Family visit

My cousins Joan and Freda came today, driven by Joan's husband, Bob. They live in Silksworth on the southern edge of Sunderland, the town where we all grew up. I can't get used to calling it a city!  They are from the Baillie side of the family.

It rained for most of the morning and was dark and grey. We were snug inside and enjoyed a lunch of mince pie with potatoes, carrots and green beans, followed by strawberries and ice cream.  I had thought this was a rather wintry main course for July, but it was perfect!

There was a lot of catching up on family news and some reminiscing.

Just as they were leaving, the sun came out and we called into the garden for a group shot. The sun was a mixed blessing because they were all squinting and had watery eyes.......

Joan has very troublesome Parkinson's disease so it is a joy to see her managing to smile. It's really hard for her.