold and bleak outside, and borrow from the fun of Christmas traditions from the northern hemisphere which suit wintry weather.

I remember buying a can of fake snow spray to paint on my bedroom windows at Christmastime when it was bright and summery, and then the crazy effort to scrape it off afterwards. I’m sure I left most of that to my mum.

So anyway, sorry about that mum, and thank you for one of the many times you cleaned up after me at home 🥰

I always think I don’t like fresh flowers in the home much, but I’ve discovered that it’s when they have no scent that I can’t see the point.

When they do have scent, I am happy to buy them. Oriental lilies, earlicheer and jonquils (I call them ‘spring flowers’ but they are always out in the winter), and Daphne. I love the smell of Daphne so much, I think that’s also a winter flower, but on a shrub. Also, scented roses. So delicious.

So I’m not a no-flower girl, I’m a ‘scented flower’ girl 😊

I’m glad to clear that up because I always felt like such a wowser when I didn’t enjoy buying flowers for our home.

These lilies lasted exactly two weeks and looked good the whole time.

Let me know if you are a fan of fragrant blooms like I am, and what your favourite flowers are to have in the home 😊

 

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 And hello from sweet Daphne, tucked in behind the pillow 🥰 She loves sneaking into corners, hoping she won’t be noticed so she can stay snuggled up beside me forever.

Especially at night when she’s meant to be zipped up in her cozy soft crate with blankets. She always tries to sleep on the bed and I have to disappoint her. I’m not against dogs on beds but she is a terrible bed sleeper.

Micky lies somewhere handy, like between our feet or between our pillows (I know), but Daphne always crimps your style, lying across ankles or forcing you to sleep in a funny shape to accommodate her.

Daphne’s expression here says: ‘If I don’t move, perhaps she won’t notice me.’ She has perfected it well 😂

And the sofa pillow is one of two I made my dad for Christmas one year. They came back to live with me after he died.

I love playing around upcycling denim so much. I have another set of denim cushions, placemats, and coasters... such fun ❤️

Happy weekend!

x Fiona

 

 

PS. You can find all my links here: fionaferris.com

And my latest book ‘Life Is Good’:

 

[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission when you use my links, at no extra cost to you. I appreciate it if you choose to use my links at any time!]

Living well without spending a lot - my favourite way to live :)

 

Greetings from a sunny, crispy cool day at Ahuriri Beach for another lovely dog walk 😊

Daphne and Chloe have their coats on. Micky still refuses to wear one 🤣 I tried it again at home just before we left and he took two steps in it and promptly sat down until I took it off him 😂

The sun was so pretty sparkling on the water like diamonds. I thought it was just in that particular spot but as I walked along the path the diamonds followed me... that’s when I saw that they’d always be there, it was the sun, not that piece of water 🤣 I do worry about myself sometimes! 

 

 

 

But still, being followed by sparkly diamonds is quite nice.

Paul spends half his life waiting for Micky to sniff the grass, trees, rubbish bins. There is so much a little dog needs to explore, and tussock, that’s his favourite.

 

 

 

And of course, we let Micky take all the time he needs to thoroughly check everything out since he’s an older boy and we want him to enjoy his golden years.

I love seeing the shag birds on the branch sticking out of the rock at sea. They often hold their wings open to dry them and it’s so cute to see. Of course, no-one was drying their wings today when I wanted a photo 😂

 

 

 

In the photo below you can just make out snow on the hills in the distance. There were children swimming in the sea, can you believe that when even the air temperature was chilly let alone the water? Kiwi kids are hardy creatures!

 

 

 

I love activities that are enjoyable and don’t cost anything, and that’s what these doggie waterfront walks are for us.

 

 

 

It just costs a bit of petrol to get there (I know, petrol prices, hardly a ‘free’ outing 😂) and if we can resist the cafes we’re good. The food and drinks always look so appealing, and the thought of whiling away an hour or two looking out at the view does too.

Can you imagine us turning up with three dogs though? We’ve already been turned away from one place, and that was when we only had two dogs. They wouldn’t even allow us on the outdoor terrace!

Oh well, home for a yummy healthy lunch and homemade latte 😊

 

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Yay, the audiobook is finished!

