Pouring it all out

My favourite all time view

Sometimes I come away from Beverley after a good visit to my Mother in Lindum House feeling upbeat and thankful . 

She is very well cared for with kindness . The House has a positive atmosphere, the Carers , although run off their feet with too much to do, are dedicated and positive. Yesterday we managed to persuade Mother to take a turn around the garden in her wheelchair. Whoever did the planting did a good job. I am a Gardener  and appreciate the variety of shrubs and perennials , bulbs and small trees around the Cross Shaped house. I wanted to pull out some of the weeds, and maybe can  be of some help when I am fully in the routine of visiting. Imogen and I took Zak with us yesterday. He engaged with his great grandmother and she with him. 

We had our picnic lunch in the Children's Playground conveniently 2 mins from Lindum. Its right on the boundary of Beverley so the views are across fields to trees  or a glimpse of the Minster from the Public footpath around the estate. Zak did the Zip wire and munched his lunch . Imogen and I had a sit down and a chat about trampolines and weeds and GGrandma. 

Note to health care professionals here: For 10 years I have been making purees and Beef Tea for my Mother. I have taken her Adrians (my Filey Butcher) cottage pies . M is the expert on Baxters soup, scrambled egg and bread and milk  and (horror of all) Tripe. Wherever she has gone in the last years -Iona, Harwood Dale or the months with her children during the Beverley Flood of 07 the diet of my aged parent has been her constant topic, and her reason for not taking meals with any one else in Abbeyfield or anyone else. My sisters and I knew she was afraid of choking or a 'DO' with her throat condition, we occasionally caught her out with unspeakably hard to chew things in her fridge, we have been surprised as she wolfed down sausage rolls and chips. Yesterday I left her as a beautifully set tray of Lunch arrived for her to her room. Beef Pie,and  3 types of veg (of the sort she doesn't usually eat-inc courgettes and red cabbage). I returned to her room 40 mins later from the Park to find everything had gone except the soft potato. I realise that diet can be a bargaining tool and a raison d'être. I realise too that for the Frail Aged it can be the Highlight of the day and a real pleasure. Mother is always saying how lovely the food is at Lindum , and how she mustnt be late for lunch . Institutionalised or not I am really thankful .

I didnt have to drive yesterday as Imogen took her car. She obligingly suggested we took my usual route home across the Wolds using the Kilham to Rudston. The Blackthorn was at it hockney best, and when I got home I had to go through the pictures again.

I  am looking forward to taking my  Grandsons to Hull soon to see the mosaics from the Roman Villa . Its remains were discovered just west of Rudston. The Romans always knew a good place for a Villa. They would have seen the same views that Hockney and I see now, with more trees of course, especially Ash Trees. 

This morning the cauliflowers were only 50p each in Angela's . Colin found a great recipe for Roman Cauliflower (with anchovies , chillies and rosemary ) in todays paper. Lindsey Bareham assures her readers everyone will be converted to cauliflower when they've tried this one .(Note to self. Colins uncle lived in Rome for many years and when we visited we were always encouraged to bring cauliflowers ).

It hit me very hard just then , I must ring Mother up and ask if she wants me to bring her a cheap cauliflower, then it dawned on me

•  she hasn't got a phone
•  she wouldn't hear it if she had
•  she might not know who I was
• she doesn't cook and has no kitchen