Russ ,

Sounds as though you’re having a really special time with the family. Must be hard seeing people do what you’ve always loved. Bret and I have only tasted an iota of what you’re going through….ie being in a ski resort and not being able to ski through a disability. You can always make yourself think of and express positives about any situation ie “Well at least…..”, or “It could have been worse if……blah blah blah” especially for those around you to help them feel OK about having a good time without feeling guilty, but it still bloody sucks. There must be such a roller-coaster of emotions going through your mind, but I know you’ll come back an even stronger person as a result. I’m in so much awe of Dani for never doubting that this trip should go ahead. Just soak up all the amazing stuff going on, but remember it’s only natural for you to have those tugging feelings of sadness and better to work though them than be in denial. You know as well as everyone who knows you that you’ll master the sit down skiing whether it’s on this trip or the next and the best thing about you, when you’re ready, you’ll take it on like there’s no tomorrow and I’m sure you’ll love it just as much, if not more! Hang in there Honey and have the most AMAZING Christmas with that crazy family of yours. Love to them all and I look forward to meeting Al and family one day.

Mwah! CW xxxx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3TxLxrWf3c

Her parents’ daughter!

Sent from my iPhone 7 prototype. 

Christmas Newsletter 2013 – By Harry again (oh sh*t again)

After last year’s newsletter I swore never again to attempt to write something funny. This is it.

So, we have navigated safely through the rocky passage of Christmas and sail into the doldrums of another year.  After what seems like a cliché, life continues strange as ever in our house. ALED: (arguing with dad) For God’s sake dad this isn’t a courtroom! DAD: I’ll be the judge of that!

And things of that ilk. School continued on for me and Al, new knowledge pushed in one ear, forcing last year’s knowledge out the other. The school BLT is still fondly known as Botulism Leprosy and Typhoid, and the rugby pitch is still short of 1 pair of rugby posts and half its quota of grass. The council wants to improve the school, but they haven’t managed to close it yet. Mum has not been doing so much rowing, but more of that later. We’re still playing rugby, sigh, I am not playing hooker anymore and thus I have grown to 6 feet. It has been very expensive buying all those shoes.

Grandparents Diamond Wedding Anniversary​​​Me in my Prom suit

Spring. Twas the week before Easter and it was mum’s turn to throw a spanner in the proverbial works. She had a particularly bad bout of sickness and vomiting, and ye slow minded doctor men, after prescribing a course of leaches, hit on a lucky guess and took her appendix out. She then proceeded to tell everyone she ever knew and anyone she talked to thereafter the gripping story of how the doctor daringly removed the appendix and how she made a full recovery. While mum was otherwise unavailable for shopping etc. Dad became quite good at foraging…. in M & S.

As time went on something strange began to happen, we didn’t expect it, nor did we have any idea what to do with it. We had never encountered anything like it before. The temperature rose slowly but steadily, and a strange bright orb rose in the sky. Was it? Surely not! But yes it was! Summer was here! We had read about it yes, but never had we seen the real thing. The good weather meant that dad and I had many great trips out in the boat fishing. There was some kind of mackerel apocalypse in Pembrokeshire, meaning we caught about ten times more 5lb+ bass than mackerel. One evening we tried filming a sunset fishing trip, and from about 3hrs of film we managed to stitch together about 90secs of useable video. We had an excuse though; we are totally inept at filming. We would include the video here but this paper is so damn old-fashioned.

Exams next. All went well apart from additional maths, which I utterly fudged due to not knowing any answers and when asked to ‘show all my workings’ wrote down ‘Never! A man’s workings are his own private affair!’  

Next, I broke the habit of a lifetime to attend a social gathering. We had a year 11 prom, which meant I needed to blitz my spots. A bottle of azure liquid; ‘Dermatologically tested to fight 100% of spots’. Or is it ‘Dermatologically spotted to test 100% of fights’? I went to the prom,where I had a fun evening of sitting down watching the few people who were actually dancing. I won the ‘most likely to win master-mind’ prize. Which I hope was a reference to my intelligence and not my habit of annoying people with nuggets of useless knowledge.

As we roll into July and August, dad reached significant annoyance with his job to start looking for a new one. He sent his CV in several directions, and I found a top tip that may explain why he didn’t hear back from some. ‘Employers. Avoid hiring unlucky people by throwing half the CVs in the bin straight away.’ That cheered him no end. He did find a new job, and described it as having pluses and minuses but 12,000 pluses for a start.

Lo! I spy the words Duke of Edinburgh Expedition on the calendar. We were in the Preseli mountains, where facilities where primitive, but so were we. There were five of us in the group, but it took only one to break the tent pole. The assessors were not pleased, I don’t know why,our only crime was our only crime. But the tent was fixed (ish) and all was well.

2 bass for Harry (dad says his were bigger)​​Midsummer sunset from Trenifed (1 of Al’s photos)

We had finally found a use for this newfangled ‘summer’ thing. We had gone to north Wales to the beach and to see Ruth’s mum, who (after hearing about mum’s appendicitis) informed us that ‘You should go to Chester Cathedral, it’s got a cafe now.’ She is going deaf, which provides some interesting conversations. MUM (annoyed) : Sploge (cat) keeps weeing in the fireplace. NAIN: WHAT?! Rodge keeps weeing in the fireplace!?

September, and after the brief foray into summer, we were back to reliable autumn. I had entered into sixth form and Al into his GSCEs. I had chosen English, History, Religious Studies and Chemistry. On hearing the last three, a friend of ours asked ‘What did I want to be? A terrorist?’  Al has chosen Art, Catering, Geography and RS, which begsthe question, did he want to be an arty vicar who cooks and knows the capital of Lithuania? School again bombarded us with the ‘most important years of your life’ ‘do as we say not as we do’ etc.

I am alerted by a call from downstairs, mum is on the phone ‘And then you see, they saw my appendix needed taking out so they had to… yes I’ll order, I’ll have two kormas and a Rogan Josh.’ Aled is looking sad. It was going to be a bad year for the cat, she was dead. L

So, we have come full circle, back to good old Noel, Saint Nick and eating yourself silly season with intermittent rain. We are nearly at the end of the year, but you dear readers, will never know what happens in this magical period between me writing the newsletter and you reading it. It could be anything, but will most likely have intermittent rain. We hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year with intermittent fun.

Hi there Russ,

 

Have been in touch with Charlie recently who told us about your accident. He’s sent us your email address so hope you don’t mind us contacting you. I know we didn’t stay in touch with you & Danielle over the years – but UWIST doesn’t really feel that long ago & after reading your blog it feels even shorter! It’s a hugely inspirational thing to read, & a brave thing to do – I’m sure that Dani, your girls and all your family are so proud of you for tackling such a huge challenge head on.

 

Roger & I are tucked away near St Davids and have two sons, Harry (16) & Aled (15), somewhere similar in age to your lovely girls from the photos posted on your blog.  Rodge is just about to start a job in the Orkney Isles (R has just told me to add ‘2 weeks on, 3 weeks off’ as it looks like he’s going to be there permanently!!) and we run a holiday cottage. Charlie thought you’d enjoy reading Harry’s Christmas newsletter – so have attached it for your amusement (hopefully!) – he fancies himself as a bit of a writer so we never have to nag him to do this job!!

 

I don’t know what else to say really – only that we really hope you enjoy this holiday with your family – it must feel great to be out & about and away from hospital.

 

We are thinking of you and will be keeping up with the blog.

 

Love and very Best Wishes to you & Danielle and your girls,

 

Ruth & Roger