Dash Cam

 It was a leisurely and late start to the day. When I got up, it was raining and despite Jasper's protestations, there was nothing I could do to stop it. Even though I was unable to intervene the weather cleared up of its own accord and Jasper nipped out into the garden.

The morning saw me work through a pile of ironing. (Not a big pile, I would add). Then, I took my car, the Fiesta, out of the garage for the first time in ages.  I took it out for a run. This was, quite possibly, the first time since April (or before) that I had driven it beyond our driveway. It was nice to give it a blast along the local highways and byways up around Fontwell and Chichester before heading home. 

Once home, this got me thinking about my DashCam. Well, strictly speaking, the DashCam in the Karoq - which is Ian's. (A temporary replacement for ours which had caused problems last year).  It was time I returned it and reverted to my own. Well, that seemed like a good idea. In practice, my own "fixed" DashCam wouldn't seem to fire up, even when I took the Karoq out for a drive. I decided that a replacement was the only sensible solution so, dropped into Halfords and bought a replacement. A couple of hours later, the battery charged, and firmware updated, the new DashCam was installed in the Karoq.  Success.

No chances

The day started without incident or alarm. I awoke naturally and pottered downstairs for a coffee. Soon after, Diane wandered into the kitchen for her tea and I went up for a shower. At 09:00. I had a call with the cousins. Suzannah was pleased to introduce us to her brand-new house, and Chris talked about his medieval reenactment in Germany last week,. These were the main topics for the day but this was couched in a bubble-wrap of banter and good humour.

We had an amber weather warning threatening thunderstorms. As the morning progressed it got darker and darker. In the end, I shut down this iMac (Condor) just in case there was a huge electrical storm. I was taking no chances for an electrical surge (despite having surge protectors on the power supply). The storm came, dumped huge amounts of water, made a lot of noise, and within 40 minutes had left. 

We settled down with our books for an hour or two, but with the threat of a further downpour, made the most of the radar picture which implied we had an hour or so before the next rainfall. I took Diane out for a walk around the lake, then up Berry Lane and back past the side entrance to Ellie's school. It was a good walk for her.

Early start

We were awake early. Ellie came in to ask the time at 6:00. I told her that she had 30 minutes to go and she pottered back to her room. She was back on the dot at 6:30 and asked to use her iPad. That kept her quiet for a further 30 minutes. By then the floodgates of the morning had burst free and we all got going.

After Elie was dropped at school and I had eaten breakfast, I spent the morning researching while Diane chatted to Jane on the phone. In parallel, laundry was hung out to dry, and ironing was completed. Not a busy morning, but a fruitful one.

After lunch, we had the customary hour or so with our books before collecting Ellie from school. There was a frantic 5 minute spell in the park but we then headed home. We couldn't hang around because she would need dinner before Pete came to collect her.

A blanket of calm has now descended upon the house. I keep checking my ears to assure myself that I have not gone deaf.

As I was preparing dinner, I spotted an announcement regarding Bognor Regis Town F.C. They have a game against Portsmouth F.C. next Tuesday evening. That sounded interesting so I chatted with Diane, tapped a few buttons, and now we both have tickets for the game.

Nothing special

 Ellie was dropped off by Zoe soon after 7:00. Zoe is off on a two-day course near Brighton so Ellie will be staying with us tonight, though Darren will be collecting her from school and giving her dinner.

We had the usual shopping interludes today. Ocado delivered and then we hit Sainsbury's. The rest of the glorious day was spent with our books and taking Diane out for a walk.

Just Pottering

Ellie was dropped off soon after 7. After breakfast and her morning ablutions, she came down raring to get her homework done. She based her draft on "Pussy cat, pussy cat where have you been" and duly wrote out the poem before trying to draw some pictures to illustrate the poem and how she felt. Very intense for this time of the morning.

Once Ellie was delivered to school we had a relatively calm day. We popped around to a local shop and spent much of the day reading. Diane wandered off to meet with Zoe and collect Ellie from school but soon came back saying she was a little breathless. A quiet seat in the Orangery with a book seemed to sort things out.

Almost Forgot

It's hard to believe, but I almost forgot that today is the 9th Anniversary of my retirement from IBM. I still have frequent "work dreams" where I am preparing for, or presenting to some client or other. I suppose it's a form of PTSD!

Trekking

 We were up early so that Ellie could be dropped off as Darren went to work. She was very chirpy, claiming she had been awake since 05:00 so she could see mummy off to work. We went through the usual checklist and I delivered her (in a timely fashion) to the classroom door.

After breakfast, I hit the accounts. We had been alerted to a couple of nice wins on the Premium Bonds and I needed to get them files away. By the time I was finished with the accounts, Diane was ready for a trek walk. We took a slightly longer route today, as planned. We headed for the Community Centre and then looped back across the football pitches and up alongside the school. Next week Diane has her first Cardiac Rehab session at the Community Centre, so it was important to see how long it took to walk there and check that she could complete the route without a problem.

We had a quiet afternoon. Diane was making some cloth animals and I spent the time reading until it was time to collect Ellie. We both went around to Zoe's and headed for school. Ellie was eager to stop off at the park, so we left her with Zoe and returned home. Ellie has some homework to complete, based on poetry. Grandpa switched on his inner Kipling and came up with:

My Grandpa wrote a poem

Especially for me

The lines all tell a tale

And they rhyme, you see

The poem isn’t very long

He couldn’t think of much

But it fitted with my homework

So did the job, as such.

Whether she'll use it or not, I don't know. 

Emergency Services

I started the day with the usual coffee and then school escort duty. Zoe had a day off, so we went together. She revealed that her plans for the day were to finish some ironing and to follow curry recipe. Mid-morning she came to borrow my vast cooking pot and then there were regular phone calls to check on progress and whether it looked as it should.

The rest of the morning was spent with laundry and ironing... and spot-cleaning the upstairs carpets after Jasper had vomited all over the place. We also managed to take a walk to the post-box and back around the lake. This is the longest walk that Diane has done since the operation. Tomorrow we plan to walk to the community centre and back (weather permitting).

When we went round to collect Ellie from school, I tried the curry. She had done a pretty good job, though there was a strong cinnamon flavour. This was because she had used full cinnamon quills (about 15-20cm long) instead of cinnamon sticks (about 2.5 cm long). Despite this, the curry tasted pretty good.

This afternoon we had a frisson of excitement as the sound of emergency service sirens could be heard across the district. It appears that firearms officers were called to the area near the railway station as there were reports of shots fired. Subsequently, two men were arrested. Then to add to the mayhem a fire broke out in the roof space of a local sports centre and fire engines were dispatched from Bognor, Chichester, Littlehampton, and Worthing. Even now, several hours after the incident, the sound of Emergency Services sirens can still be heard across the area.

Easy like Sunday Morning

 There was nothing on today's agenda. I had a lie-in, not rising until a decadent 07:30. Coffee was brewed and I settled down to some quiet time with the overnight press. Diane wandered down sometime later and waded into her morning tea and overnight press.

The morning was punctuated with laundry that needed to be washed or hung on the line and there was some ironing to clear. With that out of the way, I was able to bring the accounts spreadsheet up to date and then settled down with my Kindle to finish my latest book (that's 37 for the year, so far).

Other than a fleeting visit from Zoe to borrow a spade, that was about it for the day. We spent the afternoon in the Orangery with our books.

Birthday

The day started with the traditional Cousins’ call over Zoom. A couple of cousins were missing, but the rest chimed in as usual. We had the usual updates and banter in the allotted time, then dropped off and sent a message to Zoe.

Zoe wanted a copy of Excel and Word on the MacBook that I had lent her. I have a family license so it was just a matter of downloading the code. She popped around, MacBook in hand, and we started the various incantations that would release the magic and install the code. It didn't take too long and we checked that it was working. All was well.

Diane and I were scheduled to meet with Jane and Trevor at The Mulberry Inn for lunch. It was, after all, Jane's Birthday on Thursday so a small celebration seemed only right and proper. As we drove towards Chiddingfold, a message came in from Zoe. She had completed the spreadsheet that she wanted, but couldn't save it. I had a suspicion as to the cause, but it was not something I could quickly explain by text (Diane was transcribing) while driving. It would have to wait until we got home.

The Mulberry Inn is under new management (since our last visit). It has a menu featuring the usual favourites and a good selection of Lebanese dishes. We settled down and made our choice. While Diane and Jane both chose fish, Trevor and I both selected the Lebanese mixed grill. This turned out to be a good choice with succulent lamb, chicken, liver, flatbread, and aubergine.

