Saturday I was transformed...well, at least my hair was. I now have white-blond hair with dark blond roots and it's rather "punk"...sticks up in lots of places. It's a fun do and elicits lots of comments. Nancy and I went to the Seinyard for lunch after I got it done and people sure looked! Nancy liked it so much that she's going to get hers done like it this Saturday!
After lunch we went to a really special nursery, "Just Fruit and Exotics". We didn't have enough hours to see everything. Nancy bought a pear tree and I bought a banana, a couple of pepper plants and some seeds. We'll go back!
The puppies are growing up! They are just as bad as ever, but are hitting the puppy paper most of the time or going outside to potty. Hope this gets better and better!
Mother has her good days and bad ones. Saturday after we finished our running around Nancy got a call from the center Mother's in. It seems she's learned how to propel her wheel chair with her feet and was running from outside door to outside door opening them and setting off the alarms. Nancy fixed that by putting the breaks on...simple fix, you'd think the staff there would have thought of that! She was also hitting and scratching and spitting. That's our momma!
Today a young fellow is coming to do some major clean up on my yard. He's going to get the dead wood out of my trees and hedges, remove some plants and till me a garden. How exciting! This is mighty late to be putting in a garden, but better late than never!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Some pictures
The first one I'll try to attach is one I took of Mother a week or so ago before her last move. The rest are just fun ones, maybe even the kitchen...who knows? Well, here goes....
They aren't in the order I down loaded them in...I'll have to work on this. The shots of the kitchen don't really do it justice. The blender in one of the kitchen shots is the same blender I've had since Christmas 1965! Still has all the original parts and works like a dream every morning when I do my protein shake! The one of Jazzy is after a hard session of trying to dig under the patio, that's why she's covered in mud. The cats eating are, in order, Goodness, Bandi, Mercy and Smokey...cute shot I think!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Just a continuation...Mother
Friday, was it only yesterday?, Nancy was able to finagle her schedule at work and got off before 9am. I met her at her house at 10am. It was a dark and stormy morning. We went to the last nursing home Mother was in as our first choice, and without any groveling (which we were prepared to do) she was accepted back and we were able to move her yesterday! Thank God.
Nancy and I went over and told Bert the wonderful news (however, he said he didn't remember them saying in the meeting the day before that she would have to move and that we should try to do it quickly). We told him that we really thought this was best for her and he didn't have to worry about the move, we'd pack her up and make sure she was moved comfortably.
Well, we had lunch and then went to pack Mother up. (Do remember that it was storming this entire time & we shared one umbrella.) Every place we parked had rain water running through it and puddles and we were both in sandals. After the first and only run with the one umbrella we just dashed and dodged the rain and by the time we got to Mother at about 1pm we were both quite wet. The van didn't come for her until after 4pm. By the time it arrived I had packed her things (a large suitcase, a valise we couldn't even zip, a big shopping bag and a couple of small bags) and we'd walked her to the rose garden and Nancy had checked the ETA of the van often. We kept Mother entertained (I do think we even sang) and in good spirits the entire time. She didn't know about the move or need for the move until we told her. That was touchy, but worked out okay. We got Mother outside and her things in the car and just waited. We were all so tired and ready when the van finally arrived. I rode with her and Nancy followed with all her things which I hung up or put away when we got there. (Bert's paying extra for a private room.) Nancy called Bert and let him know the move was over and when he got there we passed the torch and left.
It was after 7pm when I got home and arrived to a house full of hungry animals and dog poop.
Nancy called and we rehashed the day and both being sooo tired it didn't take us all that long. When we hung up the dogs and I went to bed! I was asleep shortly after dropping my head to the pillow. Nancy called a little after 9pm and told me she'd gotten a call from Uncle Buddy and told him about the move. She'd told him the night before what the committee had said about needing to move her and what we'd hoped.
anyhoo...
Nancy went to see her this morning early and called around 9ish to let me know that Mother didn't remember anything about why she was in there or how long she'd been "sick", but other than that she was okay. Well, a couple of hours later she called back, the nursing home had called and Mother was creating a major disruption. She was screaming "Daddy" again and again and again and again, etc.. So Nancy called, asked me to bring fried chicken and went there. When Nancy got there she could hear Mother screaming from the front door and people were talking about her. She even screamed in her face! Well, by the time I arrived they were outside and things were rather level. I almost blew it when I castigated Mother mightily, but Nancy made me stop and Mother forgot and we ate fried chicken, french fried and slaw and fussed over Maria and just visited. Took her in around 3:30. Stayed with her until close to 5pm. Was almost 5:30 when I got home.
