I went in to see Isobel at five o'clock. There were still piles of ice and a little snow at the Centre but but the Bexleyheath area has no snow and just a few remnants of thawing ice. It has been a very protracted thaw, but felt very mild today. The automatic door at the Centre was playing up again and I had to hold it open while a couple of ambulance men maneuvered a returning patient inside. Isobel was just starting to be fed her tea and I took over from the carer.

For tea Isobel had two rounds of ham and tomato sandwiches followed by arctic roll and cream. I have a slight suspicion that Isobel is starting to find eating a little bit more difficult. Now that she is back on an even keel after the chest infection it is easier to make comparisons over a few days. I think she is finding it a little more difficult to bite, this shows up with a ham sandwich as the ham is left intact and the bread is pulled off it. I will watch this over the coming days. Certainly the meals are not being eaten in the couple of minutes that Isobel used to take. Immediately after tea Isobel had a couple of shortbread biscuits while drinking her tea.

We watched the quiz programmes on TV that Isobel enjoys. Then we chatted and Isobel ate a banana and finished off the last of the grapes Carol had brought. This time she ate white grapes, they triggered a little coughing so the theory that this only happened with red grapes is discredited. We decided to leave reading from Jessica's book until the week-end. The poinsettia in Isobel's room had not lost any leaves or bracts today, the first day for a long time. The problem is overwatering caused by carers, me or other visitors assuming it has not been watered by anyone else; this week I have tried to keep it dry and it seems a lot happier. The guzmannia on the window sill is still thriving, Louisa and Toni left it on their first visit when Isobel had just arrived. By seven o'clock Isobel was showing signs of tiredness and I left her watching the snooker; I think she will have been asleep within half an hour.