Merry Christmas!

From Isabel's Christmas Letter to Friends and Family ~

A Christmas blessing for you all:

May the eagerness of the shepherds,

the joy of the angels,

the perseverance of The Magi,

the faithfulness of Mary & Joseph,

and the Peace of the Christ Child

Be yours, this Christmas and always.

Love Isabel

"So what are you doing for Christmas?"

The old "So what are you doing for Christmas?" is a familiar question from Isabel's visitors or Christmas correspondents. And once again, we reply "Christmas is a season"!

The Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love of this Advent Season has come into Mum's life in so many ways since our family launch of the season in late November. We rejoice in:

* a surprise CD full of Orcadian images and music created by friends who live on Orkney.

* the artistry of one of Mum's first students, Rudy (1948), in his depiction of the Christmas Lights of Vancouver in his card for "Miss Robertson".

* Lynn's creative birthday card with its Hawaiian theme and photos of Isabel in Hawaii (1952).

* the surprise phone call from Mum's childhood friend Lil from Chase, BC.

* success after a 10-month search for the whereabouts of an Orcadian-connected friend who had lived in Bredenbury and Regina, and who has now been discovered living in a care home in Central Butte.

* the jazz renditions of old familiar carols played by Larry & Marj at the Wascana December Birthday Party. And during "Angels We Have Heard on High", a sudden deep bass singing The Gloria. The beautiful words were sung by a resident who no longer appears to have words (as the result of a stroke). But his choir-trained voice found the GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO and he sang in perfect harmony while we listened in wonder.

* two days later ~ on a sunny Sunday morning on the Wascana Veterans' Unit, our family friends Ron & Joel led a guitar singsong of Christmas carols and songs. Isabel brought Rufus' Jingle Bells and for the first time in four years she felt able to sing the familiar words. Among Joel and Ron's complicated finger patterns that created lovely arrangements, we told stories of the meaning of different carols in our lives. Isabel & Doug (Ron's father-in-law who is another Wascana resident and Mum's daily friend at therapy) recalled the names of their Jingle Bell horses over the years.

"There are many ways to enjoy this season and they don't all include eating and travelling", says Isabel.

Gratitude for it all....and for all your letters and cards and visits. We can't begin to name all the ways we are touched by your kindnesses.

HOPE is the thing with feathers

HOPE is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune -- without the words
And never stops at all. (Emily Dickinson)

Isabel has a new small red-feathered bird perched in a Christmas fern on her window sill. This gift was part of the symbols shared with her during a gathering of Isabel's "girls" and their families on Nov 27. We gathered in the Wascana Hostel and then later in the sunny terrace by Mum's room with food and riddles & jokes, family musical entertainment and hours of visiting. The grandkids exchanged the usual decor of her room for two suitcases full of seasonal decorations. This gathering time each year is our opportunity to launch the Advent/Christmas Season and Isabel's birthday month.

One of our traditions (two years now so it is a tradition!) is to toast our Mum/Grannie B and to name her accomplishments of the last year. In 2010, Isabel sent two sets of tubes "packing" in record time including the ventilator and oxygen which she has not needed since February. As well, Mum has learned to transfer from bed to chair and chair to car. She is walking several 100 feet each day. She cycles nearly 5 kms in 20 minutes twice a week. Her voice has improved and she has bought her first computer and emails us almost daily. Three out-of-town trips this summer meant expanded horizons.

It is easy to quickly type these accomplishments without acknowledging the incredible hard work and determination (or stubbornness!) that are the ground work for such progress. Each day is an effort. Isabel has to psych herself to be ready for five days of therapy each week, plus coaching her nurses through much of her daily personal care due to the restriction in her hands and arms. "Living in HOPE" is not always easy, but HOPE does seem to prevail through the 365 days of a year.

Today is the first Sunday in Advent ~ this time of waiting for the Holy to burst through in our lives in the birth of a small child. As we light HOPE ~ the first candle of the Advent wreath ~ we give THANKS again for friends, family, community, nursing staff and therapists, and Isabel's dogged determination which helps to kindle faith and HOPE in all our lives.

Hen Keeping

Once a farmer
Always a farmer!

So says Isabel who is Unit 2-6's latest consultant on raising chickens. This autumn, one of Isabel's new nurses commented on the number of farm photographs and "farm stuff" in Isabel's room. Mum quickly filled him in on her farming past. The nurse told her that he was now raising chickens in his backyard - 4, in fact, by the names of Eeny, Meeny, Miny, and Moe. Well, it turns out that they are a heritage breed ~ Buff Orpington ~ the same breed that Isabel & her siblings and cousin raised near Bradwell in the 1930s. This fall, Mum's Cousin Duncan came to visit from Saskatoon. They studied this photo of a recent prize winning Buff Orpington, and agreed that they had not heard of the breed since their school-days.

