Final day in Melbourne

A good night's sleep at leafy Healesville left me ready for a busy day of travel and visiting the sick and infirm, who in this case was an elderly recalcitrant Mum belonging to Maisie at the Royal Melbourne  Hospital in Parkeville. Eithné Christine, as she likes to be called, was never going to be happy in hospital, especially when she felt better. She refused all hospital food on our visit, which waslooking pretty awful I must say, so Maisie went down to the take-away to get her a gluten-free turkey sandwich which she immediatley rejected, saying it was 'too cold'! This is the patient that Maisie has to deal with twenty-four seven at home, and now in hopsital. When Eithné heard she was not scheduled to leave the hospital till Friday, two days away, she went into a blue funk. Maisie and I have decided that she, Maisie, needs to be firmer with her Mum, as the family now realises they have created a mini-monster who acts like a self-absorbed teenager and she is getting ever harder to deal with. 

We said goodbye, and left her with Maisie's promise of a return visit at five-thirty. It is a tough gig, but Maisie is the only peson who can deal with her mother now, and she is philosophical and just doing her job. How lucky was I with my Mum who was picture perfect when I was caring for her over eight years at Gosford. We virtually never had a harsh word and she was totally selfless. She translated beautifully at ninety-seven years of age and left a hundred or so grieving, but happy people behind her with loving memories.

Lovely living at Healesvilleat Mary and Fred's. But they are leaving leaving soon, going to a retirement village at Warragul.

Back at Moonee Pondswaiting for Maisie to visit Eithné at Royal Melbourne.

At Jetstar lounge at Melbourne Airport, having a veggie roll before my flight back to sunny Sydney.  It has been an interesting, if exhausting, eight days in Melbourne. Now for Sydney, my two brothers, and a catch-up with Malcolm and hopefully Peter who may also be in hospital.