On Saturday 16 April Maureen's leg was painful but she thought it was just a bit of cramp. However, by the following Tuesday she could hardly walk so we called Dr Buchan who came to the house, swiftly diagnosed a deep vein thrombosis and packed her off to hospital in Kirkwall on the scheduled flight that afternoon. After some initial treatment the following day at Balfour Hospital, Kirkwall they sent Maureen on the afternoon flight down to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where an operation was performed at 3 am on Thursday to remove a potentially lethal blood clot from her right leg. She arrived back in Kirkwall via the scheduled flight from Aberdeen at 10:30 am on Thursday 05 May so I flew down to Kirkwall on the morning flight in order that I could sit with her and keep her company as we waited for the 3:45 pm flight back to Stronsay; fortunately Kirkwall airport lounge. Today (Wednesday 11 May) Maureen managed to get dressed for the first time since she arrived back home because she was fed up with wandering around in her pyjamas and dressing gown.

I posted details of Maureen's illness on several email lists to which I subscribe, including a couple of Christian ones where I requested prayers for Maureen. I was absolutely amazed and comforted by the number of responses that I received and continue to receive; if you contacted me and I did not manage to say thank you please take this as a general "thank you". I spoke to Maureen on the phone almost every day but it wasn't the same as speaking face to face. I could have travelled to Aberdeen to visit - the hospital has purpose-built overnight accommodation for patient's relatives - but Maureen would only fret about the house (although there is no chance of burglary on Stronsay) and the welfare of the cat (even though several people have already volunteered to "cat-sit"). When I checked on the possibility of a quick flight to Aberdeen from Kirwall - a 50 minute trip - I was staggered to find that that a return ticket would be over 350 pounds; in contrast the return fare on the Kirkwall to Aberdeen ferry - a 7 hour trip - is just 35 pounds (and I would get a "wrinkly" discount).

Rev Dr Jennifer George preached her "trial" sermon on Sunday 03 April. Needless to say she was unanimously "voted in" as the new minister of Stronsay & Eday, her induction should take place early in June after the Orkney Presbytery have completed all the necessary formalities. Jennifer's parents have flown over from California to visit her for a week or so - fortunately the weather has not been too cold nor too windy so they should have formed a good impression of Orkney.

As we were running through the music for the 9 am Sung Mass for Easter Sunday, Fr Nicholas invited me to go over to Papa Stronsay for the monks' Vigil (10 pm Saturday to 2 am Sunday). I politely declined his kind invitation, pointing out that the clocks would go forwards at 2 am and that at my age I need all the sleep that I can get.

The hours of daylight are increasing apace (it is still quite light at 10:30 pm), the birds are singing in our garden early each morning and late into the evening, cattle have begun to appear in the fields and more lambs (lots of twins and triplets) are appearing each day - spring is truly with us. I even managed to get some sweet peas to germinate in the greenhouse whilst Maureen was away - now all I have to do is make sure they survive long enough for them to flowe.

Last updated 11 May 2005