let there be light

...and there was light, and the light shone on in the darkness. The photo shows one of the halogen bulbs I recently replaced in our hallway. The cunning lighting design in that part of the flat includes six halogen bulbs that retail for about £4 each yet still manage to provide only patchy light. Four of our bulbs were blown, but we were not willing to pay retail and so eventually I got round to e-shopping and managed to get ten bulbs for a penny short of a tenner, incl. VAT and shipping. You can buy anything (cheaper) on the interweb.

But the sentiment (y'know, letting there be light) could equally apply to Bronwyn's ongoing improvement over the last few days. It's nice to see more regular colour returned to her face, and at the same time she is having less frequent headaches and more energy. Her ears are now much slower to block up when she's upright—this would happen instantly before. (This is important, as we think this has more to do with brain, CSF pressure, and sinus cavities than exterior nasal events.)

The last two nights we've had the pleasure of hosting Michael and Jenny, on a grand valedictorial tour prior to (re-)emigrating, this time to the United Arab Emirates. Having visited them in Whitby and then York, we're now selfishly looking forward to another possible destination... though maybe not just a weekend this time.

I draft this on the 285 bus, some 20 minutes shy of our arrival at Heathrow Airport. Having risen at 4:30am this morning, we're hoping to trade in Michael and Jenny for another Jenny (Halse, Bronwyn's mother) accompanied unsurprisingly by Bronwyn's father David. (Though we shall call him Michael for the week. You know. Just to avoid confusion, like.) We've never been to Heathrow overland—when people arrive at more consciousness-inducing times of the day, it's easier to get there by tube. As a result, we've never had a sense of Heathrow as anything other than an isolated island of existence before. Anyway, David (sorry, “Michael") and Jenny will be in this part of the world for a month. The trip was planned long before Bronwyn's illness, but it really couldn't be better timed. Bronwyn is just now getting well enough to enjoy their trip. And while the Kumera I was able to buy in Sainsbury's on the weekend was a nice taste of home compared to the usual inferior sweet potato they have here, when it comes down to it there's nothing like a visit from your Ma and Pa.