Home Again

I spent Friday morning exploring Bargara and Bundaberg.  The former is a small seaside town which is about to be developed.  There are several 5 or 6 story unit blocks just finished or under construction and on the outskirts of town is a new shopping centre with a Woolworth's Supermarket.  Bundaberg is quite a big old fashioned town with a strip shopping area in its CBD.  There appears to be only one really large store, a Target.  I spent the afternoon resting and surfing the web before having dinner at the hotel.  I watched a bit of TV before having an early night.

I left before 8.00 am on Saturday to drove home.  It was the first day of the Queensland School Holidays and there was plenty of traffic in both directions.  There was also a fair number of large trucks heading to Brisbane which tend to tail gate small cars such as mine travelling at the speed limit.  I think it is intimidation and it scares me.

I got home at 11.15 am  and after a snack Helen and I took Louis to visit Margaret  after lunch.   She was in a nice mood but told me that Helen had not come home the previous night.  I can still do no wrong as poor Helen gets all the flack for imagined transgressions.  We stayed for a couple of hour before we returned home and I had an afternoon nap.

Sunday was Louis' fifth birthday and we organised a picnic in the Nursing Centre's little courtyard of the main dining room.  We had a variety of snacks such as ham, tomatoes, cheeses, pate (3 types) and of course Margaret's favourite liverwurst  washed down by Champagne (local imitation variety) .  Louis loved the ham and had a great time.  Margaret also enjoyed herself and the RN and carers dropped in to wish Louis a happy birthday while also having a share of the snacks.  The good thing was that Margaret ate quite a good meal.  She has been eating very little over the last week or so.

After the picnic we took Margaret back to her room and the carers got her back in her chair for a rest.  We left about 2.00pm.

Sunday was supposed to be a special day as it it was Margaret's and my 52nd wedding anniversary.  We had intended to take Margaret out to lunch using either the bus, which has a ramp for wheelchair access, or the special Access Cab.  The carers were in on the plot and made sure that Margaret kept her feet up to minimise the swelling and stop the leaking.  This had succeeded but when Helen rushed ahead of me to make sure that Margaret had a card and gift to give me she found that Margaret had forgotten about the anniversary.  When I arrived she thrust the wrapped bottle of Red, which I like, and the card at me.  I gave her a card and a pot plant which we put on the table next to the window and in full view from her chair.

Unfortunately Margaret was not up to coming out with us so we brought lunch to her.  I went home and got another bottle of wine and ordered her favourite Indian Meal from her favourite restaurant.  I was back within 45 minutes and the carers had provided glasses, cutlery and plates so we had an impromptu Anniversary party in Margaret's  room.  She was very loving to both of us and we left her to rest after a couple of hours.

Over the last week she has settled very well and does not ask to come home.  In fact she calls her room home and she actually believes that she owns it and that Helen and I live somewhere else in the building.

We have decided that Helen should go home after Margaret's birthday which is next Sunday when we will try and take Margaret out for lunch.  Helen is booked home on the 28th September.

 

Louis at His Party

Margaret at Louis Party

Helen at Louis Party