Better Day

I woke up feeling miserable again and the temptation was to wallow once I'd got the kids off to bed.  But I have a glut of chillis and want to make some kind of paste out of them and I saw that Aldi's had lovely granite mortar and pestles for $15.  So I got myself dressed and drove up to Young through the rain.  I also got myself a foot massager as I've noticed the circulation in my feet isn't too great lately.  Then I did some grocery shopping and drove back home.  I am so glad I made myself go out, and it was odd, several strangers went out of their way to be really kind to me in various situations. 
Yesterday Kate rang to say she'd applied for an apartment in Perth city.  She's been staying in a backpacker hostel which had the wits scared out of me, and she hated it.  She's never rented through a real estate before but just now she rang and told me she got it and is moving in tonight!  It's a fully furnished studio apartment with her own kitchen and bathroom.  It even has a toaster and kettle and microwave plus basic linen and kitchen gear.  Perth hasn't changed much in that respect, I rented a very similar apartment when I went to live there on my own in 1986.  It's right across from the river and she can walk to work.  We are both so excited for her and so relieved that she doesn't have to spend another night in that God awful place.  She has a place of her own at last, after four plus years, and can build on it.  I so wish I was there to help her set it up but I got out a pair of Sheridan sheets that have hardly been used as we got our queen bed right after we bought them, and the pair of green  sheets that she bought herself when we lived in WA and will sent those across to her with some other stuff for housewarming.  I'll put in some pot pourri in one of many pot pourri pots, she remembers that from her childhood so she'll get a kick out of that.
The real estate agent was really nice she said and let her move in before she even paid the bond.  Very different in WA than here.  She did pay two weeks rent in advance.
Tonight in her honour I'm making one of her favourite dishes, Chicken Casserole, an old fashioned dinner party recipe from my 30 odd year old Womens Weekly cookbook.  She used to request it for her birthday dinner and it's DEFINITELY not low fat.  Wish she was here to have some, but she asked me for the recipe.  I thought I'd make her up a recipe book with her old favourites in it.
The rain has stopped and the sun has come out.  Phill sent me a beautiful card today.  I don't know what's in store for us, but I do know we still love each other and that has to count for something.  He just needs to stop being a grumpy old bully.  Yeah, right.