Dad called several times today to tell me that mum was getting upset about having no money and he couldn't make her understand that she didn't need it. He wanted to know when I was coming over - to sort this out.

It was hard to make myself heard. Dad always asks a question and then keeps talking over your answer. It was always one of his more annoying habits, now amplified by the fact that he cannot remember asking the same question earlier. He is deeply frustrated because mum doesn't understand his convoluted explanations for why she doesn't need to hold cash. 'She doesn't seem to understand.'
'We all know that, dad,' I said. 'Why don't you just give her some money?'
Well,' he laughed. 'I've tried that. It doesn't work.'
'So what do you expect me to do, then?'
'I don't know. When are you coming over?'
'I'm working this weekend, dad. If there is a real reason I need to be there, I can come, but it is a two-hour round trip.'
'Well, I'm not asking you to do that.'
'Dad, just tell mum that Greg or I will sort things out.'
'OK,' he grumbled, then hung up.

I snoop in on them, using Grannie-cam. They are both sitting still, apparently in silence. What is clear from this rather static domestic scene is that mum is not going off her head at him. She would be far more animated if she were. I then decide to call them - to see if taking a proactive role will elicit a different picture of what was going on today, instead of waiting until dad calls me, which is invariably when things are at their worst.

Surprisingly, it was mum who came to the phone. Dad didn't move at all.

'Hello, mum. It's Mike. How are you?'
'Well, I just cobble bold for um wanting little oh hobby things.' I was quite shocked by this. Even by her jumbled standards, this is bad gibberish, particularly in answer to such a standard question.
'How's dad?'
'Tomorrow's by, anyway. He's goes already. But he's not up here. Um, just a minute. There's a one here.' I could see that by this point dad was standing nearby, and he came on the line.
'Hello?'
'Dad. It's just Mike, seeing how things are going.'
'Oh, they've settled down now.'
'That's good.'
'We have our ups and downs here.'
'I know. but at least when you have a down you can look forward to having an up - and vice versa.'
'Are you coming over?'
'No.'
'I didn't think you were.'
'OK. cheerio.'
'Goodbye.'