"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed"

There's an old hymn about counting your blessings that starts out:
"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed".......

A friend of Isabel's suggested that this is a good hymn in the midst of her tumultuous move to Unit Main-5 at Wascana last week. Isabel says "I am mostly settled in". She is still organizing the staff about her schedule including therapy times. An observer would notice that Rufus does quite well in finding his way down a new road to therapy including travelling and turning around in an elevator.

One wouldn't think that taking an elevator is that "big of a deal". But when your reach is limited, and your stick not quite long enough, and the elevator filled with people, and Rufus not the smallest of horses, Isabel has to be on her toes.

Elevator usage is rather like carefully driving a grain truck beside a combine and then lining up at the bin. Isabel & Rufus need to line up to reach the button to summons the elevator; turn sharply to drive on; turn 360 degrees to reach the buttons; angle to get close enough to reach the buttons; and back up so one can go forward to get off. And all of this while avoiding everyone else's toes or crashing into another resident and their chair who is driving on or off the elevator.

Whew! As Mum says: "And I haven't even got to therapy yet!"

In Isabel's room, pictures are hung; plants are blooming; workers to hang bulletin boards have been supervised; and sighs of relief are heard.

The chorus of the "tempest tossed" hymn goes: "Count your blessings, name them one by one." That's better than counting sheep to get to sleep! There are many blessings including that Mum's new unit is much quieter than her old one.

"No point looking back," says Isabel. "Just get on with it. Now...... how are you?"