Hello....is there anybody still there

KNOCK...KNOCK TESTING ... 1...2...3

Is there anybody there? 

6 years ago I used to do this a lot. I kind of got seduced by other stuff (Facebook mainly) and lost the habit. However, I think I might try this again, I remember it being quite therapeutic :) 

So here I am still retired, now the wrong side of 40, with older children and 1 more (Little Monkey) to add to the mix. Still living in Weston-super-Mare. If anyone still reads this please leave a short comment to say hi .... Please?

Life has stabilised somewhat here. Still having to cope with Psoriatic Arthritis, Psoriasis, Depression, Type 1 Diabetes...but now with the added fun of Fibromyalgia thrown into the mix. Typing is large amounts of text is difficult now so this blog has been mostly dictated. What's happened in the last 6 years...lots. 

Major health scare in 2009, resulting in 5 weeks in hospital and 2 major operations to cut out major infections followed by 12 months of recovery. Then onto a new drug for my Arthritis called Infliximab, which has been amazing. The progress of my Arthritis has slowed (still pretty bad though) and my Psoriasis is more bearable.

For about 3 years I was a volunteer at North Somerset Citizen's Advice Bureau helping other's with there own particular problems, from Debt and Social Benefit applications to Consumer advice; amazingly fulfilling work, but I had to quit a couple of months back as my own Medical issues were making it impossible to cope with all the writing required :(. 

Some of you may remember I was into Medieval Reenactment, still am, only that's had to be scaled back as well. Can't really camp any more as sleeping in a damp tent really knackers my joints, let alone the fact I can no longer even put up a tent; we've sold our authentic tents. We do still take part in one day events when the weather allows and the distance isnt too great. We are now members of Teulu'r Tywysogion (The Prince's Retinue) and still involved with The Company of Chivalry. This is us at an event at Neath Abbey a few weeks ago.



Aginoth Junior (not so junior any more) is missing from the photo; he's as tall as me now ( 14 in a week's time) and has decided that he doesn't like reenactment; probably because it would mean being surgically separated from Minecraft).

Aginoth Junior now attends North Hill House School in Frome as a weekly boarder.  We had a long drawn out fight with our local Education Authority to get him into this school; which is run by Priory Group.  His Autism is becoming more manageable as he get's older, he still has the social abilities of a 4 year old, but he is intellectually able to rationalise behaviours into rule to follow now even if behaviours will never become instinctive.  He is academically very able; just taken his options at school for year 10 and will be studying Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry, ICT, Resistant Materials, and Art (Art was a real surprise choice!)

LMB is about to start secondary School (Year 7) and got into our first choice school in Weston. She has taken up Rugby Union (plays for Weston Hornettes) and has joined Sea Cadets.

LMD has become a musician, she plays piano, cornet (with Weston Brass) and also sings.  She has medical issues of her own, which cause an ongoing battle with continence. We're really proud of how she copes.

I've taken up playing E♭ Bass (also with Weston Brass) Been playing for almost 2 years now, hoping to be good enough to be able to play Christmas carols in public with teh main band this winter.

Much much more has happened, and if I can keep this up I'll share soon

Well that'll do for now, I wil endeavour to be back soon

Agi.