I am just back from four nights away staying with two separate pairs of octegenarian friends. We exchange symptoms: deafness, arthritis, memory loss, insomnia,cramp, the list is endless, but we are all cheerful and enjoy life, and I had a good time.    Back today after over threehundred miles altogether of luscious English countryside with lots of interesting radio 4 en route.  The cat greets me rapturously and it is good to be home. 
I have just waded through the post, emails, and December`s issue of the Odie magazine which makes me laugh.      H whom I stayed with has given me one of his paintings and with the post was a self portrait from dear friend E  so I have two lovely new pictures to hang on my sitting room wall tomorrow. All the pictures in my house are painted by my friends and family. They give me great pleasure.