Cloudbusting

Today was a day of hot sunshine one moment, dark gathering clouds the next and then massive downpours which is represented by my main image. It was also another 7 hour round trip back to A&E with my 85 year-old dad.
It was exactly the same situation as 6 weeks ago in that the district nurse said she was unable to carry out what should have been a fairly routine medical procedure and told him he needed to go to A&E, so after I collected him and took him to the hospital I knew we'd be in for another long wait. It followed almost completely the same process as last time and whilst the staff were just as lovely and just as patient with dad as before they were frustrated that he'd been told to attend A&E again, which I can quite understand from their point of view. Basically his GP and the district nurse seem to have absolved themselves from their duty of care past a certain point and the staff in A&E say he shouldn't keep having to return there for hours on end either and we're getting stuck in the middle! It's tiring, frustrating and aggravating in equal measure. I can handle it but it's no way to treat an 85 year-old man.

Today is also my mum's birthday. We lost her nearly 12 years ago now but we always have a little celebration for her. So on the way back from the hospital I got some flowers, a bottle of Prosecco for a toast and a silly card (see extra) which I know she would have found funny (she had a wonderfully silly sense of humour). It's now not so much a feeling of loss on her birthday but a joy in the past - me, my brother and sister sit and toast mum with a glass of bubbles and swap our favourite funny stories about her. Happy Birthday Mum! Love you always.