We caught up on all of the news and gave Jane her Birthday present. This was a book of our family history featuring our direct ancestors (pedigree) for about 12 generations. Hopefully, it will give her some interesting reading and prompt some memories that can be added to the story.

Trevor also revealed that they had bought a new car (virtually on a whim). They swapped the Corolla for a RAV4. The RAV4 is significantly larger than the one Diane had and is now a self-charging hybrid. We had a look over it when we had finished the meal - it really is a very nice car.

Back home, we walked to Zoe's so that I could try to sort out the Excel problem. As I had suspected it was a problem related to the authorization granted to Zoe's Sainsbury's identity. By switching the identity to her personal account we managed to save the file. She will need to contact Sainsbury's IT support so that they can authorize Excel for her Sainsbury's id.

VAR

 At 05:15 Ellie wandered into our room and asked if it was six-thirty yet. I assured her there was still a long time to go and that she should go back to sleep. She duly returned to her bedroom and we heard nothing further until 06:45 when she fired up her tablet (quietly).

Today was sports day. We took Ellie to school (along with Zoe) and then set up some chairs so that we could watch the races. It was grey and overcast. Rain threatened, but was never brave enough to put in an appearance. A cold wind made sure everyone was equally uncomfortable.

Class by class they started to emerge for the school clutching their chairs. They lined up, class by class and house by house within the class.

Parents were streaming in and taking up their positions. The main topic of conversation was the cold wind. Eventually, all the classes were sitting by the track and the Headmistress introduced the event and welcomed the parents.

The first event was for the reception class. When that was over, Ellie's "Beech Class" took over with an egg and spoon race. Ellie came 3rd.

After the egg and spoon race, we had the relay race. Ellie was the second runner in the return leg. Ellie ran a very good leg, increasing the lead her team had developed. Her Unicorns team blasted it, blowing away all the other teams.

The races continued class by class. Finally, they came to individual sprints. Ellie lined up for the sprint. She hurtled off and crossed the line in what appeared to be a photo finish. She relaxed as she got to the line instead of blasting through it. She needs some of Grandpa's competitive spirit. Two steps back she was a clear winner, but on the line, she was joint first. (What a good job Grandpa was recording the whole thing and can now send in his VAR assessment).

Ellie was a winner, however. We collected her from school and she revealed that she had been awarded the Headmistress's "Golden Ticket" for her outstanding project work. Grandpa laminated the Golden Ticket when we got home so that she can save it in her memory box.

Ellie stayed with us for dinner and then Pete came along to collect her for the weekend.

Curry

The most important item today is the fact that it is Jane's Birthday. Though we won't see her today, we have arranged to meet her and Trevor for lunch on Saturday. 

I was up early. No particular reason. Just awake. When the time came I went to escort Ellie to school with Zoe. Zoe was starting work mid-afternoon. Her store was undergoing an inventory check but that would start until late afternoon. She had to be there as part of the oversight process. She won't be home until the early hours.

We had the usual shopping extravaganza with Ocado kicking off the festivities before we headed to Sainsbury's. By the time everything was packed away, it was time to take Diane for her latest blood test. This turned out to be very positive and her INR is now within the target range.

We collected Ellie from school and again stopped at the park so that she could play before coming home for tea. Tea was the requested "Grandpa's Curry" with rice. A fresh batch of "Grandpa's" sauce was made up and served with rice and chicken (cooked in the pressure cooker at lunchtime). There was enough sauce for tonight's dinner and to freeze three further containers full.

Just ticking by

Another glorious day was spent just ticking by. 

I escorted Ellie to school with Zoe (who was starting work later today). Then, after breakfast, I  got on with a few domestic chores before retiring to my Study to process the accounts. It was while I working on the accounts that I spotted the opportunity to improve the way in which the information was displayed. `A few minutes and a few lines of code later, all was done.

We went and collected Ellie from school and stopped off at the park on the way home. We didn't stay too long, leaving just after two of Ellie's classmates got into a fight and their parents stepped in to sort things out.

Darren came to collect Ellie soon after 18:00.

Ticking Over

 There is little to report. Life is just ticking over at present. I was up early again so Ellie could be dropped off soon after 07:00. She had been awake since 05:00 and was bursting with energy. Once the usual morning agenda was complete, I took her around to school and then returned for my own breakfast.

The morning was occupied with the usual domestic chores and Diane had a long phone call with Marilyn. After lunch, we had some time with our books before collecting Ellie. With Zoe finishing at 15:00, Ellie wasn't with us for long.

Had an online chat with cousin Paul in the US. He's convinced that Cathy had a bout of COVID when here in the UK a couple of weeks ago. Despite multiple negative Covid tests, Paul thinks that is actually what she had. All the symptoms - and when she got home she lost her taste for a few days. He had stopped by the bank office when he was in London and they told me that it was ranging through the city.

Paul also gave me an update on his sister, Claire. Claire went to Jacksonville last week for eye surgery. She had cataracts in her bad eye and was virtually blind but the surgeon did an amazing job and she should be at 20/20 in that eye now. This will be life-changing for her. Doctors in Toronto basically said there was nothing they could do for her. Fortunately, she had a close girlfriend to take her on the week-long trip as she wouldn’t have been able to make it otherwise. That will be life-changing for Claire.

Storm? Not really

 As a modicum of normality returned, Zoe had left for work, Darren dropped Ellie off at 07:15 and we clicked back into gear. Breakfast was the first order of the day and then she went up to wash and get ready for school (under the watchful eyes of Nana). When all was done she presented herself clutching a box of board games and decided we would play “Snakes and Ladders” until it was time to leave.

Once I had deposited Ellie at the classroom door, I returned for my own breakfast and a few minor household chores. Most of the rest of the school day was spent with and update to the accounts and then a good book.

Diane came with me to collect Ellie at the end of the school day. By then, Zoe was already on her way home. Ellie munched her way through ice cream, hula hoops, and jelly while waiting for Mum to arrive. Zoe made good time and was here before 16:00 and was eager to tell us about her day (even if it was a repeat of the food hygiene standards that she had to re certify with every 6. Months at Lidl). She seemed very relaxed about the day. That’s good. The last thing you want is to be stressed at the end of the first day of a new job!

Calm

 It was 08:00 before I wandered downstairs for a coffee. It was at least another hour before Diane emerged. She had not slept well. It was destined to be a calm, quiet day.

During the morning I managed to get some ironing finished and then we both spent time with our books, though I did update the Medical Alert information on both of our phones. It was important to get the Warfarin tablets onto the alert.

With Zoe starting her new job tomorrow, we will be seeing a lot more of Ellie again. This meant that there was a delivery of school uniform and other favoured clothes. Zoe didn’t stay for long and we returned to our books.

Sticky Chicken

With another glorious day on the cards, I was quick to open up the windows and doors to get a good flow of air through the house. I had the statutory Cousins' call at 09:00 and it was nice to see the Australian contingent participating this week. (Maybe it's too cold for them to be out and about - recently there was an article in the paper where a lady returned to Oz after 12 years in Canada. She commented that she couldn't believe how cold it was. The reason was the houses were badly insulated and badly heated so when it did get cold, the houses never really warmed up properly).

With the call over, I hit the kitchen. I wanted to prepare some sticky chicken breasts and some salad. Denise and Becky were expected this afternoon and I wanted to be sure we had something prepared for them. 

Chicken breasts were duly cooked in soy sauce, ginger, honey, and brown sugar. They were left to cool before being sliced. The salad was all prepared also. There was just some ciabatta to heat up when they arrive.

Stop Press... the sticky chicken was delicious. I only wish I had made a note of the quantities of each of the ingredients!

Denise and Becky arrived early in the afternoon. Zoe popped around to say hello but had to go back home as she was expecting guests.

We had tucked into a late lunch (or was it early dinner) and chatted about everything under the sun. We heard about Becky's job and some of the training she has completed. It is clear that she is highly regarded and they have her earmarked for greater things.

We heard about various trips and holidays that were planned (and Emma's inability to pack sensibly, resulting in fleets of suitcases being required for even the shortest trip). We caught up on the progress that Louis was making and his competitive streak. 

In fact, we just chatted. It was a wonderful afternoon and it was a shame to see them go. We really must do this again.

Skeleton Crew

Another glorious start to the day. There was no particular hurry to get going as long as I was in time to escort Ellie to school.

