I can't get enthusiastic about the amaryllis at this stage, which seems to last forever. Probably D.H.Lawrence could have composed something suitably obvious about its lusty thrusting upward toward fruition.


I was given it as a present and could hardly get out of letting it thrust.


The last couple of weeks have been full of Life in a deathly sort of way. My friend's wife still lies unconscious in a London hospital whilst he calls me up to be taken out to lunch, which is a bit how I feel about it all: Out to lunch. K defies medical science by being, according to scans, brain dead, yet responding, with hand-squeezing and the occasional hint of a smile, to the voice of the young German woman who has been reading to her and reminiscing about their times in India. It's at once touching and horrifying to think about. 


Then a friend of my daughter's topped himself, unable to cope with his life, which was difficult 'tis true, but he leaves a 14 year old daughter and a sick wife to cope with the loss of him so, although we feel sympathy with him we also feel anger at his apparent selfishness. We don't want to feel this anger because he was such a nice, kind, chap. It's very upsetting.


Sandy's arm seems better, despite medical attention, and Iain's ribs are slowly mending.


I've been reading P.D.James, first her new book then a couple of earlier ones I missed at the time. She is solemn, ponderous, good at describing architectural settings, good at the English language, but entirely without humour, unless I'm being insensitive to her style. She has a liking for the word 'minatory' which I note every time it crops up because I had to consult a dictionary to find out what it meant. She also has a habit of starting sentences with 'But'. I thought that was disapproved of. It irritates me mostly because she often does it when the sentence before has a 'but' in it, and that sounds like too many buts. Her editors should have been more aware.


Still, it gives me something to grumble about. I also have an aching tooth and a trip to the dentist this afternoon. 


The cats are Bengals, by the way. Silly brain. The same brain has been leaving the gas on recently. That's going to cost me! I decided it was time to buy one of those boxes with seven little compartment to put pills into before I start either forgetting them or taking them twice. 


As long as I remember to fill it!