Thursday - September 25, 2008

It has been ages since I've done a post but most of the time there is nothing exciting to write about, every day is just a normal day in a normal life. The last little while has been a bit different but I just haven't had time to do a post but here goes.

In August we went to my brother's cottage near Sauble Beach and had a delicious dinner on the deck overlooking Lake Huron and were very fortunate to have a beautiful sunset to enjoy. Here are a couple of pictures of the sunset over Lake Huron









On August 26th I had surgery to replace my right hip and it went very well, I was supposed to be in the hospital 5 days but because I was doing so well they sent me home a day early - I sure didn't argue with that as hospital is the last place I want to be!! And, oh how wonderful it is to be without pain!!! I had an epidural for the surgery then they just put you out enough that you don't really know what is happening - I remember hearing the surgeon hammering in the spike but didn't care, but what a wonderful way to have it done, there is no having to recover from the anaesthetic and I feel my recovery has been much easier this time than 4 years ago when I had the left hip replaced.

My mother lived in a retirement home in Kitchener, so I decided that I would go there to start my rehab until I got my staples out , we figured it would be easier to me to get around there at first, plus I wouldn't have to do a 2 hour drive home and then back to get my staples out and I would be able to spend time with my mom. It worked out very well, I was there 11 days and was able to spend lots of time with mom in her environment, it was heart warming to see how much the staff loved her and they were always so good and kind to her. They kept telling me what a sweetheart she was (she really was) and one day on the way out of the dining room I said to that the staff all thought she was so sweet - she stopped walking, looked at me and said "you mean they don't know what an old bitch I am", I laughed and said no mom, you have them completely fooled.

I got my staples out on September 11th and we came back to Kincardine, then on the 15th John had to go to Kitchener for a doctor's appointment so I decided to go with him and see my mom - again we had a good visit and played double solitaire which she really enjoyed - we actually won our last game. On Wednesday, the 17th we got a phone call in the morning that she was not well and we should go down, John and I managed to get there and be with her for about 1-1/2 hours before she passed away surrounded by her family, fortunately my brother & sister-in-law were with her all day and my sister and niece had arrived an hour or so before we did. We will miss her terribly, but she was ready to go (91 years old) and went very peacefully - what more could we ask for her. One day when I was there, during lunch she had said to one of the women at our table that she prayed every night that she would not wake up in the morning, then when she did wake up she said she figured God didn't want her last night but maybe tonight - how can we be sad when it is what she wanted.

Now we are in the process of cleaning out her room etc. My older brother lives in Australia and he is coming home next Tuesday for a week to attend the interment service (both mom & dad were cremated), so we are having them interred together in Sarnia next Friday, then a memorial service for Mom will be held next Saturday at my sister's church in Brantford.

So, although most of the summer has been very quiet the last few weeks have been a bit busier. I am doing well, 4 weeks after surgery I am walking without a cane except when I go out and yesterday I drove the truck for the first time. The physiotherapist was here on Monday and thought I was doing exceptionally well so I was glad to hear that - have to be ready to head south in mid November!! And I am looking forward to being able to play golf this winter.

The next couple of weeks will be busy and then it will be time to close up our park model and move to Waterloo for a month before heading south. I will try to get a couple of posts in during the next couple of weeks, but for sure will start on a regular basis when we head south.