Thursday and Friday........I'm in tears.

The weather's not good enough to allow me to do the jobs that are needed in the garden. I've managed a little spring cleaning, but the bite in the wind make it unpleasant to stay out very long. Just wish the grass would stop growing.

Thursday was a shopping day, a top up for the weekend. My cousin came home from hospital in the evening. It appears that a good clear out was all the was needed. It rated 5.7 on the Richter scale, or so I'm told. Thought I felt the earth move!

Friday is a 'nothing to do' day, but with a little excitement. I place a bid on E-bay, and was around to see it go to the wire. It was only my third bid in three years, so you can see how keen I was. With 24 seconds to go I was out bid. I know nothing about how it all works, but I saw afterwards there are ways to place a reserve on an item, to make automatic bids. Live and learn! I'll wait until brother-in-law gets back from his world jaunt and ask him for instructions.

I phoned to find out about Cag's mother today and was told she had been moved to another ward. The nurse's account was that she was a little brighter than yesterday and was sitting out, but would not be home just yet. I was phoned later in the day by one of Cag's sisters who had been to see her, and she said that mum-in-law looked white and ghastly, had a nose drip, was on oxygen, and was catheterised. She also said that she had a job getting her mother to recognise who she was. If this was 'a little brighter', God knows what she was like yesterday.
Two other daughter are going to see her tomorrow, so we will be waiting for more news from them. There's little we can do, the distance being a trifle too far for Cag to travel. We could manage it at a push, and would do if it were really necessary, but it would wreck Cag for days.

And now a sad tale. Cousins husband gave me a bottle of 12 year old Malt, a pressy to him, but he hates whiskey. I opened it tonight .................. and it's corked! The cork has a musty smell and it's tainted the nectar. I've had it with wines, and even a bottle of cheap Cognac once, but in a Malt. Sacrilege!! The only thing to do is to pour it away................ I'm in tears.

Tuesday and Wednesday...........

Tuesday, shopping day, not for very much because I had picked up some items on Monday, milk and bread and the like. Spent the evening tidying, then dusting (thankless work) ready for the visitor today.

Our solicitor was to call at 2pm with her clerk, for our Will signatures and to set up Lasting Power of Attorney for Cag. They were early, but we were ready........ just. It a complicated business, and I could see Cag was having difficulties following what was being discussed. The solicitor was very understanding, and we have decided to have the forms completed but to hold the registration until later. I think it brought to the fore, many of the worries that Cag has but never mentions. She thinks only of today or tomorrow, never any further than that. Fear of the future? Perhaps.

Because Cag couldn't sign and a 'mark' was not good enough for the L.P.A, we had to get a pair of neighbours to help out. One to sign on Cag's behalf and one to act as an extra witness. I don't think they have seen Cag closely since she broke her leg about 30 months ago, and of course, they noticed quite a change. It's only when you don't see someone for some time that you can notice a progress or a decline. I'm afraid Cag has not made progress. I see the same look in the eyes of her sisters, and her mother at Christmas time. I don't think she notices, she too busy trying to keep up.

Two pieces of bad news followed this afternoon. Firstly my cousin, who lives two doors form us, was taken into hospital. It was her birthday today which made it even worse. Hopefully it just observation and if all is well she will be home in 48 hours. A telephone call from one of Cag's sisters informed us that Cag's mother had been taken into hospital this morning. It's a recurring gallbladder problem, which we all hope will finally be sorted out this time. It about her third hospitalisation for the same problem. The daughter that usually sorts out mother's problems is cruising around New Zealand at the moment, so others will have to do their share.

Now, what can happen tomorrow?

Sunday and Monday......

The trip to Brixham was a joy, and the weather held despite the warnings from the forecasters. We took a side trip to see where our daughter had moved recently, not to call in, we would never do that without phoning, but just to see where it was in case we were ever invited. It's at the top of a very steep hill. By the time we reached her house I was worried about nose bleeds it was so high. It's only a short walk to town, but I would dread having to walk back.

Cag's sister had made apple pie. She had heard a rumour that it was a favourite of mine. She is not wrong! Topped with clotted cream, I managed two portions. Mmmmmmm! Another of cag's sisters joined us for about an hour, which helped in keeping up the flow of conversation.

