Chilli Pepper Plants and Belgian Buns...

Have you ever noticed how many people with walking aids there are in garden centres? Well, I have. Maybe it's because gardening is a a pastime people turn to as they get older, maybe it's because garden centres are popular places to go for those less mobile. There's usually a coffee shop, always a toilet and just enough space to stroll round without getting too tired. There's also the bonus of being surrounded by the beauty and scent of growing things. Now this is not something I had thought about before the monkey, but I've been noticing it ever since. Somehow we always seem to have conversations about the monkey in the coffee shop at Squires garden centre, Roch and I. The first time we went there was not long before the diagnosis was confirmed, and I remember noticing people in wheelchairs, people with walking sticks and I found myself imagining what it would be like to bring him there in a wheelchair. Would he even want to come with me? We found ourselves there again on Sunday afternoon. It was really cold and his walking wasn't too good. He was very slow. The last time we were there together he really wasn't that slow. You know, I don't think he had a walking stick last time - or did he? (So now I'm thinking, when was that, how long ago, calculating time and changes)...Anyway, on Sunday it could have been the cold affecting him a bit too, as we believe it does. Movement very stiff and slow. We sat in the coffee shop and ended up having a rather sad little conversation over the Belgian buns and coffee. Mind you, it's a great garden centre. We came away with a selection of herbs, a lavender, a trailing geranium and a chilli pepper plant. The car smelt delicious all the way home. Next time you're in a garden centre, see if you spot any walking aids or wheelchairs. By the way, I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just making an observation.