Useful get well gift after heart op.

[chickling]

Mil had open heart surgery today and was wondering what to get her to cheer her up/ help recovery. Was going to give framed new pics of grandsons but wanted other ideas too. Few weeks ago she said she didn't want books, dressing gown, toiletries etc coz was so down waiting in hospital bed for so long. She's normally an active 60 yr old into gardening and taking in injured birds(!!)

How about a Grandparents Journal? Where she can fill in details about her early life, own parents etc, a bit like a memoir? Would be fascinating for your children to read and, if she's a busy sort, an enforced period of rest might be the perfect time to do it :)

Does she like crafts of any kind? Cross stitch, crochet, english paper piecing patchwork (you can get pre-cut sets). Something that is lightweight and only requires simple materials. Would she be interested in learning if not? There are some great crochet guide books (Crochet Unravelled), and easy to hold hooks (Clover soft-grip) and you could get her a few balls of nice yarn (don't get cotton yarn, it slides about :) Merino is nice :) If she's an active, useful sort then she might find it more interesting as you can actually produce something at the end and it's quite a brain-teaser to figure out how to do it.

Or how about a stack of competition puzzle magazines (so you could actually win something, unlike puzzle books)

HTH - but my money's on the Grandparents Journal

PS Amazon sell the Grandparents Journal.

The journal is a great idea, thanks. I'll look it up now

I just thought, maybe not as DH doesn't speak to his father (I've never met him and he doesn't want to meet his grandsons) so filling in stuff about daddy's daddy and her wedding etc might be awkward!!

Yes, maybe not that one

What about Memories for my Grandchild: A Grandmothers Keepsake Journal? If you click the "look inside" view (on Amazon) it's not as much a family tree type record but things like early life, teens, what her own mother and father were like what school was like for her, technology back then, what they did for leisure when she was a young lady (so different to today!), popular bands, things like fashions of the time etc.

She could gloss/miss out sections that she would rather not go into, even if it was half filled in it would be fascinating to know about her early life.