Once home I had a couple of items on my "must do" list. Firstly, a glass of coke had been knocked over, yesterday. The table needed to be opened up and the hidden leaf cleaned. Then the floor needed another attack from the steam cleaner. The other "must do" was to tighten the base of the kitchen table. Whilst not noticeable when it is closed, it wobbles when extended. The table is immensely heavy so it took a bit of effort to flip it so that I could gain access to the fixings for the legs. The fixings are just simple nuts and bolts and it was just a matter of tightening the nuts. It was soon done and the table flipped upright.

Zoe was back at the hospital this morning. They were busy, so she was there for several hours. After the various checks on her toe, she was discharged into the care of our GP - on the proviso of weekly checks until all is better. It looks as if it will be a fairly long road to full recovery - but it shouldn't stop her from working.

We had invited the Sonning Crew for afternoon tea. Chris and Maureen couldn't make it but Trudy and Ian came round. I had conducted a raid on the Runcton Farm Shop to get some of their huge fruit scones and some cake. We had a lovely few hours, sitting in the garden, sipping tea, and eating scones with clotted cream and jam.

It was while we were chatting that the subject of Di's medication came up. Her new tablets had not been delivered. The pharmacy is closed on Saturday and Sunday, so it was clearly going to be Monday unless we intervened. A phone call was made to check the tablets were ready and then I whizzed around to West Meads to collect them. The pharmacy's excuse was that they were only delivering emergency prescriptions today. Well, with the greatest of respect, who are they to determine what is an emergency prescription. We were not impressed.

Nights are Drawing In

 I had set the alarm. I needed to be up and about soon after 07:00 so that Darren could drop Ellie off before heading to work. She was very good as I explained that Nan was still resting and would come down soon - but we needed to be quiet until then. She tucked into a hearty breakfast and chatted away. When Nana joined us, Ellie was ready to wash and dress for school and when she came downstairs we got stuck into her maths homework (which she whistled through).

After dropping Ellie at school, the day reverted to a normal Thursday morning with Ocado delivering and a trip to Sainsbury's for the top-up.

Meanwhile, over near Brighton, Zoe was at her first Senior Managers' meeting - meeting up with the other store managers and the regional executives. Se had a wonderful time, from what she tells us.

Kim dropped in. She had picked up some blouses for Diane and thought she'd drop them off. She also got stuck into some gardening tasks that Diane wanted to be done. She didn't stay too long but left clutching one of my beef curries.

Diane came with me to collect Ellie from school and we gave her dinner before Darren came to collect her.

Pretty Quiet

It's been a pretty quiet day. I had the usual school run with Ellie this morning. This gave me the opportunity to catch up on Zoe's day with Sainsbury's yesterday. She clearly enjoyed it and is looking forward to the meeting on Thursday and getting started next week.

The rest of the day was fairly quiet but had a few interruptions when Di wanted a trip to Next and late in the afternoon she had a scheduled ECG. Zoe popped in at lunchtime for Di to check on her toe... and that was it. The day in a small nutshell.

Sports

After last night's resounding 7-0 win for England against North Macedonia, everyone was up for some sport. Ellie's class and those above and below walked across to the Regis Centre to join with other schools in a morning of Sports Challenges.

Zoe had a meeting at Sainsbury's in Horsham. With some encouraging words from her father, she headed to the store. She's home now, but we haven't chatted yet to find out how it went.

I made the most of a quiet morning to steam clean the floors and catch up on the accounts. Kim phoned late morning for a chat with Diane. After lunch, we settled down with our books until it was time to collect Ellie. Diane came along for the walk. This showed a slight return to normality for Ellie, though there is still a way to go.  Ellie stayed with us for an hour or so until Darren picked her up to take her home for tea.

Do not disturb

 Though a little grey to start, the day soon brightened up and we now a have glorious summer day. It was very relaxed - a couple of loads of washing to complete, some vacuuming of cat hair from the carpets, and some general tidying about.

Zoe popped in mid-morning. She needed her dressing changed, and nobody can do that better than her mum. She didn’t stay for too long.

Diane, meanwhile, has written to the Cardiac Team to provide them an update on her various stats and her progress. We were very impressed when they goy back to her within about 30 minutes.

Chicken this time

We had quite a downpour during the night accompanied by a rumble of thunder. By the time I got up, the sun was out and the patio was dry. It is very humid again today and there is a forecast of thundery rain for later.

After making up a huge batch of beef curry yesterday, I made another batch today. This time it’s chicken curry and seems to be a little hotter. There’s another 45 minutes of cooking and then I’ll allow it to cool before portioning and freezing it.

We are expecting Zoe, Ellie, and Darren later. They are going to cook dinner for us so I just popped to Sainsbury’s to grab some wine.

Diane has had a long telephone chat with Denise this morning (I think we are expecting her to visit with Rebecca next weekend).

Domestic Science

There was a short sharp shower just before I got up. This the first rain for several weeks and didn’t last for more than a few minutes. By the time I was up and making coffee, the patio was already drying out. It was bright, but very humid and remained humid throughout the day.

I had my usual call with the cousins. Chris was having trouble with a new computer and couldn’t get the camera to work, Maggie was fresh back from a couple of weeks on a narrow boat with her younger brother and nephew. The rest of us had little to add to raise the excitement level even higher. 

Other than this morning’s call with the Empson cousins, my day has been focussed on domestic science. There was a load of laundery to be washed, and a pile of ironing to press. It didn’t take too long, but was enough for me to enter a Zen-like state - I find ironing very relaxing. After that I had to start on my curry. There was a kilo of diced beef shin that needed to be cooked. The usual recipe (adapted from Nadia Hussein) was followed and the beef has been simmering in huge pot for more than four hours now. The smell is fantastic. I’ll turn it off soon and allow it to cool enough to portion into containers to store in the freezer (keeping back sufficient for tonight’s dinner).

Diane’s blood pressure was quite low today so we only had a short walk - though we might repeat it later.

Hair

The focus for the day was hair. We are not referring to my flowing locks, but rather those of young Diane. She had an appointment at the hairdresser for the first time since her surgery. I drove her to the salon and later returned to collect her. She was delighted with the outcome - trimmed and coloured.

We collected Ellie from school and looked after her while Zoe went to the hospital. It was her final IV dose and with a couple of caveats, she was discharged. She has a couple of dressing changes to affect during the week and a check-up next Friday. Other than that, they are happy.

Talking of Zoe, she was copied on an email from the Regional Stores Director at Sainsbury’s. The email was informing her Regional managers of Zoe joining the team and welcoming her on board. It also pointed out that Zoe would be attending their next Leadership meeting even though she doesn’t start until the following week.

PQRSUVW

That may seem like a strange title. It’s not half as strange as getting to the evening and realising that Diane has not had a cup of tea. That’s right no T.

Being Thursday we had the Ocado delivery and then, with Kim tagging along as escort-extraordinaire we went to Sainsbury's. The idea was that I would complete the normal shopping and she would escort Diane around the store so she could get some exercise in an air-conditioned environment. This worked well and prevented her from overheating in the sunny weather.

After all of the shopping was unpacked, and Kim had gone home, we had to get to the local hospital for the latest blood tests then headed home for some lunch. Ellie instructed me, this morning, that she wanted a curry for dinner so once I had eaten I made up some of Grandpa's curry sauce and cooked a chicken breast so it could all be reheated later. 

We managed a quiet hour before heading off. I walked Diane to Zoe's (she had already gone to the hospital) and then went to collect Ellie. We were a little longer than planned because Bonnie's mum was running late and we stayed with Bonnie until she arrived. Back at Zoe's I prepared some rice and heated the sauce and chicken and Ellie tucked into a very healthy helping of dinner. Zoe's hospital trip was, again, very quick and we were home by about 18:00.

Visit

It was another glorious start to the day.  I had to whip around to Zoe's to take Ellie to school but then it was a quiet breakfast at home.

We were expecting Jane and Trevor later in the morning so I got down to making up some salad for lunch. Now, the real problem we have with all our very welcome visitors is that they are all bringing bunches of flowers for Diane. It is a lovely thought; she loves flowers. We have, however,  run out of vases (despite ordering an extra one from Amazon). Jane had brought some lovely flowers and fortunately, I found a vase with some irises that had gone past their best. A quick shuffle and all was sorted.

We had a lovely lunch chatting about their recent holiday and the family wedding in Portugal (Michael and Emily). At Trevor's request, there was a quick tour of the iMac. Before we knew it the time had ticked around to Ellie's pick-up time. They said goodbye and we went to Zoe's.

