Games corner

Now that we have taken down the Christmas tree, a games column has taken form in the vacant space between the card table and the fireplace.

My middle sister and brother-in-law drove up from Holy Island to see us all today. Due a mishap with their own car, they arrived in my mother's (famous) Volvo. After lunch Paddy took his parents and grandmother along the road to see his new flat and other highlights of the city. Meanwhile I managed to do a little work on a journal article: it was so nice to use my brain properly again! We all met Caitlin for a drink after she finished work, then our visitors headed back to the island in good time for the tide.

Some of today has been spent planning family whereabouts over the next few months. We have to start clearing my mother's house and get it ready to sell. Then we need to help her find a more manageable home in Northumberland. 2020 will be a tough year for me and my sisters.

Exercise today: 1 hour on the exercise bike; sit-ups, weights and stretches.