A special day...

I awoke early.
After 5 days of tough chemo living, I could feel a change in my limbs.
My legs and arms, my chest and stomach, my feet; I could feel a new health... I knew my chemo week had past... I can't tell you how good that feels but 'so sweet' just begins to describe it.
I looked over at Chrissy and knew today would be lovely, but I had no idea how special.
By 10am. I was downstairs, breakfasted and medicated.
I ordered a novel I know won't be published till the 2nd August: the new Jasper Fforde novel. Confidence.
I'd a wonderful morning to begin with, with my darling, Chrissy Sue, as I was enjoying just being better.
I also had a lovely visitor for the England game, my daughter Becky. I havent seen her in ages and missed her so much. It was just great chatting to her too. She talks so honestly about things now, open about her life, and it's a wonderful feeling to understand her so much better.
She was sketching me and when she had a break I asked if I could see her sketchbook.
The sketch of me was very honest, so I was just grateful she had a chance to do it.
But Oh God, though, her drawings are incredible.
I looked at her female nudes in awe. I remember struggling hard to draw and paint these in my 20's and it is such a hard subject. For Becky? She draws the human form with ease.  It just comes naturally, her talent pours out with seemingly no effort.
The match was great too. England v Sweden. I adore Jesse Lingard and, as usual, he oozed class as he kept the team moving with rhythm and purpose. Some players just have a way of taking a team forwards on the pitch. A little like Iniesta.
He brings warmth and trust too. What a player.
Well, we won, of course. Raheem Sterling was excellent and we flowed through to the semi finals almost with ease, as these two magicians found all the gaps and opened the channels for a team flooding operation that just kept flowing
At the end, too, Sarah came over! She is still a bit coldy and Ed a lot, but it was so lovely to see her for the first time in two weeks.
Sarah also brought with her the first printing of "The Quarry" and that melted my heart, seeing the book finally in a print form after all these years.
Sarah and  Clare both helped make that book come to life but Sarah has been the Production team on her own at times.
The cover is amazing too. It has a sensual tactile quality that longs to be held and the design, by Clare, is stunning.
Holding that book in my hand all evening has been an experience too but here's another thing happened next, which was Toby Hughes arrived as a visitor.
He was disarmingly lovely for an hour too.
What a caring person Toby is. I had no idea how much, but he has decided to be a carer for me, and promised to pray for me, though I may have surprised him already with my attitude, but I say, what the heck, another prayer would be lovely.
So, yeah, a nice day.
My taste buds returned too, so allowing me to eat properly again.
This has really been quite a special day, and I don't take any of it for granted, so I must say I'm a happy man, by any measure.
I was ill to start with but feel so much better now.
Thank you all who helped me today, I am so grateful you did...

With love always...


David