Cobblers

There was no hurry to get up this morning. I had cried off the football to give my knee some time to recover. All that was on the agenda was to enter the Ocado shopping list and to pop out to fill the car with petrol.

I had been expecting the delivery of some new shoes. The casual slip-ons that I had been wearing were showing serious signs of wear and the inner soles were falling apart. So much for the incredibly comfortable Sketchers. They may be comfortable, but they don't last. The new shoes, from Pavers, arrived just after breakfast. They looked very nice and I was pleased with the choice. Well, that is I was pleased until I tried them on and found that they were much too big. The problem is that the next size down is likely to be too small. The shoes were packaged up and returned.

Diane got stuck into some ironing for the first time since before her surgery. I had offered to do it, but she insisted that she should give it a try. I burrowed into the internet looking for some alternative shoes. Clarks, Hotter, Ecco, and M&S were all tried, but in the end, I selected a pair from Amazon. Let's see how well they fit when they arrive tomorrow.

Ellie and Zoe have had a day out with Kim today. They went to Worthing and clearly had a wonderful girly day at the Petite Fairytale Boutique.

It was obviously a very pink day of beauty treatments.

I can't think why I wasn't invited!

iMac

Diane had to go to her cardiac rehab class first thing this morning. I stayed put and enjoyed a second coffee and read the news online. Recently Jasper has shared the contents of his stomach with us, several times. We cleaned up and sprayed the carpet in the appropriate places at the time. I took the spot/vacuum cleaner upstairs and attacked the various stains. It took a while, but the carpets are clean again now.

At lunchtime, I was expecting delivery of a refurbished iMac that Zoe/Darren had requested. It turned up soon after 12:30 and when Diane and I had finished lunch we went to Zoe's and I set the system up. I have made a small contribution towards the cost as part of her birthday present. Considering it was a refurbished machine, I was impressed with its quality. Needless to say, the first thing that I set up was the backup system. This should tick away in the background for the next few years, protecting their data and giving them a fallback should anything be accidentally lost.

We managed a quiet hour with our books when we got home.

Vets

I eased into the day soon around 7:15. Coffee was consumed, the news was digested, and the day began.

The morning chores were soon out of the way and I decided that it was time for a haircut. Strolling into the village I concluded that the problem I have been having with my knee is not settling down. I have been wearing a knee brace for football, but the problem is not improving. I have decided not to play this week in the hope that it will settle with rest and gentle exercise. As I finished at the barber's he asked (again) if I was a pensioner. I said I was and had been for many years. His response was that I obviously had a good life and a good wife. What could I say? He got it in one!

This afternoon, Jasper was scheduled at the Vet. It was time for his annual checkup. We managed to sneak up and drop him into his carrier without too much drama. Having said that, he yowled the whole way to Chichester and then, in a fit of pique decided to empty his bowels. The aroma in the car was deeply unpleasant - it was a good job that we were virtually at the Vet's when it happened. Anyway, the annual check was completed without incident and he was given a clean bill of health.

Back home we had a quiet hour with our books before I started on dinner.

Cream crackered

 I was up soon after 7:00. Once awake, I see no point in staying in bed. I had football scheduled. That meant that coffee was off the menu - it has too great a diuretic effect. One cup of coffee seems to stimulate several gallons of urine just as I am ready to play football. Tea was the order of the day.

The teams seemed evenly matched. Having said that, we were soon trailing by two goals. I managed to claw those back with a couple of goals. By halftime, the score was about 5-all. In the second half, we swapped our goalie. This seemed to make the game more competitive. The game was played at a blistering pace and I was shattered by the end of it, Final score was about 12-12 and I had managed a couple more goals to chalk up 4 for the day.

Back home, I was useless. I had clearly expended my allocation of energy for the day. The afternoon was spent in the Orangery with my book and the occasional nap! By 4pm I had snapped out of my lethargy and got dinner of lamb shanks under way.

Exploiting the Web

I was up by 7:00. I was rested and ready to go. It was pouring with rain and Jasper (having completed his early morning choir practice) had gone back to sleep. I luxuriated in the first coffee of the day and made my way through the online news feeds.

