Homework

Watched the race...loved sparkly Singapore by night and the fireworks after best! (I've been to Sinagpore and been on a night cruise around the bay...it was gobsmackingly lovely and sparkly then and that was years ago...)

When my kidney stopped hurting I did some filling on the side of a door frame and a small section of skirting board and wall. And when I recovered from that I did a little bit of paint removing from the picture rail and architraves. There's a (different) place between the layers on each where, if you can get the scraper in the right place, you can remove satisfying size pieces but keep a base coating or two on the wood to start again. Even now I seem to have a knack for this so, although I've tried to pass on the technique, as I can do it quite well myself, I might as well carry on. I'm very slow but it's not as if there's a team of decorators waiting, fresh dipped brushes drying in their hands, waiting for me to finish so they can finish off! I'm grateful for my perseverance in getting things a little more ready in case one day there are though!

I can hardly move now and beginning to feel rough again so I'm also grateful I cooked some aubergine, mushrooms and tomatoes earlier. My appetite is not what it was but I might fancy that in a little while. Loads of garlic in it as usual...my style of cooking has developed in isolation and may have contributed to the fact that I have, ha ha! I'm having a little rest before I start clearing up the mess I made because, as Neil the hippy might say, vacuum cleaners are heavy man!

I'm grateful for the autumny feel and smell in the air. I love seasons...we are so lucky to have them here! When I had my market stalls this was the beginning of the busiest season and I'd be churning out jumpers on my knitting machine, stringing beads etc. I'll have to see if I can find a picture or two of me surrounded by my wares. I'm so grateful I found a way to do things I like and work for myself for so much of my life...Bob says he must be following my example with his own many fingered musical pies.

I'm grateful I've got through (most of) another day...I think it must be hard for many of you to grasp what it's like to have as little human contact as I do, day after day, month after month. I sometimes think that as I'm going to miss out on being numerically old I'm getting to experience some of its hardships early... to make me a more rounded character or something perhaps! Well that 'll come in useful, ha ha! Anyway, thanks once again for your virtual contact and thoughtful comments. And a big well done to Stef for doing what she meant to. PS, still not heard anything from Pat anywhere...I do hope she's OK