i feel alive!

hi everyone

i’m buzzing about the weekend i just had.

i went to festival number 6 at portmeirion. i had a free carers ticket but no one could get time off to come with me so i went on my own. i had booked VIP boutique camping because i thought it would be easier. the tent is put up for you and an airbed and sleeping bags put in it. unfortunately i didnt know that this boutique camp was up a very steep hill with loads (i mean hundreds) of steps and a mudslide as well. i had taken my trusty hiking pole and it saved my life. so apart from feeling like i was at base camp for kilimanjiro every time i went back to the tent, every thing worked out fine.

i met so many lovely helpful people. a young girl called amy who looked about 18 yrs old picked up my heavy holdall and slung it over her shoulder and carried it up the hill. she had recognised my ms because her mum has it. on another occasion i didnt have the strength to get myself up and a really nice guy asked me if i needed a push. that was on the friday.

saturday and sunday i managed fine. in fact 3 stewards were sat on the steps watching me and one said “can you manage?” one of the others said “she manages better than us”. how chuffed was i?

i missed the bands that i really wanted to see but i saw other bands and events that i had never heard of. so british sea power i’ll be coming to see you next time you’re playing in manchester.

the place was so beautiful and there were so many wonderful eccentrics there. maybe i count as one?

but the best thing of all was that i became the person that i used to be. i recognised this chatty, friendly, confident person as myself. thsi is after almost 4 years of not recognising myself because of all the changed that ms has brought.

as i was driving home i thought to myself “I AM ALIVE!”

carole xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh Carole, what a wonderfull post! Well done you! There are plenty of ‘able bodied’ people who’d be too scared to do such a thing on their own, so good on you! It must have given you a great sense of achievement, but more than that, you had a blooming great time. Fantastic xxxx

How good to read such a ‘happy’ post - makes us realise that there is a life out there. l saw - on a news programme - some of the Portmeirion festival. Some people were lucky enough to actually stay in the houses. A lot of the youngsters interviewed had not seen - and had not heard of - the Prisoner series - which made me feel old.

l have collected a large set of Portmeirion Botanical porcelain dinner ware - l know its made in Stoke - but l still feel its connected to Portmeirion itself. ls it going to be an annual event? Might see you there next year.

F.

GRIN

Life is for living. Suck the marrow and Carpe Diem

Glad you had such a fantastic weekend

Belinda

What a fantastic post, you’re an inspiration!!! Go again next year!

OH Carole, what a truly inspirational post! Good on yer, girl! Brilliant!

luv POllx