1st June 2015

Sue saw her doctor the following Wednesday, and by then, the horrible-looking blotches on both legs had started to fade. He prescribed some cream and tablets, and over the next few days, her legs continued to improve. Although the blemishes are still visible, they no longer hurt, and she can walk quite normally. Last Saturday, we both walked just over 5 miles on a Council walk from Hallaton and enjoyed a splendid lunch at the Fox.

Breaking news: Sue has just looked online and found out that her ailment is called Golfer’s Vasculitis.

Since returning from abroad, I’ve been busy in the garden, greenhouse, and allotments, planting carrots, beans, and beetroot, scattering slug pellets, and watering my neat little rows. Most things seem to be doing well, even though they’ve largely been left to their own devices, and are about to be again. The lawns have been mown, the hedges and ivy trimmed, and the pool cleaned and treated with chemicals.

The weather has been quite inclement since we returned from the Far East, and the drop in temperature has certainly been noticeable for both of us. We had some trouble adjusting to the time zone, and the first three days back were definitely long ones, starting at 5 am. Sue even took some naps in the afternoons to try to adjust.

Last Friday, we had Mia for the day. Lee dropped her off at 7.30 am on his way to work in Northampton. I had been looking forward to a long walk with her, but the weather up until lunchtime was dreadful, with torrential rain. However, in the afternoon, I walked her to Lubenham on the lead, and then back through the fields, off the lead. She loved it.

When we returned, Charlotte and the boys had arrived for curry night. Lucas, Mia, and I played football in the back garden with the new goal I’d made earlier in the week. Lucas got quite annoyed at how good Mia was at tackling, and she earned the nickname ‘Bite Yer Legs’ Mia. Lee arrived around the same time as Jamie and took my little doggy pal home. Sarah has been working nights this week, and it sounds like it has worn her out, which is why she didn’t join us for a curry.

Jamie and I are going on a road trip to Oz, and he spent most of the curry night in my study, planning our route and confirming bookings. Charlotte, Sue, and I sat in the lounge and watched the video I had made of our Vietnam/Cambodia holiday. It lasted 55 minutes, which I suppose reflects the many experiences we had. We’ve never been ones to lie on a sunbed or beach soaking up the sun, though at times it has looked inviting.

We all left Willow Bank at the same time. Jamie and the Rothwells went home, and Sue and I went to watch ‘Fury ‘ at the Harborough Theatre. An excellent and quite harrowing film about an American tank crew towards the latter end of the Second World War. I can highly recommend it.

However, the night wasn’t over. Just as I had snuggled into the pillow, my mobile rang. Lucas, while snuggling into Mum and Dad’s bed, had headbutted poor Charlotte on the nose, breaking it. I arrived in Rothwell just before midnight, to be greeted by a very sore and bent-nosed daughter. Straightening noses was a task I have often performed over the years, first playing and then coaching the gentle game of rugby. The last one I manipulated was around eight years ago. But this is the second time I’ve ‘shaped’ Charlotte’s nose. The first time was when she was around eight years old. I had come home from playing rugby, she was in bed fast asleep, and when I gave her a kiss goodnight, I noticed her nose was quite flat. She had banged it swinging on the bars outside Little Bowden School. Thankfully, she didn’t wake up when I pinched her snout back into shape, amazing! Not so that night. Charlotte howled when I took a firm grip on her protrusion and manipulated it back into shape. She managed a smile as I left.

The Rothwells visited on Saturday afternoon, after watching the Sywell Airshow in the morning and attending a birthday party at Mini-Mischiefs in Harborough. Charlotte’s nose is swollen but satisfyingly straight.

I’ve got a new phone. I loved my old one, despite its Photo Gallery now not working, so I’ve upgraded to a Lumia 735. It has a bigger screen for my failing eyesight and Cortana for my failing memory. It should be very useful over the next two weeks.

This evening, Jamie and I are travelling to the Holiday Inn Heathrow, as tomorrow we catch a flight to Sydney via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines (fingers crossed). As I powered up the PC to write this blog, I noticed some breaking news on the BBC News site: ‘Malaysia Airlines Director announces the company is essentially bankrupt.’ Not exactly what I wanted to read. I contacted the holiday company and posed the question: ‘How do I get back if they go insolvent while we are away?’ With the assurance that they will get us back, and they have my mobile number, we fly tomorrow at noon. I hope.