What a cracking day it’s been! Not only did Mum come for dinner, but those members of the family who could, came to see her. And, on top of it all, it was very nice weather!! I thought we were never going to see the sunshine again, but it certainly shone brightly today.
Regrettably, I was too busy enjoying myself to think about taking photos of everyone together, as was John, but Michael had the presence of mind to catch Mum and me together just before she went home. She looks good, doesn’t she?
I ran around this morning to get a few nice things for lunch and prep them. I had intended to give Mum some lunch about one o’clock, but the Sutton Sleaths said they’d eat with us too, so I aimed for a very late lunch at 3.30 instead. Mum wasn’t all that hungry so didn’t mind a wait for a late lunch. So it all went swimmingly.
Paul said he’d come with Freddie about 2 o’clock. Disappointingly, Harriet had a bit of a cold and didn’t want to share (thank you). The Sutton Sleaths phoned as they set off and thought they’d arrive about 3. A little voice piped up in the background, “Is Freddie there?” Yes, William, Freddie’s here. “Can I play with Freddie when I get to yours, Grandma?” A nice little overlap of cousins would be just the ticket, Michael suggested. Well, we really didn’t mind Paul and Freddie staying longer, at all.
Grandma Hazel was thrilled to see everyone, and was particularly taken with the great-grandchildren, of course. Although Thomas wasn’t having any of the offer to sit on great-granny’s lap, thank you very much.
She made us laugh, though, at the things she said and did. She couldn’t keep her hands off Paul’s hair. “You’ve got such lovely auburn hair,” she kept repeating. “And so have you, haven’t you, Freddie?” Freddie, being a good boy nodded appeasingly. I am sure he has no idea what auburn means. But he will.
We had at least 15 renditions of ‘I was born under a wandering star” today. I’d had four renditions of the bloomin’ song in the car journey to Balsall before we’d hardly started! “That’s my favourite song,” says Mum. You don’t say? But I sing along with her and we have a laugh at the end of it and say how we enjoyed singing it together.
I think Mum really enjoyed her afternoon, but was tired by the end of it. So tired, in fact, that Michael had to heave-ho her into the car for me to take her home. When I’d collected her, she’d nipped into the car as nimble as you like, but it was a bit of a struggle later on.
I handed her over to the care staff at her home, along with boxes of tissues and a box of chocolates. All afternoon, she’d searched about her person for a tissue, finally finding one tucked under her jumper, neatly folded. After using it, she’d neatly fold it up again and pop it back under her jumper – until she lost it in the loo, where it went the way of all tissues – down the U-bend. In its absence, she resorted then to using her blouse. “Mum!” I said, shocked, “Don’t use your blouse!! Here’s another tissue for you.” She looked sheepish and clutched the new tissue close to her. Not sure if she ever actually found it again once she tucked it up her jumper, but still….
When I got home from dropping Mum off, I am not sure how the revelation came about, but it transpired that the box of chocolates I’d given Mum was only half full….. “Oh, I wondered what those were,” said John, “I’ve been eating those.” I thought he was joking, of course, and had to ask him three times if he was serious. He was deadly serious. Yep. He had no idea what they were on the dining room table for, and had helped himself. “Well,” he reasoned, “the box was already open.” Oh. Ah, well, I don’t suppose Mum will notice a few missing from the box.
Meanwhile……William remembered that, yesterday, he was having a very good time with ‘Daddy and me an’ Grandpa – us three…’ and was keen to do it all over again. I am not sure how keen the grown-ups were, however, when faced with this……
William presented them with a very complicated car to make, which takes years (we know, we made it with one of the boys many years ago), so they came up with this. It may not look much but, by gum, it doesn’t half go! (It’s got some mechanism in it that speeds it along, somewhere!!). William was thrilled. And it kept them all quiet for a good hour. Heh-heh.
So, just for the record: 37,011 people tested positive for the virus today. 68 people died in the community, 985 people were admitted to hospital.
Enjoy the week ahead folks. It threatens to be good weather. Stay safe and God bless.