Whatever He Says

By Belinda Congratulations to Sarah Bessey and her fabulous blog  Emerging Mummy  which won first place in the  Best Weblog About Religion, Spirituality & Philosophy in the  2012 Ninjamatics Canadian Weblog Awards. I checked out her blog and was blown away by her writing and authenticity. Go Sarah! Congratulations too, to my friend Dave Hingsburger, whose blog  Rolling Around in My Head  won first place in the Disability category. I never miss reading his blog, which challenges and inspires daily!

By Belinda Yesterday, reading my friend Dave's blog post:  Too Late, Too Little, Too Much  I found myself, as I often do, on my daily read at  Rolling Around in My Head , with way too much to think about! I mean really, a blog post is a short thing; a thing to be read quickly; to be responded to with an equally quick comment. Only I couldn't be quick! I should know better visiting RAIMH! :) No fair Dave; starting your post and my morning with such weighty questions; questions that demand thought--and an answer. You asked: Can an apology be too late? Can an apology ask too much?  Questions like that deserve an answer and a very interesting discussion followed and is still going on in the comment section with so many thoughtful opinions on the subject. I tried to join in but gave up. The question needed more than a "comment" from this quarter. So here I am, trying to put into words more coherently what think on the subject, with no promises that I will succee

By Belinda By mid February 2004 I was already half way through the month I had come to spend in England. I had arrived with no plan but to get Mum's life back after finding her in hospital, depressed, and looking beaten at the start of the month. Within a week she was out of the hospital and home and we began recreating her world. Each day Mum, Rob and I navigated new territory, trying new things on for size and discarding those that didn't work for Mum and Rob. I made many phone calls, making arrangements for house calls for foot care, glaucoma tests, meals on wheels and the hairdresser. All the world was willing to come to Mum it seemed. Just as we began to feel less freaked out about our lives being invaded by the Helping Hands carers who supported Mum three times a day, Mum's social worker  reminded us that they were purchasing the services of Helping Hands only because there were no council carers available and that if that changed, they might switch back to the

By Belinda A post script to the story of Susan's scarf--if you click on the link to  Port Soiree , the restaurant where she received the first of her three scarves, the theme song they have playing is Chris de Burgh's, Lady in Red! :) Happy Sunday every one!

By Belinda (with a lot of help from Susan :)) I was saying goodnight to her at the front door this week when she told me. There was apparently more to the scarf around her neck than I knew.  The scarf had been a gift from me for Susan's birthday on Tuesday December 18th.  It had been her 60th; and that day I had treated her to lunch to celebrate.  We met at a tiny restaurant,  Port Soiree,  in Schomberg,near her office. It was a restaurant neither of us had been to before and it turned out to be a gem, with artsy ambiance, amazing food, wonderful service and modest pricing. In other words, it was perfect! The gift I had bought for her was a scarf made from Royal Stewart tartan--her married name being Stewart. It is hard to find the perfect gift for someone of our age. Most of us are de-cluttering so do not need more nick-knacks, and we have more books on our bedside tables waiting to be read than we have years left to read them all in--you get the picture. When

By Belinda The continuing story of Mum... Thursday, February 12, 2004 Two weeks since I arrived and one since Mum arrived back from the hospital in a pink cotton nightie, with a white hospital blanket around her to keep warm.  What changes over two weeks! Good things have happened. Tracy, who comes in the morning, is wonderful, and Karen, at night is equally wonderful. Today at lunch we met Julia, who I liked a lot!      She'll be coming often at lunch and said that there will soon be a regular pattern at lunch as well as at other times of the day. Karen has actually asked to support Mum on Sunday mornings. What a blessing. Mum's friend and close neighbour Trudy, came for a visit. It was so good for Mum to reconnect with dear Trudy, who is bright, energetic, and will be 90 on July 29th! When I was in the bathroom this morning, Mum got up and opened the curtains. I think I worry too much. She can do so much...

By Belinda The next chapter in Mum's story: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 Two weeks since I left home already. I can't believe how fast time is going. Mum continued to say how she didn't like, "the one who came yesterday" when I wasn't here, and no amount of my appealing for mercy for her helped. It's unlike Mum to take such an adamant stance against anyone. I'd hoped to meet her for myself  today, but it was another lady; Sandra; very nice.  Uncle John was coming for lunch today at 11.00, so after Tracy, the morning Helping Hands lady left, Mum and I had a cup of tea and then I went to the village to buy some fresh cream cakes to go with lunch. It was sunny and the birds were twittering, chirping and singing merrily. The walk to the village takes a brisk five minutes or so, but in that space of time you can meet several people who stop to ask about Mum. I love the village; it is a very special place. On my way to buy milk I saw fresh strawberrie

Today, in recognition of the  International Day of Mourning and Memory  I am re-posting a story that I didn't write, but heard during  Holocaust Education week this year. I am postponing the continuing story of Mum's stroke recovery for one day to remember a little boy who should have lived much longer than he did. His story should be told over and over. I am sorry that I'm posting late in the day!                                  Remembering Rainerchen I knew I had a brother who had died at the age of three. There were a few photos of him in the family album, a blond child sitting on my mother's knee. His name had been "Rainer," but on the rare occasions when she spoke of him, my mother always referred to him by the loving diminutive of "Rainerchen"--"small Rainer." My father never talked about him. During my childhood, my mother was a lively, busy woman. She had to be. For much of the time (until I was almost eleven) we lived in

By Belinda Continuing the adventure of Mum's new life from my journal... Tuesday, February 10, 2004 Another busy day is past, but not as exhausting as yesterday. We already knew Tracy and Karen, at the morning and bedtime visits. I left a long note for the "lunchtime lady" whom I hadn't met, because I was away at that time at a funeral with our friends, Chris and Eileen. Unfortunately Mum was not impressed with her and said that she was "rather inexperienced." Well, I will meet her tomorrow and we'll see. There were signs that Mum was right, but after all, this is the way "experience" is gained, so if I can help, I will. Note: When Mum used the words "rather inexperienced," this was her communication of "something" but we didn't know exactly what. Her stroke had left her with aphasia, i.e. word finding difficulties. She knew what she wanted to say, but was no longer able to put together sentences to express he