Part of our life in Germany is waking up to Shay Byrne’s Risin’ Time. It finishes at 8am with the 7 o’clock news. There isn’t one morning that I wouldn’t be confused by the Irish news in our Hamburg apartment being read out an hour later. Wouldn’t you be?

So, I’m not sure whether you listen to RTÉ in the morning. I mean, early morning. Really early. Even before Morning Ireland. Ok, you’re right: it’s easier to do this when you’re in Germany. Each morning, just after the 6:30 news, they have someone offering a ‘thought for the day’. This week it’s all about the life of a poet who became a famous singer. His best story, at least for me, is about meeting Janis Joplin in the lift of the Chelsea Hotel, looking for Kris Kristofferson: You told me again you preferred handsome men, but for me you would make an exception. As an observer of what is going on in the world he writes: Looked through the paper. Makes you want to cry. Nobody cares if the people live or die.

Some famous reporter said this week that rarely would you find a situation like now, when you find it hard to decide which human-made catastrophe to report on first – there are just too many.

Today, we had a meeting with Pádraig’s main doctor who told us that he has made so much progress that there is no need for him to continue in the intermediate care ward. He is on the transfer list to a different ward, with more focus on rehab and less on medical needs. We don’t know when Pádraig will be moved, it’ll depend on the availability of a bed on the other ward. One one hand, we will be sorry to leave all the fantastic people behind who have helped Pádraig to make so much progress. On the other hand – nothing like having that recognised by moving on to a different team focusing on patients with less medical needs.

Another big step in the right direction.

Finally, there is this ‘campaign’ going on for this blog to do well in the Irish Blog Awards:) – Check it out, vote and ask your friends to vote here – once each week! You can make the impossible happen!