Today could not have been more unlike yesterday although it started with a bang, quite literally. I was awakened before light by a terrific crash on the landing, I groped my way groggily to the top of the stairs and there was Pa, flat on the floor heavily entangled in the clothes horse on which he seemed to have sat rather heavily. If I had not been so scared I would have laughed. Pa had no idea what was going on and seemed very confused, I ascertained with difficulty that no bones were broken, no bumps rising on the head and sat him up. He was so sleepy that I think he must have had an attack of catalepsy and just keeled over.
Then came the question of how to get him back to bed I will not go in to details but we managed and he went to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The one good thing about Pa's condition is that when he falls his body is completely relaxed so unless he falls down the stairs or on to something sharp he does not hurt himself, this morning was close. I watched the early news programme until my son came home and we had tea together. While my son was in the bath I went to look at Pa, imagine my astonishment when I found him not only awake but dressed and with his leg brace on, I made him a cup of coffee and treated him to a favourite breakfast of poached eggs on toast, orange juice and a pot of tea.
He was chatty at breakfast, like his dear old self and we planned our day over a second cup of tea.
We needed some bread so I got that done and them went out so buy some ground nut oil which I stupidly forgot on yesterday's shopping trip. It gets hotter than most oils and is indispensable for such things as toad in the hole, Yorkshire puddings and cooking on the griddle, in fact any kind of frying as it gets so hot that it is not absorbed into the food. In the old days I would have used good dripping but these days it is almost impossible to find. In spite of all the warnings to the contrary dripping is best for frying as it has an even higher smoking point than ground nut oil and so the food is sealed and does not absorb much fat, unlike some vegetable oils, yuk, soggy chips!
While I was out Pa cleared the kitchen and got on with tidying his room, it can get a bit untidy as he is in the throws of constructing a model railway and he leaves the evidence about, its a little like having mice, you know where they have been but you can't catch them at it. He is so happy with his locomotives and that is all that matters. It was windy today and I wore my new knitted poncho - it is perfect for the buggie as it is lose, tight things tend to ride up become uncomfortable, It is a rusty red colour and I like it very much,I think I shall wear it a lot as the weather cools.
Pa and I had tea when I returned then he went off to feed the birds and I hoovered and steamed the downstairs rooms. Dinner was easy tonight, my son had a craving for bacon and eggs so we all had some with fresh tomatoes and I had lots of mushrooms too.
Holidays start tomorrow, not that I am going anywhere but it will be wonderful to be freed from the constraints of time for a few weeks. I do hope the weather improves as I should like to cook a meal in the orchard one evening. We usually do roast pork with lots of extra tasty bits and pieces, I burn incense in the branches of the old damson tree to keep the midges away and we light lots of candles in small alcoves in the ancient garden wall. After we have finished cooking we pile lots of logs on the fire and it lights up the top of the orchard and looks so cosy and mysterious.
The cat Twiggy has just arrived to disport herself upon the bed and have here tummy tickled .She has been in the garden all afternoon chasing the orange Pyrocantha they roll about an it keeps her amused for hours. She is sleepy now and I am more than usually popular with her as I have a very thick mattress topper in the bed, I should like to be loved for myself alone but cats always have an ulterior motive, that is what makes them so fascinating after all. Good luck for next week.
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