Too many obits just lately

Anne-Louise, Pat, Claire and Barbara, playing Scrabble as we waited for work

Sad to learn yesterday that Pat Lalvani is no longer with us.  Aged 82, she was admitted to hospital a
few days ago with breathing difficulties, which turned out to be COPD.  With characteristic no-nonsense decisiveness, she asked to be detached from all the tubes and monitors, and put in a normal hospital room, where she died not very long afterwards.  Above is a photo of Pat taken at the UPU bash in Rio de Janeiro in 1979.  We were all waiting for translation and typing work, and had a lively Scrabble tournament in progress. 
The same complaint despatched Doreen a few years ago - another 1974 Lausanne veteran: Barbara, a mere 1979 Rio parvenue, probably died of emphysema, similarly caused.  (Also spricht an ex-smoker, trying not to be sanctimonious.)

I first met Pat in 1974 at the Lausanne Universal Postal Union Congress, and fondly remember the day of the unveiling ceremony for the centenary plaque on the monument just along the road from the Bundeshaus.  We were invited to lunch at her flat in Berne with the other translators and typists.  (Delegates  were invited to a slap-up bash at the Casino, but we other ranks were not, and had a far better time, I expect.)  One of my favourite photos of the day is of myself with Pat's daughter Anuschka and her friend Cathy Sanz sitting on my knees in a Berne tram.  I remember one of them asking me why I wore a purple shirt.  I think I just said I liked it, and wonder why, now that I notice it, I'm wearing one today.

I'm getting a little distressed at the number of obits I've had to blog lately.  Such things come with age, I suppose.  The rest of you, kindly hang in there - or provide me with a draft auto-obit in good time, please.

To return to the usual banalities, we finally have crocuses in flower.   Together with evidence of one's failure to rake up the oak leaves from our neighbours' tree.  I've potted up the remaining primulas and plonked the pots down where we can see them from the dining room.

Today's entertainment, apart from laundry, was a trip to the fang man to have the latest spare part fitted.  The anaesthetic has pretty much worn off now, and I like the new china champer rather better than I did the old gold one, which broke off and took a ride down the grand canal just before we went off for our Christmas Cruise.

The knee is behaving just a little better of late, which is presumably why the back took it upon itself to muscle in on the act and protest at yesterday's shopping.  But when I see the problems that face so many of my clients at the hobby, I start to realise that I should moan less and be more grateful.