We're home from a hugely enjoyable & restorative holiday that felt much longer than two weeks. Have been dipping in when wifi (briefly) allowed.
Very happy to see you back, Stropps. Agree with everyone who said DD's freedom to express her bad feelings is a credit to you. If she had to hide them from you it could only make things worse for her. I speak as someone whose DM ruthlessly punished any expression of feeling she didn't like or agree with. It does amaze me how hard it is not to repeat some of her behaviour but we were brought up to think the sky would fall in if we were angry or even reasonably assertive.
Beachy, sorry you were ill for your birthday, hope you can celebrate properly when you feel better. Rose, the weekend sounds like quite an ordeal, is that why you were crying on the phone to ConS? Or is it All Getting A Bit Much Generally?
I managed, even enjoyed, a week with my mother in the Hebrides, which I'd dreaded for many reasons. It involved taking her to see two of her oldest friends, in their 90s. Sitting listening to their conversations gave me a lot of food for thought about the perils of ageing: they each just talked about themselves & showed no interest in anyone else at all (other than as an accessory, eg 'I've got 11 grandchildren').
DD loved seeing her ancestral home and of course she has no unhappy memories or bad associations with it, so her pleasure rubbed off on me
and DDog entered a second puppyhood.