At 9:00 I had the morning call with the Empson cousins. Unfortunately, Tim wasn't on the call so the visual joke I had set up will have to wait until next week.

Much of the remainder of the morning was spent looking at options for Internet access during our cruise (and incorporating the time that we would be onshore), I think I now have a clear view of what we need to do and have set up reminders to instigate these offerings at the right time.

Early afternoon I got a call from the dry cleaners. My jackets were ready. 

I hopped in the car and set off. Just around the corner, a red and blue car pulled out. It was only as it passed that I registered that it seemed to be driven by Spiderman - in full uniform (including the mask).

Reviewing the image later, I realised that the number plate was SP02 DEY (which I guess is pretty close to Spidey).

I assume this was a children's entertainer and that we don't live near Peter Parker's retirement complex.

Zoe collected Ellie from Pete. today. Ellie had been with Pete for the last couple of weeks. Today, she was coming home. Mid-afternoon they dropped in to see us so that we could have a cuddle and a chat with Ellie, having not seen her for 2 weeks. She seems to have grown some more and was very serious as she discussed the choice of best friend to accompany us to lunch on Zoe's birthday this week.

It was lovely to see her.

Studying

We were up fairly quickly this morning. Diane had an appointment at the hospital and we had to allow for traffic.

There was no traffic.

We were there with 30 minutes to spare. Today's appointment was not directly connected to her recent surgery. At least, that's what we thought. It was a discussion regarding Lipoproteins (Little a) which had been flagged in a blood test. The doctor was a specialist. Boy, was she a specialist! We had a 30-minute discussion of microbiology, the effects of this reading, the implications, and so forth. We saw diagrams of cholesterol molecules and the LPa molecules and had a lecture on their purpose and the velcro-like tails that the carrier molecules can develop. It was riveting. It also gave us the cause of the problem that had recently been addressed by the surgery. (Apparently, the cardiologists and microbiologists don't really communicate with each other).

Returning home, with Diane signed off by the hospital, I then went and watched a Webinar on the subject which has been developed by Heart UK. 

The rest of the day has been taken up with household chores and a bit of reading, though we did get a chance to talk with the Sonning Crew only to find out that Trudy and Ian have only just recovered from a bout of Covid. It just goes to show that it is still about!

Respite

We had some respite from the recent wet weather. Having said that, it hasn't really been too bad down here on this little section of the South Coast. 

Being Thursday, we had the usual excitement that accompanies the weekly shop. I managed to drop off some jackets to be dry-cleaned then managed to navigate my way through Sainsbury's without destroying the zombies who had just arrived. There may have been a few soto voce murmurings of "Oh for heaven's sake, get out of the way, you knuckle-dragging cretins" (or phrases with a similar meaning).

Diane had one of her regular blood tests today. She took herself along, no longer requiring my security escort.

I spent the early afternoon looking at the Internet packages available for our planned cruise. It was only when I saw the price I realised that I was buying not just Internet access, but probably the whole maritime satellite network as well. This is all very fine but I really have nowhere to store it when we get home. I will have to sleep on this. Methinks that P&O are taking the mickey.

Had a brief video call with Ellie. She will be home on Saturday, and it will be lovely to see her again. I confess that I have missed her cheery little presence.

Yellow Weather Warning

We have been subject to a yellow weather warning for most of the day with a forecast of very high winds and torrential rain. This was enough for us to relocate our football to the indoor arena at Ford. Having said that, there was bright sunshine when I arrived and no signs of the expected rain and wind. Getting there early allowed me time to stand and chat with Rick who now owns the place. They have made a few changes since I was last there regularly - and the changes seem to have opened it up and brightened it.

The game was a typical 5-a-side until one player had to leave in the second half. Unlike Sunday we played 3-touch football. It was a good and relatively close game. I managed to score one of our goals in a 7-5 defeat. I certainly have a way to go in terms of getting back to my usual fitness levels.

The rain started as I pulled up onto the driveway. It didn't really come to much and neither did the wind. We spent some time with our books and then Diane went to measure up some trousers that needed adjusting. I took the opportunity to dig out my dinner suit and check whether I could still get into it. Despite the fact that I bought the suit for a gala dinner that Diane and I attended during an Award Trip to Bermuda in 1994, I was amazed to find that it still fitted well.

