ElmTree of Bliss

We had a really great time with the Sparrowhawk's cousin and her husband, visiting from Wisconsin. The Sparrowhawk was so happy when he heard that she planned to come. I knew this meant something important to him, and obviously it did to her too. He had a plan--meet at the botanical gardens, where there was a Chihuly glass exhibit, have lunch at the cafe, then everyone goes back home for a nap, and we reconvene for dinner composed of takeout of their choice. It was a great plan, and it worked perfectly. Our guests were gratifyingly pleased and enthusiastic about the art and the nature and everything we showed them. The weather was perfect. The Sparrowhawk and Cuz Dee had a fine time talking over family history and surprising each other with bits of new info. Mr. Cuz was a kind and sociable person who was a pleasure to be around. I was so happy that things went well and the Sparrowhawk was satisfied. It's a precious thing to re-encounter people from the past and be able to re-find old affections.

We took one new step that was kind of bittersweet. Noticing that the Sparrowhawk was having to take frequent breaks from walking, and thinking that it might be hard for him to get to all the places he wanted to go, I suggested renting a wheelchair. Somewhat to my surprise, he accepted the idea. In fact, the regular wheelchairs could be borrowed free of charge. I wanted to push him myself at first, just to see how that would work. Once I was satisfied that I could do it, I let Mr. Cuz, who is very large and strong, push the chair on some of the more uphill bits. I wasn't very happy to see us take another step down that road, but I was glad that there's a way for him to get where he wants to go, and it works for him. Now that the day is over, I can feel the gym last night catching up with me! I hope tomorrow will be a day of at least some rest.