Hospice and things . . .

Stephen is still in the Hospice, which has done him a power of good - allowing him to have a complete rest and enable me to have some free time to see my family in Scotland and catch up with housework and such joys.

The Hospice is a marvellous place and Stephen is being looked after by a tremendous staff of doctors, nurses and helpers. The food is good and they have Sky so he can watch sports whenever the mood takes him and he feels well enough to concentrate. Stephen's legs are very swollen - are massaged daily by the 'oedema' nurse and he has to wear elastic stockings during the day in an attempt to reduce/move the fluid that has collected in his legs.

I don't think about quilting nowadays, but Patsy Thompson (who works in a hospice in the States) did spring to mind.

Yes, Patsy, it is a wonderful place and a tremendous help to both Stephen and myself.

Stephen now says how much he regrets having smoked heavily over the years and drunk more than his fair share of alcohol. Had he realised the amount of damage he was doing to himself, plus the pain and discomfort he would suffer, says he would have kicked the ghastly habits into touch years ago.

I spent 2 very distressing days in Edinburgh, with my grandson who is still in hospital where he will probably remain for some considerable time. He is not at all well - and I felt so sad and helpless about everything that is happening around me that I sat in the train and cried all the way from Edinburgh to Lockerbie, at which point I pulled myself together and had a cup of tea.