Today (6th February) would have been my Nan’s 107th Birthday had she not passed away around 20 years ago! Amazing how quickly time can fly by… I remember, before she passed away, she gave Pete and I £500 as she never believed we would ever get married and it’s what she gave my brothers on their wedding days… Oh, if she could see us now!

This week, we have spent a few nights away in Portobello just outside Edinburgh – our new capital city. The reason for our visit – to attend Pete’s appointment with the Oncologist at the Western General Hospital 😬

For weeks now, Pete had already decided that when we got to meet with the Oncologist, it would be good news… he has always been so positive about his situation which is admirable as I am not sure how I would feel if it was me.

Of course, leading up to this meeting, I was more anxious than him! Afterwards, I tried to explain to Pete that I was not anxious about the Oncologist giving us bad news, more that I knew Pete would refuse any further treatment if she had suggested this was the way forward… luckily, I am happy to report that the chemotherapy appears to have done its job and stopped the cancer in its tracks – hurray! 🥳

Pete’s cancer cannot be cured… but, for now at least, it is being kept at bay & not spread any further, which was my biggest fear! Like many others in his position, Pete will need to have regular blood tests to monitor his condition and keep taking the medication. If his symptoms worsen (fortunately, he has very few), his care & treatment will be reviewed.

I cannot tell you what a relief it was to hear this news! ❤️ Pete says it means I will have to put up with him for a few more years… something I am very happy to do 😆❤️❤️

Despite being in Edinburgh to see the Oncologist, we managed to make the most of it with a bit of a stroll down Portobello High Street including a nice lunch at the Rising Tide Cafe; a visit to Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden which was conveniently located near the hospital; a couple of nice meals at the hotel (Kings Manor, Best Western); ending in a blustery walk along the promenade at Portobello & a trip to Ikea before heading home!

Here are some pics…

We had a nice stroll around Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden before seeing the Oncologist at Western General Hospital. Although the day was a bit drizzly & overcast, seeing the buds forming on the Rhododendrons & the snow drops confirms spring is on the way. We are planning to revisit in April/May when the gardens will look magnificent!

Whilst admiring the view of the city of Edinburgh from Inverleith House at the centre of the Botanic Gardens (which happened to be next to the Terrace Cafe – great, huge scones; highly recommended 🤣!), we laughed about the building we could see which appeared to have a turd on top of it! Little did we know then that this building is locally controversial… looking it up on the internet, the AI bot says:

“W Edinburgh, part of the St James Quarter, is a 12-story hotel known by locals as the “Golden Turd” or “The Jobby” due to its brown, swirled ribbon design”

Hilarious! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Now we are back home & our thoughts have turned to organising a holiday somewhere warm soon, decorating, the garden, the Men’s Six Nations and the Winter Olympics in Italy… so much to look forward to!

Happy Birthday to nephew Reggie for next week!

Until next time… TTFN xx