Seduced by a pansy!!

 'I am not going to have my pots by the front door this year' - I have said it over the past few years - they do need feeding and watering and I am now rather frail.   My main carer.J. immediately counteracts by saying there is no reason why she should not water them as part of her care.   'No, I definitely mean it this year'; true until the Thompson and Morgan very showy catalogue arrived containing a picture of the pansy 'Summertime' - exquisite.   I pictured a tub either side of my front door.   I was completely seduced.

This morning I sent my gardener a text saying I was ordering thirty 'garden ready' Summertimes' for my pots (any left over to fill blank spaces in the garden) and would he bring a bag of peat-free compost next time he comes please.   That was the easy bit and what happened next more or less describes what it is like to be ninety and unable to walk unaided (and prone to falling at the drop of a hat and with 'the trembles'.)

First hurdle - how to order.   Phone? if I get someone with a quiet voice I can't hear and have to keep asking them to repeat what they are saying.   So no.

Second hurdle = on line.   So I assemble debit card, reading glasses and catalogue on my trolley and make my way to computer.   So far, so good - I find the plants, say I would like thirty and up comes the form to order which I fill in - the usual stuff name, address, post code, phone number, e mail address, requirements (then fill in exactly what I want).   Then I press 'pay'. Do I wish to pay with my Amazon account?   I am not ordering from Amazon but from a well-known plantsman.  So the answer is No.   Do I wish to use Pay Pal?   Don't even know what that is.   So again the answer is No.  Fiddling about I decide this is not for me - the order sits in 'Basket' but won't go any further.   I switch off and decide I will post my order and a cheque.

Find the appropriate cheque book - always kept in the particular bank's file but it entails switching off the computer, getting the cheque book and going back into the sitting room to sit at the table where I can support my trembly hands while writing the cheque.   Make out the order form (slowly because of said hands,) cut it out of the catalogue (after collecting scissors from kitchen things pot in the kitchen, folding form and cheque and putting them into pre paid envelope, sealing them, finding that - as is usual with envelopes like this - the said envelope doesn't seal properly.  Go to desk in study to fetch sellotape and with difficulty stick a piece over the flap to ensure cheque and order don't fall out en route.   Phew!   almost done.   Put on coat because although the sun is just breaking through there is a strongish sharp wind blowing.  Get into garage from kitchen by clinging on to safety handles on the wall, open the electric garage door, struggle down the drive which is quite steep so that I have to use the brakes on my Rollator (Priscilla). wait at the kerb until the road is clear to cross, walk slowly (very) along the footpath to the letterbox and post said letter. I beat the post lady coming to empty the post box by about thirty seconds.   Hurray.   Do the journey home , climbing the steep drive, parking rollator, shutting garage door, heaving myself up the step from garage to kitchen, taking off coat and hanging on hook, pushing my walker/trolley into sitting room, collapsing into chair.   Whole operation has taken an hour and a quarter but I managed it and I beat the postie - so all in all a successful operation.  Hope the pansies realise my efforts and flower all summer!