Isabel's nurse is a new chicken-raiser who comes to her with lots of questions about moulting, nutrients, winter care, and egg laying. Last week, he showed up with a new book from England called Hen Keeping: Inspiration and Practical Advice for Would-Be Smallholders (by Jane Eastoe), a small, attractive, bright red hardcover book. Mum studied the chapters throughout the week ~ heritage breeds, broody hens, keeping young chicks healthy (put stones in their water basin so they don't fall in and drown), how to keep an ash heap healthy for chickens bathing, and how to introduce new chickens to the flock.

We have not yet heard of any backyard cows, but you can be sure Isabel is ready to play Livestock Consultant as soon as she is called upon.

Considering Friendship

There is an email that has been circulating around cyberspace for several years that starts out:

"People come into your life for a reason, or a season, or a lifetime." The full length of the reflection is too long to include here, and can be found easily with a google search of the exact words in quotations.

However, the part of the reflection "for a season" is short enough to include here:

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .
Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount
of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

During Isabel's residence at Wascana, there have been many people that have come through her door for a season or a reason and have moved on -- other residents who have moved or died ~ and their family members, students who work with Isabel each day during a 6-week internship and then return to school, nurses or therapists who care generously and lovingly for nearly three years and then move to another job.

This past week was a time to unexpectedly experience friendship for 30 hours. Isabel met out-of-province family members of a new 100 year old resident of Unit 2-6. She and old friends (who were tea-partying together) were invited to come to the 100th birthday party. Then Mum got to know these family members from Ontario and British Columbia as they chatted together in the hostel. Bright and early, the next morning, three of the family members showed up at Isabel's door to get to know her more and to learn from her about her experiences of 2-6, and thus how they could be supportive to their 100 year old Aunt. And then they returned again and again that day to use Mum's internet connection, to show off their "Cowtown" purchases, to borrow Mum's CDs for their aunt, to share laughter and stories and blessings of many sorts. And finally, they came very late at night to leave a parting gift with THANKS for her hospitality. Outside Mum's window, imprinted in deep snow by scuffling feet is a very large heart, a horse, and an angel. The horse is in the photo above.

On Friday, Isabel and her faithful Rufus lll headed over to The Bentley on Hillsdale Avenue to visit friends of nearly 60 years. Thank goodness for friend Russ and his faithful van to plough through Regina's second big snowfall of the season.

For a reason, a season, a lifetime or for a mere 30 hours before out-of-province visitors headed home again......friendship to be treasured.

"No rest for the wicked"

Isabel said this week "There is no rest for the wicked" as she began in earnest to meet some new therapy and nursing goals to once again add to her quality of life. Following a recent annual meeting of her enthusiastic care-givers and therapists, Mum and her staff have a renewed plan of action before the holiday season. Once again, we are grateful for pro-active staff.

One of the new therapies of this fall is speech therapy. Each week Mum meets with a Speech and Language Pathologist (the official name for speech therapists) to work on improving her speech and swallowing. Mum has been talking for nearly two years, however, she still has muscle weakness in her mouth and throat that prevents easy talking and swallowing. Her immediate goals are to learn to say "T", "D", "S" and "J". There are specific exercises and intentional movements of the body and head and face to facilitate proper pronunciation of these letters. This week her focus is on "T" and "D".
,
Who would have known? For most of us, those sounds slip out with ease. In fact, speech is very complicated, and Mum is learning that these days.

Yesterday, Isabel counted up the times she goes up and down the Wascana halls to physio- and occupational therapy each week. Fourteen times to-ing and fro-ing. The thought can be overwhelming until we remember that Mum is someone who skiied, skated, walked, ran, rode horseback, and gardened.

We hope to have new accomplishments to report by Christmas. In the meantime, thank you for your letters, calls, and visits that brighten each day.

Thanks-giving

This past week marked the Thanks-giving holiday in Canada. Gratitude for harvest (much still in the field!); sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends; giving public and private Thanks in a variety of ways.

On Thanksgiving Sunday, I was in the Scottish Highlands down a long glen (mountain valley) at the end of a sea-loch (lake) having tea with an acquaintance of Isabel's. At 91, Margaret is the retired housekeeper and cook for the mother of our Blakeney cousins. (Cousin Joy Blakeney has visited Canada several times in the last few years and was significant in helping Isabel ease into her move to Wascana).

In a small cottage in front of a cozy fire with a table laden with tea and five kinds of "sweets", Margaret showed us her collection of Isabel's letters from the last three years. We talked of ability and disability and Margaret's life-long hearing impairment. For most decades of her life, she could not use a telephone. With thanks to the newest technology in adapted phones, she can now call from her small isolated mountain village to all her friends and family. We spoke of Isabel's adapted computer and word processor and what that has meant for communication in Isabel's life.

Mum receives her nutrition by food-peg (her throat muscles aren't yet working properly) so there was no turkey or pumpkin pie on her Thanksgiving menu. "And no dishes to do!", says Isabel. But there was a "full meal" which she receives four times a day that provides her with excellent nutrition and energy. And there are friends and family galore that write, and visit and phone and care from all around the world. For this, there is much Thanksgiving.

