Mother's Day ( UK ) unfolds without any concrete plans on my part . I set my alarm for six thirty " just in case " but , bliss I was awake well in advance and catching up on The Water Horse by Julia Gregson after a quick sweep out of the guinea pig pen and a listen at the door to see whether the teens were awake . A paper round beckoned P , Nat's friend and was the reason for the alarm call as I had offered a lift to the starting point at seven am . The piggies have really got the hang of that new Paradise pen now and seem to shuttle up and down the ladders with aplomb , reminding me of a swimmer at my hotel pool who does that wonderful power-walking-underwater ( the Dinosaur Walk to you and me ) only with raised elbows and pumping arms and a grim determined little smile -gritted teeth even -on her face as she pumps by . For my part , when I Dinosaur Walk , I go in slow motion , feeling this is part of the exercise's charm and dignity and besides , what is the point of whipping those wee little arms back and forth when the legs underwater are dragging slowly , pulled back by the forces of nature . Think of nature lady and take a chill pill I long to say , but desist . I myself after all am quite capable at rushing at speed on dry land , and can outwalk even quite tall men with long legs . And skinny greyhounds who puff along behind , making faces and then sighing into their cushions when safely esconced back on the sofa . " Its way too cold and windy for a walk today . Can't I stay at home and you go ? "

So , Mother's Day breakfast , and Nat presents me with an elegant bracelet from lebeado , tiny pink pearls , glass beads and pink crystal chips threaded on silver , and further lebeado vouchers . What a daughter !
After the paper round , during which time I head off for a swim , she and I go out for a coffee in Starbucks at Borders and set the world to rights . Sometimes her wisdom amazes me .
Later we see Slumdog Millionaire , a film I have avoided for some time for a number of reasons too complex for here ; in the event I am happy I see it on the big screen .

Jade Goody died this morning , the celebrity who "became famous for being famous "via "Big Brother". It angered me that even as her death was announced , in the next sentence the newsreader spoke of her " racism " towards Shilpa Shetty the Bollywood star whom Jade and other Big Brother celebs " bullied " during their time in the house . We all know what Jade did , surely on this , the day of her death a simple announcement would have been enough . I have no doubt that all aspects of her behaviour will be picked over ad nauseum by the tabloid press and the magazines we all love to hate (but can't avoid picking up and skimming through as we pass by ) in the coming days and weeks if the last few are anything to go by . Hopefully Jade's legacy will live on though , in that health centres are reporting young women attending for cervical smear tests as never before . My own GP practice nurse confirmed this at the end of last week .

And , one final thing , just when you think you've "dealt with/ managed/got through" your sister in law's death anniversary one more year ( this year will have been the third one . Surely it should get easier ? ) Crossing the car park and your daughter says out of the blue " Mum .... Siobhan's got no mum , and its Mother's Day ".