Extreme Knitting Redhead: It's my birthday again!

Monday, June 16, 2008

It's my birthday again!

I can't believe how quickly the years seem to pass. It really doesn't seem 12 months since I was running the South Downs Marathon on my 50th birthday yet here I am again, one year older and probably non the wiser!

I've already had a special weekend and have been treated to visits to garden centres (gardening is my passion) to have a good look round and purchase the odd plant or several. Then last night, Mike and I made a scrumptious curry together. He had a chicken masala, I had a mushroom dish and we shared a mixed vegetable bhajia with pawa rice (using a recipe from our next door neighbour from our previous home). It was lovely but I still feel stuffed.

We both went to the gym this morning to try and work it off. I have taken a few days off running as I have niggly groin strain that's been with me for about 18 months now. Of course, if I hadn't done 7 marathons in the last year it would undoubtedly have healed much quicker!

This morning's post brought a lovely surprise - a package from Amelia who had a blogaversary draw to win some yarn. It was beautifully wrapped with a pretty bow.

This is what was inside. Sundara sock yarn in the shade 'purple clover'. The photo really doesn't do it justice as it is several different shades of pink. This photo shows our native purple clover and the darkest colour in the yarn is really close to that. It's beautiful and so, so soft. I think it will have to be my next project when I finish Autumn Rose (which is progressing well).

3 comments:

Kirsten said...: Happy Birthday!!; June 16, 2008 at 3:36:00 AM PDT
Marina said...: Happy Birthday, Susie!

The meal sounds delicious. Indian food is not very common here and so it's a good thing that the "Chinese supermarket" imports pre-made spices for the different curries. The kids love it.; June 16, 2008 at 2:35:00 PM PDT
monica said...: happy birthday!!!!!; June 19, 2008 at 3:08:00 AM PDT

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

Thank you for taking the time to read mum's story and I hope you'll dig deep and sponsor me using the link below to help find a way of beating this destructive disease.