I can't believe I haven't written anything since July 1st.  I suppose that just goes to show what happens to me when I get busy.  It was a busy summer.  I worked most of the time and my mom had hip replacement surgery in July.

I took mom to have her surgery in Red Deer on July 13.  It went very well and she was discharged from the hospital on July 16.  They sure don't want them in there any longer than they have to be.  Niece Susan came from Calgary to look after Grandma for the weekend which was very much appreciated since I was working and I didn't have Bernie up to speed yet with what mom needed. 

We got into a fairly good routine but it was difficult for mom to get around and do things for herself for a little while anyway.  Home Care was no help at all because things have really changed and what mom needed to have done and what Home Care could actually provide were two different stories. 

I work for Home Care and I was embarassed with the fact that the services are hardly there anymore to care for people who have been discharged home from the hospital.  So we just cared for mom ourselves and all I can say is "thank you Bernie, I love you and you are the best".  If it hadn't been for him I don't know what I would have done, he just took right over and cared for mom when I couldn't be there and for that there are not enough words to express what it means to me and to mom.

Mom had to have daily injections of blood thinner, each morning for 25 days and I think her son-in-law administered more of them than I did.  She couldn't get around in her kitchen for at least a month following surgery and he was there every day when I couldn't be, boiling water, making soup, wrapping up sandwiches and putting everything within easy reach.  It wasn't without the humourous moments and that's what keeps us going!  One day he decided to make chicken noodle soup at home and then take it to mom.  He drove because he wanted to stop at the Post Office for her mail and he was probably intending to go on to Home Hardware for something he always needed.  Anyhow, when he came to a halt at the Post Office the lid of the soup container came off, and it all went flying.  We are still picking noodles out of each crack and crevice of the truck!  LOL  He managed to salvage some of the soup and mom said it was pretty good.

Mom has had a fantastic recovery and she is getting around on her own, takes her cane when she thinks of it and life goes on as usual.  She is 85 years old.

Bernie spent most of the summer in the basement when he wasn't performing his "nurse duties".  Our basement was a wet soggy mess after all the rains.  He gutted it completely.  It was finished quite nicely but we soon discovered that it was not insulated and it needed some TLC anyway.  He framed it and insulated it and discovered new and interesting things about the basement on a daily basis.  At this point in time he is still putting up dry wall and it looks very cozy down there.  His leg muscles sure got a good workout since I lost track of how many times he carried stuff up and down those stairs.  He also became very knowledgable about eaves troughs and gutters.  We think we have everything right now and hopefully we never, ever get the same amount of rain that we got this past spring and summer.  Unbelievable.