Dark Mornings, Dark Evenings

Winter is well and truly on its way. The mornings are darker and the sun disappears beneath the horizon earlier by the day. There's a chill in the air. I wore my winter coat today. It made me look huge, well bigger than I already am.
It won't be long before we begin buying wood for the fire. We need to have the chimney swept first. We use a local chap, Peter Warrick who is well known in the area. He kindly attended our wedding with his son, dressed in classic Victorian chimney sweeps' attire. They looked great. I'll never forget them.

My son sang a song this evening. As he sang, it felt familiar to me and I realised it was a song I used to sing at primary school many years ago. I remembered the chorus and sang with him 'So we musn't forget, no we mustn't forget to say a great big thank you, we mustn't forget'. How marvellous that my son was able to jog my memory this way.

It was Mum's Birthday today. She is 69. We visited this afternoon after we'd collected our son from school. She had prepared a small buffet which was nice and the lounge was warm and cosy. The log burner was lit and glowed in the hearth. Mum never makes a fuss of her Birthdays but she always makes sure everyone is looked after and has plenty to eat and drink. My Nan was very much like that, always giving. We stayed for a couple of hours.

We have some new curtains. I know this isn't front page news, but it's significant as the previous set had been up for 9 years. It's strange how you get used to things and never give them a second thought. But when they are gone, you really notice it. The new curtains are very nice. My wife has impecable taste when it somes to home furnishings. They match the furniture perfectly and I actually find myself admiring them.

In the news today there is criticism of the government who have met today with energy industry leaders to discuss ways of helping consumers in the current economic climate who are struggling to afford crippling bills. Apparently they have managed to achieve absolutely nothing except to remind us (as if we're idiots) to make sure we compare prices and switch suppliers(!) Are these people really in charge of the country?
I fear for us all...

Happy Birthday Mum, love from us all xxx

Senior Moments

It's incredibly warm, warmer than it normally is for this time of year. There isn't a cloud in the sky. I haven't seen one all day. Some call is glorious. Others tell us to make the most of it. Apparently Winter will be here will a vengance and could bring ice and snow within a few weeks from now. Hard to believe when I glance outside and see the bright blue sky and the lush green grass.
I'm finding I'm getting more and more frustrated with my mum. She's in her late mid sixties and admits herself that her memory isn't as good as it was. But I do find that she is becoming increasingly out-of-touch with what's going on around her. A for instance is my son's school intake photograph in the local paper. Now I know my mum has read the paper but has managed to miss the photograph. It wasn't so long ago that she would be calling me to tell me she had seen the photo.
I had a heavy cold at the weekend and I felt really rough. Nevertheless we all popped over for the afternoon as it was my father's 72nd Birthday. We had a great time. I saw my sister and her kids and the whole thing was very pleasant. Everyone commented on how poorly I looked, but I made as much effort as I could. But by yesterday, all this had been forgotten. I coughed and was told 'you sound as if you're going down with a cold'. 'But I've had a streaming cold for a week', I replied. 'Have you?', was the response. 'I haven't noticed'. Err hello... ?
I know I shouldn't get frustrated and I know there's every chance I'll get like this at some point, but it does frustrate. And it is getting worse. I can recall vividly how my nan went down hill fast, dementia eventually taking over her mind convincing her of things that simply weren't there. People, voices and scenery all seemed so real to her that you were forced to go along with whatever scenario was being played out. It is all so sad and you feel so helpless. I keep telling myself my mum won't go the same way but the more and more I witness these 'senior moments', I can't help but worry that history will repeat itself...