During the shortening autumn days of the last few weeks, Mum has said a last good-bye to several friends and neighbours. In the midst of sadness and loss, there is much Thanksgiving for years of friendship, neighbourly support, and community service.

With gratitude again and again.

October Greetings

October Greetings to All

September has sped by with wild wet weather and farmers anxious to get on the fields. Mum has been working hard in various therapies along with "supervising" the repair work on the terrace that held her beautiful garden this summer. The heavy rains of this year have resulted in newly found leaks in the brick Wascana building and the gardens and terraces have been dug up (way too soon for the liking of the residents!). Mum writes of the leaves changing on the trees outside her window that are now being caught by the sunny warm breezes of the last few days. With bare trees, more light shines into her west facing room.

Many of you have written or visited in the last month. Thank you. There is a quote that hung on Mum's wall in Abernethy for many years that seems fitting for this transition time of year:

"The cream of enjoyment in this life is always impromptu:
the chance walk;
the unexpected visit;
the unpremeditated journey;
the unsought conversation or acquaintance."

Each of these have been present in Isabel's life this summer and fall. Thank you for your care and love.

Late Summer Update

Several blog readers have written lately wondering what Isabel has been up to. Time for an update!

It's been another good summer.

The terrace garden has flourished with rain and the daily care of Mum's friends Beth & Carl. Beth is Mum's neighbour directly across the hall. Beth is a longtime gardener and now faithfully supervises Carl's weeding and watering. The terrace is a wonderful place for Isabel and other residents to sit and visit with families and friends, and survey the area around Wascana Rehab Centre from a second floor vantage point.

The Children's Playground at Wascana has been redesigned. New playground equipment has been added. It's a great place to watch the younger grandkids while visiting and catching the sun.

"Old regulars" and "surprise" visitors have graced the halls of Wascana. Thank you All.

Therapy has been very regular despite the holiday schedules of therapists. Mum is walking every day (a greater distance each week). She cycles 3-4 kms twice a week (the cycle rolls up to Rufus lll and away they go). In addition, Isabel has 1-2 other exercise programs each day. Once an athlete ~ always an athlete.

In mid-August, Mum, Nancy and Janet enjoyed an evening of the singing and instrumental accompaniement of "Celtic Woman" ~ a performance by an Irish group at the Connexus Centre of the Arts. The Uileann Bagpipes were of particular interest to Isabel.

The rain continues on the green prairies as temperatures dip and Autumn draws closer. We hope for warmer breezy days to dry out fields and crops.

Thank you all for care and connection that comes in such various ways.

The Nightingale Sang in Barkley Square

There are days when magic happens at Wascana and Wednesday past was one of them. Isabel eagerly awaited a visit from her longtime friends Don & Marion of Aber-Calgary whom she had not seen in nearly two years. Much water has passed under the bridge since the last visit of these old friends. Transition has happened in each of their lives as well as the lives of other close friends. Isabel & Rufus III were outside at the west doors of Wascana to greet Marion & Don as they rolled in with family members.
Late the day before, the Lysters, and Isabel had learned that Larry & Marj Middleton would once again be the featured entertainment at the Veterans' Happy Hour one floor above Mum's unit on Wednesday afternoon. Our parade of wheelchairs and walkers rolled in 40 minutes before Happy Hour began to ensure we found good seats. We were greeted by a visiting Veteran who was celebrating his 87th birthday and whom has come to help host this Happy Hour for nearly 30 years. The Women's Auxiliary to a Regina Legion (some whom have also been volunteering for more than 25 years) quickly found us chairs and offered drinks and snacks.

As Don said "Larry can make that sax talk". Marj's keyboard skills complemented the sax for an hour of easy dance music. Larry invited the crowd of 100 to identify songs. Don & Isabel were quick to call out the World War II tune: The Nightingale Sang in Barkley Square after just a few bars. We may not have been under the enchantment of nightingales in wartime London, but we were amid the magic of dance music stirring tired feet and old memories of many veterans and their spouses. Hands clasped, feet tapped, and we could all imagine summer evenings 70 years ago. As the hour was coming to a close, Marion & Don pushed away their walkers to invite their daughters to dance. Isabel's applause for this surprise performance came through the pounding of her wooden spoon on her wheelchair table.

We are grateful for longtime friends with courage and determination; younger friends with the gift of music who share it so willingly in longterm care facilities in Balcarres and Regina; and moments of magic in a longterm care facility where lives continue to find meaning through the gifts of staff and volunteers.

Gratitude Three Years Later

Isabel kept a daily diary for over 50 years. Her last entry was three years ago today, August 8, 2007.

"Feeling tough today so didn't do much; bones all sore; eyes sore & weak. Clayton helped me haul door from Joe Englot's to Foster School. Sewing Mary's school bag."

