Ok so when was the last time I put pen to paper or should I say fingers to keyboard to write this blog? It’s been nearly three weeks and lots of water has gone under the bridge as they say. Actually we have had some amazing autumn weather and I’ve even been swimming several times! By swimming I mean a quick dip into the freezing yet rejuvenating Indian Ocean. I’ve swum much more than I ever did during the summer months. This summer in Perth was not really swimming weather as far as I’m concerned it’s too windy. Even though summers are usually hot, this year was quite cool it’s the wind that puts me off. I’m not one for howling gales what whip up the sand it’s like being blasted with sandpaper! Not such a pleasant experience. I’m also not into the cold which the wind often brings with it. Well not actually cold but when you’re wet it just feels colder. Ok so I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to swimming. I prefer more tropical warm, calm days.
I have also been back to the sleep clinic to receive my results. The good news is I don’t have sleep apnoea (I could have told them that!). I had hoped they would be able to give me some advice on how to overcome insomnia! No such luck! After several very sleepless nights and lots of advice from friends as well as prayer, I decided to try something slightly different. I looked up natural melatonin on line and found there were fruits that might help enhance melatonin. Combining prayer and fruits I also concentrated on meditation of the Word of God. Specifically in regards to His peace and healing. Since then I have had some very good sleep with only a few nights waking around 3 am when I then take something to help me go back to sleep. Praise the Lord! I do believe with His help I am overcoming the problem.
Jen, my sister, also suggested cut down on fruit high in fructose as this has helped her not to wake with panic attacks which also seem to be linked with age! I recently saw a documentary on health which suggest what you eat can very much influence your mood and of course health. They seem to confirm that a Mediterranean diet mixed with Asia vegetables, berries and fermentation is what is best for our gut health. As well as regular exercise of course.
Towards the middle of May I suggested Mum visit a day centre for those with dementia. Not that the ‘D’ word was mentioned. It was not a good morning to go as Mum was not in the best of moods. We finally arrived after a bit of persuasion and were shown around the facility which had a lovely garden where members could help out as well as crafts and activities to keep them occupied. They also mentioned that on a Tuesday, which was probably the day Mum would attend, the local childcare centre children visited. I thought this was a lovely idea for both the attendances and the children, some of which we were told didn’t have grandparents or great grandparents. I thought Mum would enjoy that.
As we arrived back at Mum’s place I rushed off to the loo leaving Mum to get herself in. Unfortunately Suzie, the dog, jumped up on her and scratch a large area of her wafer thin skin. I could hear Mum’s comments and asked what was wrong. She said wait till you come out. She had made her way to the sink dripping blood all over the carpet. Here she had taken the filthy dishcloth and pressed it to her leg which was still streaming blood due to the blood thinners she is taking. I raced for the bathroom to get some clean cottonwool, betadine and an elastic bandage. After a quick clean up I bundled her into the car again and off to the doctors. The nurse took us in immediately to attend to her wound. It was soon cleaned and wrapped up with a sterile bandage. I asked the nurse to put a note on the surgical tape saying ‘Do not remove till Friday’. She told me Mum would be back on Thursday for it to be removed. I said yes, that’s why it must say Friday otherwise it will be taken off on Thursday before she came in. All through this Mum is objecting to my comments saying she would remember. I know of course she won’t. I also asked the doctor for antibiotic which, thanks God he prescribed.
Thursday came around, we had decided it was a great opportunity for Mum to trial the gopher to give her some practice. I walked briskly alongside as we headed to the doctors. This time I let her go in by herself but overheard the nurse say that she had come in a day early! Oh dear she had read Mum’s surgical tape message! I really do wonder about these nurses sometimes. I keep having to remind them that Mum has dementia and is not good at remembering things. Thank God all was well and no infection. Now she just had to remember to not touch the bandage (which for Mum is an impossibility as she either thinks it will do better having fresh air or can’t remember what is under it and will remove it to take a look. I’m convinced she also suffers from obsessive compulsive scab picking disorder!) I’m positive it’s only by the grace of God she has survived thus far.
On Wednesday’s Mum is picked up by a community bus and taken to a day centre where she does activities or together go on outings. Wednesday has become my day check on things or to get things done, like have the plumber come in to fix her leaking toilet. This Wednesday we arranged for Mum to stay with her friend Jeanna for the night until Mum decided she would rather stay home. Praise the Lord, we didn’t have to remover the toilet as we had suspected. Although the job was very complicated, the exterior pipe had to be removed to get at the washer on the waste pipe which needed replacing. The plumber had said he could come the day before but having had previous experience with my sometime cantankerous Mum he stuck to schedule only just getting the job finished before the bus dropped her home.
Tuesday, 30th May, I picked Kath up from the airport having just returned from her holiday in Florence. She had requested some time alone with Mum giving me time off. I was a bit upset at first as all my food for cooking was at Mum’s but it worked out well giving me a good rest with no commitments or responsibilities. It does make me nervous though as when she leaves I know it might take me some time to get Mum back into the routine that works best for us. One thing I find very difficult is the disagreements we have over Suzie, her dog. If the routine we have is changed I often get arguments about putting her in the laundry to eat while Mum and I have our dinner. I just don’t like dogs that beg while we eat especially as Suzie sits on the sofa beside Mum eyeing every mouthful and licking up the crumbs! Yuck!
