Rose of My Heart - Tuesday 28/5/13

James passed away today, he lost his fight with leukaemia - his soul will be shining in Heaven now. I drank a toast just before midnight tonight of his favourite whisky, a fitting tribute to a special husband, and a fitting end to our blog. Dear James - You were the rose of my heart, you were the love of my life, a flower not fading nor falling apart, You were my harbour in life's restless storm, Rose of my Heart. God Bless & Love forever, Irene xx

Clinical Trial Update on James - Sunday 19/5/13

James is going back into the Beatson on Wednesday and the Trial will start on Thursday 23rd May. He passed his medical with flying colours and we hope and pray that the new tablet from America that we are trialing, combined with some chemotherapy, will work and put the leukaemia into remission. Everything we can cross is crossed.

Classic Week-end - Saturday 18th-Sunday 19/5/13

Just spent the most magical week-end at Kennels Cottage in Dollarbeg, with a yellow e-type Jaguar for the whole of Saturday to play with! We set off on Saturday morning at 8am, and arrived to pick up our car at 9am in Dollarbeg, not the easiest place to find, but we found it eventually, almost by default! Once the paperwork was out of the way, and James had his handover from Alex Stewart, the owner, we headed off towards Arbroath. James was like a dog with two tails driving, and we even bought some swanky driving gloves to look the part - how cheesy is that! The smell inside the car, brought back many memories for both of us, James from his TR4 days, and me from my Triumph Spitfire days, it is fab how these classic cars all seem to smell the same. The Jag sat beautifully at 60mph, purring along like a kitten. After the motorway, we took the coastal road via Carnoustie and arrived in Arbroath at 11am, and parked up at the Harbour. By then, the rain was chucking it down so we ran to the Boatyard Inn on the Harbour for a coffee and then decided to have an early lunch of Smokies (of course, you cannot go to Arbroath without having Smokies!)which James proclaimed were mouth-wateringly good, I had some pan fried trout fillet with Smokie dauphinoise, which was just as tasty. We split a dessert which I gave up on and James finished and then took some photos of the harbour, bought a beautiful print in the Art shop on the pier, and then off we headed towards Crail - a place we had always wanted to see as we have a framed oil painting in our lounge in France of the harbour there. We stuck to the coastal route which was very hard work with the driving, as the steering was so heavy, but worth it for the views (through the bloody rain!!). When we arrived at Crail at 2pm, it was straight into the Harbour tea-room for a pee and some refreshments, before heading to the Harbour for some pictures, almost getting blown away in the process. Crail is stunning, if only the sun had come out when we were there..... After Crail, we headed to Elie, through lovely little fishing villages and then we headed back via the Tay Bridge, to Dollarbeg, with an hour up our sleeve before cut-off time for the car return. A fantastic trip, great fun and pretty exhausting. We checked into our room within the ground floor of the Cottage and took a nap, before heading out to the Kings Seat in Dollar for some pub grub. The food was exceptionally good, the fillet steak James had was one of the best he had eaten for a while, and my thai green chicken curry was delicious too. After dinner, we headed back to the Cottage to chill out and relax and after a very comfortable overnight stay, and a yummy breakfast, we headed back via Tillicoultry and the shopping outlets (more money spent..) to Cumbernauld and a quick bite of lunch with Mum, then home. Phew - very full, but worthwhile week-end. We would highly recommend Alex and Tanya's classic car hire and accommodation, the website is www.caledonianclassics.co.uk.

