Beautiful day – hot and sunny. Managed to get good outdoor shots of the house and garden to email off to the Estate Agency.
25th May, 2009
Another lovely day, perhaps not as sustained sunshine as yesterday but it is a Bank Holiday. What does that mean when you’re retired? Had a lovely phone conversation with Ruth yesterday evening. Talking to her made me feel happy. I love her. I have gone about the day today with Ruth in my head. I must see her before we leave for Greece.
Pauline’s Mum and sister Phyllis and her husband Colin came round for Lunch today. Pauline cooked Lamb Shanks in Red wine Jus with Jersey Royals and assorted vegetables. It was absolutely wonderful. We used this occasion to talk about our plans and how we would provide for Pauline’s Mum.
27th May, 2009
Kerb Appeal is the order of the day today plus the oven-clean little man called. Two hours it took him. He was out of breath when he’d finished – all the running up and down our twenty stone steps I’ve no doubt. You’re not very fit, I said, as Pauline paid him. I’ve got to drive to Holmfirth now and Tomorden this afternoon, he gasped as he left. I offered to put him in touch with Jane BG in order to get his pulse rate down but he said he hadn’t got time. Well it is difficult when you’re working!
I’ve been planting‘Gold Splash’ Euonymous to provide some eye-catching kerb appeal at the front of the house. I think they will make all the difference.
28th May, 2009
Attended the funeral of Angela aged 92 years today. I went with Pauline, her Mum, Pauline’s sister, Phyllis and her husband, Colin. It was a sad and under-attended affair for a lady who had outlived most of her friends and relatives. We moved Pauline’s Mum into the Anchor Housing warden assisted apartment 28 years ago. She was 67 years old. She is 95 in a few weeks. Angela moved in to an apartment 3 years later and they were inseparable for 25 years. Angela had an alcoholic son who visited her once a week for his tea on a Friday. He is in his mid-60s and spends most of his time in Thailand. Angela was very timid, found it very difficult to go out and, although we managed to get her out for a pub lunch once or twice a few hundred yards from her flat, she flatly refused to travel the 15 miles to our house for Christmas Lunch even though she was alone. Her husband died 35 years ago and she had soldiered meekly on since then. In the past few months – rather like Mum – she began to give up the will to live. She stopped eating, started to stay alone in her flat and became terribly thin. Eventually she went to hospital to be treated for a chest infection and never returned. Another little personality has left the world. Her claim to fame, I learnt at the funeral, was that she worked in the Pickle Factory in Fleetwood where she was born and living in that important fishing port, she hated fish. We all have our moments.
29th May, 2009
Glorious day today. Just enjoyed it.
30th May, 2009
Disappointing win for Chelsea. Have to admit that they were the better side. Glorious day again. Spoke to Stavros today. He is finally getting the log burning stove stainless steel exhaust pipe fitted and the huge pergola over the outdoor dining patio. We go in seven weeks. I can’t wait.
