Chapter 95 - Home Again

We've been home for a few days now after a short (geographically & duration) caravan trip. Five small towns a few hours drive away. The longest time driving was 3 hours coming home in the rain last Wednesday. I didn't bother unhitching the van at all in 10 days. There was no need. We had no interest in sight seeing. Each van park was only a few yards from a shopping centre so we had no difficulty buying groceries. At the second town she stocked up on clothes from her favourite store; they offered her a seat to ease her back pains while I flashed my Visa. Right from the beginning her back and hips gave her trouble. Her bed in the van is not as kind to her as it once was. And sitting on the in-built upholstered van seats, posture twisted to watch TV in the rear corner of the van did not help either. Most of our time in the van was spent reading or TV & videos because of wet weather or frost. At least one small fan heater was warming the van 24 hours each day. Perhaps we sat in frosty sunshine no more than a few hours. When her back pains became severe I set up one of our collapsible chairs in the middle of the van. However in the confines of the van passage from front to rear sometimes made reaching the loo a problem so I bought a "director's" chair for her; much easier to set up & to collapse, as well as providing a much better seating posture. Each van park had a disabled toilet room (no, not a room with broken facilities !) which she was able to use, although she always showered in the van. A van toilet is a must during rain, frosts & dark cold nights. We stayed 2 nights at each van park, exiting by about 9am and arriving at the next about 10am since the distances were so short. And this meant we had 2 days in each town as well. My type of vanning, especially when I did not need to unhitch, although connecting & disconnecting hoses is less than pleasant on winter mornings.

She regularly needs help drying and dressing each morning. Quite often she is unable to rise from a chair, to the extent I don't like being absent from her for too long in case she is caught short. Now that winter is here she has a lot of trouble putting on jumpers & coats; they tend to bunch across her shoulders while her arms are half way into the sleeves and she can only stand there until I discover her predicament.

In all, we enjoyed our time together, as one must in a van during wet weather. Not like we are now that we are at home, she in her sunroom (knitting jackets for African kids) while I am out in my dungeon. I was surprised to discover we laughed together in the van, unusual because I suppose we don't laugh much when we are together alone at home. A sorry thing that I need to travel in cramped conditions with her to feel closeness. As her caring physician says, she has a very expressive face for a Parky. A shame that she has little mobility from the waist down.

At one point she said "I will have to get better so I can look after you in your old age." I really hope so.