Llangollen National Eisteddfod

Every year Llangollen holds the National Eisteddfod. A welsh festival of music, dance and culture which attracts choirs, dance and music from all over the world. Pavarotti has played there amongst a host of other famous celebrities. Quite an achievement for a small town in North Wales!

The picture above is of youngsters marching to put messages on the tree of life.

School children from all over the county attend the Eisteddfod including my own who visited there yesterday 7th July 2009. In the above photograph of school children, if you look towards the mountain behind them you will see Castell Dinas Bran (Dinas Bran Castle) or Crow Castle. This is one of the few Celtic Castles in Wales. A lovely walk to the top and the dogs love it. I remember one year walking up there with my late dog Bobbi then sheltering from the rain in the ruins. Fantastic views of the town from up there!

Yesterday, my children attended the festival, they had a wonderful time. Harry liked the noisy, colourful bands with loud drums but that is about right for Harry!!!!

What touched me was the fact that my eldest son brought me the most beautiful gift, a wooden hand crafted ring with painted blue flowers, it really is gorgeous! It fits on my little finger and I have been proudly wearing it since yesterday!

Today I went to Sainsburys (a large supermarket) to pick up a chicken for tea and some salad. As I was browsing in the frozen section an old man who was wheelchair bound shouted to me. He wanted to know where I got my hair cut! I told him it was cut by cancer and chemo! He laughed and told me how lovely I looked. How kind he was, it was genuine too, not nasty or mallicious.

So, had my bloods taken today at the hospital ready for more chemo tomorrow. Part of me is excited because I am on the home ground now but the other part is dreading it because I know how I will feel for the next few days.... won't dwell on that too much.

I went to a Breast Cancer support group yesterday for the first time at Nightingale Hospice. There was a lympodemia talk by Aelysh, an irish lady who is so hilarious and interesting, she should have her own show! She took my post op class. Apparently the cases of lympodemia in Wrexham are declining rapidly because of the prevention team which has been here for 14 years, so different from the inner regions of North Wales!