Yesterday I went for my longest drive yet in my trusty electric wheelchair. Mandy and Charles had invited us to lunch at their lovely old mill house on the far side of Grove. Grove is great for wheelchairs, with a lacework of paths and tracks. So it was down to The Bay Tree and then along the brook, through the houses and out to the garage and then to the mill. Charles and Mandy have had a ramp made specially for their 'poustina', the old stable which they've converted into a small retreat by the brook. It's a beautiful peaceful space - or was until I turned up. There's something special about having a meal together with friends, isn't there? The word 'companion' comes from the Latin 'bread together', i.e. someone you share food with. I like that. We eventually sat out in the garden looking down the stream, beautiful. Before long they'll be generating electricity with a turbine in the mill race. How green is my valley! And then it was the return journey, all negotiated safely.
In the evening I found the MNDA chatroom for people with PMA and PLS for the first time. Enjoyed quite a chat with Moira whom I'd met at the Spring conference in Taunton. She's lost the use of her voice; so the internet chatroom is brilliant. We found we had a common acquaintance.
This morning, yet again, the dog began barking when the blackbirds started alarming at 5 am. She's a pain and a pest.
Chatrooms are great, aren't they? Being deaf, Richard and I have never been able to use phones as a means of social interaction, but the internet opened up a whole new world to us both, and more so than ever when Richard lost his speech not long after his diagnosis. We picked up so many hints and tips from people along the way and it really helped to allieviate some of Richard's isolation. here's to your new found friendships!
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