No Pictures

Went to see Mother yesterday. She was in OT when I got there and being very nasty. When she saw me she got worse. I moved across the room out of her eye sight and watched a few minutes. Ended up leaving the area completely for unlike last week I was a total distraction. Went to the parking lot and waited for my sister...am still unsure why she was there. Bert showed up around 3pm. They are moving Mother today to another facility. To quote Bert "She'll be with a better quality of people"...what the hell does that mean? I think this move is a big mistake as far as her recovery goes...but a semi private room is $6800.00 a month and she's going to have a private room, but you know what value she places on costly things. Nancy and I told her that if she doesn't work at it she'll just vegetate in the wheelchair for the rest of her life. I'm so close to washing my hands of her...know I won't and even that makes me mad. Possibly it shows this morning that I'm quite angry about this whole mess. Took my camera, forgot to take pictures.

Life as I knew it

Well, it seems that life as I knew it is over! I woke up this morning at 4am to find Shirley, Mercy, Smokey, Maggie and Jazzy all in bed with me...and it's only a double bed. Goodness and Bandi had chosen to sleep out last night! Thank goodness! What a way to wake up!

I'll visit Mother today. I put my camera in my purse last night and hope to get a picture or two of her. Will post after I get them developed...I've been getting a cd burned when I have them developed and am posting from that...it's not as easy as I thought it'd be and is a new learning experience each time. You know, it's that old dog, new trick thing.

The missing counter top and knobs were installed in my kitchen yesterday. The knobs have been discontinued and the building center ordered them from somewhere. The ones that came in are slightly different, same shape (oval), same material (porcelain) and same color (white), but slightly different. I said to just go ahead I can live with it. The counter top is a different story...it isn't installed right, it's not even and sticks up above the level of the stove. I don't know what the answer is, but this really hasn't been a good experience...I feel like I've been experimented on. It's my guess that the fellows who did the cabinets and counter tops have never done it before. At least that's how it seems! The kitchen floor was supposedly jacked up from under the house, but it still dips. And the puddle I thought was coming from the dishwasher is in fact coming from my refrigerator. That never happened before they moved it around a bunch.

Mother's birthday

We celebrated Mother's 83rd birthday today. Actually it was Wednesday, but we have always done something either on the weekend before or after if it falls during the week.

Bert got hamburgers and fries from Wendy's, Nancy P. furnished tea and plates and cups and ice and I had Tupelo's (new bakery here in town) make sugar free cupcakes with piped cream cheese as icing. Nancy and Mark B. joined us and it was quite festive with cards and gifts and a balloon. Mother had her hair done in the nursing home beauty parlor yesterday and looked quite pretty. I could kick myself for not taking my camera!

Mother told me that she wanted to run away...and cried when I told her she couldn't yet, but that as soon as she was able we'd take her to the mall and go eat and see a movie. She calmed down a bit after that. After we ate and opened cards and gifts we sang old songs and she joined in on some of them. It was a pretty good time.

Lables for pictures

Forgot to name pictures...don't remember the order...
There's one on the beach with Nancy, Maria and Shirley. One in lounge chair of Shirley and Maria. One of Maggie...Maggie & Jazzy...St. Teresa...Shirley, Maggie and Jazzy. That may be all.

Saw Mother yesterday. She was in bed when I got there at 2pm. Got her dressed and down to pt. They got her up on her feet and with 2 people supporting walked her in a complete circuit around the unit and then after a small rest another shorter walk. That's the most I've ever seen her do! Her mind can be crystal clear on minute and gone the next, but it's better.

Gotta dress for work.

More Pics

Look!