I really do enjoy recording my audiobooks, and I’m so happy you all told me that you didn’t like the professional lady who did my first audiobook and you only wanted ME 🤣

Maybe I’ve discovered my calling... being an audiobook narrator. Well for my own books at least 😊

‘Life Is Good’ is now available as an eAudiobook in my eStore here.

And within the next few weeks it will filter through to Audible, they always take a bit longer. I see it’s already available on Spotify. If you have Spotify Premium you should be able to listen to it for free.

And, you can ask your library to order it in!

I get so excited seeing one of my paperbacks or audiobooks on a library platform.

I have a few more audiobooks that haven’t been done yet so I will complete ‘The Chic Author’ and also my blog books too.

I hadn’t done ‘The Chic Author’ yet because I thought I might update it, but I’ve since decided to leave it as an early snapshot.

For an update, I have outlined a new author-sequel book.

I have so many good ideas for new books!

That must really mean I’m feeling better.

Hoorah for that!

Happy listening 😊 

 

~~

 

 

 

Winter skies on my walk earlier this week 😊

I have had a few enquiries about paperback copies of ‘Life Is Good’ for readers in New Zealand, and I’m happy to send out signed copies.

In New Zealand dollars they are $25 each, with postage being $8 (or $14 for rural delivery).

I’ve ordered ten copies from Amazon Australia (the closest printing facility to me), and can get more if necessary.

Please message or email me if you’re interested.

But apart from that I am keeping cosy, and mapping outlines for new books. I have three hatching, and think I know which one will come next ❤️

And, I went swimming! I’ve been going once a week to a local heated pool and it’s great for my lymphedema as well as general fitness and gentle cancer rehab.

I was advised to avoid school holidays, haha, it would be a ZOO there! So I had two weeks off and it was nice to be back this past week.

Plus my outdoor walk each day plus I’m doing yoga once a week plus 2-3 half-hour strength workouts each week.

It sounds like a lot but it doesn’t feel like it. I just go for a walk each day and do some other activity five days a week.

I’m really excited about taking care of my body who has been through so much. I’m still getting there but feeling stronger all the time. And more healed!

It’s definitely a long road though (this picture is appropriate!), much longer than I thought it would be.

But that’s okay. I have time. It’s the ultimate slow living lesson.

I hope you’re having a great weekend 😊

xx Fiona

PS. To find all my links in one place you can always go to fionaferris.com (And my Amazon link is affiliate, thank you if you choose to use it!) 

 

Wintry goodness and Christmas in July

 

 Good afternoon from the middle of winter near the bottom of the world 😊

I hope you’re having a good weekend like I am!

Yesterday I had ladies coffee out with my mum and aunty, their cousin, and her daughter. The usual crowd ❤️

And last night we caught up with Paul’s colleagues to watch rugby at the pub. New Zealand - the All Blacks - versus Ireland.

Sorry Ireland, but it just wasn’t your night.

I know the bare basics about following a rugby game but all of the finer points just go over my head.

Still, it was a warm and cozy evening with friends and a glass of bubbles.

Today is a day to recharge at home after getting some groceries in this morning. I’m outlining a new book idea, recording the final chapters of my ‘Life Is Good’ audiobook, and enjoying a relaxing Sunday.

I’m whizzing through the audiobook recording - up to chapter 22 of 26 now.

Almost there!

I do a little bit each day and it all adds up.

And, I went for my walk this morning after it warmed up a bit.

Let me know what you’re doing this weekend!

 

~~

 

With all the fun Christmas in July content around at the moment, let’s start putting a seed in our mind for a pleasurable experience at the end of the year too, even if we don’t know what our plans are yet.

(I don’t! Except that we’ll be in Hawke’s Bay and not travelling since Paul works for a local winery and it’s their busy time of year).

 

 

It’s so fun to dream and plan and make little notes of the kinds of things I want to do, movies to watch, outings to enjoy, and how I want the general vibe of December to be.

Last year was a total wash with my Christmas Eve breast cancer surgery, so I’m all for a more relaxing and normal Christmas this year. For sure!

 

 

(Jigsaw on Amazon here).

Since our Christmas falls in summer in New Zealand, I’m looking forward to long, warm evenings relaxing outside.

We even have an inexpensive 32-inch smart tv that we take out onto the patio table for a ‘drive-in’ (‘walk out and sit down’) movie experience.

 

It’s so fun on a lovely evening to watch a movie outside.

