Reading this was a mistake when, from tomorrow, I’ll be staying with an old friend who has just messaged me to say him and his gf are having relationship issues so the atmosphere is going to be weird and I’ll have to fuck off and leave them to it on Saturday.

That is very exciting news, and also very sensible that if you each have something exciting and promising to pursue neither of you threw your plans in the garbage when you met. That statement “You are more important than the rest of my life put together” is a worrying one to make a lot of the time, and can so easily…

Thank you and happy birthday! Enjoy your lovely clean house when it happens, too. I'm amazed that you're doing long distance for so long, that must be really hard...I can't imagine. Enjoy the phone call and I send you strength for the next two years! 

You are most welcome my darling, anytime.

My grandfather’s after party was the same, just a bunch of people who had loved (and been driven crazy by) him telling stories upon stories for hours. I learned so much about him that evening.

I was very small when he died but we’d hung out a lot and as far as I can tell he was perpetually in it for the lols.

Yep, agreed. For my brother and dad too. But my mother is not a woman to be disagreed with and since I live here, rent free while I’m unemployed (plenty of women who get domestic-violenced by their husbands don’t have a safe place to flee to, lucky me) I do so with the acknowledgement this is part of the deal. This is…

Thank you, it’s part of the reason I’m so pleased to be going to London but of course, with that comes the inevitable guilt of leaving the others (particularly my mum) dealing with it all minus one pair of hands. That’s a very hard thing for me, the guilt that every second I spend not babysitting her is a second…

This is very beautiful, both the photo and the garden. Your ma has done a lovely job, might you get some more photos one day? This gardening geek would love to see!

Yes! A contemporaneous record would be a wonderful thing to have. 

Oh my mother is absolutely not the kind of person who would engage with that, although if she went with an open mind it would undoubtedly help. The open mind bit is the problem though...

Totally get what you’re both saying, it’s my mother who might need some convincing that we can’t wish her better or love her better.

Yeah, if that’s where you’re at then you know what to do. I wish I could help with convincing the others. Best of luck!

Antibiotics, my kind of miracle. Glad to hear you’re on the mend :)

I do know what you mean Maya, it’s always so complicated though isn’t it. I mean, in this case at the moment she can barely walk from the sofa to the loo without an arm to lean all 5 and a half stone of herself on. She should absolutely be in hospital but as we know you can’t make someone be admitted or re-admitted,…

This is a weird thing to be congratulating you on but nevertheless I say well done you. I have been through the heartbreaking ball ache of sorting through a dearly loved person’s worldly possessions several times in the last few years, some of them had done more planning than others but it can be a total nightmare. I…

Oh wow, I was reading this assuming the kid would be coming too. To be honest, it’s totally up to you and anyone who tries to shit on you for it can take a seat.

Pumpkin you are living the bloody dream. Pink hair, excellent cat, delightful, family-free holiday plans...all of it just fantastic!

The trip sounds wonderful, hiking and museums and food = heaven in my book! The very near future where you don’t feel like your nether regions are trying to kill you also sounds excellent...I hope that, even by tomorrow, you’re feeling right as rain. That’s the kind of miracle I want to believe in!

Thanks doll, it was fine. No drama or trauma or anything...living the dream!