Curfew Time

If you are a regular reader of my daily ramblings then you will know that between 9 – 11 pm every day it’s curfew time in our house. If you have just joined me on this journey then ‘welcome’ and I will explain our curfew time.

After tea and chemo tablets which is usually between 7-8 pm we all have until 9 pm to go online, make phone calls, go on Facebook or whatever it is we want to do and then that’s it. No contact with the outside world for two hours. The only exception is our kids as apart from Rebecca, Richard, Lauren and Chris don’t live with us. Poor Richard interrupted the start of curfew time last night. As you know he is in Bavaria with the Army and I had texted him earlier about my day and mentioned going to the hospice. He replied, asking what a hospice was but I didn’t see it and poor Richard spent 4 hours waiting for me to explain what was going on. Without a response from me he googled the word ‘hospice’ and thought I’d popped in to plan my last days with them, he said it nearly gave him a heart attack, bless him.

I remember the first day we did curfew time, and it did feel odd but what a blessing it has been for us as a family. We have played games together, all kinds both traditional and modern, watched films or jut sat and talked. Rebecca before curfew time would normally be in her bedroom, alone and now it’s a daily plan for us all about how we feel we all want to spend these quality 2 hours. Steve says that all families should have a curfew time which leads me nicely onto a ‘rant’ I want to have ……

SOAPS!!!! Now before I started going out with Steve I would watch Eastenders and Coronation Street, without fail. I watched Brookside too for a short while but I never got into Emmerdale. I watched the very first episode of Eastenders, the one where Reg died. If I was going out I would record them and holidays would be an odd time without them as there was no ‘On demand’ back in the day! Now I sound old again, they appealed to my nosey nature LOL and also provided a talking point with colleagues at work the next day too. Story lines would be interesting as they tackled issues due to soaps being new and fresh. All groups of a multi cultural society could be represented and you got an insight and understanding other cultures and their family lives.

They provided 1/2 an hour a day of escapism from my world and I do think that for some, especially for those who live alone, soaps provide a sense of being part of another bigger family and it’s also just something to watch whilst you eat your tea.  So I haven’t watched any of the soaps for 15 years and I don’t miss them at all. I look back and realise that whilst I was spending my life watching others act out a fake life I was missing out on my own. If you only watch two out of all the soaps available each week then that’s at least 2 – 3 hours lost when you could be enjoying your life. Stop it! I don’t want to seem too judgmental I just wish I could have all the hours back now of wasted time over the years.

When I was young there was a programme on a Saturday morning called ‘Why Don’t You’ anyone of my age (47) will know that this stood for ‘why don’t you just switch off your television and go and do something else less boring instead’ how right they were! Try doing something else with that time, anything at all, you could always run down your road naked waving your knickers in the air! It’s less boring, good exercise and would give your neighbours something really interesting to talk about LOL. One final thought on this is all over Britain when the football is on, the men think ‘great allowed footy time on the TV’ and all soap fans moan that soaps shouldn’t be cancelled due to a bloody stupid game of football. However you soap addicts out there you have to find something else to do don’t you? Unless you just watch another channel, if that’s the case I give up lol.

Anyway back to curfew time and last night Rebecca went out so Steve and I were alone, precious time. Not that we don’t love being with others but real alone time is so good. Now I don’t know about you but we are working our way through ’50 Shades of Chemo’ haha purely from a research point of view you understand. I can’t be a hypocrite and tell you to try stuff if I haven’t tried and tested it first hey 🙂  that would be irresponsible!

So tired and completely happy I went to bed early last night, around 1 am. The problem with that is that I’m up again at 5 am. Chemo and long periods of sleep don’t go together. So I’m writing this post and it’s not even 6 am! but I have to post this up early today as I’m having a very special visitor in for tea tonight and I’m very excited as I haven’t seen her for about 18 months, no actually it’s nearly two years, oh how quickly time goes by hey? Anyway I’ll give you a few clues and some of you may be able to guess and some wont have a clue even when tomorrow I post up the famous ‘Chemo Gazebo’ photo. Now don’t get too excited it’s not Kylie Minogue or any other A list celebrity but just someone who I miss due to her moving on and leaving the BHS family, that’s clue number one. Other clues are that she is Irish, totally wonderful to work for, she once broke her back and understands the pain and suffering of illness. That’s all I’m giving away at this stage.

I was worried about Karen as I contact her last night but no reply. This morning she finally replied and she is okay  – the MC Quinn prayers are working 🙂

IMG_4021And finally in a few hours the wonderful ‘stud muffin’ Uncle Peter will be leaving hospital after two weeks of antibiotics following infection after his brain surgery. As a way of celebration I have included a photo of me with the man himself ‘picking daisies’ on one of many family holidays in Cyprus. Welcome home Pete, sending you lots of love and thanks MC Quinn for the prayers as look what our love traveling to Australia accomplished, Pete is coming home at last 🙂

 

 

 

Published by

Wend

Married to Steve, I have two children - Rebecca and Richard. Steve has two children, Lauren and Chris. Rebecca lives with us (nurse Rebecca) and my mom Judy also has become nurse and housekeeper but lives in the West Midlands. My son is in the Army and comes home when he can. I am 47, born in 1967 and I was told I had bowel cancer on 22nd Feb 2015 and this blog is my journey through it. I hope it helps you as you were the reason I started it.

10 thoughts on “Curfew Time”

  1. Hands off the soaps. At least when I am with you they keep me occupied for an hour or more and give you time with Steve.

  2. ;-)????? Might that be the lovely JM 🙂 by any chance !!!!!!!!!!!
    Soaps are a loada shite lol don’t watch them, not watchedbthem for over 20 yrs to be fair lol !!!!!!!!
    actually 22 yrs when I started work in BHS lol that’s the truth 🙂 lol
    Love n hugs xxxxxxx

    1. Oh Rita there are no flies on you hey! Yes you guessed right, the wonderful JM was with me tonight for tea, how wow is that! Now I just need you in my home and my life will be complete 🙂 xx

  3. I miss our times together. So much fun and good memories! I remember when you got me my first pack of condoms!! How embarrassing lol!!!

    1. I brought them for you at a garage haha I always had your safety at heart, had to look after the then very young stud muffin xx

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