This week, Mum wrote a letter to friends who are also West Nile Neurological Syndrome Survivors and said:

"I remember the next day I felt even worse and then I don't remember a single thing, not one, until nearly Christmas when I very gradually began to 'be with it' after 4.5 mos. The rest is history. It has been 3 years of struggling, hard work, disappointments, elation as goals have been reached, growing even closer to my family, and making new friends like you and other West Nile survivors. I have learned to appreciate the therapists who work so hard to help me and never give up on me and the nurses for their care. I feel so lucky to have Wascana where I can get help and I am grateful for my many friends and relations who visit, send emails, and cards etc. that keep me sane! When I feel discouraged with my progress, I remind myself how I was 3 years ago. I keep on pedalling because I know if I stop I will fall off! I have learned much in this time and made such good friends with you and the other West Nilers, which never would have happened if that mosquito hadn't come along."

To all of you survivors and families whom we have met over the last three years..... strength and hope for the journey.

And thank you, each and every one of you, who continue to send your support our way in various forms. We are indeed grateful.

Isabel and her Gang.

A Full Moon and a Full Day

Isabel has been writing her "August letter" to friends and extended family. Her paragraph about last Saturday is a "keeper" for this week's blog update. The day was sunny with a soft breeze. The mosquitoes were nowhere to be found.

Here are Isabel's words typed on her word-pro:

"Another happy outing was July 24, when Rick and Catherine drove me to Garratts' cabin at Lake Katepwa, 60 miles from Regina for a Barnsley family gathering of more than 30 people. My girls and their families were there as well as my sister-in-law Gertie, nieces and nephews and their families, and cousins. It was a great time of visiting!

Our Abernethy Fair was the previous day, and everyone was full of tales about what a wonderful fair it was again. There were 76 horses competing and 109 exhibitors had 1300 exhibits in cooking, handwork, quilting, horticulture etc. The chocolate chip cookie class had 22 entries! The class I sponsor for youth ~ "a nutritious school lunch" ~ had 13 entries and I was happy that Mary got first and Josh second! I so enjoyed competing at the Fair for over 50 years, and I am pleased that my family including Catherine, Rick, Nancy, Bill, Megan, John, Mary and Josh all entered exhibits this year. This includes grains, flowers, and the pet show along with baking and many crafts, wild flower identification, and art work. It was the 103rd Abernethy Agricultural fair and in all those years, it has never been rained out! Amazing!!

On the trip to Lake Katepwa, it was good to see the crops and green countryside on this very rainy year in Saskatchewan. The ride and transfer went even better than last time!" (end of quote)

Four hours after our arrival at Katepwa, the moon accompanied us all the way home to Wascana.

"Home" is found in so many places these days.

With gratitude again and again.

A Walk in the Summer Sun

Isabel emailed us this past week that she had been walking outside on the sidewalk. Mum headed out into the sunshine accompanied by her new tall walker; Robin, her current Physiotherapist; and Karen, Mum's longtime PT Assistant who drove Rufus-the-Third. Rufus follows behind in case Isabel needs to ride. This was Mum's first walk outside in nearly three years.

How much the rest of us can take for granted!

Mum emailed us that Robin wanted her to experience walking on an uneven surface. This was a memorable day with the hot July sun on her back and the beautiful Wascana Park around her. Thank you again, creative caring therapists whose extra effort become something "to write home about".

Yes, this photo is of Wascana Park in the summer sunshine.

Hanging Out at the Shop

Given the choice between the shops of the mall and a farm shop on the prairie, there was no question. The farm shop, it was.

On a day that threatened thunderstorms yet again (!), Isabel's friend, Don, swept out his farm shop south of Regina in preparation for a visit from Isabel. We loaded up in a shower and drove in sun through green and flooded fields under blue sky and cloud. On arrival 20 minutes later, a look at the sky convinced us to move the picnic table under the trees in to the clean shop for an afternoon of visiting. (Yes, this lovely farmstead has a house, but Isabel has not yet mastered steps up and down).

The photo is significant. Isabel is enjoying a view of the farm and prairie from the shop with her wheels beside her. Mum is now able to travel short distances by car (rather than with Rufus - her power-chair and the van). Birdsong, a garden, old friends, family and friend accompaniment, story-telling and laughter were part of the afternoon.

We drove back to Wascana in showers and arrived with clear sky overhead as we unloaded.

Thank you, Joyce and Don, for helping dreams come true!

Happy Canada Day!

June has been a banner month for Isabel and we have much to celebrate.

Quality of life is not all about achievement or success, but Isabel's significant achievements of this past month have been a heartening experience for Mum and her family.

The achievements have included:

* Participation in the "Relay for Life"; and her grand-niece's wedding reception in Moose Jaw (see previous blog postings below)

* Learning to transfer from "Rufus", her wheelchair to the passenger seat of a car (Mum can stand up, step over, sit, and swing those long legs in to the car) YES! Our first outing was to see an old friend of Shorthorn Cattle business days who lives a few blocks away. The next day we drove around the Legislature Buildings and down side streets to view lovely gardens.

