Its Monday and there is a baby in the house, oh yes! It’s been a while since I have woken to the sound of a new baby chatting and making baby noises off in the distance. My partner is awake and presents me with a decaf coffee and we gradually get ourselves going. Breakfast is an extended family affair with the new member joining in. With everyone fed its time to head for the outdoors, except my eldest daughter who is at work in the back room. There is of course a lot of packing baby stuff into the car to make sure we have everything. In fact this little trip is a two car job. We drive to the local park where new boy is transferred to an all terrain buggy. Never had those in my day, is my grand gnarly response. So we set off across the paths and meander around the ponds until we come to the duck feeding point. Bread appears and as the first crumbs appear so do the ducks and a solitary Moorhen. Mother and Grandmother set about feeding the ducks.

We exhaust the bread and then stroll back to the cars where we load up and head for home. Once home there is a light lunch, a feed for grandson and amidst the miracle car packing the new family move off on their journey home. Its been a delicious time with them and I am sad to seem them go and hope they have a good journey back to their nest in the forest.

My partner takes to a recliner and I check my emails. I find three new blood results that I do not usually have as part of the outcome of checking my anticoagulant. Two of them are okay, one isn’t. My Triglyceride is at 1.85, which when I look it up is okay, just. My Glycosylated Haemoglobin is 5.5, which apparently is normal. However my cholesterol is 6.9. Its high. I of course look up what this means. What it means is sucking herrings and taking omega 3 tablets and feasting on muesli. Another fucking thing I have to manage, which means nothing enjoyable and more exercise that will raise the probability of pissing blood. Is there no end to this crap. My partner has fallen into a nap so I put washing in and clear the kitchen. I then get into the garden where I cut back everything in the front garden that I can. By the time I have finished and resting on the swing seat my partner has joined me with cake and squash. Time to reflect on the last two days. Having had the treat I hang the washing out and then set about watering the pots in the front garden and feeding the tomato plants. I empty the top tier of the water butt and keep going until everything in a container has been watered. I’m tired and retreat to the sofa to draft the blog. Tesco delivers and is cheery, I also get to sign for the order, which seems random as I have not done so before, perhaps its a new process or a wicked scam to get my signature. I return to the sofa with a head full of conspiracy theories. That’s where I am when tea is called. I wonder out to the patio and eat my rice and meatballs feeling my spoons ebb away. A coffee and a couple of digestives (no good for cholesterol) and I am gathering in the dry washing before retuning to the sofa and drafting the blog. It been a long day and I sink into TV and an early night, taking my meds and hoping for sleep. Its going to be hot all week so there will be garden time but also Shed time as I am aware that I have letters to write. I am struck by the thought that tomorrow many will go back to school but due to “aero” concrete may not be able to, will this lead to a re-release of “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper?