Hot pools and sheep shows

We did it--we escaped for nearly 24 hours to Rotorua, just over an hour away, where they are famous for healing hot pools (too bad they smell of sulphur, but there are some advantages to losing your sense of smell, as Manford has, partly--though even he could smell this...) and tourist activities for all tastes. We did not indulge in any bungee jumping or zorbing (rolling down a hill in a giant blow-up ball), but we did eat a nice dinner, soak in the pool overlooking the lake, go to bed very relaxed, and in the morning went to the famous agrodome, where they have a silly show for city people where they sheer a sheep and milk a cow and herd ducks and goof around a lot--we are enough city that we enjoyed it, and it was a beautiful, cool and sunny morning, and we had a good lunch and came home. The children fared well in our absence, Joseph enjoying being at home alone, and Emily with a friend.

Manford starts radiation and chemotherapy on Monday--we have about $10,000 worth of pills in the cupboard, the first month's supply, which cost us $6. Can't complain about that side of it. He has been tapering off steroids (which help to control swelling in the brain) the last few days, maybe a bit too fast, as he has been struggling a bit more today, but generally is doing very well.

Now I'm off to read Harry Potter to Emily.
Carrie