You can never have enough...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Silver sky again, but a new tui call this morning for our alarm clock, maybe one of last years babies coming into his first year. Just housework on the agenda for me, that and bringing the bins in, if there's a clear break in the weather I'll get the hose and the soft broom into them for a spring scrub.

I found a number of useful cast off structural bits for the tank project on TM last night, so will start looking for the next layer of gravels and soil, the driftwood pieces I have soaking in rainwater should be just about leached of salt now, so when the other hardscape bits arrive I can start playing with designs. Always fun to begin to play, mud pies and sticks, another childhood game underway. I have got in touch with a West Coaster who can supply some interesting mosses, so that will be handy when I get to that point.

On farcebook this morning an old art school friend shared her niece is newly diagnosed with MS, that makes three families in my circle, including mine, who have to deal with this ongoing challenge. But watching - even at such a long arms length - how my daughter copes with it gives me huge comfort. She posted a photo on instagram last night of her latest orphan adoption, a baby pigmy goat. I had to laugh, I suggested she get a couple of goats to deal with overgrowth and was told off soundly for suggesting more fence destroyers, lol, and now look at her, grinning from ear to ear in love with yet another baby who needs love. This country life thing suits her down to the ground, just as well she has a compliant husband, lol...

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morning ladies   What a grotty day we have outside today.  I'll take a guess and think the lawn won't be mowed today.

lol yes, OHH and popeye, this rest home is above and beyond what is expected.  I think it could be because it's a rural hospital/care facility and also community supported.  They are always fundraising, and the community comes to the party   So different to these big commercial places.  Oh, and the serving of tiramisu was huge lol.  I'll take pics to show you if I am there while MrK has a meal.  They have new cooks who only started yesterday so the meals weren't on time, but no body minded, and the nurses mucked in and helped out.  I'm even offered a cuppa when the tea trolley comes round.  MrK is offered tea, coffee, orange juice or lemonade and there is always home baking for morning tea.  And it's spotless.  Cleaned and vacumed every day.  After knowing what happened to popeye's MrP, I was very skeptical about respite care and was ready to advocate hard for MrK.  But there was no need which was a huge relief.

I'll be back up to the rest home today, hopefully will catch our GP.  I missed her yesterday.  And I need to grocery shop at some stage.  It will be weird shopping for one.  I was thinking yesterday, if MrK ends up in care full time, it will be the first time in my life I will be living alone.  Left home to flat with others and then living with MrK, and then marriage.  No 'alone time' in between.  A new chapter for both of us. 

Time to get moving.  If the lawn guy isn't coming, I might as well do the groceries.

Have a good one!

My Mum also had very little living alone time in her life and once told me how challenging she found that brief period, but I actually got used to it early on and had the opposite experience when I combined households to make one multigenerational home. Both states take some getting used to, learning strategies that make the best of each as they come along. There are huge advantages in each way of living, but also costs. I think for me the most important thing was to always have someone to vent to, someone who knew to just make the right noises when required without judgement or advice, a good listener, but who knew when to tell me I was being an idiot while shutting up at other times. Substitute parent  or partner voice maybe, without the responsibility of sharing living space, a good support for our mental health.

And of course a good online community!