How Do You Eat An Elephant?

I've had a few questions about lack of blog updates.  Dad's condition remains steady; so thankfully no dramas! I have been trying to gauge exactly where he is at. In recent visits, we've wondered if his dementia is getting worse. He still recognizes us, but seems to be struggling more to communicate - both in speech and comprehension.  I was speaking with someone as to how to cope with the situation. I appreciated the advice I received - that while dad's body is no longer able to do what he once did, his spirit and essence is still there, and we can still connect to that.  Sometimes I understand how to make that connection, other times it's a struggle - particularly when he's falling asleep on me. His sense of humor is still there... and getting him to smile is quite rewarding.  He was king of one-liners, so if we remind him of that, he gives us a cheeky half-grin.

I've been surprised - not to mention overwhelmed - by the amount of mail still coming in for dad that requires my attention. I've not written much here recently because I've felt overwhelmed by life. Have often thought of the expression 'sink or swim'. Indeed, when you go for a swim in the surf here, you have to take on one wave after another. You can either panic with each wave that comes along, or you can relax and appreciate the power and fun that comes with each wave. Life is one rolling wave after another... it doesn't seem to stop!  In the middle of all of this, I made the decision to go back to school to upgrade my skills. I have been frustrated at lagging behind for a long time.
(Another thing I've learned is that you have to constantly educate yourself. Again... if you think of life as a series of waves, you need to hone your skills to stay afloat. Besides - it’s so rewarding to learn new things. That's one thing my dad taught me by example... have a sense of curiosity that leads you to learning new things.  Dad never finished high school, but he had such a wealth of knowledge on a broad range of topics.  If you ever wanted to know something, you asked dad!  Those were the days before Wikipedia!)

I digress... back to my story...  I initially took an intro design course, and now have to take a makeup course in order to enter the fast track diploma course in Feb. I love the work, but am worried I won't have enough time to do each assignment properly. Which brings me to the title of this post... how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.  I had similar advice when I embarked on the move overseas, which was very helpful but I seem to have forgotten it somewhere along the line. You can't eat an elephant all at once, but if you break it down into bite sized pieces... well, you might just surprise yourself!!

I think that's enough analogies for this post! We're here, we're coping, and I guess that's all anyone can ask for.

(Sydney weather update... 32C - overcast with a hot wind blowing.  Apparently this means cooler weather is on the way!?  Still learning about the weather patterns here!)