2nd March

It was a very warm and muggy day today mainly because there was a swathe of dust hanging over the island and there had been warnings about the air quality and rightly so.  John was off with the boys on their bikes and I was off to Mum's on my regular Thursday get together.  There are now only a couple of weeks before she gives up driving completely - we know this is a huge decision for her and will have a huge impact on her life and ours but we are putting things in place to try and make this change less difficult for us all.  

I set off and went to the bank for her and into Sklavenitis to see if they had a couple of things I was looking for.  I wanted something waterproof to put our bath towels in, and some glass bottles for the water we have beside the bed - sadly I could find nothing suitable but I did pick up a lovely succulent - I have a weakness for them!

I am pleased to announce that the road going down to the Old Town is making progress and has now been completed beyond our bank which means you no longer have to take your life into your hands in order to visit the cashpoint.  It all looks quite swish and I dare say that once it is all finished it will be impossible to remember what it used to be like.  Progress, like it or not, is with us and expected by the 'younger' generation but there are those of us who remember the shambolic 'charm' of the old road system.

Mum has recovered well from her unscheduled and unsuccessful break-dancing session last week so we went off to do a bit of shopping.  There were several things she was looking for in Lidl but it would appear that there may have been some supply issues because there were lots of items unavailable including toilet roll for goodness sake!!!  Mum only wanted 5 items and managed to get just two!  I don't generally shop in Lidl but because I am spending one day a week with Mum and taking her shopping I now get the opportunity to make up my own mind if "Lidl is Worth It!"  There a couple of things I would buy there regularly but because I haven't been there regularly enough previously haven't bothered to do so but can now.

On the way home we stopped in the new supermarket near the school in Emba - it had literally just opened - they were still ironing out some issues and filling shelves and putting up prices.  MAS appears to be an umbrella organisation which buys in for independent supermarkets.  This shop is a bit like the mini Tescos or Sainsburys that popped up.  A halfway house between a Kiosk and a Supermarket I am sure it will meet the needs of local people.  The fruit and veg looked very nice I have to say.

Mum and I had some lunch together and a chat about the future.  Mum is concerned about rising prices and so I try and allay those fears.  She makes me realise that there is no fun growing older alone.  John and I do our best but sometimes it doesn't seem enough.

I left Mums armed with a massive carrier bag full of freshly picked beefsteak tomatoes courtesy of the lovely far Eastern girls who work on the field and in the polytunnels next to Mum.  Mum gives them water to drink when they need it and in return they give her a bag of goodies.  I usually benefit because it will be a bag of something Mum doesn't eat.

On a happier note Nicky said she loved her present - I did explain it wasn't quite what I had intended but I am pleased that she did.