I pulled it off ! ! !

After quite a lot of planning - e.g. emails, lists, shopping, cooking, coordinating with Irene, etc I managed to pull a surprise Birthday party off for my darling Roger. Now if it had been me, I would have guessed that there was something in the wind!! But not my Roger.

I must say I was rather distraught Friday morning when I eventually left for work around 10.45. Roger was upset because he had had trouble shaving and of course he is realizing that his right arm is becoming weaker. We find once he starts getting upset he finds it hard to pull out of it. I went to work, but reluctantly, and the Irene called in to see him. When I got home around 13.30 he was still upset. I gave him lunch, then some sprays into the mouth of 'calm me down' medicine Irene had got for us. I decided I need some as well!! I had arranged for a friend to pick Rog up and take him out for a few hours.

Well, it all turned out magnificently. Irene arrived to help me out then Roger's cousin Bruce and his wife Sandra (visiting for a couple of days from Sydney) arrived so I put them to work. Friends started to arrive just after 17.00 and then the party got into full swing. Steve arrived back with Rog around 17.30 - perfect timing.

We had a wonderful evening celebrating Roger's birthday (which was actually on the 19th May) and we again realized how much energy people give us and how important it is for us, even in our circumstances, to have family and friends around us to continue to make special memories. There were 23 altogether and it was such a joy to have people in our home.

Of course I forgot to get someone to take photo's, but here are just a couple of the evening for you to enjoy.

Colette and Gaynor

Toby and Anna

Irene, Roger and Jonty

Bruce, Sandra, Roger and Gaynor (watching the football!!)

This is the card our son Tim gave to his Dad!! It does take a
little while for people to 'GET IT'

Are we besotted ? ? ?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING ROGER

Here we are sitting on a bench in Fremantle when we had a lovely evening with Dave & Sue back in March. Rog just giving the thumbs up that we are having a good time (and need a rest as well)!!

Roger turns 58 today. Currently he is sitting on our lovely leather lounge entertaining Pepper, who is bringing us a lot of joy. We have given him a new toy this morning (with a rattle inside). Roger and Pepper are both cute, cute, cute ! ! !

This time last year we went to Riquewihr, in the Alsace in France with Stephen and Barbara James for a very happy day in the lovely old village which we have visited many times before. What special memories we treasure in our hearts.

Around this time we also had lunch with friends in Basel, Sheldon and Shelley Jones and said a sad farewell to Anne Scheidel who returned to the US of A.

Then our cycling tour for 5 days with Joshua, Jayne and Angela in the Loire Valley in France. Joshua visited us from Sydney last week and reminded us of the amazing time we had together. What an adventure.

So today I want to pay tribute to my wonderful husband of 35 years. With God's help, Roger has made me into the woman I am today (Mum helped as well). God still has a lot of work to do I am sure!

Roger has taught me tolerance, patience, how to be non judgmental and kind. If you don't have a positive word to say to someone, don't speak.

Nothing seems to phase Roger. Sometimes he's a bit too placid for my liking, but he also loves a good time and if I'm prepared to organize things, he happy tags along, or lovingly accepts all the people I invite into our home! I remember how busy he was on Sunday when he was a Parish Priest, but he would always welcome visitors to our table for a Sunday roast. I love and admire him for his willingness to keep working when all he probably wanted to do was have an afternoon nap!

Now, as Motor Neurone Disease (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease) overtakes him, he is determined to keep going and being as independent as he possibly can. He only asks for help with dressing or food when he absolutely has to. He stays positive most of the time, and his sense of humour has blossomed in these last months since coming back to Australia from Germany. We don't even want to think about the road ahead, but try and live each day to make more happy memories!

I love my precious Roger with all my heart and with God's help and all you lovely family and friends praying for us, we will get through this time that Roger has left on this earth. For none of us know when our time on earth will end, Roger is just more aware of it than most.

Thank you for 35 precious years my darling. I love you very, very much.

Gaynor xo xo xo xo xo xo xo xo xo xo xo xo xo

Happenings in our lives

There is one dear friend whose care and love for Roger and me I value very much. So, when he sent a message asking for a more personal update I thought I'd better get to and deliver!!

We celebrated our 35th Wedding Anniversary last night. We started the morning by exchanging cards and having a good cry, which was interrupted by Pepper jumping up on us and wondering what all the noise was about!! It was a good distraction for us and we did have a laugh! My lovely sister Irene drove us to the Darlington Winery Estate in the hills for a lovely lunch, (which was rather late). We did enjoy ourselves and have no photos to show!!

