A good run to Stanmore to see mum and back in time to do some gardening (removing brambles) down at the goose pond

Usually mum has difficulty replacing the telephone handset back into its cradle. It’s a bit like watching a toddler trying to build a tower out of cups. She knows it’s a brain “thing” as do I but sometimes it’s painful to watch. Today, with some prompts from me through the window, mum did it and we both whooped in celebration! And then we both laughed at the absurdity of it all. We also talked about holidays we had taken when my brother and I were very young. We were encouraged and expected to eat our meals with our parents and I have vivid memories of meals in french hotels en route to our holiday destinations in Italy and sometimes in Switzerland. Grand hotels “out of season” in Swiss skiing resorts were affordable and glamorous for our family of four driving in an Austin 1100 along autoroutes. A strange choice of holiday given that my brother and I were often “car sick” but also a great way to see foreign cities, towns and villages on a budget.

When I handed the head nurse a box of Ferraro Rocher chocolates, today, for the staff (they are on special offer at Aldi!) * mum and I remembered one of her visits to The Gables when she was still able to accompany me to the shops. We went to Aldi, and filled the trolley with cat food and Aldi’s excellent single malt whisky. A man looked at our shopping quizzically. Mum told him we were holding a party for the cats – and we laughed all day when we thought about his expression! Mum is still great company even if she struggles with the telephone. Who cares?!

*other supermarkets are available