I’ve just returned from a 10 day visit to the UK where we celebrated the 70th birthdays of both Mum and Dad.

We had a family lunch for Mum who had been on a Mediterranean cruise for her actual birthday in August.  All her children and grandchildren were there and Bryon’s niece, Karen and her boyfriend David travelled up from Brighton.  We had planned to spend some time outside after the lunch but the UK weather wasn’t up to it, cold and wet, but a fabulous dinner and time well spent with the family.  Unfortunately no-one took any pictures.

 

 

A week before I travelled my Dad had a fall in his home and broke his hip.  Dad was in hospital recovering well from the operation but his care home will not take him back so he remains in hospital while a new home can be found.  Dad’s 70th birthday was not quite as we had planned.  I took a balloon and banners into the hospital and spent the day with him. In the evening Gary and I sang Happy Birthday, Dad sang along too, and he had a slice of birthday cake.

 

Dad’s dementia (Frontotemporal Dementia) has continued to progress and since my last UK visit in March he can no longer co-ordinate and use cutlery and is less likely to pick up his own cup to drink.  Therefore, he needs to be fed most of his meals or encouraged to eat finger food.  I gave Dad the twiddle blanket that I made when I got my new sewing machine a few months ago.  Not sure if he was impressed or not but he did twiddle with one of the pompoms.  I may do a post on my experience with Dad and his dementia as it is not Alzheimers but a rarer form and also my experience helped me recognise signs of dementia in a friend which was being treated as depression.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I caught up with friends and family and spent time with my Mum along with daily visits to the hospital.  Mums back garden was looking lovely.  Full of flowers in bright colours and so green.  I do miss a garden.  I used to love planting up pots of flowers and herbs and then tending them at the cottage before we left.  A couple of the pots at Mums are from the cottage.

 

Unfortunately not only did I bring back a case full of sewing supplies, tea and an auto-helm but also a cold.   Neil’s not happy as I have shared it with him and he is suffering.  He did however get a bottle of his favourite Pusser’s Navy Rum from Bryon to cheer him up.

We had visitors when I got back.  Janine and Adrian Hall who are building Kira, also a Tiki 38.  We had met with Janine and Adrian a few times back in the UK when they came to see Gleda first in the barn, then in the mud at Weir Quay and Messack Creek.  This time they got to see Gleda afloat.  

The Roman & Carthaginian festival had already started when I returned and I was in time to visit the encampment, see the battle and the Grand Parade.  It’s hard to believe that it is a year ago since we arrived in Cartagena to see the festival for the first time.  The Grand Parade was a great spectacle again and I love the fact that this is where the non-soldiers get to be involved from babes in prams to grandparents.  It’s great that it is so inclusive.  There were 50+ groups in the parade and it took over 3 hours to pass.

 

 

 

With the arrival of autumn, although it is still 25degrees plus here, time to concentrate on things to do.  I used my down time with my cold to binge watch, without guilt, the second series of Outlander that Nicole brought over in October last year but I had not yet watched. In the darker evenings we are more likely to sit below and watch DVD’s or Netflix.  During the summer months however we barely watch anything and cancel our Netflix.  We will probably make it till the clocks go back in October before sitting below deck to eat dinner regularly.

I brought back some Christmas fabrics and will be getting on with some crafting.

Next visitors due in early October then Mum and friends in late November.  Time is just flying by.