You can read my book ‘A Chic and Simple Christmas’ to create your own bespoke and fabulous plans for a gorgeous Christmas, whether it’s in July or December.

 

 

~~

 

It’s difficult to make the bed some mornings... 

 

 

From left to right:

Chloe, 12, keen popcorn fan

Micky, 14, free spirit and gentle boy

Daphne, 10, the most food-focused dog I’ve ever known

Who would I be without these three? I’ll tell you who. I’d be someone who:

🐾 Uses her white linen duvet cover without fear.

🐾 Goes away on holiday without extensive planning for dog accommodation.

🐾 Can wear her newer satin pyjamas without worrying about the fabric snagging.

🐾 Has tons more money because she’s not buying pet food, treats, vet bills, flea treatment and paying for grooming.

🐾 Has a bedroom that doesn’t look like a youth hostel due to all the dog beds in it.

I could go on 😂😂

But really, I love them so much, and the fact that Micky has slowed down a lot this year after two separate little ‘turns’ in the past months makes Paul and I so sad.

We will love and cherish him and his two sisters for as long as we have them ❤️

Please let me know what you would have too if you didn’t have pets! Just jokes but really, tell me 🤣

 

xx Fiona

 

PS. I’m tooting my own horn over here: Last week I was a gun adminner getting all my financial filing up to date, and next week I’ll be working on our tax information for the accountant for this year 📊

I love getting things done, and since it’s been many months since I’ve had the energy and motivation to power through, I’m thrilled to be ticking things off my list 😊

Can we just celebrate that??

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.

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[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small payment if you order through them, at no extra cost to you. I’m appreciative if you choose to use my links ❤️]

 

Happy Matariki, and winter glam

 

Hello friends,

Here I am at a glam lunch out recently 😍

My new pleather pants are so cosy for winter.

These are the ones I bought on my radiation week trip from a store called Blue Illusion.

It’s an Australian store I believe, but so chic and French-style.

They’re the kind of place that doesn’t just have clothes, they have jewellery, shoes, scarves, soaps, books - all the lovely stuff.

It’s probably just as well there isn’t an outlet in Hawke’s Bay or I’d be there too often 🤣

It’s chilly and cosy here at the moment, and we saw family for Matariki (Maori New Year) lunch on Friday.

According to Wiki:

Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster, whose mid-winter reappearance in the early morning sky marks the Māori New Year. It is a nationwide time of remembrance, celebration, and planning for the future, marked by a public holiday.

How appropriate that I’ve just read the second Seven Sisters book (The Storm Sister), as the sisters are named for each of the Pleiades stars. As mentioned in a previous newletter, it was a glorious book, so rich and intricate. I am in awe of a brain that can come up with such an exquisite story.

Happy Matariki to you! 😊 

 

~~

 

 

Winter vines in our street on my walk 🍇

I’ve been told these are Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand’s most popular wine.

I’d probably choose most wines over this varietal but the vista is pretty 😁

And in writing news I am making notes for a new book.

I hope you are enjoying just-released Life Is Good and having a giggle at some of the stories! 

 

~~

 

I never dreamed I’d be able to say I was a ‘number 1 bestseller in breast cancer’, but here I am.

The last category I thought I’d ever find myself in!

Life has its twists and turns 😅

Also, the paperback is now available, for my paper-loving ladies 😘

Here’s the link for Life Is Good on Amazon US, and it should be available at your local Amazon too.

I am doing some background work to have the paperback be available through bookstores and libraries too, although I think you already can ask your library to order it in.

I’d love to be in more libraries!

Wishing you a lovely day.

It’s so cold here, but gorgeous. Blue skies and frosty.

Keep cool or keep warm wherever you may be 💛💛

xx Fiona

 

PS. My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small gratuity if you click through them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you if you choose to use my links :)

New book out now - Yes, Life Is Good :)

 

Hello friends,

I am thrilled to announce the premiere of my latest book ‘Life Is Good’ 🌺

If you’ve been in my world lately, you’ll know that I’ve been through some stuff. Breast cancer specifically. And I ended up writing a book about it!

Please listen:

I promise you will really, really enjoy this book, even though it’s about cancer.

It’s not dry or a medical textbook (which is just as well since I’m not a doctor). What it is, is an honest, uplifting, and funny account of what it’s really like to go through breast cancer treatment.

