An Angel, an Owl and another blog

It was one of those moments, you know, when you've wanted something so much and there it is. With her sun bleached hair and her nicely tanned skin Wendy was an absolute picture when she arrived on the ward. My heart jumped and my head relaxed, she was home my angel was home. It was a better pick me up than any chemically derived product could ever be.

I didn't care that I was still on chemo, or that I was on a ward bored out of my tree Wendy was back and I could do anything now. We talked about her journey and about the girls and how hard it had been for her to leave them in Wales and come back to me. Emotionally she was torn between us and I can understand that. She looked so well and relaxed and happy after her trip, it was kind of how I'd imagined her trip to be, a break from me and the formalities of hospital and visiting times.

Wendy also told me of the girls blog, Twirly Girlies summer adventure is a little blog to record their holiday for me to watch and it's been brilliant seeing them on the beach and eating pizza's and generally enjoying themselves. It even recorded Carys losing another front tooth and yes the Welsh tooth fairy turned up!

Sunday brought more joy and laughter. I came home from treatment in the morning and the feeling of relief was almost overwhelming, just being in our home and being together with Wend was a return to the normality I crave. The afternoon brought the arrival of the Owl, Charlie is one of my best friends, my business partner, riding mate and curry eating companion. Some of which are more difficult now he's moved to New Zealand! Skype is brilliant and has allowed us to talk all the way through his time there but it's not the same and man hugs are not as fulfilling when they're done in a virtual world!

He was on a flying visit to Sheffield having been at his mum and dad's for his dad's 70th he was then flying over to Sweden to get married to his beautiful Swedish fiancee Veronica. It was mixed emotions as we had booked the flight and were going to be there, me as one of the best men, on the island watching two very loved up people getting married. Just not to be.

Charlie (on the left) and Veronica

The visit brought Mark and Jill out of their cosy little home for an evening of banter and curry and beer and wii dancing. I have video evidence and I apologise for some of the language, if easily offended please don't press play!

Mark and Jill set of Monday to catch the ferry and then travel up to the wedding, most of it on their trusty Triumph and the rest car sharing with a half Swedish half Scottish couple! I'm sure there are tales to tell from that trip!

Charlie stayed until Tuesday morning and that was an incredibly painful goodbye. Our friendship is one of those that picks straight up from the moment we meet, there's never any awkward moments and it had been a magic couple of days. Drinking coffee and eating biscuits and generally putting the world to rights as we used to do. Saying goodbye, well I dissolved into an emotional mess so probably didn't even say it, was so difficult. He's back in November so I need to get my a*se in gear and get sorted for then!

Mark and Charlie are my best friends and the love I have for them makes them more like brothers that I never had but without the negatives. I'm a lucky lucky man.