Who would ever have believed this week? A vicious cavalcade of lies from the most powerful man on earth leading to armed insurrection and murder, the corporate world finally turning on him – Deutsche Bank, for God’s sake, when Deutsche Bank turns on you, you’re toast. Not to mention a virus killing millions, the entire world confined to quarters … where am I? Is this planet earth? 

So, since I’ve been thinking about death, I downloaded a Documents Information sheet from a retirement website and spent a few hours filling it in. Now my kids know where my will and other important documents are; there’s a list of my banking info, how to access my passwords. I need to think about cremation and what should happen to my social media after my demise, not to mention the vast quantities of paper I will leave behind. Since death is not – I hope – touch wood – imminent, there’s time. But the key thing is done. My kids have Power of Attorney for me for both health and finances, so I hope they continue to be fond of me. My paternal grandmother had Alzheimer’s, almost everyone on my father’s side died of cancer, and Covid has taken over this province. So who knows what awaits? 

Cheery, I know. But I have no problem talking about my death. It will come. I’ll be 110, but it will come, just after, like Diana Athill, I finally become a bestselling author in my nineties. Woo hoo! 

Mourning a favourite filmmaker: Michael Apted, the creator of the “Up” series, documentary filmmaking at its most brilliant. Incredible, to watch those kids grow up, to follow their journeys and compare to our own. A rich odyssey. Thanks to you, Michael. 

It’s gloomy again today – not cold, just grey, will be till Saturday, they say. However, there’s brightness across town. Anna sent these: the new bed, just finished, with many many stuffies already in place, and a shot of home schooling in progress. Does my heart good. And my heart could use some good these days.