I collected Ellie from school and then Diane and I stayed with her while Zoe and Darren went to the hospital for today's IV. Maybe it was the Junior Doctors' strike, or maybe it was the luck of the draw, but she was seen very quickly and home before we knew it.

Farewell

It was strange, allowing the alarm to wake me.  I had an early start. After tea and a slice of toast, I headed onto the King's Highways for the drive up to Bushey. Traffic was fairly kind as I headed for the A3 and up to the M25. The last 2 miles before that junction, however, took 25 minutes. What a good job I had allowed plenty of time.

I was one of the first to arrive at the church but was soon followed by Simon, Marie-Claire, Mary Louise and Margaret. Over the next 30 minutes, more and more of the family started to gather. It was so nice to see so many cousins. We so rarely get the chance to meet up - and a funeral, though a catalyst for such meetings, hardly seems the perfect gathering.

We were there to say our farewells to Angela, my Dad's younger sister. She was a wonderful lady. As she was finishing school in the late 1940s, Angela’s hopes of going to university were put on hold when her headmistress asked her to take over the teaching of Mathematics, and so began her career as a teacher. She was a musician, both singing and playing piano and violin. She became a member of the Royal Choral Society. Years later, after retirement, she joined the Watford Philharmonic Chorus, with which she stayed until her early 80s. She married Peter, a widower with one son, Bernard. They went on to have 7 more sons.

Angela was such an important part of my young life. After my own parents died, she just absorbed me and my sister into the family when it came to holidays and events. I loved her with a passion and will never forget her love and kindness. She is a new star in the firmament and will always light my life.

We had a full Requiem Mass, conducted by their local Parish Priest and concelebrated by our cousin - Fr. Phil Law. It was a lovely service.

The committal was held at the cemetery in Elstree and as we left the graveside, we had the traditional trip/fall when Angela's sister-in-law was tipped out of her wheelchair onto the path as we approached the cars. (Someone always seems to trip or fall at our funerals - the most serious of these was when my grandfather nearly fell into the grave when we buried my grandmother.

We returned to the church hall for the Wake/Reception. They had put on a wonderful buffet and there was plenty to drink. (Being such a hot day, that was a must). We mixed and mingled with Angela's boys, their children,  and their children's children. We also met up with other cousins who we rarely see. I left as it approached 3 o'clock. I must conclude that our family lays on great funerals!

Back on the road, Google saved the day. It warned me of an accident blocking the M25 just where I wanted to join the A3. It re-routed me down the M3 and across the country. Traffic Reports on the radio revealed that the delay on the M25 had I remained on that route, was 90 minutes. Good old Google!

I was very weary when I got home. I am clearly out of the habit of driving for 5 or 6 hours in the day and I was very grateful to get home and sit down.

Next

 It was an earlier start than planned. Just before 05:00 Jasper decided he wanted to play. We were treated to an Olympic trampoline display with us as the trampolines. This was followed by choir practice. Despite throwing him off the bed several times, he would not give up. In the end, I did. Soon after 6:30 I wandered downstairs and opened the bi-fold doors. Not good enough. Jasper wanted the side door opened and stubbornly sat there until I acquiesced. He then poked his head out, did an about-turn and walked back into the kitchen.

I did my customary school run. Zoe hobbled along with us, as did her neighbour Lorraine (who had dropped a glass decanter on her toe last week and was all bandaged up like Zoe). Ellie was dropped off and I headed home for breakfast.

I needed some supplies as we have guests on Wednesday and I'm out tomorrow. I headed for Sainsbury's and picked up what was needed then went across to "Next" where I bought a nice dark blue suit. As I am attending a funeral tomorrow, something a little more appropriate than a polo shirt and chinos seemed sensible!

The rest of the day has been fairly quiet and spent buried in my Kindle until it was time to collect Ellie. She went back to her friend Neve while Zoe was at the hospital.

What?

 I notice a headline from “Cornwall Live”:

“Mum’s fury at dog running loose on beach days after biting her son”

It makes you wonder if the Mum should have been muzzled.

Wandering

It has been a very relaxed day. The weather was hot and a bit thundery - though at the time of writing, we hadn't heard any thunder. We have had a short but heavy shower this afternoon. It was perfectly timed to soak the washing that had been drying on the line.

Diane has been for a couple of walks today. The last one saw her break the kilometre for the first time as we walked around the lake, stopping to look at the swans and their cygnets.

I have been doing more reviewing of the old journals and had a quiet afternoon finishing my latest Kindle book. I also had a WhatsApp with Jane. It seems that they are returning from their holiday in Portugal early so that they can attend Angela's funeral on Tuesday.

Another Visitation

It was another fabulous day with wall-to-wall blue skies and temperatures in the high 20s. We had a gentle start to the day and once Diane had showered and was ready we went out for the first of her walks. Again, we went that little bit further than yesterday. Not too much, just a bit.

It was a quiet afternoon for me. Diane's friend Kathie had come to visit so, other than making tea, I was able to squirrel myself away in my Study. I have started editing the older journal entries. I'm not yet sure how (or if) I will publish these. I may just use them as a sparse journal (i.e. a journal with huge time gaps between entries) or may extract holidays and business trips into a travelogue. Firstly, I need to edit them down to relevant content and then decide on the way forward.

We watched the Champions League final during the evening and were delighted to see Manchester City emerge victorious. I was getting so cross with the blatant cheating and simulation used by Inter Milan. My view is that if you cannot win without cheating and playing dirty, then you should not be playing at all. I have ruled. So bet it!

Visitation

 I had the school run to start the day. Zoe was looking a lot more mobile, first thing, and seemed brighter in herself. Ellie was her usual chirpy self and held my hand most of the way to school.

Back home we had a busy couple of hours. Jan and John were due and there was a list of things to get done before they arrived. Usually, when we visit each other, we go out to eat. This was not(yet) a sensible solution for Diane, so I made up a huge bowl of mixed salad that we could eat with some chicken pieces, ham, cheese, prawns, or whatever. It seemed like a good solution… and so it proved. We caught up on all of the families, their health, their jobs and so forth. The time seemed to whistle by. Before we knew it, it was time for me to collect Ellie from school. This also proved to Jan and John’s departure.

I collected Ellie and we went home to Zoe’s. Ellie had a quick change of clothes and we headed off to the hospital for her daily IV antibiotics. The doctor seemed pleased with progress but there is still another week to go.

Blood

 It will become a long-term theme. Diane will have to have blood tests on a regular basis to ensure that her INR levels are within the correct operating range. If they rise or fall beyond certain thresholds, she has to change the dose of Warfarin - this is dictated by the hospital when they get the results of the blood tests. We were up early this morning and by 8:20, Dracula the phlebotomist was draining another armful of Diane's life force ready to be sent to the lab for analysis.

The early morning blood test meant that Ellie was collected by a neighbouring school mum and wicked off to school without my normal escort. Being Thursday, however, there was the usual shopping delivery and top-up to occupy the morning.

After lunch, we managed a walk. We dropped in at Zoe's to check on her and to deliver a few bits of shopping that she needed. I also left her my MacBook (stripped down, reset, and rebuilt) to play with until she can afford to buy her own.

The rest of the afternoon has been fairly quiet. Dinner is now finished and the dishwasher is humming away. Diane is in the garden with the hose, ensuring the plants are kept healthy. We have heard from Zoe and it seems that her foot has improved... but there is still a way to go.

Contact made

I had the usual start to the morning with a good coffee prior to the school escort run. Ellie was very chirpy right up until we left the house. She wanted to use her scooter to get the school. I said, No, not today. She then had a good sulk all the way to the school gates, where she met up with some classmates and went off to play until the classroom doors opened up.

I had a dental appointment this morning so Kim came to Mum-sit for a couple of hours. By the time I got home, they had been for a walk and Diane was supervising some planting in the garden. I had picked up some ham rolls from Turner's Pies on the way back from the Dentist, so we munched through those for lunch before Kim went off home.

I went to collect Ellie from school. While waiting for the gates to open, my phone rang. It was cousin Paul. I called him back once Ellie was safely home. We had a lovely long chat, catching up on the health of all the various family members, the memories from last week's wedding in Portugal, holiday plans, and his recent purchase of a boat! Cathy was feeling unwell, but hopefully will be better and able to make the most of their last two full days in England, before returning to the US.

Diane's brother, Paul, came to visit. I had retrieved a couple of curries from my last batch and defrosted them during the day. Rice was cooked and Diane's salmon and some chips were blasted in the air fryer. It was a lovely evening, with Paul only leaving at about 21:15 to drive back to Lyndhurst where he is working at present.

