The Lockwood Echo

A Note From The Editor #5

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Dear World

It’s been 7 weeks since my last confession post.

I have excuses galore. There are mitigating circumstances.

I’m keen to keep bums on seats, not wishing to see anyone wander off back to the foyer for snacks, never to return. So let’s bring you up to speed…….

The initial factor in my absence was the existential crisis experienced by our laptop. A shared piece of apparatus that curled up its toes almost immediately after I published the new improved version of my diddy ebook. (It’s more of a pamphlet really, but even pamphlets are at their best when formatted correctly, including pictures large enough to view with the naked eye). We were left staring at what appeared to be the black hole through which our laptop had disappeared. It took my ebook with it.

Fortunately, I was able to access the published version via my phone.

Unfortunately, there were some issues. Only made apparent after my carefully crafted file had been converted for publication by clever Kindle Elves. So my planned ‘Ta Da!’ fell somewhat flat. I can’t fix the issues without a decent size screen and proper keyboard, so my planned ‘Hey, look at this!’ re-launch and subsequent plugs have been put on hold.

And the thought of putting together ANY kind of post just to keep the printing presses rolling, just using my phone…….well…….let me swim through that vat of treacle first.

But, as you may rightly deduce, the laptop has been brought back to life, this is me using it here. See? We don’t know where it went. Or why. But we (my partner and some clever people he bribed with biscuits) have brought it back from the brink. All we have to do now is remind it of everything it knew before and everything it could do. No mean feat. But the skeletal version of its former self, these bare bones, are enabling me to compose with relative ease. Watch this space for the fixed version of that ebook.

So whilst the disappointment, logistical tangle and surprisingly large hole in our lives was being felt over Laptop Loss, the Universe kept us on our toes, fear risk of boredom setting in…….

There was a death in the family and subsequent funeral.

A parental stroke.

And just in case our nerves weren’t frazzled enough; a recall for further testing due to a suspicious looking mammogram.

So, out of curiosity, how was everyone else’s first week of September?

The death and funeral was a Great Nan, matriarch of 5 generations and herself 99¾. The parental stroke was a lucky escape, but forgive me that it’s not a subject for discussion here. And the suspicious mammogram recall? Well, that was a whole new level of humiliation and indignity not previously encountered. The ‘shit just got real’ quivering bag of nerves was a bonus handout.

I’ll start at the end by saying I’m ‘benign’. It’s how we’d all want to be in life really isn’t it?
Harmless.

Having gone through some very thorough probing, imaging and biopsy-ing, with 2 separate ‘alarm bells’ to silence, it was the result wished for of course. The doctors and leaflets quote all kinds of statistics. I found myself on the wrong side of them at each step. Until it really really counted. Alas, I’m left with the uneasy feeling that when it really really counted, one of the other ladies I waited nervously with may not have been so lucky. I can only wish them the very best outcome and the very best of everything.

The care and compassion shown by the medical team at each stage was a thing of beauty. So I’d like to take this opportunity to shout out Bravo! to our marvellous NHS. We should never take what they provide or achieve for granted. Just 100 years ago, at my age now, I’d have pretty much reached the average life-expectancy. And here I am potentially, ambitiously, just past the halfway mark. We have much to be thankful for.

So that’s where I’ve been.

On the upside, it’s given me something to write about whilst I get back to ‘Plan A’. Whatever that was. (The plan is there is no plan). I know many people like a chatty, personal post. As do I, (though journaling is not my fake newspaper’s primary function). I’m a fairly private person. I’m also very much a ‘don’t like to make a big deal out of a big deal’ kinda gal, so in my real life, little is drawn from me. I usually make the big deal after the dust has settled! Yet here I am telling a world of strangers some very personal information that only 3 people in my real life knew. How strange.

I’ve kept up with blog reading on my phone, commenting here and there, not wanting to lose touch. And have dipped frequently into Twitter to keep The Lockwood Echo buoyant and informed. Sometimes I’ve spent all day there, sipping cocktails, cooling my toes in the pool whilst I read heated debate and watched raccoons scale tall buildings.

We’re now at my favourite time of year. October brings celebrations and camping trips. So I’ll be doing some of that till we meet back here.

Thankyou for reading. Be happy. Be kind. Stay safe.

The Editor

 

 

 

 

 

36 comments

    • I absolutely see what you did there Grace. Nicely done 😉 Finding humour in the dark and the oddness is at the heart of what I’m trying to do here, so it’s essential I practice what I preach 🙂 Thankyou so much for reading and commenting. Hope you’re healing well.

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      • I’m not quite back to being able to kick ass, but I am vertical again so that’s a start!… while your laptop is up and running again, might I suggest a quick back up of everything if you haven’t already done it? I went through the whole biopsy thing last year, and frequently joke about having implants now ( the little tracking device markers they put in to monitor) for this years mammo

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        • I blamed my tracker for our credit card machine at work not functioning properly, though I suspect it was operator error! I’ve been joking that I’m now technically a robot 😉 Luckily all our really important stuff is already backed up automatically via cloud or our own external hard-drive. It was just my last edit of my ebook that would’ve been so much work to re-do. But we’ve been able to grab everything from our laptop drive including all settings, bookmarks etc. That’s the stuff that takes so long to build up again. So all of it is now on a separate hard-drive anyway. Glad to hear you’re vertical. Take it easy. And slowly 😉

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    • Aww, thankyou. Just a few mental and physical bruises still healing, it was an intense start to autumn. And is often true, real life exceeds any script of fiction. Russian novel…….hmmmm…….maybe we should plan a camping trip to Salisbury. I hear the cathedral spire is beautiful. Or maybe not. Don’t feel I need to INVITE drama into my life! 😉

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  3. I don’t know why life seems to schedule up these dramatic episodes in binge watching format sometimes but I’m glad there is to be a new series.

