Packing is, I find, a very idiosyncratic process. I think each of us has a different way of packing! My way is to try and get some space where I can leave my suitcases, and keep throwing things into it; and then, at a suitable time (which I keep postponing, alas) I sit down and pack it all in properly.

I’ve seen a lot of

All the residents on our block got this email from the residents’ association (or whatever it is called!) a few days ago:

I know I have to go back home, and in many ways, I am looking forward to it; there is a lot of work (and life) waiting for me back home. I normally have a fairly neutral frame of mind, accepting the fact that my child, her spouse, and their child live very far away from me…and that when they lead happy lives of their own, we are both fine.

Early in the morning, I went off for my usual walk to Forest Park, and the weather was kind enough to allow me to wander around for two and a half hours! And one of the last things that delighted me was the sight of a beautiful litle