Nurse!

 I rose at the usual time and started the first infusion of caffeine, thanks to the Nespresso machine. Diane was up soon after as she had to get breakfast before the Cardiac Nurse arrived for her introductory visit.

Ellie had a school trip to Marwell Zoo today and couldn't wait to get started. I whizzed her around to school and she was absorbed into the pre-trip melee.

The Nurse, Lou, arrived. She was like a whirlwind. Stats were checked, history discussed, meds discussed, plans made, numbers exchanged, advice given, wounds checked, and information downloaded. A very impressive Nurse. One in whom we can have confidence.

Diane has managed a 650m walk today. This is good progress.

Most of the rest of the morning Diane spent on the phone as call after call came in. I retired to the Study. I am still working on a specific project and I needed to refine the information beyond that which was extracted from the database. This has taken almost every spare minute of the day and there is still more to do. I am, however, very pleased with the project as it stands.

Zoe is back at the hospital. It has not gone as smoothly today and she has been seen by several doctors and had some X-rays taken. Kim is with her, and Darren has collected Ellie. We are awaiting the latest update from the hospital.

Warfare-in

We were up and about early this morning. I was on school patrol with Ellie - Zoe's foot is still causing problems - and Diane had to get going so that she was ready for today's blood tests and her first appointment at the Warfarin Clinic.  There were several domestic chores to clear also.

We headed to St Richard's. The blood test was marked as Urgent so we skipped the queue. We then had to wait for the lab to process the results and pass them on to the Anti-Coagulation Nurse. As a result of her surgery, Diane will be on Warfarin for the rest of her life. The Nurse took us into her office and spent about 90 minutes chatting with Diane and explaining the mechanics of the process and the outlook for the next few months while her stats stabilise. She was very thorough and we left with a good background of what was needed and a fistful of supporting documents and some additional medication.

Diane looked weary, so we skipped the planned walk with Kim on the way home. We settled down to give her a quiet afternoon. Tomorrow we have the Cardiac Nurse visiting for the first time.

Zoe has been back to the hospital also. She has had another infusion and is beginning to improve more noticeably. I collected Ellie from school and took her straight home to Zoe so that she could accompany Mummy to the hospital and see what was going on. She was clearly intrigued by the whole process. (Evidently a nurse in the making).

Onwards

 We both slept remarkably well. Breakfast stretched out over a couple of hours accompanied by the latest news online. I had some domestic chores to clear before heading for the Family Tree and fiddling with some statistics and facts and looking at some techniques for data extraction. The research showed up a number of options but I have not yet decided on the best approach. I will have to look at some more during the week.

Kim and Jon popped in to see us, late morning. It was nice to see them and nice for them to see the progress that Diane is making. Kim is threatening to pop back in during the week, which will be good.

Zoe was back at the hospital for a further IV of antibiotics. This new one seems to be doing the trick as she seems a little better in herself. There is still a way to go yet! Meanwhile, Grandpa is on school duty this coming week.

Diane has managed a couple of walks again today. Slow but steady.

A couple of walks

 It has been a quiet day. I was up first and made coffee while reading the papers and opening up the doors for Jasper. It was 50 minutes later that Diane started to move around. The kettle was switched on for her tea and I went up for a shower before the cousins' call. 

Clearly, the cousins were all eager to hear how Diane was doing and all sent their love. After that, the call descended into a series of Empson reminiscences.

Other than tending to Diane and the basic household chores, I have been focused on extracting data from my genealogical records in such a way as to produce the contents of a book. The basic data has now been extracted and has a basic format. I now need to polish this up in such a way that I can send it off for printing.

We have taken a couple of walks today. The first was to Zoe's, where we stayed for a while before walking home the long way. The second was a loop of the Crescent, round by the school and back. We just need to concentrate on a little bit further each time.

Zoe is back in A&E this evening. The infection seems to be tracking up her leg. The hospital staff are on the case!

Plans change

 We went to bed knowing that Diane had an appointment with the phlebotomist at 8:30. The correct alarms were set to ensure we were up and ready to go. As we got into the car we received a call from Zoe. She was having to return to A&E after a dreadful night and an early morning consultation with the on-call doctor. We would complete our trip and then look after Ellie until Zoe was sorted out.

Ellie arrived at 9:40 and was a bit worried that Mummy was going to the hospital again. She stayed with us and we distracted her for a while, then we got her washed and dressed and stood by to provide whatever entertainment was required. 

Ellie was going stir-crazy by the time she had finished lunch. We (Diane and I) walked her around to home to get some sensible trainers so that she could go to the park. This was part of Diane's rehabilitation - she needs to walk every day. As we headed back home, Diane dropped off to rest and I took Ellie on to the park for a while.

By late afternoon, Zoe was on her way back. Ellie was collected and would be going to Pete's for the weekend. Zoe was in need of further painkillers. Once they had left, I headed around to Sainsbury's to do the weekly shopping.

Touch wood, everything seems to be back on an even keel! I do suspect we will both sleep well tonight.

Return to normal.

With Diane home, Jasper has switched his allegiance again. He won't leave her alone and is only interested in me for food. (He did, however, snuggle down on my lap last night - but he would never admit to it).

Relax!

The first thing of note is that Jasper did not indulge in choir practice during the night. This was a huge relief in that the only interruption to sleep was self induced. I emerged at 06:30, well rested. It was scheduled to be a momentous day. Diane was coming home from the hospital. This meant that I had to switch to domestic chore robot mode. Floors cleaned, washing done, and toilets scrubbed within an inch of their lives. Plants were watered and things appeared under control.

At lunchtime, Diane had been given the all-clear. I checked Google and it suggested that the gridlock around Chichester would stretch my journey to 90 minutes. I fired up the car and we headed off. Google immediately rerouted me and we ended up zigging and zagging across toward Chichester Harbour and popped out in front of the tailbacks.

Once at the hospital, it only took 20 minutes to get the car loaded, say goodbye, and head back onto the highway. An hour later we were home.

Meanwhile, in Portugal, Michael Badeski was marrying Emily Tiemann. We were meant to be there, along with Jane and Trevor. That did not happen, for obvious reasons. Ultimately we had the opportunity to watch the event over Google Meetings, with the video thrown onto the big TV.

In the soap opera that is our life, we got a message from Zoe. She was about to head off to A&E. She clearly had an infection in her foot that needed immediate attention. Ellie went to play (and possibly stay) with her friend Maddie, while Darren took Zoe to St Richard's. After we had finished dinner I went around to see Ellie and check that she was all right. She was in her element and no intervention was required. 

Real Progress

 Choir practice for Jasper started at 03:12 this morning. This was a full-blooded aria, not a lullaby. Jasper was shouted at. All went quiet. I went back to sleep.

Once the day had started properly, I exchanged some messages with Diane while enjoying my coffee and then set about the chores that needed attention. The washing was done and hung up to dry. The floors were vacuumed. Ellie's toys were tidied away. The seats in the Orangery were cleared of cat hairs. I was on top of things. Later in the morning, I headed for M&S. We needed to get something by way of a "Thank You" for the staff at the hospital. Suitable boxes of biscuits were selected, along with some cards.

I left for the hospital a little earlier than usual. Traffic reports were not favourable and there was no escaping the chaos around Chichester. I arrived at the hospital at 13:40 but found that Diane was asleep. I settled down quietly in the chair and left her to slumber.  After about 20 minutes she rallied around and we had a couple of hours or so of chatting and joking among ourselves and with the nurses. During this time, Diane received a call from her brother Paul and they chatted for a while. He is hoping to come to see us at home, next week. 

Diane has completed the checklist set by the Physios and the Cardiac Surgeon. She is set to come home tomorrow. She started to pack all the things that would not be needed in the next 24 hours. I'm surprised she didn't offer to do some dusting and hoovering as she tidied up her things. The car was suitably loaded and I headed home.

I have just finished dinner and will probably settle in front of the TV soon.

Delivery!

I received a message yesterday. "Your delivery will arrive on 30th May between 8:45 and 10:45". Brilliant thought I. As the morning wore on and I still hadn't received the delivery, I checked the online status tracker. My delivery would arrive today, sometime before 18:30. Well, that was inconvenient but as long as some neighbours were about, it was manageable. Arrangements were made and a sign was attached to the door. Sorted.

Zoe came to collect her car and pop to the doctor's surgery. Ellie stayed with Grandpa for an hour or so. Some form of fragmentation grenade seemed to go off in the Orangery during that hour. I will have to clear the debris when I get a moment.

