My boy Norman and his family have returned to our old holiday home in the bush!…Girl’s lunch today…

When Louise sent me the above photo of Norman wearing a branch hat, my heart skipped a beat. Over the past many months, Norman had been wandering another area, nowhere near the house we’d been renting over the past several years. I was hoping by the time we return, he’ll still be in the area, and we’ll be able to interact with him and his family. What a pleasant thought!

Over the next many months, I must keep the prospect of returning to Marloth Park in the forefront of my mind instead of thinking about what I’m facing. Every day, I remind myself to dismiss any worrisome thoughts that come my way and replace them with my usual dreams of Africa. It helps.

Tom is still coughing a lot, especially at night, but hopefully, that will improve each day. This morning, I noticed a bit of congestion in my head, and I have my fingers crossed it’s not the same as what Tom had when he first got the virus. Good grief, we’re leaving for Milwaukee in 48 hours. I better not get sick!

This morning, I made a batch of chicken salad using the last of our eggs to boil and celery, red onion, and sour cream for the dressing, which I use instead of mayonnaise, typically made with oils we don’t consume. Last night, I made a batch of shrimp salad while Tom finished the pork chops and rice.

After tonight’s dinner, we’ll know if we need to eat out tomorrow, depending on how much salad we have left. We’ll most likely have enough to get us through one more dinner. At that point, we’ll have used everything perishable in the freezer and most of the items in the refrigerator.

At noon, Greg’s girlfriend Heather and her adult daughter Hannah are picking me up for a girl’s lunch. I don’t know where we’re going, but wherever they choose will be fine with me. I can always find something in most restaurants. I’m sure Tom will enjoy some time on his own, and it will feel good to get out after several days hunkered down, except for our visit to Maisie yesterday afternoon.

We brought her a fun get-well gift, which she loves, and it was great to see her doing so well after her short hospital stay last weekend. We had a great chat and then headed back to the hotel after the hour-long visit so that Tom could rest and recuperate further. He didn’t hug Maisie and stayed far across the room.

The remainder of the evening was quiet and uneventful. We finished the fabulous series on Netflix, “Anne with an E,” which we highly recommend. It’s suitable for all ages, and we loved every moment. Tonight and tomorrow night, we’ll stay in again, allowing Tom more time to rest. Fortunately, the drive to Milwaukee is only a little over five hours.

We’ll do laundry and pack tomorrow, storing some bags with the hotel so we can take very little with us for the two-night stay. Before we know it, we’ll return to this hotel and settle in for two more months until our departure on August 25.

That’s it for today, folks. We hope you have a good “hump day” if you are still working and another good midweek day if you are retired.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 12, 2014: