Today was another two medical tests, one more to come on Monday and then a week without - me time. Church events start up this week too. Coffee and Playtime on Friday morning so it will be good to hear what the little ones have been up to through the holidays. I have seen several of the families shopping through the Christmas period so have not entirely lost contact. There may be some new families too as some of the little ones leave to go to school or preschool, others come to take their place.

Five of my grandkids go back to school this week, Alice starts school next week. It will be a strange feeling for Trev who has built his own routine around her preschool days. I have seen all the grandkids except Alice over the summer holidays and feel very lucky. Trev is going to do some training to assist people with disabilities. He has wanted to do this for some time but the course hasn't been  offered before so this is a great opportunity for him to change into a line of work with more opportunities.

Because of the holidays and the hot weather a few of the outdoor jobs have been neglected so I have been out arrmed with a broom attacking spider webs. Spiders have thrived in the hot dry weather and multiplied. I am for saying " live and let live" until you they drape their web along my pathway and then it's "spider  be gone". A little rain would be good to brighten n the gardens too, unfortunately my herbs died from the heat and it is too far into summer to plant more now.

I have had a lot of phone calls  from friends and colleagues wondering if  and when I will be back to "normal". In other words when I will be resuming my usual duties in the church.  It is a kind of acknowledgement that I do a lot of small tasks no-one else takes responsibility for. Many organisations find the same problem when a key worker is sick or unavailable. We are all different with different skills and so are missed when the unexpected takes us off the job. As a witty friend said to me: " how can we miss you if you don't go away?" Therefore the test is what happens when you are away.

I have had a lot of time to think about my life since the cancer diagnosis, and have come to the conclusion that the only way to spend my time is the way I have been doing it for many years, one day at a time. It is the way we all need to live. For me there is no other way as I don't know what lies ahead. It is the way I lived when I was Ray's caregiver and still seems the best way to live. Maybe one day I will start making plans again, who knows? For now I am relearning the value of simple things , sunshine, scenery, laughter, friendship, things I have sometimes taken for granted.

Thanks to all who have posted kind thoughts and prayers on my Facebook page. It is good to have that back up  I know what struggles a lot of you have and yet you can still find time to think of me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.