Restless Feet

I haven't been blogging regularly for a while and I have been thinking about this issue. I am extremely busy these days now that my energy is back and I don't have much time to sit down as I am constantly on the go and loving every minute of it, after all, I have alot of making up to do.

However... I am begining to feel like moving on from Cancer Aint Gonna Beat Me because I feel as though cancer is in my past. I had it, I kicked its butt and now its almost time to move on. Blogging on Cancer Aint Gonna Beat Me has been a blast but while I continue with this blog I feel as though I am being caged by cancer.

Don't worry, I am not leaving the blogging sphere! I still take part in the Friday My Town Shoot Outs www.fridayshootout.blogspot.com and I am in the process of starting a new blog www.sarasfightback.blogspot.com but I am having a few technical problems, trying to put badges on etc, I have forgotten how to do it. Once these hitches are sorted I will be moving over to that blog but don't worry, I will "tip you the wink" before I do.

Phew! So what has been going down in my busy life? I have been enjoying my pony Cola more than anything. He is my therapist and my personal trainer! I have lost half a stone in the last couple of weeks just by cycling to see to him, mucking out and lots of riding or walking. It is down to him that I have my strength and mobility back in my shoulder. He is the best thing that could ever have happened to me.

I had my teeth sorted out a week or so ago so now I have the smile I always dreamed of, three years of brace work and pain was certainly worth it in the end even though I had to delay the restorative work for a year.

The herceptin is going well, I have had 10 treatments so far so only have 8 more to go! My fingers are still swollen and my nails are flaking and splitting but that is such a small detail!

I am back to my support group Talk 4 Talk for parents of children with speech, language and communication problems and I am back in control. I have already found out about a service that my son can get access to in order to help with his reading. He is 9 next month and he still has the reading age of a reception pupil. I have told the school about the service he needs access too but as usual they are dragging their heels. Therefore I am putting my request in writing and copying it to the Local Education Authority and seeing as how it is election time, I may copy my letter to some MP's - yes! I am back in the driving seat!

I am looking forward to the Race for Life next month although my training has been hampered. I am still running and I can manage a mile but I have the rest of my life to get back to where I used to be and as long as I enjoy running then I will keep doing it.

So life is good, getting better and better with each day!

Friday Shoot Out - BIRDS

I thought I was going to really struggle with this weeks assignment - BIRDS but I am quite pleased with the pictures I got. We went up the mountain to our friends house yesterday and I was hoping to get some pictures of pheasants but they were deep undercover because of the cold.

My friend has got these geese and they are always milling around the yard looking for food, at one point they even ventured into the utility and tried to steal the dog food! They can be quite nasty and are considered by some to be better guard dogs than dogs themselves!

The brown ones are the nastiest so my friends said so I kept well away from them!

They make quite a noise, gaggling along in their little "goose" line.

I did get a picture of pheasants but they weren't live. Some may not like this but this is countryside living. The birds roam wild and free and live a lovely life until they are shot. Not killed in an abetoir en masse. These pheasants are being "hung" to improve the flavour of the meat.

I collect teddy bears and this one is a limited edition Steiff called "Romance". I bought this bear because of the little robin he is holding. I always connect Robins with my late brother Peter so I just had to have this bear for my collection and as you will have guessed, the bears name is Peter.

This is a close of shot of the Robin singing his song to Peter.

The MINI badge has wings so it could be a bird of sorts.

A great assignment, really got me thinking!

Friday Shoot Out - FENCES

I am so sorry, I have had an eventful week this week and as a result, haven't been able to get shooting. However, I have rummaged through my archive!

Above is a picture taken on the mountain in Llanarmon. You can just about make out the fence and the old gate.

Taken in the summer in Erddig Estate. The fence is made of iron and much nicer than the wire ones we see so frequently these days.

The geese at the Equestrian Centre where the boys ride. Fences will be made out of anything you can find, in this case an old gate held together with baling twine.

My favourite place, Erddig Hall. This doorway leads into the formal gardens from the working courtyard.

A very nice gate and fence from Erddig Hall. This is the old entrance to the Hall.

Poppy, Pickles and Wilbur in Darland Woods just 5 minutes walk from my house. You can see the reflection of the fencing on the woodland floor.

My Town Friday Shoot Out - Under Construction

This weeks assignment is "Under Construction".