#1 is Mercy and Smokey

#2 is Shirley and Goodness

#3 is Mercy

#4 is Goodness

Jazzy

Here she is! Isn't she a cutie? The oddest thing happened yesterday, dog-wise. I was vegging out in front of the computer and Shirley and Jazzy were playing and running in and out of the house. Shirley's barking broke into my game induced fog and I went out to investigate. When I went out onto the stoop a dog jumped up on my let to be petted and in a very absent-minded way I rubbed ears and head...then I did a double take because both Shirley and Jazzy were standing on the patio watching while I rubbed a perfect stranger! Someone put a puppy in my fenced back yard! There's no way she could have found her way in, it's fairly dog proof, and all of the gates were tightly closed. I hollered out "Has someone lost a puppy?" and ran out front and looked up and down the road. There wasn't a car in sight and not a single walker! So I walked around the entire yard and found no one. What a cheap trick! The last thing in the world I need is another puppy! Well, she was too young to put out and it was late, so I sat outside and watched the puppies play and the cats investigate and fumed! The new puppy looks like a hound of some sort. She's probably 2-3 months old with feet the size of saucers! She's mainly white with black and tan facial markings a large black spot mid-tail and tiny black polka dots in her white back...seems there's another marking somewhere...She's very sweet.

I crated her last night and she was very good. Not sure what I'll do (notice no name), the Humane Society is full to the brim right now.

Isn't Jazzy something? Eight weeks old.

New family member

We have a new addition to our family. Her name is Jazzy and she's 7 weeks old. She's a puppy of rather dubious parentage and cute as a button! Her feet are much bigger than Shirley's and she probably weighs almost as much. Cute, cute, cute! My builder brought her over on Saturday for me to keep on trial...well, you know how that goes! She's mostly house broken and will eat most anything (I'm missing a slipper this morning).

The kitchen was painted yesterday...it's a most astonishing pear green. I do like it, but it sure is an eye opener! Still missing knobs and a piece of the counter top. It feels never ending. I hired a painter to paint the living room, dining room and funny room. He said he'll get it all done in the next week or two. We'll see.

Sunday Nancy baked a large salmon filet, roasted asparagus and fixed loaded mashed potatoes (I made tea) and we took it to the nursing home and had a picnic on the screened porch with Mother and Bert. It was very nice and Mother ate well and was in good spirits. The weather was beautiful and I was home by 2 o'clock. Nice.

Last night at 9:45 Bert called. He was rather distraught. Mother was a mad woman yesterday. She yelled at him and accused him of seeing other women. Bless his heart he was really upset. I told him about all of the research I've been doing on the results of strokes and that one of the main things that was stressed was mood swings. I'm not sure it helped him a lot, but he really did need to vent. Glad I was available.

Nancy had a house break-in yesterday. A little after 11am her neighbor called her at work and told her that her house and the neighbors house had both been broken into. She said she got home in 7 minutes. They had tried to open her garage door and bent the door pretty badly but couldn't get it open so then they used a crowbar and broke her front door frame and locks and got in that way. She said that drawers and cabinets were opened but she couldn't see if anything was taken or not. Then they went across the street to her neighbor's house and broke in the back door which triggered the silent alarm and the police were called. The police were in Nancy's house when she got home and wouldn't let her in...she was franic about Maria and the cats. They were okay, but really upset, as she is. The neighbor got a carpenter to fix both her house and Nancy's...she hopes to have her locks fixed today. Isn't that all the pits!!!!!

Life seems to be a lot like a good thick book and each chapter brings new mini-plots while the main theme goes on unfolding.

More kitchen

Well, it seems the knobs for my kitchen have been discontinued and that's why I'm missing 16 of them. These knobs were among an assortment that I was given for choices. Go figure! Also, I used the dishwasher for the first time last night and it leaks pretty good! Big puddle in kitchen. Called builder last night. He'll check it out today. Still have a missing piece of counter top. Soooo close, yet so far away! Have unpacked 3 boxes (just a drop in the bucket), but hesitate to put much back in before it's finished...am having it painted pear green!

Waiting to exhale

I feel that in just moments I'll be able to exhale! The kitchen is very close to being done! There is still a section of counter top missing and 16 knobs are missing. The painter has to come back and paint the trim around doors and do touch up. Oh, I'm having a wonderful wooden screen door put on the front and that needs to be painted too. I'm sure that I'll probably find other things this weekend as I move stuff back into the kitchen, but as of now that's it.

It was so nice to walk into the kitchen yesterday and have a sink! I think I've missed that the most. Both the dishwasher and microwave have been installed!!!!! As we speak I have a roast in the crockpot IN THE KITCHEN! and...last night I moved the coffee pot out of my bathroom and back into the kitchen! Yeah!!!!!

