Di's family visits to see the new baby
Di's family visits to see the new baby

Family time together recovering on another hot and sunny day as some of Di’s relatives come to see the new born baby

Awake at 7.00am to find Deborah already downstairs and so to prepare the morning drinks and wake up Diana and Daniel. We sit in my bed and drink them together and chat happily about the baby and the planning of holidays. Then up with the children to prepare a breakfast of cereal and fruit juice with toast to follow. Then, for me, back to bed to read The Sunday Times until up and washed by 10.00am and outside to release the ducks (collecting 12 eggs from 13 ducks,) do the washing up and tidy the house.

Time to also hack down the stinging nettles by the river and trim the hawthorn bushes lower branches before all ready to drive out to The Anchor for lunch. Another exhaustingly hot and sunny day and roasted within the car on the journeys and also whilst there. They had a car-boot sale of antiques and other things and we looked round and rested a while to eat a pub lunch, seafood and ice-creams. Home to rest in the afternoon’s heat and I watched John McEnroe beat Jimmy Conner in straight sets in the Wimbledon’s men’s final. Indeed the widest victory for over 35 years.

Just settling to some reading when Charles, Chrisula and Susan (Di’s brother, sister and sister-in-law) arrive to be served tea and see how Diana and Daniella were doing. They stay to a barbeque by the river as we sit in the shade but fully within a fair breeze. Hamburgers and sausages are well cooked by me and orange juice and lime juice wash them down.

The washing up and cleaning up takes the early evening and, finding Diana moving ironing boards around and getting tired, I make her lay down and phone her mother to come and help in the morning. I then catch up with my journal in the evening cool of the balcony, put the ducks away, and then catch up on the news.