h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I haven't written a journal for a while, so here's a few odd bits that have happened, in case anyone's interested.

Went to visit my mother last weekend. She is well, if a little forgetful. I did loads of washing for her and we went shopping together - something she rarely gets to do because my sister lives on the other side of Newmarket and comes over at least once a week bringing the shopping with her. Mother is eating less and less - sis has given up buying vegetables and nice ready meals for her, because it is still always in the fridge the following week and she has to chuck so much away.

So when my sister or I are there, we cook proper meals and use up stuff in the freezer.

There are a few fruit trees in the garden which my cousin gave my parents when my father was still alive. My cousin has also since died - he was everyone's favourite - a huge man, ex-policeman and always cheerful. Anyway, the fruit trees: three different apples and a couple of pears and plums. This year's yield was enormous - I picked all I could reach off of 2 of the trees and the garage was full of baskets of apples. No idea who is going to eat them all! It's no good stewing them and freezing them because our Mum still has loads in the freezer from previous years.

In other news - Son No 2 got married a couple of weeks ago. They originally didn't want to make anything of it, but his girlfriend's family soon invited themselves and there were about 13 of us. No witnesses, no frills. We all went for a meal in the evening. Our little granddaughter behaved beautifully.

Can't think of anything else for the minute.

As you were.

Good to learn how you're doing, TC.

My dad became somewhat forgetful in his last couple of years, although he managed to escape the dementia that happened to my mum. I trust your mum is free of it too?

Congratulations to son #2.

Could you leave unwanted apples on the ground wherever they fall, so the animals can eat them?

I thought I smelled ripe grapes when I got home this afternoon, but when I checked the nearest grapevines, all the grapes were green. We have some apple trees, but I doubt that the apples are ripe yet.

Thank you for sharing your news I enjoy reading, even if I don't always manage to comment.

My parents have an allotment, so they have to be a bit careful with big yields - a lot gets frozen, so they make sure to audit the freezer in winter to plan meals using that summer's crop, so that there is space for the next summer. They give quite a bit away as well, and don't mind if birds or caterpillars have some as there is usually more than enough.

That's good that you can use produce in the freezer to give your mum a square meal when you can. Is there a luncheon club your mum can go to to get another square meal? My mum runs one, and it makes a big difference to the people who go there, that they get good food and good company, but I know it isn't easy to keep such clubs going...

Congratulations to your son Sounds like the party was a bit bigger than expected, but not too large, as you could all go out for the meal and your granddaughter was OK

My mother lives in a little village and stopped driving 10 years ago. She can't walk very far and prefers to stay at home and have people come to her.

As for animals eating the apples - no thank you! The only animals around, apart from wasps, magpies, crows and pigeons, are rabbits and I don't want them coming into the garden and digging up the lawn. I'd be scared she'd stumble on a rabbit hole when walking on the grass (she doesn't see very well down there) and no one would be there to help her up.

My son and his wife will be having a big party next May to celebrate properly with all their friends. There wasn't time to organise anything at such short notice this time round. He kept saying he couldn't understand why people wanted to watch him sign a bit of paper.

Signing a piece of paper can have consequences...