Unboxing

A stormy morning, Lorraine and I hoping that Pat and Maureen would be sitting looking at the grey sky and lively sea thinking this may not be what they had signed up for.

So up and read through and sent off the stuff for mes amis in Paris. Then breakfast with my babydoll before she set off to do Story Time then go round to help Pat and Maureen.

I wrote to Valérie today to tell her that I had closed my business but would do odd jobs for her still. Lovely reply from her. Otherwise did a smidge of my own writing (it has not been a good writing week). Also watching some of the speeches from the Democratic National Congress in the US. Some fine speechmaking on show, exhibiting rhetorical skills currently thin on the ground in the UK. Well written speeches, seeding in ideas sometimes very subtly. 

Longish chat with Mum, who told me Tanya suggested they go out with Robert to an Indian Restaurant, and that the road was now done. I am going up next Tuesday to see her. Also spoke to Anton at lunchtime. He is full of work stress at the moment and I feel sorry for him.

Expecting deliveries today... a box of Who Gives A Crap toilet rolls, a package from Amazon for Lorraine. What I wasn't expecting was a box of the Mariscat Sampler One. This was all a bit sooner than I had expected. I wrote to Hamish with thanks, and outlined what I was going to do to promote it.  Not sure how I felt when it arrived. I always feel a murky mix of things. A joyless little voice inside that says what a tiny dent in reality being in part of a pamphlet is, followed by a small swell of happiness. It may be tiny, but it is a source of pride for me. It takes me a while to process such things.  

Soon after, I made off to Stratheden Court via a little walk by the sea. The weather had improved and it was sunny and fresh. 

Maureen very happy with the move, Pat naturally taking longer to adjust but enjoying sitting in the sunshine of the front window looking out at the lively sea and sun. Lorraine and Maureen had been doing a good job getting things sorted. Beth and James arrived shortly after me, with their TV which they are going to swap with Maureen's as it was always very big, and is out of proportion to their living room.  James and Beth's TV fit their space really well, and James sorted it so they could use their old remote control too.

Did various bits of moving and sorting, and I washed some clothes in the launderette which is part of the building. Pat feeling a bit unwell this afternoon, but he perked right up once he'd had his dinner. 

Lorraine and I left at around seven, and then had a cheeky curry and a bottle of Kingfisher in Spice Village before happily sloping home. Toby called when we were there. He had a lively journey home from Japan, escaping typhoons, the flight evading an erupting volcano in Russia and so on. Then having to start work with jet lag, which seems less than ideal.

Home and happy to be there.