Dream unweaver

A few years ago, not actually very long, in fact just before Herself started to get ill, she was in the process of developing a very good career. She has this wonderful rapport with children, especially those with learning problems. She was well on the way to a very successful career in special needs education & was actually two thirds of the way through a degree in that field. Unfortunately, the MoNster has put paid to all that. You see you need to be able to talk to the pupils to do any good. She has had that ability taken away from her. She also used to really enjoy volunteer work for St Johns at our local hospital Emergency department, but once again communication is paramount.

A short while ago, I spoke to her about her patchwork. See, she loves that too & she is very good at it. So we have this bedroom full of material scraps & part finished projects. I sat her down & explained that bits & pieces arent going to be any good to me. I would far rather have a beautiful patchwork quilt to cuddle up to when I am on my own than boxes of bits & pieces. She has taken this to heart, bless her, & with the aid of two sets of bookshelves that we have been given, undertaken a massive cleanup & sort out of said stuff.

But she has gone further still. With out any prompting at all from me, she has been through all her study material. I haven't said a word to her about all the paperwork, because I know what it all meant to her & what the dream of stepping up on a stage & collecting a degree meant to her. So, I know what it has meant to her to drag it all out & get it ready for me to load on the trailor & take to our refuse transfer station.

She didn't come with me to do it. I'm very glad she didn't. It was hard enough for me to throw all her dreams away. I can't begin to imagine how she felt to see it all go. I'm very proud of her.

Yesterday, we went through to Ohinemuri House in Paeroa to attend my Mum's annual assessment. Apart from an amputated big toe & chronic dementia, she is doing fine for an 87 year old. Sometimes I think that it would be nice for a while not to have to think & make descisions for others. Then a sense of responsibility kicks in & I hunker down & carry on.

Sherman is still in the fixit shops. He's running like a top apparently & the handbrake is finally fixed properly, having new cables fitted. Yesterday, he had the gas struts in the tailgate regassed. Now they wont fall down & whack us on the back of the head when we close them. That will be nice. I also had the air conditioning checked, but its beyond reasonable resurrection sadly. All thats really left to do now is finish off the paintwork. I have had flash new chrome baby West Coast mirrors fitted & damn they look good. Hopefully Thursday or Friday should see him home.

Herself has had her medication changed. She is now using patches, which provide relief for 3 days or so at a constant level, which is much better than the up & down cycle of liquid morphine & she is much happier about it. Other than that , life goes on. And on, and on, but it sure as hell beats the alternatives.