A beautiful dog, my book…and M.E.

Link to article on icNewcastle site

The link above will take you to the article printed in today’s Sunday Sun – I was very impressed with it, as it didn’t make me sound too ‘poor me, I’m not well’. I was happy to see the photo because one of my dogs, Holly, is in it: she was so good for the photographer (far more compliant than me, in fact). I am very difficult to take a good photo of, as I’m a blinker and I forget how to smile as soon as a camera is pointed in my direction. I involuntarily lose control of the muscles that control my mouth and begin to twitch – it’s not an attractive sight, and the photographer had his work cut out for him!

The only thing that was slightly inaccurate about the article is that I have worked since I was 19 (whenever I had a period of relative normality from the CFS) but I have had to give up several promising careers because of the illness. Maybe I’m not destined to be rich…

I was very tempted to take my copy of the newspaper into WHSmith and Waterstones in the Metrocentre and say, “This is me! Why don’t you stock my books?” but as you know, I’m far too shy for that…

I probably won’t be online much this week. Not sure I can afford to go and see James Martin in Leeds (though may be able to stretch to York) so I’ll get some rest, just in case. Am also hoping to get a chance to meet up with Mark, who’s at Sunderland in Sooty’s Magic Castle (4th April, Sunderland Empire). I used to love the Sooty Show, and think it’ll be great on stage, but my nieces and nephews are now too old to see such shows (shame, when their auntie isn’t!!!) Off to my mam’s now as it’s her birthday and we’re having a Chinese takeaway.

PS I’m not house-bound or bed-bound at the moment, as the article suggests (although I have been at times, often for weeks on end) – I spend the majority of my time lying on the sofa (as you can see from the photograph ‘The Real Me’) I am able to get out more in the winter months, when it is cold, as I find the summer warmth draining. I don’t leave the house much in the summer so maybe I can write another book!