The view from our apartment of those fabulous Dents du Midi

I received a text this morning from a friend enquiring if I was still  alive. ‘How are you and where are you? No blogging’. So I realised I had been remiss. I think it must have been dry January rendering me speechless! Thank God that’s over…

In truth there is nothing  much to report since the last blog. I have been speeding a lot of time in the Swiss mountains where we have had gorgeous sunny days and little snow.  I never tire of the views and the healthy fresh air.

Talking of health, while my calf-less leg just about withstands the rigours of skiing on icy slopes – especially with the help of my new moulded outer-casing ski boots (Fischer FYI) – my arthritic hip has been breathtakingly painful, so I am now exploring the next steps.

With my darling boy, Tommy

As I am uninsurable in the UK (quote £32,000 pa for the two of us!) I have started the process on the NHS. Will wait to see how long this might take; I do have an option of getting it taken care of in Switzerland, which would be a good plan (and under a Swiss insurance policy) but with no friends in Basel, it might be a bit lonely when I am recuperating. Choices, choices…but pain is a great leveller

Burns night with the Scottish Cattell cousins: Jamie brought the haggis from Nairn!

Boxing day lunch – John Pooler, Jane Hindley and Diego

Tommy on his board (his gout prevented him skiing!)

Here are some photographs from our recent Swiss sojourns: with Ross and Tommy, and with the Old Queens ski team plus some groupies!

Donald and Hilary

Ross makes it in from Boston in time for lunch!

The Cambridge ski team gals, Hil and Cat

Tommy with his cousins, Nico and Thomas – not forgetting Jitsy the French bulldog

Donald shows Tommy how to decapitate a champagne bottle

Ross, Cat and Bea

Raclette for 15!

Author: vickyunwin

I am a writer and traveller. Our darling daughter Louise died on 2 March 2011, aged 21 (www.louisecattell.com) and I started writing as therapy. We never know how long we have on this earth, so I live for every day...in November 2013 I was diagnosed and operated on for a malignant soft tissue sarcoma in the calf, followed by 6.5 weeks of radiotherapy, so am embarking on a different kind of journey which you can follow here. I also have another site www.healthylivingwithcancer.co with my blueprint for health and well-being.