Hello to all I have been off line for a while and want to explain what has happened in my life over the last month and a half. I'm back at the flat after more than 5 weeks away. I had a week's planned holiday in the Cape to celebrate my grandfather's 81th birthday on Feb 17. I stayed with a second cousin and it was so-o wonderful. The family treated me so well and we had a good time. I was also able to see my father. He's balancing better in the wheelchair, tries to walk short distances, able to eat with a spoon and can say my name now - for the first time since the stroke. I was also touched when he saw me get up and moved his feet so I could walk between his chair and the coffee table. It's still a long road back to full recovery attending the physical, water and speech therapy, but there's progress and hope. My mother is about the same and finds it hard to deal with the reality. I wasn't the only one visiting their house that day so there weren't any private conversations. I couldn't come back to the flat and had to stay with a friend for more than 4 weeks. We had heavy rain in my absense. The roof leaks, therefore the ceiling caved in and the electricity and wiring isn't up to standard. Now that I'm at the flat I have more than 4000 emails to sort through. I am still trying to catch up on email as the cellphone service was so slow in the area where my friend lives. I kept being disconnected and nothing would download for me. My guide dog Cayla's not adjusting all that well to the route we have to walk. She also wakes me several times during the night - to do a business outside. She's taking antibiotics for an intestinal virus. She's very lively and gets bored very easily indoors. She loved the stay on my friend's farm and played outside most of the time. I'm a bit concerned that she might have been placed out too young and don't know how she'll shape up. She'll be 2 in June. The guide dog school will send a trainer to work with us again. The owners of the flat where I live aren't believers and treat me less than desirable. They always find excuses why the roof can't be properly fixed or replaced. I pray for a new place to live which will be safe and fit into my small budget. Now I apologise for this lengthy message and would appreciate your prayers for my situation. Thanks for reading Coco