Catching up

Weather's changed hereabouts. Once more we're back to grey & wet. It's just as well. Last night was unpleasantly sticky. I'm hoping we'll finally see the end of midges for a while, maybe even for this year.

Since I last wrote we've been getting on top of things. There always seems so much to do after you've been away. Unpacking, washing, ironing, re-discovering what's on the kitchen's shelves, in the fridge & freezer, catching up on all that's happened in your absence.

At last most of the chores have been done. The washing & ironing is done & is now once more at usual levels. Every day we seem to discover something new we're low on foodwise - butter, sugar, margarine, bread stock cubes. We've yet to do any food shopping beyond the milk the Fox got when we first returned home. That is obviously going to be one of the big events of the week as far as we are concerned.

Yesterday Al turned up & cut the lawn. It looks considerably better than it did. Earlier in the week I picked what few apples & pears remained on the trees after the hurricane that blew through just before we went away. Al took some pears along with some sage & rosemary. 

We bumped into Angie, our cleaner, on Friday, so we've remade contact with her. Even met her daughter.

All the gang at the Pub we've reseen. 

Mr P, the retired teacher, opened up his dining club while we were away. The first night went well, if a little chaotically. He's not discouraged by the challenge of the cooking, but does feel he's going to have to do something about the pricing. Otherwise he's never going to make up the money he's spent on refurbishing the room. He's eager for us to come to the meal later this month. We'll think about it.

Henry, one of the regulars, was at the Pub. He went on a Rhine cruise a couple of weeks before us. Different ship but same poor food. His trip sounds like a bit of a disaster. He's quite elderly. Although he wouldn't regard himself as disabled, he does have some mobility difficulties. He doesn't walk very far these days. He was shocked to discover the cabins were 4 levels down & there were no lifts. To get on land at every stop, you had to cross several other ships first - not the easiest thing for him to do. Prices on ship were extortionate. He spent the entire time on the ship. It had even rained all the time to complete his misery. We couldn't help commenting he should have come with us. By comparison we had a great time with plenty of sunshine & warmth, lifts even to the sundeck, reasonable on-board prices, just poor food. Fortunately since then, Henry's been on another holiday, a trip to France, to St Omer, with some friends, which has helped to restore his sense of well-being.  

I had a chat with one of my cousin's. She & her husband had been on holiday to Anglesey,  while we were away. They, too, were catching up on things. She was particularly pleased to hear how much better the Fox seems to be doing.

Next week we'll still be catching up on things - the food shopping, visiting doctors, finding out when the Fox has a hospital appointment to find out about the results of the MRI scan to replace the one cancelled just before we set off, seeing about some new knee braces for me (my present ones are tending to lose their stretch so less effective), sorting out the bathroom's lights .....

So much to do. But it's great to be home. I sometimes think that is the real value of a holiday. You appreciate being home so much more.