I am worried about Mother. At her maximum, she weighed just under 80kgs. She is now 45kg, 100 lbs for those who use such measurements. Her face, brain and vital organs remain the same, but her body has shrunk. She is just so terribly frail.
Tradie Brother is not working and drinks an awful lot. He is a daytime drinker.
I tried to call Sister last night, on her landline and mobile phone. She did not answer and did not call back, although I did leave a message, see you on Christmas Day.
Step Mother's partner's wife died from dementia. He suggested to Tradie Brother that he is seeing signs of it Step Mother. She came home one evening and left her car running and the lights on in the garage. She is becoming increasingly crabby. We did not see signs of it when we were in her company at the wedding.
We went into town for me to take a couple of photos and to have dinner. I quipped before we entered the restaurant, we must not over order this time. I may have said that before, but R just exploded and stormed off and went home. I dined alone and very nice it was.
As I walked on my own down Bourke Street to catch the tram home, I saw nobody as old as me in the city. Once I reached Swanston Street I had a little time to wait for a tram home. The city was busy and pumping. Buskers galore. People laughing, joking, chatting and all sorts of languages. So many had multiple Christmas shopping bags.
The sad old man just sat at the tram stop playing with his phone until a tram arrived.
I see things with Jack that worry me. A sudden unexplained burst of anger, his calling me a liar for serving him a large potion at a meal, but mostly it is a general dislike of the world and everyone in it.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to deal with, so yes, I admit to blocking it out.
Right now Disney is looking better and better to me!
Maribeth, I guessed it was like that for you. I get the Disney reference.
DeleteOh dear on the 'lovers' tiff. Did you get the cold shoulder when you finally got home?
ReplyDeleteOh dear on your Mum Andrew. Getting old is not for sissies. Does she realise how frail she looks to others?
Cathy, it will be a war of attrition for a few days.
DeleteYes, Mum does know how she looks and she doesn't like it. She has always been a bit vain. But still today when I spoke to her on the phone, she was trying to manipulate things.
Christmas is often without cheer. Hope you and R have made up. It is hard to see the frailty of age knowing it will happen to us all, if we manage to survive that long.
ReplyDeleteMarie, thank you. Becoming really old is not for the weak.
DeleteNot, I'll not, carrion comfort, Despair, not feast on thee;
ReplyDeleteNot untwist — slack they may be — these last strands of man
In me ór, most weary, cry I can no more. I can; ... Gerald Manley Hopkins
Roderick
Beautiful, Roderick. Thank you.
DeleteOh Andrew. All of this post makes me ache in sympathy.
ReplyDeleteAnd empathy.
DeleteEC, onwards and upwards. As you wrote in your own post this morning, so many people really do it tough at this time of the year.
DeleteMany hugs to you and yours. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Snoskred. 😊
DeleteLots of women loose weight when they approach the 80.it's better to be skinny then too fat ! My husband weight 75 kgs and was 1.90. Hé shrank 1 cm lol !
ReplyDeleteGattina, in some ways it is, but it doesn't give you much in reserve if your fall ill. I reckon my mother has shrunk by more than 2cm.
DeleteOh my, a lovers tiff then :) glad you enjoyed your own company, not too sure about the old man waiting for the public transport though.
ReplyDeleteSome people loose weight as they age, others put it on - have a lovely Christmas, and Merry Christmas to all.
Thanks Margaret. You made me feel good. Best Christmas wishes to you too.
DeleteI remember my mum losing weight when the cancer took a proper hold on her. I'd forgotten what a nice figure she had when I was very young, she gained a LOT of weight over the years and my children never knew her as anything other than fat. When she lost weight, she also shrunk and became my height then a bit shorter, but for a while her slimmer figure was lovely. Then the frailness came and the bruising from constantly banging into walls and doorways as she tried to keep balance. I'm very glad that she kept her mind at least.
ReplyDeleteThanks River. You shared some great memories and it must be good that my mother still has her mind..........I think.
DeleteNow I'm sobbing. I want to hug you. Or something. When I read an ending such as this.
ReplyDeleteYour mom needs to eat more. Who is caring for her? Wasting away like that. I'm sorry no one answered you and R stormed out on you.
Strayer, all is ok now. I don't get the sads too often, thankfully. She is living at my brother's but she looks after herself pretty much. She gets meals on wheels, if you know what that is.
DeleteWe have Meals on Wheels here too. The offerings can be a little sparse. I hope she gains some weight.
DeleteSending hugs. It is hard watching us all getting older. I agree, sometimes I think we must be the oldest people when we are out.
ReplyDeleteIt is different here in Mexico where you see multi generations out and about.
Thanks Jackie. It is good that we are still going out when others our ages are not. The western lifestyle is not all good compared to some much poorer countries.
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