3rd April

I have had a strange day today after a wakeful night drinking tea and reading and listening alertly to Vick's breathing which I thought might stop any minute.
Vick's 89-year-old heart carries on though and I am still here.  One of the health care assistants said it is too full of love to stop.
One thing I forgot to put on the list yesterday, was Write A List Every Day.
I wanted to share the small things that have affected me in the past 24 hours.

1.  I walked out in the twilight last night when the nurses were turning Vicky and an owl swooped right past me, looking at me with its face.
2.  I watched the bats flittering under the trees.
3.  The fat old sheep are having their lambs.  I feel a kinship with them as I am also surrounded by the gentle company of women.
4.  All the nurses and I had a good old clap for the NHS last night, and nurses are a funny breed but I love em.  Vick and I know about nurses as we were nurses.
5.  I had the ingenious idea of soaking my feet once a day in a bowl of scalding hot water then using Vick's lily of the valley talc on them.  
6.  I enjoy washing Vick's face and hands twice a day and smothering posh cream into her skin.
7.  There was a mouse under my bed last night and the night staff were not in the least bit surprised.  It's not too clinical here.
8.  I've always been terrified of rats and mice but I'm overcoming it.  I am studying a family of rats under the bird hide in the wood and they are rather sweet.  Always so busy.
9.  Although I've listened to the book of the week about Dickens, I've just slept this afternoon and haven't done any virtuous yoga or anything much today.  I feel I'm in another dimension and so is Vick.
10.  The bluebells are starting to appear and my lifelong phobia must be due to both my mother and sister dying at this time of year.  Elizabeth Strout writes about "horrifying gorgeousness" and I know what she means.
Josie