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<channel><title><![CDATA[MARK'S ROAMINATIONS - All blogs]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/all-blogs]]></link><description><![CDATA[All blogs]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:15:05 +0000</pubDate><generator>Weebly</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Yesterday was the First Day of my Life]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/all-blogs/yesterday-was-the-first-day-of-my-life]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/all-blogs/yesterday-was-the-first-day-of-my-life#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2025 23:00:00 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/all-blogs/yesterday-was-the-first-day-of-my-life</guid><description><![CDATA[Much of this will have to be explained during the first and subsequent weeks of this series of bogs but I need to get the bones of the story down now in honour of yesterday.   				 				  A new beginning.When I was&nbsp;made aware, on March 4, 2025, of the fact that I had Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), the shock of a probable 12-18 months of life, I promised myself that a positive approach to the rest of my life would be dedicated to Niamh, Shan, Kate and Andrew. It seemed a relatively easy promi [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph"><em><font size="4" color="#626262">Much of this will have to be explained during the first and subsequent weeks of this series of bogs but I need to get the bones of the story down now in honour of yesterday.</font></em></div>  <div><div style="height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></div> 				<div id='601754957392889628-gallery' class='imageGallery' style='line-height: 0px; padding: 0; margin: 0'><div id='601754957392889628-imageContainer0' style='float:left;width:49.95%;margin:0;'><div id='601754957392889628-insideImageContainer0' style='position:relative;margin:2px;'><div class='galleryImageBorder' style='border-width:1px;padding:1px;'><div class='galleryImageHolder' style='position:relative; width:100%; padding:0 0 100%;overflow:hidden;'><div class='galleryInnerImageHolder'><a href='https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/uploads/9/5/3/0/95302994/kate-and-niamh_orig.jpg' rel='lightbox[gallery601754957392889628]'><img src='https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/uploads/9/5/3/0/95302994/kate-and-niamh.jpg' class='galleryImage' _width='800' _height='800' style='position:absolute;border:0;width:100%;top:-0%;left:0%' /></a></div></div></div></div></div><div id='601754957392889628-imageContainer1' style='float:left;width:49.95%;margin:0;'><div id='601754957392889628-insideImageContainer1' style='position:relative;margin:2px;'><div class='galleryImageBorder' style='border-width:1px;padding:1px;'><div class='galleryImageHolder' style='position:relative; width:100%; padding:0 0 100%;overflow:hidden;'><div class='galleryInnerImageHolder'><a href='https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/uploads/9/5/3/0/95302994/kate-and-niamg-2_orig.jpg' rel='lightbox[gallery601754957392889628]'><img src='https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/uploads/9/5/3/0/95302994/kate-and-niamg-2.jpg' class='galleryImage' _width='800' _height='600' style='position:absolute;border:0;width:133.33%;top:0%;left:-16.67%' /></a></div></div></div></div></div><div id='601754957392889628-imageContainer2' style='float:left;width:49.95%;margin:0;'><div id='601754957392889628-insideImageContainer2' style='position:relative;margin:2px;'><div class='galleryImageBorder' style='border-width:1px;padding:1px;'><div class='galleryImageHolder' style='position:relative; width:100%; padding:0 0 100%;overflow:hidden;'><div class='galleryInnerImageHolder'><a href='https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/uploads/9/5/3/0/95302994/rainy-day-in-hungerford-6_orig.jpg' rel='lightbox[gallery601754957392889628]'><img src='https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/uploads/9/5/3/0/95302994/rainy-day-in-hungerford-6.jpg' class='galleryImage' _width='800' _height='800' style='position:absolute;border:0;width:100%;top:-0%;left:0%' /></a></div></div></div></div></div><div id='601754957392889628-imageContainer3' style='float:left;width:49.95%;margin:0;'><div id='601754957392889628-insideImageContainer3' style='position:relative;margin:2px;'><div class='galleryImageBorder' style='border-width:1px;padding:1px;'><div class='galleryImageHolder' style='position:relative; width:100%; padding:0 0 100%;overflow:hidden;'><div class='galleryInnerImageHolder'><a href='https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/uploads/9/5/3/0/95302994/photo-2025-04-12-08-36-53_orig.jpg' rel='lightbox[gallery601754957392889628]'><img src='https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/uploads/9/5/3/0/95302994/photo-2025-04-12-08-36-53.jpg' class='galleryImage' _width='600' _height='800' style='position:absolute;border:0;width:100%;top:-16.67%;left:0%' /></a></div></div></div></div></div><span style='display: block; clear: both; height: 0px; overflow: hidden;'></span></div> 				<div style="height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></div></div>  <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;"><br /><br /><strong>A new beginning.</strong><br /><br /><span>When I was&nbsp;</span>made aware, on March 4, 2025, of the fact that I had <em>Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), </em>the shock of a probable 12-18 months of life, I promised myself that a positive approach to the rest of my life would be dedicated to Niamh, Shan, Kate and Andrew. It seemed a relatively easy promise to make at the time: bite the bullet with Chemo therapy (the light version given my age) and after about 4 weeks things would start to normalise.&nbsp;<br /><br />Only they didn't. After 8 weeks it seemed like it was going nowhere. I remained in hospital and there was talk of maybe longer. In some quarters there was talk of never coming home.<br />I almost lost the plot at my life's nadir some time in darkest April when I had good reason to believe&nbsp;there might only be a few days left.<br /><br />And then I became convinced there was some of my dream left to fight for and it needed to happen urgently if it was to happen at all.<br /><br /><strong>A new chance</strong>.<br /><br />A gleam of light appeared when Shan and a few other medical people developed a plan for 6 weeks of home rehab working alongside the NHS with strong parts on which to build the remaining globe of light&nbsp;leading to a brighter future.<br /><br />I am sending this out now so that my family and I can start the next 6 weeks with fortitude in the hopes that results will take us way into 2026 and beyond, and that little Niamh will continue to have a Grandpa for much longer than that.<br />&#8203;<br />I shall continue with new episodes as things progress ...</div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Several distinct blog themes under one roof ...]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/all-blogs/several-distinct-blog-themes-under-one-roof]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/all-blogs/several-distinct-blog-themes-under-one-roof#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 11 Apr 2021 16:07:10 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/all-blogs/several-distinct-blog-themes-under-one-roof</guid><description><![CDATA[These themes can be accessed by a drop down box at the top right titled ALL BLOGSAlternatively you can click the heading below that will link you to the theme of your choice:A project to drum up support for Active TravelA collection of classic journeys I have made, often with Shelley-annFuzzy Photos and Unreliable Tasting Notes -&nbsp;rambling autobiographical bitsRandom blogs for when I want to rant or enthuse randomly [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph">These themes can be accessed by a drop down box at the top right titled ALL BLOGS<br /><br />Alternatively you can click the heading below that will link you to the theme of your choice:<ol><li><strong>A project to drum up support for <a href="https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/active-travel">Active Travel</a></strong></li><li><strong>A collection of <a href="https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/classic-blogs">classic journeys</a> I have made, often with Shelley-ann</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/fputn">Fuzzy Photos and Unreliable Tasting Notes</a> -&nbsp;rambling autobiographical bits</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.marksadventures.co.uk/random-blogs" target="_blank">Random blogs</a> for when I want to rant or enthuse randomly</strong></li></ol></div>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>