Back to work

We celebrated Olivia's Birthday and she really enjoyed it and was thrilled with allthe lovely gifts she received.  That evening we went out for dinner to The Steam Packet and had a lovely meal, Margarge and Paget came with us and whilst Margaret enjoyed herself (I think) Paget was more advanced in Alzheimers than I realised.  I dont see him very often but could tell that he did not know who I was, he thought Tony was Eustace (Pagets brother) and the Olivia was Vivienne (Tony's sister).    We came back to our house and had Birthday Cake and tea.  I had made Olivia a giant orea cup cake for her birthday cake and she was delighted with it.  She is a beautiful girl both inside and out.  I have noticed lots of lads looking at her whenever we go out these days and she is loving that too, a natural flirt but with sense she will have much fun over the coming years!!

Francis called in to give some lamb bones to prince.  He was quietly enraged (the worst sort of rage) as he did not remember Tony telling him that Tony has organised for Paget to go into respite care for two weeks.  Margaret needs a break from Paget, he is extremely hard work for her.  Physically she is not good at all (note to self always walk, cycle)  and the stress of Paget is making her a little vague at times.  I told Francis that whilst he was concerned (and rightly so) about Paget settling into the home Tony's main concern was his mother.  Its intriguing to me that Francis is so distressed about his dad's wellbeing.  Tears welled up several times.  the unfortuante thing for Francis is that in his arrogance he thinks he is the only one who feels anything or knows anything.  He is very difficult to get on board with things and always pulls in the opposite direction.  This may indeed be why his business is not the success it perhaps should be.  Arrogance is a terrible curse (surely derived from feelings of insecurity and needing to control???)  Francis thinks that his being with Margaret for a few hours every day helps......even if he was there for 12 hours a day it doesnt lighten the load.  Francis works and is often missing (in his own world) Margaret still has to deal with paget every second of the day apart from when Paget sleeps and that may also stop as insomnia and sundowners may take over.  Pagets and Francis' relationship was never happy and Paget was often mean and hard on Francis.  It makes me feel sorry for Francis that he now appreciates this relationship he thinks he has with his demented father.  When Jim had dementia my brothers and sisters and I were only really interested in making sure that the carer (our mother) was was being well looked after and cared for.In fact if anything my brothers maintained their hatred towards my father and had very little to do with him it was my mother we were all there for and so in turn he got looked after well by all. Perhaps Francis has to do what he is doing to come to terms with Pagets inevitable death.  Whilst his arrogance and stubborn behaviour is irritating he is a huge thinker (once he thinks what you have to say is worth listening too).  He is a sensitive soul and ponders at length about things (this must make decision making a weary process.  We backed her decisions completely and never tried to stop what was the inevitable.  Poor Francis, he has already lost this battle (and he does love a battle) before he even began it.  Francis' concern for Paget must have something to do with his own inability to let go, perhaps he sees this happening to himself one day and having no choice.  On the otherside of the coin Francis is very selfish and does in life really what suits him best.  Of course he is a caring father and his children however one always gets the feeling Francis always does what suits Francis and at this time it does not suit Francis to have anyone else tell him where or what is going to happent to his father.  Not his siblings nor his mother.  Poor Francis there is alot more to come, really this respite business is just the beginning.

Babies are growing up

And so tomorrow is Olivia's sixteenth birthday.  This time 16 years ago I could hardly wait to see what my new baby looked like.  I was a booked C Section due to probs with my last labour and risks with high blood pressure.  This time tho it was all organised and a little sister for my daughter Aisling would be perfect.  And indeed she was.  Little Olivia born at around 4 pm weighing in at 7lb 1oz, long thin blue feet and a perfectly gorgeous face.  She was such a quiet baby that a couple of days later when one of the junior doctors was looking to check her out once again he came looking for the "quiet baby".  Olivia is still a quiet type of noisy giggling, laughing, entertaing, hardworking, loving, caring delightful person whom I have the privelege to call my daughter.  Olivia is my girl and I love her with all my heart.  She is my pride and joy.  I am so proud of her and still cant believe 16 years later that I have been lucky enough in my lifetime to know her, hold her, teach her, guide her, appreciate her and be oh so proud of her.  I love you Olivia.  Bring on the next 16 years, and if I know anything about Olivia I know that its going to be eventful and exciting for the next 16.
Shevxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A Summers Day

