I’ve now completed my course of chemotherapy for my leukaemia at Inverness hospital, two jabs a day for five days (arms, tummy, thighs, arms, tummy; ouch, ouch, and double-ouch). Now we have an anxious wait to see if it’s worked, and that could take a while; but if any of you have any influence with the powers that rule this benighted universe, please do put in a good word for me, won’t you? Meanwhile it looks like I’ll be here “for a few weeks”; and all the while Christmas is looming on the horizon of my mind, as inescapable as Moby Dick swimming towards his final showdown with the Pequod and its doomed crew.
Settling in at the rookery
Many thanks to everyone for all the messages of goodwill, both in the blog and on Facebook and online (including Ravelry). I’m not able to reply to them individually, that chemo is nasty stuff (it’s a bit like finding a rat infestation in your kitchen and deciding to treat it with grenades and a flamethrower) but I’ve read them all, and they really mean a lot. Thank you.
Wind in the Trees
In parish notices, Karen H has sent in some photos of a stunning blue version of the Wick Leaf gansey, as published in The Knitter in January. Well done to Karen – Mr H is one lucky chap!
Now, I’m all for some quality black humour in a good cause, and I’ve been cheering myself up this week revisiting amusing deathbed last words. A cracker, though doubtless apocryphal, is “I’ve poisoned the buffet”. But the best by far comes from Voltaire, when a priest asked him as he lay dying if he renounced the devil and all his works; to which Voltaire replied, “Now, now, my good man, this is no time to be making enemies…”
A participant in the annual Umbrella Parade
So glad you have got to the other side of the chemo, Gordon. I hope you begin to feel better soon and I will indeed use all the influence I have with the powers that be on your behalf – I’m not sure that I have any influence mind, but I will put in that good word just in case! Thank you for writing another one of your wonderful blog posts even whilst you are recovering from the chemo blast. Hope you have good news soon!
I’m glad for you that the chemo course is finished. It must be a painful life being a pin cushion. I shall treat mine more gently in future.
I am about to start another gansey. Falmouth Navy and the Esther Nurse pattern again; but a few weeks of st st before I have to contemplate the positioning of the pattern.
We had a lovely day at the Museum last Saturday; so many genuinely interested people. Ganseys R Us
Sending healing vibes and best wishes, Gordon –
The color of the current gansey is amazing, Breton I think? It really glows
Sending good wishes, thoughts and prayers.
Impressive progress on the gansey! A real stunner!
Get as much sun as seems reasonable. I’m a believer in natural light to support health despite my own indoors-preferring habits.
Margaret, if you get to see this, we were very shocked and saddened to see the news of Gordon’s passing just now. Long-term computer issues meant I’d not been seeing this superb blog recently, so had no idea he was even having chemo.
He was a truly lovely man, it was an honour to have known him.
We both send our love and all sympathy.
Thank you very much, Richard. More details in tomorrow’s blog, if you see this.