This past week has been so difficult and certainly not easy to write about it here. Last Wednesday I got a call from Uns to say Biddy had taken a turn and suggested I fly over. I already had my bags packed, so after booking a flight, I headed home, grabbed my things and made my way through to Heathrow, flew into Cork, picked up a car and drove through to the Bon Secours Hospital where I met up with Uns and the family. After a few hours at the hospital, I headed to the B&B that Kitty had booked, alongside the hospital, to get a bit of sleep there, and joined later by Uns for a couple of hours of sleep too.

On Thursday, we spent the day both at the hospital and back at Claire and Michael's place. That evening, Uns and Claire skipped dinner and headed through to the hospital, and I made my way there afterwards, and on arriving at the hospital, I heard that Biddy had, within the past few minutes, peacefully passed away which was both so sad, but also a comforting relief for her and the entire family. We stayed on at the hospital for a couple of hours before all going back to Claire and Michael's to gather our thoughts and make some preparation plans.

On Friday we headed down west and spent the day making preparations and getting everything together which we needed to. Then Saturday was a day just for the family in the house, while Sunday it was open to extended family, neighbours and friends who wanted to come pay their respects. The funeral was on Monday and was quite incredible the number of people who came through the door - incredible but not at all surprising, considering how welcoming and at home she always made me everyone feel. Still so difficult to actually believe it and take it all in.

Uns and I both had flights booked back home yesterday, unfortunately not the same flight or even into the same airport. So we figured we'd still head back on our separate flights, and Uns would change her Christmas flight to a few days earlier to come help with some Christmas preparation. So yesterday afternoon I drove up to Cork and got my flight back to Heathrow, followed a few hours later by Uns into Stansted, meeting up later at home.

I had said I'd work from home today so Uns wouldn't be at home on her own, but once the afternoon came around we decided to head into town for a bit of a walk around. We took a leisurely stroll along the South Bank, then over to Trafalgar Square, dinner at the Admiralty Pub, then over to see the Regent Street Christmas lights and finally back home.