Stella

A few weeks ago, Stella had some teeth removed - to the bewilderment of practically everyone who knew about it, apart from her dentist and the dental surgeon. We all knew it would not go well. They persuaded her is was Very Necessary Indeed.

It did not go well! Her mouth bled and bled and bled and was very sore and did not get better.

Then she had her 4th Covid shot and her Flu shot and had the expected reaction to the Covid shot.

The combination of everything saw her in hospital for a day or two. Except that it wasn't a day or two. As is usual with Stella, the day or two turned into several days. We tried to get her out of hospital and into respite care but there was a long, long wait and it didn't happen. Eventually she went back home to the tender ministrations of her carers.

While all this was going on, Jim was in having respite care at the Mount Clear Aged Care facility which is not quite two years old and is very lovely indeed. Stella was bored and lonely at home - the rest of us for various reasons couldn't drop everything and head on down to Mount Martha. Stella was persuaded that going into respite in Mount Clear might be a plan, with a view to staying. The facility is a five minute drive from my place and a ten minute drive from Lindsey's. It's no further for Wendy and other Melbourne based family to get to Ballarat than it is to get to Mount Martha. No one else lives on or near the Mornington Peninsula.

So Lindsey went and picked her up on Saturday and brought her to Ballarat. I think she nearly turned around and went straight back to Mount Martha. It was wet and cold and horrible all weekend and she was cold, all weekend!

Stella frozen at Lindsey's house,
despite having a heated blanket and
a Great Dane on hand
(Lindsey's photo)

We had a seafood platter for lunch on the Monday Holiday, in honour of Tabitha's birthday, Ian's late father's birthday, the Queen's birthday and any other birthdays we may have missed

Stella at Monday Lunch at our place,
not quite so cold but she was sat
right next to our blazing wood fire
AND I had the central heating on!

On the Tuesday, I took her to the Aged Care facility to start her two week's respite. She has a lovely room, looking out over the rooftops of Mount Clear. It gets lots of sunlight (when there is any sunlight!). The only issue is that it's a bit of a hike to the dining room and the common rooms and it's too far for her to walk. She does, however, have her wheelchair and the staff take her along. They offered her a different room, much closer to the action, and with a private courtyard. But by then she had settled into her room. She likes the view and the aspect. And, as she points out, she has never been one to sit outside with her coffee or her lunch and a private courtyard would be wasted on her. So in her room she stays.

In the squishy chair that is in her room

She was a bit unsettled on the first couple of nights and most definitely had cold feet over this move but she is much more settled now. She is beginning to get to know some of the other residents and the carers. She likes the food and the people and the facility. She likes having people very close to her. I think it is all going to be good.

The weather picked up yesterday. Lindsey and I went out to Smythesdale to check out a little country market. Smythesdale is a very pretty village and has a very cute  if small market. It's a lovely drive out there. We think the market is monthly. It might well be somewhere we could take Stella and Jim, tying it in with lunch in one of the pubs. Or, indeed, we could just go out for a pub lunch. Ian would probably come too, if there was lunch on offer 😋

Smythesdale market

I wonder what the food is like in the pub.
The fish van isn't there all the time

We took Jim and Stellas out for afternoon tea and ended up by the lake, in The Boatshed, where we had delicious cakes to share and cups of tea or hot chocolate. I  haven't been in The Boatshed for years. Generally if I am heading up to the lake to eat, I go to Pipers. But Pipers closes at 3pm and we were just arriving. The Boatshed it was, and very good it was too. We will go there again, for lunch next time.

The view from our table

Jim, eating more than his fair share of the cakes!

Stella will miss her proximity to the sea
but we do have the rather lovely lake to offer

There were lots of people out and about around the lake, enjoying the winter sunshine. There were some people sailing model, remote control yachts. That looked like lots of fun.

The sun is shining again today too. Then the rain is forecast to move back in. I had better go and get some washing done. It probably won't dry outside but at least it will get a good airing.

Brandy, "chasing" the mouse on the wooden clock