So, with everything that has been happening these past few months, I like many many others found myself housebound with no one for company except my darling children and my other half. For the first few weeks of the lockdown this was absolutely fine, I would video call my parents and grandparents daily and once a week would have a family quiz with my parents, siblings and their families, it was always great fun. However, I started to crave new conversations with new people, so I found a group on Facebook for Pen pals and I thought why not?

This group caters for everyone, everywhere. I put up a “about me” post to see if anyone would be interested in being my pen pal. I was delighted at the responses that I received. 3 months on I have pen pals in America, Germany, Italy, Poland, France and Australia. It has been fantastic to get to know other people and build friendships with them. One of my pen pals even threw a party for my daughters 5^th birthday which we celebrated during lock down. My daughter loved the fact that an amazing lady and her family were celebrating with us all the way from America.

I have also learnt a lot about other countries and their cultures it truly is fascinating. I write to a wide range of women some are older than me, some are younger, some are parents, others aren’t, it doesn’t matter as we all have one thing in common- we love to write letters, it’s as simple as that.

I have also discovered another Facebook page which asks for people to write to residents in care homes in America, each resident holds up a piece of paper with their name and their interests and you simply choose who you would like to write to. The fact that someone cares enough to take the time out of their day to write a letter to them means the absolute world. And I believe I speak for all pen pallers when I say that receiving a letter truly does help battle the isolation the coronavirus has thrust upon us.
It has been said that this is the worst crisis since world war 2 and I believe that at times like this we see the very best of each other. This pandemic is something that our grandchildren will learn about and I would like to think that they will learn how we came together and helped one another even if it was just by sending something as simple as a letter.

Links:

To write  to the elderly

To find penpals from all over the world

This book is simply brilliant, and I don’t say so lightly.

Let me introduce its creator – Jo Taylor. Jo got breast cancer at 38 yrs old. Despite a full whack of treatments, her breast cancer returned. Secondary breast cancer (SBC) – when the cancer comes back – is currently considered incurable and thus very scary. You’d think that dealing with the emotional and physical effects, the very uncertain future, caring for a young family and juggling 3 weekly anti-cancer treatment cycles (for ever), plus several major operations, would be more than enough balls to keep in the air. But not for Jo. Since her diagnosis, she’s worked tirelessly to create a fantastic supportive website; campaigned relentlessly for more research (despite an estimated 35,000 women living with SBC in UK there are scant new treatments); set up, and runs, exercise retreats on Saddleworth Moor (exercise benefits both quality of life and survival); and co-founded BCCWW Twitter group and Met Up UK. This is just a flavour of Jo’s activities, all focused on helping current and improving future prospects for the growing numbers living with SBC. So maybe it’s no surprise that now she’s produced a book.

Whilst writing my own breast cancer help book, I was conscious that people needed to absorb copious complicated information to help them make critically important treatment decisions, whilst still in a state of shock. So what really struck me about the ABC Diagnosis book is, it’s concise, easy to read and yet contains a massive amount of key information, mainly imparted in one-page stories written by patients. Each patient gives a different aspect of breast cancer eg the (sometimes very young) women, who’ve been through treatment and regained a normal active life, either cancer-‘free’ or with SBC or those whose cancer propelled them into starting charities, or cancer-related businesses. But not all are superheroes – there are ordinary folk too, just getting through a pretty lousy deal, and showing that you can too. And let’s not forget men get breast cancer – they’re also featured. There’s a good chance any reader will find a story that resonates – showing they’re not alone, and they’ll absorb important information through the stories. Some will make you weep, but all provide hope and knowledge. Friends and family will learn from them too. Intermingled with the stories are one-pager information on numerous important topics – explaining the types of breast cancer, the treatments, side-effects, employment rights, complementary therapies, research, clinical trials, plus numerous resources – travel insurance, charity resources, books, support groups and much more.

So where do you get this book? Well follow this link, and guess what, it’s free. ABC Diagnosis can only continue this work with donations, so whilst ordering your book, check out the rest of this brilliant website and also consider donating through the Just-Giving page.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

The Gypsy Bride by Katie Hutton, pub. Zaffre in pb, eBook and audio

This is a cross-cultural love story written with warmth and drama. Ellen is the granddaughter of  Methodist preacher and intends to marry Charlie, from her own village. But Charlie is killed in the 1st World War.

Fortunately Ellen meets Sam Loveridge, from a local Gypsy community. Such a heady moment, such excitement, which becomes passion and true love.