Star Trek Into Darkness - Monday 13/5/13

This weather is getting us down, it is truly miserable. Rain, Sun and Hailstones in one day - never seen the like of it! Good excuse to go to the cinema on Monday evening to see the new Star Trek movie on the big IMAX screen. Don't worry, James is not being neglected, his family are visiting him! This is the first Star Trek movie I have seen since Captain Kirk and Spock were William Shatner and Leonard Nimmoy - that shows you how long ago it was. Now we have the Young Guns who are a lot more pleasing on the eye. The movie was good, I just found it a bit predictable. The special effects in 3d were amazing, but find when it is just standard framing, then 3d is just not right, the blurring background is just a waste. It was full of action, great fight scenes with the enemy and I even shed a tear when Captain Kirk died, it was quite emotional with his trusty Spock doing hand signs through the glass with him. Not the best movie I have ever seen, but certainly not the worst. Don't worry, Kirk was brought back to life with the enemy's blood and some time in a cold storage tube! Panic not.

Good News - The Trial is Open! - Friday 9/5/13

We got a bit of good news today, the clinical trial is now open at the Beatson, with all the legalities signed off. James is unfortunately back in the Beatson, after his blood transfusion on Thursday. His temperature was just not settling at home and in the early hours of Friday morning, we headed to the ward for admission. He is on some antibiotics to try and bring his temperature down and he received a further blood transfusion on Saturday, which made his temperature rise yet again. The Doctor doesn't seem to think this will jeopardise admission to the trial, all being well, we will find out next week when his screening and trial start date is.

Update on James - Thursday 9/5/13

James is still keeping well and our recent short break to France back home, did him the world of good. The meeting on Tuesday with his Consultant at the Beatson showed him needing a red blood transfusion which he received today on the day ward in McMillan Cancer Care. His temperature was quite high after receiving the transfusion and they kept him in for a further hour to monitor him. It seemed to steady itself and he was 'released without charge!!'. The clinical trial we are waiting to get him admitted to, is imminent and Dr. Drummond reckons that we will receive patient literature tomorrow or at the very start of next week and provided we are in agreement once reading it, James should get screened next Thursday to make sure there are no more underlying health issues. After this, the trial will commence within 2 weeks. All the Beatson are waiting on, are the legalities to be signed and the medication is already on standby, for receipt within a 24 hour period. It is very frustrating waiting and waiting, but there is nothing we can do, it is completely out of our hands. More news to follow.....

Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham at Oran Mor Auditorium, Wednesday 8/5/13

What a concert. These guys always were one of our favourite 'double acts', but they just get better and better every time you see them. Their talented musical skills shine on every single song and the banter between them is fabulous. They mature like a good whisky, getting better with age! Superb night out, with great food in the Brasserie at Oran Mor before the concert.

Few Days in France - Wednesday 1st - Sunday 5/5/13 Days 3-5

As we did a lot on Thursday, we could take the foot off the gas and chill out a bit until the end of the week. We went to La Petite Auberge for their lovely 12 euro 4 course lunch including wine and chilled out for the rest of the day. James did his usual pottering which he so misses in Paisley! On Saturday, we tinted the car windows with film we had bought last year but the temperature was too cold to put it on at the time. We were delighted with the result (this was our second attempt at doing this, the first time was an absolute shambles)and think our wee 'Scarlet' looks very sexy indeed. In the late afternoon, we headed down to our local Bar de Guide for some dominoes and a beer, before heading for Dinner at La Fontaine in Chassy, one of our favourite local restaurants. We enjoyed a delicious meal of snails, chicken ballotine, fish and scallops followed by yummy chocolate fondant and thinly sliced pineapple, washed down with a fabulous white Santenay wine. Sunday, we had a relaxing start with James doing a bit of last minute weeding, and then with bags packed, Christine (Louis's Daughter)and her Husband and son, kindly drove us to Le Creusot TGV for the train to Paris and plane back to Glasgow, arriving home at 8pm. It was so good to be back home in France, even though it was for a short time, and we are keeping our fingers crossed we get some more news about the trial starting soon, on Tuesday when we see James's consultant. He reckoned last week, it would be starting in 2-4 weeks.