Cag is unable to follow a subject for very long, her concentration seems to fail, and I find it difficult at times because I get very little other verbal contact during the week. Poor hearing doesn't help, but I often find myself stumbling over words I would have had no trouble with a few years back. It's a lack of verbal intercourse that's the problem!!

"Do you know anything about DVD players?" I shivered. K's player was on the blink. Sound was o.k but no picture. I am not 'up' on modern technology, more a valve person than micro processor, but I do know how to wiggle wires, and that was all it was. Scart plug was half pulled out after diligent dusting for our visit. Phew!

I'd taken up a C.D of John Barrowman for K, thought she would like his easy going style, and she offered several DVD's for us to borrow. One of them was 'Groundhog Day', but I told her I was already living that. We settled for 'Saving Ryans Privates' ............ or something like that!

Hoping for a decent sunset on the way home but just a little too dull this time. There will be others.

Friday and Saturday.......

Two very mediocre days, like their weather. Because of our Thursday outing, Friday became a shopping day. I hate Friday shopping, everybody hits the supermarkets at the same time, or so it seems. There wasn't a lot we needed, a little fish for dinner and a few vegetables for the weekend.

Another trip to the supermarket today, Saturday, for fresh bread. It was even madder than Friday. Got back in time to watch Swiss Family Robinson, but wish I hadn't. I didn't realise how that film had dated. Saturday evening television was a bore so we watched Ratatouille, or rather, I watch it and Cag slept through half of it. Very enjoyable but I did have trouble in following the dialogue. As with so many films these days, the sound tracks are often muffled or you have to really 'up' the volume to be able to hear properly.

An early night tonight I think. It's off to Brixham tomorrow, visiting relations. Tea and chocolate cake at three. Good conversation in good company.......... hopefully.

Wednesday and Thursday......

Wednesday and nothing to do today....... or so I thought. I think it's been the arrival of the rings that's turned Cags thoughts to the state of her jewelry. It's not that she is able to wear very much of it, but I think it was a case of 'forgotten what I have'! So I spent the early afternoon, dipping and polishing, and then going through it with her to see what she wants to keep or what can be moved on, at a later date.

Later on I took a trip up to the Funeral Directors and bought a couple of funeral plans. The gent that served me smelt of cigar smoke, at least, I think it was cigar smoke. Could be he'd just got back from the Crematorium. Now call me mean, or just careful, but I joined the Co-op a week ago, which gave me a £25 discount on each plan. Boy! do I know how to save money?

The E-bay problems of yesterday seem to have been sorted out. I shall rely on a credit card payment from now on instead of the direct debit I had tried to set up.

Thursday, and taken aback this morning when Cag asked if we could go to Kernow Mills. It's an 'out of town' clothing store, about 30 miles away, towards the boarder with England. It's more classic than fashion, and is popular with coach parties, especially the oatmeal coloured shoe, surgical stocking brigade. Well, we got there, went around twice, nothing jumped out at us, and we left without buying anything, but it was an afternoon out.

The neighbours have been cutting their grass. I suppose I will have to follow suit by the weekend. Sunday is out because we are planning a trip to Brixham, tomorrow is shopping, so that leaves Saturday, and the weather forecast is a bit iffy then. Perhaps next week.........!

Monday and Tuesday............

Monday, payday, and we are solvent, at least until I get home from the Post Office. It was very frosty first thing, about 28f, but as the day went on it climbed into the middle 50's. Problem is, the sun brings out the blooms on the flowering shrubs, and the morning frosts burn them off.

Cag choose the evening meal, I knew it would be cauliflower cheese before I asked. I had cauli, and a good job I did, but needed fresh bread so headed for the supermarket. Got the bread, but there were no caulis to be found! Now this is Cornwall, cauliflower county, and this is cauliflower season. Supermarket....... no caulis........ what's going on?

Two new visitors today. A small flock of goldcrests paid us a visit. By the time I'd got to my camera, they had gone. I've only seen the odd one before, never so many at one time, and if they had stayed still long enough, I could have probably counted five or six. I had more luck with the blackcap, or rather the female blackcap, because their cap is not black but a ruddy brown.....