Checkup

I did not sleep well, but fortunately, Diane did. She was off to her Cardiac rehab session, first thing. She is obviously doing well because they suggested she became a volunteer as she was doing so well. I suspect she will complete the course before she commits to anything like that.

After a spot of lunch, we headed for St Richard's. Diane had her post-op face-to-face with our local Cardiac Consultant. We arrived a bit earlier than necessary but Diane was swept into a side room for an ECG before the review. There was no hanging about. We had a lovely 20 minutes with the doctor and he was immensely pleased with the progress that has been made since the operation. He discussed various aspects of the medication and the performance and longevity of the carbon fibre valve. It all seems very positive and other than arranging for a base-level echocardiogram, that's all.

Quiet afternoon with the books though Kim called for a chat with Mum just as I started preparing dinner.

Therapy

It was another wet start to the day but the rain soon petered out to an occasional fine drizzle. We had plans. Diane wanted to look for some items of clothing and I needed some new socks (the last of my pre-retirement socks had worn through this week). We headed for Chichester and some retail therapy. The roads, the car park, and the town were empty. It was a real pleasure to wander about (despite the occasional drizzle).

The first target was M&S for Diane. Despite searching around, we could not find what she wanted. Then we tried White & Co. Again, no joy. Finally, we tried Crew Clothing and this too drew a blank. The Internet may be the best alternative. As we retraced our steps, we looked into Clinkard's (the shoe shop) as I wanted to see if they have some smart slip-on trainers to replace mine which are wearing through. No luck - but Diane was able to pick up a couple fabulous pairs of shoes that will be ideal for the planned cruise.

We dropped into "ASK Italian" for lunch. Like last time, it was almost empty when we arrived, but by the time we left, they were warning people about delays in serving their meals. We had timed it just right.

Back home we had a quiet afternoon with our books.

Grand Opening

Rain was not forecast until late afternoon. Clearly, the meteorological office has not informed the clouds that swept across the south coast. It was grey, it was damp, and fine misty rain billowed across the area. It is a timely reminder of how our countrymen live from day to day beyond the M4 corridor.

I had agreed to play my first Sunday game of football for several months. Boy can I tell that I am out of practice. My left foot needs to be retrained to hit the ball with force and my muscles need to stop screaming at me. It was a very lop-sided game (I was not involved in picking the teams) and my team lost 18-8! In our defence, two of our 5 players were fresh back from long lay-offs. At least I scored a hat trick.

On the way home I noticed the recent roadworks were complete and a sign has been erected pointing to the newly built crematorium. I don't think it has been commissioned yet, nor formerly opened. I don't suppose a grand opening day BBQ would go down well? 

It has been a quiet afternoon with my book while Diane has been in her sewing room.

Funny Old Day

It was drying up after a wet night when I came down. Once the weather saw me it decided to show off again and there was a huge downpour. I ignored it, so it sulked and went off to the east and the sun came out.

I had my usual call with the cousins this morning. The banter was fun particularly when we got onto the subject of company disciplinary action. Helen was quick to relate the story of one employee at Dixon's whose house had been searched and an un-receipted cover for a Psion Organiser was found. He was dismissed. Tim the Red was quick to chime in with the fact that he had obviously not been a member of a union. To which Helen responded that he was actually the Union Rep.

The rest of the morning was spent with domestic chores and researching flight data recorders. Using ChatGPT and Bard I was able to get a concise answer to the questions raised by Darren's client. I sent the answers across and, hopefully, will hear no more.

Early afternoon was book time, as usual. During this, Amazon dumped my latest delivery on the front path. They didn't knock. They didn't ring the doorbell. The only reason I knew it had been delivered was the arrival of an email to tell me. Not really good enough, and an invitation to porch pirates.

Wet Start

There was a wet start to the day but it soon dried up and was pleasantly warm (if not sunny) for most of the day. Diane had an appointment at the hairdresser but was now mobile again so I stayed put and got on with some chores. (Japser seemed to have left a complete backup of himself scattered across the upstairs landing and our bedroom - I'll be glad when he stops moulting - but I'd never criticise a backup!)

