 I'm in a bit of a quandary, I don't mind telling you, because I've been invited to tea to each of my best friend's houses and I've got to make up my mind which one to go to in the next five minutes. I know I ought to go to birds. I made some pretty lame excuse last time, but the reality is I think I'm going to go to Pete's. Well he makes the most brilliant chilli con carne. Why Pete? Good question. Well because Pete knows how to look after himself and it's so much easier there. Take their sitting rooms for a start. Well yes Pete's still got that three-piece lovely suite that chosen by his Shirley, but he's had advice. He's had it adapted, raised up, extra cushions put in, which means it's so much easier when you're sitting down to get up and down from the chairs and the sofa. And especially with me with my bad back and him with his bad leg. There's nothing wrong with my settee. Where's me? It used to take me ten minutes to get up to answer the phone and then it would stop ringing just as I got there. So I got my daughter to look on the county council website. I had an assessment over the telephone. I did my own measurements and they came and fitted some chair raises the next week. Piece of cake. And then there's the food. Well Bert, he tries hard but you go to his place and there's pots boiling all over the stove and the oven blasting away. And then when you get the food it's either burnt to smithereens or undercooked. I mean I love him to bits and he does struggle if only he would get advice. He's so stubborn. Whereas Pete, he's learnt to work with his limitations. I'm quite the microwave master chef me. There's lots of tasty meals you can get these days like this chilli con carne that you can just ping in the oven and then serve up within ten minutes. Less hassle, less washing up and more time spent enjoying yourself. Who needs gadgets anyway? I was brought up not to ask for help to sign a weakness. Stubbornness more like. These days there are lots of gadgets specifically designed to meet our needs and our age. Things that give you a helping hand. For example, grab rails, perching stools and I love my new vegetable basket. The veg cooks in the pan in the basket and then you just drain it and you serve. It stops me having to lift and pour boiling hot water. Then I just let the water go cold and pour it down the sink. Now I agree with Pete about trying out new ideas like grab rails at the front door and the back door. I always struggled with my shopping trying to get in up the step and in through the front door. But so just suppose someone like me was interested in some of these contraptions. Could you give me some top tips? Of course.