Well here we go again, 38 degrees, this is madness.  Thankfully when we moved from Dublin we had enought money (Celtic Tiger and all that) to be able to buy a lovely cool house with Air Con, not too far from the beach, five min car drive.  So today has been mostly spent taking it easy messing about ont he computor and meeting up early this morning before the heat suffocated me with a friend for coffee.  The kids are now at the beach having an evenning dip and will be home for bbq in an hour or so.  I posted two parcels one to my daughte rin the UK just some Aussie Aussie Aussie stuff as she will be celebrating Australia day in England and needs to have the obligatory face tattoos and flags.  The other parcel to a niece who turned 21 over Christmas.  I sent her a lovely watch and hope she likes it.  The evening sun is starting to set and the garden is full of bird song, the shade and shadows made by our large trees looks inviting and I know where I'll be settling for the evening to await the cool coastal breezes.  Life is good.

and so another day

Today seems like a good day for Torquay but when push came to shove I opted out.  I need to get to the shops and buy my almost 16 year old something nice for her birthday this coming week.  She already wanted something to do with her computor and photography and so I thought something simple. 

A pretty aray of nighties and p.j's greeted me as I entered the shopping centre, oh soooo cute.  My lot are still in short p.j's bet she would love a couple of cute summer nighties.  Bras and undies too.  How pretty and sophisticated is the world of underwear for the average teenager.  So much to choose from....eventually I opted for red andpurple, undies with matching bra.  When the shop assistant took them from me to put them through the cash register imagine my surprise when that little thing fell out. No bigger than the hankies my mother and women of her generation proudly stuff in their bra everymorning neatly ironed and folded into a triangle.  The triangle tip may help you there.  Yes a g string.  Now as far as I am aware my almost 16 year old has yet to come to the pressures of marketing and don this almost non existent item of clothing.  That said I was tempted to leave it amongst her gifts for the big 16th.  Then I imagined her embarrassment at pulling it from the wrapping paper on her birthday morning and imagined her eyes looking to me with confusion, embarrassment and could that be slight amusement.  Think I'll leave it out, she can buy her own first g string, call me prudish but I am sure she could catch a cold in her kidneys if not properly covered up................................hahahahahhaha.  My 18 year old might laugh at my pruddishness but hey there's not need to encourage them to grow up any faster than they already are.

A day in the life of....

So today started like any other day when a family decide to head of for an overnight trip to anywhere but here.  Having sorted out accommodation in a strange little place named Robin Hood (for the kids really) we set off along the coastline from St. Kilda to well as far as we could go really.  Stopped in Rosebud for lunch and the obligatory visit to St. Vinnies where I invested a huge sum of money in one small serving bowl and paid of silver salad servers that Tony spotted and decided would be nice at the princely sum of $3 we felt we had don well.  And Indeed we had.  Next onto Portsea.  I have  never travelled this side of the Westgate (well that is a lie just never travelled so far on the coastline usually the trips are on the motorway).  Portsea along with Rosebud, Sorento, Rye were all gorgeous and I could have happily settled for the rest of my days in any othe them.  On leaving portsea we were now actually at sea because we really had no idea where Noojee was let alone Robin Hood.  One and a half hours later we happended upon an old dirty white hotel/motel.  Pointing it out to tony and the Kids I became mildly hysterical if hysterical can be done mildly and started shouting "there it is, there it is" and in the same breath, "keep going its a kip, keep going its a kip".  Amidst the floods of laughter Tony took off at top speed, the patrons of Robin Hood Hotel didnt even flinch never mind look up as they finished their chat and fags .  We quickly decided that a night in our own beds would be much preferable than staying awake half the night in the grotty looking motel and trying to figure out how to escape without breakfast in the morning.  And so we find ourself ont he right side of the Westgate happy and smiling and looking forward to a day in toquay body boarding and surfing tomorrow.