Holidays

Cuba, Argentina then hoping to get to China later on in our Winter. I looked after my parents until they both passed. Dad passed at 89 in 09 and Mum last year at 84. Alzheimer's and many other age related stuff meant I could not leave them so no holidays in many years. Am hoping to try and catch up with some breaks but more just to see and be part of other cultures. China is the one I am looking forward to the most and Shanghai number one.
I hope it works out. It's been a long time coming.

edited that for you ras.....

Im off to arrgate for a fortnight but will spend a few days paintin

Aw mate,

I started to try to decorate the family home, thought I could just get away with undercoat and gloss on woodwork and the old Magnolia and white on walls and ceilings. My parents worked all the hours so decoration was paint on paint and paper on paper. What I thought would take two weeks ended up taking 12. I have had to replace skirting, door frames and remove and re plaster huge sections of walls and ceilings. I hurt myself doing it. I had forgotten how difficult finishing plaster is to sort and my neck and back are shot.
Moral of the story, if you can afford it then get someone else, preferably professionals, to do it. The place is nice now but it was very emotional going through the various decades as I prepared the place. Had me in tears I don't mind saying.
Now, the bloody garden. I need a petrol chainsaw to get through the firs and other trees. Am around half way now.
If you need a hand just let me know ok. I have all the gear if you need any brushes, rollers and filler etc.

Mate,

I lost ( always found that a very weird word to use about a death) my two Brothers at 52 & 65 then my parents at 89 & 84. All of this between 2009 till Sept 2013. During this time I have had cancerous growths removed from my colon and have had to take very harsh and very old chemo drugs to lower my immune system. I had the council try to take my parents house as payment for mums care, although they had no right to do so. I was in a constant state if anger, sadness, fear and it very nearly made me do something very silly. I was a proper lunatic mate, none of the meds to calm me worked and I was spiralling into a very bad place.
I consider myself very lucky Sophie took me on and has been a rock throughout this sh**. I used to wake up thinking that I wished I had not. I REALLY do know how you feel and how very personal the I/S situation can feel.
My own way in dealing with this is to keep busy. I have decorated the house, am now sorting the garden. I have got involved with the Bristol boxing boys and help out with bag and pad work. I have been going gliding more now and I find that when I am in the air, I gain a really good perspective on much that hurt me. To see how tiny we all really are is a humbling experience. I am also around midway through finishing what will be my first novel but I have to iron out the legalities as I will need to use different names and dates so as not to get anyone into trouble. Tentative titles for it are " I was a junkies memory" or " Junkie's Monkey" as both Brothers died from longterm use of Heroin and crack.
I hope you manage to find some real inner peace mucker. I am reliably told it can take 5 years to come to terms with a death. I guess we all have to find our own ways through it all.
Be kind to yourself.

the brecon beacons are quite nice, but i don't think i'll make it this year....

I just got back from turkey, and will be off to thailand in November..... Koh phangan...
UTG

tbone!! Delighted to see you.

Everyone's favourite poetic beef cut has arrived!