Praise Betty and Veronica.

My day begins with a look at my watch. Is it time to get up? If it is, I turn on the light and see Her Highness. It’s such a wonderful way to start my day.

I dress quickly and go to the fireplace. I use the embers as a fuse to start the day’s fire. I let Her Highness out and feed the cats to keep the cabin quiet and then I take a deep breath. The day is underway.

And today feels fine because The Manor is virtually done. I’ve more to do but the messy part is done; the rest will be done without flour paste and it’s mostly windows and doors that is simple easy work. At the end of the day yesterday I had flour paste in my hair and my pants were stiff from wiping my hands on them.

It was a lot of work and I loved every minute of it; I particularly love that it’s practical and that Fred and Ethel love it. But I’m glad it’s over. I can relax now until it’s time to move into the studio. That’s my next project.

I’m happy with it. It’s just papier maché and it looks like a piñata but what I think of it doesn’t matter. The cats love it and that’s whom it’s for. I look forward to watching it fall apart.

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Yesterday I had four boosts as fulfilling as making perfect vinaigrette last week: My garbage was accepted. I’m not kidding: I felt like I got into Harvard. Praise Jesus! Praise Allah! Praise Betty and Veronica. I floated back from the curb with my garbage bin and returned it to the shed empty. Empty — for the first time in six weeks — and ate pie.

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The kittens are surrendering to my charm. Love conquers all. I loved them as they were — aloof — but now there’s so much more coming to me from them in their behaviour and body language.

It was so shocking sometimes when they first arrived. I can remember having “What have I done” moments, worrying that I might have made a mistake getting them so soon after getting Sheba. They absolutely hated each other when they came.

I feel I’d be bored to death here without them. They are in my DNA now.

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I need Combivir every day to stay alive. I get it free from St. Paul’s and yesterday afternoon I arranged to get it sent to the local pharmacy. I’m now set up in perpetuity with David, the St. Paul’s Pharmacy Outreach Officer.

St. Paul’s did not want to make the arrangements with me until my prescription was almost ready to run out. That’s now. And I got myself set up at Life Labs here to get my blood tested every quarter and making these arrangements were the last administrative details I needed to do to formally complete my move to Gabriola. I am truly set up here now.

More pie!

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Today I’ll add the windows and doors to Mertz Manor and complete it. I want to take photos of it in sunshine as the final act. I’d love to burn it and photograph it as it burns. I’d do it at night were it not so practical a space for Fred and Ethel.

Then I’m going to have a mini OCD festival on my dining room table. I’m going to sort all my craft supplies into Mason Jars. It’s the kind of think I love to do — I absolutely love it.