Exhausted

Thank you everyone for your kind words and wishes. The last couple of days have been exhausting. With my brother and sister driving down to the south of France to be with Mum, I pretty much spent every half hour on the phone to one party or the other till around three o'clock in the morning. I also rang round family and close family friends to let them know.

Today has been spent ringing insurance people to arrange for Dad to be brought home, the family parish priest, Dad's work, more family friends, choosing and talking to funeral directors, the holiday company that the cottage was rented through, the ferry company to change the ferry home to an earlier one and car breakdown services to change the policy holder details so my sister could be covered driving Mums car home.

Tomorrow I have to arrange a double plot somewhere. Can you believe that my town has seven cemeteries and five of them are full. I hate the phone at the best of times, but to have to explain through tears why you are ringing and what you want/need to do, well, I'm shattered. I also have to shoot around to my sisters and check the house for her, then get some shopping in for Mum's and I'll probably prepare some food for them for when they arrive. They're on their way now, the ferry company know the situation and will get them on the first ferry home. I'm hoping to see them tomorrow afternoon/evening.

I'm sad that I will never see Dad again; he had to be sealed in the coffin by the police, but my sister put the phone by him so I could talk to him one last time and say goodbye. He probably won't be home till next week.

Okay, I need to go now.