My friend

No cards today, I just don't feel like making any I'm afraid. A friend of mine is dying of cancer, she has two children the same ages as mine, they grew up together, and we lived around the corner from each other when the children were little. My friend was in the year below me at school. She is 44, and it is no age to die. Her children are 17 and 19, and I look at my children and think that although they are not tiny, they would be lost without me, as they still need so much advice and guidance. I helped another friend make a sympathy card yesterday because we know that she is dying, it sounds morbid, but there are no second chances for her I'm afraid. It's just so sad. She was diagnosed last summer holidays, and her family have now been called to her bedside.

Terry and I are going away this weekend to the New Forest, leaving our two behind. They're okay, we've done it before, and the house was still standing when we got back. As long as they feed the animals, don't break anything, and don't antagonise the neighbours, that's okay. Hopefully we'll have a good trip and come back refreshed.

The chickens are all still fine, the kids have named the remaining two little hens Pudding and Strudel, (they must have been hungry at the time). It's only marginally better than Paxo and Stuffing, but never mind, it was their choice. It's almost time to find homes for the little cockerels, as they've started to try to crow, and soon the noise will become intolerable. We need to rehome them before that point, before we upset the neighbours, and lose sleep.

Well, that's all for now, back next week, Judith x