A cold, wet, winter's day.

I am up twice in the night with a dry throat, which probably results from a blocked nose, however once the heating comes on at six, I sleep like a log until Norman wakes me up at ten to eight. It is a clear, bright morning when I let him out, but there is a strong westerly wind. Now the snow has gone, I can see the amount of treasure that he has deposited in the garden over the last two weeks. I will have to clear it up after our walk this morning! We make our usual full English, then shower, dress and drive to Cherry for ten fifteen. The terriers are a bit stir crazy after not being let off the lead since Friday, and bark and fuss, while I change into my Wellies, after parking down Newbald Road. The rapidly melting snow has brought the small river and its feeder lakes back to the Westwood, so I carry Normy over the boggy bits and set him down once we get to firmer ground. Here and there some snow remains, usually on North facing slopes, particularly those used for sledging, where the snow has been compacted. Although it is six Celsius degrees warmer today than last Friday, it feels colder, due to the strong Westerly wind and I am glad to retreat Southwards to the car from Black Mill, in order to escape its icy blast. Leslie's daughter has texted to say she has been in touch with him and the hospital told me he had a comfortable night last night, when I phoned after breakfast. He has been moved to ward 70, which I believe is the geriatric ward, which is not good news. Generally it is over populated with demanding, demented patients and chronically understaffed. I have Louis from three until six, so won't be able to visit tonight. Back home, I remove the remains of the leg of lamb from the fridge and manage to carve six decent slices, which are wrapped in foil and stored away, and then the rest of the meat is stripped from the bone and cut into cubes, ready for the couscous that I am preparing for dinner. A couple of chopped onions, Mediterranean vegetables from the freezer, some apricots, sultanas, olives and then cinnamon, coriander, garlic, chile and ginger, a half pint of lamb oxo stock, then the mixture plus lamb bones, is set to cook slowly for five hours in the clay pot. All I will need to do is add the couscous, when I return this evening. It is now a quarter to two, and I feel tired, so lie down and meditate for an hour, before driving off to Sam's with Normy at a quarter to three. In the car I start to sneeze and shiver, unless I am much mistaken, this looks like the start of a cold. We park outside Sam's house down Copandale Road and then walk the quarter mile to Saint Mary's to collect Louis. Despite being wrapped against the cold, I feel icy, and when Louis emerges half naked from his class, I have to take him back indoors to dress him properly. They have PE, last class on Mondays and this is a continuing problem. Nevertheless we manage to walk to Molescroft Primary, half a mile away and collect Laura for half past three, and then walk home together, Laura holding one hand and Louis the other. Louis has Norman on the lead, and it begins to rain as we approach the house around a quarter to four. The children watch television and play on the computer, while Sam makes me a much needed cup of tea. Rebecca arrives home from her special school in Goole around four thirty and ten minutes later Louis, Norman and I leave to make our way to the Leisure Centre for Louis' swimming lesson. The changing rooms are hot and crowded with kids and anxious mums, trying to deliver their charges to the five o'clock classes, or alternatively trying to collect and dress them from the one that started at four thirty. After delivering Louis to class, I buy a drinking chocolate from the cafe and then view the lesson through the window in reception. The spinning class is being conducted by someone else tonight, so Mark must be away, the new instructor seems less enthusiastic and masochistic than normal, or perhaps it is just my dulled senses. Louis emerges from the showers around twenty to six and I manage to dress him and deliver him back to Sarah's on the hour. By now I am feeling under the weather, so after making Alice and Louis some drinking chocolate, Normy and I head home. Despite my running nose, the lamb smells good when I take it out of the oven and add the couscous grains, fifteen minutes later, dinner is served. We both clear our plates, the Morrocan recipe, somewhat freely adapted to match the ingredients I had available, works well and the couscous, is sweet, tangy and savoury, all at the same time. Outside a full moon has just disappeared behind the garage roof and a howling wind is whipping rain agains the windows. A good night to be indoors! Felicity phones around eight and we chat for a while, she had a migraine last night and lost sight in her remaining eye, her sight is restored this morning, but she still feels fragile. I will see how I am in the morning, the last thing she needs is my cold, but she had one last week, so this might be a gift from her. I am glad that I managed to clear up the treasure in the garden at midday and it is now only a few more weeks before the sun will rise above the garage roof and the back garden will be sunlit once more. To bed for nine thirty.