Deb's Digest

Our younger son is coming home for the weekend from London. I couldn't say where his home is at the moment because for the past six months his address has been  "no fixed abode" while he was waiting for his flat purchase to go through. This week, after yet more dire warnings over the future of house prices, he decided that enough was enough and called the whole thing off and we all gave three hearty cheers. Many sleepless nights have been had in the Atkinson household because of this transaction. His dad lay awake working out the figures while I lay there trying to work out the design of a 5ft by 4ft kitchen (it could have been worse, one property had a kitchen measuring 3ft by 1ft 8ins).  The trouble is this still leaves him virtually homeless so we've got the fatted calf and a clean bed ready for him this weekend; the washing machine's on standby and the ironing board's at the ready. A neighbour spotted me in Tesco yesterday and asked me if I was stocking up for a seige - "no, the London son's coming home " I said.  When she asked me how long for, and I worked out that he'd actually be home for one full day, I felt rather silly.