Ready for a break

A week today I'm disappearing for a few days and my brother is stepping into the breach, it's fair to say that I am ready for some time off.

Sunday was a lovely day, with Jon, Fran and the girls. Ma enjoyed it too I think although she will insist on referring to both of the girls as 'he', luckily they are both young enough not to care.

Monday we had a visit from the dietician. She is pleased that Ma has put on weight and has decided to close her file. This means that we are once again at the whim of the GP regarding the prescription of Fresubin drinks and we all know what that means don't we? It beggars belief really as those drinks have been instumental in getting her weight up and keeping it there.

Tuesday I took Ma to day centre, pootled round a bit then took Mavis to the doctors. While she was in the surgery I wandered down the old railway line which is now a cycle/footpath and just across from the surgery where I picked some wild flowers to photograph. Dropped Mave off back home and before I knew it Ma was outside in the day centre bus refusing to get off. She didn't want much of her tea and was pleased to get to bed when the carer arrived.

Wednesday I took Ma to the day centre and had a cuppa with everyone as they were highlighting dementia awareness week. I sat next to Ma in the lovely sunny main room where there was a baby doll in a growbag - I know it's not called a growbag, but that's what I always called them and can't remember the proper name... one of those stretchy towelling suits with feet in - on the table. Ma immediately picked it up and sat it on her knee. This reminded me that I was going to get one at some point but have forgotten to do so (if anyone has one their child no longer needs I'd be grateful).  One of the staff told me that the doll is very popular with a lot of the ladies and sometimes there's an unseemly scuffle to claim ownership which is then jealously guarded.

Home via Morrisons for some photo frames to put some of my photos in as a raffle prize for the sponsored walk/Dementia Café event on Saturday. So some poor buggers who get one of the last three tickets drawn will have to pick one of my photos. Eh well, life's a bitch. Oooh unless they put all of them together as one prize... That would be really cruel!

So after farting about with photo paper and the printer, swearing appallingly but with deeply satisfying and vicious alliteration and failing to print anything I gave up and ordered prints online via Jessops. Actually a very good and reasonably priced service. They should arrive tomorrow.

I then unwrapped a photo frame and noticed it was damaged. Arse. Two pics for the raffle then. Or in fact, after inspection it appeared that all the frames were broken. Sigh. Back to Morrisons it is then.

After that relaxing half hour I went to collect Mavis and take her to a tea dance organised for Dementia Awareness week and involving some of the Café crew and patrons. We had a really lovely time watching all the dancing (and a fair bit of showboating, highly entertaining), discussing Strictly and scoffing cake.

Today we had a visit from both the physio team and the district nurse. Once that was done and dusted we went to Morrisons to return the photo frames. Yesterday it was a breeze in and out. Today it was a nightmare of monstrous proportions involving Ma, who wouldn't get in/out of the car or wheelchair and then once inside Morrisons via the underground car park and lift having her calling 'Help!! Please!?!' and grabbing onto nearly everyone we passed. Many of whom were understandably less than pleased because despite being the size of a pea, Ma has a grip like you would not believe. Interestingly the service till lady told me that the frames I paid £4 each for yesterday are now reduced to 48p. I wonder why.

Call me a glutton for punishment but as we were out already and I needed replacement photo frames, we went to Matalan on the way back. I know I know. Perhaps seeing Ma banging on the car window when I walked six feet away to get a ticket should've been a bit of an indicator. Then Matalan (like Primark) has one of those winding queue things to the till lined with danglies such as socks, umbrellas, mugs, hankies... It is fair to say that our trip out this afternoon was utter hell on a stick.

I can't honestly say that it improved a great deal once we were home but she is now in bed and appears to be settled so let's hope she stays that way. She must be exhausted, I know I am.

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