Soul Food

We get up around seven to an overcast morning and after wishing Norman a happy birthday, let him into the garden, I pour some Bakers for his breakfast and then make rye toast and honey for myself. Over coffee, I read the paper and then speak to Felicity on the phone, she is a bit down, as she has had words with Melissa again, this time over the carers her daughter has selected. Felicity wants the carers back that she had before, as they have become friends, I tell her that I am sure her daughter will do this, but probably hadn't time, when she had to arrange emergency care when Felicity was discharged from hospital. I arrange to call in and see her at lunchtime, after first taking the dogs out. We leave the house at half past nine, collect the terriers from Cherry Burton and then walk on the Westwood. In the woods I let Norman and Dolly off the lead, and Teddy and I make our way down the path. Teddy has found a tennis ball, that some other dog owner has dropped and walks happily with it in his mouth, until he somehow drops the ball down a steep banking and strains on the lead to recover it. The bank is at least fifty feet deep and it is easier to let him fetch it than for both of us to scramble down, so I let him off the lead. He rockets down the banking, grabs his ball and then zooms off with Dolly, who has appeared from the bushes, in hot pursuit of a rabbit. It is my practice, born of long experience, not to let the terriers off the lead together, as they form a pack and once hunting, are difficult to return to the lead. As Norman and I progress through the woods we occasionally encounter Dolly and Teddy crossing our path at high speed, their tails up, in pursuit of either rabbits or squirrels. I start to fear the worst, as we make our way onto the open common, but Dolly comes back to me in her usual place and is promptly clipped back on the lead. I notice I have a missed call on my mobile phone from Hanne and call her back, she has spoken to Felicity, who feels she is losing control of her life. Hanne has told her That Melissa is just doing her best and might just be a little over protective. I suggest that Hanne joins me when I visit Fliss and that we take her to Harper's fish and chip cafe, which is a short walk from her house on Albert Terrace. At Black Mill, I put Teddy back on his lead and we return to the car, drive back to Two Riggs and drop them off. I find a place to park down Albert Terrace and make my way to Felicity's house, Hanne arrives a few minutes later and we all sit and chat for a few minutes before Fliss shows us her care itinerary, which has three care visits from a company called " Independant Living", that Leslie also used, and two district nurse visits in order to inject insulin, as she is diabetic. Felicity says she is quite capable of injecting herself and could manage quite well with help from Liz, the Sherpa, and possibly Tracy, who is looking after her dog, Molly. The other dog, Sam, having been re homed to Ossett in West Yorkshire. Hanne and I suggest that some middle ground might be reached, which allows Felicity more autonomy, and eases the burden on Melissa, if the two of us help Fliss to manage her own affairs, with her daughter having budgetary oversight. Over the last few months she has also lost quite a bit of mobility, a consequence of illness and the long winter, and her major requirement is to regain the strength in her legs and the confidence to walk again. To this end we decide to walk to the cafe, but need to notify a carer, who is due to arrive at five to twelve and help with lunch. We wait until ten past but the lady doesn't show up, so we leave a note on the door to say that Felicity's friends have taken her out for lunch to Harper's, just down the road. Felicity has a trilater, a three wheeled walking aid, and she uses this to walk to the cafe, where we order haddock, chips, tea, with bread and butter. It is amazing to watch her spirit rise and her optimism improve, as she realises that it is possible to return to an acceptable and enjoyable independent life. We take her home for one o'clock and feed Norman on some haddock we have saved for him in a doggy bag and then we let Felicity put her feet up. I return home for two, give Norman some water and then drive to the pool, where I put in another hundred length medley training session. Afterwards I have a drinking chocolate in the cafe, before driving to Tesco and doing a little shopping. I have toast and honey with tea and read my book until past eleven, realising as I went to bed that I have to be up early in the morning in order to take Louis to school.