Few Days in France - Wednesday 1st - Sunday 5/5/13 - Days 1-2

It was so lovely to head back home to France for a few days. The clinical trial at the Beatson has still to be approved and we are hopeful for James to get admission to this over the next few weeks. After a good flight, bus and train, we arrived at Le Creusot TGV Station at 3.15pm, and our good friend and gardener Louis picked us up and took us back to La Brulerette. It was pouring with rain when we arrived, but as we reached our home, the sun shone for our arrival. Louis has obviously been looking after things very well indeed, the garden was neat and tidy and he had laid our new slabs alongside the grass/vegetable garden. It was great to see the cherry trees in bloom and the garden starting to come alive again after quite a harsh winter. Louis told us that there had been a huge amount of rain in France recently and we saw evidence of this with the farmers fields flooded and the rivers very swollen. Louis had also installed our new wc and he couldn't wait to show us how the soft close lid worked - obviously not every home in France has these and Louis told us how his grand children always clunked his down all the time making lots of noise! Our lovely neighbours Daniel and Noelle popped around in the afternoon to see us and wish us well, as they were going on holiday in their campervan on Friday for a few weeks. After a great night's sleep, we headed off early on Thursday to Decize and started unpacking our personal stuff from Ginger Grouse II, in beautiful sunshine. After a lovely lunch at the hotel at the marina, we paid our dues at the office who kindly only charged us winter rates and then we set off the 2 hour drive to Chalon Sur Saone, for our meeting with Chalon Nautic, who are going to attempt to sell the boat on our behalf. Paperwork done and dusted, and arrangement made for them to trailer the boat from Decize on Tuesday, we headed back home knackered! As soon as we arrived back, our other neighbours Mai and Marie Claude arrived to wish us well and gave James a lovely little card signed by their families wishing him Bon Sante! Everyone is so kind and thoughtful.

Lottery Winners!!! - Saturday 27/4/13

Just found out my work's syndicate had 5 numbers up at the week-end on the lottery!! There are 13 of us in the syndicate and we will all get £81 each. Wish it had been 6 numbers or maybe 5 plus the bonus ball - never mind, better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!

Weekend at Prestwick - Friday 26 - Sunday 28/4/13

We have just spent a great week-end with our good friends Billy & Kath Stewart at their home in Prestwick. The weather, for a change, was fabulous and we even managed to get a walk along the beach path yesterday in beautiful sunshine and almost clear blue skies. On Friday night, Kath, aka the Soup Dragon, made the most delicious home-made fish pie for dinner, stuffed full of salmon, prawns, cod and haddock, it really was excellent. And on Saturday, we headed along the coast to the Waterside Inn at Seamill for a lovely light lunch before some more of Kath's yummy fish pie in the evening, and a game of Pictionary. What a hoot that game is. We had never played it before, it was so funny, and we almost split our sides laughing. Billy, who never gambles, was quite upset he never took me up on the £10 per couple challenge on the first game, as him and Kath won. So, on the 2nd game, Kath put a tenner in and so did I, and this time we won! Billy's face was a wee picture - Don't worry Billy, it will go to the Beatson charity, as promised. Fabulous company, and a great time, just what we both needed.

Olympus has Fallen - Sunday 21/4/13

We went to Braehead with our 2 for 1 voucher yesterday and saw Olympus has Fallen. What a fantastic movie, we were both on the edge of our seats for most of the movie. There is a lot of bloody violence, but the story is gripping and the movie well put together. One of the best movie releases in a wee while.

Update on James - Friday 19/4/13

We had a meeting with James's consultant this afternoon and I am afraid that the chemo course he has just finished, has not worked. Therefore, there is no point in him going into the Beatson as planned on Monday. We have now been given the opportunity to join a clinical trial that is just about to be released at the Beatson. This trial has been done in the US already with good results and we just need to await the Government signing off the trial here in the UK, so that James can join it. Meantime, he will visit the Beatson as an outpatient twice a week to monitor his blood and platelet levels and they will give him transfusions when necessary. James's consultant hopes that the trial will be signed off and released in about a week, he is pushing as hard as he can for us and has been doing a lot of work behind the scenes after finding out the results. So, we will need to put up with the Scottish weather a bit longer I'm afraid, and fingers crossed the trial gets the green light soon.

