The garden, mother and me

Page 5 Pride comes before a fall, Does that include slips? I did approach mother about the use of different mobility aids around the house and garden. Which were all dispatched with a firm NO especially not ramps. Mother definitely needed some extra support her legs were rapidly getting worse, which affected her walking. Thing is what could I do. Then the one thing I had been dreading happened. I called on mother as normal to take her out, the curtains were still closed and door locked. Thank goodness I had talked her into giving me a key. Going in I called “hello, where are you?” “I’m in here” very informative but at least she answered and there she was sat on the floor at the side of the bed. “How did you get down there? Are you in any pain?” “No. I am fine I just sat on the side of the bed and slipped, I knew you would be here soon so I didn’t panic” I got mother to straighten  her legs without my help and she was fine, no wincing or other si...

Page 4 From little seeds mighty trees grow, So get a chainsaw We are into autumn now and the fruit trees are in need of pruning, in the case of these trees a radical restructuring. “Hi mother, I am off into the garden to do some pruning” “What needs pruning? You have cut everything back to an inch of its life” “Well the apple trees need sorting out” “They were pollarded a couple of years ago so there fine” “No there not. They need pruning” I can be assertive when needed. I get out the house before mother recovers and goes into full scale rant, there was some more chuntering about men and ladders but I ignored it. More distructive gardening, I love it. yes the trees were pollarded but no one structured the trees as they grew. There were branches that needed taking right out. So up the ladder sawing off branches I went great fun. “ What are you doing” ahhh, heck I nearly fell off the ladder and a branch narrowly missed mother. “ Be carefu...

Page 3 With a little bit of patience,  As a passenger you do sit, You’ll never lose your sanity, While by a mother you do sit. I never thought that shopping could be such an ordeal. Firstly we had to drive there, mother insisted on driving. “I know you’re driving speeding round everywhere, I’ll drive” “How about your arms and legs” (please this can’t be happening, Nooo ) “I am perfectly able to drive, now pick up the bags and let’s get going” (help) Mother is only five foot tall (or 153cm ish,) and one of those elderly people who drive large cars that they can’t see over the steering wheel. Nightmare when on the roads, psychologically damaging to sit next too. Also she is the only person I know that can give you the G force effect on take-off, Off we go. I sit and tell her which way to turn the wheel so we can reverse, turn the car and get out the drive safely, (oh yes, she can’t see out the back of the car either, wing mirrors? Useless). Then it’s ...

page 2 Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves.   The garden is really coming together now, even mother has mentioned, in passing, that a friend of hers has said so. {I’ll take that as a back handed compliment} Well I am outside tidying up and round the corner comes a vision that I can only describe as Britannia holding a garden hoe as her trident on a mobility scooter. “I’ve come out to help you, but if all you can do is laugh I won’t bother” mother can be so indignant. “Yes fine ok no problem” well I’m not going to stop her working not when I can get a giggle out of it. “What are you planning to do?” “I can sit on my scooter and do some weeding of course. “ (Brandishing a hoe with intent to do damage) Oh I never stop a willing worker when there’s a lot to do and that hoe looked lethal. So mother was positioned by a flower bed the seat on her scooter turned sideways and I left her to it. Hoe in hand poking at the weeds . What a beautiful day it...

page 1 You can choose your friends - - - - - - -but your family, you’re stuck with. Have you ever noticed that there is a definite role reversal in life? When your young mothers care for you, when your older they still believe they’re doing the caring but in fact you are. On my last visit I noticed that mother was becoming more, not frail as that would never describe mother, or confused, as she will always be able to nag for Britain, but more not able to cope with things. The first was the garden, walking up the path was more like going on a trek through the jungle, machete at the ready watching out for wild animals, scrambling over the under growth dodging tree branches and brambles, then coming across a clearing.  It was the lawn!! Mown and tidy? How bizarre. Bemused I carried on to the house to see mother. After the normal pleasantries, such as you’re too thin! You don’t eat enough! You look a mess! And so on. Followed by replies of, I’m a healthy weight, ...