End of term

My official retirement date was two days ago on the last day of term, Tuesday 27th June. However I may be returning to school in August after all for a few months, because I have been asked to stay on for a few weeks to cover a gap, although this may not be necessary. So my retiral has been very low key, although my department colleagues surprised me with a lovely card and flowers and a bottle of wine on the last day.

My feelings of celebration have therefore been muted, but none the worse for that; I can sometimes be guilty of becoming over-excited about life's events, and then sometimes I get a sense of anti-climax. Instead I feel quietly happy that I am entering a new phase of my life, and of course delighted that I am on holiday.

I have had a very pleasant couple of days pottering around the house doing admin and spending some quality time with Tom the cat. James and I went to the ELO concert last night at the Hydro and it was excellent just like last year.

I have also been visiting Grandma in the afternoons by myself and with James in the evenings, because unfortunately she has been in hospital for the past week. She has had another infection which led to her becoming very confused and disoriented. When she was taken in to hospital she didn't even know where she was at first. 

The good news is that the antibiotics are working; she is completely lucid and is looking much better. The bad news is that she is very unhappy in hospital, dislikes the nurses and other patients, and is generally feeling down and pessimistic about her prospects. All we can do is try to cheer her up and reassure her, but she still thinks that she will be leaving the hospital "in a box" (her actual words!) The doctor has told her that she will be going home next week, but she is not convinced. I hate to see her feeling so low.