Thursday 19 August 2010

Tatton Yule Yomp 12th December 2010

I was ready to take part in my first 10K race on 1st March 2009 but I had been diagnosed with breast cancer one month previously and the biopsy and subsequent operation left me unable to run and once I had recovered from that, the chemo made sure that I definately couldn't run.

I have been getting back into running and need to lose at least a stone in weight but I work best with a challenge. This is why I have entered myself into the Tatton Hall Yule Yomp 10K on 12th December 2010. Its a good time of year for me because I prefer winter running and the circuit is on National Trust property so it will be beautiful. I don't care if I come last, the main thing for me is the taking part and flicking the proverbial V's to cancer!

I am running this race to raise money for a global cancer charity called The Love Hope Strength Foundation so if you see the Just Giving widget at the side of my blog, please consider making a donation to help spur me on.

The foundation does alot of work in the UK and I have just volunteered to help out on their bone marrow drive at local gigs. The USA part of the foundation have already had a phenomenal success.

Thursday 12 August 2010

Love Hope Strength - Rhuddlan Castle Rocks

The Love Hope Strength Foundation was established in 2007. The co-founder, Mike Peters of the Alarm has been hit by leukemia twice in his life, the last time being in 2007.

Mike is from North Wales, not far from where I live and has been treated in some of the same cancer units as I have. The Love Hope Strength Foundation has funded many of the new facilities where I have been treated so folks, I have directly benefited from the Love Hope Strength Foundations fundraising.

Oh where to begin telling you what they have done in the last 3 years. It has been totally amazing. They have rocked Mount Snowdon, they are about to rock Rhondda again next weekend. Everest, Kilimanjaro, Mount Fuji... the list goes on. They climb to the summit and rock it with their guitars!

They have established a bone marrow drive in the USA and are doing the same in the UK. At the Rhuddlan Rocks gig last weekend they established 75 matches. All you have to do is be under 40 (counts me out), cancer free (counts me out again) and give a saliva sample.

Please please please, follow my links and look at the work they are doing and have done. You can follow them on facebook and twitter.



Mike Peters wears combat clothes because he is active in his fight against cancer! To quote him in his song "I'm a soldier marching in an army I got no guns to shoot, all I got is one guitar...."

I was amazed and honoured to be rocking to my all time favourite band in such historic surroundings. My friend Sherry Binns-Smyth has been reading a novel based at Rhuddlan Castle and she asked me to kick some stones for her to defy King Edward I who built the castle in order to subdue us welshies. I willingly did this for her!

At the end of the night the litter strewn across the castle grounds was disgusting so Jason, myself and Lesley stayed behind to help clear up. Its something I feel passionately about, respect for others, for our surroundings and our heritage! I was able to have a brief chat with Mikes wife Jules and yes, with a few glasses of wine under my belt I had the courage to run up to Mike and give him a big bear hug! Why? because he has kept me going not only through life but in my cancer fight. The times I have felt like not going on I have had a message from Jules or I have put on Mikes music and I have continued the fight.

Monday 9 August 2010

Rhuddlan Castle Rocks 7th August 2010



I do apologise for the poor sound quality on these videos but they were shot using my camara. "Walk Forever By My Side" was dedicated to Mikes wife Jules and their two sons Dylan and Evan.

The second video is of Mike singing with Fowler from Ocean Colour Scene.

The "doors" opened at 4pm and we entered the historic ruins of Rhuddlan castle. Never in my life could I have imagined seeing my all time favourite band play in this part of my ancestry. I was honoured and humbled to be there.

The gig was organised in order to raise money for Mikes charity The Love Hope Strength Foundation which is commited to combatting cancer on a global basis. Please visit their web site and look into their work.

Saturday 7 August 2010

Rhuddlan Castle Rocks

Just waiting for my friend to get to the house and we are off to Rhuddlan Castle to see The Alarm and the Levellers rock an ancient castle built by Edward I to try and subdue us Welsh. I wonder what he would say if he knew the welsh were rocking his castle!

Friday 6 August 2010

Blogging

When I was bloggin on Cancer Ain't Gonna Beat Me, the topics and words flowed out so well but these days I am stuck for topics and for words. I wonder why that is? Maybe it is because now that I am through the treatment which gave me bad side effects I have less time to think and therefore generate ideas. Is this a good or a bad thing? Not really sure!