There were many crazy moments and I’m sharing them all with you (even the ones that I wondered whether to or not… you’ll see 🤣)

Kindle is available right now, and the paperback in a few days (just keep an eye out for it at the same link).

For an Amazon alternative, you can order the eBook from my eStore too.

All my links are at fionaferris.com.

I’m now getting cracking on the audiobook. Just gotta limber up those vocal chords, it’s been a while since I have recorded one.

I hope you really enjoy this book, I’m actually quite proud of it 😊

---

And I’ve been keeping things cosy here while many of you are sweltering. This morning was a sub-zero frost and it’s still only 4 degrees (39F) nearing 9am.

Micky dog is still in bed under his blanket. He’s definitely slowed down in the past few months now that he is 14, but I’ve never known him to sleep in so long. I did check he was still breathing! 

 

 

To make a little fun for myself I’ve been indulging in Christmas in July, along with a dash of self-care. I’ve been leaning on my self-care practices even more at the moment. In no particular order, here are my current favourites 😊

❤️ Reading books. I just finished ‘Dandelion is Dead’, by Rosie Storey: 4.5/5 for me. Loved the story, and the British sense of humour. There were a few too many back and forths before the ending so not a 5/5 but still a solid ‘would recommend’.

❤️ Sipping my morning latte. (always in a Starbucks cup!) I make a stronger brewed pot of filter coffee and then use it like cold brew – half a cup of coffee and half a cup of whole milk, heated in the microwave. It’s my version of the ‘no foam, extra hot’ latte I used to order at Starbucks ✨

❤️ Going for a walk. Always with an audiobook or podcast. I’m 3/4 through Emma Grede’s ‘Start With Yourself’ and am thoroughly enjoying it. And before that, ‘The Storm Sister’, the second Seven Sisters book was incredible. They are such involved, high-quality stories (almost 20 hours long on audiobook!) that it boggles my mind how someone can write such amazingness. We do have a treadmill but I prefer walking outside with the fresh air and soothing colours of nature.

❤️ Feeling cozy. It’s nice to rug up in the winter with fluffy socks and a warm jumper, but I like feeling cozy in the summer equally. It’s all about the softness of fabric. Washed cotton tee-shirts, soft linen, fine satin loungewear pants. And feeling clean too: just-washed hair, moisturised skin and a pretty body mist.

❤️ Being my own cheerleader. I’ve felt down during my recuperation more so than usual, so I’ve been calling upon my inner cheerleader regularly. She reminds me that life is still good, I’ve already come so far, most complications are only temporary, and oh, let’s go and do something fun.

Let me know your favourite, and please share your favourite self-care practice right now 😊

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Wishing you a wonderful weekend whatever you’re doing. And Happy 4^th of July to my American friends!

And I’d also like to say, thank you for being there with me. Even though I haven’t been online as much, I’ve felt the care and the love. It means a lot.

xx Fiona

PS. My Amazon links are affiliate, but it makes no different to the cost. I do appreciate it if you choose to use my links, as always ❤️

 

The writer returns - I'm feeling more like myself, yay!

 

Hey friends,

Join me for a cozy winter outing with the doggies! I mean, how cute is Chloe in her puffer jacket? And Daphne in her hot pink fleece?

Chloe loves standing up at the window, watching the world go by.

And Micky is just out of the frame and very much NOT a jacket guy. When I tried to put one on him on a freezing day he sat on the lawn and refused to go for a walk until I removed it. Okay then!

And as for me, I'm feeling better. Hoorah! I actually feel like I'm coming out of the tunnel. It was a longer tunnel than I'd anticipated, and had lots of dog legs and side tunnels lol, but I made it.

Since we were last in touch I've been WRITING too. So exciting. My mojo is back 😍 Of course I may still experience tiredness and lack of inspiration in the future, but for now I'm revelling in being back into the world of words. I truly couldn't be happier.

And that means I'll have a book completed soon. It is finished, but I'm just doing all the editing, which always takes longer than I'd like but I want it to be good so I curb my impatience.

At the beginning of the year, just after my surgery, I started writing down my experience. It was one long document with no chapters, and I just kept adding to it. I realised, reading back to it, that it’s really funny.

