Friday the thirteenth, crafting, choosing new routes, Bob Marley, bees, cows and dog walks

 Today is Friday the 13th....... not allowing the traditional doom and gloom and superstitious anxieties of this date to get to me...... my third immunotherapy session, scheduled at 11 am - but if the pattern of the last two repeats itself, the infusion should begin around 11.45 and I will still be sitting in my treatment chair when the trolley comes around with tea, coffee and sandwiches - never want to miss the opportunity of lunch out!

Friday the thirteenth ..... this has me musing... why is it an unlucky day? A quick trip to Wikipedia tells me that the day is known as Triskaidekaphobia and the irrational fear of the day itself is called paraskevidekatriaphobia........(almost as difficult to say as Nivolumab).... . apparently, one of the theories is that it dates back to Norse times, and legend has it that a grand dinner was held for 12 important Norse gods, but Loki (the trickster, of dubious parentage, apparently a shape shifter, and up to no good most of the time) was not invited, so turned up and got his mate Noor (also not invited) to shoot Balder (who was invited - one of the important ones, son of Odin and Frigg, and the God of Light) with a mistletoe tipped arrow. Balder died and the whole earth mourned, the sky turned dark - AND THERE WE HAVE IT - UNLUCKY, UNLUCKY DAY. Moral here is :- invite all your mates to a dinner party, or don’t have one. If you do have one, make sure there is a shortage of mistletoe tipped arrows and lock the doors. 

Balder - Norse God of Light

That’s the end of the teacher bit for today!

I’ve been busy since I last wrote - the temptation to just sit and knit and watch box sets is always there, but while I have energy, I feel that the wisest action is to be energetic! I’ve been crafting like a good’un. Can’t post pictures because they are gifts for special people, and not been sent or received yet....

Also been knitting (again, can’t post pictures, for some reason), and I decided to start a complicated crochet pattern with some beautiful yarn, which my old friend Krissy (one of my Brettonites, along with Sue, Ali and Tim, all at college together in the mid 70s) had sent to me. I thought I’d get into this while I was waiting at the Marsden between blood tests and clinic appointment on Wednesday. Again - I can’t post a picture, because I had to undo it 6 times!!!! Kept me busy though. Maybe there’ll be a picture in a future blog. Lovely yarn though Krissy! Feels great in the making (and the unravelling.....  😟)

My kitchen is coming along - need to decide upon the paint for the ceiling. I want to challenge convention and have a darker ceiling, but Ned says we have to get the lights brighter (12 down lighters) so we’re waiting on changing those before we choose the final colour. Currently the kitchen has a patchwork effect ceiling with different testers - love the names of paints - my favourite? Rolling Fog....... 

On Wednesday, I had my bloods done (all fine) and saw one of the team and got the go ahead for today’s treatment. I saw my lovely consultant in the corridor, and she gaily told me that I am ‘challenging convention and we’re all in uncharted territories”..... she was smiling - so I’m hoping she feels confident! On the way back, I decided I needed a walk so, instead of walking to Victoria through Sloane Square and Belgravia, as I usually do, I decided to walk to Clapham Junction, which intuitively makes more sense, as it’s going in the direction of home! Who knows, at some stage, I might just walk home! This was a good choice. I got to walk past a house which Bob Marley lived in in 1977 (the year the we Brettonites all became qualified teachers) 

and a few houses further down the road was this one! I think Bob should have lived here
and then I was on Albert Bridge and crossing the river. Once on the south side, I spotted a pub with cows on the roof, really not sure why? 
and I also found bees on the pavement! 
urging me to keep myself (or the bees?) safe. 

One of my future plans is to become a beekeeper, like my Dad. 

Walking past Battersea Park, I overtook a beautiful old Golden Retriever who was walking regally a few paces behind her owner. Made me reminisce fondly for our beautiful old Tootsie,



and made me also determined that I will get another dog....soon.... I’m really hankering for another retriever, but lockdown prices for pups are insane - so I’ll probably try to rehome a rescue....... (My mate Sid will never forgive me if I get a pedigree pup.) 

In the meantime, I’m content to walk Saffy (partner-in-crime Denys’ dog) with Susan and Tilly. They look best in the autumn due to their glorious ginger tones!



Right! No more lingering....I’m off for my Nivolumab!Treatment number 3. Here we go!

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