Wheely good news.

My husband & I went to see my Dad on Sunday afternoon. He recognised me immediately, which is always a good sign! The previous week he'd fallen backwards out of his wheelchair (which shook him up) and so the facility had decided he needed to go into a bigger wheelchair. Why they hadn't made this judgement call earlier is a bit mystifying. I think he had put his feet on the ground and straightened his legs and the wheel brakes weren't on so the wheels slipped and over he went.  One of his little fingers was damaged, but that was it. Fortunately I turned up to visit him and Mum had turned up just after it happened, so he had lots of loving support to help get over the shock.

My mum had described the wheel chair he was now in as one of those padded ones. So I was imagining they'd put him in one of the massive wheel chair/bed contraptions that the severely disabled residents are put. Thankfully that's not the case. He's in a larger, more robust chair and he can't put his feet easily on the floor (and give himself the leverage to tip over).

My husband & I were exclaiming over the wheelchair (you're in the Rolls Royce of wheelchairs, Dad!). When I mentioned he won't fall out of this one he was mystified because he's completely forgotten about his little accident!

We also got his TV working properly - not that he really watches it, but he has laughed when we've watched funny things so it does bring him some pleasure.

The Rhythm of Life

Now that I'm moving through menopause I don't notice the rhythms of my body in the same way that I used to. But they're still there.  The monthly ebb and flow of hormones still continues and will, I guess, until I have finished menopause.

My hubby says he knows when I'm in the throes of a hormonal rush - I get a bit more intense. And grumpy. The plus side is that as I move towards what would have been my period my tolerance to alcohol increases (this has always been the case) and I find myself putting away a few drinks with little or no reaction. The downside (also always the case) is that my tolerance to alcohol post (my now non-existent, so hard to determine when) period is pretty much zero.  Overnight I go from bar room hero (aka lush) to wowser.

I'm going to miss the ebbs and flows when they eventually disappear. But I won't miss the effects they have had on my body over the years - sore boobs, bloating, moodiness (did I mention the grumps!), feeling out of sorts. I'm enjoying this generally peaceful state of being - I hope it continues.

Golden

Recently my parents celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary.  What an achievement.  I haven't managed to get out of bed for 50 years yet, let along spend that amount of time with my spouse.  It was a bittersweet celebration, though, as my Dad has dementia and so lives in a hostel (soon to be nursing home).

Mum pressed on with the celebrations though, and organised a small afternoon tea with the bridal party.  Well, her bridal party. She accidentally sent my uncles invite (he was one of the best men) to the wrong address.  Senior moment? Freudian slip? We'll never know, but we were concerned when they didn't how up. During the afternoon I rang my cousin, who went to investigate, tracking my aunt & uncle down to the tennis club bar. Phew! At least they were OK.

The whole day was very emotional for me because I felt Mum shouldn't have had the celebration (based on my prejudice about their situation), and sad because of the state my Dad was in (he was very incoherent that day and had had a fall in the morning).  I spent most of the afternoon ensuring that Dad was OK and trying not to burst in to tears.)

After we took Dad back to the hostel I took my dogs for a walk along the river (I tried out a new bit of the river near Mum's and really liked it - nice & quiet!) and then caught up with Mum for a bit (and took the dogs for a second walk with Mum - lucky dogs!).  When I got home I found that my husband had cooked a fabulous pork roast (with crackling to die for).  Being cooked for is rare treat and was just the balm I needed. It was a delicious end to what had been a stressful day.

My social life continues

This weekend is another busy one! Yesterday I walked the dogs in the morning at the park (where we met a gorgeous American Staffy, also called Indi.  She & my Indi had a great time together, mostly long runs). Then I met a friend for a spontaneous shopping trip, and then I picked up my Dad and took him to my Mum's for lunch.

As Dad & I drove down the highway he kept commenting that "it's all the same, nothing has changed".  I don't know what he was expecting, that the world had moved on and become completely unrecognizable? But he couldn't remember how to get to Mum's place. 

They had a nice time together and I think we will probably repeat the little outing from time to time. My mother rang later in the day to see how dad responded to going back to the hostel where he lives - he was fine, thank goodness. I think she thinks he misses her desperately all the time, but I think he just lives in the moment and reacts when he sees her (saying that he wants to go home, and crying - it must be very difficult for her).

We then had good friends over for dinner. Years ago we used to see each other all the time but children and life have overtaken us and we don't catch up nearly enough anymore. We had a lovely evening, talked, drank gorgeous wine, and ate delicious food. They have two lovely children (I remember when the first was born going over to their house for the first time, it was slightly fraught to begin with, but once she was settled in her gorgeous wicker bassinet (a family heirloom, I think) and we'd eaten and relaxed we stood around admiring her perfection!).  I've committed to taking them to see Madagascar 3 at the movies in holidays - a first for all of us!

And this afternoon we're off to my cousin's for lunch. So a busy time! Such a relief to be doing things, rather than staying at home feeling that life is passing us by.

This Social Life

I had been feeling that our (well, my) social life was lacking, and a quick look at the calendar confirmed this sad fact.  Up until mid-July things had been going along swimming and then nothing but a wasteland of nights in front of the idiot box (as my father used to call it).  I don't know what happened - possibly winter. Or apathy. Or both.

Anyway the universe must have heard my increasingly desperate mutterings about my social life and responded.  Last week I was out four nights in a row! A quiz night (an annual event which I have been going to for, we worked it out, 16 years or so (with a couple of misses, but that's a good innings). An evening with Ahn Do - what an inspirational and hilarious person. I laughed until I cried. Friday night we had dinner at Must Winebar & Bistro with some good friends.  It was a fairly subdued event - I think we were all pretty zonked, but great food was eaten, lovely wine drunk and it was good, as always, to catch up. And then Saturday night we had dinner with my hubby's cousin, who hadn't been to Perth for 6 years - time which seemed to have flown by.

So our social life is back! Thank goodness.  There's only so much reality TV and surfing of the interwebs that I can endure! I'm sure our social life will continue nicely now that spring has sprung and summer is on the way.  This coming weekend we're having dinner with friends and lunch with my cousin (see what I mean!).

Yesterday

Waking up this morning I was so happy that I didn't have to redo yesterday.

The chronology of yesterday was:

• Decide to take the dogs for a walk in the morning (now the morning aren't quite so arctic and the sun is getting up a bit earlier) only to have Indi roll in someone's spew down at the local oval. Yuck. So we walked home and she received a bath whilst I dry retched all over her. Gross doesn't begin to describe it. Fortunately she'd just got the vom on her rump so I was able to lift her into the laundry trough without getting it on myself. I just hope the person who left the up chuck had had a good time and their hangover wasn't too bad.  So, no going to the oval until we've had a bit of rain.
• Organised flights, car, accommodation and flowers to be sent all relating to death of my uncle.  The flower people rang me to say that they don't deliver wreaths to private homes. WTF???  Anyhow they have delivered something and my cousin will photograph so I get to see what we eventually got for our money but I was not a happy camper.
• Then in the evening, just as I was contemplating a second glass of red, the phone rings to let me know my dad has been taken to hospital after having another (actually one of quite a few by the sounds of it) fall at the hostel where he is now living.  Off to Freo Hospital I head with my brother collecting Mum on the way from his place.  Mum & I saw him about 10pm and I thought he looked like it was a recurrence of the flu, and mum said he'd been coughing that afternoon.  After that we headed home.

On the upside I cooked a cracking casserole in my pressure cooker.  With polenta and savoy cabbage (which I have only just started cooking with and love). 

 

As I said, I'm very happy to have that particular Monday out of the way.