Happy Halloween!

The Wild Scot is at home in her castle this Halloween Weekend. If you are out and about tricking n' treating, do drop in as Isabel has her costume and treats ready to go!

Hitting the Trails

The glorious sun shone for one hour in Regina on Monday afternoon. "Carpe Diem" and we hit the trails between therapy appointments and the next bank of clouds. Rufus 11 now knows his way to Wascana Lake, and Isabel and accompanying walkers spent an hour enjoying the leaves and trails, the deep blue sky and a lookout over the lake. The ducks are still around, and the geese continue to gather. We all enjoyed one brief hour of "Indian Summer" in this wet cool autumn that just goes on and on!

The Gals from The Class of '59

Friday night is often party night in Isabel's room. It's the night of the week where she gets some extra care from the nursing staff and a passer-by can often hear four to six voices of laughter and song in Isabel's room. Lots of teasing and lots of banter.

More voices were added to the din a Friday or two ago. Despite wind howling and snow blowing in our first early winter storm of the year, six "gals" (as Isabel calls them) from The Class of '59 gathered in Regina to celebrate their 50th anniversary of Grade 12 Graduation.

Their after-supper entertainment was to get back in their snow-covered cars, and then troop up to Isabel's room to say HELLO to their Grade 3, 4, and 5 teacher. Although "Miss Robertson" was in bed, she held court, and peppered each one individually with questions about their lives.

The next day, Mum "pecked" out a letter to all of them on her laptop. "Thanks a million" said the letter sent to each of them at their BC and SK addresses.

Before the visitors left on Friday evening, four family members arrived with a Thanksgiving bouquet and news of their week.

Question of the week: How many people can you fit in Room 2-649?

"Piles more", says the lucky resident!

The photo is of the old Abernethy School where Isabel taught this gang so many years ago.

Autumn Color Extravaganza

Isabel reports that "The Great White Reaper" (frost of 15 degrees for several days) rolled through last week. The terrace garden is now mush and we await its new incarnation during Advent.

But the two large scarecrows ~ we still don't know where they came from ~ smile bravely on amid the last of the pansies and the sturdy farm animal garden ornaments.

Isabel wasn't for waiting to see whether the remaining green leaves of Wascana Park would turn their multitude of colour. Rather, it was "Carpe Diem" last Thursday amid snow flurries and wind, and she was off to the Regina Floral Conservatory courtesy of Russ's van to see the Autumn Extravaganza.

The rich green foliage is now the backdrop for a multitude of chrysanthemums and Gerber daisies in rust, gold, yellow, orange, burgundy, purple and cream.

Minimalist gourds, pumpkins, and cyclamen contrast with the abundance of daisies and mums. The occasional orchid and bird-of-paradise surprised us at the turns in the path.

Mum's window sill now holds a rust and gold "mum" with 60 buds and blossoms. Five Gerber daisies reflecting the colours seen at the Conservatory stand tall beside the mums in a crystal vase. Isabel's Thanksgiving bouquet of cattails, sunflowers, golden rod, and mums is still lovely.

Old Man Winter - we will not let you freeze our autumn spirit and hope!

Have You Met the Relatives?

A month ago two 4-foot scarecrows arrived in Isabel's room all decked out in overalls, plaid shirts, felt hats, bowties, and lace. "Sophie" and "Jake" took up residence by her television.

The next day a nurse came into her room during a visit from some friends. He leaned over to Isabel's ear and quietly said: "Isabel, I can't believe how much you resemble your relatives!" Mum looked at him quizzically as her visitors were friends and not family. With a twinkle in his eye, he pointed to the scarecrows, and Isabel quipped back, "AH! Thank you!"

And so the fun began. Two hours later, two more scarecrows (only 4 inches tall this time) appeared in two of Mum's window sill plants. And the next day, two new four-footers could be found guarding the terrace garden from any autumn intruders.

No one has yet laid claim to the last four "relatives". By the way, did you know that scarecrows are known as "tattie bogles" in some parts of Scotland?

Thank goodness Unit 2-6 is not short of merriment!

At This Thanksgiving

Thank you

is likely the most common phrase that Mum uses on her letterboard. The following is one of the many poems that has been significant for Isabel during these last 26 months.

With heartfelt gratitude for all of you who wing your care to all of us in so many ways.

Gratitude

To be grateful for what is,

instead of underscoring what is not.

To find good amidst the unwanted aspects of life,

without denying the presence of the unwanted.

To focus on beauty in the little things of life,

as well as being deliberate about the great beauties

of art, literature, music, and nature.

To be present to one's own small space of life,

while stretching to the wide world beyond it.

To find something to laugh about in every day,

even when there seems nothing to laugh about.

To search for and to see the good in others,

rather than remembering their faults and weaknesses.

To be thankful for each loving deed done by another,

no matter how insignificant it might appear.

To taste life to the fullest,

and not take any part of it for granted.

To seek to forgive others for their wrongdoings,

even immense ones, and to put the past behind.

To find ways to reach out and help the disenfranchised,

while also preserving their dignity and self-worth.

To be as loving and caring as possible,

in a culture that consistently challenges these virtues.

To remember to say or send "thank you"

for whatever comes as a gift from another.

To be at peace

with what cannot be changed.

- Joyce Rupp from The Circle of Life

How to Make A Boat

Dateline: Tuesday, October 6

And you thought this blog was about healing and determination and courage after a battle with West Nile!

On Sunday afternoon visitors # 3 -13 of the day joined Isabel in the lounge overlooking the terrace garden (which continues to bloom on amid our autumn gales!). With ages ranging from a grandniece of 7 to those of many double digits, Isabel had been racking her brain on Sunday morning to determine suitable entertainment for her party.

After long consideration, she decided to teach us all how to make a boat. Seventy plus years ago, her Scottish Grannie Isabel Robertson the First who hailed from the small isle of Ulva off the west coast of the Western Highlands showed her grandchildren how to fold paper to create a boat.

Now Isabel the Second has limited use of her hands so with some assistance of Nancy, the two of them instructed the rest of us how to make a boat from a small sheet of paper. By the way, the boat floats if you make it out of wax paper.

With that success under our belts, the next task was to dig out Isabel's Western Producers (several not yet read) so that we could make hats. This was a much easier task than boat-building for some of the adults in the group! Mum was satisfied that there was at least some success in each of the constructions.

And Isabel continues her teaching career in a new venue.

Are you sorry you missed the boat-making party? Just google "how to make a boat" and the internet will provide you with several videos. But none with as much laughter, mistakes and re-trys as the Lounge on 2-6 at Wascana on Sunday.

This past weekend 21 people signed Isabel's visitors' book and she visited with 6 friends who live at Wascana. A friend travelled from Okotoks for a sleep-over at the hostel on Friday night (and several hours of laughter and movies in Isabel's room). On Sunday night, a small group gathered with tartans, bagpipe and drums music, and crazy tams with ginger-haired wigs to wish Cousin Joy well on her way back to Scotland.

On Monday we rested.