Dear All,
Well, since we're all up for sainthoods, then I'll claim St Jude - Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes. She, by the way is a real bona fide Saint and that was her real title. How apt...!! Does anyone know anything else about this woman? I've often seen ads in the paper dedicated to St Jude, entitled 'Thanks to St Jude, my prayers have been answered', etc.
Yes, I do rave on and on about the oldies AD. Well, let's be frank about this, there isn't a hell of a lot going on day to day apart from that, is there? It's time consuming and mind consuming.
People always start conversations with 'Hi Jude, how are your parents?' Answer, 'Well, they are just fine' - apart from the fact that they can't find the loo; say the same thing over and over again 116 times per hour; get upset if they eat at 12.01 instead of 12.00 prompt; rearrange their sock drawers every afternoon; and wear the carpet out every evening by marching up and down the hall'. Apart from that, well, everything's just normal really!
I mean, WHAT DO YOU SAY - 'Yes they're really well, today - they managed to find the toilet ALL BY THEMSELVES...! No wonder peoples' eyes glaze over......
Next question is - 'When are you going back to Bali?' Answer, 'Well, I hope to be able to go over again in November'. This translates as, 'As soon as bloody possible, to get out of this nightmare'. These conversations make me feel so guilty. I just want to run away sometimes.
Now I've got another topic of conversation, which is the Inca Trail Trek. 'Oh really, why are you doing this?' This is much more satisfying, because I can hit people from another angle about AD and the need for funding. It makes a change. What they don't understand is how I could possibly imagine that slogging my way up a vertical Peruvian mountain for 40 hours, could possibly be easier than looking after the oldies for a fortnight'. The same level of effort is involved....
Looks like I'm in a snakey mood this morning...!!!
Jude xxx