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.