Holyrood Palace/ Restaurant Martin Wishart, Day 3 Wednesday 17/4/13

We braved the wind and rain again today and drove to Holyrood Palace, the Queen's official Royal residence in Edinburgh. The visit was very interesting, especially Mary Queen of Scots bed chamber and the elaborate Dining Room and the audio guide added to the enjoyment of knowing the history of each room. The original Abbey at the end of the visit was breathtaking. A couple of Beers in Nobles at Leith warmed us both up and then we had our usual siesta after a few games of dominoes.( I won!) Glad Rags on again and a short drive to Restaurant Martin Wishart for another Michelin starred treat. Well, I thought The Kitchin Restaurant was good, but this is as good if not better - fine dining at its best. James went for the combined tasting menu and I plumped for the Seafood tasting menu as it looked much lighter. Amuse bouche followed by 6 sumptuous courses of fabulous food followed and I had a couple of glasses of Sancerre with my fish tasters, with James going for the wine flight of a glass of wine with each of his courses to complement the food. Rather than bore you with what we had, I will just say that Restaurant MW is absolutely superb, impeccable service and a wonderful, bright, airy atmosphere. My favourite of the 6 courses was the Red Mullet served on Potato Mouselline with Haddock, and a Red Wine Jus. James's favourite dish from his menu was the Shoulder of Beef, with Pastilla of Oxtail and Seasonal Vegetables. My mouth is watering again at the thought!

Royal Yacht Britannia/ The Kitchin Restaurant - Day 2 Tuesday 16/4/13

After breakfast, we headed for the Royal Yacht Britannia for a visit. We had visited the yacht before and really enjoyed it, so decided a second visit was justified. It was just as good if not better 2nd time around and we did not realise until we got there that today was the actual day she was launched 60 years ago. So we were treated to a tot of Pussers Rum and a wee cake in the galley for free and watched the ceremony of the new flag being raised too. Coffee and Scones in the tea room on board were delicious, but very overpriced. After a relaxing siesta, we put our glad rags on and headed to Tom Kitchin's Restaurant at Commercial Quay for our dinner. This has always been on our Bucket List and it did not disappoint. We both had the Tasting Menu of Chef's Land & Sea Surprise and wow, what great food we had. We enjoyed champagne and cocktails in the bar with a bowl of crudités and a Dunsyre blue cheese dip. Then once at our table which had a lovely message from Tom Kitchin wishing us a happy belated Wedding Anniversary - nice touch - we were served course after course of superb food accompanied by a wine flight that James said complemented it all perfectly. My favourite from the menu was the Razor Clams and also the North Sea Cod, and James's favourite was also the Razor Clams. The Pig's Head dish was my least favourite as I found it too rich and heavy although beautifully executed. We were both astounded at the size of portions on all courses, they were very generous, unfortunately by the time we got to coffee and petit fours, we had to give up! They kindly boxed the petit fours for us to enjoy later. Chef Tom worked in the kitchen for most of service and it was nice to be able to see through the glass into the kitchen and watch them work. An absolutely fantastic experience and a must for anyone who enjoys fine dining.

Wild & Windy Edinburgh, Day 1 Monday 15/4/13

.We headed off this morning at 9am firstly to the Beatson to get James's bloods checked. His white count had plummeted again so we had 2 options, 1) we don't go to Edinburgh or 2) We go and take the injections needed with us and Wifey becomes a nurse. So it was option 2) and we were given a crash course in doing injections, then off we went to Edinburgh. The apartment we had booked was just perfect, overlooking the forth estuary, very modern and clean and tidy. The development is very similar to Glasgow Harbour except it is in Edinburgh. After unpacking, we headed into Leith for a few beers in Kings Wark pub and some food - James enjoyed pulled pork and mash and I had some grilled halloumi with pepper and artichokes and some hand cut chips. Very good. Dodging the rain and fighting the wind, we headed back to chill out over a movie at the apartment