Zoe and Ellie came with me to visit Diane this afternoon. It was the easiest way to put their minds at rest and for Ellie to realise that Nana was on the mend. She was indeed looking very well. When we arrived she had already walked 2 full circuits of the hospital (200m each) and had 2 further circuits planned for later. She is still a little breathless but is looking very well considering it is only three and a half days post-op. We stayed with her for a couple of hours before making our way home.

On the way home, FedEx had the gall to text me and say that my delivery was scheduled between 8:45 and 12:45 tomorrow, 31st May. Actually, I'm not that bothered whether it was yesterday, today, or tomorrow. What winds me up is the fact that they sent a message with a delivery notification that was clearly wrong. That's just amateur.

The latest news from the hospital is that the Consultant, Mr Tsang, has suggested that Diane might be ready to come home on Thursday (a day earlier than expected). This means that I will have to go into a cleaning frenzy for the next 48 hours!!!

Walking

 I woke with a jolt at 7:30. That's not like me. I'm usually awake well before that. The morning was filled with domestic chores, fielding messages, and calls regarding Diane's progress. Denise and Dom were driving down from Buckingham to see her.

I set off just before 13:00 and had a very quick run through. It only took 50 minutes to get to the hospital and Denise and Dom were still there when I arrived. They didn't stay for too long and then Diane and I had a quiet couple of hours chatting and joking. By 16:00 I could see she was flagging so made ready to leave. The nurse was prepared to take her for another walk, so I hung on to join them on their trek down the corridor.

I had a good run home and popped into Zoe's to say hello to the wider family who were there for a BBQ. I didn't stay for long but did manage to consume a beer and some BBQ.

Sweet Release

 Jasper was exceptionally vocal during the night and woke me several times. On top of this, my knee was giving me a lot of discomfort and that all added up to a poor night. I was up at seven and with coffee in hand sat down at the computer to continue editing the journals for a while.

Diane phoned. She had slept very well overnight but she remains in Critical Care for now. The only patient in CCU.

I got on with my chores through the morning, and also continue my editing. Lat morning I got a call from Diane. She had been sitting up in a chair since breakfast, the consultant had visited, and further X-rays had been taken.

I popped to Sainsbury's to get her some fruit juices and smoothies, then headed off to Southampton. It was a wonderful run-through, with no traffic delays at all. When I arrived at the hospital, I headed straight to the CCU. She was fast asleep, but the nurse gave me an update on her progress. She is clearly doing well and has managed a walk. Later she will finish her time in CCU and return to her room.

She woke up soon after I had finished talking with the nurse. We had a couple of hours chatting and joking but again, I didn't want to outstay my welcome and wanted to ensure she rested. Since getting home she has called to say that she is now released from solitary confinement back in her room.

Slick run

 I managed to speak with Diane in the Critical Care unit at the hospital. She had experienced a disturbed night (I guess a 4 a.m. X-Ray will do that to you), but was feeling fine. She would, however, be staying in CCU for another 24 hours. It was so nice to chat with her and find her quite chirpy.

Kim turned up at the door soon after the call. She had dropped Jon at the railway station so that he could go up to Wembley and see the play-off between Luton and Coventry (courtesy of his brother who had a spare ticket). She stayed for about 40m minutes and we had a lovely chat. As she disappeared, I returned to my chores and got the washing done before hitting the study and the 2021 edit.

At lunchtime, I cooked a batch of rice and put it in the fridge for later and while doing this, Zoe popped in with a couple of pork joints that were surplus to her requirements - these are now resting in the freezer for the right moment.

I headed out on the King's Highway to visit Diane at the hospital. Google Maps provided advice and guidance and I managed to get there within a couple of minutes of the projected time. Diane was in the Critical Care unit but was quite alert and chirpy. We had a bit of a laugh with the Staff Nurse (who kindly provided us with tea). I stayed for a couple of hours and oversaw a couple of phone calls (not wanting to tire her). She seems to be very positive and "on the mend". She should be back in her own room tomorrow.

Very slick run home (50 minutes). I then sent off a few messages and texts to update friends and family before firing up my curry (from yesterday) and the rice (from lunchtime). It was perfect... accompanied by a beer.

Headlines?

 What a bizarre notification! My phone just received a summary of recent news headlines:

The Legacy of Tina Turner - Why Orcas are sinking ships.

Tina Turner was clearly more influential than we thought. 

That was Unexpected

 I have just phoned the hospital for an update. I was pleased to hear that Diane is doing very well and is now awake, though very drowsy. That was great news. What was completely unexpected, however, was when the nurse handed the phone to Diane and I was able to have brief chat with her. Quite an emotional moment.

Tenterhooks

 It has been a strange day. Diane phoned just before 8 o'clock. She was sitting in her hospital room enjoying the morning sunshine and waiting for the build-up to commence. She seemed pretty relaxed and chatty. I wished her luck and left her to the unfolding events.

I walked around to Zoe's and escorted Ellie to school. She was very chirpy this morning (even though she had lost another tooth yesterday).

Back home there was the best part of the day to fill before I could expect any news. I started preparing a big batch of curry. This took about an hour to get properly underway, and then I could leave it to simmer. I retired to my study and continued with the editing of the 2020 blog extract. This took the rest of the morning. 

At lunchtime, I switched off the curry and went to meet with the Sonning Crew. They had arranged to take me out for lunch to The Gribble. We sat out in the lovely Spring sunshine and quaffed a very tasty beer and ordered some lunch. I chose the crispy chicken baguette. This proved to be an excellent selection, with a huge tiger-loaf baguette stuffed with katsu-style chicken and salad and served with a side order of chips. The rest of the Crew went for fish and chips, or ham, egg, and chips. I think I chose well.

Back home after a couple of hours, I fired up the curry pan again to allow it another hour on the simmer. I again returned to the study and continued editing.

At ten minutes to four, I received a phone call from Amanda, the Sister in the Critical Care unit. Diane was out of theatre and was nice and stable. There's been no opportunity to hear from the surgeon as yet, but she suggested that I call back this evening for a status report. My plan is to go and visit tomorrow afternoon.

Company Trolley

The exciting news today, which came in just as we arrived at the hospital, was that Zoe has been offered the job at Sainsbury's. She starts in about a month and has an initial 12 weeks working at the Horsham store. The hours are less than Lidl (by a lot) and the salary is more... sounds like an exciting win, win situation!

(It's not clear whether she gets her own shopping basket or trolley).

Helpless

 Having had the excitement of the weekly shopping yesterday the morning was limited to the school escort duties. Ellie seemed a little subdued but went into class without any fuss.

We had a fairly quiet morning as Diane prepared all the bits and pieces she needed to take to the hospital. We had a lovely phone call from Kim as she finished night duty, and Zoe popped in during the morning to wish her all the best.

We set off at lunchtime and whistled across to Southampton. That's where the whistling stopped. The roads were almost gridlocked and it took 45 minutes to do the last couple of miles. This delay did give us the opportunity to take a phone call from Di's brother, Paul. He wished her luck and explained that he would actually be working in the Southampton area next week. Hopefully, he'll get a chance to pop in and visit when she is on the mend.

Diane checked in at reception and a ward assistant came to collect us and take us up to her room. It was a lovely airy room with a view over a large stand of trees. The room was spacious with a couple of visitors' chairs and its own en suite. Within a few minutes of our arrival, the Consultant arrived and sat down on the bed to take Di through the consent forms, to discuss the procedure, and gave us the chance to ask any questions. Then we had the cardiac nurse doing blood tests, ECG, blood pressure and so forth and asking lots of background questions. The ICU nurse also came in to have a chat and get information regarding how Di wanted to be addressed, any phobias, and so forth. It was very thorough and I was immensely impressed. I might feel helpless but I know she is in the best of hands.

I left her soon after 18:00... I won't see her again until Saturday afternoon. I told her to get better because I expect at least another 50 years of marriage before she can get rid of me.

Dreadful drive out of Southampton to the motorway, but then a very quick run through to home. UFO for dinner while fielding phone calls from Zoe and Auntie Margaret.

Shaking thing up

 I decided to shake things up a bit. That had to wait until the morning security detail was complete and Ellie was delivered to the school.

Back home, caffeinated and breakfasted, I announced that I would do the Sainsbury's shopping today instead of Thursday. Diane was shocked. She checked the rule book. There was no rule preventing it. It was allowed. The list was compiled and I headed to the local store. Supplies were duly selected and paid for and I returned home. We now have now commitments that might interfere with Thursday morning. I know! I'm living on the edge, but you only live once.