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O.K, so not a very impressive looking bird, but not such a common sight in our garden.

Took advantage of a sunny afternoon to visit a local Farm Shop. I've never been there before although it's only about ten minutes away. As you would expect, it was full of local produce, jams and preserves, ales and ciders, chocs and biscuits, fresh veg hours out of the ground, and one of the best selections of meat I seen for a long while. The shop is a hundred yards from the Lost Gardens of Heligan, so it's well used and well supported. We will be back.............. and I bought some cauliflowers there.

The rest of the afternoon, and a lot of the evening, was spent sorting out my Ebay account. I'd signed up for PayPal but must have entered the wrong bank details. I'd missed out an initial! Trouble is, it took an age to find and I'm not sure that's the whole problem now. Thankfully, a seller helped me out and to understand what was going on. I'd hate to get a poor credit rating, even on Ebay. The whole world would know!

Saturday and Sunday.....

Saturday and Sunday and not a lot has happened. The weather has been beautiful, both days, with the possibility of more to come. The promised sunsets never happened. Not enough evening cloud. The sunshine has been a bit deceptive, an easterly breeze has made a coat a welcome accessory.

We had our usual outing this afternoon, to Par Market for a bacon butty. Despite the cold wind, there were plenty of sleeveless shirts and bare midriffs. There were those who never bothered to look in a mirror before they went out, and those who looked, broke the mirror, and went out anyway. It's one of those places that you will eventually see the whole population of Cornwall and his brother. We had a ring side seat and enjoyed 'people watching' for an hour or so.

Phoned our daughter this evening, and was thanked for sending cheques to her children. Do I sound surprised? Just hope they put their mind in gear before they decide how to spend it.

Next week looks free and clear. Might give the dentist a ring though. I've a tooth that's nagging and it will probably need attention soon rather than later.

Thursday and Friday............

Thursday was a home day. A little bit of tidying and cleaning. I did have to drop some papers back to the Solicitors, but I was there and back in 20 minutes. I spent most of the afternoon catching up on snail mail. I owed a letter to a distant, distant relative who lives in Queensland, Oz. We've been corresponding for about twenty odd years and I keep my eyes open for articles on the pottery she collects in the antiques section of the papers. She collects Torquay ware, and one of the potteries was a few hundred yards from my family home in Torquay.

Friday and I had to go shopping, and I am not a fan of Friday shopping. Matron seems to let all the patients out for the day, and they all turn up in the supermarket the same time as I am there. Luckily the list was a short one and I was home in under an hour. Spent some time on book work, balancing our accounts into next month. With monies passing in and out of our account, much of it not ours, it would be easy to get confused and I needed to get things right in my mind.

I'm just hoping now that the Pension Service get their act together and let me know if anything is owed from my mothers estate, then perhaps finally I can put 2007 behind me once and for all.

Weather is looking good for the weekend and we've been promised some great sunsets. Has Spring really sprung?

Tuesday and Wednesday........

I'm a little worried. This beautiful weather is unnatural for this time of the year. We had a taste of the same in February last year, and look what happened to our Summer then. I hope this is not an ill omen of things to come.

Oh the joy the Postie brings. A letter from out Solicitors, draft copies of our Wills, and the statement of accounts............ 'for your kind attention'. Does that mean they want paying........ already? With The Lasting Power of Attorney, it totaled just over £1,000. Not bad for an hours work and a few postage stamps. Feel like I've been shafted, without a kiss!

One good thing about the good weather is the casting off of clouts. Short skirts and T-shirts. Pale knees after a winter hidden in jeans, exposed to the warming sun. Glad I got my new glasses last week.

Shopping on Tuesday afternoon, and I wore aftershave. Well, you never know! Was hoping to get molested, but didn't even get jostled. Am I loosing my touch?

Wednesday, and I took Cag to a large Garden Centre, about 30 minutes drive from home. She wanted to choose a Mother's Day card and it was the most suitable place with the greatest choice. She also bought a Valentines Card, that I had to pick out, for me. At least I got the card I wanted....... but it won't be much of a surprise.

