Relight my fire ...

I have two passions.  No, I am NOT talking about shoes and handbags.  Nor cheese and wine.  Or even Robson and Jerome (as if ... shudders).  Let's make it clear, I am talking Words and Pictures.  Yes, you heard right. Words and Pictures.  The Words bit has been going OK as I have my blog.  However, lots of my friends have asked how my photography has been faring, and have been most surprised to hear that the answer is "not far" and that my camera has been sitting in its case for the last few months.

Last week, when the Oncologist (the one who isn't the Luv-ver-ley Dr O) asked me about the physical side effects of chemotherapy I had to say very few.  If I had to mark it out of ten then I would say maybe 1, sometimes a 2.  Overall I have been very very lucky ... so far ... bearing in mind my chemo regime changes radically in a couple of weeks.  However, the thing that has totally got me, and what has been very unexpected, is the lows and depression.  Not particularly dealing with the impacts mentally and physically from the cancer, but from the medication.  Two or three days after the chemo I just hit a massive dip. Drug high ... drug low.  Now, this cancer thing has already got my body and I ain't gonna let it take control of my mind by forcing me to take further medication ... quite frankly there is enough crap going through my bloodstream ... so I am going to try plough on regardless.  However, this is rather easier said then done. 

If you feel low or depressed it is often recommended that it is better you get off your arse and do something rather than sit in a darkened bedroom and cry -  so on Saturday I decided to just try that.  I got up and went over to Dartington and took some photos.  Now, Dartington Hall Gardens is one of my all time favourite places.  Memories of Foundation Day ... sunny picnics ... and teenage summer holiday jobs ... ooh, whatever happened to that lovely chap James ...?

As a result of my little expedition I have loaded a few of my new pics up on to my Flickr site ... along with a few which I took BBC (before breast cancer).  I do feel a bit sad looking back at the BBC pics ... but hey ... no point on dwelling on the past.  I am thinking that maybe now is the time to bite the bullet and do a photography exhibition.  I have sold some images previously and it is a mood booster to know that people are taking your work away and hanging it in their homes. We'll see ...

In the meantime, if you do get chance to take a look at my Flickr site then please pop along.  I have even put a couple up of Dumpy Daisy - who seems to be just getting dumpier - to prove that she didn't leave me forever and that my praying worked!! Just click here to take a look.

See you later in the week for my usual blog!!