A wave from Lili

I’m being very adventurous and possibly rather foolhardy today - not in terms of the nature of activities but in terms of the length of time I’m away from home. After all, I’m still in the recovery period from back surgery, and my catheter - whilst far more comfortable - is still not behaving itself (I’ll spare you the details)

G is playing in a concert in Chester, so we set off at 10.00 to visit Lili & co in Meols. It’s lovely to see her and for the first time she’s happy to stay with us and play while mum and dad do some packing for their trip to Centreparcs tomorrow. Another first - I’m able to pick her up her without my back hurting! 

Lili’s now standing with just one hand to steady herself and has discovered waving - as seen in today’s main. You’ll notice the syndactyly in Lili’s fingers - something that will be treated next year in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. She’s now so close to walking, needing only the lightest touch to support her, and between this and her super-fast crawling, she’s certainly a bundle of energy! Lots of photos are taken, so there’s  a Lili collage in extras! 

Then it’s back down to Chester where I leave G to rehearse while I embark on a wander round the town. It’s amazing that I can now walk without pain and loss of feeling - pre-op I could never have done this. I don’t think I’ve ‘shopped’ in Chester since pre-Covid and I don’t think it’s changed for the better. I do miss Browns - the old department store that had been taken over by Debenhams but still retained something of its earlier grandeur, and there are several other casualties of high street decline. I spend much of my time in Waterstones and treat myself to coffee and gluten free scones in grandeur of The Grovesnor Hotel. 

G and I meet up for a meal in Côte - delicious.  I’ve never thought of tapenade going well with sea bass; it it really does! 

The concert is excellent - amazing that this group of talented amateur musicians can perform Mozart’s Flute Concerto and Beethoven’s Eroica with just one 3 hour practice session! However, by now I’m very tired and my back is predictably complaining. The fact that this is a church with wooden pews doesn’t help and I only manage the symphony by lying down on a pew at the back of the church - with cushions I might add! I’m afraid I might fall off, or go to sleep and snore - but all is well and though I’m not a Beethoven fan, I actually enjoy the symphony. 

The journey back is through the forecast wind and rain, and I’m so glad to reach home and just roll into bed. A challenging day, but at least I know I can manage it. Needless to say, blip has had to take a back seat I’m afraid - but thank you for the lovely comments shown towards my  Carneddau ponies!