I know ‘funny’ isn’t a word you’d normally use to describe a cancer memoir, but it is, along with uplifting, and giving you, the reader, a front row seat to what it’s really like to deal with a cancer diagnosis.

I like to think it takes away some of the scary mystery, because it is petrifying to think about what you’d do if you were ever told you had cancer.

I hope you’re well, and thank you for your continued messages, emails and comments. I have not responded to many at all, virtually zero, because it feels like ‘a lot’, but I truly, truly appreciate them, and read every word.

And I have taken on your advice, even down to what books to read (I just finished Yesteryear, what a crazy ride that was!!)

Big hugs to you, and I’ll see you soon, maybe with a new book!

Fiona x

Yesteryear is here on Amazon at my affiliate link if you want to join the fun.

One day at a time! And Hawaii plans :)

 

Hello friends 😊

Paul and I are out for a walk at a local park on a cool but nice wintry day.

I'm learning to take things easy around here. I think my biggest lesson this year is going to be 'patience'. You can't rush healing.

I still have 1-2 medical appointments each week, even five months after my surgery. This past week I had an Aclasta iv infusion for my bones, and a session on an arm pumping machine for my lymphedema.

I do get down quite often, but then I put things in perspective and feel better again. I am definitely getting physically better though, just very, very slowly. I guess it’s been a lot all at once for my body.

I even had a bout of vertigo a few weeks back, completely out of the blue. It’s crazy times I tell you.

Thankfully I found a YouTube video that helped me fix that (it’s the displaced crystals thing), and I am 95% better. I’ll wait a few weeks more and go to a specialist if I’m still not 100%.

One fun thing we did was book a Waikiki Beach holiday in Hawaii for later in the year.

Paul heard of a special package deal from a local travel agent on the radio and one of the hotels offered was the one we stayed at on our belated honeymoon in 2013. We were married in 2008 but had a business to run and no money for a honeymoon at the time.

So we’ve just booked our honeymoon hotel and now have six months to look forward to it and also, for me to get healthier and stronger. It will be our fourth time in Hawaii, it really is our happy place!

We don’t do anything strenuous, just alternate beach days with shopping days, and eat some nice meals in between.

I’m still reading a million books and not writing any. I just finished the newest Freida McFadden ‘The Divorce’ on audiobook in 2.5 days, it was such a ripper! Would recommend 😊 It’s here on Amazon at my affiliate link.

I’m also reading ‘Woman Down’ by Colleen Hoover. I’ve not read any from her before. I’m about halfway through and don’t like to ditch a book. But I think she is more dark romance which doesn’t really ring my bell. I know she is mega popular though. That book is here on Amazon too. 

Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Fiona x
 

Focusing on the positive

 

Dear friends,

I’ve been so down in the dumps and fed up with my ongoing lymphedema and post-radiation complications, that I posted an update on Instagram three weeks ago and completely forgot to copy it over to Substack and this blog (I post the same on both).

You can read my missing post here on Instagram to catch up, but otherwise here I am today, out for a walk in the sunshine. It’s well into autumn now in New Zealand but it’s warm enough, especially on a sunny day with wind from the right direction (i.e. not the south pole), that I took my long sleeve top off and walked in a tank top on this particular day.

It’s nice to get some vitamin D on at least one of my arms, since my other arm still has a compression sleeve on!

With my medication being changed from Letrozole to Tamoxifen due to my bones not being good enough to deal with Letrozole, I’ve had to start the whole ‘it takes a few months to get used to the changes’ all over again, and I really have felt so hormonal on Tamoxifen.

Overwhelmed and fed up, crying on Paul’s shoulder, being a bit of a biyatch to those closest to me… it’s all been a lot of fun let me tell you.

So instead of all that, let’s look at the other side of the coin, the bright side. What are all the good things I’ve enjoyed lately? Shall we focus on those while I wait for my lymphatic system to (hopefully) repair itself?

🫶 Paul and I went to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 last week, a mere one day after it was released. I enjoyed it but nothing replaces the original. Definitely worth watching and rewatching though. Milan was so gorgeous and the sumptuousness of the whole movie was gorgeous.

🫶 We got gluten-free fish and chips and ate them at the beach. I felt bad that the last time we’d been to the lovely fish and chip shop with the nicest owners was two years ago but you don’t want fish and chips too often, do you?

