It is a weird Christmas for me. It is not the only Christmas that I have been away from family - spouse, children, grandchildren etc. This Christmas I am with my sister (some 40 + years since I have spent Christmas with her) and her daughter, spouse and child, in Adelaide, and we will visit our mother in a nursing home.
Talking Christmas with her is a sensitive issue - she is confused at times, and does not believe it is December, and then she gets upset that she hasn't bought gifts, or sent cards. It does make it hard for us all at this time of the year, depending on how she is feeling. We will see her today, with some Christmas goodies (chocolate, wine etc), and depending on her mood and our time tomorrow, we may visit again.
At 97 she's done very well, and lives happily (for the most part) in the nursing home, but conversing with her is challenging as she does get so confused and tells silly stories. Sometimes she denies having two daughters - upsetting the one that is the forgotten one.
It is especially hard on my sister as she lives in Adelaide, and she is committed to visiting our mother on a weekly basis. It is my sister who is often the brunt of mum's complaints and bad moods too. I have visited more often of recent times, but getting down from Brisbane is not easily and I hate the cold of winter so avoid that time of year.
Luckily all is well on the house sit front - I have one more week to go at Unley, with no other house sit opportunities on the horizon, so within a few days I will have to decided what to do after January 1st. Will I head off from Adelaide to the west?
I have a few more places to visit - I have a ticket for the Adelaide Zoo (to see pandas), and I'd like to go to Adelaide Gaol too, and the Barossa Valley. Mmm. I'm going to have to stay at least another week in Adelaide.
Talking Christmas with her is a sensitive issue - she is confused at times, and does not believe it is December, and then she gets upset that she hasn't bought gifts, or sent cards. It does make it hard for us all at this time of the year, depending on how she is feeling. We will see her today, with some Christmas goodies (chocolate, wine etc), and depending on her mood and our time tomorrow, we may visit again.
At 97 she's done very well, and lives happily (for the most part) in the nursing home, but conversing with her is challenging as she does get so confused and tells silly stories. Sometimes she denies having two daughters - upsetting the one that is the forgotten one.
It is especially hard on my sister as she lives in Adelaide, and she is committed to visiting our mother on a weekly basis. It is my sister who is often the brunt of mum's complaints and bad moods too. I have visited more often of recent times, but getting down from Brisbane is not easily and I hate the cold of winter so avoid that time of year.
Luckily all is well on the house sit front - I have one more week to go at Unley, with no other house sit opportunities on the horizon, so within a few days I will have to decided what to do after January 1st. Will I head off from Adelaide to the west?
I have a few more places to visit - I have a ticket for the Adelaide Zoo (to see pandas), and I'd like to go to Adelaide Gaol too, and the Barossa Valley. Mmm. I'm going to have to stay at least another week in Adelaide.
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