Well my PANDORA bracelet which is pictured above is most definately under construction. It tells the story of my fight with Breast Cancer. My best friend bought me the bracelet and the breast cancer charm. Each bead marks a significant chapter in my life, the first red one was when I finished Epi-Reubison, the rabbit next to it was when I finished CMF and the hedgehog was for when my hair began to grow back, the love heart was our 15th wedding anniversary and the day of my last but one round of chemo, the coloured one next to it was given to me by my husband because I had such a rough time with that particular round of chemo. I will be leaving a bead space free for when I get my 5 years all clear from cancer!

Me? Well I am most definately UNDER CONSTRUCTION in 2010. I have to shed 2 stone, I want my hair to grow and I am going to get my teeth sorted out! You see, last Christmas I finished 3 years of brace work and just had them removed, I was waiting until my teeth settled before I was going to have some veneers, a cap and replacement fillings. Cancer and its treatment put the cap on that but I promised myself this year that it would get done!

This is my best friend Jan in the pottery centre in Centre Parcs. She is in the middle of painting me a red mini!

...and this is the finished product. She has copied every aspect of my own Mini Cooper including the tinted rear windows. The only difference was the slogan "GIRLS ROCK" across the bonnet!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

My Town Friday Shoot Out - Angels

This week I have been so busy preparing for Christmas that I haven't had time to take the pictures I would have liked to so I have dipped into my archive.

My horse "MAC" pictured above is in Heaven now. He was such a darling horse, so kind and reliable, I would have trusted anybody on him.

My darling pony Shilo, was one of the loves of my life. I was given him because he was a naughty pony and as a rescue came hand in hand with a load of problems. We worked together and I turned him into the handsome King you see in this picture. He was my King, he was my first love.

These are my two little darling Angels. They give me a reason to live and a purpose in my life. They have kept me going this year through my fight with Breast Cancer. When my hair fell out they accepted me for who I was, never once making me feel ugly or unloved. They are my true little Angels.

In this picture is my big brother, Peter Geraint (the police constable). He died 19 years ago and I KNOW that he is my guardian angel, looking out for me on the other side!

My beautiful girl Bobbi! Now she really was an Angel sent to me by God. When I was a little girl I used to pray for a dog of my own. She would be small, she would be scruffy and she would be all mine...... Years and years later, my wish came true, in fact I always refered to her as "my gift from God" or "my wish come true". She got me through some difficult times, years of disappointment when we were trying for a baby. When at last I became pregnant with Joe, she got me through the labour, distracting me from my pain. She kept me company during the night feeds and was always at my side. When Joe was a few months, I found out that Bobbi had lymphoma at just 5 years old..... She died in August 1999 and I felt as though a light had been switched off in my heart. Looking back, I know that she was sent to me by God to help me through those terrible years and once her "job" was done, it was time for her to go back to Him. Ten long years have passed since she died and I think about her all the time. She is my darling Angel Bobbi.

Friday Shoot Out

I love Christmas trees, real ones! The smell of pine in the house is truly wonderful. I don't enjoy decorating the tree though, I leave that to the boys! We have a lovely collection of ornaments, each one with their own memory. We have one from New York which is a foil scene of the twin towers....

I like the idea of Father Christmas and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! Part of me still believes!

I love this new generation of Christmas decorations, reindeer outside!

My Town Friday Shoot Out - Weather

I took these photos about 10 minutes ago! Sorry they are a bit dull and grey but thats exactly what the weather is like over here...... dull and grey!

Thankfully we had a nice, thick frost last night so I was able to take advantage of it for my shoot out. I love frosted grass and leaves, I like the way that the frost highlights each vein within the leaf.

My neighbours garden opposite my house. Look at the way the frost has settled on the top of his ornamental tree.

I tried to capture the frosty haze over the car park opposite us but I just couldn't get the lighting quite right. As I said before...... dull and grey!

I just had to get a picture in of my new toy. Yep, Cooper got frosted last night too!

My Town Friday Shoot Out - Favourite Things

The theme for this weeks shoot out is "Favourite Things" but was described as the first Christmas theme. However, I couldn't do a shoot out about favourite things without including my new car, my Mini Cooper, my pride and joy, my baby..... Actually, Cooper is a sort of Birthday/Christmas present anyway so its right that he should be included in this weeks theme.

When thinking of what I should take pictures of to feature the theme, I was on my way into Wrexham town to take photos of the Christmas lights, when I stopped myself and ended up at the Grosvenor Garden Centre in Pulford just 3 miles from my home. Why? Well because whenever I think of Christmas and Christmas decorations, my mind always roams to this place. It has been an important store for me this year because on the days when I needed to get out or needed to buy a gift but didnt have the energy to venture far..... this store was my saviour!