We have heard from a DNA match. This person is, ostensibly, a 2nd or 3rd cousin to Diane. I wrote to her to try and find the connection. As a 2nd/3rd cousin, the link must be through great or great-great-grandparents. I sent her a list of all the individuals. She wrote back to say that she doesn't recognise any of their names, so I assume she hasn't done any research worth noting.

I had a random query from Darren this afternoon. A client of his has had an idea regarding black box flight recorders. Could I advise, or would I like to get involved? Given that I left the aerospace industry in 1984, I would humbly suggest that my input is unlikely to be current! Even when I was involved, I never got into the technology for flight recorders.

Spent some of the afternoon reading. Another book bites the dust.

Ooof

 It was grey and wet when I got up. The misty rain dried up by mid-morning and the rest of the day has just been grey. It has been pleasantly warm, however.

After the usual Ocado delivery, we headed off to Sainsbury's. There was a frisson of excitement as I picked up a bag of potatoes and the chap next to me collapsed like a sack of potatoes. A first-aider was called, but the chap was up on his feet by the time he arrived. He claimed he was fine (but his head hit the floor with some force). He wasn't sure what had happened but thought he might have fainted. I checked the floor - there were no obstacles and there was nothing to have caused him to slip. He was very quick to tell his Apple Watch alert that he had not fallen. I suspect that this was not the first time and he was ignoring the evidence. I left him with the first-aider.

Once home, I set about the accounts and Diane made various appointments. After lunch, the weather was not conducive to a walk, so we spent the afternoon with our books.

Going Solo

It was a nice start to the day. The forecast from earlier in the week had suggested rain, but last night it had changed and we had plenty of bright sunshine.  I had football scheduled and Diane had decided to go solo.

I headed off to Worthing in the Fiesta and we enjoyed a very lop-sided 5-a-side game on the big pitch. Jack, in his infinite wisdom, picked teams that made the Alamo look like. balanced battle. Surprisingly we went ahead by one goal before the onslaught began. From then on we got as much exercise picking the ball out of the back of the net as we did playing the game.

Meanwhile, Diane was going solo. She took the car out (the first time she had driven in months) and parked in Felpham before going for a 2.2-mile walk along the promenade towards Middleton and Elmer. It's good that she has regained her confidence and can fly solo when she wants, now.

It's been a quiet afternoon with our books. Zoe phoned for a quick (?) update and threatened to call us back later.

I've also been fielding some mail for Kim's Jon who is expecting an appointment for some investigations at the hospital. As they would say in North Korea, they need to check if Kim's Jon Ill.

Cardiac Rehab

Diane's cardiac rehab sessions started for real this morning. We had to turn up at the local Community Centre where they checked Diane in. Then after a while, the session began with 15 minutes of gentle warm-up exercises. These were set to music but I noticed that only the 3 women managed to do the exercises in time with the music. Some of the movements reminded me of videos you see of Discos in the '70s and I kept checking that there were no handbags around which they were dancing. 

Eventually, they split into their pre-allocated groups and started on their individual exercises. It was good to see that for most of the session, Diane had one-to-one attention.

In all, there must have been 15-20 people going through the programme. Each was following a different set of pre-defined exercises and each had a watch to monitor their heart rate. On their badges was a range within which they should keep their pulse. The individual attention was very impressive.

Altogether we were out for about 90 minutes and Diane could tell she had done the work-out.

The rest of the day has been fairly quiet though Zoe did pop in to have a look at my old 27-inch iMac. She had been thinking of getting a refurbished model by now she has seen quite how big they are she has realised that the 21-inch would make better sense.

Mixed Weather

It had rained quite heavily in the early hours but had stopped by the time I got up. It was warm and the patio was drying quickly. The forecast however suggested that we would have rain on and off throughout the day. The forecast was right!

The morning was taken up with domestic and administrative chores. It would have been nice to go for a walk, but the weather really didn't encourage adventure. We stayed put and read our books

That's about it really. Diane has her cardiac rehab in the morning. 

Nada

After yesterday's rain, today we have sunshine. It has been a glorious day.

I started the day with a lie-in. It was 07:45 before I became conscious. I leapt out of bed, scrabbled for my glasses then charged down the stairs with all the elegance of an arthritic walrus doing the jive on Strictly Come Dancing. Mountain goats were queueing at the door to laugh at me. I reminded them that curry goat was a Jamaican speciality and they trotted off.

