It's been a busy and intense couple of weeks in the Holt Press world.
My has Mum arrived for a visit. She apparently spent a great time with Vicki at a scrapbooking weekend retreat at Nowra if such a thing is possible before hosting her Victorian grandchildren for a weekend at Echuca. Then came a real highlight, a reunion with her best friend from school, Irene, whom she hadn't seen in over 40 years!! She came back to Ocean Grove glowing and bubbling over with stories and happiness.
Mrs Holt Press' Dad Alan has been sick and in hospital for a few weeks. One thing has led to another and his condition has deteriorated significantly. Despite this, after discussions with me and her brothers she decided to take a short trip back to WA to see The Heir for his birthday and visit her friends whom she misses terribly. Her brother Trevor was on hand to do "hospital duty". Unfortunately the day after she flew to Perth her Dad's health took a serious downturn, to the point where the medical staff were afraid he wouldn't make it through the night. So Mrs HP got on the next available flight and came back, with The Heir as her companion.
I spent a couple of hours at the hospital with her Dad before going up to Melbourne to pick them up and am pleased to report that he has perked up considerably and the crisis has passed for the time being. He is still gravely ill and the prospects of him coming out of hospital are not great but he has improved enough to be able to talk and smile and enjoy the visits of various family members over the weekend. We're taking it one day at a time.
It is nice to have The Heir here for a visit and last night Favourite Daughter cooked a stupendous meal in honour of his birthday, roast chicken and lamb and veges followed by homemade pavlova! The only one missing was Spike.
Sunday morning I umpired a footy game at the old Geelong West oval which brought back happy memories of going to watch the Roosters play there in the VFA when I was a kid.
Sport Boy had a soccer game at Lara, North Geelong's home ground, and drew 1-1 with Werribee in a good quality game. After that we took Mum up to the MCG to watch the West Coast v Collingwood game, risking the physical contortions and exclamations that go with watching a live game of football with my mother! The Heir, Sport Boy and I laughed our heads off at the looks on the faces of all around after one particularly high-pitched outburst after a West Coast goal! To say Mum is a nervous spectator is the height of understatement.
I have a couple of days off but work rang to ask if I can cover a late shift this arvo. Money is tight so overtime is a welcome boost. Tomorrow I'm hoping to take Mum up to Shepparton to visit Auntie Merle who hasn't been in very good health herself lately but is back home again now.
The other family milestone of late was my Dad's 75th birthday on Saturday. He too has been having his own health problems recently, suffering an episode of Bell's Palsy which has not gotten better as yet. Despite that he sounded in good spirits when I rang to wish him happy birthday.
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