I spent 2 hours with Mother yesterday. To use her words she's "awake for the first time"! I've been cast in the role of "bad guy". Spent most to the time telling her that her recovery is her responsibility and that our hope for her is to have her back home, but without some major improvements she may not make it. The staff is talking about her being uncooprotive, antagonistic and just generally bad. She refuses to mingle with others, refuses to do rehab, refuses to go to the dining room, refuses to get out of bed and has a rotten attitude about everything. When she's "holding court" with visitors she's nice enough, but her language with the staff is just awful! Bert has finally seen that side of her and told Nancy about it. I was totally exhausted when I finally got home and couldn't get the smell of her (she wet herself twice while I was sitting on her bed) off of me or out of my nose. After letting the animals out and glancing at the kitchen I stood in the shower until I ran out of hot water...still couldn't totally get rid of the smell.

Mother's 83rd birthday is two weeks from yesterday. I think that Nancy and I will pick up from the Seine Yard and take it to the nursing home and picnic with Mother.

The reason I went to see Mother yesterday instead of my usual Tuesday is that I needed to have my hair trimmed and the fellow I've been using doesn't work on Tuesdays. Well, I probably should have waited another week or so as he had a bad head ache and butchered my hair! Oh well, it's just hair and will grow...

The job's feeling better. They've finally found some work that I'm doing on the computer and that fills in some of the blank time for me. It's nothing special, but it's better than nothing which is what I've been increasingly doing. The busy season is winding down and usually by 8:30am I've finished any filing that needs to be done and the phone has slowed down. I heard yesterday that crape myrtle season starts up the first of next month and we'll be rather busy for a few months with that. Thank goodness!

It's supposed to be a rainy and chilly weekend and I'm really looking forward to that!

Jumping the gun

Well, it seems I jumped the gun when I thought the kitchen is almost done. The counter tops are wrong. They are the Formica I chose and that looks great, however they don't fit right. Some parts hang over the edge (as they should) by about a quarter of an inch and some are actually negative in overhang! ISH! The piece that is missing is still missing and only 1/2 of the knobs are here. They did move my refrigerator into the kitchen spot on Friday (only with the urging of the painter and me) and it fits just right. They broke a shelf bracket in the freezer and a leg on the stove. They've propped the stove up with a piece of ply wood and I'm not too happy about that. They also scratched the hard wood floor outside the kitchen pretty badly. And they still have to trim off the shingles on the overhang outside the French doors. And, of course, the microwave/hood and dishwasher are still in the carport. I am not a happy camper.

Bert told Nancy that the rehab folks actually had Mother on her feet and walking with a person on either side of her and one following her closely with the wheelchair in back. Neither of us have seen that yet, but it certainly sounds promising! He also told Nancy that she was hollowering and cussing the entire time! Surprise, surprise!

I got 3 1/2 inches of rain here yesterday! Sure needed it!

Oh glory! I have counter tops!

Well, the title is a little misleading...I have most of my counter tops. One small one is missing. This process is really a pain, but I think it's almost over. The refrigerator is still in another room, the dishwasher and microwave/hood are still in the carport and the sink is still on the side porch. Other than that it's mighty close to being done! The painter has repainting to do and the roof on the overhang outside the French doors still needs work...but it's all coming along! Thank goodness!

I feel like throwing everything away that I took out of the kitchen and stacked in the dining room and just starting over. If I could afford to I just really might do it!

Tuesday Bert and I (with the help of an ambulance) moved Mother to a nursing home. Before she left the rehab center she called almost everyone there "Nincompoops"! That's Mother! I do hope she'll not make folks angry at the new place.

Nancy and I have talked (lots) about visiting Mother. She actually doesn't remember if we were there recently or not. We both work (and I drive over from another town) and this trying to see her so often is taking quite a toll on both of us. This is going to be a long term thing with Mother and her physical health is fine. Soooo, we have decided to each see her one day a week each on a different day. I saw her Tuesday and Nancy will see her today. I feel sure that this isn't going to sit too well with Bert, but we're both tired and have to take care of us too. Wonder why I feel so damn guilty?

