Powering Down

Save for a few hours on the 7th of March when my gorgeous friend Leah was marrying her handsome prince Andrew at Woolwich Town Hall I had not taken a day off in 2013. And I have been ready and willing, just unable with a hectic work schedule. 

First, about the married couple--I kid you not, the bride and groom are lovely in more ways than one . . . she is one of my dearest friends in England and hails from America. We were brought together by a mutual friend who upon finding out I was moving to London sent me a note to say that Leah wasn't "icky" and he thought we'd be well suited to each other--and Paul was right. (And I am ever grateful for his intervention.) Leah is warm, generous, naturally beautiful, smart and grounded and thoughtful. She has a knack for remembering names I mention once in conversation, and always asks after my family. Her husband is funny, dashing, gregarious and most important, deeply caring to her. I love the way Andrew looks at Leah. They glow in each other's presence, and you sense their intimacy in a way that is warm and reassuring that love is splendid.

Andrew, Leah, Leah's mum Susan

Where was I? Yes, the wedding, which included a fantastic trip via an old RouteMaster bus from the town hall to the restaurant where the reception was held. Spectacular mode of transport, both for those of us on board and the onlookers who seemed to get a kick out of The Love Bus. The whole afternoon into early evening was filled with special moments--Leah's mum speaking of her happiness for her daughter, so evident in every word she said with a soft-spoken warmth that drew us all in; Andrew's dad, filled with pride about his son settling down into (married) life. Chatting with friends new and old met through Leah, photos snapped, smiles captured. A delight, and how very special I felt to be invited to be there with Tim.

Fast forward to the next time I was scooting out of the office early--Holy Thursday, off to catch a train and ferry and hopefully beat the mad dash to the Isle of Wight. It's been cold in England--the coldest March on record, in fact--and while it's no warmer in Cowes the exodus was much anticipated and not just by me, as the train even ahead of rush hour was packed and the ferry from Southampton to Cowes had every seat taken.

Bliss? You could say that. Tim has been happily spending hours on the boat, scrubbing down her hull and anti-fouling the area that will soon be below surface. It's messy, smelly work but it puts a smile on Tim's face to be on Coh Karek, even when she's cradled at the marina. Me, I'm just happy idling the days, watching the boats go by, reading the paper, staying indoors from the chilly northeasterly wind with a good book or the newspaper. We will see our friends for a drink at the sailing club, and perhaps have a pub dinner. Easter Sunday will be roast lamb with rosemary and garlic, a lovely pinot noir, and just the two of us. If the weather is nice we'll take a long walk along the sea, warm up with a cup of tea or coffee on our return, and perhaps light a fire--I splurged on a wall-mounted fireplace that burns bio ethanol fuel; there is nothing like a fireplace to warm your senses.

View from my window

And the best part is that, fingers crossed, my urticaria is finally in check. Granted it is with the help of three different medications at the moment, but it has taken a huge amount of stress off my shoulders to know that I will most probably wake up in the morning looking normal. I am due to go back to the doctor next week, and will start down the path of decreasing the dosage of anti-histamines to gauge my ability to keep the redness and swelling at bay with less and then eventually no medication. I plan to be patch tested later next month for contact urticaria, which involves bringing lotions, make up, etc to be sampled on my back to see if any reaction occurs over a series of five days and three visits. The dermatologist, while initially saying it wasn't about the make up, is puzzled by the localization of the outbreaks, and I suppose better safe than sorry to have the patch tests rule out any issues. I have moved from restricting my diet to re-introducing foods known to be higher in histamine back into my meals, one every other day, and so far with success. Of course it's hard to know if it's the medicine that's preventing the flares, but at this point I'm happy to be eating fish and drinking wine with dinner. Urticaria has a way of showing up, exhausting your patience and then quietly departing without rhyme or reason. I'll be glad when it's grown tired of me.

Bliss? Yeah, and for a lot of reasons. But mostly because I have absolutely nothing to do for a few days but to watch the boats, to smile at the gulls shrieking as they fly overhead, and to stroll by the sea when I feel so inclined. 

If only I could remember how to sleep in!