I had a number of items to clear from my "to-do" list:

• Complete yesterday's blog - Done.
• Send all the Taylor photos to Sue as she clearly didn't have all the images I showed her last night. - Done.
• Log in and register for the new company pension portal - Failed - it doesn't accept my NI Number.
• Log in and reset the charge card for the DART river crossing - Failed - not necessary until 29th July.

By this point, I was sulking.

Diane was pottering in the garden. I made her a cup of tea and finished off the remains of last night's curry. I then settled down with my latest book until it was time to start on dinner.

In general - not much to report.

Visitors

The weather started brightly. The sun was out and it was quite warm. The forecast warned that it would not last and by early afternoon the rain had started and continued well into the night.

I had my usual call with the Empson cousins after breakfast. There seemed to be a little less banter today. It was more chat and seemed a little less "bouncy" than usual. It was nice to talk with them however and keep the link going to that side of the family. After the call, there was the usual checklist of domestic chores to sort out.

After lunch, we spent a few hours with our books until Trevor and Sue arrived. This was the first time we had seen them for several months and they were, of course, eager to see how Diane was progressing and to share all of the news from both families. It seems that they are discussing with Jean the possibility of her going into a care home near them in Brighton. Given that she is virtually blind and is living alone, it seems like a very sensible idea.

We ordered some Indian food (while I cooked some salmon for Diane) and continued to chat while munching through the feast that was delivered. Sue and I then got waylaid by some genealogical research and looking through some old photos (copies of which I need to send to Sue).

They left soon after 22:00 and headed out into the rain for the journey back to Brighton. We finished tidying up and headed for bed.

Pebbles

There was no need, but I got up early. Zoe had spent the evening in A&E again as her toe had flared up during the day. I was concerned that Ellie might need to be dropped off as Darren went to work so I got up, just in case. As it turned out, there was no need.

Diane had booked an appointment for Ellie to get her hair done. Zoe and Ellie came to us and I drove us all to Flepham. I sat and read in the car while the girls went to the hairdresser. 

When they were finished we walked down to the beach to have some coffee and ice cream at the Lobster Pot. It was busy, as usual, but there were a few tables available.

The weather was overcast but it was pleasantly warm. When Ellie had finished her ice cream she went exploring the top edge of the beach.

When my veins were suitably full of caffeine I went and joined Ellie and we walked down to the water's edge. The pebbles snuck into our shoes and this photo shows Ellie on one of the breakwaters trying to get the pebbles out of her sandals.

We stayed at the water's edge for a while. She was intent on throwing all of the pebbles into the sea. After a while I decided she was not making sufficient progress so we climbed back up to the top and rejoined Diane and Zoe.

We were soon back, and Zoe and Ellie went home to get on with their chores.

My first chore was to get the Fiesta booked for an MOT and service. I decided to try a local independent garage this time. I don't feel that I'm getting value for money from the main dealer - given that I have only done about 300 miles since the last service.

After that, I contacted our Travel Insurer. I needed to let them know about Diane's recent procedure in the hospital. It took a while to go through all of the questions but in the end, we had full coverage for only a minor markup.

 

Last Day

No... I don't mean it's Armageddon. It's the last day of school for Ellie. Her last day in Year 1. Zoe dropped her off soon after 7:15 and Ellie was already washed, dressed, and ready for school. All we had to do was give her breakfast and make sure she cleaned her teeth. I walked her to school. It was bedlam. The kids were all hyperactive knowing it was the last day.

Back home, I grabbed the car keys and drove Diane to the Community Centre. She had her Cardiac assessment (delayed from last week). We were called in and Diane was subjected to a few medical tests before the interrogation from the physio terrorists started.  Once they had the base data, they started on some simple exercises to raise the heart rate. She coped with it all without any problems. We were there for about 40 minutes and left with appointments for face-to-face exercise sessions every week.

Being Thursday, shopping was on the agenda. We headed to Sainsbury's and filled the trolley for the next week. Once everything was packed away we enjoyed a coffee and read the digital news until it was time to head off for the latest blood tests. That was all over and done with after about 5 minutes and we were soon home, ready for lunch, and ready for a quiet afternoon with our books.

