Champagne Moments

The champagne cork from my pocket.

I found a champagne cork in the pocket of an old jacket of mine this morning. I haven't worn it for ages, and even though I've racked the depths of my brain, I can't for the life of me remember what I had been celebrating last time I wore it!

There are loads of other 'things' that remind me of moments in time, however. My pockets are always full of them - sea shells, acorns, sweet wrappers, socks, cheese strings........but there are other more subtle things -

The smell of wild garlic and the sound of oystercatchers reminds me of the little cottage we stay in on the west coast of Scotland.

When I hear Lionel Ritchie singing 'All Night Long,' I'm sitting on the coach to Switzerland, aged 14 on a school ski-ing trip.

When I drive past a particular spot next to my old school, I can see myself putting a red ice-pop down Liz's back. She didn't speak to me for 6 months after that, and I don't blame her really!

When I taste garlic prawns I'm in France - on holiday - relaxing with friends.

The fresh-cut grass smell, and I'm sitting on the school field supposedly revising for exams, but really eyeing up the boys.

And so it goes on. Moments in time, and the 'things' that remind us of them.

Today, I did a final training walk before Saturday around the 3 mile loop that circles our village. I've done this walk so many times over the years.  My 2 kids have wailed around it in their prams, we've scootered along there umpteen times to look at the cows in their shed in the winter, we've spent hours gathering blackberries along there, with poor Eddie getting sent into the prickly brambles to get the big fat juicy berries that we can't reach....and last year, it was the walk I did whenever I needed to clear my head and get some fresh air during chemo.

I thought about all those things as I marched around the loop today. All those moments in time.

Its going to be weird on Saturday doing this Moonwalk thing. I'm really not sure how I'm going to feel. I know how my body will feel - bloody knackered - but I don't know how I'll feel inside - surrounded by everything that will remind me about breast cancer. Did all that really happen last year? On the night, all the boobs, bras and everyone 'uniting against breast cancer,' will soon remind me that yes, Lisa - it really did.

Whatever happens I think it will be an emotional night as I walk the walk and talk the talk with my lovely friends over 26 miles. Family and friends have helped us raise over 1800 quid up to now, so when we finally cross the line at the end, it will definitely be a champagne moment - and one I will definitely NOT forget!