Good morning, @CheerBear. Looks like we've both arrived at the forum at the same time this early morning. The earliest bird has just started sounding here at the same time as the rain has just started falling. 
@CheerBear, I feel the same about the earliest morning bird here that I often hear. It has a lovely, somewhat melancholy sound. Wouldn't it be something if we were hearing the same bird?
Last night was a really good one here. C gave me a massage in the early evening, how lucky I felt! I then made us both cheese and tomato toasties for dinner (me making dinner of any kind is a fairly rare event here). We had especially nice chat and fun banter over the course of the evening. I also watched two episodes of an SBS show I love, 'Harlots'. It's an historical drama (a genre I love), all about women struggling to survive the disadvantages and disempowerment of 19th century England. Fantastic script, acting and direction. Looking forward to more next week.
How was your evening?
@CheerBear, massage is just about my favourite thing! 
C and I do chat, but it's often in very small bursts while we're doing other things, like being on the computer, which we both do a lot of! Long conversations are not something we do that much of. Mostly I guess we enjoy just being in each other's company. This flat is small so when we are both here together we are almost always in close proximity, mostly just in this one main room. We have a very harmonious friendship these days and it's almost always reassuring to be in his company.
Quiet time alone (with cuddly cats) sounds like a good thing at an intense time. I'm guessing your aunty is there now? How long since she and well one have seen each other?
@CheerBear, an extra year does sound like it would be worth going through surgery, despite there not being a possibility of total cure. The chance to settle well one and spend quality time with loved ones seems like it would be a very good thing. Wishing you all so well with it all. 
Glad to hear your day won't be too busy as any relaxation and slowing down time you can get during this period seems like it would be very helpful to you.
C and our friend have been friends even longer than I've known either of them, 20 years or more. I actually met them both on the same day, shortly after I arrived in Queensland 16 years ago. It was a fateful day for me, though I didn't know it at the time! I warmed to them both instantly.