There was no school collection for us today. Zoe had come home to meet Ellie and take her for a picnic with her classmates.

Pre-season

Ellie slept well last night. It was 6:33 when she wandered into our room and asked if she could play on her tablet. She pottered off to get the tablet and then returned to her bedroom until she heard me in the bathroom. We went through the usual procedures: breakfast, drink, wash, teeth, uniform and school bag. At 8:30 we walked to school and left Ellie to enjoy her penultimate day in Year 1.

Back home, I quickly changed and headed to Worthing. This would be my first football game for several months. I met up with the lads and explained my long absence to those that asked. We then split into two teams of 6 and started. I was clearly rusty. Passes were going astray and my left foot seemed to have forgotten how to kick. We were soon 2-0 up and I had threatened with a couple of very wide shots. By halftime, we were 3-0 up. Jack juggled the teams. We kicked off and after a few minutes, I got involved in a neat interplay just inside the attacking half. I cracked the ball with the inside of my boot and it rocketed straight into the top corner of the net. It was nice to be back! The final score was 4-1 for us.

Early afternoon we had our usual reading hour before going to collect Ellie. On the way home, we stopped off at the park for a short while. Then headed back for ice cream while waiting for Zoe to arrive and collect Ellie.

Supper is finished and we are now planning to settle down for a quiet evening.

Strolling along

It has been another lovely day. Darren dropped Ellie off soon after 07:00 and she proceeded to explain how to make a slider until breakfast was ready. After breakfast and her morning ablutions, we had a game of "Snakes and Ladders" until it was time to leave for school.

Once we had finished our coffee and tidied up a bit we headed out for a walk. Again we headed for West Park and walked from there towards the town.

Despite the evidence from the photo, the seafront was quite a bit busier today and there were families on the beach and children playing in the sea. We walked as far as the bandstand where were sat on a bench for 5 minutes to watch the world go by.

We headed back to the car. We had pushed Diane's pace up a bit and also the distance. She had managed without any trouble. We will continue to stretch the distance, bit by bit.

The afternoon was dedicated to our books until it was time for Diane to meet up with Zoe and collect Ellie. Though Ellie went home with Zoe for dinner and a bath, Zoe has just brought her back so that she can sleep here overnight.

Ambling

Ellie was dropped off soon after 07:00. She was full of beans and eager to tell me about her weekend. While she related all the comings and goings, I prepared her breakfast. Diane joined us and when breakfast was done, she took Ellie up for her morning ablutions. Once Ellie was dropped off at school, I returned for breakfast and to get on with some domestic chores.

Late morning we made the most of the bright, sunny weather and went for another walk along the deserted seafront. We parked at West Park, as usual, and set off towards the pier. 

We pushed a little further this week and then stopped to have a breather on a bench looking out across the beach. After a short break, we turned and headed back. This was harder going for Diane as there was a stiff wind blowing right in our faces. At least it was a pleasantly warm wind and whilst it increased the effort required, it didn't really slow us down at all.

We got a call from Zoe. She would be delayed at work. Could we step in and collect Ellie? So it was that we wandered off, just after 15:00, to collect Ellie and take her to the park on the way home from school. It was nice to see Diane well enough to come with us and walk back with Ellie.

We found a note from the Headmistress in Ellie's bag. Ellie's workbooks had been selected as examples of the progress made over the year and would be returned at the start of the new school year in September. That sounded very positive as only 3 children were selected for this.

Basic Checks

I have been contacted, through Ancestry,  by someone from Australia who appears to be Diane's 4th cousin.   She was pleased to make contact and happy to tell me that she had driven the family tree back several further generations. I haven't had a chance to check in detail, but I have glanced at her tree. Sure enough, she records several generations earlier than my tree. I decided to check her sources. This did not fill me with hope. The first person I chose was (according to my research) born around 1668. It was interesting, therefore, to find that she cited a baptismal certificate in a totally different part of the country dated 1835. Now, Diane's family are sturdy stock, but I doubt they leave it 167 years before getting baptised.

