Chapter 10 - A Sunny Day

Our friends called about 11am for us yesterday. A drive over the dry hills and beyond the Don Quixote sentinels into the small country town. Maureen welcomed us to her country-style restaurant with her usual friendly chatter. Maureen's husband brought the necessaries for the white & the red which accompanied us. Others began with curried king prawns that I avoided. Two courses & several hours later we ambled into the second hand store close by where she had bought a large bear for $4 some months ago. She returned this time with a photo of Leslie Bear dressed in his tartan vest & tam o'shanta. A shame the lady who had sold it to her was not there yesterday. A chance meeting with a distant cousin (my great-great grandfather & her great grandfather were brothers, we are that close) resulted in an invitation to the cousin's place next Sunday evening, a locality about 10kms further on towards the black stump. A pleasant return drive including a side trip up a bush road brought us home by 5pm or so. She had a good day, slow perhaps, fortunately lacking other uncomfortable movements. We enjoyed our friend's birthday.

Both tired, we went to bed at 10pm. She to sleep quickly. Most unusual, not the normal midnight or later. But awake at 3am, tremors, very stiff, uncomfortable and took half of one of her meds a short time later. The collapsible chair in the bedroom was unsuitable this morning so after walking (more shuffling rather) she sat in her sewing room's office chair reading a Mills & Boon until 7am when she returned to bed exhausted, quickly falling asleep. Around 5:30am she had taken milk & honey with panodol. We both woke at 9am, she to toilet then returned to bed. I remained up.

As I conclude this note at 11am she remains sound asleep. I will remain hirsute for some days yet.