The rest of the day has been fairly quiet as Diane prepared for her hospital admission tomorrow. Late in the afternoon, a few phone calls and messages trickled in to wish her luck.

We are now, quite definitively, on the countdown.

Exec

I had a remarkably good night's sleep. I usually sleep fairly well, but last night I excelled. That was a good start to the day. The usual school escort protocol was followed and Ellie was delivered to the door without incident.  I strolled back with Zoe, and as we parted wished her good luck for her scheduled chat with an Executive from her possible employer.

Back home we finished breakfast and pottered around doing domestic chores while waiting for news. The phone rang and I put it on speaker so that Diane could also listen. It was clear that the call had gone very well and the Exec seemed satisfied. Zoe now awaits something in writing.

I had a delivery of three further printed journals, so the collection is beginning to look quite impressive. I will have to find shelf space in my study to accommodate the collection. 

I collected Ellie from school. Zoe was a bit busy with a neighbour at the appointed hour, so Grandpa collected her from school and took her along to the park.

Keeping things short

 I had some trouble overnight with my hip. This disturbed my sleep and while trying to find a comfortable position my mind wandered through some of the great imponderables of existence. The most pressing of these, which needed an answer, was "Is it Sunday or Monday?"  It took a lot of concentration but I finally concluded that when I got up, it would be Monday. With this filed away, the world could continue to spin on its axis.

I had the usual school escort service. Ellie was a bit subdued but perked up as we headed for school. Back home I finished my breakfast with Diane then, being on the cutting edge, walked into the village to get my hair cut. There was no waiting around and I was home within 40 minutes.

The rest of the day has seen Diane complete some ironing and both of us spend some time with our books. I have also started the editing process for the 2019 blog extract.

After school, we stopped off at the park for a while and then moved on to another park so that Ellie could play on the climbing frame and roundabout.

We obviously wore her out because she didn't want to stop off for a biscuit on the way home.

Hard to believe

 It's still hard to believe that Angela has gone. She was one of the pillars of certainty in my life. I may not have seen too much of her but she was as much part of my fabric as my parents - because she was there for so much longer. It must be so hard for my cousins, her sons.

We had a call from Zoe. Apparently, Ellie was unwell overnight and it required a call to NHS 101. We spoke to Ellie later in the day and it was clear that she was fighting off whatever had troubled her. The battle may not be over but she was running with it (and baking a cake for Nana).

Today has been quiet. Diane has been pottering and I have been working through the 2018 blog extract all of which is now complete).

Journals

 The work on the journals has continued. Six were uploaded to "Lulu" and set ready for printing. They are now being processed and should take 10 days or so.

Chieftain

 My dear Aunt Angela completed her journey here on earth, today. She was my father's sister and the oldest surviving carrier of the family genes. She was a wonderful woman having 7 sons (and a stepson). She was smart, she was immensely funny, she was as sharp as a pin. In later years, however, her sight was failing as we some of her organs. At 93, she had completed a solid innings. Her sons were with her when she passed away and she will be dreadfully missed by all of the family.

That means that I am now the oldest carrier of the family genes and de facto patriarch. I just need to get all of my cousins to swear obeisance and agree to raise an army should I so require it.

Tock, tock, tock

 Another quiet day in semi-isolation. The Gorse Fox performed his statutory escort duties for the school run and then returned home for breakfast.

Soon after breakfast, Kim phoned. Diane spoke to her and commented on how well and chirpy she seemed. (She has just finished a run of night duties). We have a slight concern over a health anomaly that Jon exhibited recently - and he really should have gone to the hospital or at least the GP. He declined.

Ellie has been suffering from eczema and Zoe had managed to get an appointment to see the doctor. Zoe went back to collect her from school to attend the appointment. The doctor appeared to be very thorough and Ellie now has a selection of unguents, ointments, and tablets to help with the problem. She was dropped back into school for the rest of the day.

Diane has been cutting out a large and complex pattern during the day. I have been editing the 2017 blog extract.

Tick, tick, tick...

The day started with the school escort service. However, this was interrupted when Ellie fell off her scooter (two doors from home). Zoe had to rush back and get some plasters to cover the invisible blemishes that Ellie had identified. Once sorted, we continued on our way.

Back home, being Thursday, we had the Ocado delivery and I went to Sainsbury's for the top-up. Then it was back to the usual background pottering.

Zoe had received a call regarding her recent interview. Could she make herself available for a "sit down over coffee" chat with one of the Execs? She agreed and that is scheduled for next week. She immediately phoned Dad to ask if this was likely bad or good news. I responded that it was unlikely to be bad news. They wouldn't escalate upwards for someone they doubted would fit.

Meanwhile, Darren has finished redesigning and reconfiguring the front garden at No.23. After we finished dinner we strolled around the corner to have a look at the finished job. I must say, it looks very good (but I forgot to take a photo).

A Degree of Certainty

 It was a bit of a rush this morning as I was slow to get going. I performed the statutory school escort along with Zoe and her neighbour.

Back home we finished breakfast and started to potter about. The phone rang. It was the house phone. It was a Southampton number. It was the hospital. Diane then had a long chat with the nurse at the other end and we now have some clarity. She is to be admitted to the private clinic next Thursday and will have her surgery on Friday. If all goes well, she will be home the following Friday.

This is a huge relief. It is so difficult just waiting, but now we have a date we can start a countdown. We can also start letting all her well-wishers know.

As it happens, Diane was also at the local surgery this morning for some annual blood tests... and Zoe was there later for an ECG and the results of some blood tests.  The day has had a definite medical focus.

Still ticking

 I had my instructions. Zoe called last night to ask that I turn up early for the school escort service. A friend was in the middle of a painful split and both she and her daughter would appreciate joining our little caravan as we cross the deserts of Bersted towards the school. I was happy to help and so I set off a few minutes early. We formed a column as we left Zoe's and then knocked for her friend as we passed. They joined the column and we completed the run to school.

Back home it was another very quiet day. Diane pottered and I edited the 2015 blog extract. Mid-morning the nice man from UPS arrived clutching a parcel. It was the latest three printed and bound journals. There are three more in production and by the end of today, I have three more ready to go.

We finally heard from the hospital. Unfortunately, it was because they were chasing a report, and not because they were giving us an admission date. Diane provided them with the information and they are going to call back tomorrow (we hope).

Ticking over

 There is still no news from the hospital so we continue to tick over in semi-isolation. I think we are all getting frustrated with the wait.

I wandered around to Zoe's to provide the school escort service. Ellie had been up early and had written a story, without any prompting, and planned to take it to school to show her teacher. (I'm very proud that she has, effectively, written her first blog post!)

During the day, Diane has been pottering with some patterns and a large sheet of fabric. She also managed to have a long telephone conversation with Lady Penelope. Meanwhile, I received a phone call from our car dealer to see if he could tempt me to come and buy a new car. I left it that I would consider it. I have also been editing the blog extract from 2014. That's about all there is to report.

Nothing

It has been a tranquil and relaxed day. It was a little grey to start with but brightened up later. Diane made the most of the weather and once she had finished a few chores, she sat in the garden with her Kindle for a few hours.

The Gorse Fox has been editing the journal extract for 2013. It's nearly finished and will be ready to stick on the print conveyor.

That's it.

Conveyor

 The Gorse Fox had his usual call with his cousins, this morning. The Australian contingent wasn't participating today, but the rest of the usual suspects were dialled in. It was a good call with plenty of banter and laughter.

After a few domestic chores, he returned to the editing. It took several more hours, but finally, the 2005 extract was complete. As he had two further volumes stacked up and ready to go he uploaded all of them to "Lulu.com" and now has three further volumes scheduled for printing (on top of the three he is expecting at the end of next week). Now he needs to do a second pass on 2013 and the following years so that he can get more sent off next week. He's building a sort of conveyor belt of journals.

Gorse Fox thinks he will set up a genealogy book for one branch of the family, as an experiment.

Diane has been making the most of the lovely warm sunshine and sitting in the garden listening to the radio through her earbuds.

Strop

 Ellie is generally a bubbly, chirpy bundle of joy. Now and then she has a moment! This morning was one of those moments. When the Gorse Fox arrived at Zoe's, Ellie was in a full-scale sulk. Nothing was right. No suggestion would appease her. She stomped around the house until it was time to leave for school. Even the walk to school made no difference and she really would not interact with any of her usual friends. We handed her over to the teacher - and wished her good luck!