But how does this ‘sit’ in a Methodist community? Ah well, read and see.

The Devil you Know by Emma Kavanagh, pub by Orion in pb, eBook and audio.

A different kettle of fish altogether as good girl Rosa Fisher, who is halfway through her PhD, is in her house, alone, when she hears an intruder on the stairs. Arghh. Who hasn’t thought they have heard someone: the heart stops, fear freezes you, but then there is no-one there.

But what if it IS someone? Who is he? What does he want? Well, he’s after someone else that opens a window on Rosa’s life.  Now, she goes back in time, to her origins, and her ‘goodness’.

Full of pace, twists and written with grit. Clever, and great characters.

The Path to the Sea by Liz Fenwick, pub HQ. pb, eBook and audio.

Such an evocative title, and great jacket but set on the Cornish coast, how could it not be.

Boskenna, the imposing house on the Cornish cliffs which means something different to each of the Trewin women. Joan found it a paradise back in the 60s when she and her husband could be away from their normal world, but did they escape into happiness?

Diana is Joan’s daughter,  looking for the happiness of her childhood, symbolised by Boskenna, but was it really happy?

Then there’s Lottie, in disarray, heading for Boskenna escaping her life, in an echo of her parents, but how will the return end?

There they are, all three together. Time for the lid to be lifted on the past. Will their relationship survive?

Warm, evocative, you can taste the salt on your lips, feel the breeze in your hair as Liz Fenwick weaves her magic.

Annie Clarke is the author the Home Front Girls series.

We have two dogs who really don’t care about lock down, or lock up, or lock sideways…  As long as they get their walk. So up at 5.30 and out. It has awakened us to the lanes down which we walk, alone, with two dogs. We have time and the isolation to stop and stare.

Here in North Yorkshire we have had strong winds and rain, so today was the wheat field still upright? It was, and the distant poppies still in place, under a sky which loomed low, but with the usual clarity here, on the east.

As June becomes July, the wild flowers mingle with the grasses, which have been left to grow as more and more verges are given over to nature, and the bees. Of course, the campions are out in full strength.

Field scabious made it this year which was a huge pleasure, in amongst the grasses.

On we walked. And there, was the fixture, a den. Who didn’t create a den when ‘we were young’.  To make daisy chains, to read, talk as we grew older until we had no need… We had discovered there was a world outside ours

. 

Nearby the lavatera was growing well, and beyond the hedge, an oat field full of poppies.

And the dogs?

The grown up? Ready for lunch at 9.00 and bed at 6.00. Chance would be a fine thing.

I hadn’t heard of kinetic sand before, but now I’m addicted. It really is a lot of fun, and in case this is new to you too, let me explain.

Like many of the best toys, So Sand DIY is deceptively simple. It has all the fun of normal sand but without the downside, like spilling all over the carpet, ended up in eyes and mouth, you know the sort of thing.

So Sand DIY looks and feels like slightly wet sand, but it moulds into shapes like clay. You can colour it, add glittery decorations, and using the provided moulds, or even just stuff that you have in your kitchen, like jars and bowls, you can make fun, brightly-coloured shapes.

It’s great to fire up your child’s imagination – make a birthday cake like Mummy does, or a colourful patterned ball. Using the provided cutters you can slice the cake into multi-coloured sections, and once you’ve finished you can use the sand again of course.

But it’s fun for adults too. There’s a growing craze for sensory experiences and ASMR (Autonomic Sensory Meridian Response) – the new buzz acronym – a feeling of euphoria and relaxation triggered by different sensory stimuli.

How many of us have sat on a beach, scooping up handfuls of wet sand and moulding and squeezing it with our fingers as we allow it to fall, bit by bit back to earth, whilst noticing the sound of the waves, the hot sun on our face, the salty smell and the cool breeze blowing our hair? Well you may not have realised, but recreating that feeling, by playing with the So Sand DIY, together with listening to the soft crunchy sound as you cut though it, is all creating ASMR. There are even YouTube videos using this to help the viewer feel calm and relaxed, and apparently it’s good for insomnia too.

So Sand and DIY comes in various great sets. I particularly like the Satisfying Sand Case. The whole kit comes in a really useful valet case, with multiple sections where you can store the sand and cutters after use, and the base of the case converts to a play tray for the sand. It comes with three packets of sand, three different bright colouring powders, three lots of coloured and shaped glittery decorations and four different cutting tools. This kept me occupied for ages but there are other great sets too (see pictures below) such as the Sensory Studio, which looks really intriguing, don’t you think? And the Satisfying Sand Ball Case too.