Two good days, apart from the bill, and I've bought another couple of pencils. It's becoming a compulsion.

Sunday, then Monday........

Sunday, and 'Oh what a beautiful morning........' I nearly felt a song coming on. A lucky escape you might think! But it was a beautiful sunrise, which made for a beautiful day. We were up early, as we had planned a trip to Brixham, and a visit to another of Cag's sisters.

She hates Sundays and was to be on her own, so we offered to keep her company for the afternoon. Chocolate roulade and some coffee cake, clotted cream, good conversation, a good afternoon that passed all too quickly.

We chased the sunset home, watching the pinks, salmons and blues, darken then fade as the daylight disappeared. It started as a finely painted picture, then a thin wash was added, which blended the colours and turned it into an impressionist's pallet. Nature at it's very best.

Today been spent taking it easy, catching up on yesterday. I did take a trip to the chemist this afternoon, to collect a prescription, but that was about all. I'm finding it takes more time to recover from these days out. Must be an age thing!

Cag has had trouble with 'what day it is' today. She doesn't seem to be able to use logic to work these thing out. I've noticed it happening a lot recently. Sometimes she has been days out, thinking it's Friday on a Tuesday. I wonder if this is a taste of what's to come?

Friday and Saturday.......

And they have both been 'easy' days. I've done very little, resting after a busy start to the week.

The postman bought a little unpleasantness into our lives on Friday. A letter from the Dept. of Works and Pensions, asking for a break down on my mother's estate, to see if they are able to make claim on part of that estate because of over payment. They could, and probably will.

Foolishly, I declared to Probate, the exact amount of bank accounts and savings. This was over the threshold on which she had been claiming Pension Credits, not by much, but perhaps enough that will interest the D.W.P.
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I really can't be bothered by it all. Just send me the bill, I'll pay it, and then I can get on with my life.................. and I hope it chokes them! Next time when my mother dies, I shall be more canny.

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I felt the need for a little retail therapy after all that form filling, so I've bought another pencil.

They are handmade, in turned burr wood, no two the same, and can be made to your requirements. I saw this one a couple of days ago, and had to have it. I showed Cag the picture and reconised that vacant look. She's not a pencil person. Rings yes, pencils NO!

Wednesday and Thursday..............

The best day of the week so far. Blue skies and vapour trails....... and you know how much that lifts my heart. A phone call in the morning to say that Cag's ring was ready for collection, and she couldn't wait.

We were only a few minutes at the jewelers. The ring a perfect fit. It was the smallest he had every sized an adults ring and he was worried that it may have been too small.......

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We saw another couple in town. She has M.S and her husband is her carer. She was the welfare contact for the local M.S society when we first came to the area. Could drive, walk, co-ordinate with no obvious problems, but now is in a lot worst condition than Cag. This is a terrible disease.

Thursday and drizzle. No surprise! I had to get shopping for the weekend early as we had a young lady from Adult Social Care coming to see us, to assess our qualification for help with financing the care package needed after my operation. She fell in love with our dog, as soon as she came through the door, so no problem. All will be paid for.

I'm not really a political animal, but the American primaries have caught my interest. I'm interested because what ever happens will effect this country, if not the world. I suppose I'm a Democrat, but I'm not sure if I like either of the two front runners in that race. The Clintons, because Bill will never take a totally back seat if Hillary gets in, and their style of dirty politics, then there's the inexperience of Obama, and the way he gets flustered when too much is coming at him. He'll get plenty of that if he makes number one. That leave McCain I guess. I heard his speech tonight and it was good............ if he can deliver. But I've heard he's not a true conservative, so where does that leave us?

Be very afraid!

Tuesday..... an early start.

An early start, to get Cag up and running, in a manner of speaking, before the hairdresser arrived at 11 o'clock. Fortunately, she was a little late, due to another neighbour with verbal diarrhoea. We are her last call, so she had all the news by the time she arrived. It was just left to us to clarify some of the rumours and add decoration to others.

Our daughter arrived around 2pm with her partner P. For the second time Cag was up and dressed. I could see that she was already tired and knew she would not be contributing very much towards the afternoon. I didn't realise how little or how difficult she would be. I needed to discuss the details of the wills and how best to handle the conditions, so perhaps she felt left out, but there was no way of including her in the discussion.

