A Message From Babette

27th February 2021

Babette Bluett-Duncan

Director

So I came back to the UK last Saturday. But what an adventure, a bit of an ordeal somewhat. The arrival at Heathrow was tough, very long queues, as the border control staff had to check so many different documents, and some of us were “Oh, nobody told me…!” so back to the back of the queue, but the poor staff were exhausted, and drained. When it was finally my turn after nearly two hours standing, I approached the man with a smile and a thank you for what he has to do. And also told him that my phone is a bit ancient so some of the documents were not very readable on it so I had my laptop ready. It was also the first time that I was re-entering the country after Brexit, and I have a French passport… but all went well, and the gentleman didn’t even check two of the required documents. It pays to be nice and see life from the other’s point of view.

However, Andrew and the children who were waiting for me had found out that I needed to isolate for 10 days, and the penny only dropped then that that meant I had to isolate from them too! Oh boy that was a blow… funny how easy it is to miss one part of the story… So, no cuddling, no kissing, masks on until we got home, then mostly in the spare room, otherwise respecting 2m distancing. The whole thing was very tough, probably worse of all because we hadn’t prepared ourselves. Arrival day being day 0, I had some pre-ordered tests ready and on day 2 did the 1st of the 2 required Covid tests, which came back on Wednesday as negative, phew! Now although I am still in quarantine, not going out, and having to do another test on day 8, somewhat at home we have relaxed, and as one of my sisters expressed, I have had far less chances to contract Covid between leaving the clinic with a negative test and my masked travel back home than any of the family going to the supermarket or the petrol pump. But we follow guidelines, and the French rebel in me really loves her adoptive country and the general following of rules, so I managed to even accept these ones.

Health wise, I left Germany with my two biggest liver tumours having shrunk from 3.5cm to 2.9cm, which is nearly 20%, and that was after Henning had warned me not to expect any reduction in just three weeks (time elapsed between the two ultrasounds) as sometimes tumours first increase anyway. So this result is fantastic, and when I asked him for his hunch on why such a result he said “When I see your general attitude in life, and the fact that when you are sad you cry, and when you are happy you sing, then I am not at all astonished…”. Nice one, thank you.

Before leaving, I managed to buy the keyboard that I had been using and donate it to Arcadia so a little bit of me stayed behind with it, together with very moving feedback from all the staff there who seemed to appreciate who I am as a person. Not once, not twice but three times did I hear a member of staff say “everybody loves you here/is going to miss you” which brought tears to my eyes and brings some again writing it now. How blessed am I.

I left Arcadia with what seems to be a regulated weight, and mastered cravings, I am very happy to be well over a stone lighter than before my long fast and stabilised for the last month. I also came back home having “got” meditation. I mean, I had always “got” meditation but my body was always so Speedy Gonzales that what I didn’t know was how to stop. Arcadia, with the numerous treatments which required lying down with nothing to do but be with myself, and with the numerous amounts of vitamin supplements and good food, and with the fact that I had nothing to do most of the time, has turned me into a quieter and calmer person. So thank you to all those who had sent me help with meditation, I am now sorted thank you.

My hair has stopped falling but is extremely sparse so I wear some kind of headwear which I am very pleased with. Some of you didn’t know that I have had blue hair for the last two years so I will show a picture of how I looked two months ago, and one of today.

Photo taken in November 2020

Photo taken now (February 2021)

I do feel tired, so I go slowly, as I also came back with this sentence ”I do not so much need to do less, but to feel more” so that is what I am “doing”, I am Feeling, and this kind of automatically dictates my Doing, and does it without stress nor pressure. Two days ago I cooked my first dish (Ottolenghi Portobello steaks and Butter Bean mash from his newest book Flavour page 210 which I don’t seem to get enough of) and today I am baking two types of sourdough, ciabattine and sourdough crackers so this is always a good sign.

Onwards and upwards!

Have a very good week-end.

Babette

Babette@artoflivingcookshop.co.uk