HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERY HANGERS

I make jewellery hangers with a difference. The jewellery hangers you can buy in the shops these days are ususally in the form of a figure, from which you hang your jewellery. I make covered hangers, almost Victorian style, covered with satin or similar fabric, lace, netting and maybe a satin rose or some feathers. I insert a wooden stay along the bottom (which is covered with the material) and screw cup-hooks into the bottom, from which you can hang your jewellery, or whatever you fancy. I sell them for R100.00. They are lovely gifts for Christmas for someone special. Contact me if you would like to view or order them.

GETTING OLD

Isn't it strange how, as we get older and if we are still fortunate to have a parent who is alive, the role of child and mother seems to switch. My Mother is 90 years old and until a year or two ago, was quite bright and clear-minded, although her eyesight was failing at a rapid pace. Now, in a matter of two years, she is frail and very confused and her body seems to be failing her, in that she has lost weight and her spine seems to have just got too tired to hold up her head. She has to drink her fluids out of a "baby spout cup" and has to be assisted with meals.

hen I visit her, I seem to take on the role of "mother" and she assumes the role of "the child". She has developed a sweet tooth and if I don't take her sweeties, she gets upset, much like a child would. I also find myself having to reprimand her about her behaviour, which apparently sometimes disturbs the other residents.

When I sit with her, she often falls asleep while I am talking to her, so I just sit and hold her hand or rub my hand gently up and down her arm, just so that she knows I am still there. I feel like I want to take her in my arms and gently rock her and tell her that all is okay. as you would a child, who is maybe sad or not feeling well. I want to stay there with her, so that she never feels alone, but iunfortunately t is not possible as I have a family to go home to and look after.

Unfortunately I am the only daughter and child living in the same town as my Mother. My sibling are scattered far and wide, with my one brother living in America. It is not easy having to be the only form of family contact that my Mom has with her children. The responsibility for everything regarding my Mom and her wellbeing falls on my shoulders. Although I don't for one second begrudge my time with my Mom, I just feel that it would be easier if my Mom had more of a back-up system in respect of her children visiting.

Once, when I went away for a few days, my Mom suffered a stroke and I felt awful that I wasn't here to be with her. I had arranged for my nephew and his wife to visit her while I was away, which they did and I am grateful for, but the fact remains that I wasn't here for my Mom. My eldest brother then travelled down to see our Mother. My brother was not happy with the treatment my Mother had been receiving and created a huge fuss, which caused some bad feelings with the staff at the retirement home. It is so easy for someone who is not here on a regular basis, to point fingers. I cannot comment on the medical treatment my Mother receives, as I am not qualified to do so, but I have to believe that the nursing staff at the retirement home always do what is in my Mother's best interest, although she can sometimes be quite headstrong and tell them off if she doesn't want to do something.

My Mother is a rather stubborn person, however, for her 90 years on this earth, maybe she has earned the right not to let people walk over her. She has not had an easy life and maybe she is just so tired of people trying to tell her what to do and what not to do, after all she is much older than most of them.

My only wish for my Mother is that she will always know that I love her and that God will gently take her hand when she is ready to go, with no pain or suffering.

GETTING READY FOR THE DREADED CHRISTMAS PRESENT SEARCH

I have an intense dislike this time of the year. As the year draws to a close, I break into a sweat, trying to think of gifts to buy/make for the family. It wouldn't be so bad if I just had to buy for my immediate family i.e. husband and kids and moms, but it's the extended family that gives me a headache.

I have, unfortuantely, created a precendet in that I always like to give gifts that are different and are suited to each particular member of the family. This often means that I spend a lot of my time making individual gifts. Sometimes I have enven ended up finishing off a gift the night before Christmas day, instead of relaxing and enjoying my time with the family. I always think it will be cheaper to make gifts, than to go out a buy them, but I think my mindset is changing. After spending hours making a creative gift, when it comes to wrapping it, I always feel that it isn't enough, maybe because I have made it and not bought it from a shop. I then rush out and buy something small to go with it! In the end, instead of saving money by making gifts, I end up spending more than I would have if I had just bought some normal gift from a shop. I always feel so cross with myself, after Christmas has come and gone, when I think what I could have spent the money on (paint for the house, plants for the garden). My problem is that I so enjoy making creative things, so it will be difficult for me to change now.

However, this year I have engaged the services of my eldest daughter, who is very money concious and could never understand my feelings of inadequacy about my home made gifts. She has offered to organise the gifts this year, although we will still be making gifts, she will chain me down if she sees the slightest hint of panic in my eyes about the gift not being good enough and feeling the urge to rush out to buy a back-up.

So maybe this year will be better and I will have a little extra money left over to buy things for the house or maybe even save for a holiday.

Examples of some of the gifts I have made over the years:

Wooden Garfield bird feeders/ "Hot cats" bags to warm in the microwave/ appliqued African table cloth/ appliqued play mat (town, cars, trees,shops etc)/paper machier door stops (crickt player, ballerina, rastafarian)/ braai apron with special bib relating to the person receiving it)/Victorian pot pourri slippers/ Victorian jewellery hangars/canvas paintings/brandy liqueur/coffee liqueur/ chicken mesh fish braai holder...to name but a few.

WARNING TO TV COUCH (BED)POTATOES

I had quite fright a week ago. I was watching TV in bed and had rolled up a pillow to prop up my head. On sitting up, I found that my whole body had gone "heavy". I then proceeded to experience pins and needles all over my body. I lay down quickly, thinking I had just sat up too quickly. On and off during the night, I experienced "shocks" to my whole body, although I wasn't moving at all. In fact, in my mind I was calling out to my husband to help me, but apparently that was not the case. I am sure I also blacked out for a few seconds, as I had the sensation of everything being pitch black. Once the "shocks" had subsided, I had a pounding headache; I could feel the blood pumping in my ears. The next morning it felt like a bus had run over me.

I went to see the doctor and he said I had experienced a series of "minor strokes" or "Transient Ischemic Attacks", probably triggered by the pillow under my neck, which cut off the blood flow.

Well, I felt rather silly that I had perhaps caused the whole nasty episode.

Anyhow, I have been for various tests and all seems to be alright. I still have to undergo a CT scan to ensure that a clood clot did not form and is lurking inside my head somewhere. It is quite scary to think that by doing something so normal, could have ended up having far more serious consequences.

So...this is a warning to all the TV couch potatoes out there, make sure you support you head and body evenly awhen watching TV and please....don't roll up that pillow.