A date is made

Up early this morning, and when mum got up I made coffee with oat milk, and avocado toast.  Then, after a certain amount of faffing off on a 142 down to Burnt Oak to go to WH Putnam funeral directors. We were early and had coffee in a Portuguese deli next door but one. Mum after tasting the coffee and pulling a face suggested they were drumming up business for the undertakers. Soon we were with a fast talking woman called Paula, with slightly surprised eyebrow lines, who we'd met yesterday. We booked Mason's cremation for 13 March at 1:30 in the small chapel at Golders Green Crematorium. Stressful business making the decisions, but it was good to get it nailed down. Funerals are not cheap. 

Home again for a cup of tea. An older Irish neighbour that Mum did not really know called asking for Ben's phone number. Mum told her that she had lost her husband on Sunday, and the woman replied, 'and the weather's been terrible too.  

To The Wagon and Horses where a pleasant guy at the bar called Paul bought us a drink. We ate there and earmarked the afternoon of the 13th for having a small reception there. I drank my pint of Guinness and ate chicken shish which was nice.

Then mum drove us home. She knows every pothole on that route and drives with confidence. 

After a cup of tea, I rallied to complete the Tell Us Once government website, having finally found the right people -- the registrars -- to give me a code. I had already called them a few days ago and could easily have been told this. Proactive helpfulness is a rare commodity. However it was good to get this complete, and let the tax people and others know that Mas was gone.

I felt like we had made real progress today. Mum stressed quite a bit, and is still in a haze of stress. 

I cooked a light snack for us tonight, and we had a duplicate evening, which was fine by me, of watching MASH, and drinking a couple of glasses of wine and chatting by the fire. Toby lad called on the way to the gym. Spoke to Lorraine for the final time before bedtime, having had several chats during the day. I can't wait to see her again tomorrow. 

A rain soaked camellia in Mum's front garden, and proof that advertising works. My pint in the pub.