Not so much a blog - more notes and thoughts

Nan2seven

Registered User
Apr 11, 2009
2,525
0
Dorset
Happy anticipation ...

I have just taken a 'phone call from our eldest son to say that he is now this side of the Channel Tunnel and that he and our two youngest granddaughters (11 and 7) will be arriving in about two hours' time. They are staying until Tuesday. (Some of you will perhaps remember that our eldest son lives and works in France and has been over there now for three years - or nearly four. A long time, anyway.)

I haven't seen the girls since last September, which was only a few weeks after Brian died. I am so looking forward to seeing them again.

My love to all of you,
Nan XXX
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
Fantastic news Nan. What a wonderful surprise! I am so pleased for you. Have a lovely catch-up with your family. I expect you'll take them all to the beach hut - but perhaps not for a day or two, having read the forecast! lots of love XXX
 

TinaT

Registered User
Sep 27, 2006
7,097
0
Costa Blanca Spain
I don't post much on your thread but you know I'm thinking of you and the lovely day we had together. Enjoy the family - they keep us sane.

xxTinaT
 

Tazmania

Registered User
Jan 7, 2012
14
0
Essex
Dear Nan
I have read many of your posts and you are a wonderful, brave lady and I just wanted to suggest that you should use Skype or FaceTime to have video calls with your son/ grandchildren. I use it all the time and it is really easy to set up and use, and best of all it's free! It's so much better than a phone call as you can see the people you are talking to, why not give it a try.
Love and best wishes to you
Wendy
 

Loopiloo

Registered User
May 10, 2010
6,117
0
Scotland
Dear Nan

It is a while since I wrote to you on your thread although I have been catching up with your posts. I think of you so often, and write replies in my head, then I'm so taken up reading and time runs out....

Just wanted to say what a lovely surprise from your son and I hope you have had a happy visit with him and your two grand-daughters. His call must have made your heart leap and your face smile! :)

Much love
Loo xxx
 

Bastan

Registered User
Feb 10, 2011
483
0
Manchester
What a wonderful surprise Nan, I hope you've had a fab time.

Thank you for filling me in on your days. Life by the sea sounds so good...... Have you lived there a long time.

much love xxx
 

Nan2seven

Registered User
Apr 11, 2009
2,525
0
Dorset
Dear Jan, Saffie, Tina, Sylvia, Helen, Wendy and Loo,

Thank you all so much for your posts and your good wishes.

Wendy, we have "Skyped" a few times, but they have another daughter studying at Bath Uni and she "Skypes" her mum and dad a lot - most evenings when I was over there in September.

I have had a really lovely long weekend and have seen all three of our boys as of course they came over to see their eldest brother and their two nieces. We managed to cram in a lot and that included two trips down to the beach and the beach hut in spite of the poor weather. The girls went home with lots of seashells ... We also did a long drive over the Purbecks and found a wonderful viewpoint where there was an info board which told us all about the Aggle Stone (which I had never heard of before). I am determined to go back and find it sometime, having since found it on Google with some pretty impressive pictures.

Leah (now seven) was only three when they moved to France. Two or three times she said how lovely it was to be in England "with all the signs and place names in English". And yet her pronunciation of place names in French is terrific.

They have gone home with a cool-box brimming with several strong Cheddar cheeses, jars of Bran***n pickle, piccalilli and pickled onions, all items they cannot get in France, plus a selection of children's books in English, as the WHS store in Paris charges over the odds for them.

It was absolutely lovely to have them all to stay. And it is equally lovely to have the house to myself again.:):)

Thank you again to all of you,
Love, Nan XXX
 

Nan2seven

Registered User
Apr 11, 2009
2,525
0
Dorset
"The Meaning of Life" by Janet Behague

To-day would have been Brian's eighty-first birthday, and the above is a collection of verses and poems that were written while caring for him between 2009 and 2011, plus others written following his death from vascular dementia. (It is available at Amazon and is primarily for Kindle users, but if you don't have one it can still be downloaded with a free "app" and read on your computer.)

Members of TP for those two years will recognise several of them as I posted some in the Tea Room's Poetry Section. Newer members will perhaps recognise some of the incidents described and the emotions felt.

We all know that caring for someone with dementia can be isolating and exhausting, but at TP we at last find we are all sharing the experience with the support and love of others who understand how we feel. It has been a huge support to me.

(Would just like to add that the AS have assured me that it is OK to post about the collection here.)

With love to you all,
Nan XXX
 

Nan2seven

Registered User
Apr 11, 2009
2,525
0
Dorset
Collection of poems

Cannot believe that I have quoted the wrong title here.
It is in fact "The Answer to Life" - which, to me anyway, is love.
Nan
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,005
0
72
Dundee
I can recommend downloading Nan's book of verses to your Kindle. They are wonderful. xx
 

Loopiloo

Registered User
May 10, 2010
6,117
0
Scotland
Dear Nan

We all know that caring for someone with dementia can be isolating and exhausting, but at TP we at last find we are all sharing the experience with the support and love of others who understand how we feel. It has been a huge support to me.
How true. I was overwhelmed by the support and caring when I joined TP in May 2010. Shall never forget the kindness and caring I received, and still do, including from you Nan, while going through your own deeply heartbreaking experiences.

I'm late coming on my laptop for the first time today. Too late... have just made five typing errors so far!

Have not yet managed to go to Amazon and to suss out downloading the Kindle app to my laptop (if I can manage to do that) but hoping to do so soon and longing to read your verses. Thanks again for letting us know.

Love
Loo xxx
 

Loopiloo

Registered User
May 10, 2010
6,117
0
Scotland
Sorry. Have just deleted a long post I submitted here instead of the 'Loo & Saffie' thread........

Loo
 
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Loopiloo

Registered User
May 10, 2010
6,117
0
Scotland
Thanks Kassy for your post, it made sense to me! Yes, I did delete and re-post on the other thread, feel daft now for posting it here by mistake. :eek::p This seems to be my day for making mistakes, I'll blame it on tiredness!

I'm also glad you posted it, Kassy, and thanks for the big hug. You are always in my thoughts too.

Much love
Loo xx
 

Nan2seven

Registered User
Apr 11, 2009
2,525
0
Dorset
Dear Loo and Kassy, thank you both for your posts.

Dear Loo, I don't have a Kindle either, but downloading the app from Amazon is quite straightforward - and that said bearing in mind I am the most un-technically-minded person I know. Tom convinced me it was "the way to go" and the verses do look better set out in the Kindle formatting.

With love to you both,
Nan XXX