Arriving back in Blighty by ferry was an interesting experience. We have done that crossing before but I wasn’t as interested in the rope use then. A lone woman cast off from the Netherlands after sunset. After sunrise there was a large crew and two men carrying the heavy ropes ashore.
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Back in Edinburgh we started with a series of medical appointments: winter jabs for both of us; GP and physio for me; scan and dentist for Shane. My hip was already much improved by the time I saw anyone but I have exercises anyway and felt reassured that I didn’t have a permanent bad hip but was suffering the after effects of a slip at a lock where I had landed on the line of bricks that are there to help you push against and stop you slipping!. I shouldn’t expect recovery until 4-6 weeks after. All was going in the right direction.
As walking got easier I started going for walks and had a few by the canal. The first one was on an icy path by a frozen canal. We didn’t fancy slipping into that. Later the weather became milder and the canal thawed and it felt safer to stroll there then and a rower was out practising. The wet weather persisted and some days walks did not appeal and there was water where there shouldn’t be at all.
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I washed the cardigan I had been knitting and it was handed over to the family by Nye. I had a mixture of wools and experimental edging which looks a little watery but feels very soft.
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I embarked on another project using wool Nye gave me three years ago and I had not got round to using it. The wool was from Marple wool shop and is a sock yarn and its colour name is “water-cum-jolly Dale”. I am making cosy socks and think that will be useful on the boat where the floor is about canal temperature. One done and should be finished the other before Christmas.
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On the day Shane was to see the oncologist for his scan results it was less wet and he was preparing to cycle there. Meantime I headed to Portobello to meet a friend who had had a brain tumour removed. She has had a significantly harder year. She was pleased to be phasing back into work but still walking with a stick as a result of brain surgery. Again we are so lucky to have had so few and less long lasting effects. Shane messaged me before I left her to say his scan was clear so no need to be seen for another 6 months I went in to my second engagement to see my niece, with good news. After late lunch, exchanging cards and a long chat we had a stroll down the promenade at sunset, a rosy view ahead.
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