All change

Well, work got done. The last couple of weeks was a combination of checking and handing over. In the end it was a huge relief to finish and, supposedly, get into Doris and head off to France for a month. Work has been, and there’s no other way to describe this, ‘an experience’. As with my previous two stabs at full time work, I wouldn’t have missed a moment of it and, already, I don’t miss it for a moment. I learned a huge amount, the people were lovely and, it’s fair to say, it proved that leadership is leadership, no matter which walk of life you choose. It was good to have that reaffirmed.

I was keen that with finishing work on a Friday, we’d be away in Doris heading somewhere by the Monday. Unfortunately our dear friend Mary had a little turn and so we unpacked Doris on the Saturday and were in Godalming on the Sunday. A week later with everything in Surrey sorted, we were ready again. This time we cut our cloth and thought 4 weeks ‘up north’ would suit. And, for a while, that worked. We did Lyme Park (fab), a long cycle around some reservoirs, Harrogate, and Fountains Abbey (also fab). We got as far as the North York Moors when we heard that Mary had been taken into hospital.

Fab Fountains Abbey

All change. The last two weeks have been back at Godalming, visiting and sorting out 24-hr care, which includes us. I have to say that The Royal Surrey have been fantastic. There has been none of that NHS lag which people rightly complain about. Mary has had multiple scans and numerous doctors poring over her notes. And, as she is now due home, they are putting in 4-times-a-day nursing care, plus all of the medical gubbings to make that work. C and I have pieced together 24 hour companionship and that should work. We’ll have to test the system next week.

Of course we’re lucky. None of us are living hand-to-mouth. None of us are bereft of support. None of us should want for much. The ward here is full of white haired, older woman. And it is clear that a number of them will struggle with their care at some point in the near future. 

We are so lucky.

What next? Well, Bex, Steven AND HENRY come home the weekend after next. We have designed our piece of cover in Godalming to allow us to have time with them this summer. We will not be able to get away in Doris until we get a conclusion here, but that’s fine. We still have an eye on making Rosie’s World Champs in Nice in September and then onto Spain for a good chunk of time. And I am absolutely up for writing book 9 and there’s nothing which seems likely to prevent that. And … sales are good. I am consistently earning more from book sales than I am from paying for Facebook Ads. I do need to hone that further (no time at the mo), but I will do. It is so great to see people reading the Sam Green series every day – sometimes all eight books on the go from eight separate people. That’s fab.

So that’s me, from Costas in the Royal Surrey. I should go upstairs now to see C and Mary. 

Keep safe everyone. And don’t do the NHS down unnecessarily. I do feel that they are doing their best.