How IS Your Dad?

Oh dear, today is one of those days where I question my sensibility of having moved a sick father overseas.  It started with one letter in the mail, then another, then another.  All official documents requiring additional supporting documents of our move overseas.  Which requires a letter, and lengthy explanation of the situation, plus more photocopying and printing.  The poor old PoA papers are almost threadbare due to so much copying.  Groan.  I digress.

Hard to believe that we have clicked over our one year anniversary of moving here.  We have come along way, yet I feel so far from being settled.  I had a thought the other day that it has been easier to get dad settled than myself.  Having had put my life/studies/career on pause for the past few years... I am finding the pause button to be stuck!  Some days are better than others.  Today is not one of those days.  Again, I digress.

Tuesday last week was Melbourne Cup day.  I was trying to remember what I had done last year, as usually I watched the race online in Canada.  Surely, I thought, I wasn't that stressed out that I had forgotten what I did.  Then I remembered that we were in the air, en route to Sydney, on the first Tuesday of November last year.  Phew... not losing it quite yet!  The day prior, we had learned that dad's care home was putting on a barbeque in honor of the Melbourne Cup.  As it turned out, I was to pick up some Canadian delegates at the airport that Tuesday morning.  So we were able to drive straight to dad's place and have a good old fashioned Aussie barbie!  It was lovely to sit out on the patio in the breeze and visit... just like the old days!  A special thanks to our visitors for making a special stop over to come see us.

In the middle of all of this, I received an email from Aged Care online saying they had read my blog and wanted to interview me for a story on their website.  Here is the link to that story.  I must say... once I got off the phone from the interview, I felt like I had done a bit of rambling.  (Who? Me?)  What can I say... I wanted to download at a faster rate than what my mouth would let me!  Anyway, I hope our story might help others in a similar situation.
http://www.agedcareonline.com.au/news/82/15/Understanding-Aged-Care-How-is-your-Dad

Happy (Hot) Halloween

There is something scary in dad's neighborhood... a new bakery has opened up at the end of the street!  Neenish tarts, custard pies, lamington's, cupcakes, marble cakes, meringues... it's very dangerous.  It's hard not to pop in an grab a treat on the way to see dad!  Of course I couldn't resist this cute little cupcake for dad for Halloween!

Seems very strange to have Halloween in the heat! Though I have to admit it makes more sense for the little kids to run down the street in their cute little costumes without a big winter coat covering it up!  For Halloween in BC, it always seemed that the weather turned the week before, and one froze running down the street collecting trick or treats!  I remember one year - it was the 80s - one kid spiked his hair with gel - and his hair froze into icicles on his head... brrrrr!  Here in Sydney, the heat has rolled in this week.  No doubt it will cool down again in a couple of days, but for the past few days it has been hovering around 30C.  Trick or treating isn't very big in Australia, though from what I understand, it has gained momentum in the past few years.  I did see quite a few kids down the street calling out trick or treat... and I may have handed out a few treats myself!

Hard to believe that it was midnight on Halloween last year when we flew out of Vancouver, bound for Sydney!  It has stirred up a few emotions, to be sure.  Definitely missing our friends in Canada, but life here has settled into being something special as well.  Dad is content here and it feels like we have made the most of the situation.

Dad was doing really well yesterday.  We sat out on the back balcony with a lovely breeze blowing and I was able to talk to him a bit.  I asked if he needed anything, or if he wanted to do anything.  He said he'd like to get out and explore a bit, if only he had a bit more oompf!  He is still sitting in the water chair as it is more comfortable while he is hanging out at the care home!  We will have to call ahead to get him transferred to his wheelchair if we want to take him out.  Will have to organize something soon... we have been waiting for his pelvic bone to heal up.  Seems it has healed nicely; he isn't in any pain anymore, which is a relief.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween!  May you be enjoying chocolates and treats no matter what your age!