AUGUST

   The first of this month of August came on a Thursday and Friday was the beginning of long holiday weekend. We are lucky to have this one. It's known as Civic Holiday.
    Our younger daughter had come from UK for a holiday. She booked it before we had our lives turned upside down with hubby's fall leading to his brain injury and she arrived June 27. Much of July was busy with visits first to the hospital and later to many follow up therapy appointments. This did not feel much like any July holiday.
    When August arrived it seemed like summer was just flying by. Daughter was scheduled to head back to her UK place on the 9th and it seemed as if such a brief visit had happened. Any spare time she had she spent catching up with in laws or friends. However on Saturday the third she made time to drive with me in the morning to see an old family friend who needed some hugs. Her hubby was in critical care for a bad case of pneumonia. She lived a 45 minute drive away and it was all country roads to get to her. That was a treat, a break from a constant flurry to serve our own patient. And it was just the two of us for a brief time in the car. Those moments can be special. She is a good driver.
    Then came the day for her to depart. She drove to the airport and I had to drive home. Hubby was along as a passenger and helped me navigate the exit from the airport onto the right path to our stretch of the highway heading to our house. He was patient with me. Each time she leaves it's hard. 
(She's coming back in November for a friend's wedding and I'm already excited.)
     On the 15th of August hubby's three nieces and their five children decided to spend a week with us. They took a Megabus from New York City. BRAVE!!
For me it meant setting up the bedrooms so we could all be comfortable and have personal space. I put a bed for Buddy in the Master bedroom with us and gave his room to one of the sisters and her teenage daughter. Her two sons got the bedroom that shared an adjoining washroom thus keeping them as one unit and to accommodate her two boys my older daughter brought a couple of thin mattresses from her place and we created a cosy king sized low bed for them in their room.
    The single bed that was originally in that room went across the hall into the second Master bedroom which already had a queen bed. The single was added to accommodate the single Auntie. And by putting two sisters and the little girls in a large bedroom with an ensuite washroom all would sleep in comfort. The little ones were to share the queen bed with their mom. It was set up so that they all had a space similar to their home arrangements. This way we could all cope under one roof in maximum comfort. And we did. The kids were very respectful of our need for rest and personal space.
   Being 11 people at meal times was very efficient with so many cooks and hands to clean up. The boys even chipped in to do daily vacuuming! They fixed a jogging machine and Buddy's bike too! For them the novelty of being with their grand uncle was a huge holiday treat. They were all such a happy fun group to entertain and to enjoy. It really helped hubby's mental wellness being so surrounded with such a loving caring group of younger people. 
   For one fun event we spent a day at the CNE, a huge show that comes to Toronto each August. We rode on many rides, ate loads of junk food and walked through exhibits until we were too tired to take another step. We took public transit for that trip. Even hat was an adventure for Buddy and myself. And on that day, August 16, we left hubby at home alone for the first time. He managed just fine.
   On August 19 we organized my daughter to join us with a her van. We drove in three cars to Niagara Falls. I drove hubby's car and my niece drove mine. It had an easier navigation system. Hubby who preferred to be a passenger in his own car was my guide.
    It was a trip to remember. Hubby did remarkably well on this huge all day outing. We strolled slowly and savoured the falls. We sent the group down under while we stretched out on the lawn under a shady bush. Then the two of us rode up the side of the cliff in a lift to the higher level where the cars were parked and we ate dinner together as the others did their walking about.     Around 8 pm we met up at the cars and set out to head for home. We left the parking lot with one of our nieces and her son in our car. Later we discovered that the rest were not behind us. We called them and learned they had decided at the last minute to stay a bit longer, to go on to rides and to see Niagara Falls light up at night!! Daughter was very thoughtful by letting them. 
    They didn't reach home till 3 am . We were asleep long before them. But sadly two missed out by travelling home with us.
   

When August 22 arrived we began to feel a bit sad. That was the day of their departure. Just before midnight they would board the Megabus back to New York City. 
   We packed as much as we could in the remaining day and it included some last minute shopping for gifts. One grand nephew got a macbook that he would use in his upcoming college years. Others got mini iPads so they could FaceTime with their Granduncle whom they chose to nickname Grandpa! And guess what nickname I was given? 
   Ah yes it was a very busy month, very much packed with emotions of every kind and mostly the best kind! It ended on a Saturday and again on a long but rainy and quiet weekend.
  AUGUST 2013 was gone in a flash!!!