Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all well and fine and looking forward to the festive season. Please let me know what you are up to and if any plans.

I’ve been very quiet!…..I haven’t been online due to suddenly being taken ill and rushed off to hospital. I have recently come home after quite a spell in hospital but still under investigation with blood tests and scans being arranged (for the early part of the new year).

I was diagnosed with pancreatitis. The two main causes are gall stones and alcohol. Rule out the latter as I am just a social drinker and keep to the odd small glass.

I have lost weight without trying and though I am not still well am on the road to recovery so feeling much better. The hospital think that when I had my gall bladder op at the end of May this year, a stone or more may be still in my inner system. The pain of pancreatitis is undescribable. I have been through child birth and endured other operations in all my 59 years so use to pain and live with pain 24/7 because of my health conditions and issues (which most of you that have read my posts know about).

I eat bland foods now and there is no such thing as a diet for pancreatitis its a case of trial and error. What will upset one wont upset another. I stick to bland as food does cause some discomfort on eating (and not big amounts either).

Anyway, to get off the subject and onto other things. How are you all doing with your diets. I have a long way to go myself and though I wish to get back to exercise (for arthritis) in my local leisure centre (early in the New Year – as its closed from this Friday) I am not allowed until my scans and blood tests (further ones) are done and I get the all clear to go back to exercise.

Sooo…. I decided to put on my festive music, Last Christmas, Driving home for Christmas, Do they know its Christmas time, Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Frosty the snowman and jig about….the disco days are over (due to the arthritic spine!).

I will do my big shop next week – as (please don’t clout me around my earhole) the closer to Christmas the better the bargains – no….not gifts or other ….but food (no drink!). The local supermarkets usually drop their prices down on the last day or so before Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I avoided Christmas week like the plaque……miserable faces pushing trolleys with disbehaving kids and queuing – we all hate that!

I remember one year I was on crutches due to an ankle issue and the supermarket hadn’t cleared their snowy car park – apart from hobbling around with trolley and crutches (on the trolley) queuing saw an hour wait (yes – really long queues) and I nearly became a cropper on the snowy car park surface. I also (when I arrived) had to wait in a queue for a………..wait for it………..trolley. People were pushing trolleys past the supermarket rather than bagging things and trolleys were going missing (stolen ie).

I vowed when I went the following year and faced similar (but the trolleys were fitted with some type of tracker that went off if someone left the supermarket (or tried) and then since have always finished up my food shopping (and all else) the week before.

I adore this time of the year (not the food shopping experiences) and hum along as I shop and feel quite disheartened to see long faces looking bored and fed up or moaning. Why aren’t people festive any more – or if I do see such festive people (and its not the norm)what a joy!

I think Christmas should be more than once a year……and so what if I am not a kid anymore but an overgrown kid…..I still love the festive season and always will and before anyone says it – I also mean the true meaning of Christmas – that is the most important thing ever!

I wonder how you are all doing with getting ready or are ready for the festive season – my Husband wants me just to wear the Christmas short dress and hat – he kept on about it for months…..even in the mid part of summer …..MEN!!!!! He doesn’t want any presents ….just me to dress up.

So what I have I done for this Christmas….well……….I have the santa dress and hat…..but had a change of heart and got him some presents. I don’t mind dressing up but I spend so much time and energy having to fight off his advances…lol. You might say….its a great exercise…..but I do want to get some time in front of the television!

I hope you are all doing well with your diets. I will be into home cooking (none of my family have to follow a bland diet – just me!) so will be busy cooking which I love and jig around to the festive music…….

They say its going to be a white Christmas – bets are on……me….I don’t think so…but if it is….well sod the santa suit and hat….i’ll grab a thick jumper, trousers, boots, hat and gloves and get up on the slight sloping paths where I live and take a cardboard box (folded)…..

Told you I was a grown up kid………wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Happy Christmas everyone. Have a fabulous time, make sure you all get spoilt by your better halves (or someone you have in mind) and God Bless.

Much love

Breianne xxxxxx

PSssst……….I’m a goldie oldie Saturday………I’m 60 (OMG……….)

Wonder if I’ll get botox in my stocking!!!!