On an evening recently my older sister and her husband visited. He let Suzie out of the laundry after I had specifically asked him not to and of course when I put her back in it caused a disagreement. I really don’t understand why people do that especially when they have a dog and if I was to go against their wished for their dog I know I’d never hear the end of it! I suppose they rightly feel it is Mum’s place and her rules but while I’m helping out I really do think they should also consider our needs too. I’m here every evening cooking and eating with Mum!
Having Kathy here really has given me more incentive and energy to do things around my place. The very next day after she arrived Nezka wanted a lift to the shops. We went to Kmart where I bought myself a pair of rubber gardening boots which I had been looking for since my pink pair wore out last year. We also visited Bunnings were I bought a lovely Magnolia bush to replace the curry leaf tree which I pulled out after hearing they suckered. I cut two suckers off the parent plant to be kept in pots to prevent them from taking over my garden. I also bought more herbs, compost and potting mix.
The next day it was full on gardening. Praise God for the glorious warm, sunny days. I moved a large barrel to a position against the back wall outside the kitchen window. I then filled it with soil taken from where I am extending the path, I added cow manure and compost before re planning a climbing rose I had grown from a cutting out of Mum’s garden. Two cuttings into the barrel and one into a pot out the front. Unfortunately many of my lavender plants had not survived either being over or under watered in my absence so into one of the spaces I put the potted climbing rose. I will later make a trellis for it to grow on. I then replanted all the herbs I had been given as a house warming as well as the ones I’d bought yesterday. Some into the barrel and others along the path which I had also started to reshape. Having procrastinated for so long I finally had the energy and inclination to get started on the paving. For the next few days I worked on the path edging, shaping the path into curves and along the north wall of the house. This is a very unproductive part of the garden so I decided to pave it. It gets on sun in the summer and is under the eves so receives little to know rain.
The only thing holding me up now was cutting the angular pieces of paving to shape the curves. This was to be done with the scary big pave cutting blade! This machine is what has been putting me off paving. I didn’t want to work with it on my own just in case something went wrong. It’s a bit like never going swimming on your own. Now with all the paving laid in place there was only the cutting to be done. I decided to call my builder to see if he wanted to finish the job. He said, no problem, he’d come around and have a look. I decided it would be a birthday pressie to myself. I felt relieved and happy about the decisions. While he was here he could also put up more lattice for the passionfruit to grow along.
Now that I had started on chores around the house I tidied the backyard, finishing off some shelves onto which to store my empty pots, cleaned the carport and patio areas. I also collected a few ceramic pots from a neighbour who no longer needed them. I’d been looking at them for a few months waiting for their reply to an inquiry. Then one evening while walking to the beach I saw my neighbour gardening and introduced myself as the lady who had been inquiring about her pots. She said I was welcome to them. Bob, who lives in the bottom unit in my block helped me load them into the car to move them home. Now I just to decide where they will go and what I’m going to put into them.
My garden/patio area is a difficult one to grow things in as in the winter there is no sun and the summer there’s too much sun and no shade so pots are good as they can be moved around. Eventually I’d like to put a bit of a pagoda up but that won’t be for a while. I’m waiting for my new business to take off.
Talking about the new business, both Grace and I have been busy putting pages together for the website. We have several domain names which we hope will help drive people to our site. I’ve been doing some online research to get an idea of how much we can charge business to advertise on the site and looked at links that might be useful.
For over a month now we have patiently been waiting for our graphic designer to contact us with his ideas for a logo, finally the big day arrived.
This last week also ushered in my 26th birthday (dyslexicly of course). Kath and Mum took me out to Yum Cha for lunch. I think it’s one of my favourite meals other than REAL Thai. Just as I was leaving I heard someone call my name. I was surprised to see Lisa and her daughter. I had lived with Lisa and her family for a while when I was first in Bangkok. That was over 25 yrs ago! I was surprised Lisa recognised me. She said she had walked past me and had picked up a familiar vibe. I thought that was funny. It was such a lovely surprise to see her and her daughter who was just a baby on Lisa’s hip when I saw her last.
Photos: 1. Sunrise jogging through Star Swamp bush reserve 2. Autumn walk along the sea front 3. Espaliered lime tree 4. The one and only pomegranate 5. Front garden 6. Celebrating my birthday 7. Sunset at Hillary’s Marina
Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for the wonderful Autumn weather we have been having.
I’m very thankful for the time Kath is here with Mum giving me a break and a little time to myself.
Praise Him for answered prayer, both Kath and Jen have been offered work. Kath back on the boat and Jenny has casual work twice a week in Eumundi. Please continue to pray that more work will come in for her.
My new business opportunity, Senior’s Benefits and Rewards is coming along well. Please pray that both Grace and I will make the right contacts to move forward and to have the wisdom for all the challenges that go with starting a new business.
Praise the Lord for mum’s continual good health. Please continue to pray for the adjustments she faces in this new stage of life and the ability to adapt to daily challenges that it presents.
Thank you to all my supportive friends and prayer partners, knowing you are keeping me in your prayers is a real encouragement and strength to me.