I returned from Essex yesterday and after five hours of driving in a hot tin can with road works, large slow moving vehicles and no air con saw me returned somewhat frazzled around me edges. Hence an early night saw me up very early this morning following a much needed good nights sleep helped by a large single malt to wing me to my dreams. The morning saw a small amount of modelling but I cleared out the room, hoovered, dusted and removed another couple of bags of books which will go to the charity shop later today. I also removed a lot of books to the planned man cave but I plan to donate a lot of history books to charity as well as I no longer need them. I will keep the mediaeval history books as I do like to dip into them from time to time. Following that I enjoyed a couple of hours sat out in the sun until it got too hot for me. We have had a few days of excellent weather, plenty of sun and temperatures of 23 - 25°C so I am making the most of it. 

I spent the last of my gift vouchers on...yes, you guessed it correctly. Ordered a week ago and that's the lot now as I have more than enough to work on. Funnily enough I was looking at figures to go with them but I checked my stash as I was sure I had bought some for planned future dioramas and they were there.

Two kits after Sue told me to buy them whilst I have the money as I have given up beer and she said it would cheer me up during my dieting and a welcome distraction from worrying about my mum. 

My visit left me shocked because she looks very frail now and the combination of cancer and osteoporosis is truly dreadful to see in my mum who was once a strong, independent woman. My sister and I had a frank discussion late into the night about the next few months. I plan to go back down in a couple of  weeks time and mum has asked me to stay longer which I will do. The reality is that we do not know how long she has left but we think it will be a matter of months now. Oddly enough, we have shed tears and undoubtedly more will be shed but it's our brother we are worried about and there is the matter of our other sister whom mum refuses to have anything to do with. It will be somewhat messy but we will deal with that when the time comes. Seeing my mum has confirmed to me I made the right decision to retire as she said we should stop working, enjoy life and people are important, not money and material things. 

Time for more golden vitamin D...

TTFN.