After a good breakfast of porridge and an apple we set off once more down to Manchester.
This time we headed directly to Mum's bungalow to get it ready for her return. We had arranged for a small team of cleaners to do a deep clean of the bungalow next Tuesday in preparation for her coming home, but then plans were thwarted when the hospital rang me to say she was being discharged the next day. So, we snapped into action and got there a couple of hours before she was due.
My brother took a half day off work and went to get Mum some shopping and sort out all the things that he normally does for Mum, I did a minor clean of the kitchen areas that she or her carer would need to use over the weekend, including washing all the pots left from just before Mum fell that had lain abandoned for two weeks. Alan started clearing the floor to make getting around for Mum much easier with her rollator, and then repositioned her telephone next to her chair by tacking an extension cable along the picture rail and safely down the side of the door. Now when everyone starts phoning to see how she's getting on she won't have to cross to the other side of the room to answer it ... much better.
Between us we got the bungalow safer and then before we knew it she was home. Literally five minutes after she was brought in the carer arrived to introduce herself and give us all the details of the care package from their side of it.
It's nice to have it all in place, but of course this is nothing of course to do with my rationing Challenge and all plans of ration meals went straight out of the window for the day. Lunch was a sandwich hastily grabbed from Booths before we headed for the motorway and supper ... eaten very late on our return ... was once again a Chinese curry sauce and rice.
Episode Two of a Wartime Kitchen and Garden for your perusal, while I have a much calmer day.
Sue xx
Well done all of you for getting everything ready for Mum. Trust she will be much happier back in her own home. Hope you didn't overdo it and strain your own back. xx
ReplyDeleteToday, the day after all the rushing around and cleaning, has been a tough day for sure, but I'm trying to rest as much as I can.
DeleteThere's a time and a place, isn't there and your Mum comes first. A day off won't hurt. Have a great ration day today. xx
ReplyDeleteYes, it's important to get my priorities right at the moment.
DeleteYou must be so relieved to see your Mum settled in and to have met the carer and I think in a way that it has got something to do with your challenge as life goes on and our lifestyle and diet have to fit in around these things ( my tummy has only just recovered from that awful hospital pasty ) . . Enjoy a restful day you both deserve it,x
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to see her back home and in her own surroundings again. Tuesday is going to be a long day trying to work around the cleaners and keeping Mum happy while they do her bungalow, but it really needs a deep clean.
DeleteHow lovely that your mum has you, your brother and Alan to sort out the bungalow for her return. You all did amazingly well in a very short time, making the bungalow a much safer place for your mum.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy a much quieter day today, you have earned it x
Oh...forgot to thank you for pointing us in the direction of the wartime clips, Sue, I'm really enjoying them.
DeleteIt's good that we were all able to muck in together and get things done, she's very grateful for all the help.
DeleteSome of the clips are brilliant aren't they, the more I look the more I find, it's fascinating.
They are wonderful. The thing I found hard to watch was, I think, in episode 4 when Ruth boiled a pig's head to make brawn. I had to fast forward that bit despite having watched my mum do it when I was little :( So much goo! eek!
DeleteYes, that was a bit of a yucky one to watch!
DeleteRules are made to be broken, you'll soon be back in the swing of your challenge.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you have your mum out of hospital
Alison in Wales x
It's important to know what's important isn't it. :-)
DeleteWe finally got Mum to accept a helper ie cleaner who was a lovely woman and was totally trustworthy and kind. I was the asked why I hadn’t let her have a helper years before. Mum’s house was never so clean or well organised in living memory and it was worth every penny it cost me. Catriona
ReplyDeleteMum was very open to having a cleaner, we had discussed it just before her fall and she agreed. Luckily the hairdresser who cuts her hair and that of some of her friends in the flats adjoining the bungalows is also a cleaner and Mum was happy for her to start cleaning once a week. But as Mum has struggled for a while, we feel the need to give Becky a clear start as the bungalow needs a good spring clean and deep cleaning of the carpet. Mum's been there for over ten years now with slowly declining health so things have crept up a little bit.
DeleteIt is worth the money for the peace of mind isn't it.
Personally I'm glad your mom was well enough to come home and you made her home safe. You can go on rations tomorrow. The curry sounds delicious
ReplyDeleteI'm fitting my rationed meals in whenever I am home and able to do it, hopefully after cleaning day things will be fully back to normal ... fingers crossed.
DeleteFound you! I've just enjoyed a catch-up.
ReplyDeleteSo glad your mum's home. xxx
Oops sorry, had you lost me. :-)
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