🫶 I am on book 3 of the Hideaway Bay trilogy that is so cozy, wholesome, gentle and lovely that I don’t want it to end. I’m listening to the audiobooks and they are beautifully narrated. Would recommend! (I bought them with Audible credits previously but I see now all three are in the Audible Plus catalogue so you can listen to them without using any credits).

Book 1 is The Secret Keeper, below, book 2 is The Game Changer, and book 3 which I only have 2.5 hours left on (so sad!) is called The Rule Breaker. These three books are already contenders to add to my favourite re-reads list. I’d love to get the paperbacks too or maybe just listen to the audiobooks again :)

 

I listened to the same author’s Blackbird Beach series a few years back and that’s still on Audible Plus too. I loved that series, but I love this current series more. It’s just so comforting to read. Her storylines draw you in and you want to see what happens next. I love happy books, and these also have a light sprinkle of mystery and suspense too. But they’re mostly calm and meandering :)

🫶 I’ve been enjoying my daily walks and weekly yoga, and getting into strength training too. Just at home, with squats and lunges, and some light arm work. Plus doing little things on my rebounder (one of those mini trampolines) which is good for my lymphatic system.

🫶 It’s cool enough to light our woodburner and we are having lovely fires each night. The doggies enjoy it so much and take turns sunbathing before they have to move away after getting too warm!

So that’s about all I’ve been up to: walking, reading, relaxing, and keeping day-to-day life sorted.

I went to a lovely Mother’s Day afternoon tea with my sister hosted at my mum’s yesterday, with aunties and cousins and close friends. It was a sociable way to spend a few hours.

I hope you’re well too, big hugs :)

x Fiona

 

[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase using these links. It’s no extra cost to you, so I really appreciate it if you choose to use my links for any Amazon purchases you might be making!] 

Rainy autumn days and bumps in the road, but life is still good!

Dear friends,

Yesterday we took the doggies out for a walk on a rainy, mild autumn day here in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Micky’s (our white dog) favourite walk is around Ahuriri Beach so off we went. It was raining when we drove there, but cleared up just as we parked. Then, as we were getting back to the car it start spitting again. We timed it perfectly!

Daphne and Chloe love a walk too but are more nervous than Micky when we are out.

How lovely does the sky look? Threatening but bright haha. This photo turned out so well with the tussock in the foreground. Very pretty and well balanced too! It’s such a lovely public area, and you can see the Napier Port in the background.

 

 

 

Since my last post I’ve been through a lot, again! It seems like everything is a lot at the moment. After my radiation treatment I felt great and thought I had escaped the post-radiation fatigue. But less than a week after we returned home from our Palmerston North jaunt, my wheels fell off. I’d felt good all day, been for a lovely massage for my arm and hand lymphedema, but when I got home and was prepping dinner I felt so down all of a sudden.

Everything seemed overwhelming and difficult, and it was like I was plunged into a deep depression where nothing felt good and I couldn’t even crack a fake smile let alone a real one. I felt so flat. Paul took over dinner when he got home from work. He has been a star taking over everything since I was first diagnosed, and I decided an early night would fix things. At least that part of my brain was working well, but not much else was.

But the next morning I felt just the same. Boo! Miraculously though, during the day I felt a little bit better, and then I was out of it. It was the strangest thing, 24 hours of awfulness. I think it was because I’d had this short, sharp course of radiation that it hit me hard and quick. And I got quite tired after that but am feeling a bit better now. I just didn’t realise the fatigue would be emotional as well as physical, but now I do.

Apparently just because I’d ‘only’ had one week of radiation it wasn’t less. It was bigger doses delivered daily, and from my research was the equivalent of a 3-4 week radiation course. Wow.

And I’m still doing self-management on my lymphedema hand and arm. You can see in the photos I am wearing a black compression sleeve under my shirt, and a beige compression glove. I also wear a little patch of bumpy fabric called MobiDerm under my glove on the back of my hand because that’s the area that is still swollen. MobiDerm looks a bit like bubble wrap, but it’s made of papery fabric. All the little bumps in it massage the back of my hand as I move.

I also do lymphatic drainage massage across my clavicle bones, into my underarms, and down my left arm and hand multiple times a day. Yeah, I’m over it, it really is getting me down, but I need to keep going as I want to resolve it, not have it be a thing I have to deal with forever. I think that’s the thing that bums me out the most, the not knowing how long it will last.