* Acquiring a new walker that draws more on her strength and stamina to propel herself forward. Mum can walk up a ramp and down the hall travelling many more feet than she has in the past. What a feat!

Gratitude ~ every day! We are thankful.

And now for July 1 ~Happy Canada Day everyone!

First Big Roadtrip!

June 26 was a special day. Isabel made her first trip of out of Regina in nearly three years. She and Rufus travelled on Saturday to the wedding reception of her grand-niece Amanda Froehlich and Dale Chow in Moose Jaw. Lots of careful planning went into this big adventure and the day was a great success all around. Mum was delighted to visit with over 30 members of her Robertson family who ranged in age from 8 to 91. A special surprise was the arrival of our Scottish cousin, James Clark, from Idaho. Faithful Russ the van-driver took a late evening nap while he waited for Isabel who stayed an extra hour than she had planned! She emailed her daughters the next day: "What a great day yesterday!! I am so glad I went. Everything went so well." Prior to the event, she reminded us of the family cake knife and serving knife that have been used at Robertson and Russell family weddings for decades.

As can be expected, Mum had lots to say about the wet fields between Regina and Moose Jaw. Her comment was: "I have seen them on TV, but you have to see it to believe it." Oh, how good to see the prairies and the horizon again.

Gratitude yet again for another wonderful day in Mum's life!

The Relay for Life

Three weeks of rain here on the prairies, and last Friday evening, Isabel and Rufus-the-Third ventured out to participate in Regina's Relay for Life. This year's theme was: Celebrate! Remember! Fight Back! Isabel and Rufus completed 1.5 laps as "Cancer Survivors" around the floral beds at the Saskatchewan Legislature Buildings. For anyone who knows those beds, think mud mud mud..... Mum was determined to" walk" (drive) the distance on her own without our help, and so she did in her yellow survivor t-shirt and rain poncho with a huge garbage bag to keep her feet and legs dry.

Following the 12 hour relay (7 pm to 7 am), Captain Nancy emailed her 12 team members including Isabel and Rufus:

"We, the Cancer Stompers, raised $2029. Way to go everyone! Every bit helps to bring HOPE to those in the cancer battle. The night was definitely a success, with $507,000 raised in Regina. There were 110 teams and 1060 participants. This is the largest amount raised ever in Regina, so the weather definitely didn't dampen the spirits of those that were there."

And at long last, the sun shone on Saturday.

On Resilience

I have been thinking a lot about the nature of resilience lately during this unseasonably wet May in Saskatchewan. Many parts of the province have received more rain than we normally do in a year. The seeding is nowhere near half-done; and the possibility of frost-free time to mature a crop lessens daily with each shower. Local radio and coffee-shop talk focuses on the weather, and the resilience that it takes to be hopeful patient farmers under these conditions.

As we consider resilience, we are reminded of the prairie crocus that blooms so early each spring. Often covered in snow and buffeted by wind, these harbingers of spring bloom again to remind us that the seasons eventually do roll around.

A colleague of mine writes: "Resilience is the ability to work with adversity in such a way that one comes through it unharmed or even better for the experience. Resilience means facing life's difficulties with courage and patience -- refusing to give up. It is the quality of character that allows a person or organization to rebound from misfortune, hardships and trauma."

This description describes Isabel as well as the crocus and prairie farmer (of which Isabel is definitely one!). During the last weeks, Mum has recovered from a couple of infections, and the treatment for them threw her digestive system out of whack. She has returned to her usual vibrant healthy self. In addition she has endured a sudden move across the hall. After over two years in a familiar room with her companion of early morning sun, she moved with a brief 30 minutes notice. (The move is part of the facility's policy on reducing contagious infection among residents.) Regardless of the good reason for the move, some of the familiarity of home and how one's TV, radio, and health equipment work in a certain room orientation were lost within one short hour.

Whereas many residents of longterm care have to deal with such upheaval and often the loss of familiar staff if they move units or facilities, Isabel moved just "across the hall" and is still near the sunny lounge and her terrace garden. However, we are still reminded of her incredible resilience of the last three years. Walking out of her home in Abernethy never to return again, loss of physical ability and many beloved aspects of family and community life, coming to terms with such a rare and unexpected health condition to name just a few.

Yet, she continues to be such a trooper. "You can't look back, you can only go forward", she reminds us, and onward she goes enjoying each day, exerting her best self at each therapy appointment, and delighting in the visitors and letters that come through the door. And although she has said good-bye to her beloved morning sun, she now has a west view and can see the weather rolling in. Her daily emails to her daughters start with a description of the weather.

The nature of resilience has a lot to do with emotional and mental survival or the psychological make-up that provides a phenomenal will to live in order to continue to eek out all there is of life and its goodness. Resilience is about a dogged determination to persevere and survive. You've got it, Mum!

With gratitude and awe, we feel this resilience every time we visit you or hear from you by email.

And now, onward to June and all its possibilities!

