Extreme Knitting Redhead: January 2026

Friday, January 9, 2026

New year, new goals (especially to start blogging again!)

Happy belated New Year, wherever you are in the world! Here in the UK we're on a 'weather alert' for strong winds (yep), torrential rain with potential flooding (well, the river in the valley looks pretty full and both our ponds in the fields are overflowing!). So far today I've been in 'whirlwind' mode, tidying, dusting, cleaning floors vacuuming furniture, preparing meals, sorting out paperwork etc etc. Most of my chores have been aided by my partner in crime - AKA Shelley the cat. As I type this I am taking a break from Spring cleaning. Yep, I'm in Domestic Goddess mode! Don't worry though, it will soon wear off and I'll be back to normal. It's amazing how much rubbish I keep, for whatever reason, so it's good for me to be ruthless at getting rid of unnecessary stuff at least once a year. I am a natural hoarder so it's good for me to be strong and determined. OK, yes I did put a few things back again - mea culpa!!! I did try to donate my marathon running medals to a local school(250 at the last count and there are some real beauties) but the Head Teacher said she couldn't take them because they are all different and all the children must have the same gift. I can't publish what I thought about that!!! Most times now I go for a 'no medal' option as I really don't need any more medals. Happy New Year to anyone who still visits my poor lonely blog and I will try to write more than I have done recently.

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.