Went down to my hometown last week for the first bit of the jubilee holiday. Ordered Dad a commemorative t-shirt and programme as I thought he would see some of it on the TV, but he was completely unaware of it, and he didn't seem to query the carers who were all wearing union flags in their hair and on their t-shirts. Just as well, as the blooming things never arrived anyway.
He was watching a family film on TV though and said he was finding it hard to follow but 'that little dog is very intelligent' which made me laugh as yes, he was a talking dog.
Dad was fixated on some pipes which were, allegedly, in the general direction of the wardrobe, and apparently one was a gas pipe which had water in it and one was a water pipe which had gas in it - they had it the wrong way around. Apparently it has happened before, last month and they would know how to fix it. It was hard to get him off the subject, and apparently there was also a part which comes in two sizes and of course, they had fitted the incorrect one.
As this was clearly quite important to him I said I would pop downstairs and tell 'them' about it and make sure they were fixing it. In reality I let the office know and they could pick up the trail of conversation if it came up later.
I built Dad a plane - there was a bit missing which was annoying but most of the plane was ok. Dad said he wasn't looking after the planes like he used to - his Spitfire was missing ('out on training') at the moment, but he told me that he had the army on maintenance. He knows the army captain quite well, he said, and he comes to him for advice, because 'he knows I'm an RAF man' - I mean, don't we all!
He had been saying to me that I should ask him for advice, and I told him I'm doing some gardening, and did he want me to grow anything in particular? He seemed a bit wishy-washy over that so I suggested roses (we already have those) and he told me that mum and dad would love that as they were very keen on roses. Which I never knew as he never told me about his parents but let's hope it was a fact.
I also told him about his niece getting married again (third time lucky!) and he wasn't sure who she was and talking about his sister seemed to make me morph into her, but we agreed I would send a card and sign it from him so all good I think?
Dad is looking thin and more frail - his mobility is severely reduced to just the chair and shower/bathroom with a walker now. He is incontinent, and leaning to the right and seems to even have trouble holding his head up straight. I'm sure the mobility loss has hastened muscle wastage, and he is still eating and drinking very well. He's out of bed and dressed daily and shaved/washed daily (whenever possible, as he won't always agree) but he is deteriorating.
Left to his own devices, in his room with TV and radio, he is calm and seems happy enough, occupied mainly by his delusions - he told me that he 'does a lot of thinking and he has a very busy brain', which I don't doubt at all, and my husband said knowing me as he does this is just like me, my brain is always whirring away doing something!