Gosh

Golly gosh it has been another quiet one. Whilst it has been warm and sunny, there has been a strong wind and that has kept Diane from going out for a walk.

Ellie had a sleepover last night. Her friend Sophia was staying. This morning, as they decided to hit the park, they knocked on the door to say "hello" as they passed. Apparently, they had been very good overnight and had even tidied Ellie's room before the outing to the park.

I returned to the small pile of ironing when they had moved on. Once that was cleared I returned to the Kindle and finished another book. The next book has been downloaded and is on the stocks ready to read.

Reports

Whilst it has been dry and quite sunny today, there has been a vicious wind. It was certainly too much to suggest a walk for Diane. As a result, we have stayed in throughout the day. Diane has been sewing in her study and I have been reading and pottering.

The biggest thing to report was that Ellie received her year-end report. She had done brilliantly, with a consistent "1" (the highest score) for Effort and had met all of her expectations. 

Her teacher reported: 

"Ellie is a delightful, hardworking member of the class who comes to school full of enthusiasm for learning. She has a positive attitude towards all aspects of her school work and sets an excellent example to others. She is confident, very motivated to learn and she demonstrates a high level of independence in class"

Her behaviour is consistently of a very high standard and she is an excellent role model for others. Ellie relates well to adults and is polite and well-mannered. She loves to talk about her family and regularly tells us about the things she has done at home with Mum, Dad and her grandparents.

Her head teacher went on to say:

Well done Ellie; this is an excellent report and it truly reflects the great year you have had in Year 1. You are a very bubbly and friendly young lady who obviously loves school and learning new things. Your positive attitude has enabled you to learn more and demonstrate the school values well. Keep working hard and I look forward to seeing what you can achieve next year 

It goes without saying that we are delighted with this, and long may this continue. 

Books

Ellie was dropped off at the usual time. She was in a very chirpy mood and was eager to get going and get to school. The morning had started grey. Rain was coming and going but we picked a dry 20 minutes to get to school.

Diane had ordered something from M&S and we received notification that it had arrived. As the only few moments of excitement for the day, I went to the local store to collect her packages. The rain has come and gone throughout the day and it was not conducive to a walk. We stayed in and made the most of our books. I managed to finish my 40th book of the year and start on the 41st.

We had to collect Ellie, mid-afternoon. She wasn't with us for long. Darren came to collect her at 16:00. Zoe had a later finish than originally planned as she had a meeting with a Board Member this afternoon.

Afternoon Tea

I was not needed for the school run this morning. This should have meant there was an opportunity for a lie-in. That's not how things work. I was wide awake anyway, so it made sense to get up and get some caffeine flowing through my veins.

The morning saw Ocado come and go and a brief trip to Sainsbury's. Cupboards and fridges are now appropriately stocked for another week.

This afternoon we had invited Chris and Maureen around for a cup of tea and some scones. The weather had brightened up though the wind was still quite strong. We set out the cushions around the garden table and sat out for a couple of hours or so, chatting. Along with the usual subjects of health, holidays, and family, we were surprised to hear that they have become interested in football now that their son Daniel is working for Brentford FC (running their IT). We told them about our trip to see Bognor play Portsmouth and they commented that they would have come if they had known.

It was a lovely couple of hours.

Forecast

Ellie was dropped off soon after 7:00 and had breakfast with us before getting ready for school. The forecast had threatened rain but it was bright and sunny when we walked round to school. It stayed bright and sunny throughout the rest of the day, though the wind did pick up during the afternoon.

The morning saw domestic chores (laundry, ironing, etc) and the accounts ticked off the list for today. After lunch, we had some reading time before Diane went to collect Ellie along with Zoe.

More Rocks

 I mentioned, yesterday, that the local football team is called “The Rocks”. This is because of a reef that lies just off the coast and is known as Bognor Rocks.

Google’s BARD tells us:

The Bognor Rocks are a series of low-lying reefs that extend off the coast of Bognor Regis in West Sussex, England. They are made up of calcareous sandstone from the London Clay and are rich in fossils. The reefs range from 0.25 to 2 meters in height, and many of them are undercut, forming crevices, gullies, overhangs, and small caves. These offer refuge for many marine animals, including lobsters, crabs, and several fish species. The horizontal faces of the reefs are dominated by algae, and beneath this is a sparse sessile fauna.

