firstly Mom... she has made her escape from hospital, although she said how great it was, food and all that! she is glad to be home and her own routine which does not include getting up at 6am! tomorrow the MRI and CT scans... i have organised her shopping to be delivered today, thank you Tesco for looking after my Mom's needs on that! she is having her hair done tomorrow morning, prior to hospital visit, she missed her appointment with her home hairdresser the day she went into hospital, a week ago.

and here... a bit cooler today, so far, only now saying that looks like the sun is burning its way through the haze over our town and valley!

washing line broke this morning, was down to two lines out of three, bit of an indicator there that the two next lines would be as near to breaking point as the first, we go through about 2 or 3 a year up on our hot terrace! and as i don't listen to obvious hanging a towel took the second line down, moved it onto the remaining one already holding white blouse and dress etc, all white... having spent an hour and half in kitchen sink with whitener... you can guess what happened next! so whites back in the wash and towel! Franco's jeans etc are just hanging around on the backs of chairs up there now!

i am still sorting through 'stuff', not sure what's got into me! took some books and clothes i hadn't worn for years, but still in great condition down to the local Cudeca store... will take me a few weeks to get all these books and videos down there!

today i pulled out all of Franco's things from his cupboards and wardrobe... sort these please? he has, some to bins, some to Cudeca and the rest i have put away again! sorted!!!

when i can get some new/other boxes i am going to go through my memorabilia boxes again...i have too much stuff in them and maybe i can thin them out some more, i know most of whats in there is just rubbish to everyone else but me and if they were gone i would survive!

i put out a ladder in the street this morning, an old wooden one, just hoping someone walks off with it before i end up bringing it back in again!

yesterday i got a very nice couple of plants courtesy of a neighbour up the road, don't know why but i just happened to be looking out of the window and saw her put a huge rubbish bag and two plants down beside it... i didn't know what to do!!! i ran and got some shoes, hung about a bit with the door open looking first one way then the other, not a noise or person in sight... so i tore up the street, grabbed the plants and back in the house! like some thief! but she had put them out for the rubbish and i couldn't bear to see them just thrown away... or someone else take them of course!

they are two good plants, will have to check out what they are though, and where to put them, indoors or outdoors! they are both together in the back lobby just now, along with a whole load of rubbish of course... which we will put out later, in the night... in the dark!

To sit alone in the lamplight with a book spread out before you, and hold intimate converse with men of unseen generations—such is a pleasure beyond compare.

KENKO YOSHIDA

TTFN

Marian