The mobile library came through McLaren Vale the other day. I popped in and asked about large print books - they had heaps of them. I scored a Robert B Parker novel 'Shrink Rap', and, knowing that Simon liked this author, I thought he might like to read it with me. This morning, Simon read the first chapter with me out loud. It was four pages, around 500 words. He made only five mistakes in the whole chapter and some of those were to do with American dialogue. We aim to read this whole book by the time the mobile library returns in four week's time. It will be a landmark in Simon's progress.
Meanwhile, Simon continues to gain strength in his right leg mainly through using our exercise bike. This has improved his knee muscles and makes standing and transferring (from the chair to bed or the car) very much easier. Today we went to a shopping centre and managed to do some normal things with only a little difficulty. I have to learn how to carry the shopping and push a wheelchair at the same time. I had piled most of the shopping on Simon's lap, had things hanging off the back of the chair, and very nearly resorted to carrying a box of soap-powder on my head but decided this was too much. There must be a knack to this.
On the way home we popped in to see Justin at Alpha Box and Dice (google them and you will know why we love them). It is just about the smallest, most rustic, most delightful cellar door that I know of. Justin came out and helped Simon to get out of the car, into the building and out again, and never stopped chattering to Simon about wine the whole time. Very different to the supermarket experience. This is the last day of my annual leave and so it will be difficult to do those kinds of trips from here on. I treasure these days together.
Love Marian xx
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
26th January: Australia Day
Australia Day 2010 coincided with my 50th birthday - very nice for the Ozzies to arrange a national holiday for us. We had a splendid day - beginning with presents first thing in the morning. I got a wheelbarrow complete with ribbons and bows. Also a first class bottle of Shiraz with recommended cellaring for up to 18 years. It lasted until 3 o'clock!
The family joined us in the evening for drinks and a Chinese meal. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves apart from a few take-away customers. Finished off with birthday cake and Raina blew the candles out three times. During the evening my sister gave me my Dad's gold medal which was awarded to him the year I was born. A beautiful thing and I will always cherish this.
Now that I am 50 I have decided to wear red shoes!
Love Marian x
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
12th January: Simon's birthday
Simon hit the grand age of forty seven today. I woke him at 7am to open his presents including a lovely Lacost Polo shirt from Shirley sent via the UK. It rained heavily which was very welcome, cooling the place right down. We had a quiet day while I worked on my teaching notes. In the evening we went to the Barn restaurant and had a very nice dinner. Simon had Kangaroo steak, and we both had puddings. While in the restaurant, a lady approached our table and said "Hello Simon". It turned out to be one of Simon's colleagues, Pru from Unisa, she lives nearby and was staying over in the Vale with her family. In a second coincidence it turns out that I bought my first house in Australia from her family! We have promised to keep in touch. A gentle stroll home, then watched the Number One Ladies Detective Agency (the Movie). Great stuff.
Love Marian x
Love Marian x
Sunday, January 10, 2010
11th January: Back to work
Back to work for me today. Not such a bad experience, at least the air-conditioning was good. Met with our new Professor and caught up with some others to sort out timetable business. Then worked on my teaching notes for later this week. The time flew by. Worried about the risk of bush-fire, I got home by 4pm. There was a fire as I approached Noarlunga, but it seemed to be isolated - hope so. The wind has been roaring in from the North and everything is tinder dry. We hope for a storm to break this evening then we will all feel safer, not to mention cooler.
Here is a photo of Simon in his powered chair moving along at a fair click.
Love Marian x
Friday, January 8, 2010
9th January: Feeling hot, hot, hot
We are having another spell of very hot weather, well over 35 degrees. So sorry to hear about the big Freeze in Europe, but maybe some of you will get to swing a few extra days off work.
Simon now has a powered wheelchair which was loaned to us by my student, Blake and his family. Many thanks to Blake, this has been a real Godsend. We are learning to use the chair which is quite intuitive, although potentially lethal in reverse! We have had a couple of runs up to the centre of the village, and enjoyed a nice meal in a restaurant that would have been inaccessible to us before. The learning curve is pretty steep - some hazard presents itself around every ten metres (Asher will know this from having pushed the manual wheelchair many miles during his stay). The main problems are: steep kerbs, potholes, inclines, overhanging branches, hedges, dog-walkers, cars and wheelie-bins parked on the pavements. Apart from that, it's a piece of cake! The chair has a potential range of 50km, although I wouldn't like to chance the battery for that distance.
