Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 September 2004 20:04:37
Tandem ironing! Why did I never think of it sooner? The purchase of a second ironing board has made life so much easier - Tiddles now irons alongside me, learning the skills of the trade as an ironing apprentice and diverting about a fifth of the ironing mountain into a little molehill for him to tackle. Mother-son bonding at it's best. We put on a good film (Peter Pan this afternoon), stick Smudgelet out of the way in an easy chair where he matches socks to the best of his ability, and we iron. Tiddles' future wife doesn't know how grateful she should be to her mother-in-law-to-be.
Dad really isn't well at all at the moment. I almost wish he was living here as I hate to think of him suffering alone at home. But I know that would never have worked. Even this afternoon poor Tiddles got it in the neck. He was sitting at the coffee table at Dad's, doing his homework. When Dad came in after his nap, Tiddles showed him the fantastic drawing he'd been doing of a Roman soldier (not easy) and discussed his latest History topic with him. He was about half way through his homework when he needed to go out to the toilet and on his return Dad asked him aggressively what he was doing. When Tiddles replied "I've been to the toilet, Grandad", Dad asked again what he was doing. "I'm just going to sit down, Grandad". Dad, jumping to the conclusion that Tiddles was being facetious, snapped at him that he had not asked where he had been or where he was going, he had asked what T was doing and he expected a straight answer...and when T replied that he was doing his History homework, Dad snapped that he wasn't a mind reader and how could he be expected to know. Well done that boy for staying polite and just letting the telling-off wash over him. He's beginning to understand that Dad gets confused, and that the pain he's in makes him irritable.
As for Dad, I could weep for him. He's in such distress, with infections in his lower body which mean he can't sit or lie down without agony, with a urine infection which needs him to drink plenty of water, but with fluid retention and water on the lungs as a result. Where's the quality of life gone? And because of the lack of sleep I guess, he's becoming more and more confused and can see that happening too. Everything is a big worry to him these days, especially finances. I just want to put my arms round him and hold him tight and take all his worries away... because to me they're just minor irritations which are easily dealt with. Still, I'm handling it all far far better these days and able to keep things in perspective.
I've just noticed my little family of spiderlings have all grown up and flown the nest. Not that spiderlings can fly, of course, but metaphorically speaking. There's no sign of them or their mother, just the remains of a massive cobweb adorning one corner of the room just out of reach of the feather duster. Still, I won't be pining for my eight-legged friends as there seem to be plenty more around to take their place.
Coffee time, I think, and a long soak in the bath - probably best not to take a book in there as I'm fairly sleepy and it'd probably end up under water. Then I'd better practise the hymns for tomorrow. Anyone got the music for "There are hundreds of Sparrows" ?