After many weeks of ridiculous speculation by the media and people who really should have no opinion on the matter, The Princess of Wales issued a statement to say that after the surgery in January she was found to have cancer and was receiving treatment.  Obviously The Prince & Princess of Wales first priority is their young family and for The Princess to get as much rest and peace as possible. 

DH and I also went through this terrible situation in 2001 when I, at 36, was diagnosed with breast cancer and our Boys were five and one.  This same form of cancer had killed my mother when I was twenty, her first instance of which was ten years prior to that when I was ten.  However because of her history our NHS scanned myself ten years prior to my mother’s first instance of the disease, when in fact they found the very early, first stages of cancer in me.  I had to have a mastectomy but I was so lucky that I did not have to have radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Our Boys were so young that trying to explain to them what was happening was not possible and they just knew that I was going to be in hospital for a week and they came to see me whilst I was there.  We did not tell them why and only told them when they were much older. 

Our NHS gets a lot of criticisim but in my personal experience they have been amazing over this and are still looking after me and now our family to ensure that everyone knows the history and to ensure that if anything else happens it will be dealt with immediately. 

This disease really does affect everyone in one way or another and I always think it is worse for those supporting the person with cancer.  For me when I was diagnosed I felt like it was inevitable because of my mother and so when it happened if felt right now lets get it sorted.  My great fear of course was that it would be as bad as my mother’s situation and I would not see my Boys grow up.  Which is why I was so lucky with the scan being so early and it had not got going. 

My other great gift was my DH, Tom.  Without him I am sure I would not have got through it the way I did and he has put up with a lot from me from then until now!  He got us all through this.

I wish The Princess of Wales a swift recovery at this trying time, as well as King Charles also going through his own cancer treatment. I am sure that later in the year we shall see them both at events healthy and well again.

Susie x

Today is supposed to be the first day of Spring, hmm not here in the UK!  It has been raining all day again!  Yesterday was a little better and it did feel a bit like Spring but not today.  The rest of the week looks to be overcast and cold!  I think the sun has gone on holiday and forgotten about us!!!!!

I am busy planning my Spring Cleaning despite the weather but before that I intend to do a little decluttering.  You know what it’s like over the course of a year you collect things, thinking oh that will be of use and you store it in a cupboard or the attic or the garage and it then sits there and you never use it.  So that is the sort of decluttering I have in mind.  I also use it as an opportunity of going through all our books and getting rid of any I am defintely not going to read again.  We have a book exchange in our Village so some get donated there and some to the Charity shop.

My Instagram feed has been full of women cleaning various parts of their homes and I am in awe of their attention to detail.  I am sure it is because they are filming it for their Instagram feeds but still.  When I do the Spring Cleaning I am always pleased to note that our home is not as dirty as I think it is.  There are bits of fluff of course, usually from Miss Floof and a bit of dust but it is not too bad, which I think means I am doing an okay job each week. 

One major decluttering job is to sort out the attic and garage again.  We seem to do this every few years and then slowly it builds up again!  That is the plan for this year as well as decorating and trying to sort out the gardens.  I am really hoping that the weather is going to pick up.  My plan for next week is to start with the Kitchen. At the weekend we have one day available so I am going to sort out jobs which I need DH to help with, like moving furniture.  At the moment the forecast is rain all day so definitely inside jobs!  I think I am also going to pinch a few hours here and there to get small jobs done and ticked off my lists which at the moment is four pages long!!!!!

Wednesday today, middle of the week and it will soon be the weekend.  Hope you are having a good week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

I have threatened to tie a duster to that tail so Coco can help.  She does not look impressed when I say it!!!!!

Last week flew by and I don’t think my feet touched the ground once!!  Nothing really big happening just life but the days flew by!!  Had a lovely day today as Jayne and I went for lunch and caught up with each other. 

Last weekend we had the weekend mostly to ourselves but did have a swimming competition on Saturday evening which our Club won.  So pleased for them all.

Sunday I took dinner up to the new parents, the girls and Tobey and spent some time with them.  Tobey is now looking more like a baby but definitely like his Daddy when he was a baby.

This week again is normal but lots happening with work and home jobs.  At the weekend DH has an all day Sunday event for another of the local swimming clubs announcing for them but we do have Saturday off and I am trying to get some of the jobs done which we have been putting off for a while!!  Well it’s the plan but I am sure that can all change before then.

Yesterday was busy catching up on work and Sainsburys the supermarket where we shop had a terrible weekend.  They had had a software update over the weekend which went very wrong so some stores could not use their tills at all, some would not take card payments and deliveries of food, of which mine was one of them, could not be delivered.  Fortunately I have enough in my store and freezer to cope with until they could get the delivery to us, which was last night!!  What a mess.  Computers and software are great when they work but such an absolute pain when they don’t.

I cannot believe that Easter is next week?  Where have the weeks gone to, although it is early this year.  We are hoping to have some time off to get some painting done as well, particularly the bathroom which was renovated before Christmas and our kitchen, laundry and downstairs bathroom as well.  Our room and dressing room definitely needs a lick of paint as well as the hall, stairs and landing and the dining room.  Which only then leaves the Boys rooms and sitting room to do!!  We do hae some outside painting to do as well but that will definitely have to wait until it is warmer weather.

Today hasn’t been too bad weather wise, we actually saw the sun for a little while.  It has been very grey and rainy over the last few weeks again and I can honestly say I am sick of it!  I really hope that we do get some more Spring weather over the next few weeks.  March has come in a bit like a lazy Lion with some high winds so hopefully it will go out like a lamb!  Although April is not my favourite month with April showers, but after all the water we have had over the last few months I really hope it won’t be too bad during April!!!

Have a wonderful week you lovely lot. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Little Miss Fluffy is getting very fluffy so is in need of a Spa Day.  Will have to ring and arrange a date for her!