Laid Bare

I was asked to help a friend empty the furniture from her deceased father’s house. Most of us have had the experience of packing up a house, but usually it’s our own and we have a fair idea of what lies in each drawer or cupboard. If there is grime and mess, it’s our...

Unwanted gifts

I’m a difficult person to buy a gift for. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s just that I am happy with my life the way it is. Perhaps it is that everything I want is way more expensive than is reasonable to expect as a gift. In our family we have decided that adults don’t...

Things money can’t buy

I turned 63 the other day. My wife and youngest son were with me. My daughter, her husband and a couple of the grandkids came to visit. I had Skype calls from the other children and grandchildren. No presents, just presence. We didn’t do much. We sat around, talked,...