The Bognor Rocks are a popular spot for snorkeling and scuba diving, and they are also home to a variety of birdlife. The reefs are managed by the Bognor Regis Conservation Group, which works to protect the area's natural heritage.

Here are some other interesting facts about the Bognor Rocks:

• The reefs were formed around 50 million years ago.
• The name "Bognor Rocks" is thought to have originated in the 17th century.
• The reefs are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Rocks

The nickname for Bognor Town FC is "The Rocks". Tonight they were playing Portsmouth in a pre-season friendly. Bognor play in the Isthmian League (at the 7th level of the English footballing pyramid) and Portsmouth are in League 1 (the 3rd level of the pyramid). This seemed like a bit of a mismatch, but it was an evening out and a chance to see some football.

We left early but found the area around the ground was already very congested. In the end, we had to park about 500m from the ground and walk back. I had booked seats but the seating block was already looking quite full. We were lucky however and found 2 seats in the front row, right by the halfway line. A prime spot.

The game was very quick and the first half was "blood and thunder" football. Despite a few chances on either side, it ended 0-0. 

In the second half, there was a wholesale change of personnel. Portsmouth looked much more composed and threatening. Bognor's defence was up to the challenge. In the end, Portsmouth scored a penalty (having had an earlier penalty saved). The Bognor team was not going down without a fight and managed to get an equaliser three minutes from time.

It had been an enjoyable evening's entertainment and was something we will probably do again. We made our way back to the car and nipped off down the back roads. We were home in about 10 minutes and settled down for a cup of tea and to watch the news.

Plans change

 Ellie was dropped off as usual, however, it was Darren doing the drop-off despite Zoe sending a message last night to say it would be her. Oh well, plans change. We got her ready for school and expected a wet walk, based on the weather forecast. It was as dry as a bone. Oh well, plans change.

The excitement for the morning was Diane's cardiac assessment at the local Community Centre. As we got our bits together, ready to walk the 600m to the Centre, the phone rang. The cardiac team were in the middle of an incident. The assessment would have to be rescheduled. Oh well, plans change!

We drove up to the garden centre where Diane wanted to pick up some campanula. It was a quick but successful trip. On the way back we decided to head straight to West Park and go for another walk.

Again, the weather was kind to us and we seemed to walk under a blu patch of sky surrounded by clouds. It was lovely and warm, and like yesterday, it was almost deserted.

We went a bit farther than yesterday. We reached the pier and strolled out as far as we could. (They are laying a new deck at the seaward end of the pier so that was blocked off).

We returned the way we had come. All in all, this was just a fraction under 3km. Again, this was a new "best" for Diane's recuperation.

Back home we were greeted by Pauline's son Carl, who was cleaning our widows, gutters and soffits. Just as he finished we had a short sharp shower.

The early afternoon was spent with our books until we had to collect Ellie.

Promenade

Ellie has a cold and had to miss a day of school today. Zoe was able to work from home so we did not have to step in and help.

After breakfast, Diane did some laundry while I steam-cleaned the floors. I then made the most of a quiet Monday and wandered into the Village to get a haircut. The four barbers on duty were sitting chatting when I arrived so I was escorted straight to the chair and processed immediately. While strolling back home I thought about Diane's walk for today. It was warm, it was dry, the sun was shining, why not go to the promenade above the beach? It seemed like a good idea.

After a light lunch, we set off in the car and parked at West Fields. Then we set off through the Marine Gardens and along the promenade towards the pier.

The Marine Gardens have clearly been victims of No-Mow May as there were large tracts of wildflowers poking through the uncut grass. It was tranquil, very sheltered, and secluded and we enjoyed zigging and zagging along the paths as we headed to the far end.

We crossed the road and joined the promenade. As you can see from the photo, it was absolutely heaving with almost nobody. We seemed to have it to ourselves.

We made our way towards the pier, stopping a few hundred metres short. This was the longest walk Diane had attempted, so after her first kilometre we sat on a bench and watched the world go by until we started on the return journey. Tomorrow she starts on her Cardiac Rehab (assessment) so it was good to get her warmed up.

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.