On The First Week Of Christmas…
The first week of Christmas has come and gone! Can you believe it is the 8th December already? It’s been a hectic week, so much so, I still need to write up my November monthly wrap up. Well, delving in…
The Nutcracker
I kicked off the festive month by going to see The Nutcracker performed at the Birmingham Hippodrome, by the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
I love the ballet. I’d seen The Nutcracker as a kid and been itching to see it again. It really had been too long. Thinking of making it a yearly tradition ❤️
This time, I was lucky to take my little cousin with me. It was lovely to introduce her to her first ballet. Let alone one as well loved as The Nutcracker. Watching her enjoy the performance, hearing questions in amazement about how could they stay on the tips of their toes all night? How could they spin that fast? If you have children in your life who love magic and Christmas, I would highly recommend The Nutcracker as their first ballet. If they were to express an interest.
The Hippodrome
The Birmingham Hippodrome is a fantastic place to see a performance. The last time I attended was to see Hairspray back in 2013! It has had such a makeover since then. And I am very impressed with how accessible it is. Not just in a structural sense, but the upcoming performances listed many dates for interpreted, audio described and captioned performances. There are even a few relaxed performances for those who are neurodiverse and find theatre difficult.
For me, having access to bathrooms is a must. I found no problem using the womens or disabled facilities for my stoma needs. The amount of bathroom available on each floor is fantastic too.
The Performance
Beautiful, stunning, magical… every word I can think of to explain why I watched the whole performance with awe, is running through my mind.
To give a little synopsis; The Nutcracker is about the heroine, Clara. Who receives a nutcracker from Drosselmeyer, her godfather and a toymaker, as a Christmas present. In this fairytale, a fantasy realm comes to life. The Nutcracker a prince, the Rat King tries to kidnap Clara and there is a land of sweets ruled by a sugar plum fairy. But, it was all a dream, right?
The whole cast were spectacular and I am so impressed with the younger members. Who I would have put between 5-13 years of age. So adorable. In the performance we saw, Sofia Liñares danced the part of Clara. She was sensational. Even when sitting on the side of the stage, or awaiting her cue, she performed in every aspect. You could tell the story by her facial expressions alone and not just with her marvelous dancing.
During the second act, we got to see Yu Kurihara and Tyrone Singleton dance as the Sugar Plum Fairy and The Prince. I am so glad we did. They are perfection as a partnership. When they danced the Grand pas de deux, I teared. I don’t think I have ever been so speechless or clapped so hard.
I am definitely going to make sure I return to see them dance again.
Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week
If you have been reading my blog for the last decade, you’ll know I talk about My IBD Journey. From my diagnosis with Ulcerative Colitis to my most recent surgery.
Although this technically occured in November, since I last updated, I have had a sigmoidoscopy and it wasn’t until Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness week I felt ready to share. The last time I went for a sigmoidoscopy, it was the wonderful staff at Coventry University Hospital that got me through it. And they came through again this time.
As you can see from the picture, there were tears. You may think, but you had your colon removed? Well I had most of it removed. They leave a couple of inches in case you would like to opt for a J-Pouch. Because of this, they need to monitor to make sure any flaring is kept under control and there are no signs of cancer.
It isn’t the nicest procedure to go through and I do not like the sedation. I usually get through it with gas and air. Next time I will speak about a general anesthetic. For me, it is just too traumatising to go through and I have reoccurring panic, as it is a yearly thing.
Still awaiting my results, but my Surgeon has pushed back my appointment from a 6 to a 12 month check in. So I’d say they were good!
Lunch with Friends at Bistro Pierre
I have never eaten at Bistro Pierre. It was such a great, well priced meal. I mean, look at that burger! Delicious! Our sever Annie at the Coventry location was fantastic too! I love my meet ups with friends for meals. It’s such a great time to catch up, destress and feel full afterwards ❤️
Christmas Jumper Day
And to wrap up, it was Christmas Jumper day during the first week of Christmas and I of course, rocked out with my Captain America one from Merchoid.
And that was the first week of Christmas. Hope you are enjoying yours!
As always, thanks for reading…