MS Cake Bake - THANK YOU

As you may know I have MS - diagnosed in 1999. It doesn't stop me but it does limit me and some days are worse than others. I'm quite proud of the fact that I hide it well and unless you know me or watch me closely you probably wouldn't guess. My legs are not always stable, I sometimes walk with a limp, I can wobble as I walk, my hands have little surface feeling and at times don't quite do what I expect them to do, writing can be hard, holding cups/cutlery can be difficult and some days I am so tired I just stay on the sofa.

Bad days I stay home, mainly because home is the best place :-) and without my fantastic Hubby Nick even my good days would not happen. We have an amazing life, as you can see from my many blog posts, but I do only post the 'good stuff' - no-one wants to read about the bad !!

Here's my latest piece of 'good stuff' - last Thursday I hosted a Cake Bake Day here at home in aid of the MS Society; their official Cake Bake Day was on 15th May.

Over the two weeks prior to Thursday and for the next week I have taken orders for large cakes. A maximum of two cakes a day and spread a few days apart - the whole event has taken a lot of planning, not my baking but my own ability and rest. Baking two cakes a day was do-able if they were not too tricky, if they were then it was one cake. The icing happened the following day so I could rest in between.  The cakes for my Coffee and Cake at home were made over the two weeks prior too (freezers are amazing things) so again it looked lots but was actually 'slow and steady'.

Gingerbread People

Coffee and Walnut Cake

Victoria Sponge

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Schokogugelhopf for my Blackout Prize

I am so so grateful to all my friends and family for their amazing support for this - my cakes were very well received with amazing donations. I have four cakes to make this week for my final orders.

The only thing that really had me frustrated with a little 'blue air' was on the morning of my Cake Bake when I had to blow up and TIE the balloons - this definitely needs more thought next time as my fingers were useless - it was quite funny. Guess it's a job for my lovely Hubby next time. 

I also do cross stitch - great for MS resting and so long as I watch my hand and make sure I'm holding the needle I can stitch quite a lot (I have often looked up at the tv then back at my stitching only to find my hand in the air and the needle still in the fabric, so funny)

For my friends who live too far away to share my baking I launched a Just Giving page to raffle a Little House Needleworks cross stitch chart entitled 'Baked Goods' - for every £1 donated I'll be putting their names in a hat and drawing a winner on May 31st. I am so grateful and quite amazed that £31 has already been donated - THANK YOU

http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Clare-HearndenCakeBake2015

The main reason for this blog post is to say THANK YOU - certainly not for sympathy or praise - and it is a BIG thank you as my Cake Bake total is amazing. The actual total is yet to be finalised but with money already in, orders this week and my online page, the total will be 

OVER £250

MS needs so much research into causes, symptoms, medication, cures, life style help and support. Since my diagnosis so much more has been discovered and developed but more funding is needed to continue this vital research into a condition that affects so many. 

And hopefully days like CAKE BAKE will also increase awareness as MS patients are often judged - wobbly walking must mean someone is drunk - can't get change out their purse must mean they are high on something - slurred words must mean they are not in a fit state - WRONG, it could just be a 'bad day' and a helping hand would be appreciated.

THANK YOU to all my friends who give me a helping hand when I need it and a who have given so much to my Cake Bake and helped MS Society with their future research and the support they give.