The Bear woke up with a very sore head yesterday. Not only a headache but pains in his back, hips and legs. He has arthritis but the treatment on offer is limited. He can't take anti-inflammatory tablets (the only ones that work) because his kidneys are showing signs of damage and they can't give him cortisone injections because that would play havoc with his diabetes.

I took him breakfast in bed and left him cuddling Toby, his favourite cat. By lunchtime he decided that he might feel better 'up' so he came and had lunch in his armchair and started watching telly. Meanwhile, my shopping list was becoming urgent and today is a 'jour de ferie' (Bank Holiday) so I asked Jay if he would take me to the supermarket. When I announced my intentions to the Bear he was most annoyed, despite the fact that he obviously wasn't feeling like going out himself.

It is a great relief to go shopping without the Bear. He spends ages looking at the D.I.Y. shelves but buys nothing and, by that time, he is tired and has slowed down to snail's pace so that stocking up on food and household necessities can take forever. I know that there will always be extras in the trolley that weren't on the list, but with the Bear it fills up with cakes, biscuits and 'nibbles' that are not compatible with a diabetic diet - nor mine for that matter!

After piling high two trolleys with milk, water, catlitter, catfood, tinned and fresh vegetables, wine etc. plus an onion quiche for the Bear and a lemon meringue for the Whale, Jay and I loaded the car and then went for a coffee.

The Bear seemed in a reasonable mood when we got back and enjoyed his quiche, but later that evening, among the witches and spooks who came to  the door for 'bonbons ou sorts' we had a surprise visit from a friend we hadn't seen for some time. Unfortunately his arrival coincided with one of Bear's favourite programmes. Normally, with the TV and video 'all-in-one' it was simply a case of pressing the red button, but we  bought a new TV last week and haven't got used to juggling all the buttons yet. Bear got into difficulties and gruffly handed the telecommands over to me. I have trouble seeing what's written on them so it took a few minutes to sort it out. He didn't miss the beginning but you could see he was getting irritable.

It wasn't long before he started criticising the fact that I 'let visitors in and talk to them' when he wants to watch telly! Our friend is French but understands English quite well so Jay and I were highly embarrassed by these remarks. Bear continued to complain that he can't hear what I say because I don't speak clearly and that I never listen to what he says to me. Needless to say, our guest didn't stay long.

During the evening I went to watch a French programme on the 'old' television and left Bear to stew on his own. When I went back to sit in the armchair near him he suddenly turned the sound up to deafening levels. When I complained he threw the telecommands at me and said 'You do it then. I'm going to bed.' and off he went. What a relief; I changed channels and was able to watch Cadfael, instead of his choice of a programme about Suez.