Wow, I hardly know where to start but I thought as I have some good news I would share it.

Ray goes to Camp Breakaway twice a year, usually about March and then in October. He goes from 9.30am Tuesdays till 10.30am Friday. He is picked up in a little community bus and dropped home again. This is to give me a break and give him a mini holiday. We pay $200 for this and there is money raised from other funds plus government subsidies that make it up to whatever it costs to run. This is okay twice a year, after all our pension is not a large one and $200 is about what we can afford. Ray is booked to go from 9th-12th May, his first camp this year.

Today I got a phone call from a member of the staff who supply this service asking if Ray would like to go from 23rd - 26th May. I explained that he was already going from 9th-12th and there was a bit of a pause. Then an explanation that they wanted him to go as room-mate to another stroke survivor aged mid-fifties who didn't want to be put in with "some old bloke" so *S* thought that Ray might be the ideal person to partner him up with as a room sharer. So if it was okay with me he could go for FREE. I would be doing them a favour etc.

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: Picture me jumping up and down while keeping my voice level and saying, well okay, that sounds good, I'm sure he will be delighted to help out etc. And he is. He can go to Camp Breakaway twice in one month. Buy one, get one free. Wow, pinch me and see if I am asleep here.

And for further good news, I am back in touch with the people who are going to (eventually) provide me with some respite. Mind you no promises have been made, no contracts exchanged etc but the worker is going to come and see us at last. And a friend in the business has suggested if it doesn't happen I should send a strongly worded letter to our local member of parliament and ask why they are not giving me the respite I qualify for. And if that is not replied to follow up with another asking:WHY! WHY! WHY!

And good news item three is that Ray is doing the leg exercises that the PT gave him last week where he holds onto the verandah rail and steps to the right, back to the middle, steps to the left etc. And she came today and was quite pleased with him, so he is pleased with himself for making the effort, and I am pleased with him for making the effort etc.

And it is a lovely autumn (fall) day and I have been out in the garden freshening up the potplants with more potting mix and cutting and pruning and I feel tired but pretty satisfied with what I have done. :cloud9:

So there are some good news days.