1. I had a birthday, it was quiet and I had to make my birthday cake (nothing new there!) it was the birthday custard sponge from Feast by Nigella Lawson (here’s the recipe in the Guardian), instead of her filling suggestion mine had cream and blackcurrant jam.

2. I grew a dahlia. This was a bit of a longshot, I planted these bulbs in June and hoped and here I am with a dahlia

3. I left some courgettes too late, witness the literal fruit of my neglect

4. Birthday plants. A new orchid and a fig tree

5. Mum. Ma was supposed to have an appointment with the neurologist at Kingston Hospital this week – 13 weeks after the initial referral, but they cancelled and rearranged for October! So Ma decided to find out how much it would cost to go private, the appointment was last week and it was the most informative 40 minutes we’ve had with regards to her health, suffice to say it’s not just old age and the MRI we wanted her to have in 2024 would have confirmed that. We’re going for the MRI today to confirm a diagnosis. This week I’ve heard so many people talk about the NHS and how great it is but it’s not been great with Ma over the last year and while I’m happy to get answers, what Mum didn’t have the money to do this bit privately? I’m so bloody cross because no-one deserves the complete lack of curiosity and concern about someone falling over at least once a week, I sort of feel like they wouldn’t have taken her seriously until she broke something and ended up in hospital. It’s appalling.