I can't quite believe that 2 years have gone by since my last post!Reaching my 40th birthday felt such a milestone that I never thought I'd reach that now fast-approaching 42 seems miraculous and yet I've got such a lust for life these days I don't want to think of any end to it!
Since my last post I've been in not just one but 3 fashion shows,been to Greece and Italy on wonderful holistic,life-affirming and enriching courses,studied at an Italian language school in Sicily twice and returned there a 3rd time for a holiday last July and discovered a place there where I feel really at home and welcomed there.I've given speeches about my experiences with breast cancer in front of many people including many health professionals and politicians to try and raise awareness of the lack of support for secondary breast cancer patients. I've very much reignited my passion for music and the arts and have been to many operas,concerts including the thrill of seeing Elton John live! I did an audition on a whim for the BBC National Chorus of Wales in June and was pleasantly surprised to get in and amazed that I found myself just a month later singing in my first concert with them which just happened to be the wonderful Verdi Requiem in the Royal Albert Hall at the Proms - something I never dreamed I do especially in the last few years! I also went along with my most promising pupil to the famous(in the piano world) international piano summer school at Chethams Music School in Manchester last August which was a long wished-for dream just to go to Chethams at all. I have had many friends who studied there as children and when I was young I always dreamed of studying there and never thought I would ever be good enough. I loved the summer school and love playing the piano again with much more confidence and passion for the music than I ever did when I was practising and playing several hours a day but full of self-doubt,nerves and fear of failure when I was both studying and a young professional! My pupil loved it too which was great! I was so inspired by the course I have continued practising more when I feel up to it and entered a competitive piano festival in London in May and was amazed and thrilled to win 4 classes and I so enjoyed the experience.
I have met and made lots of interesting and wonderful new friends especially those whose lives have also been touched by breast cancer and have deepened friendships with my closest longer-term friends.
I joined another social activities group 18 months ago which has greatly affected my life and been really good for me. It's run for the members by the members and events from pubnights to trips to the theatre are put or "hosted" by members themselves. I have been able to "put on" lots of cultural events and it has given me so much pleasure to introduce others to the delights of classical music,dance and the theatre and for me to experience new things to me too.
I have been particularly lucky to have met someone who has become very special in my life and I have learned to love again and experience feelings I never expected ever to experience again. We both have our own lives and both like our independence and own interests but I that we have a very special bond that I believe will never be broken whatever should happen in the future and we have learned and continue to learn so much from each other and about life.
As the clock strikes midnight I must leave this party before I turn into my pumpkin! I like to accentuate the positive so in this first post after 2 years I'll leave it there as a catch-up of the very positive experiences I have had since my last post of Jan 2010!