(With thanks to Linda Anderson for her words on resilience quoted above)

Ol' Home Week

It has felt like "ol' home week" at Isabel's as many Abernethy friends have trooped through her door for a visit during the last 8 days. Thank you Angie, Annis and Joy; Linda B; Stephane; Peggy M and Marg H; Wanda & Enid; Peggy B, Louise & Bob.......What an exchange of news about Aber! Then Mum sat down (as she often does!) and typed a long letter to Aber friends who also live away. HATCHED, MATCHED, and DISPATCHED was the theme of the letter. Thank you for in-person visits, phone calls, and letters from the dear folks at home!

More news soon.

A Day in the Van

There is an interesting retirement project going on in Regina, and Isabel and family are heaping piles of benefits.

Each time we go on a social outing, a van appears at the side door of Wascana. A ramp drops; Isabel and Rufus lll roll in, and we are on our way.

Van De's Service hires retired gents with excellent driving records. Each day, hour after hour, these men transport the residents of longterm care facilities around Regina and Saskatchewan. Many times a day (and sometimes several times an hour), they jump out of the van, help a resident steer their chair in, lock down the chair so it doesn't escape into traffic, jump in and buckle up, and wend their way through the streets.

We are grateful for Russ who has now accompanied us for two plus years with tales of his escapades of driving residents of longterm care day and night. And now, hats off to Jim, formerly of Abernethy, who has found a new mission in retirement ~ supporting those who need a wheelchair accessible van to visit friends, go to the Floral Conservatory, and to church.

Thanks, you guys! You make our day!

You give new meaning to the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

When Old Meets New

It was a special spring weekend at Wascana with two party days.

On the first day, three of Isabel's students from 58 years ago rolled in after lunch for an hour of visiting. They then joined Isabel in welcoming their Aber friends, Marj and Larry, who were the featured musical entertainment for Wascana's April birthday party. We sat in the sun-flooded concourse under tall fig trees and sipped our drinks and listened to the easy listening music of "The Middletones". Isabel's Wascana friend, Lucy, joined us to hear tales of school as the group pored over one of their classmates' digitized version of "School in Abernethy" five decades ago.

For those of us watching, it was a tender moment. How good it is that Isabel can bring old and new friends together in one conversation. With freedom from the ventilator, Isabel can be out and about more and has opportunity to see her new acquaintances and friends.

Make new friends,
But keep the old;
The new are silver,
And the old are gold.

The next day, Isabel headed out to Sunset United Church to enjoy their spring musical and fund-raiser for Lumsden Church Camp. This year's Malice in the Palace (the Biblical story of Esther) drew on the acting and singing skills of over 50 people from aged 5 to 80+. A highlight was meeting the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of people from Abernethy. And then a sunny three-generation visit out under the budding trees while waiting for the van to come.

A mini-holiday weekend during sunny warm spring days. Happy Spring to You!

Happy Easter!

Wishing you all the Blessings of this Spring and Easter Season!
Thank you for the phonecalls, emails, cards, and letters.

May Easter Joy be yours!
Love Isabel

Spring Paradise

There is a little piece of paradise in the middle of concrete and traffic In the north-central area of Regina. The Regina Floral Conservatory brings great joy to the gardeners in our family. The Conservatory is volunteer-run and welcomes informal visits (Isabel & entourage) and formal visits (weddings, anniversaries and teas).

The Floral Conservatory was Isabel and Rufus lll's first "post-vent" destination. With Isabel comfortably off the ventilator and oxygen all the time now, spring called her beyond the wintery confines of Wascana Rehab Centre. For two hours we shed our wintery apparel and wheeled into glorious spring. Orchids, tulips, daffodils, primulas, narcissus, hyacinths, cyclamen, kalanche, shamrocks, and Easter Egg plants welcomed us for a visit.

Rose, the "Tea-Organizer" Volunteer laid on spring linens and china for our tea. She then provided us with a private tour of the back-room where the 1000s of bulbs come upstairs from winter storage, and school children are taught the basics of gardening and terrarium making (from large pickle jars). Rose sent a double white kalanche ("google" that one!) home for Isabel's window. And now Isabel and her neighbours check their terrace garden on a daily basis to see when their own tulips will emerge. Happy Spring, everyone!

The Travels of Isabel and Rufus lll

It's been a long time since we have updated the blog. None of us have had much time for writing as we try to keep up with Isabel. She has had a busy month with therapy and watching the Para-Olympics and Curling. Yea! Swift Current, Saskatchewan! What a curling show you and the women of the world are putting on for all of us! (And thanks all of you who wrote about viewing times and websites for the Para-Olympics.)

With Isabel now comfortably off the ventilator and oxygen 24/7 for well over a month, she and Rufus are able to travel much more freely in "Wascana". Note the posted map and all the possibilities for the future. Mum can now go to all appointments on her floor on her own. She waves good-bye to the Unit Clerk or a Nurse and off she goes down the halls slowing carefully at the intersections to check the concave mirrors on the ceiling for traffic coming from any direction.

