I'm home. Funnily enough it is hard to take in that I am really home as Ray will not be home until I pick him up on Monday. Of course it is nice to be home but I did have a good time while I was away and left a tearful family in Cairns this morning so not home and relieved to be but with part of me up there with them still.

Trev picked me up at Sydney airport after an uneventful three hour flight and it was out through the Sydney CBD clogged with Friday afternoon traffic, slow...slow...slow. Even on the Expressway between Northern Sydney and the Central Coast it was slow as a lot of people flowed north for what looks like being a lovely warm autumn weekend. So who can blame them for making a traffic jam of the arterial roads to get away from the crowded city?

I had a lovely time in Cairns, it was hot and humid, wet and mild, windy and wild, you name it that was our weather. But the dry days were beautiful and only four of the nights were humid so I survived. The grandchildren were especially pleased I was there and we spent a lot of the time together. This past two weeks were very busy for my daughter and son-in-law as Captains of the local Salvation Army Corps with the launch of the Red Shield Appeal and other fund-raising functions (it takes a lot of money to run their refuges, half-way houses etc) and so they were glad I could look after the kids while they were freed up to do extra hours.

It wasn't all work and no play as they were able to have Monday and Wednesday off this week and we did a bit of sight-seeing. I still haven't been out on the Great Barrier Reef but we did go to a couple of lovely beaches and picniced and walked on the beach and had lots of fun. We also went to a strange place called Paronella Park, a "castle" built by an Italian at the turn of the century, it's parklands have been ravaged by cyclones but somehow the ruins are majestic, the gardens and surrounding "jungle" interesting historically and botanically. I was very intrigued by it and enjoyed it as a great day out. For those of you who have seen the movie "Sniper" that was shot there in the "jungle".

While I was away I was getting over a viral attack that came towards the end of the week before I went with the usual "foggy feeling", headache, tummy upset etc. The first few days I rested as much as possible. I think my daughter was worried that I seemed unlike my usual bouncy self but I got over it and this week felt fine so did get some rest in as well as the usual rough and tumble of family life. I did get to know the new dog and cat quite well too. Both seemed pleased with the additional family member to pat and pet them.

Away from the usual distractions here I was able to do some thinking too. I always think "I need to simplify", that is always my first thought, but how to achieve that end I do not know. I could picture my house with less furniture, less clutter etc but I guess I would have to pay out a fortune to get the extra storage space to have it half as neat as my daughter's present lovely spacious five bedroom home. The homes in the tropics are all open plan, painted in light pastels, furnished in rattan and comfy overstuffed lounge furniture. We visited another two couples so I had three as a sample and they all had built-ins to hide the clutter in. It's the way to go but an expensive thing to set up in an older home like ours.

The gardens in the suburbs near where my daughter is living are all coloured leaf plants and lawns, not the cottage type garden I have here. That too is great in a place with plenty of sun and an enormous amount of rain. Here in the more moderate climate I can see that getting more coloured foliage plants might work so I'll work on that idea too. Being able to make a few changes often helps to brighten my life. As long as it is within the budget and not too energy consuming. Because I know that once Ray gets home and I have to take over his care all of this will seem too hard. But it is good to have some plans and dreams for the future.

I missed you all, all my friends from Strokenet. I missed the daily glimpses of your lives, the angst, the triumphs, the everyday bravery of those living as stroke survivors or caregivers. It is amazing that I can be sitting here but my mind is thinking of you all "over there". I missed a 90th birthday party and a day trip while I was awayand a few phone calls. But I mostly missed the day-to-day routine that makes up the "Days of our Lives" here on the lovely Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia.