U.K. Duty Visit - Day 7

I had gone to bed almost totally unable to breathe, but having taken one of Nick’s “bombs” & liberally used my prescription-strength nose spray I was amazed to wake up after an undisturbed night still breathing nasally. Once I was vertical all that changed. A little later while greeting Pam as she made their morning tea we discovered that I literally had no voice at all! As the day wore on I was able to communicate at close range to some extent, but I sound extraordinary.

This was Mum-Mum’s 94th birthday. We all signed a card for her and in the afternoon Pam & Nick added it to the many others in her hospital room. During a leisurely morning we tackled the second bookcase, this time older books & many mementos. The books are gradually being sorted into piles, mine/the girls, Pete, & Pam & Nick, plus those that nobody wants & which appear to have no intrinsic value. This process, along with sorting mementos, again largely duplications including many postcards filled up the morning. I’m beginning to suspect I may have to post/ship some books home separately, but we’ll see what they weigh.

Eventually we went down to The Pilot and had lunch, curry for John & Nick, pork for Pam, & established that Mum-Mum’s (temporarily John’s) credit card & code does indeed work. We then separated, John walking up the steep back alley & around back to the flat, for a leisurely afternoon of trying to get better, and Pam & Nick on to the hospital to spend some time with Mum-Mum, who apparently drifted in and out but was glad to see them when “with it”. They also shopped for a few supplies to keep us going in the flat.

The rest of the day bodes to be a light supper & lots of television, as Nick will not be denied.