Then with a quick prod, Rufus lll is on his way again. Mum's favourite gear is "7" and as far as we can tell, that's high gear!

As Isabel says: "Letters and visits keep me sane; and the therapists keep me in shape." Right now, Mum is receiving 15 or more physio- and occupational therapy appointments a week that range from daily electrode stimulation of her arm muscles; daily walking (490 steps with one short rest in the middle is her best walk so far); practising standing and sitting and transfers from bed to chair again and again; and cycling with resistance (same as going uphill).

There is no doubt she is in "good shape"! Muscle contracture and neurological damage continue to cause significant restriction in her hands and arms; and balance is sometimes an issue, however, she is flying!

Who would have ever guessed even a few months ago that Isabel would be navigating the lengthy halls of Wascana on her own whether to go to therapy or for a hair appointment.

More news soon, we promise!

Sleep-Over Shenanigans

Isabel has a good friend visiting from Okotoks, Alberta. A sleep-over was planned for the halls of Wascana and hours of conversation, laughter, conversation around the table, walks throughout the building, and sharing of old photographs was part of the 24-hour visit. In the evening, the two friends watched a DVD of the Edinburgh Tattoo ~ the extravagant global festival of dance, song, and massed (bag)pipes and drums that takes place on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade each year. (Thanks to two Bradwell friends who lent their DVD by Canada Post.)

Mum has a new student physiotherapist, and now has 15 therapy appointments each week ranging from 15 minutes to one hour for these next two weeks. As she says, "I should be getting in shape!"

After two weeks of Mum's unit being on isolation (and lots of Olympics watching), Isabel and Rufus 111 are once again speeding through the halls to her physiotherapy sessions. Chance visits with new Wascana friends while she is to-ing and fro-ing lead to catch-up conversations after being on isolation for so much of this winter.

This week Isabel is grateful again for old friends and new friends, lengthening days, the distraction of sports ~ O Canada!.......and the Brier that begins this weekend! Thanks to all of you who have written or phoned with good cheer about Isabel's weaning from the ventilator.

And if anyone finds out details of the Para-Olympics airing on TV, let us know!

Perseverance

An eident drap will pierce a stane. (A steady drop will pierce a stone.)
- Scottish Proverb

Isabel's Robertson family comes from a long line of Scottish Highlanders believed to be descended from a Scot by the name of Robert the Bruce. The legend of his hiding in a cave and watching a spider weave its torn web again and again, tells us how he mustered his own perseverance to struggle on. "When life seems stacked against us, where do we find the perseverance to continue?"

This family legend was told to Isabel as a child and has inspired her on several occasions throughout her life. We have all seen evidence of her dogged determination in the midst of adversity of the last 36 months. Isabel and her two "think-outside-of-the-box" Respiratory Therapists have challenged the idea that weaning off the ventilator needs to happen only in acute care in Saskatchewan.

Isabel had a goal or "bloody mindedness" (as a Scottish friend suggests) ~ and pushed on day-in-day-out hour by hour.

As we celebrated the Christmas season, Isabel and her therapists worked on. Mum would email us each day between Christmas and New Years saying: "6 hours off", then the next day "8 hours off", then "10 hours" and so on.

And now it is February..., and she is comfortably completely free of the vent.

Like the steady drop of water, Isabel's perseverance to gain as much health as possible is pure perseverance!

(with thanks to Caitlin Matthews for the inspiration for this posting)

Isabel's Olympic Gold Medal

A "gold medal performance" has occurred at Wascana over the last few weeks. Isabel has completed her winter marathon. After 2.5 years on life support, the ventilator that has given her 8 puffs of breath each minute has officially been turned off and Isabel is breathing on her own. She has also sent her oxygen tank packing.

Isabel has weaned herself off the ventilator!

Her Wascana Respiratory Therapist has thought for some time that Mum could get off the vent. Late last fall, with an additional Respiratory Therapist to support the effort, and a long-awaited "doctor's order" from her respirologist (lung specialist), training for the marathon began.

One hour off the vent followed by rest with the vent back on... ....then two hours off the vent and rest again..... and then off again and on again as the hours increased. And so the December days moved on. By early January, Isabel was successfully breathing on her own 12 hours a day. Then came approval for her to use her speaking valve for those same 12 hours a day.

Some of Mum's inspiration during this time came from the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and are fitting for the "push-plateau-push" of a marathon:

Let us, then, be up and doing
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Late January and early February included four weeks of plateau with 12 hours on the vent and 12 hours off. And then the final push began on Sunday February 7 when at 7 AM the vent was turned off. On Thursday the 11th, at the 100 hour mark of being off the vent, her various therapists descended on her room for a 15 minute party to celebrate her being officially off the vent and to receive the news that her arterial gases had tested just fine.

Isabel has now been breathing completely on her own 24/7 for nearly two weeks.

At times, WE have been holding our breath, however Isabel has not been holding hers! She continues with her regular physio- and occupational therapy, visiting with friends, and exploring Wascana's halls. She says she is doing "just fine", and that she now never thinks about the ventilator.

