Hog roast sausage rolls, salad, BBQ bean and potato salad

A slightly cooler day today, thankfully, which has meant mum has been feeling, if not better, at least slightly sharper. She has still been anxious and needy, but at least she has recognised why she is feeling the way she is.

Sadly it didn’t stop the complaining: even the sight of a pair of Spitfires parading overhead only distracted her for a few short seconds.

Mid-morning, her head pounding, mum retreated to her bedroom, leaving me in peace to look at restaurants for my trip away in August: so many restaurants, so little time!

This afternoon I harvested my first homegrown crop of the year: potatoes! Not bad for four past-their-best eating potatoes.

I harvested them while keeping my head down and my eyes averted, murmuring reassurances to the nesting herring gulls on the roof that I was no threat to them or their babies. It obviously worked because they did nothing more than shriek at me a bit.

One of mum’s friends came round this afternoon and, after she had been and gone, I prepared dinner. Or started to, at least: I asked mum if she wanted her sausage rolls hot or cold, and her answer was “melon, please”.

So she took a couple of slices – with cream, for some reason – and ate them, with enjoyment once I reminded her you’re not supposed to eat the skin. Then I presented the sausage rolls and the bag of salad, which mum completely ignored and instead opened the fridge to get another bag out.

“There’s a bag out already, mum.”

“Where?”

“Right in front of you.”

“Where?”

“Literally right in front of you.”

She did find it in the end – right in front of her. With mine I had some (deep breath) Tesco Finest Texan Gold Style BBQ Potato and Bean Salad, which is a ridiculous name but a tasty product: potatoes and two types of bean in a sweet mustard mayo, topped with bits of bacon.

Now it’s tv and mum complaining about how sore her mouth is. The dentist said – the third time I asked, anyway – that she probably has mouth ulcers and has prescribed her some mouthwash I need to go and collect next week. I suggested mum come with me, and we could go for lunch afterwards, which triggered an immediate “I probably won’t feel well enough” surge of panic.

I hate seeing my outgoing, active mother reduced to being almost housebound by anxiety. On Monday I will contact the GP and ask if they can prescribe her something that might enable her to go out or meet with a friend without panicking herself into physical pain.

And so… that was today. 🤷‍♂️ See y’all tomorrow.