Dear Mary: Why is my 87-year-old mother emailing me risque jokes?

Q. My mother, aged 87, has taken to forwarding me by email slightly risqué jokes. Her carer is the recipient of the jokes and reads them aloud to my mother, who then suggests she forwards them to me. I think this is an exercise in connecting but it has had the reverse effect as, due to the inappropriate content of these jokes, I am not sure how to react. Mary, what should I do?
— C.D., Lavenham, Suffolk

A. Next time you speak to the carer, apologise for not having acknowledged these communications. Sadly your computer is oversensitive to anything that seems like spam and puts it straight into the junk folder. Then ask to speak to your mother and share some more appropriate jokes with her.

Q. In this part of the world it is still possible to visit a restaurant to dine, though not to wine. We were guests of good friends yesterday at a local restaurant that is known for the size of its helpings, which are heaped up without the customer having a choice other than to elect to have a half-portion.