Sunday 23rd August 2026

Woke around 0745. Sat up in bed for a bit listening to Lambchop, then descended for breakfast at the dining table, where I was eventually joined by mother and father. Dad insisted on venturing out into the garden to gather more plums to put on his porridge. Nice day for it. I watered the tomatoes...and noticed the greenhouse sliding door was off it's tracks! Dad reckoned it wasn't needed at this time of year...fair enough! Walked down to Elkwater for a coffee...they had a bloke inside strumming guitar and singing! Fortunately I was able to get a seat outside! Bought up mum's supply of Rennies from the Co-op and walked back up to High View. Prepared pizza for lunch with a potato salad. Dad reckoned it wasn't cooked! Yawn! Roasted a bunch of tomatoes, as the supply is getting to be a bit overwhelming. Found father on his hands and knees sawing away at the base of a shrub by the kitchen doors! Helped him wrestle it out from behind some woodwork, then cut it all up so it would fit in the waste bin. Put a simple chicken curry together for dinner, with packet rice, and fried vegetables...though I managed to tip a bit too much chilli into the veg...made things a bit too hot for mum! Watched the final of The Piano...two extraordinarily moving performances, from a young autistic lad who taught himself to play by ear, and a lass who had suffered meningitis as a child which had resulted in her having her legs, and more importantly, her fingers, amputated!!! What an inspiration! We were in tears in the living-room! Stayed up to watch the Kevin Keegan tribute on MOTD2, as Newcastle took on Liverpool...our neighbour gave away a penalty in the 90th minute, which resulted in the Magpies dropping two points!