Not heard a thing

About young M and his Appendix Cancer Operation - maybe we will hear in the morning.

I had a terrible night's sleep thinking about this ending with the most horrible dream I've ever had which climaxed in some terrorist slicing off my daughter's head with a Scimitar in glorious technicolor! I daren't even tell you what a mess I was in as awoke from that as it happend at 2 in the morning.

Dreams are of course a collection of many things and inputs but it was just awful and I can see that it was a combination of stories from the UK and US press that combined to make that so and the "parent's worry" about his "little girl" going off to New York in a week or two. In fact she is so like me in many ways that I ought not to worry she is planned, calculated and sensible and has always proved herself to be so. Even now at 20 she still checks in and we know what is going on. She is very adventurous and sensible and planned all in one. L is the one that can be a bit of a loose cannon. A and L are off to Sheffield University tomorrow - L has an interview for the Degree course she wants and she has a reference that - frankly - I'd kill for from the school where she is doing her spare time work placement. She will get on and do well in life because she has all the common sense of her mother and the sense of humour of her father and a get on and do attitude. If they rejected her that wouldn't be a problem - she knows what she wants to do (and in my opinion what she is great at) and she will get there by whatever route gets her there. She will be a great teacher - it is one of the things I always wanted to be - I felt that was what I could have done but the 60 s and 70s weren't always about what you wanted to do but getting a trade first and then do what you want to do. I have the luxury of letting my children choose what is right for them not what is right for my wallet. If they bankrupted me getting there, I think that would be OK too? Well maybe.

I got everything that was possibly in my parent's power to give to me and it has worked out OK. I think that I owe that opportunity to my children - to give the best I can too. They've got a few steps up from where I was - it isn't where I'd like it to be but it's the best I can give at the moment.

They have to do the best with the opportunity they can - I am certain that they will. I may whinge a lot about things but deep down inside I believe that they will make the best of their chances because they are well supported by my friends and family as well as by us.