Archive for January, 2010

I believe Wayne can still read sometimes. The last few months at home he had no interest in the comics, usually his favorite section. He rarely picked a book up and if he did, he held it as if he were “looking after it” and then set it down shortly.

Some days he would surprise me and read a headline or whatever.

Deep down I feel it’s his connection, still, to a past of reading. We’d spend hours together in bed reading or in his den.

He got one of those cartoon yearly calendars several years ago and I took it to the care home. When he was on the “intense” ward, I’d read the cartoon to him and show him the picture. He’d laugh a lot.

Took Wayne out for an hour or so on Friday. He has never forgotten his love of books. Going by a bin of sale books, he stopped, browsed thru some and chose one. I suggested he look more if he wanted to. “Is that Ok? You can never have too many books.”

I had to smile inside as he is definitely a man with too many books:)

We decided on coffee/ muffin there but soon as I sat down, I knew the busyness was bothering him. We headed to a quite corner at the Tim Horton’s restaurant. He enjoyed a chocolate doughnut with milk.

About 4pm I washed him up and tucked him into bed for a rest before dinner.

So, today a nurse introduced us to a resident who recently celebrated her 100th birthday. Such an amazing woman. She wheels herself around in a wheelchair, her hair still “salt and pepper” and her mind is pretty good as good goes at 100!

Anyway, she wheeled into Wayne’s room, pulling right up to his bed and fingered his beautiful (new!) fleece blanket. “I’m looking for my hounds tooth coat, the nurses took it away from me.”

Wayne informed her rather sternly that this was his blanket, not her coat. She shot back that she could tell it was not hounds tooth!

After I wheeled her out, I suggested he be patient as she’s 100. “I don’t care if she’s 110, I don’t want her in my room.” My man’s getting tough:)

A dear friend was “talking” to Buddy recently and told him was was now retired and should live the good life.

As regular readers know, Buddy was Wayne’s buddy/guardian/comfort since December 2003.

He faithfully lay by Wayne’s feet, sat in his lap or cuddled Wayne’s feet in bed.

When Wayne started tossing around in bed at night, Buddy literally hung on to the covers. It was actually comical as he’d be tossed like a cork in a stream. As the spasms increased, Buddy was tossed off the bed twice when he was in a dead sleep. I would awake to “thump” and a bewildered cat crawling back on the bed! After the second time, he chose to sleep just aside from Wayne’s feet – after Wayne fell asleep.

The SPCA had named the cat Lynx (for his furry paws) but Wayne said he needed a better name – the only name which seemed perfect was “Buddy” and a buddy he was.

If Wayne went downstairs, the cat would sit and listen for Wayne’s footsteps. If he were “lost”, Buddy would look at me as if to say, “Go help Dad, he’s going the wrong way.”

So, here’s to you Bud, relax and enjoy the rest of your days. Love “Mom”

We had a green Christmas but Mother Nature is making up for it now. My neighbors have been shoveling for me, although I got out in time to do it today.

Spent 3 hours at the care home with Wayne. Those nurses deserve medals and more. Today I arrived to collect his laundry and “his” nurse apologized saying she did it this morn! I was so surprised – I thought only I could do his laundry properly:) Anyway, they don’t send this ward’s laundry to the main, it’s done on the floor.

Made sure everything was labeled well, bought new white socks so easier to mark.

After his lunch, he lay on the bed watching me mark the clothing. I got him washed and brushed and tucked in for an afternoon nap.

BTW, it is 80.9 km or around 50 miles, round trip from home.

Hope everyone is well – laptop on the fritz so haven’t been able to read blogs – I luckily have a desktop here but am spoiled and don’t like the old computer.