Hi all, haven't blogged on here for ages and fhis will be the last one for sometime as just too busy with other things.
Have to have my foot operated on soon to correct deformity caused by this wretched disease. I will be out of action for 4 - 6 weeks but at least (hopefully) I should be free of pain for the first time in 5 years. (well, in the foot anyway).
My dogs are ok Berry and Tilly. Berry was ill earlier this year with a nasty stomach bug and had to have antibiotics. As no one knew what had caused it we couldn't book him in for his next gun dog training in case of infecting the other dogs there. Minniecat is busy registering a protest at having been in kennels for 5 days. Burmese are so funny they are almost human in their behaviour.
This has been such a rotten, cold, long winter.= it's nice to see some springlike days and the daffodils are out round the castle. My hyacinths have been up for sometime and the snowdrops have now gone over but everything else is coming into flower and leaf.
My OU course is going well. I am just writing up my last essay of this module and then have an exam in June to finish if off. Start the final module in October and get another degree (hopefully) next Summer (2014) to add to my legal degrees. It keeps me out of mishief and will have to start revising soon. My final essay is on Human Trafficking which is very interesting. Plenty of research.,
We were up in Harrogate last weekend for a conference and then spent 3 days with sister in law south of Leeds. Our youngest nephew was there with his children. The last time we saw the little girl who is now 5, was when she was a week old! They live up on the moors - beautiful views but completely cut off in the winter. Our oldest great niece completed her Uni course in History last year and has graduated with honours. Hasn't yet decided what she wants to do with it.
Very busy with Rotary, I am now the District Governor Nominee which means I will be District Governor in 2015/16 in charge of 74 clubs and covering a vast area. Lots of offers to drive me which will be very useful as I get so stiff behind the wheel on any journey more than an hour. RA is very irritable and has been for some weeks since I had a really nasty chest infection which lasted 6 weeks - two lots of antibiotics, 2 lots of steroids etc. Blood pressure is up although being dealt with and my legs, ankles and feet are swelling up every day. Have to do lose weight - doctor's orders. She weighed me the other day and I have put on 9 kilos over the last year! Couldn't believe it. Also my BMI has gone up as well.
Just don't feel 100% at present. Hope the warmer weather will help + a week in Portugal in the early Summer with friends.
Two weeks ago when we had a lovely warm Sunday, pruned the grapevine, cut back other bushes in the garden, trimmed the palms of their dead foliage. Swept up the leaves (they are now back again after all that wind) and generally tidied up. Exhausted for the rest of the day! Himself was playing golf of course as he has done this morning. I got on and changed the beds as a good drying day but wore myself out and had to keep sitting down with two very concerned Labradors for company who were clearly worried.
Lunchtime beckons - Himself has gone to the pub with a friend but we are having to go and get dog food this afternoon as they are running out. Saw the film Anna Karenina last night - if you haven't seen it don't bother. Very weird and the acting was so wooden - the whole thing seemed to take place on a stage or the back of a theatre. None of the story lines jelled with each other and when she finally threw herself in front of the train, everyone breathed a sigh of relief! The only good thing was the costumes. Very spectacular. The actor playing County Vronsky was a wet week (he had blond hair instead of black as in the book) and he certainly would not have attracted me - I like my men with a bit of fire in them! Not a patch on the earlier film.
Anyway, that's all from my neck of the woods. Hope you are all beginning to feel better now Spring is here and not suffering too much. One day they will find a cure for this - until then we just soldier on and keep popping the pills.
Love Lavendarlady
Jim is out of hospital 
This is my first time- would be great to hear from fellow ra sufferers out there!
Tough time on methotrexate
Running out of treatments 