I'm not the best at entertaining guests, other than filling their glasses, and with no help from Cag, I felt a little awkward at times. P is an O'K guy, and at least the afternoon gave me a chance to find out a little more about him, a chance I had not had before. I felt I should have apologised when they said their 'goodbyes', but I will see if I can get in contact with them later to let them know what was happening.

An easier day tomorrow, and it looks like the weather will be fine........ fingers crossed.

Monday....... a busy week.

I've only just mentioned Morris Dancing, and it was featured on Fern and Philip this morning. It appears that there is a shortage of young members, and some clubs are folding. I wonder why!

Something else that caught my attention on News 24 early today, was a street survey. The public were asked if these famous people were fact or fiction. King Arthur, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, Cleopatra and Sherlock Holmes. Not one got all five right! Time for England to worry!!

The start of a busy week. A trip to the Solicitors to sort out Wills and Power of Attorney. At £170 an hour, she would have been worth it. Glad I wore aftershave! A little bit of time wasting in town and then calling in at the opticians to pick up my new specs. Perhaps I should have got the specs first, so I could see all the small print at the Solicitors.

Funeral Directors next, to inquire about funeral plans. I had details from about two years ago and should have purchased then. The plans have gone up by £300 each in that time. On to my other home, ASDA Walmart. A few bits and pieces, fresh bread, extra fruit muffins, for tomorrow when our daughter visits. Ran into more neighbours there. Hope they don't think I'm stalking them.

Got home to find that Adult Social Care had phoned to arrange an interview with regard to the care package they are setting up for Cag. Basically, who pays? I'm ahead of them. I downloaded statements last week, before my mother's house sale passed through my account. That should save some questions.

Saturday & Sunday.....

I'm still not a weekend person. Weekends are such a waste of time.......... if you're not working. Weekends never meant much to me while I was working, because they were always our busiest time. Long hours and so much to do.

Saturday was a little flat, but the weather was fair, so we managed a trip out, only to the Market once again. I had a few bits and pieces to pick up, and it was an outing for Cag.

The weather today is back to normal for this time of year. Wet and windy. I've spent most of the afternoon getting ready for next week. Preparation for a trip to the solicitors, then the visit from our daughter, to sort out the results of my mother's will. I can't wait for the final full stop.

We said our 'bon voyages' to Cag's sister, now on her way to the other side of the world. I've asked her to bring me back something from Singapore. She asked me what I would like, and I replied that I didn't mind, as long as she had a nice smile!

I wrote a few days ago about have a number of mechanical pencils. I've found some more. Only another two, so it's not a serious increase. I thought it was only me that had a problem but I've come across a real expert in the field, someone who has the bug a lot worse than me http://davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com/ . I'm just hoping that I can control myself, and not succumb to the impulse to start a collection. I'll have another glass while I'm considering it!

Friday......

There was a commotion in the tree outside our kitchen window this morning. I was washing a few dishes and caught a flash of something big diving into it's tangled branches. It was a Sparrow Hawk. It had tried it's luck at a Dunnock, but it had made the safety of the tree, and the hawk was no match for it's agility in the confined space. There were other birds in the tree at the time, they seemed to know that they were safe from becoming a breakfast. A disgruntled hawk managed to untangle it's self and flew off, still hungry.

Heard about the profits of Shell today. £440 a second! Another headline on the news was about care to the elderly in Scotland having to follow the same reductions that have happened in England, all because of lack of funding. Can't help thinking that £440 a second would go a long way to restoring the balance................. but it's never that easy!

Thought I would take up Morris Dancing. I'm fine with bells, and waving hankies, but in the stick dance, I wouldn't be able to resist in aiming for the knuckles.

Shopping this afternoon, and everyone was there. Neighbours, at least four, friends, some I hadn't seen for years............... but I managed to avoid them all. It was cold and I was only too glad to get home. Things at home have been a lot better today. Next week will be interesting as Cag's sister, her main contact, is off to HK, Oz, NZ and Singapore for six weeks. I might go to Truro.