Good afternoon everyone

Oh Ali, your hampers sound wonderful and as always, your cards, stones and shells look amazing. What a special Christmas you and your family will be having. Mary and I have always taken a shell from every beach we have visited and we keep them on the back window shelf in the car. They attract a lot of attention and you have inspired me to think that perhaps we could have a go at painting them. Watch this space! Sorry to hear about the neuropathy. Sadly, Cancer and its treatments always seem to leave their Mark. I love reading your posts - you are always so full of life and you will never be old.

Hi Michele. Those antibiotics sound rotten, but hopefully, they are of benefit in the long run. Thank goodness you will soon be getting your scans done. I think that in the circumstances, it is probably best to enjoy Christmas just the two of you together which is what we are doing too. We have stocked up with food, booze, treats and we have a new TV with all the bells and whistles so we will just enjoy a quiet day together. The flooding sounds awful and I hope the new flood defences do their job. Ironically, our weather has been unseasonably warm and gentle and we even sat by the sea with a flask and sandwiches for lunch today.

Haha Lou, I love the pic. I'm afraid that dog would definitely not pass a lie detector test. People say that animals don't have expressions, but I don't believe that. I enjoyed watching the 'Strictly' final last night. It has been a really vibrant show this year and it was lovely to be able to enjoy the music, dancing, colour and excitement and to get away from all the depressing news for a couple of hours. To top it off, it was a victory for the 'oldies.' I am no expert and I am not sure that Bill Bailey was the best dancer, but he was a lot of fun and Oti's programmes were just amazing.

Thank you all for your kind wishes. I ended up in hospital with my eye issues but the medical people were amazing. They identified the problem and gave me medications which have been really helpful, and there has bee no permanent damage.

Haha, we;'re nearly there at last. Merry Christmas everybody.

Rob xxx

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@Anneb @Sunshinedaff @Chilali1531 @NanaBubbles

Hi Ali. I am sorry to hear that you have had such a tough time and thank goodness you have been feeling better lately. The myelogramme sounds pretty unpleasant, but if it helps to keep you well, it will be worth it. Haha, that tart tatin sounds delicious and I doubt that I would be able to resist it if it found its way onto my table. My Mum used to sprinkle her Yorkshire curd tarts with cinnamon. It has taken me two weeks to lose 3 pounds and I think I need to try a bit harder☹️. It is over 30c here today which I think is some kind of record for this time of year. Love your park - you live in a really lovely area.

Good afternoon Margy. How lovely to have all the family around you again. It must have been exhausting but lots of fun too. I do hope that you will be able to get together at Christmas. Your garden looks wonderful - you have all been so busy and it’s definitely been worth it. Spring is such a lovely time of year when everything starts to grow again. Our Winters are relatively mild and we rarely see any snow. The last time we did, everyone rushed out of their houses to take photographs, it was so funny.😂. Mary and I have been loving the cricket. We have had tours by the West Indies, Pakistan and as you know, Australia are here now. All of the matches have been at either Southampton or Manchester as both have hotels within their grounds. The players have been isolated in a secure bubble within the grounds and have not been allowed to leave. This means that they have been cooped up for a month or more which must have been pretty testing for young men touring England. Their efforts have been really appreciated and the cricket has been wonderful.

Here is a pic from our lovely balcony adorned with flowers from a very special friend.

Hi Michele. Your Scottish sojourn sounds wonderful. I think we need to have some pleasure and relaxation at times like this and I bet you are feeling refreshed and happy. We can’t really leave the Island to see family as we would have to fly and then self isolate on return and it is just not worth the risk/trouble. Fortunately, local hotels are offering Autumn deals for locals and Mary and I are checking some of them out. We are also looking forward to the joys of eating out and as the Island is relatively free of the virus, we feel safe to do so. The cinnamon apple crisps sound lovely and not too naughty. I think we will be giving them a go. I wonder what it is about men and steam trains. Has Geoff been to Ribblehead Viaduct in the Yorkshire Dales? The old Station Master’s house on the platform is available to rent and a friend of mine goes there every year. There are a couple of steam trains pass through most days and here is one.

Good afternoon Lou. What a lovely day to go to Falmouth. It will be tough for you all not having Hannah at home but I am sure she will settle in well and that you will be frequent visitors.

My friend Gary has a lovely cat called Joey. I don’t know what he is but he has a kind of pug face and he is very sociable and good company. Gary has recently put a little water feature into his garden and Joey is taking full advantage during the hot weather. Here are a couple of pics.

Love to you all.

Rob xxxx

Hi there! 
I’m Jackie and was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2013. I wanted exactly this kind of place to exist when I was first diagnosed but just couldn’t find anything online that was like this: the right mix for me of being informative but as upbeat and positive as possible. I’m thus delighted Live Better With and its community has since been established and am keen to support it where I can.
I was asked if I’d take up a roll of, ‘Cancer Expert’ and while I’m not sure I’m really expert in anything (!) I do have some insight into the world of cancer through my own experiences and through writing my blog and subsequent book: Tea & Chemo. I’m happy to help where I can. I will leave you with this for now: if you’ve just been diagnosed, hang on in there! The waiting and the not-knowing are, in my humble opinion, the worst. Once you get a treatment plan and get started on your treatments, it can all feel slightly less terrifying   
Big hugs to all x