MY 'ANTI-BUCKET' LIST.

Having completed my Bucket List way back in October last year (grief, was it really that long ago?) I was super excited to read this post over at the Musings Of A Bookish Kitty blog almost a year to the day.

• Never to have to run away from zombies
• Never give a speech in an auditorium full of people
• Never get over my love of reading
• Never NOT cry when I really read a good book ...

Do you know all of these and the rest of the 'Never's' on the Literary Feline's Anti-Bucket list would easily make my list

That's right, an .....

Anti-Bucket List

- The things you hope NEVER to do before you die.

So, without further ado, here's my list. A list that like the Literary Kitten's could of course include the 'big' things - I hope to never have to tell Mr T that 'Carrot' has grown/become cancerous, I hope to never have to see the rise of fascism or fur coats become as fashionable as they once were ... you know the sort of thing -  but I'm also going to keep it light.

• I hope to never see Eeyore friendless. Never has a more true word been said on FaceBook than the cartoon that says something along the lines that though clinically depressed Eeyore stills gets invited to join in things by his friends who never expect him to pretend to feel happy or change.
• I hope to never buy peanut and jelly in the same jar. Now unlike many of my fellow Brits (Mr T included) I'm not averse to peanut and jam sandwiches BUT already mixed together .... in the same jar? I'm sorry but its just soooo wrong.
• I hope I never consider Edward a proper vampire. Much as I enjoyed the Twilight books I'm afraid vampires who, far from turning into a pile of ash should they go out in daylight, positively sparkle as if ever covered in diamonds aren't proper vampires.
• Whether it be of the religious kind, the zombie kind or indeed any other kind I hope to never have to deal with an apocalypse (or at least not one I knew was coming). Organised to the point of being anal about it, renowned for writing lists to organise lists, I'm afraid chances are I'd be dead/eaten before I'd finished my list of things needing done in order to survive such an event.
• I hope to never read of an evil, badly face-painted hedgehog on a killing spree. Not as silly as it might sound, after all how many of us never saw clowns in quite the same way after reading Stephen King's It?
• I hope to never appear in a newspaper as one of those dumb thieves (you know the kind I mean) who regularly feature in my Media Monday posts.

What about you, what would make it onto your Anti-Bucket List?

IN MY ABSENCE .....

Apologies I haven't been around for the last week or so. A malware meant the computer was out of order for a few days and then, wouldn't you know it, I came down with a nasty chest infection.

Anyway, on the positive side. I received the results of my latest MRI last week and I'm relieved to report that all is well, that there is no sign of any growth, so I will continue to be monitored with the possibility of radiotherapy should things change.

AND .....

A group of us are about to start an interesting project. We are going to write a chain story book and all the monies will go to Alzheimer's Society research. 

Thank you to the following people who will each write a chapter .. Tracy Terry, Ann Bowyer, Emma Bunn, Lesley Krier Tither, Jo Wilde and thank you to Lily Tarbox who will be asking her niece to design the whole cover for us.

- Suzan Collins, FaceBook, February 16th 2015.

Yes, you read right, I'm honoured to have been approached by Suzan Collins, author of amongst other books the wonderful Chatty Cat: The First Six Months, to write a story in aid of the Alzheimer's Society. Excited and nervous all at the same time I'll be sure to let you know how I'm progressing and in the meantime in my absence please accept this from me ....

- Image courtesy of Natural Solutions Magazine on FaceBook.

OF HAIRCUTS AND GOOD NEWS.

I'd never really thought about it before but having shared the new look me on FaceBook  (yes, I took the plunge and had myself a haircut. It's amazing what finding out you have a brain tumour can do, next it will be a tattoo .... only joking should my mother-in-law be reading this) I received several comments along the lines that at last it was nice to be able to put a face to the name (just like on Pen and Paper I've never used a current photograph) and so for those of you wishing to do the same I give you ... 

... me.

Yesterday I saw the neurosurgeon. Not expecting an appointment with him we naturally presumed the worst only to find out he just wanted to confirm what we had discussed at my last appointment in July (IE that it is benign, unpredictable but generally slow growing and will be monitored with regular MRI scans) and

to let us know Carrot was behaving itself and hadn't grown.

And on the book front ...

I was delighted to receive an email from João Cerqueira to let me know his book The Tragedy of Fidel Castro (see my review here) had won the Global Ebook Awards 2014 - Fantasy Historical Setting. Well done João. 

FEELING A BIT FRAGILE.

Whilst I don't make a habit of posting about all my various health problems I'm feeling a wee bit fragile and emotional and so wanted to share this as posted on Husband dearest's Facebook page with you.

Several weeks ago Tracy had a CT scan at request of the audiologist as her hearing has been getting harder and her tinnitus a little worse. What they were looking for wasn't present but the scan did show a mass where there shouldn’t be. We didn’t know more than the size and vague position of this lump so couldn’t really tell people anything.  We have since referred to it as ‘the lost bit of carrot’ whilst waiting to find out more.  She saw a neuro-surgeon this afternoon and the opinion is that she has an olfactory meningioma that appears to be benign (as 97. something% of them are). She will be having an MRI on Thursday to confirm that it is benign and isn’t growing into or touching anything critical. That being the case she will be having some regular MRI’s for the next few years to keep a check on it and make sure it’s not getting ideas above its station but otherwise, business as usual. The post consultation release of nervous energy through the medium of hot chocolate and substantial wedge of carrot cake, would seem to indicate this to be the case.