I hope everyone had a good Christmas or at least enjoyed some time off work… So here we are, New Year’s Day 2026 – a new year begins!

Looking back, at the start of 2025 we were in India enjoying the sunshine of Goa and not really thinking much beyond the six weeks we still had left there… the beaches, the warmth, the curry! 😆

Although we had talked about a possible move to Scotland, a return road trip to Spain later in the year & to definitely spend another 8 weeks in Goa from January 2026, we hadn’t really made any firm plans… which is probably just as well the way things turned out!

Firstly, the Yorkshire house took a lot longer to sell than we thought it might and we’d even got to the point of considering taking it off the market & staying where we were…

Looking back, it seems strange that our house sold just weeks after Pete’s cancer diagnosis and kind of forced us into making a decision to stay in Yorkshire or fulfil a long-held wish to move to Scotland. But you know, I reckon these things always happen for a reason &, having been in the Scottish Borders for over 4 months now, I reckon moving was the right decision for us, at the right time.

I don’t necessarily think the NHS is much different in Scotland to what it is in England (although my regular prescription is now free – yippee!), but our medical practice in the village, and the team at the MacMillan unit at the Borders General Hospital, have all been fantastic! I really don’t think we would have got the same, personalised service from the Modality Practice in Keighley where you could rarely speak to someone let alone, walk in requesting an urgent blood test and get it there & then whilst the receptionist (who incidentally welcomes you by using your first name!) holds up the driver who is taking the days tests up to the hospital… so, although what Pete is going through is undoubtedly crap, it feels better going through it here in the Borders! 😆

… that said, I think we will both be forever grateful for the speed with which the GP at Holycroft in Keighley and the team at Airedale Hospital made the arrangements that led to Pete’s diagnosis within a few weeks…

Pete’s diagnosis changed a few things for us in 2025… worried about him inadvertently picking up an infection when his immune system is weak due to the chemo, we have been in a self-styled type of lockdown since his treatment started which has meant no visits to see my Mum since September, no socialising in our new local or anywhere (I bet the ticket-only Hogmanay celebration in the village hall would have been fun! Maybe next year…), avoiding large gatherings of people (including busy shops!), no visits from anyone (with the exception of one from our Louise and Niamh who had to be germ free!), and no holidays (including our planned two-months in Goa which we were supposed to start next week – boo! 😒).

We have had to learn how to live slightly differently which has been more challenging for Pete who is not used to being what he would call “lazy” (whereas I am quite good at it! 😆). Pete has had to accept that he doesn’t have much energy after each chemo and that the effects are accumulative & he needs to get plenty of rest… he has had to get used to needles (something he has always had an aversion to), and not achieving 10,000 steps a day even though we still manage a short walk most days!

Looking forward, Pete has his last chemo scheduled for tomorrow (2nd January)… his pre-chemo blood test showed his latest PSA score was down to 2.0 – down another 0.8 which must be good right?! We will both be glad when this treatment is over and are keeping positive that the scan booked for mid-January shows the cancer is under control 🤞

We also look forward to our self-styled lockdown ending (3-weeks tomorrow / end of January!), and the subsequent lifting of our travel ban with a little holiday up the East coast at the end of February and, who knows, perhaps a trip to warmer climes at some point in the year. I cannot wait to visit my Mum again and start welcoming family & friends for visits… we have already made plans for a visit from Louise, Lee & the grandkids in February! I am grateful for all of this ❤️

I really hope that 2026 turns out to be a positive year for us and hope the same to everyone out there… Be kind, be healthy, be loving, be caring & have the best year you can!