Cups o' Kindness

Hello All

Isabel continues to uphold her reputation as "Party Gal" on 6F.  January 25 ~ Robbie Burns' Day ~ was a very full day!

Her visitors included among others ~ her three daughters; her Scottish cousin; a niece, grand-niece, and great grand-niece; and several friends from home including three friends with whom she has traditionally celebrated Burns' Night.

Her doctor (who just happened to be in the room at the time) welcomed in a steaming haggis that had travelled two hours from Yorkton. It was carried in by a kilt-wearing Scot who delivered Burns' "Address to the Haggis". The first few lines are loosely translated as: 

"Fair is your honest happy face

Great chieftain of the pudding race

Above them all you take your place... "

In true Canadian style, two visitors who tried haggis for the first time declared the mix of ground meat, pinhead oatmeal and spices to be rather like "a delectable Scottish Ukrainian cabbage roll"!

Mum requested that we play bagpipe and drum music all day.  The nurses had to quickly learn the difference between the skirl of the pipes and the bells and whistles on Mum's respirator. No small task when a room is so stuffed with visitors, the nurses could hardly get in! Mum was up in her chair for most of the daylight hours on Friday wearing her Robertson Tartan scarf and a new Celtic pin (from one of the nurses) with her red sports suit.

Friends and family brought shortbread and Isabel's room was decorated with Scottish posters, calendars and tea towels of Scottish recipes, sheep, highland cows and Robbie Burns' poetry.  Nurses hauled in extra chairs and a love-seat and Mum sat in the circle asking questions about her friends with her letter-board.  A collection of ginger-haired wigs with plaid Scottish tams added to the fun.

Over 20 staff and visitors had a lesson in certain aspects of Scottish culture ~ and a few of us are taking several days to recover!

During a quieter time on Saturday,  Mum used a number board to tell us the phone number of a friend that wanted to call.  She has not dialled this number for six months. For those of us who can hardly recall our own phone numbers, we continue to be grateful for her keen memory!

There were many words of Burns' shared on Friday.  And just for "old times' sake":

"Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind ?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,

for auld lang syne."

In gratitude for all of "the cups o' kindness"  that have been shared with us this week including the phone and e-mail greetings for Robbie Burns' Day. 

Thank you!