We are getting on okay. We try to laugh more than we cry, but we do both quite well! Roger is being overtaken by Motor Neurone Disease and it is so dreadful to see a very special and very loved husband deteriorating in this way. He is being very brave and is fighting to keep walking and being as independent as he can be. I help with the odd button or two, cutting up the food, etc, but he is doing so very well to keep going. Yesterday we had a visit to the Neurologist and it was okay. A few things were discussed that were upsetting to us both. I must be honest and say I can't read anything about MND or what the near future is going to hold for me as a carer. I have asked Irene to read up and tell me only what I absolutely have to know.

I have been put in touch with a lady whose husband died of MND not long ago. I hope to catch up soon and share friendship and information with her. We just haven't quite been able to connect with our busy programmes.

We have seen all our kids in the last couple of months and this has been special for us. They do find it hard with us being in Perth and them being in Melbourne. We do try and keep in contact via phone calls, but we must try and do something about Skype soon. It would be so much better. Our internet connection is not very good here in Perth. Our daughter Glenda is now 27 weeks pregnant with twins. They are due on 12 August, but we are expecting them to come early. We were thinking of visiting Melbourne in June, but Roger is not keen to do this and would rather wait until the twins arrive. I am not sure if I might go for a few days in June. It will depend on work and how Roger is.

Speaking of work. I work 24 hours/week at Star Settlements and ijrproperty. I am the Office Manager and I do all sorts of things. I do have to laugh sometimes when I am at work and learning all these new things. When we were living in Germany I was thinking I would never work for money again! Just shows you should never say never!! I do enjoy my work but sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed about all the things I need to do. I have been so very spoilt by a husband who is always willing to lend a hand and was willing to cook, clean, etc that it is hard to take not having him do it anymore! Poor me. Not really, being in a small home is very convenient and not much cleaning to do really. Roger comes to work when he feels like it. He might do between 10 - 12 hours week, but he is a volunteer. He is in charge of scanning files into the computer so that we can get rid of all the paper files!! He is very good and thorough at this. Just last week a special chair was delivered to work so that he can rest when he gets tired. This means he doesn't have to come home and be by himself (though now we have Pepper this isn't so bad).

We have a wheelchair at home so that if we want to go for a long walk, I can take Roger in the wheelchair. It is very easy to use, but not so good to load in and out of the car. Roger has also been fitted with a neck collar which he can use whenever he likes. This will help with his weakened neck muscles. The neck brace comes from Canada. It doesn't look too bad actually.

So, how's that for an update? I'm not going to read it back, otherwise I might delete half of it. I hope it makes sense.

Roger's 58th Birthday is on Thursday. I'm trying to think what we did last year. I know we had a special celebration after one of our Monday hikes around Schopfheim. Ah, those were the days!!!!!!!!!

Introducing Pepper

Pepper on Roger's lap. Roger is sitting in his very comfy chair

As most of our friends would know, we having been looking for a dog since we dogsat Jonty and enjoyed him immensely. In fact, everyone has been looking for a dog for us. We have had disappointments, when we thought we had chosen one, only to be told "Oh, he's on hold"!! But, now we realize that one wasn't meant to be anyway.

Pepper (once named Bandit because of the black around his eyes!) became available on Friday 13 May and Joanne, my boss, took Roger to have a look at him and of course the rest is history.

We think Pepper belonged to an older lady who could no longer look after him. Pepper tends to follow me around more than he does Roger and we want to change this. So, if there's treats to be had, I try and get Roger to give them rather than me.

I don't think Pepper has been walked. He is hopeless on the lead and when I take him out in the morning and leaps along like a spring lamb! It was funny at first, but it is wearing thin after 3 days!! He is also full of energy and always wants to play. He needs to settle a little.

Pepper is a Shih Tzu crossed with something else we think! We have a lot to learn about how to look after a little dog.

Out with the OLD, in with the NEW ! ! !

About time I posted a couple of pictures for you to look at!! Our old kitchen was removed on 15 April, the day Tim/Amy and Glenda/Tom arrived from Melbourne for a wee holiday with us!! Just as well we were taking off to Mandurah for 3 days! Our new kitchen went in on 20/21 April, just in time for Easter and the arrival of lovely friend Christine on a 2 day visit from Basel and Mary and Bruce from Adelaide. So, the kitchen has been well used. I love it. It's very user friendly and I love having a dishwasher. Lucky me.


Cheryl was visiting from Adelaide when Roger took this photo of the new kitchen. She is making the most of the bench space to read the paper. One of these days we will get a couple of bar stools for the kitchen bench.

This is the old kitchen and the 'wall' separating the kitchen from the loungeroom. I didn't like this at all in our little home. The cupboards were very ordinary and hard to use. No bench space at all and the sink was very silly!!