New line and noisy spiders

We have now been on the active transplant list for 3 days. What I am most suprised about is how quickly I have been able to stop thinking about it all 24/7 and get on with life without constantly thinking we might get that call. On an earlier blog, I likened it to pregnancy and commented that I felt that the transplant would be there at the back of my mind the whole time but that it would stop dominating my thoughts as it was initially. I was right about that. It is at the back of my mind the whole time but in a controllable little spot there - most of the time! The 'white nights' are getting better too.

William now has a lovely new Hickman Line and I am hoping we will be home soon. We have been told to plan to the end of the week but I do hope we get out earlier than that. Hope and Ellie are now home and starting school in the next few days. I spent the afternoon with them yesterday and it was so so lovely to see them. I hate coming back to the hospital from home. We cooked dinner and watched 'The X-Factor' together. If anyone watched they will remember the scary 'holistic vocal coach'. I was unravelling a jumper I made a few years ago so I can re-use the wool (it is VERY heavy wool and a polo neck - far to hot to ever wear). The wool is multi coloured and 2-ply 'biggy wool' and Ellie had fun pulling the cream bits out, making 'hair extensions' and screeching at me. We were having a lovely time and it felt that William should have been upstairs snoozing.

Paul's Mum is now staying with the girls. The house is in a dreadful state - there is no way Paul has cleaned in the last 6 weeks and there are bags and piles everywhere. It is pretty embarrasing. The trouble is, we never seem to get the chance to unpack and sort out before we are back in hospital again and the half unpacked bags and unsorted piles just accumulate. I am going to attack it room by room over the next few weeks and be totally ruthless. Then, I am going to pay for one of these cleaning companies that put leaflets through the door to do a 'deep clean'. I started a bit in my bedroom yesterday - although only got as far as at least leaving the unpacked bags in a tidy row (Paul's side still has clothes and stuff all over the floor!) The trouble with a sort out at this time of year is that it is 'spider season'!! I found 2 in the half hour or so I had to tidy before the girls came home. Both were huge - one so big I could hear it in the carrier bag it was in before it scuttled away. I know I will find it again when I get to work on the bedroom. I aim to attack the clutter and junk in small chunks, an hour of it everyday. I hope at least half our stuff will be in the bin, charity shop or sold on E-bay by Christmas.

Talking of charity shops, today's 'idle pleasure' was 'Charity Shop ESP' The idea is to imagine a book you really want to find in in a charity shop and go in and expect it to be there - it wasn't but it was fun! William wanted Thomas books and they weren't there either. So, we went on to Waterstones where we both spent more time enjoying 'idle pleasure' - and more money that I really can't afford. Buying books always seems so worthwhile and virtous that it never seems wrong, especially when I am really determined that I AM going to make it as a writer. Buying books is research so a necessity. I hope I get more success with the Charity Shop ESP or I will have spent any money I am likely to be paid before I even earn any.