I’m over with Weeza and co for a couple of nights while Roses holds the fort back home.  Last summer, I found out rather late in the day that Weeza and Phil had used most of their holiday time to take time off to look after Zerlina while school was out and, although they both enjoyed the extra time with their daughter, it was a pity they didn’t have much extra time all together as a family. So I suggested that they used me for the purpose in future instead.  Of course, I don’t have school things on either at that time, so I’m not so likely to have commitments.

It’s turned out to be a bit complicated this week. Weeza’s boss opens his garden every year on a Sunday to raise money for charity and she asked if I’d like to go over there, so I headed off after church.  The forecast had been rain this weekend, but Norfolk dunt see too much of the wet stuff and the day stayed fine.  Soup and sausages were served and Weeza and I, being the useful types, helped with washing up wine glasses. I had met her boss once briefly and hadn’t met his wife before, but that didn’t stop me making myself at home in their kitchen and they politely didn’t seem to mind.

After a convivial evening chez Weeza, I slept soundly and ambled downstairs in  time to wave her off to work and Gus to the childminder. Zerlina and I headed off, after a suitably leisurely breakfast, to Norwich castle museum, where we looked at the bits of it we wanted to – in no mood to be culture vultures but just to have a nice day out – and kept stopping for food, drink and trips to the very nice little shop there. We then stopped on the way back at Wroxham to buy some food odds and ends, including bread for the ducks, which were actually geese, swans, pigeons and a few gulls. When we got back, we made some fairy cakes, iced them in a pleasant turquoise hued butter icing and decorated them with Haribo sweets in the shape of Minions. Then I cooked sausages and mash for tea.

So far, so simple, but now it’s going to require efficiency. Tomorrow, Gus goes to the childminder, then Kavitha, Rajesh and Sami are coming for the day here. K and Weeza have been best friends since school and we went to their wedding in Chennai 11 years ago.  I’ll pick up Gus on my way home with Z and they’ll spend the night, then I’ve a friend calling in on Wednesday morning. Then back to Weeza’s boss’s house because they’ve invited Z over to an unbirthday party and I’ll look after Gus until W gets home from work. Then I’ll pick up Z and bring her home with me. I’ll have her on Thursday except for an hour or so while I’m playing the organ for a funeral, when Roses will look after her. After that, I’ll either take her back to Weeza at work for 5 o’clock or else keep her for one more night when Weeza and Gus will pick her up on their way over to see another old school friend, who is up visiting her parents near Lowestoft, if she’s free. She’s expecting her first baby and everyone is very excited about that, as she has a health condition that made it uncertain if she could.

I like it when I’m obliged to keep on the ball.