Seaford, and an unexpected win

Up and Mum and I had breakfast and coffee, thus fortified, we contacted an administrative part of the US embassy with the notification of Mason's US social security ID and so on to turn off his pension. Mum, we think, will still get something from the US as his widow.

Then we pottered about doing some sorting out in the kitchen. Wynford from next door popped in for a chat. At lunchtime, mum drove me to the Jolly Badger from where I walked to Mill Hill Broadway station. I watched mum zoom around the roundabout there with some elan. 

Long journey home, feeling a bit braindead. No trains to Lewes, so had to go via Brighton. However the trip enlivened by discovering I had won a small pamphlet competition run by Hedgehog Press. It is a collaboration with Palo Almond -- four of her snowy images, and four poems from me in tanka style that were provoked by her work. I called it, perhaps in the spirit of calling a spade a spade, Snow. It's excellent as these little tanka poems don't belong with any of my other work, but will sit very beautifully in a nice wee pamphlet. Palo and I exchanged a few cheery whatsapp messages. She was very surprised. 

So felt happy to be at Seaford station, and doubly happy to see Lorraine toddling along the street towards me. Home for a bowl of soup and a download. Later we popped out to the Old Boot and met Steve, and Yvonne and Brian, and one of Brian's pals Mike. We only stayed for a couple hours, but it was a cheery interlude.  Happy to boof back onto the gold sofa, and eat a delicious slow cooked meal of Lorraine's invention.

Tobs called this evening, and he also called Mum. Lorraine and I zombied happily, watching a so-so  episode of Death in Paradise. Very tired. And so to bed.