An Up and Down Day

 

I suppose it is to be expected, but I seem to be living on a bit of a knife edge. Yesterday was a case in point.

I rose early about six and found that Anna had done an impression of a muck-spreader all over the cage I bought for her on Monday. I'd hoped she'd avoid the repeat of the previous night, where she had done it all over the floor of the scullery or dog room, as it is normally known.

I'll be glad when she's clean, as if it's one thing I don't need it's an incontinent dog with the runs.

I got a bit maudling in the morning, as messages of support seemed to dry up from friends. But at least I started to get some of the messages and pictures of support on to her web site. You can see them here. Most are not what I had expected and have moved me tremendously.

I was just about to start cursing, when John phoned and invited me to dinner. I then looked at the days left of this week and decided that it was probably best to put things off until next week. I even thought about having Celia's traditional dinner party in the week after Christmas to impose a certain amount of normality on life. Whether I will is another matter.

John's call had cheered me up and I felt a lot better as I went into Bury to get some new glasses.

At tea-time, I took Anna for her first day of dog training at a puppy class at Ousden. It was good, even if she could have been better behaved.

Then the evening disappeared. I had intended to cook myself a lamb chop, listen to the football and then take the plates back down to the Lidgate Star, that had contained the Spanish omelette for Celia's celebration. But I got distracted by a phone call and so skipped supper and went straight to Lidgate, where I ordered a steak in stilton sauce.

But the best bit was I talked for perhaps an hour to Tony, the landlord and he really cheered me up. Thanks, Tony! But I don't think I'll be taking his slow mail boat to South Africa via Ascencion, St. Helena and Tristan da Cunha. On the other hand I might.