Just got my high speed internet service up and running. That's been quite a process too! It's amazing how much faster than dial up it really is! So nice to be able to post from home!

Got my power bill yesterday. It was the lowest I remember it being...$46.39! However, air conditioning season is just about here...

The light at the end of the tunnel

I'm just hoping that the light I think I see at the end of the tunnel isn't a train! The kitchen floor went in on Saturday and looks great! Yesterday the cabinets went in...no counter tops! They only measured yesterday for the counters!!!! and say it'll probably be a week before they're in...but the cabinets (except for the one falling off of the wall) look good, but the doors aren't even at the top or bottom...this is very expensive and is taking sooooo long and damn it, I want it right!

I was to get high speed internet service through EMBARQ yesterday. They say that order has been processed, however, something happened and I have no phone (thus, no internet either!). That should be resolved by 3:58 this afternoon. Can you believe it?

I know that other shoe is hovering!!!

Mother was to be moved to the nursing home tomorrow, but a bed came available in a private room (hard to come by) and she's being moved today. I feel sure the rehab center will be happy to see her go as she is very uncooperative, cranky and cusses quite a bit! We (actually Nancy) overheard two of the nursing staff one day last week say they could only hope she was leaving soon! I told Bert I'd be over there after work. I went yesterday but she was sound asleep and I didn't wake her. I did, however, put a sticky note on her chest so she'd know I'd been there.

The kittens are now mostly outdoor cats and they love it. I think they spend a lot of time under the house, but I've seen them in the main yard and out front. That worries me. I try to pray them safe. They do come in for meals, but getting the back door closed with them in isn't easy. If I happen to "trap" them inside the yowling is unbearable! Litter boxes are much easier to keep up with! Now instead of scooping 4 boxes twice a day I'm scooping once a day. Better!

The 1st Fletcher First Cousin Reunion on Saturday was fine. Nancy and I were not treated as cousins. Things were given out to family members. Nothing to us. Oh well...I told her that we were afterthoughts when the post marks on our invitation letters was 4 days past the RSVP date! She insisted and we went. We did get a free meal and I finally got to meet some of the people I hear about quite a bit. Ferrel Samms (sp?), the author, is a family member and was at our table. Nice to meet him. There were apx. 65 people there from new borns to Bert who is now the oldest at 90.

I just got off the phone with Bert. I'll meet him at the rehab center after work today and then go with him to the nursing home to help settle Mother in. Oh joy!

Bye Bye AOL

Yesterday Nancy sneaked her dog Maria in to see Mother. She put her in a purse and walked right in. She had to wake Mother, but she knew Maria and even said "Oh look, Maria came to see her Meemaw"! They didn't stay long.

Tomorrow Nancy & I will be going to the Waukulla Springs Lodge for the 1st Fletcher First Cousins Reunion. Should be interesting. We'll go by to see Mother before hand.

I just ordered Embarq high speed internet. They said I'll be up and running after 7pm Monday. I've had AOL for so long, but they have really not given me the service I've needed this time...and high speed will be nice!

My flooring and cabinets were delivered yesterday. They are in my carport, but at least they are here! The builders had to jack the kitchen floor up from under the house and got that done yesterday, so I'm hoping (I know it's foolish) that the floor or something is done when I get home today!

I think my ankle is finally getting better. I had to go upstairs twice this morning (here at work) and it didn't absolutely kill me. Yeah!

Probably won't post again until Monday or Tuesday.

I saw Mother yesterday

I was with Mother for a little over 2 hours yesterday. She seemed the most lucid that I've seen in the beginning. She made a pitiful stab at her lunch eating a total of 5-6 bites. She asked me why her parents haven't come to see her and I told her to think about it. She thought for a while and then asked if they had died and how long ago. While I was hanging up some of her clothes I had my back to her...she said "oh look at him, isn't he sweet, look at how nicely he just lays there". It was like she had a kitten or something. When I went over to see what she was talking about it was her right hand in her lap and she was petting it. Next Tuesday she'll be moved to The Consulate Nursing Home. This is a very sad time.

My kitchen is painted!

The beautiful tongue and groove ceiling and crown molding in my kitchen was painted a bright white and the walls an off white...I can live with that...yesterday. Looks great, now if there were just some cabinets and counter tops, etc.!