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    • Hey you! Camping trips are sometimes not what they start out to be, but more fodder for the blog if nothing else 😉 We can’t wait to be sat in a damp field on a miserable day in cold gales. Really! Hope all good over at Heide Blog 🙂

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      • Ha ha! I love your silver-lining attitude about “more blog fodder.'” I’m going away myself this weekend, so perhaps I’ll have some stories to share too! And all is well here, thank you. I’ve taken an unintentional hiatus over the summer but am eager to catch up. 🙂

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  6. Ok, that’s a lot to pack into September, however with your track record of camping maybe you should just set up tent in your backyard and pretend.
    Sorry about your Great Gran, but what a wonderful age to aspire to. Also your parent, and yourself. Sometimes the Universe seems to want to throw it all at you at once, just to see if you bounce it seems.

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    • Yes, the Universe does move in mysterious ways, reminding us what’s sweet by giving us some bitter to taste. The stroke, then funeral, then recall letter all happened within 6 days, so could’ve spread the doom out a bit to give us chance to breathe! It was my partner’s Great Nan and we’d had the fortune to have seen her fairly recently. We often think about camping in our garden as we now have one big enough! Possibly safer, but nowhere near as much fun 😉 Thankyou for your comment 🙂

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    • Konichiwa! Life is full of surprises isn’t it? For better or worse! Reading all your blogs was a welcome escape, even though I didn’t have the wherewithal to write and post myself till now. Thankyou for dropping by. 😊

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      • Konichiwa! and Namaste! Back in India now. Glad you liked reading them, thank you for following my crazy journey. Hope life is easier now. xxxx

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  8. Oh my, you’ve been through a journey and then some. I get what you mean about being a private person, yet finding yourself telling strangers things you haven’t told anyone else. Somehow it’s easier here, I think. Glad things are going well now and here’s to a calm October. 🙂

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    • I’m just telling my keyboard the personal details right? There’s no way this could all get out for anyone to read 😉 Once we get to autumn it’s like a switch goes on inside me and wakes me up, so I’m very much looking forward to October, whatever it brings. And of course there’s all that apple cake baking to look forward to too. 😊

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  9. Gosh, lady, your roller-coaster rails have had a generous application of WD40 haven’t they? I can relate to months like that. It appears though that you’ve come through it relatively unscathed, congratulations.

    Happy October! my fave time of year, can’t wait for bonfire night! (we shan’t talk about my pervy love of the smell of fireworks).

    Love ya lady,

    Sam

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    • Oh, the smell of smoke from a fire or a lit match, a sparkler…….makes me feel all kind of wonderful. Yes, I would very much like the rollercoaster to slow down now. Compared to the stroke and the death, of course I have come through unscathed, far worse consequences now being faced by others, supporting how and where we can. Happy October Backatcha Babe!

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    • Just life. But a particularly condensed section! Sadly, others are living with more pronounced consequences. Hopefully now our laptop is up and running, I can at least get back into the swing of things here. Thankyou for dropping in and commenting, sorry for late reply, did a bit of going away ;).

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  11. I was holding my breath as I read your words because I was terrified for you. Then I saw it…benign! Oh, thank god!!!! I was told once that I had a tumour in my lung, so for 3 weeks, I believed I had lung cancer. It turned out it was a bone island on one of my ribs but until I received that news I was planning my cremation and the keg party my friends and family would attend to celebrate my life. So relieved that you, too, received news that wasn’t catastrophic! So sorry you have had to deal with so much awful, lately. You have a unique approach to life, one that I very much admire, and I know that it helps you keep it all in perspective. You are a gift and make the world a much brighter place! Have a fabulous weekend, gorgeous!! xo

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    • Oh my life, you must have been beside yourself with worry. Just not knowing. I too thought ahead to what possible decisions may need to be made, in case those decisions needed to be made promptly. By the time I was waiting for my biopsy results, technically I was already under the care of the ‘surgical team’, so it’s pretty unnerving. Hope your diagnosis hasn’t given you any lasting issues. I’ve learnt to expect the unexpected, but I live a slow, small life which gives me the space to breathe when trouble comes knocking, and the room to dig deep for the humour, even if I can’t find it right away! Thankyou again for your beautiful thoughtful words. Have a fabulous weekend too 😉

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  13. Wow! You’ve had an intense couple of weeks. I am so happy you are benign. I always thought as much, but now there is scientific evidence. I’m so sorry for your loss and the health scare in your family. The hippy in me is sending light and love. And now you have me feeling bad because I’ve been MIA from my blog as well, and the only good reason was Disney World. Thank you for continuing to make me smile.

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