I have also bought an exercise bike for Simon, he just wheels the chair up to it and pedals. It can also be used as a table-top hand bike. Most days he manages at least a kilometre with the right foot strapped to the pedal. Our rehab in the home service finished on Friday, and Simon returns to the Repat hospital for outpatient therapy from here on. He will probably attend there for two or three afternoons per week starting next Wednesday.
Other news, our house at Brighton is on the market. I had to work like stink to finish off the decorating etc, and finally we have wardrobe doors fitted (pity we don't get to use them). We need to do well on this sale, so fingers crossed.
It is Simon's birthday on 12th January, so I am looking for a nice restaurant to take him to on Tuesday evening. We are also just six months into Simon's recovery, and this feels like another milestone. We are going to set some goals for ourselves over the next few days. First up on my list is to find a holiday destination that is disabled friendly that won't break the bank. Any ideas? I'd love to get Simon into the sea somehow, and know that it is possible - I saw it happening at Benidorm in Spain (a nice peaceful resort these days, by the way).
Regarding Spike. Regrettably, he has had to move out. Our cat, Skippy, couldn't cope with him and so I was having to separate them. This meant Spike spending a lot of time in the laundry which wasn't very nice for him. Spike has moved to Mel and Pen's place around the corner - and they are currently trying to train him. This should be possible because he is only a year old. However, what the RSPCA did not tell us is that he may be crossed with a wild ferret!
Meanwhile, we are having our drive concreted. We expect this to be finished next week and this will mean that Simon can get out of the house safely and down to the level of the garden shed and lower lawn. Getting back into the house is not so straightforward, we need to adapt the ramps again. Am worried that Skippy will leave footprints all over the concrete, or maybe it will just add to the character of our home.
Back to work on Monday. I have an intensive course running for the next two weeks, also looking forward to welcoming one of our new Associate Professors, Greg Fisher. Hope he likes us!
Love Marian x
Simon now has a powered wheelchair which was loaned to us by my student, Blake and his family. Many thanks to Blake, this has been a real Godsend. We are learning to use the chair which is quite intuitive, although potentially lethal in reverse! We have had a couple of runs up to the centre of the village, and enjoyed a nice meal in a restaurant that would have been inaccessible to us before. The learning curve is pretty steep - some hazard presents itself around every ten metres (Asher will know this from having pushed the manual wheelchair many miles during his stay). The main problems are: steep kerbs, potholes, inclines, overhanging branches, hedges, dog-walkers, cars and wheelie-bins parked on the pavements. Apart from that, it's a piece of cake! The chair has a potential range of 50km, although I wouldn't like to chance the battery for that distance.
I have also bought an exercise bike for Simon, he just wheels the chair up to it and pedals. It can also be used as a table-top hand bike. Most days he manages at least a kilometre with the right foot strapped to the pedal. Our rehab in the home service finished on Friday, and Simon returns to the Repat hospital for outpatient therapy from here on. He will probably attend there for two or three afternoons per week starting next Wednesday.
Other news, our house at Brighton is on the market. I had to work like stink to finish off the decorating etc, and finally we have wardrobe doors fitted (pity we don't get to use them). We need to do well on this sale, so fingers crossed.
It is Simon's birthday on 12th January, so I am looking for a nice restaurant to take him to on Tuesday evening. We are also just six months into Simon's recovery, and this feels like another milestone. We are going to set some goals for ourselves over the next few days. First up on my list is to find a holiday destination that is disabled friendly that won't break the bank. Any ideas? I'd love to get Simon into the sea somehow, and know that it is possible - I saw it happening at Benidorm in Spain (a nice peaceful resort these days, by the way).
Regarding Spike. Regrettably, he has had to move out. Our cat, Skippy, couldn't cope with him and so I was having to separate them. This meant Spike spending a lot of time in the laundry which wasn't very nice for him. Spike has moved to Mel and Pen's place around the corner - and they are currently trying to train him. This should be possible because he is only a year old. However, what the RSPCA did not tell us is that he may be crossed with a wild ferret!
Meanwhile, we are having our drive concreted. We expect this to be finished next week and this will mean that Simon can get out of the house safely and down to the level of the garden shed and lower lawn. Getting back into the house is not so straightforward, we need to adapt the ramps again. Am worried that Skippy will leave footprints all over the concrete, or maybe it will just add to the character of our home.
Back to work on Monday. I have an intensive course running for the next two weeks, also looking forward to welcoming one of our new Associate Professors, Greg Fisher. Hope he likes us!
Love Marian x
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