I am back from visiting my mum and things aren't good. She remains an in-patient and although "as comfortable as can be expected", she is very frail and she is no longer mobile. She improved slightly during the few days I visited her and consideration is now being given as to what to do next. Either a short term respite in the hospice and then home or, only if she is well enough and has some mobility, discharged home with a support package and continuing with community support from the Hospice team. My sister visits every day and my brother has now also increased his visits. I am likely to go down again in a couple of weeks time. Whether she will see  Christmas I don't know but sadly I believe if she does it will be her last one. The journey there and back was surprisingly easy and smooth with no hold ups, weather was good and I enjoyed it. I guess that it felt better because I don't drive as much as I used to whilst working and it no longer feels like a necessary but onerous chore to drive that distance. Also, my mind was preoccupied by other things and I decided to not stop off at Walsham le Willows. 

    A view from my bedroom window at my sisters house and her wonderful garden. She has given me a seasonal garden book with guidance on what to plant out and what to expect from the planting. She took up gardening several years ago and having retired to look after mum this is her escape and delight.

Having returned home I slept in until 10 a.m. as tiredness, both physical and emotional caught up with me and settling in to the familiar routine although I have to admit travelling has set me thinking about going out more. Shame the weather is again very wet and turning noticeably colder with snow predicted this week. Naturally, I returned to the modelling table with the two current builds...

The Roland is nearly complete with two decals to the lower wing and some weathering. The Caproni requires the decals but I have to add lots of fiddly parts and they have a habit of braking off. Again, weathering and it will be finished. Whilst they are both clear coated I made a start on another Italian aircraft, a Fiat G50.

Cockpit assembled, painted and then enclosed within the fuselage which has been cemented together and the seams have had black flexi glue added to them. I decided I needed a change from the various biplanes I have recently built. This has been much needed as I feel decidedly flat and at a loss at times having seen my mum and knowing she will have several months if she is 'lucky'. Pain, discomfort, loss of dignity as one's body fails doesn't seem lucky to me. The hospital staff are generally good but they do their jobs and are task oriented, seeing each task completed asap as they are understaffed and under pressure. Several conversations I have had over the past week with people and we all of us mentioned the old Cottage Hospitals which were small, local and more friendly with familiar faces and rooted in the community. That would be better for medical care for the elderly but it would be expensive. Far better to bolster politicians egos, send billions abroad to people who dislike us or for needless wars, waste it on unfinished and impossible to achieve vanity projects. I shall stop there as it is better to end on a positive note rather than a catalogue of ineptness and greedy stupidity of those in charge.

The positive note is that the Roland DII is now finished although the photos show some paint touch ups required!

TTFN.