The picture above is of the entrance into the Garden Centre. They always have such wonderful displays no matter what the time of year!

The decorations at the Grosvenor are in plentiful supply, you can buy just about anything you want from here. Fibre optic trees, false trees, real Christmas Trees, Christmas Wreaths, cuddly toys, Santa Stop Here Signs, Christmas food, Christmas gifts...... I could go on and on and on.

I love the models of Santa scattered around the store, some are even life sized.

Robins are my favourite birds because whenever I feel a bit down or sad about my late brother Peter, a Robin always seems to appear and cheer me up. I love these fat fellas in the pottery section of the store.

I adore Squirrels too..... not the grey ones but the endangered red ones. This ornament is so clever and I love it to bits.

You cannot celebrate Christmas without the Nativity scene and this is only one of the many types available to buy here.

Christmas is all about the children and I love that concept. This metal red fire engine is the sort of thing I would have loved to have bought my sons when they were toddlers but too expensive I am afraid!

This is a life sized Charley Bear! Anyone who knows me, knows just how much I love my collection of bears. My collection includes Herman, Merrythought, Steiff, Charley to name but a few and includes some vintage pieces.

Santas Grotto is always a special place with very fond memories. I remember Harry going to see Father Christmas when he was 3 and struggling to get away from him, crying!




Again, anyone who knows me knows how much I love my Chimineas. I really like these pottery ones but ours is metal because we decided it was more stable with having the dogs and children around.

If I had £200 to spare, this is what I would spend it on. I love this limited edition print. I love it not only because it is of a dog, but I love dogs noses (weird I know) and I love the concept of this picture.

So If you are ever in the area I would definately recommend that you visit The Grosvenor Garden Centre www.grosvenorgardencentre.co.uk because not only does it stock just about everything you need, the staff are really friendly and knowledgeable and the feel of the place is so special. I love shopping there.

They also have a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat coffee shop called The Blue Planet and the produce home made pastries, cakes and food. Next time I go there I will take some pictures just so that you can see how special it is. The coffee is delicious and I must admit I spent a very pleasant couple of hours there this morning with my friend Clare.

What doesn't this shops stock? Garden furniture, garden appliances, garden plants, shrubs and trees, pottery, sheds, gifts, walking sticks, wellington boots, indoor plants, books, cards, confectionary, cakes, biscuits, eggs, meat, drinks, cutlery, kitchen implements...... the list is endless.

Aqua Jogging!

Most of you know how much I love running and how frustrating that through treatment I just wasn't able to keep it up. I am into week five of my beginners running programme, I have never had to start at the begining before! I have injured my right ankle, I think its a strain so I have spent today using embrocation, cool gel and a tube grip for compression.... so far so good! I am not due to run again until Friday so I am hoping my ankle will be better by then.

Today I used my aqua-belt for the first time and it is fab! fab!fab! It enables you to stand upright in the water and not touch the floor with your feet. In this position you then run as you would outside but in the water. Yes its slow but ...... oh it is hard, hard work. I could feel my leg muscles working. This great thing about aqua jogging is because it is a no impact work out, it will not affect my ankle.

So my training programme tomorrow involves me doing any type of exercise for 30 minutes. I will either try to get to acqua aerobics in the evening or I may just try to get a mix of acqua jogging and swimming in.

Today has been productive. I enjoyed my visit to the Grosvenor Garden Centre for this weeks My Town Friday Shoot Out. I love that shop, it is wonderful. I enjoy going there for a mooch or to buy gorgeous gifts. I love the decorations during the Christmas season, they are the best which is why I chose to use that shop for my shoot out.

So now I am about to set off for my Breast Cancer Support Group..... Bye for now folks!

Friday Shoot Out - Smiles and Faces

The journey home from Centre Parks. We stopped at a motorway stop and I bought these "dummy" sweets for the children which had funny lips and teeth on them. We thought it was hilarious!
My Joe with his wide "cheesy" grin!

My husband and I! Don't worry, the blue eye shadow is now in the bin!!!!!

This was one of our chefs at Jungs Chinese resteraunt at Centre Parks. The food was totally fabulous and so were the staff.

Harry is pretending to be dead in this picture and Joe the "vampire" has just made him his victim. Great fun!

Friday Shoot Out - Places of Worship

This is the family private chapel in Erddig Hall from the outside.

Wrexham Cenotaph, not particularly a place of worship but alot of prayers are said at this place

Again.... not a place of worship but people come from all over the world to visit Greyfriars Bobbys grave