Good Things Are Going To Happen

A deep bowl of comfort and nourishment on Saturday. My sister's smoked haddock and sweetcorn chowder. We whizz up a portion for Robin without the fish to have with her spinach and tomato frittata which he loves.

It's Open Studio fortnight for artists all over Devon. On Sunday we have a lovely welcome

cup of tea and flapjack with Tati Dennehey  at her Studio on Dartmoor.  It's sad and poignant  though....she was Robin's ceramic teacher and his inspiration for  many years ....when he could still put his hands into a ball of clay and create another one of his weird and wonderful creatures...now crowding the deep shelves of his old office....up the stairs where he can no longer walk. 

Near Dartington on the way back from Tati's exhibition.

Sunday afternoon is the day to pick the apples off our tree. Even though they are not completely ripe.

One dear friend has arranged for a new ladder to be delivered, another one has agreed to come and climb it, and my sister has scoured Sainsbury's for cardboard boxes and dimpled  liners to store the apples in once they are picked.

So wonderful to share the burden of this yearly task in double quick time which Robin and I used to do ....which took ages...on the wobbly old ladder.... Robin dangerously up the tree scratching himself on the branches....apples falling on my head....as well as those which ended up in the wheelbarrow ....

Now I have 10 boxes of  dry and size sorted apples stacked in the shed and the prospect of Tart Tatin  to keep us going all winter.

Today we were going to have a lunch organised by the MND society at a garden centre cafe near  Exmouth. We met some wonderful people there last time.  Before everyone arrived we met up with our lovely MND supporter to catch up but after a few minutes Robin said he wanted to go home. So we did. I didn't really expect him to manage the lunch - it's way beyond him now. 

Later a dear friend came to take him out - in the wheelchair ( an old and dusty one lent by the MND society) instead of in the car.  But the chair is too small, he is too tall, and too heavy to push up and over pavement lips. So they had a little journey up the road, on the flat, encountering a black cat and a neighbour and her granddaughter. Then came back for cup of tea. 

While they were out I did some research on the  internet - for latex gloves, wedge cushions and wide straws. And talked to another care agency about live-in respite.

Just surviving another day.... the only thing left to do now is to turn off the light so that I don't have to listen to the big black fly buzzing round the bedroom....  which keeps crashing into the glass lampshade....wishing it would just die....and leave me alone.

 Or I could remember Tati's wonderful welcome and ...." that good things are going to happen."