My new French doors are almost installed. They are in the hole, but that's all. They put a board across them, so now when Shirley needs to go out I have to put her leash on her and take her out the carport to the fenced in area. I sure do hope that's finished today! and, I hope they'll take the plywood down between the living room and the funny room. Oh, the house is such a mess, I can't imagine that I'll ever get it put back together or clean. The building dust has made it all the way to my bathroom, Every lampshade is covered and my bed even feels gritty! What a mess, what a mess!

Will go see Mother for lunch today.

Change is the norm

Years ago it dawned on me that the only thing that's really normal is change. Nothing ever stays the same, relationships, health, jobs, and all of the various day to day things that we often aren't even aware of undergo change constantly. Damn it, why can't we just find that comfort zone and stay put? I am so tired of the feeling of being tossed into the air and wondering where I'll land.

Not much change with Mother. Don't remember if I mentioned that she'll be moved to a nursing home on the 2nd...which one is still to be determined.

Chilly this morning.

They put beautiful spring flowers on my desk yesterday. Dogwood, redbuds, loropetalums, cherrys and something else. Now my office matches outside! Pretty. Sweet!

Oh, the builders installed wonderful old crown molding in my kitchen yesterday! Didn't know they were going to do that and it's really, really nice! Love it! Of course, the rest of the kitchen is still empty...oh well...maybe it'll be ready for Thanksgiving!

Wild weather

Yesterday was extremely windy! Wild day.

Yesterday Mother was more lucid than I've seen her since her stroke.

My internet access at home has been down for several days. Posting at work is hard. I'm waiting on a disc from AOL...they say 2 weeks! Ish!

The wearing of the green

So far everyone coming in to work this morning is wearing at least a touch of green. I think everyone should always wear green here as we are a nursery!

Mother fell out of bed Friday evening trying to reach her water...at least that's what they say. She wasn't hurt and doesn't remember it.

Saturday Nancy and I spent hours and hours looking for her tax information. We went through one closet and didn't find anything for taxes, but found stacks and stacks of magazines dating back to 1996! We tossed them along with one of the most extensive stashes of used tissue paper I've ever seen. She had empty boxes and shopping bags which we also tossed and lots and lots of just plain junk. There is another closet which we plan to do on Sunday.

We had taken shampoo and blow dryer with us when we went to see Mothero on Saturday, but she was asleep both times we went there so we didn't wake her to do her hair. Yesterday Nancy went there and washed & dried her hair. It had gotten so bad and smelled. When Nancy called me after doing her hair she was almost yelling. She had worked herself up with so much anger and wanted to take it out on me. When I told her finally that she had to get hold of her anger she practically hung up on me. Wouldn't answer my calls later. Oh well.

I was gone from home for 13 hours on Saturday. I told Bert that I'll not be visiting Mother this week as I need to stay off of my ankle as much as I can and I'm very tired. Also, gas is eating me alive!

I reinjured my ankle Saturday by slipping twice on the piles of stuff we'd tossed out of her closet and now it's very swollen and painful again.

Smokey and Bandi spent all day Sunday outside. They loved it. The builder had accidentally let both of them out on different days last week and every time the door is used they both rush it. I really hadn't planned on letting them out at all, but now it's a done deal. I do hope they'll stay close!

The builder thinks my new French doors will be in the first of this week. No news on the cabinets. I pray they finish soon. The was I'm living at home is worse than camping and there is a thick coating of dust on everything, even the bathrooms. No wonder the cats and I sneeze lots!

Mother update

After work yesterday I went to the rehab center to see Mother. She was in physical therapy and doing much better than the day before. Her nurse had washed her hair and it looked terrible, but clean. She said she wasn't feeling clean and I asked her what was bothering her the most and she said her teeth. Among the items Nancy and I took to her on Saturday were her toothbrush and toothpaste, but they haven't been used. I went back to her room and got them out and put them on her tray. I couldn't stay as long as the day before as I had an appointment across town. When I told her I had to go she burst into tears and said "Oh don't leave me Mommy". Needless to say not only did I cry, but her therapist did also.