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I'll be 55 this August... I've had bronchiectasis for ten years plus this year... End stage lung disease for the past year...been on oxygen for three years... and have I got used to it yet?... nah! I am now waiting for the biggie; a double lung and maybe a heart transplant. I love my life weirdly enough, because I have some wonderful family and friends who are with me every step of the way on my adventures, even though I embarrass them on a daily basis with my unorthodox way of looking at life. Not for the faint hearted!

Sunday, 26 June 2011

A Midsummer Glamp has began



Well with the help of my friends and family, I feel like I am back in the real world. What a lovely weekend I have had.

Friday night started totally different to last Friday as thankfully I was feeling so much better thanks to the course of antibiotics and more importantly, my boost in the form of the letter from Papworth and was really on a high as I drove us girlies off to see the 'Evening of Burlesque' at the Civic Theatre in Chelmsford.
I take my hat off to the way those ladies could swing their tassels! Julie who is the least bashful of us all, was the one who didn't know where to look at first and she thought I had brought her to a strip joint! But she soon settled into the show and admired all the glamorous 50's style costumes and the glitz of it all, realising it wasn't seedy at all.

Saturday morning Reni and myself went along to the 'Village Plan' in the park and sold books there in an effort to raise money for 'Stepping Stones' a charity based in London, but raises funds and awareness against child poverty and abuse in Nigeria and on the Nigerian children slave traffic to England.
It was really good to be doing something positive for others and being back helping in the community again. Before this disease took hold, I was always rushing about here or there attending something in the village community. That is what village life to me is all about, getting involved.
We sat in the park drinking tea, chatting to fellow stall holders and buyers alike and it gave me an amazing buzz, plus we made a profit, so bonus.

Last night I set off to Julie's Midsummer Glamp and it was hysterical. I was really nervous about going to be totally honest, but no need and I should have more faith. We sat in her garden which was full of tents in all various shapes and sizes, but all covered with fairy lights. We drank what seemed gallons of Pimms and Mohjitos. We ate a giant Chinese takeaway, probably the biggest order they had that evening and then changed into our pjs as the sun went down whilst wearing some rather scary face packs!
At one point with my henna tattoos on one hand... done that morning at the 'Village Plan' thanks to another fund raiser... and a Pimms in the other, sitting in the sun listening to 'Kings of Leon' etc, you would have been forgiven for thinking that I was at the Vfestival rather than in Julie's back garden! This was far more civilised, well until Lynn threw up, bless her.
I managed not to catch the Garden Jenga and bring it crashing down after the kids had built it up with my oxygen tubing which was looped around the garden and I looked like Miss Haversham dragging it behind me! And I stayed a safe distance away from the roaring fire, that Julie had borrowed from my garden and had lit once it started getting cooler.
Everyone settled down into their tents about 1am. But this was after lots of giggling from those being gassed by Tiff's windy habits in the six man tent and a bit of screaming from the little ones when Darren shook their tent after they were telling ghost stories to each other, and while Brenda and myself settled down in our comfortable beds in Julie's house, but with the windows open so we could hear Julie's renowned snoring.
The 1st Annual Midsummer Glamp at Julie's has been established.

This morning Julie cooked a full English breakfast for all of us before we all set off on our separate ways. She really should take on a B&B as she would be brilliant at it. My way was to make the most of the sudden sunshine and take mother to Maldon for a picnic.
I sat next to the car in my deckchair with my Panama hat on, eating cheese and pickle sandwiches, reading a book, thinking life doesn't get much better than this. Of course it could and if I'm lucky enough to get this transplant, then I can push mother up and down the prom in my wheelchair for her to enjoy everything too. Until then she is content the same as me to sit and watch the world go by.

Thank you to everyone that has made this weekend so special for me. And a big thank you to Julie.

Lots of love Debbie x

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