Apr 26, 2019
A wee update
Thank you for all of your comments, Colin is touched. He is on his way home and I thought he was landing at midnight but it turns out that he is arriving at 11:20PM. Good thing I checked.
Westjet had a seat sale either late February or early March with great prices so I booked Colin’s flight to Winnipeg. We had enough Westjet points to pay for his ticket so we only had to pay for the hotel and the car rental. It was the most basic of airfares and we chose not do to seat selection as that is about $48.00 each way. Your seats are automatically assigned and I assumed, incorrectly as it turned out, that we could change that selected seat 24 hours before departure, which you used to be able to do. On today’s leg from Winnipeg to Edmonton he had been assigned seat 22B at the bottom of the photo ( middle seat ). There were only two aisle seats left when I checked this yesterday, 24 hours before departure.
It cost me $25.20 including tax to change his seat to the green one, 13C. I knew that he would want an aisle after the last few days. Turns out I made the right decision.
When he got to her room this morning she was ready to go out. Mommio wanted to go to Walmart to buy some pretzels as she wanted some snacks to enjoy as she watched TV. Something had been bothering Colin all night.
This is Mommio’s purse, leather is missing here and there. When they were at the mall yesterday they looked at purses and found one that worked perfectly. Mommio decided she shouldn’t have it but it was fun looking. But this morning Colin knew that he had to get it for her. He bought it on the way to Mommio’s as a surprise for her. He just could not see her carrying that worn purse around. All she had was $10.00 in it plus many of her personal items. Before going out today, Colin helped her switch all her contents to the new purse. She was thrilled.
A mere $50.00 before tax and Mommio had a new bag. Mommio is very happy with her new purse.
This afternoon I asked Colin about all the bulletin boards we had put up a few years ago, with all the pictures as well as all of her funny toys that danced and sang. The toys have all been put in bags in the corner of her room. Apparently she was going to change rooms so they were packed up. It seems now that she will stay in this room. Not sure if the toys will be brought out again. Mommio doesn’t seem to be cheerful right now. Colin found the empty cork boards in her small closet. She said that they were taken down because her room looked too messy. So Mommio no longer has those photos of us from over the years up on her walls, all the special occasions and memories. She said that she no longer has her old photo album to look at pictures from over the years and reminisce over 🙁 Not sure where they ended up. In her purse where her treasures are, Mommio keeps “an envelope with 6 or 8 pictures – 2 of those photos are her with Luciano – the waiter at the Hotel Fort Gary. The rest of the photos are of her/me and her” (Colin’s words). She used to love to go with Colin to the Fort Gary every year, it was a highlight for her. She loved those cork boards with all the photos as they reminded her of the good times and she remarked that it made her room feel more like home She no longer has her violin nor any mementoes of her home . For years and years we have mailed her ( or had someone mail it for us when we are away ) a greeting card every two weeks and we always enclosed current photos. They seem to be gone. Many were in the missing album. Not sure about the cards we sent. I will have to check with Colin. Colin, not having or sharing POA finds that there are many things he is not allowed to do in the handling of Mommio’s life. When he visits her he really works on having good fun times, lots of laughing and good outings. He really splurges on her. She sings. He plays the guitar. The other night they were watching U-Tube videos of seniors doing the Swing. She had a great time. Life is to be enjoyed.
This is on her bathroom door. At least there are a few photos of Colin and our girls.
Mommio feels that she has no control of her life. She was recently put into a wheelchair for fall protection because her arthritus in her legs makes it difficult for her to walk. At 104 & 1/2, she is not as steady as she was and using a walker would require someone with her and the home just does not have the staff to do that, hence the wheelchair. When Colin arrived he had to lift both her legs to fit in the car. Today she did it on her own. She says the wheelchair is making her lose her ability to walk because she isn’t using those muscles. So very true. She is totally with it, her only problem is her hearing and of course her age and related frailty. The nurse says she is quite healthy.
She sure enjoys the special days here and there when Colin visits. I imagine he is going to be very tired when he gets back home.
It has been extremely windy this afternoon. The lake has high waves with whitecaps.
Even at sunset you can see the branches of the willow tree blowing to the right.
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Nice that he could spend some time with mommio and bought her a new purse, lotsa laughs are good for the soul. I had the same issues with no POA for my mother, brother and aunt, my hands were tied. Frustrating.
Yes frustrating. Sorry you had to deal with that.
The photos of Mommio and Colin are so nice to see – the happiness just radiates on her face and on the face of Colin, too. What a special time for them. The purse is a lovely purchase for her.
We often wonder how she is when we or Colin are not there. Wish we had a camera in her room to see.
What a lovely lady she is – beautiful and such a light she shines! A lovely son and daughter-in-law (daughter-in-love) she has as well. Of course the gift of the purse was the icing on her cake this visit. Thank you so much for sharing her with all of us over the years – I so enjoy seeing her each time you visit. Bless you all.
So glad that you have enjoyed Mommio over the years. She is a unique and very special lady and we love her.
By having the picture boards in sight gives her a reason to remember and to keep going. Without them she is basically giving up.
The more she walks the more she will retain her strength.
Be Safe!
It’s about time.
Sadly she is not in control of what is left up in her room. Also for most folks it is easier to have her in the wheelchair all the time. Not so for us. If we lived there things would be different
I had the same issue with POA. It kind of made sense because the sibling lived much closer to our parent, but it should have been shared POA. Sibling did ask for my input, but I sometimes did not express my real opinion because of the power imbalance and the stress a conflict would cause our parent.
Such a difficult position to be in.
Such a special bond they have. A heartbreaker when Mommio is still so cognizant and could do so much more if someone could spare her the time. Colin is a good son to make such a difference in her life. Tough times..?
I think that bond goes to way back when she saved his life. Yes tough times. For the first time in 22 years we are free to travel other than Mexico. We had tried to have her moved her but that was impossible, mostly due to her and health regulations of the province. Fortunately Colin isa beer to visit a few times per year.
We would love to meet her, she is a true example of life.
What a lovely thing to say.
Very nice purse pick – good call Colin. West Jet seems to have changed lots of policies. I found out after we returned from Mexico our paid bag was in USD funds back from Mexico. It makes no sense when the USA was not a stop! Bloody hell, they’ve received lots of complaints over it. We would travel with carry on only but have too many lotions for conditions that we need to take so now check at least 1 bag between the two of us.
USD!!! Wow that is off the charts. I understand about checking one bag.