Hello there, and thanks so much for your kindness, generosity and response to my invitation to the Medical Detection Dogs Afternoon Tea. I’m sorry I can’t magically air lift you all there, but I am very much looking forward to meeting the four of you who can make it, and I promise to share photos and memories of the day on the next blog. I talked to my old QVC friend Kathy Tayler when we were out on a walk earlier this week, and she is now also coming along on the day. It makes absolute sense that she’s there as she was diagnosed as Type One diabetic two years ago and is managing her symptoms really well but is intrigued to learn more about the detection dogs and their work. We’re going to drive up together so we can have a good old natter on the way and then it will be a joy to see our old friends from QVC and to meet our new friends too!
Thanks also for your kind words about my son Jack and his struggles. I’m delighted to tell you that he was given two weeks of night work for a company that create shop front shelving and displays for companies as grand as Fortnum and Mason and Harrods, and they have now offered him a full time job there with day time hours. He is very pleased and relieved, as am I, so hopefully this will make things easier for him.
I had a fabulous weekend way with my daughter Lucy, my granddaughter Honey, and their friends in a lakeside house in Wiltshire. It had a wide terrace by the waters edge and the living room and main bedroom had ceiling to floor windows, so this was the view! Stunning! There was also had a hot tub that we made good use of the first night we were there and the children and I were back in it in the pouring rain the following morning! We ate lasagna, played games, made biscuits, walked around the lake and enjoyed a lovely meal at the little boathouse café one evening. All in all, a terrific way to celebrate my lovely girl’s 39th birthday. Now I’ve got to work out how to make next years big birthday even more special!
I drove the opposite way last weekend and paid a surprise visit to my godmother Edna who lives in West Sussex. She has been far from well with a dreadful chest infection and bronchitis, and was very worried she wouldn’t be well enough to attend her older sister’s funeral this week. I’m sure it was the grief and upset that laid her low and made her more vulnerable to the infection, but she was genuinely delighted to see me and I brought lunch and was able to do a few chores for her while I was there too so she could rest up. She lost her other sister on Christmas Day last year and was very unwell with Covid in the weeks that followed, so I am hoping very much that life will be easier for her in the year to come…
It seems to have been a difficult month for many, and my involvement with the breast cancer awareness campaign reminded me just how stressful life can be when living with cancer. One of Lucy’s friends, Nikki, who joined us for her birthday weekend, was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was in her early 40s. She went through the same treatment I did but off the back of that she has set up an incredible support group for younger women with breast cancer and also those with secondary breast cancer. It’s called Aurora Breast Cancer Wellbeing and they work tirelessly to provide answers and support through fundraisers, meetings and events. Incredible how many women they have helped, and Nikki is currently involved in the 10 day Himalayan Challenge to raise money for research to find a vaccine that will work against breast cancer. Having lived with primary breast cancer and survived the treatment, it is sometimes difficult to find a light at the end of the tunnel, but for those with secondary breast cancer there is no end to the treatment…I know how incredibly lucky I have been, but as Aurora say, even in the darkest places precious gems are found that bring a little bit of sparkle to the world. Click here if you, or anyone you know, could benefit from this kind of help.
In between all my family time, I’ve been cracking on with my writing room panels and they are now all free of paint but need sanding, priming and then painting. I need Colin to help me with the wood filler first though and he’s tied up with electrical work so it may we a while… In the meantime I’ve been sanding and priming the old blanket box for painting. It will be kept at the end of our bed and will be jolly useful for storing our bed linen and towels. I’ve also blown the dust off my old Jones sewing machine to convert Honey’s single bed Christmas duvet covers into one double bed size so it’s reversible. It turned out pretty well! Next job is to finish the scarf I’m knitting and begin work on the baby blanket for Elise and Sam. Luckily my friend Roz is going to come and help me with that one as I only have until February to make it!
Before I have to go, I have a recommendation for you – the BBC TV series Ludwig starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin. It’s really clever, set in Cambridge and brilliantly written. David Mitchell is superb as the ‘accidental’ detective, standing in for his identical twin brother who has disappeared. Very entertaining.
I hope you enjoy the blog, and the photos and do keep in touch through Facebook and Instagram. I’ll look forward to hearing from you when you have a moment.
Take care,
Love,
Ali xxx
Sonia Hughes says
Hi Ali,
Lovely to read your latest blog and see your lovely pics. Looking forward to seeing your writing room when it’s all finished. Looks like you are doing a great job.
I am busy knitting for my sons new baby due in March. I have made 3 but have bought more wool to make a few more in different sizes and patterns. I have never made a blanket so well done you.
It’s my birthday on 4th so I am hoping to go for lunch with my mum and my daughters.
I am taking all 4 grandchildren to our bonfire and firework display and my son has said he will come too. That Will be lovely to spend time with them.
It’s lovely to see you having more time to spend with your family now you have retired.
Have a fabulous time with the dogs and seeing the friends from QVC. They are a lovely bunch.
Take care.