Back home it was another semi-isolated day at home. The Gorse Fox edited journals and Diane pottered. Late morning, Zoe phoned. She had heard some more regarding the interview. There was still no confirmation regarding an offer, but they were asking her to select which stores would be best for her to complete her training. As the Gorse Fox said yesterday, the omens are good.

The postman rang the doorbell. Two nicely packed parcels were handed over. The first two years of the Gorse Fox's journal were handed over.

You will know that he had previously processed 2010. That was an experiment to see how it turned out, whether the photos bled through the paper, and how the editing could be improved. This was a very useful exercise because it changed the approach.

These two books are the first books printed using the new approach.

I'm very happy with the cover (and the back of the book has a quick summary of the year's highlights).

Inside, the photos have been standardised so that they fit into left and right columns and have room to overlap where the text allows.

The index also seems to work well and helps the reader find specific people, places, or events that have been featured.

The Gorse Foox has continued to process the raw data for 2005 today. He is hoping to get that finished over the weekend and then send 3 more books off for printing. (Currently, the printer is working on 3 years that he sent last weekend).

A Frisson of Excitement

 The Gorse Fox was up early. He had agreed to go to Zoe's to help get Ellie ready for school. Zoe would be distracted by the day's interview. As it happens, Ellie was more than capable of doing what was needed and Zoe was well ahead of schedule. There was no panic.

With Ellie deposited at school, Zoe returned home to get changed and head off for her interview. The Gorse Fox returned home for coffee and breakfast. Then the shopping arrived and after that was stowed, he headed to Sainsbury's for the top-up.  Everything was going smoothly so far.

We have had a loose door handle. The Gorse Fox decided to fix it. The mechanism was taken apart and lubricated before being reassembled. That was where things started going awry. Essentially it should be an easy task to screw a long machine screw into a female housing. The difficulty is that there is very little play in the holes and lining them up is a task that would try the patience of a saint. The Gorse Fox is not a saint. His patience was well and truly exhausted after the first ten minutes. It actually took nearly an hour to get it right and reassemble the whole mechanism.

We heard from Zoe. It sounds as if the interview went well. She was certainly buzzing. We must now wait and see if she was successful, but the omens seem positive.

Just Pottering

The Gorse Fox is tempted to say "Ditto".

There is really nothing new to report. The Gorse Fox did chat with Zoe, at length. She has a big interview tomorrow and he was keen that she was suitably prepared. Having chatted with her several times during the day, he thinks she is ready. My fingers and toes are crossed for tomorrow.

Other than that, the usual security escort duties were performed to and from school. Books were read and more editing was completed.

Not much

 There is very little to report. The Gorse Fox performed his usual escort duties to and from school.

Diane had a long chat on the phone with Jan, this afternoon. The Gorse Fox steam cleaned the hard floors and then returned to his editing. Progress is slow but steady. 

Did manage to have a chat with Paul in Connecticut over WhatsApp. They are getting ready for Michael and Emily's wedding. Their plan is to drop into the UK for a few days on their way home from Portugal. Hopefully, we will be in a position to meet with them. I was sorry to hear that cousin Claire has had some problems again and is probably concussed after a recent car accident. Let's hope she makes a quick recovery.

Not much is expected to happen until we get a date from the hospital.

Unremarkable

 After the events of the weekend with the Coronation in Westminster, and the Coronation Concert in Windsor, neither of which Diane and the Gorse Fox were invited to, we have had a quiet day at home. The highlight of the day may well have been the arrival of a stream of emojis on Diane's phone, from Ellie. They had a brief text-based conversation and then Diane was dismissed.

The rest of the day has been spent with Diane catching up on her summer-wear ironing and the Gorse Fox editing blog extracts from 2005.

Unremarkable!

Semi-Isolation

 Our semi-isolation continues as we try to ensure no pathogens are brought into the house that might delay Diane's operation. It does mean that we have to amuse ourselves with household chores and personal projects.

Today, Diane wanted to get a pile of her "stuff" ironed and ready for packing. The Gorse Fox continued with his editing of the 2005 blog extract. This is proving immensely time-consuming. Clearly, 2005 was the first full year of blogging and the Gorse Fox was still trying to find the most suitable way to record his completely random thoughts and activities. This means that, in retrospect, a great deal of editing, re-formatting and deleting is required. It has taken several hours today to process February and March for that year. In the end, the Gorse Fox was going boss-eyed. He retired to Orangery and finished his current book, then started a new one (that's 26 books he's finished this year).

Coronation

What a historic day. Diane and the Gorse Fox have been glued to the TV coverage of the King's Coronation. It was good to see it go off without a hitch despite the threats from the "Just Stop Oil" morons and the "Not My King" republicans. If only the police would take such immediate and decisive intervention when they block roads and bridges and stop normal people going about their daily business. Reading social media today it is clear that a lot of the anti-monarchists are desperately joyless individuals.

The Gorse Fox, as long-term readers will know, is no fan of Charles. That does not mean that he doesn't support the Monarchy. Our King or Queen is the latest part of our history stretching back over 1000 years. The Gorse Fox fully supports that historical position and is thankful for the continuity it provides. This is particularly the case when you see the antics in other countries as the rich and powerful vie for presidential status every few years and stoop to underhand tactics to discredit their opponents in order to gain their position.

The Gorse Fox's day started with his cousins' call and one particular cousin embarking on a rabid anti-monarchic rant. His sister pointed out that if he didn't like living in a monarchy he could always live somewhere else... as he lives in Turkey,  the point was moot. His tack changed to the fact that the House of Windsor was not English but was Germano-Greek. The Gorse Fox interrupted "I don't care" and bizarrely that defused and shut down the whole discussion.

God Save the King.

Red, White, and Blue

 Ellie's school had declared that the children should celebrate the King's Coronation by wearing red white and blue today. They also had a competition for those who wished to participate to make a crown. 

Ellie was up for the dress code but not interested in the crown. So it was that the Gorse Fox was greeted by Ellie's uniform for the day.

There was face paint...

There was the ribbon entwined plait...

and, of course, the red, white, and blue dress and cardigan.

She was very excited and couldn't wait to get to school. As the other children arrived it was clear that they had all entered into the spirit of the occasion.

It was clear they were going to have a good day and were excited by the Coronation. The Gorse Fox is old enough to have been alive at the previous coronation - but being only 1 year old cannot claim to have any recollection or major part in the ceremony!

Voting

 It was the local election day. The media are proudly espousing a significant disaster for the Conservative candidates. This is partly because people want to whip the Tories for after-effects of the furlough scheme and the fact that Putin has prosecuted a war on Ukraine and they think we should be insulated from the financial consequence. There are, however, Tories who will not vote because of the Westminster coup perpetrated by Rishi Sunak. 

The Gorse Fox thinks that anyone voting in these elections who cites either cause as the reason for their vote is probably a moron and shouldn't be allowed to vote. These are LOCAL elections. Councillors will not be able to impose a windfall tax on oil companies, they will not be able to stop the influx of illegal immigrants, and they will not be able to pay the NHS more. They are LOCAL elections. They have NO impact on any items espoused by the labour leaflets.

The Gorse Fox and Diane went to our polling station and voted. We chose the candidate that, week after week, has been out and about in our community checking for potholes, lobbying for our green spaces, and picking up litter. He is the best councillor we have ever had.

Coronation

With the Coronation of King Charles scheduled for this weekend, the Gorse Fox is horrified at the vitriol and hatred that is being spouted in (un)social media regarding this great occasion. The Monarchy provide an anchor of stability across the years and is a long-term asset for our country. The country has been a Monarchy for over 1000 years. If you don't like it then please leave and find a republic that suits your mindset - don't try to enforce that septic view on the rest of us.

Nursery

 The usual escort duties were performed and Ellie was delivered to school. A leisurely breakfast followed, but Diane was wanting some bits and pieces from the nearby nursery. As she isn't currently allowed to drive,  she asked the Gorse Fox to come. He was happy to help but in the end, wasn't needed.

Zoe called. She has been asked to attend a final interview for a new job on Thursday, next week. We are all very pleased for her and hope that it goes well. It sounds as if it should be well within her area of expertise. While she was talking to Diane, the subject of the nursey came up. She leapt in and said she would go along and Diane could go with her. Though it was about 11:00, the Gorse Fox (knowing what they were like) warned that dinner would be ready at 17:15. The trip went well and Diane got the items she was wanting.

The Gorse Fox, meanwhile, has completed the second edit of the 2011 blog extract. It is now ready for printing.