Glyn's apprentice!

Well talk about taking to latch hooking like a duck to water! Only had to Show Lainie a few times and she was doing it nearly as fast as me within half an hour or so!

Most confidently going like a good 'un and watching the telly as well!

Still under the ole mans' watchful eye though! lol!

Am I missing Fb and Twitter?

The short answer is yes, but not too much!
It means that I have been spending much more time doing the things that were being neglected of late, spending time with, and listening to God, I have been very aware that FB and Twitter must sit very much on the back-burner after Easter! The things that have been revealed to me I will enlarge upon when they have fully worked their course!
I am a little disappointed that most of my children have only presumed that I am ok and only Elizabeth has seen fit to actually ring me (twice) to see how the cancer treatment has been going. Makes me wonder if they really care? Apparently they are so wrapped up in their own little worlds that I no longer seem to matter?
What have I been up to so far, well apart from the usual things like doing the news magazine etc. for the church and the Launceston MVC, I have been sorting the change of bank from the Co-op to Barclays and of course the aforementioned which really seemed to knock 10 skittles of s**t out of me!!
Now that it is over and I am well on the road to recovery my thoughts are returning to getting back to the voluntary work that I do for the Launceston Money Advice Centre and Kernow House old folks home, oh and also what Sue took a photo of me doing (below)!

Yes it is a Disney latch hook rug! The second one I have done.

The first one is getting a bit threadbare now but I still love it!

2 Days further on

Well they said it would get worse before it got better! Every so often a lump breaks the skin and pops out through and thereby leaves a freshly open wound. I presume it is lumps of dead cancer cells that my body is ejecting as the hospital advised may be the case? Thankfully is seems to happen where there is already a scab. (updated Sunday 30th March)

The Last Treatment (I Hope)

Attended Derriford Hospital yesterday for the last of the treatment on the skin cancer and was much more painful than the first one! I also have a good deal more swelling especially around the eye.
Sue was so concerned about it that I rang the hospital this morning and they assured me that it was quite normal, but if not gone down by Friday to return without an appointment and they will be only too happy to look at it for me.

OUCH THAT HURT LOL!!

3 days after

I took this picture a few minutes ago on my tablet to show 3 days after the first treatment.
I hope it looks a bit better by Sunday as we have a concert at Ashwater Parish Hall!

Sue says that it will not look too bad at a distance!

Post script to previous post on the 18th! 20/03/2014

I do not know how this happened but I lost one and three quarter pounds this week which takes me under the 18 stones! JUST! So chuffed!!

Possible Bank Account Change 19/03/2014

Sue and I bank with the Cooperative Bank with our main current account, and as many of you will know they are not having the best of times at the moment BBC News here will tell you if you don't!

Sue and I arranged an appointment with Santander to see about the 123 account which had been recommended to us by a member of LCC and works for the bank and we duly arrived at 1000!
We were very politely shown into an office by one Paul Elkin to see about changing over. I by law have to tell them that in 2010 we declared ourselves bankrupt! Look here To say an attitude change occurred would grossly be an understatement! We were very promptly shown from the office without even a goodbye handshake! I think he went back in his office and scraped the bottom of his shoes off!

So funny as it will encourage their staff perhaps to listen to customers when they speak to them as I had asked the lady who made the appointment if being bankrupt in 2010 would cause any problems? To this I received no reply so considered it was hunky dory!

Now we have decided to stay with the Cooperative Bank as to be truthful they have been more than good to us in the past, but not to the extent of leaving all the funds that they hold so opening a savings account that is internet accessible with possibly Barclays to hold the bulk of the funds that are now held by the Coop.

As I always say that annoys the hell out of Sue "well at the end of the day it's only money"! As you may have guessed Sue worries enough about the stuff for both of us and I learned a long time ago that God provides ALL that we need and so I put all my cares about money on Him as He is big enough! Praise Him!

Today the cancer treatment started 18/03/2014

Well up early for the start of the Photodynamic Therapy Treatment for the skin cancer on my cheek. It involves 2 appointments 3 hours apart hence the visit to KFC to kill time!
As I am on a diet at the moment I have real fears that the weight loss is going to be in the negative this week!!! What with Trencreek Sunday, Homegroup meal Monday and now KFC Tuesday! Perhaps if I starve until Thursday morning?
Stella came with Sue and I just in case she was needed to drive home and below is a picture that she took while we were having our early lunch!

Make the most of it as you do not get many photos of me!

You do not get many natural pictures of Stella either so thought this was worth adding!

Thank You 16/03/2014

After church we went for lunch at Trencreek Farmhouse as a thank you from the church for all the work I do in the fellowship.They gave it to me as a Christmas present.

What can I say? The food was fantastic, the surroundings and welcome was outstanding!

So thank you Launceston Community Church for the gift, the wait for the booking was well worth it.

Westward Ho! 10/03/2014

Sharon was in Westward Ho for the first few days of the week so we arranged to meet her for lunch on Monday at the chalet where she was staying.
Well I nearly lost Sue for the duration of her stay, for to say the view from her chalet was spectacular would be a gross understatement!!!

As stated, a view to die for!

 We had a lovely lunch in the restaurant that was attached to where they were staying which had sea views out of the windows.

My word Sue is getting rather grey! ha ha! Oh and Sharon looking as young as ever!

We then had a drive to the town and a wander along the front and popping into the shops before the drive home, yes Sue was with me?
The astounding thing was also that the sun shone all day, it was all in all a good day out!

Diet up to 06/03/14

Just to start with the boring stuff, I this week went over the stone loss and weighed in at 18st and a quarter pound. Total loss so far one stone one and three quarter pounds so a pat on the back for Glyn me thinks!
Well if I don't do it no-one else will ha ha!