Keep in touch.
With love
Sonia xx☺🌻
Alison Keenan says
Hi Sonia, and happy birthday for fourth of November! How nice that you’ll be able to enjoy the bonfire firework display with your grandchildren and your son too. I hope you have a lovely time. Good for you to be cracking on with your knitting. I never made a blanket before either, so watch this space! I’m very much looking forward to my day out with Debbie, Julia, Kathy and all my other friends. It will be wonderful to meet some of those have been in touch for so many years and I promise I will have lots of photos to share. Take care Sonny and stay well, love Ali xx
Sonia Hughes says
Had a great birthday , thank you xx☺🎉
Fiona says
I am also enjoying Ludwig.
Enjoy the Afternoon tea, for such a good cause
Xx
Alison Keenan says
Hi Fiona, Good to hear that. Have you given ‘Show Trial’ a go? That’s also very good. There have been two series, but it doesn’t matter which order you watch them in as they’re not linked. And thank you – I will enjoy the tea and a day out and will post plenty of photos up here afterwards. Love Ali xx
Loraine Plumb says
Hi Alison hope all goes well when you all meet up I’m sure it will be a good day. Nicexyou got to spend time with Honey and Lucy, we are going to Mottisfont tomorrow with Clare and the girls we are members of the National Trust and now Les has retired we often visit them, the other day it was Stourhead which was nice. We have a couple of birthdays coming up Gary is 36 on the 6th nov and Clare’s husband has his 40th on the 22nd nov. Clare is 40 next July so I like you will have too think of something. I do hope your diy goes well so nice to see an end result. I do hope your godmother improves it knocks them for six eleven they are ill. Do take care and good luck for the detection dog day. With love Loraine. Xx
Alison Keenan says
Hi Loraine, How nice to know you’re members of the National Trust. I joined two months ago and am looking forward to days out with my sister Roz, and Kathy Tayler all of whom are members. In fact I’ve been to Stourhead with Roz and it was fabulous. Your daughter Clare is only three months older than Lucy, so good luck with planning a birthday to remember – any tips, do let me know! Thanks for your kind words about my DIY – it’s slow going, but I’ll get there. Love Ali xx
Tina T says
Hi Ali, that’s great news about Jack – I expect you’re very relieved and also thrilled at the same time!
The lakeside house you stayed at sounds fantastic and it looks like you also had good weather too from your photos! What a fun time you all had!
I wondered whether you have watched Michel Roux’s programme “Roux Back Down The River” (Food Network). I found it very enjoyable and he stopped off in Windsor, as well as Goring, and a lot of other places on the Thames. He also made some great food – I thoroughly recommend it.
Good luck with the knitting!
See you soon.
Love Tina xx
Alison Keenan says
Hi Tina, so good to see you yesterday at the MDD fundraiser. It was lovely to meet your friend too – forgive me I can’t remember her name but I was incredibly grateful to her and you, for having travelled such a long way to meet us all. Thanks again for the recommendation of Michelle’s program on the Food Network – I know Colin and I will really enjoy particularly having a look at the places he visited locally. I am hoping to meet up with my friend Roz in the next week or so so that she can start me on my baby blanket – time seems to be catching up with me and I know it’s going to take me awhile to make it! I very much hope you got home safely and it wasn’t too late? Kathy and I headed home on the back roads which was slow going as there were no street lights and it was very countrified! Such a great day though and I was really pleased to have been a part of it. Hopefully I’ll have a new blog up by the weekend, and will be able to share some of the photographs! Take care, Love Ali x
Mary Morphy says
Hi Alison, I feel rather late in replying so apologies for that but it was half term last week which has flown by and it hardly feels like I had a break after being back at school for only 3 days! Thank you for the updates on your family and friends; I hope your god mother Edna is feeling better, my godmother was also called Edna but sadly died 5 years ago from dementia.
What fabulous news for Sam regarding his job, I am sure that will boost his confidence and self esteem and also give him the chance to make some great new friends.
I’m glad to hear the writing room is progressing. I can now say that my kitchen repaint is completed, I am all painted out but very pleased with my new colour doors.. just need to sort put the flooring. I would love to attach a photo but I don’t think I can!
I sincerely hope your MDD day goes brilliantly, I’m sad I’m working but have made a donation to a great cause.
Love Mary
Alison Keenan says
Dear Mary, I feel it’s me who owes you a mighty apology! We had rather a month of it what was one thing and another and I haven’t got round to writing a new blog or even responding to your lovely message. My Edna is much better now thank you and I’m sorry to know that your godmother was lost to you so many years ago. You remain an absolute hero to me with your endless DIY. I would love to think that I could repaint my kitchen cupboard doors but they’re just too many of them then I wouldn’t know where to start. If you can send me a photo I’d love to see it! The MDD day went very well and there will be photographs in my new blog which hopefully will be up in the next few days. If you are free on June 10 next year then please do come and join us it will be so good to meet you after all these years of being in touch. Love Ali XX