Trip to Australia - Time with Dad

Friday 22nd November

Today  I spent time with Dad, and I also called round to my Mum's best friend to try and catch up.

So, an early start, Dad wanted to play Rummikub - at 6 o'clock in the morning!!!  I did not let him down, and happily had one, two, three games, or more.  In fact it was 10 a.m. and I was due at Mum's best friend then.  Old people worry if you are late!!  J lives about one mile away, it was hot and windy, I needed a sunhat for the sun, but a hand to hold it on my head!!

I was given directions, but because I knew there was not much civilisation for several hundred yards, I mapped out my own route - a long way round to avoid it.  It did me no good at all, because I took the wrong turning and ended up walking that several hundred yards anyway....and I was a lot later!

I was thinking as I was walking along, what if I saw a snake!!  How would I react, since I had no need to worry about snakes for almost 50 years.  I did see a dried snake skin under one of the trees - but no snake, thank goodness.

At last I arrived at J. and we were getting down to a long chat over a nice cup of tea - only been there 30 mins, when my sister arrived to say that our brother was leaving for home and I was to be there to say goodbye to him. Very disappointed, I would have preferred to stay and chat.   Unfortunately I did not have time to return another day. 

And so back home to spend the rest of the day with Dad playing Rummikub again?  Of course!!!  He is a very good player for his age.  We did spend some time with his model train set too - watching the train engine going round and round and round......

 

It looks very primitive, but it does help Dad's brain to keep active.  He was a wonderful woodworker not so many years ago, and age and his illness has taken over.  It keeps him amused, thats the main thing.  If he gets bored with that there is always his Kindle - and if not that there is Rummikub.... if anyone is ready to play.

Saturday 23rd November

Another early morning start - yes you have guessed - Rummikub with Dad - by now I am kinda getting fed up with it.  Can't have conversations with him like we used to, due to his illness so we do something he likes - and more than often - he wins!

I did have a break though - someone was off to Bunnings DIY Warehouse - I wanted to go!  Not to buy anything, but to have a look.  Wow it was huge and lots of things for sale.  I loved their metal fences, and the panels were not all that expensive either.....but just too big to bring back.  A shame.