Monday March 4th...

 I don't know who coughed more in the night Dad or me - neither of us seem to be shaking this bug very quickly even though Dad did say he had had a better night's sleep last night.  Mum had woken up looking like something from a horror movie as she had caught her wrist on the electric blanket connection and had blood everywhere.  This is a problem when you get older and your blood has thinned and your skin has thinned.  

The weather had been none to special during the night - I had heard plenty of rain and hail and we woke to grey indifference and quite a chill in the air.  Dad was off to see the physio in the village to see if she could shed any light on his hip/leg problem and come up with some suggestions as to what might help.  It is an odd place for a physio to have a surgery I know but she has come highly recommended, her name is Jo Peacock and I met her once when Marianna was having a Mukhtar charm offensive before the elections.  

John gave me a lift down to Sheila and Klaus's.  They have now completed the work on the Dead People's final resting place and very smart it looks too.  This is obviously where our winter fuel allowance money has gone so I hope the Dead People appreciate it.  In fact every wall in the village that had an aperture has had it filled with a mosaic - it looks pretty but whether it is best use of community funds is subject to debate!

Lucie, Sheila's old neighbour from Kathikas, called in this morning bearing gifts - eggs and loads of them so I ended up with half a dozen freshly laid to take home.  It is a shame she wont be at the ladies lunch on Wednesday because she could have had a chicken chat with Vicki.  Sadly (depending on your perspective) Trevor has had to eliminate one of his birds - it was caught with egg on its face having pecked the newly laid eggs.  It was quickly despatched and is now residing in the Hazzell freezer.  Good news for the remaining birds, good news for the Hazzell pantry, not such good news for the bird concerned.

As I didn't feel up to Art last week it took me a while to work out where I was going with my picture but it is beginning to take shape and once again I am enjoying the challenge.  I have been carrying around another picture which I think I might tackle the next time.  It is a card with a picture on the front of East Portholland.  I kept the card for the picture and have had it for some time without bothering to take a look inside.  It transpired that the card had been sent by my Nan thanking me for Christmas presents sent to her in 1999 and the artist turned out to be Audrey Wheeler the district nurse who lived in front of Nan.  We none of us ever realised that 'nurse' had such a talent.

As it was dry and fine (although a bit chilly) I had decided to walk back from Sheila and Klaus's as I really felt I wanted some fresh air.  Work on the refurbished hotel is going on a pace and the gardeners and landscapers are in so maybe it will be ready for April.  There was a delivery of full sized palm trees this morning - I couldn't get too close for fear of being mown down by some heavy plant racing around (machinery not foliage!).  The fashion in architecture here is most definitely glass and lots of it as all the balconies have glass panels rather than railings or a wall - too bad if anyone fancies a bit of naked sunbathing!  We have also noticed that the new building at the agro-tourism place just up the road has been fitted with top to toe glass panels and windows - has no-one told them about the dust storms and dirty rain we get here???

It was really quite pleasant walking home and everywhere is looking clean, green and lush.  The view across to the mountains showed them swathed in clouds but no rain thank goodness - particularly as Sheila had braved putting her washing out.

Mum and Dad had gone home by the time I returned so I called to find out how Dad had got on this morning.  He seemed very positive about what the physio had told him and the exercises she had given him to deal with the problem which she has diagnosed as sciatica.  Mum had also been in contact with whoever she needed to speak to regarding her left hand - she is having a problem with the carpal tunnels again and we have persuaded her to get them sorted sooner rather than later.

John returned after his Monday afternoon badminton-fest and we decided that we would light the woodburner tonight rather than sit in the conservatory.  Just a couple of logs before turning in for an early night - I may not have slept well but my coughing had also disturbed John so we were both tired.