I had a few errands to run in Norwich today. I trotted around happily – I hardly seem to have visited Norwich entirely for pleasure and without engagements (for lunch with Dave was certainly a pleasure) all this year. It’s been a beautifully sunny day. Al said the shop has been busy. He was busy yesterday too, but the supply of pumpkins held up until a quarter to five. Anxious little children and their sheepish fathers continued to ask until Al shut up shop, however. He shut early, to get rid of them. Actually, for the first time ever, he put up the price in the afternoon. He said to Tim that if any regular customers came in to sell them at the lower price, but someone who was only giving Al custom because the supermarket had sold out could pay for the privilege. He made an extra £25 and received no complaints…

I then went to shop at Waitrose. To my surprise, the Sage loves the rose-petal tea I bought there, so I went shopping for everything I needed. That included some cheese, because one of our helpers doesn’t eat wheat, so can’t eat sandwiches with the rest of us. I bought a piece of Stilton and a piece of Wensleydale – and found myself salivating uncontrollably. I’d also promised her crisps – and nearly picked up a bag of Twiglets. I didn’t, but I’ve certainly found my Achilles’ heels.

Since my unexpectedly emotional encounter with the doctor, to his surprise and mine (I should add that I didn’t actually blub all over him, but was unable to speak for a few minutes and was then a bit wobbly), I’ve found myself tearful several times. Only when alone, fortunately, but it’s something I need to work out and through. It’s every time I think about my mother, and it seems that I am not quite as sorted as I thought I was. I believe I’ve worked out why I’m unhappy, specifically, but that’s only the start of it. I’ve always found it better, on the whole, not to look back too much – if past times were better than the present it makes you wistful and if the old days were not good then it only depresses you to think about it – but in this instance I hope it might do me good. So I’ll continue with my ‘family story’, which I had meant to abandon once it might become ‘the story of me’. It’ll take a day or two to start, though, as it’s our auction tomorrow and we’re then having a jolly family weekend.