I get to spend the entire week at the trailer!

He said

Well, we were hoping for better news on the job front for Danielle to end out the week it just didn’t work out that way. I will let Danielle share that and her continued job hunt in her piece but suffice it to say it has taken up a lot of her energy and emotion this week. The other piece of news though that was good was we have found a suitable assisted living retirement residence for Mom & Dad in Fox Hollow Retirement Residence in Hyde Park, We took them for a tour of the facility on Thursday and they were so happy with the place, they put their name down on one of the apartments on the spot.

After all the challenges in the last few months with Dad’s health and extended hospital stays, it became increasingly apparent that they needed to rethink their living space. Mom & Dad started to put out inquiries to places to find out availability and what they offered. They had lined up a few visits over the next few weeks to try and find a solution they were happy with. Oddly enough when one of the home care specialists from Home Instead, that helps them through the week had suggested they check a new facility, Mom & Dad added Fox Hollow to the list of visits and they were actually first on the list for this Thursday.

I happened to be off work, so Danielle, Emelia & I took Mom & Dad for their tour of the residence. The nice thing is the location is on the west end of the city and right near a lot of our frequent stops for our family—it’s actually only a 6 min drive from my work. Immediately after getting a sense of the facility I could see that both Mom & Dad were at ease with the amenities and how it could support them having a better, more social quality of life. We looked at a couple of the apartments and they could easily see how they could downsize and fit into the space comfortably. But the jewel in the crown so-to-speak was that the apartment that they looked at and liked had a west view which would give them a view of sunsets every single night.

My biggest concern was would they be able to find a place that both Mom & Dad would be okay with as they have their own needs and ideas of what would be suitable. The good news is, thus facility has both retirement living and then assisted living which means it can grow with them as they potentially need more support and help. This was a huge relief to the both of them to know that they can be in one location that will grow with their needs. But more to the point, both Mom & Dad saw this as the facility that would work.

So, after an extensive visit they decided this was the one and put their name down on a place. When we got back to their place Mom started calling the other facilities they had planned on visiting and cancelling the tours. This was all relieving and good news. Now, we just have to help them plan and organize the move and downsize of stuff to get into this space in the third week of September. I know that Matthew and Shawn have already been over there this weekend to help them start the process and the rest of the family will continue to do that over the next month as we help them get ready for the move.

With that being wrapped up, it was one form of relief to our life this week as we head into this week off at the trailer. As much as I would have loved to have the same relieving news in Danielle’s job hunt, we’ll take what we can get and keep at it as best we can. Saturday as soon as I was done work, I beelined to the house to grab the list of things I need to get and then headed straight to the trailer to meet up with Danielle & Emelia for our week’s vacation. I made pretty good time as a couple hours after leaving work I was sitting by the fire pit, enjoying dinner and an adult beverage. And knowing that there was a whole week of that ahead of me! A week of campfires in the forecast is never a bad thing!

She said

As John shared the news on the job front results didn’t end the way I had hoped. I hadn’t shared at all where I had applied but since it didn’t work I can say it was with the Montessori School in London in their director’s office. My experience was perfect for the job and out of over 100 applicants it came down to me and one other candidate. The other candidate was sort of an internal hire in that they have been volunteering for years at the school and had just that big of an edge, so sadly I didn’t have a chance.

The mindset I have tried to have through this entire emotional and often stressful process, it is what it is and time to move on. The right match will come and hopefully very soon. To say I am stressed is an understatement. Money will be tight VERY soon if I cannot find a full time job or at least a part time job with a decent pay level. I did receive an offer at a local preschool to be a educational assistant for the toddler and preschool classrooms but it is very part time. The pay won’t be nearly enough but I am hoping I can find another job to offset this or ideally something full time. The staff at the school have been very sweet so I am hoping this will all work out in the end.

The job search has been almost all-consuming but I am trying my best to enjoy this vacation as a family with some amazing friends. This week we are up for the full week, Steph, Justin and the kids are here for most of the week and our friends Tina and Fern are here all week. We are even going to have a special visit overnight with a our friends Norma and the kids. Emelia is so excited and so are we!

The big exciting thing for me is that this coming weekend my sister and her family are coming up. They arrive Friday later and are here until Sunday. With the pandemic we haven’t been able to see Charlie, Todd and Marshall. We haven’t seen them since Christmas so to have them here for a few days and nights and we cannot wait!

Aside from the disappointment on the job front it was a very busy week but a productive one. As we have spoken about over the last few months Doug and Helen’s living situation has been worrisome. Add in Doug’s health scares over the last 6 months as a family we were getting very worried. Thankfully after some discussion and research they had settled on a few great options, the one we went to on Thursday was a late addition to the list of potential options. The facility is very new, so new that they are still building a program and finishing the work on some of the common spaces and apartments.

This facility was very impressive, the staff was amazing and the apartments are bright, open and well laid out. Both Helen and Doug really loved them. Now they will be in a smaller apartment for the time being but will be top of the waiting list should they want to move to a bigger two plus den option. They loved it so much that they signed on the spot and later in the day I brought over their deposit for them.

Now the real work begins—30 years in London and 20 years in Wallaceburg means a lot of things to go through. To decide their most cherished possessions, best furniture and other items to make this new apartment their new home. They have a move-in date of September 21st so we have time but not a lot considering the scope of work. We are relieved and happy that they have found a place that will assure they are safe, give them so much support and a renewed social life in the residence. It is sad to think that after 30 years that the house won’t be where we have all our holiday gatherings but we are ready for new memories and a healthy life for our parents!

That was our week, lots of mixed and big emotions. Hoping next week will bring some more news on the job front and that this week will bring lots of memories, laughs and time with our friends and as a family.