22 January 2011

Mick’s last full day – he leaves at 6.30 tomorrow morning, with Barry, our faithful driver, to fly back to Sweden from Stansted. Over breakfast we discussed the possibility of me going to Sweden, later in the year, for a week or so. This would be to give Alice a good break but much depends on my physical state at the time. To be honest, without in any way being pessimistic, I’m not holding my breath. If I stayed pretty much as I am now I’m sure we could manage it but if my breathing gets worse and my legs get much weaker then I think the whole thing will become a bit of a nightmare. We must just wait and see,

Sadly, when Alice went out to see Mouse this morning she was still lying down. Alice did not attempt to get her up but fed her and decided to have a go later with Mick, when he returns from Saffron Waldon. or call on others for assistance. The neighbours are far more used to being called to help get me up and this will be the first time they have been roped in for the donkey. We must be careful not to push our luck too far. This is not good news.

When Mick returned, wearing his Saint Michael cloak, in combination with ‘my lovely’, they worked their magic and got the donkey up on her feet, seemingly none the worse for wear. On his shopping trip to Saffron Waldon, Mick’s  main -  and I suspect his only – purchase, was a new music centre for me, on which I can play my iPod. I already had a Bose speaker system but for some reason it is not flexible enough for me to be able to scroll down through my menu. Mick, knowing how much I love classical music, was determined to get me back into the position where I could play it for myself. How characteristically generous of him it’s a great little unit with a lovely tone.

After the excitement of the donkey we then had a go at the computer  left by the courier, and downloaded, hopefully, most of the programmes I will need during the absence of my own laptop, so that when the AbilityNet consultant contacts me early next week, I believe we will have achieved most of what he wanted to do.  We even managed to download essential data using  a memory stick. The temporary computer on loan to me is, in fact, a Toshiba Satellite Pro which is the current version of my own and, frankly, is so much better than the one that has already been generously lent to me by the MND Association. Having said that the picture and sound quality is so superior to my present laptop I going to see it is possible to upgrade, even if I have to pay the difference.

This afternoon, Alison Lambie came to tea. She is recently widowed but is bearing up well. Her husband, Ian, was a friend of mine in the Aden days, 50 odd years ago, when we played squash together.

Finally, here are some more stupendous photographs from outer space, NASA Astronaut Wheelock Pictures from space.