Thursday 5 August 2010

15 down and 3 to go!

I had my 15th lot of herceptin yesterday so only 3 more to go - yipeeeeeee!


I will miss the staff at the Shooting Star Unit in Wrexham Hospital because it has been an 18 month relationship with them and I have got to know some of the nurses so well.


I was happy to pass on some hints and tips for a lady who had just received her last dose of chemo and was going for radiotherapy. I told her to order some diprobase from the doctor and use it all of the time. To buy some breast pads and put chilled diprobase on them and slip them into the bra.


Radiotherapy works over a period of time so at first you think "great, no side effects" but by the end of 3 weeks your skin looks and feels badly burned. It soon passes though but with the help of these creams things can be so much better.

Tuesday 3 August 2010

I am a Great Auntie

Me and my neice, Emma when she was a toddler 18 years ago!

My big brother Peter Geraint Kyffin died on 10th September 1990 at 6.42am. He crashed his car on the Mold Road in Wrexham on his way to work. He was driving his white RS Turbo when his tyre blew and he riquoted into a lamp post which killed him instantly. He was 25 years old. He had a daughter who had just celebrated her first birthday and recovered from a round of chicken pox.


My neice is going to be 21 years old later on in the month and on 1st August she became a mum herself.


I can't believe that my big brother is a grandad/taid! In my mind and heart he is forever 25.

Monday 2 August 2010

Knitting and Stones

Picture courtesy of Amazon UK

Simple Knitting by Erika Knight was supplied to me by Amazon Vine but can be purchased from www.amazonuk.com It is a brilliant book for those interested in knitting but are beginners like me. The layout is simple, well illustrated and there are some good projects in there. My mother in law suggested knitting as a way of working my hands to heal them and I am going to give it a go so guess what everyone is going to get for Christmas this year!


I still love painting my stones. I recently picked some slate from the welsh hillside for painting on with really good results. I still keep my prayer stones for those I think of in their struggles with illnesss. You can see Barry's stone there.....
This morning I am off to the doctors with my eldest son as he has had constant tummy ache for 2 months now. I am then taking my youngest swimming with his friend (oh the joys!)

Sunday 1 August 2010

Living History Day at Bersham

My mum is a real history buff, she knows everything about everything and is pretty amazing really. So its no surprise that she is on the committee for the Friends of Wrexham Museum and as such was manning their stand today along with her sister, my Auntie Heather at the living history display.

We decided to go along for a trip out and weren't too sure what to expect. There were roman tents set up where they were cooking roman type food. Harry got to have a roman coin made for him and the displays were pretty good.

The best part of the afternoon was when the roman re-enactors asked the children to come forward and dress up in costume. They were then drilled and marched! The parents didn't escape lightly though because they had to become the celts and fight the romans. My son Joe is pictured on the front row with a crooked helmet.

The re-enactors were amazing, the attention to detail in their uniform was good. One chappie even made his own chain mail through the winter. They didn't wear sandles in Britain but instead wore leather with metal studs pressed into the soles.

There was also a vintage car and machine display. I liked this car because it reminded me of our first family car although ours was maroon with a cream interior. There were no back seat belts in those days!


I liked this old fashioned bike, it took my eye. I can imagine the junior baker apprentice using the bike to deliver the orders.

The old post office van took my eye as well!
The boys enjoyed seeing Auntie Heather and their Nain and best of all, freshly made donuts!




Books - Evernight


I have just finished reading this book and have passed it on to my 11 year old son. The book is aimed at those aged 13+ but being three decades older I still enjoyed it. Yes, the story line was a little "cheesy" but when you think that it is aimed at youngsters that cheesyness becomes acceptable.
I am lucky enough to be part of the Amazon Vine programme. It is an invitation only "club" and each month I get to choose four titles from their magazine. All I have to do in return is read them and publish my review.
I enjoy being part of the Amazon Vine programme because not only do I get all of the latest books for free, it gives me the opportunity to read books I never would have considered.
The ice cream van has just called into our close so the boys are enjoying a Mr Whippy.