Update on James - Friday 12/4/13

James got out of hospital last Friday, for his 2 week break from treatment. He is feeling good, and apart from getting tired mid evening, he seems fine. His temperature is still a bit high at times, but nothing to worry about. We have had a chill out week since his release, he went to his daughter Gemma's for dinner on Tuesday night, and for a couple of beers with his son Alan, fiancée Monique and nephews Nathan and Gavin on Wednesday night, and we both went to the Cinema on Wednesday afternoon to see Oblivion, the new sci-fi blockbuster. Special effects were amazing, story a bit strange! Tonight, James is meeting Mel & Mike in the Rock whilst I head to the Bingo with Patsy & Co - I have got my dawber at the ready......likely it will be all electronic and my dawber will be redundant! Next week, we are going to Edinburgh for 3 nights, and have booked an apartment on the waterfront at Leith. We have reserved dinner at Tom Kitchin's restaurant on Tuesday night and Martin Wishart's on Wednesday night - neither of us can wait!! Doctor Catriona at the Beatson has been to both, and says they are fabulous. It will be a nice, relaxing, break for the two of us, before James goes back into the Beatson on 22nd April, for round two!

Jack the Giant Slayer - Wednesday 3/4/13

Bit of light relief this afternoon at the Imax Cinema seeing Jack the Giant Slayer. Great adult and older family fun with super special effects. We all know the tale about Jack and the Beanstalk, suffice to say, that is what the film is roughly about. The fight scenes are incredible with magic 3d special effects and visually spectacular on the huge Imax Screen. Light-hearted entertainment, just what the doctor ordered, and Ewan McGregor with a goatee and quaffed hair looked rather dashing to say the least - feast your eyes on the picture, girls!

Update on James - Tuesday 2/4/13

James has had a bit of a rough time, last week, with high fever, infection, swelling and the most horrendous allergy rash to one of the drugs. He has been pumped full of antibiotics and anti histamine and this has done the trick.....eventually, but he was in bed and totally washed out for 5 full days. The swelling on his face has now almost disappeared, but his legs and ankles still have a bit to go and after a chest x-ray, it now seems they think he has a pulmonary oedaema which they are now treating with furosemide so he will be peeing more than ever now, to disperse the excess body fluid. His fever thankfully is now almost normal although it does fluctuate periodically and the rash is starting to clear up, but it has left his skin in a terrible mess and he looks almost like a de-scaled fish! Nothing a bit of moisturising cream won't sort. It has been a worrying week for both of us but the nurses give us encouragement constantly by telling us that this is all normal symptoms of the chemotherapy. James also received stomach injections of white cells and this has started his white cells generating normally again. He has also been topped up with red blood cells through transfusion as well as platelets. Let's hope we are almost out of the woods and seeing a wee bit of light at the end of the tunnel for this first stage of treatment. It has been difficult to keep James motivated and determined, especially when he has been feeling so down and under the weather, but he is getting there and the thought of getting out soon for his 10 day break, is keeping him going. On a lighter note, my Swimathon is going very well and so far I have raised £520 for the Friends of the Beatson, and I have decided to sponsor myself at £1 per length, so this should bring the total up to almost £1000, which was my target. Thank you all so very much for your generous donations, it is very much appreciated. You can still donate by clicking on the link a couple of stories down on the blog - go on, you know you want to!!

Trance - Monday 1/4/13

Went to see Trance yesterday afternoon at the Cinema. Very thought-provoking and complex thriller, with excellent acting by James McAvoy (another thing for Scotland to be proud of!). The storyline can become confusing if you don't stay focused on the movie, but overall, a most enjoyable movie and a bit different.

Murray Mania in Miami - Sunday 31/3/13

Congratulations to Andy Murray on winning the Miami Masters - what a gruelling match in such intense heat. Thanks for giving Scotland something to be proud of!