At least with my surgery, it was scary for sure, but then it was done. And same with my radiation. But the swelling that has already been there a month and a half, and sometimes looks improved, and sometimes looks worse, it’s ongoing. I do have to say though, in the last three days or so I am seeing continued if tiny improvement so I will cling to that :)

I do think it will get better, and I’m willing to give it the time and effort it needs. I’m saying to myself ‘April, May, June’, giving myself that timeframe to manage and resolve it. Positive thinking, putting it out there, and acting-as-if all rolled into one!

And aside from that, I have little shooting, zingy breast pains often, particularly on the left side, and that’s from all the nerve endings rejoining and healing. They aren’t debilitating, just unsettling, even if I know they mean good things. But still, I know I am one of the lucky ones. A lot of other people have far worse health prognoses, and I appreciate that.

But let’s get back to our lovely walk:

 

 

 

I’ve been really enjoying my curly hair! I wash it every second day and put a little product in (a light gel-creme) and comb it, then let it air-dry. It happens pretty quick since it’s still quite mild here, but in the winter I won’t want it wet for that long. By that time my hand ‘should’ be better and holding a hairdryer for a long time will be comfortable.

I’m sure I could do it now, it only takes around 15 minutes to dry my hair nicely with a brush and a blowdryer, but it’s nice to have the break and air-dry for a while. I’m enjoying doing Project Pan on my hair products too. I don’t use much at a time since my hair gets weighed down easily, so I have a few different products I’m working through. The gel-creme tube (a L’Oreal Professional product that I’ve had for ages) is almost empty and I think today will be the day, hoorah! Another product panned!

We had a nice Easter, just quiet at home. Paul worked a few days, being in hospitality at a local winery, and they were very busy with lots of people coming into Hawke’s Bay for the long weekend which is good for the local economy, yay.

We hadn’t really had any Easter eggs, so on the way home from our dog walk yesterday we called into the supermarket to get a few treats which was yum :)

 

 

 

How cool does the sky look (above)? I love the line between the clouds and the sea. Some call it the horizon haha, but it’s a beautiful contrast of blue-grey shades.

Paul normally walks Micky and I take Daphne and Chloe (‘The Boys’ and ‘The Girls’) but for the photos I took Micky because, you know, phones can get dropped when you’re trying to take a photo and your dog is heading off pulling the leash. Been there.

 

 

 

So that’s my little update. I hope you had a lovely Easter too, if you celebrate. Wherever you live I hope you are well and safe. I’m thinking of you.

And, I think, I will declare I’m ‘back’ now, and get into more frequent posting. The biggest thing for me is the collecting of photos. I can’t post on social media if I have no nice photos taken, and I have just not been taking photos lately. I have read a lot of books though!

 

 

 

My mum loaned me The Lady in the Van and it was so good. Just a small book which only took me a few days to read. I’d never seen the movie as the lady in it reminded me too much of a family member I lived next to for several years and I just couldn’t. Not that this family member lived in my driveway but she was ‘eccentric’ haha, and lived in her own style. May she rest in peace! (She was my great-aunt and died at 91 a few years back).

So anyway, I loved the book and now I’m going to hunt out the movie. Enough time has passed that I can watch it happily :)

If you haven’t read the book it is a fab read. It’s so dry and funny, and heartfelt too. Alan Bennett was a good man to let her live on his property, and is a hilarious writer. I am now searching out his other books to read.

The Lady in the Van is cheap enough on Kindle, or you might find it at your library. It’s here to download on Amazon.

Happy reading! And my thanks to you for being wonderful. I have received so many lovely emails and I’m sorry I can’t respond to them personally. Usually I do respond to emails but during my health convalescence there have been many more than usual and I didn’t have the energy. But I appreciate them all, I hope you know that.

xx Fiona

 

PS. I received this gorgeous review on my book The Peaceful Life just recently. I love it so much. If you haven’t read The Peaceful Life it might be just the ticket for times like now. Or a re-read/re-listen if you already have it. It’s here on Amazon on Kindle, in paperback, and as an audiobook too.

 

 

 Thank you so much for the wonderful review!

 

 

 

 [My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase using these links. It’s no extra cost to you, so I really appreciate it if you choose to use my links for any Amazon purchases you might be making!]