I'm glad to say that Portland has joined an Alliance devoted to making the island dementia friendly.
Jackson's Gallery owner, Mark Jackson, went to the meeting where it was adopted and spoke about his father, Harry, who used to go to Singing for the Brain with my mother.
"My father had it for three years before he died so I know how severe it can be"
Mark said he just wanted coming into his cafe to be a nice experience for somebody with dementia.
"We should all support the Alliance," he said.
And so we should.
Sunday 7 December 2014
Monday 24 November 2014
Where's Mum?
On Thursday when I visited my Mum in hospital, she asked where Mum was.
"Do you mean your Mum?"
"Yes"
"You're 90 now, Mum, so if your Mum was still alive, she would be 120."
"Has she died?"
"A long time ago. When she was 94. Don't you remember?"
"No."
This is the worst part of dealing with dementia, when you have to tell somebody about a death that happened years ago. I had to tell her about my father, who died 23 years ago and her sisters, but I wasn't expecting to have to tell her about her mother. Even the older memories are going now.
She may forget it again by this afternoon.
Still, she's losing her ability to worry and is starting to live more and more in the moment. That's the good part of dementia.
"Do you mean your Mum?"
"Yes"
"You're 90 now, Mum, so if your Mum was still alive, she would be 120."
"Has she died?"
"A long time ago. When she was 94. Don't you remember?"
"No."
This is the worst part of dealing with dementia, when you have to tell somebody about a death that happened years ago. I had to tell her about my father, who died 23 years ago and her sisters, but I wasn't expecting to have to tell her about her mother. Even the older memories are going now.
She may forget it again by this afternoon.
Still, she's losing her ability to worry and is starting to live more and more in the moment. That's the good part of dementia.
Thursday 9 October 2014
Once in a lifetime storm
Not long after my last post, that storm turned into a once in a lifetime storm.
On Wednesday February 5th a couple of giant waves came over the sea defences and over the Cove House itself, throwing pebbles at the shutters and sending water through the upstairs windows where they didn't have any shutters.
We also saw a boat being flung over the sea wall and floating in the street. It was a lot more exciting than Singing for the Brain where I usually spend Wednesday mornings.
On Wednesday February 5th a couple of giant waves came over the sea defences and over the Cove House itself, throwing pebbles at the shutters and sending water through the upstairs windows where they didn't have any shutters.
We also saw a boat being flung over the sea wall and floating in the street. It was a lot more exciting than Singing for the Brain where I usually spend Wednesday mornings.
Wednesday 15 January 2014
Deadman's Cove on Storm Alert
Chesil Beach has been on storm alert. The siren for evacuating the area went off on January 7th and The Cove House Inn had to clear out all the customers and go upstairs. Jackie was on national TV the next day, reporting on the adventure.
In the event, nothing much happened. The sea almost topped the beach, threw a few stones over but then retreated. The cove itself was cleared of all its pebbles that night and we had a sandy beach, much lower than usual, but the stones were all back in place the next day. The flood defences all did their job.
The most unusual sights have been the things that have been swept into the sea and shown up at Chesil Cove. Its other name is Deadman's Cove for obvious reasons - but there weren't any men in the detritus this storm. We saw a dead dolphin and a cow and some people said there had been a drowned bull but we didn't see it.
In the event, nothing much happened. The sea almost topped the beach, threw a few stones over but then retreated. The cove itself was cleared of all its pebbles that night and we had a sandy beach, much lower than usual, but the stones were all back in place the next day. The flood defences all did their job.
The most unusual sights have been the things that have been swept into the sea and shown up at Chesil Cove. Its other name is Deadman's Cove for obvious reasons - but there weren't any men in the detritus this storm. We saw a dead dolphin and a cow and some people said there had been a drowned bull but we didn't see it.
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