Bitter-sweet

There was a real frost last night and it stayed around on the grass for some hours. The deer family have twice been in the garden. They are so silent that you don’t notice them unless you pass a window. By now we always look for them when we pass the window on the stairs and look out of our bedroom window. They have been happily eating the fallers on the back lawn. I have actually made quite a few apple pies and crumbles but I must avoid the bruised fruit. It is lovely to see the deer family; they seem so contented.

I told my cousin in Canada (via email) that we were planning to go to Stockbridge on Saturday and she remembers going there on a visit to this country many years ago. She recalls the water running alongside the road with all the fish.

I have resumed this writing on Sunday evening. We had a lovely time in Stockbridge and as there was an Orvis sale Jonathan and Raymond made the most of it and bought a couple of superb rods which were greatly reduced. It is in the heart of the trout fishing area of Hampshire so there are specialist shops for country pursuits. There is a very good butcher so we were able to buy wild duck and partridges. In the evening we went for a meal as a precursor to my birthday.

Today has been happy for all of us in that Raymond and Jonathan went fishing this morning and brought back four trout. We were able to have my mother over for a visit in the afternoon. She had been out in the morning at a church lunch so she has had an interesting day. She was overjoyed to see Jonathan, of course. She questions me about my health and it is very difficult. I cannot tell her a direct lie but, on the other hand, as I do not yet have any results the last thing I want to do is to worry her. Naturally, as she knows me only too well, she is unsure how I really am and questions me frequently.

We’ve had a good weekend and are trying to make the most of being together but for me it has had a bitter-sweet feel.