Author: alex

Beurocracy

I will never be able to spell that word.

So, the consulate sent Isa’s change of name docs to the council in Treviso and the council in ponzano are unable to get them to answer the phone. They tried ringing the office next door in order to ask them to take a message. But they wouldn’t, though they did take a phone number and promised to ask the incommunicable office to call back.

Our man in Ponzano thinks things may have got stuck on the difficulty of verifying an electronic signature. Ma.

Rainy at Blackfriars

Our first trip down to Tate Modern to exercise Isa’s membership. We went to see the Bonnard exhibition, which was fantastic. By chance we met Nicky and Gordon, who were popping down to see the exhibition as they were in London to see the opera.

betty

Died last night.

Neve quite affected. Very busy telling me she will be happier, and they she and everyone loves me. And singing happy songs for me. Possibly stuff so that she doesn’t have to think directly about it.

She rushed upstairs to tell Isa about it!

Glad we all went to see Betty last weekend – and that she was awake and in good spirits. Although she didn’t really know where she was, or who everyone was, she enjoyed the company, I think. Lola and Neve were fantastic: staying by the bed and talking (esp Lola) with Grandma. Grandma kept noting how lovely Neve’s sparkly jumper was. And we kept re-telling the story of how she had bought it for Neve. (Although we later realised this wasn’t the case but no matter: Betty was an excellent buyer of presents, especially jumpers.

Grandma had been in hospital just over a month. She went in when she started refusing to get up – which started during or immediately after the annual visit to Somerset in September. I must have visited half a dozen times or so – at the beginning, she recognised me and Tom and we could converse a bit, though she was in a fairly short memory loop.

She declined very rapidly, though. Refused food and drink; lost more and more memory; became often anxious. Then in the last week she withdrew and barely woke; Mike asked the doctors to move her to palliative care.

I last saw her on Thursday afternoon. The first of November. Mike was there; Tom cam later. Grandma slept peacefully while we were there. I left first. Kissed Grandma goodbye, took the bus to New Barnet and the train to Welwyn and then on home. Grandma died in her sleep the following night.