I've been trying to post since 22nd June...finally made it. I'm most grateful to Maeve, ChanteyLass, Pete & Keberoxu for your comments. Pete, you have hit the proverbial nail on the head. I felt a great sense of duty & obligation which proved increasingly difficult to maintain with the passage of time. After much reflection, I return, not as the thread instigator, but as Nigel seeking your succour, wisdom & experience.
         My wife, Ann is recovering well from a shoulder reconstruction, but her time in hospital has uncovered two, unrelated conditions, one of which is potentially life-threatening, given her medical history. We await the results of further tests & investigations, so until we know the results, any further comments would be speculative at best. My very first post was a 'cri de cœur'...I'm back where I started,
                                                    With Love,
                                                                   Nigel xxxxx