It's just gone 9pm and I'm completely done in. We had a great day - picked up YD from the station, went to a biggish town to buy ED some clothes, had lunch out, which ED was over the moon about, hung out in the village for a bit, then dropped YD off to catch her train home, came back here and KEELED OVER. Since when I have taken myself out for dinner and am now ready for my bed. ED is spark out.

So this is a quickie, mainly pics.

Here's where we've been sleeping, me and my girl. It feels quite spacious (by UK standards) till I set up my little bed, but we're quite cosy and snug:



She just woke up and said really clearly, "A Mel-o-dy pure and true, this is my mess-age..." and I knew at once she was quoting Bob Marley, found the song on youtube and we sang it together - ah this world we live in - which led to a few more until she dozed back off and I went for a sneaky spliff.

When I came back I changed into my pyjamas and managed to kick the thingy on the end of her bed that runs the whizz-bang, hyper-groovy, no-bed-sores-here, mega-mattress and all the white noise I hadn't even noticed suddenly stopped, so I wandered off to get help, and man, I hadn't spotted how big this place is, how long the corridors, room after room of poor souls who need specialised care and can't live in their own homes. ED's room is at the top of the stairs, two rooms from the nurses' station, which is opposite the upstairs lounge and I've never had reason to go further, especially not when stoned and in my night clothes.

I found some staff and they came and restarted it. I haven't begun to get the hang of the different jobs and their colour tunics beyond dark blue being Ward Sister and bright yellow being Activities and there's loads more than that, mainly pastels - blue, green, yellow, beige, as well as white - they might be Physio, actually.

I'm glad I stayed here for many reasons but tonight's is that ED does this thing with her hands - they're neither responsive nor still a lot of the time, but every now and then, like just now, she makes an agitated grasping movement and it occurred to me that her hands don't touch much - she's dressed and fed and pushed about - so I gave her a few of the (gruesome, to me) cutesy teddy bears that litter her room, what she needed was the biggest one, which has a range of textures and shapes and she's been gently exploring it with her fingers ever since, half awake and half asleep.

This is the view from the veranda at night:



and the primroses



and me in the restaurant this evening sitting opposite a mirror:



which looks a bit cold but was actually quite jolly and peaceful and perfect to be alone with my kindle and a creme caramel.



I always have one of those if they're on the menu, in memory of various times staying in Tenerife with my Tenerifeano first husband (he may be news - I tend not to mention him) and wherever we went to eat they always asked, "Quieres postre?" (D'you want pud?)
Me "Que hay?" (Watcha got?)
Them: "Flan." (Creme caramel - this is Spain in the early 70s, what the fuck else d'you think we'd have, you can have some or you can go without)

Today I am grateful for: YD being with us when we took ED for a bra fitting - man, I was frazzled by then and she took over and calmed me right down; warm (for March) sunshiny day; the support of my online friends which makes a tangible difference; sleeping pills; our fabulous van, bought by Team Free ED

Sweet dreams xx