Overdid it again - but had fun!!!

I didn't write an awful lot today...

... but I did review my chapter outlines...

... and I did swim 20 lengths, although afterwards I realised I'd overdone it, mantra or not, and it took me a good half hour to get dressed after my shower. I was drinking ginger beer in the changing rooms and a lady came and asked me why I was drinking beer (it's in a brown glass bottle). So I explained, "I'm on chemotherapy...blah blah blah... and then another lady came over and said, "We know all about chemotherapy in my house - my little girl has been having it for 17 months, for cancer of the bladder. She's 8." I was stunned. I know about the children but I only see the grown ups in my ward. We talked for ages while I guzzled my ginger and the old shakes stopped. It was lovely. Someone else at the health club said it was great that people talked about it because the word cancer was losing its power the more people shared their experiences. And soooo many people are surviving now, if only we can catch them early enough.

After the pool I went to see my friend who has the pleasure of sharing her garden with these two sweet-hearts - aka original Shrek Donkeys - so I had a brew and chat, and got my equine fix for the day!


This evening we all got in the kitchen as a family and made Blueberry Muffin Cake, so I shall show how it turns out tomorrow provided it doesn't kill us! The lady who's little girl has cancer said that this illness had taught them all what mattered in life, and that is certainly the one perceivable bonus I guess. And if anyone saw the Channel 4 programme last night called My Street the same thing was said by the two families affected by cancer there too.

Life is worth the living, and we really ought to appreciate it without needing the sort of kick up the backside a life-threatening illness gives us. I wish I'd learned that sooner.

Anyway, as promised, here are my first two attempts at Mandalas.

Number One took hours and was an ambitious go at geometrical shapes, but I haven't painted in so long that most of the colours has dried up and and and excuses excuses excuses:

And this is Mandala 2 - and I like this better and it took all of 5 binkin' minutes!



Go figure!