Sets available from Smyths Toys: RRP ranging from £2.79 to £24.99 – a great treat for six year olds to adult. Give it a try.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

We look to France or Italy for fine wine, and Mexico for a great tequila, but gin has been a British forte since the 1600s. Distilleries have started using clever blends of botanicals and natural flavourings to create fun and adventurous variations and Boodles® Rhubarb and Strawberry gin is rather good. Not surprisingly perhaps, as Boodles® have been making gin since 1845, and their brand was a favourite of Winston Churchill’s. Interestingly, it isn’t made with citrus, and the unique flavour stems from a blend of botanicals including sage, rosemary and nutmeg. Of course this leaves you the option of adding your own slice of fresh lemon or lime to taste too.

What could be more quintessentially English than strawberries and rhubarb? Think of Wimbledon, Sunday crumble, croquet, afternoon tea and those hot summer days – sometimes more of childhood memories than reality – but instant happiness regardless.

And, as you’re relaxing in the sun, listening to the rhythmic bong of tennis ball on strings, or the clod of hooves on a polo lawn, or just the neighbours’ kids playing in their garden, what better to sip than a good gin, beautifully pink, sweetly perfumed – perhaps with tonic, and a little ice – enough to cool but not to drown.

They say we drink with our eyes first (or was it eat? who cares?) Boodles® Rhubarb and Strawberry gin has a lovely delicate pink hue, as you open the bottle you’re hit by a delicious strawberry aroma , and as you take a sip, strawberry hits you first, followed by a mellow rhubarb and finally the beautiful herbs and spices of the Boodles® gin.

It makes some fun cocktails too – perfect for a summer party. There’s one suggestion below, but the Boodles®website has lots more great recipes.

Priced at £27.95 for 70cl, 37.5% ABV, it is available to purchase online from Masters of Malt

Have fun, enjoy, drink in moderation – I shall be doing exactly that.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

So, cautiously step by step, we’re emerging from lockdown, with its anxieties, comfort eating and limited exercise. No surprise perhaps that our summer clothes have shrunk in the wardrobe whilst we’ve been chilling in onesies?

So what’s it to be? Crash diet? Artificial sweeteners? Or salad and water until, well until that superhuman willpower melts in the face of the first ice-cream which calls our name?

Doomed? Fear not, hope is here, in the shape of Yaconviva Cacao Nibs – a sweet treat which really can be good for your waistline.

But how? Well, first a little science. I know, but it’s important, trust me.

Recent research shows that the tiny microbes (bacteria/viruses/fungi etc), which call our guts home, are far more influential than we realised. We have ten times as many bacteria in our gut than we have cells in our body. So our bacteria outnumber us by 10:1 – a compelling reason to ensure they’re friendly.

What do these microbes do? Well they help us digest some of our food, they produce chemicals and hormones, which keep our gut healthy, improve our immune system and even our mental health. Importantly the right microbes can help control ‘sugar spikes’ in our blood, hence reducing our risk of Type 2 Diabetes and obesity. There’s also emerging evidence that they benefit various gut diseases and even cancers – and some help cancer treatments such as immunotherapy to work better.

The key word is the ‘right’ microbes, and this is where probiotics and prebiotics come in. Probiotics, such as natural yoghurt, contain ‘good’ microbes, so eating them is a quick way to up numbers. However, once in your gut, they need to survive and multiply, and this is where prebiotics come in. These are foods, such as fructooligosaccharides  (FOS), which provide nutrients for good microbes. FOS are present in some vegetables, such as onions and chicory root, and particularly in yacón – a root vegetable found in the Andes. The great thing about FOS is, they’re naturally sweet, but we don’t absorb them so they don’t make us fat or cause sugar spikes. The best news is they feed and encourage our ‘good’ gut microbes – unlike artificial sweeteners, which actually promote harmful microbes. You can read more about all this here.

A great source of FOS is pure organic yacón syrup available from YaconViva. It can be used as a sweetener in drinks, in baking, in deserts or anywhere else where you need added sweetness. Much better for you than artificial sweeteners.

But the product I really love is Yaconviva Cacao Nibs – all organic and a really yummy snack. They only contain yacón syrup and cacao nibs, so are vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, plus they’re packed-full of antioxidants and contain natural caffeine. Give yourself and your gut microbes and taste of heaven every day – I plan to do exactly that.

Available from Amazon UK, and yaconviva.co.uk and good health stores.

RRP £9.99 for a 300g pack.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.