Lent 2014

Well I have decided that I am giving up "social networking" (Facebook and Twitter) for lent again this year. I started on Ash Wednesday (5th March) and will be continuing until Easter Sunday (20th April). I had forgotten how much I missed it last year? I got through it then so I am sure I will get through it now. It is good, mind you to be spending time on other things, I am spending more time reading the Bible and praying, also I may even be getting my rug finished after about 4 years! I have my bonsai to start as they are just starting to bud up, a weather station to set up in the garden, also help Sue with the raised bed she has taken on for us, I am sure I will not be idle?
Will also be able to update this more regularly!
I have a few thing to add such as, our visits to Frome and The Eden Project.
Also there was the flood relief concert.
I will also be able to bore you with how my diet is progressing!
During this time I will be having the treatment for the skin cancer on my cheek! One thing that I am not looking forward to!

10 pin bowling with church 20/02/2014

Went 10 pin bowling at Trethorne for the first time in what must be 10 years!

The company was wonderful and it was a fun evening. Stella and Lainie were in attendance as well as it was half term.

What I did find surprising was how you forget how to do such a simple thing as chuck a ball accurately at 10 pins! What is that all about? Sue and I were crap on the first game but at least I tied the second with Mervyn but only with 101 pins. When we were playing regularly I would have hung my head in shame at that score so will not even tell you what I got in the first game!!!

We had a lovely meal between games, not that I really needed it being on a diet.

Below are a couple of pictures taken by Rachel who must be thanked for organising such a fun time for all!

What a mixed bag of friends?

Lainie ready for action!

Flood Relief Concert 15/02/2014 raising £8000

Due to the amount of flooding on the Somerset Levels and the longevity of it the decision was made by Launceston MVC and 4 other choirs to do a charity concert (suggested in the first place by Chris Hitchins) to try to raise some funds for the victims.
I think I can safely say that the support and generosity was astounding considering it was arranged in less than a week and raising a staggering £8000!
I am going to put on here a picture and report from the local paper and a news item from the choirs website!

http://www.launcestonmalevoicechoir.co.uk/support_news.html

Chris Hitchins is front row second from left, I am on there so look?

LAUNCESTON MALE VOICE CHOIR

PRESENTATION OF £8000 CHEQUE TO THE ADDINGTON FUND

Ian Bell of the Addington Fund was presented with a cheque for £8000 by Brian Jennings, Chairman of Launceston Male Voice Choir on Wednesday 5th March 2014, to help the victims of the floods on the Somerset Levels.

£7000 was raised through a combined impromptu concert by five Cornish male voice choirs, and the Tetcott Ladies choir, all arranged in under a week, Lynne Pett from the Launceston branch of Barclays Bank also presented a cheque for £1000 from the Bank’s Charity fund to this very worthy cause.

“All of those taking part have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support we have received. Bringing together six choirs, totalling over 120 voices to perform a two hour concert in a matter of days was no small feat” said Brian Jennings. “With the magnificent support from our our choir friends from Burraton (Saltash), Tintagel, Pelynt, Liskerrett (Liskeard) and The Tetcott Ladies, we thrilled a packed house, who gave more much needed cash. We have also received many large anonymous donations”.

Ian Bell assured the choir members present that ‘every penny’ of the monies raised would be spent on flood victim support, both now and in the aftermath, as this tragedy is likely to last for at least another year or more.

Most of the choir members have very close connections with the farming community, and as such, although not involved, wanted to ‘do something special’ just to show those who had suffered so much that they too cared.

The Gathering! Frome 08 & 09/02/2014

Well for the first time in six and a half years we were all together again! That is the five children of Thelma and Dick Cotterill, yes even Rob appeared with Keaton! Hell he has grown, well I suppose that a young man of 20 would! You do not realise how time goes on when you see so little of them over the years!
We all met at the Premier Inn at Frome which has a public house attached called the Frome Flyer. This is very necessary as far as our family is concerned with the amount of alcohol we seem to consume when we get together. It was mostly a very pleasant evening except for the usual suspect and his nasty snide remarks toward me that as usual I chose to ignore rather than give him the satisfaction of rising to his "bait".
The rest is told in pictures!

The Five of us Cotterill Siblings

The 5 with Keaton.

Keaton was taking the photo and this is the rest of those attending.

Weight, Angina and secrecy!

Well now that Sue knows I suppose the rest of the world might as well!

I went to the doctors on the 7th January as my angina had been giving me some trouble since mid December. Not wanting to worry anyone until after Christmas I decided to keep it to myself and covertly take the spray as and when required! Well I found that quite easy so after going to the doctors decided to continue keeping it to myself.
That was OK except that the doctor had told me that having put on about 4 stone (had gone up to 19st 2lb or 122kg in foreign money) since giving up smoking about 2 years ago it was putting too much of a strain on my heart and to lose 2 stone very quickly OR she was going to have to arrange a bypass operation! If I did not I was going to be "kicking up daisies" sooner rather than later (general gist of conversation, my words not hers)! Also I was very strictly told not to do anything that was going to cause me the slightest stress until I had at least lost the 2 stone and reduced the blood pressure. Ummmm, how do you do that when you have a 9 year old child to entertain after school and still keep it to yourself?
Well tried it for 3 weeks and all was going quite well until I really did feel ill and felt close to passing out one day when playing with Lainie, so after that I decided I had better spill the beans to Sue. I had even lost 6lb in weight!!!!

To Be Cont..............As of today (05/03/14) it looks like I will have plenty of time to! explanation follows!