Uphill work

trying to deal with my ex's legacy. Very depressing but the end seems to be in sight, which is just as well as the misery is making me eat for England. Soon we will have to contact my son's brother in Spain to ascertain whether we should go to Spain or whether he wants to come to England to collect his little legacy. Meanwhile, after we have the money we will need to pay the debts on the estate. I have had a couple of dull days. The TV has finally bitten the dust - seems masses of TVs are misbehaving themselves, on mine the standby light blinks on and off and when you try to turn the TV on you have to press all different buttons for about 15 minutes before it decides to go on. Tonight was the last straw as i spent 30 minutes trying unsuccessfully to turn it on. I suspect I shall throw it away and have a life without TV. We shall see. Today I went to the Mall Gallery to look at miniatures and marine paintings and watch a very interesting pastel demonstration. The paper the guy uses is called Fisher 400 and the surface is like fine sandpaper. Also the guy said he does not use fixative but puts a sheet of some special cellophane over the drawing before it is framed. To get rid of excess pastel he gives it a shake or a quick blast with a hairdryer. I may give pastels a miss. Tomorrow we are meeting at the Crypt at St. Martins-in-the-Fields to draw at lunchtime. Later I am meeting my son at the lawyers for them to witness a declaration before the final part of dealing with the legacy, which will hopefully take place some time next week. I can't wait until it is over, not least because I am owed money for certificates etc. Instead of TV tonight I shall continue reading Middlemarch, which I have not read since school. I have also re-read Daniel Deronda and the Mill on the Floss. George Eliot is a very acute observer of humanity.