SOUP

I was thinking about making soup; can you make soup in a microwave? I imagine so, I’ll give it a try, but my lovely vegetable peeler is in the burnt-out flat, so is the blender. When Pete and Joan’s family asked me what I wanted from the house I said I’d like the peeler; I felt it was already mine, and it would always remind me of my time there. I spent eighteen months looking after them – that’s longer than a lot of marriages; mine only lasted three months! The first one that is; by the time I waited for a divorce I’d decided not to go through it again, so when I’d had enough of hubby no.2 it was just a case of saying, ‘Don’t be here when I get back from work!’

I must make Amazon call the housing office and arrange for some kind of removal of our (very smelly) belongings. I’ve already thrown out all the soft stuff that had absorbed the smoke, anything that wasn’t in a bag or drawer. But, she can’t bear the idea of that awful smell coming into her new/temporary flat. She’s got a veranda; I suggested that we stack it out there and gradually get it aired, cleaned or whatever. I’ve got loads of pottery stuff and dishes that would need re-wrapping so I’m saving newspapers. For a while Amazon had convinced herself that she didn’t want anything that was left there but now she realises that she can’t afford to replace everything, that a lot of stuff can be cleaned.

I don’t know how far the repairs have gone; I’ve got a feeling that they are waiting for us to remove more stuff. At the moment all of my stuff from the storage cupboard is piled on PowerRanger’s bed. I still don’t know how my albums and photos have fared. Don’t know if they’ve replaced the floors yet or what. My grandson’s room was the only one that wasn’t soaked with the hoses so the floor and electrical stuff in there will be okay. The kitchen was soaked but my blender was in a cupboard. I’m going to call her now. I want home-made soup; I feel winter drawing near.