As Mum says: "Miracles do happen!"

CONGRATULATIONS, Mum! You and Rufus lll could have carried that torch to Vancouver!

Blooms in the February Sun

It's two years since Isabel "packed her bags" and moved into "Wascana". Where does the time go? Isabel says that sometimes it feels like 10 years, and yet, she can't believe that she hasn't seen some familiar faces or places for that long as all remain so familiar to her.

This winter has brought the gift of abundant flowers for Isabel's window sill. Amaryllis, roses and daffodils grace the wide sill at the moment. Amaryllis bulbs arrived from friends during the Christmas season.

"Grower Direct" sent dozens of roses to Wascana in January and Mum's family-friend who works at Wascana's Hostel sent a dozen her way. Isabel quickly dispatched four to friends who live on another unit. And Isabel's roses have bloomed for two weeks.

An old friend arrived with a "daffodil plant" along with full recitation of Wordsworth's "I wandered lonely as a cloud". How is your school memory? Both Mum and her friend had learned the poem by heart in school.

We will endeavour to keep daffodils blooming on Isabel's windowsill until we find them in our own gardens this spring. A phone call to an English friend this week revealed that the daffs are coming through the ground under his roses.

Ah ~ back to the windowsill here in Canada ~ right under our noses.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Hello from Wascana

The days are lengthening and it is said that the western gophers told us yesterday that Spring is coming sooner than later..... And here's to Isabel's Orkney friends who have written of their acknowledgment of Candlemas. February 2 is known as a seasonal turning point on the Celtic Calendar ~ the day that marks the loosening of winter's grip upon the land.

All is well at Wascana with Isabel's steady weaning of herself from the ventilator during daytime hours. She has been rereading letters and cards from Christmas and her birthday, and is ever grateful for your many stories and good wishes.

YES, to those that have asked! Isabel did celebrate Robbie Burns Day with a small gathering; Scottish music; the wearing of tartans; and a new friend reciting Burns poetry. And haggis, tatties and neeps on the menu! Isabel is not yet able to swallow as well as she would like to so is not yet eating and drinking orally, but with recent progress, perhaps that too, will change this year.

We promise more of an update soon!

Introducing Rufus 111 - The Jingle Bell Horse

2009 included a series of stories about Rufus 1 and Rufus 11. Rufus 1 was Isabel's horse in the late 1940s. When teaching in a one-room school east of Saskatoon, she hitched him to a small two-wheeled cart (and a cutter in winter), and drove him the three miles to school with three students, an oat sheaf, a cream can of water, 4 lunch kits, and a large flour sack with her books. As Mum said recently to her physiotherapist "We were loaded!".

Isabel acquired her own power wheelchair a year ago and named it Rufus 11 because of all the paraphernalia on the tray behind her seat. This included portable ventilator, oxygen, suction machine, and emergency gear that added up to 400 plus pounds when she was in her seat. We quickly learned that when you went for a walk with Rufus and Isabel, it was best to wear steel-toed boots!

Rufus III came on the scene in December 2009. A family member described the contrast between Rufus II and Rufus III as moving from a rough Quarter-horse to a showy Clydesdale. Yes, Rufus III is certainly larger so Isabel's spatial perception is needed as she drives through open doors. The tray behind her seat comfortably holds all of her equipment. A raised digital control panel allows her to tilt with ease and change gears from a slow walk to a fast trot.

Isabel and her Occupational Therapist designed a wheelchair table with a high rim that holds her computer, call-bell, remote control, and notes - all at the same time.

A new friend brought sleigh-bells to hang on Rufus turning him instantly into a Jingle-Bell Horse.

"Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! Hey!"

Rufus III has not yet tackled any drifted snow-banks, but Isabel has had him outside checking out this great January weather!

Rufus' name is proudly displayed on the back of Mum's headrest. There was much merriment on Unit 2-6 last evening when a new nurse was sent by old hands to the end of Mum's hall after she was tucked into bed. He was heard to say:" "Does anyone know who Rufus is? I was sent to find him down this hall but no one will tell me who he is. Is he a family member of someone?!" There were lots of laughs from the prankster nurses as they supervised re-charging Rufus "in the barn" for just another day "at the ranch".

Love That Winter Sunshine!

Isabel has been catching rays outside this week in our amazing warm, sunny weather. The terrace has been shoveled and she and Rufus can slip out the side door near her room to the great outdoors.
We have been slow in updating the blog this year! There is lots going on. Isabel continues to wean herself from the ventilator as well as tolerate her speaking valve hours on end. We promise more good news soon!

Happy New Year!

Warmest wishes to all as we welcome a new year on the chilly sunshiny prairies!

Isabel extends her appreciation for the many Christmas and Birthday cards that have arrived these last few weeks. It's been a busy holiday season with visitors, learning a new computer, and continuing to extend her hours off the ventilator. All this while driving a new "horse".

More news soon!

Happy New Year!