Monday, January 26, 2009

Dad's upcoming birthday

While I was talking to my dad on the weekend, I was wondering how fast his Alzheimer's would progress. He was hit by a car last week while crossing the street. He misjudged how far the car was and thought he had enough time to cross before the car came. He left the dog outside for 6 hours in the snow in December, having forgot that he had let the dog out. Someone brought him back home the week before last, explaining to a neighbour that he'd forgotten where he lived.

This particular phone call he only repeated himself once, which was unusual. However on about 6 occasions during the call he forgot simple words. "The thing with grated carrots and stuff," I reminded him was salad. "Those things I take in the morning and at night," medicine. My brother had been over that weekend explaining to him that he would like to be the Power ofAttorney for him. I'm hopeful he understood what it was, but said what a great thing that my brother wanted to do that for him.

Aging is hard enough, but watching your parent slowly decline is awful. We all try to keep a positive outlook, but at the same time we have to remember that it's his disease when he sometimes says hurtful things, it the disease when he forgets to bath, its the disease when he forgets his keys and can't get in his house, (only to discover that when you show up to let him in, that the keys were in his pocket all along).

On February 3 he will turn 82. He is the only one from his own family left. His parents, step mum and both sisters died many years ago. His wife of 51 years died 4 1/2 years ago, and he now shares his home with Lucy, his faithful dog. My 2 sisters visit him weekly, my brother makes it there when he can, and all that I can do is call him once a week. We talk for about an hour, and often he has very little to tell me about, but I try to fill in the gaps with memories of old times, or stories of my kids at work.

This is the card I made for him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

I was all prepared to sit at home and work on a few scrapbook pages when I got a text from Glenn saying that he had a spare ticket for the play Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I checked out the time of the show and realised that I had 10 minutes to get there. I got my boots and coat on and rushed to the Canon Theatre. I had been there a few weeks previously to see A Chorus Line.

Glenn met me there and we went up to our seats to watch the show. I was a little disappointed with the singing, and the play itself lost a lot of the story, so for those who were unfamiliar with the story, they didn't quite understand it. But it was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon and I was given the ticket for free.

I did however manage to get a couple of scrapbook pages done earlier in the day. I haven't any journaling on either one, as that is not one of my strong points. I have made notes on the second one though.

Friday, January 02, 2009

January 1st

So after over 2 months I finally got a scrapbook page completed today. I have been working on Thank You cards for the kids at school.

Then I decided to make a gift tag for my friend Vanessa. I think she'll like it, I figured she can use it as a book mark. It is 6 x 4.

So when I finally pulled out some page kits I put together in the summer I found one that was relatively simple to do.

Well it's a start anyway, I'm pretty sure I will add more to it, but I am happy that I found some creativity to get me going again!

Thursday, January 01, 2009

New Year's Eve, couchsurfing style

I arrived with Beatriz around 9:30 at Mita's home and offered the food that I made.
Then we got drinks and left the kitchen and went into the living room.

There was food there too.

Just before midnight we all gathered in the living room.

Here is Mita's New Year's Eve Ball:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

After the ball dropped.

Even Bugs had a great time.

I celebrated with my good friend Beatriz.

Thanks Mita for a wonderful party.