PEACE AND QUIET?

How I had been looking forward to today,my son asleep in bed,Pa on and extended hospital visit,oh,the joy of having the house all to myself for once.

On entering the kitchen I observed the instruction manual for the new washing machine which was installed only last week. On the floor was a large puddle which was rapidly spreading over the tiled floor and about which I could do nothing as I had to get Pa out on time. Nine thirty appointments are a nightmare as Pa never,ever surfaces much before ten thirty,never the less we did the impossible and Pa left home only a few minutes late.

I decided to bake the bread before fiddling about with the washing machine,this was poor judgement as by the time the bread was raising in the pans the floor had changed from just wet to wet and white. Bread making is a messy affair and I had spilled flour on the flour, this mixed with the water to create a kind of paste.....it looked ghastly!

A series of annoying telephone calls followed and by the time I had dealt with the problems they had created the glue had set.

It took a considerable amount of time and energy to clean up the mess and it was early afternoon before the job was done,at this point I realised that I had not yet had breakfast. Toast and marmalade was all I had time for so with a pot of tea and a glass of orange juice that as they say,was that.

Any idea I might have fondly harboured of baking during the afternoon was well and truly squashed when at two in the afternoon a trio of callers,including a Jehovah's Witness,ate away at my precious time.

Dinner tonight was to be chicken in the pot,chosen as it keeps hot without spoiling supposing Pa had been late home from hospital. Resigned I began the preparation for this slow cooked meal ,thus tying up the oven for the remainder of the afternoon.

Finally I took a look at the washing machine and all I can say is thank goodness it is a rental machine,this is the third machine we have had in six months,it's a wonder my feet are not webbed!

In spite of all I enjoyed my own company, I find that I need to be alone for at least a part of every day or I become grouchy. I need time for my own thoughts, time to wind down, to be truthful I need time for myself,this is unfortunately a rare commodity these days.

Not having to speak,answer endless questions are get involved in prolonged explanations it like a holiday for me,living with someone who has short term memory loss can be a trial at times.

I am aware that this may make me seem callous,so be it, I am sure that anyone who has been where I am now will understand ; and for those who do not I hope with all my heart that they never have to chance to find out.