I hated the feeling that we were feeding into her tantrum and even though she promised not to do that anymore I don't believe her. She gets what she wants when she does things like that.
Hungry puppies and a house full of puppy poop!
Leah Jane called and was going to have wine and cheese and crackers at Norma's and would I join them and I did (you know I usually don't)! Really needed that. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I'm holding my breath that we don't get calls tomorrow!
Nancy and I went over and told Bert the wonderful news (however, he said he didn't remember them saying in the meeting the day before that she would have to move and that we should try to do it quickly). We told him that we really thought this was best for her and he didn't have to worry about the move, we'd pack her up and make sure she was moved comfortably.
Well, we had lunch and then went to pack Mother up. (Do remember that it was storming this entire time & we shared one umbrella.) Every place we parked had rain water running through it and puddles and we were both in sandals. After the first and only run with the one umbrella we just dashed and dodged the rain and by the time we got to Mother at about 1pm we were both quite wet. The van didn't come for her until after 4pm. By the time it arrived I had packed her things (a large suitcase, a valise we couldn't even zip, a big shopping bag and a couple of small bags) and we'd walked her to the rose garden and Nancy had checked the ETA of the van often. We kept Mother entertained (I do think we even sang) and in good spirits the entire time. She didn't know about the move or need for the move until we told her. That was touchy, but worked out okay. We got Mother outside and her things in the car and just waited. We were all so tired and ready when the van finally arrived. I rode with her and Nancy followed with all her things which I hung up or put away when we got there. (Bert's paying extra for a private room.) Nancy called Bert and let him know the move was over and when he got there we passed the torch and left.
It was after 7pm when I got home and arrived to a house full of hungry animals and dog poop.
Nancy called and we rehashed the day and both being sooo tired it didn't take us all that long. When we hung up the dogs and I went to bed! I was asleep shortly after dropping my head to the pillow. Nancy called a little after 9pm and told me she'd gotten a call from Uncle Buddy and told him about the move. She'd told him the night before what the committee had said about needing to move her and what we'd hoped.
anyhoo...
Nancy went to see her this morning early and called around 9ish to let me know that Mother didn't remember anything about why she was in there or how long she'd been "sick", but other than that she was okay. Well, a couple of hours later she called back, the nursing home had called and Mother was creating a major disruption. She was screaming "Daddy" again and again and again and again, etc.. So Nancy called, asked me to bring fried chicken and went there. When Nancy got there she could hear Mother screaming from the front door and people were talking about her. She even screamed in her face! Well, by the time I arrived they were outside and things were rather level. I almost blew it when I castigated Mother mightily, but Nancy made me stop and Mother forgot and we ate fried chicken, french fried and slaw and fussed over Maria and just visited. Took her in around 3:30. Stayed with her until close to 5pm. Was almost 5:30 when I got home.
I hated the feeling that we were feeding into her tantrum and even though she promised not to do that anymore I don't believe her. She gets what she wants when she does things like that.
Hungry puppies and a house full of puppy poop!
Leah Jane called and was going to have wine and cheese and crackers at Norma's and would I join them and I did (you know I usually don't)! Really needed that. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I'm holding my breath that we don't get calls tomorrow!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Take nothing at face value!
Well, it seems that Mother will have to move yet once again. Bert was so wrong to move her out of the last place. This past Sunday Nancy and I found her living will and her appointment of medical surrogate and her blanket do not resuscitate order. Nancy is the appointed surrogate and we have been running on the assumption that Bert was, because he told us he was. Had we found this sooner she would never have had to do this last move. Nancy and I are meeting later this morning and visiting several long term care centers. We are hoping to get her back into the last place, but that's a long shot.
Oh, the reason she'll have to move...we, Nancy, Bert and I, had a meeting yesterday with the evaluation team at the place she's in now. It was to have been a 15 minute meeting and ended up lasting almost 2 hours. The one thing they did say was that Bert was told when he moved her there that there is no opening in their long term care facility and that there is a very long waiting list and that when her 100 medicare days were over she'd have to move. The director spent a long time explaining how the remaining 54 medicare days are bargaining tools and the more we have available to bargain with the more likely we are to find a place for her. Isn't that the pits?!
We are sooo dry here. My yard is crisp...but at least I'm saving money on the mowing! It's been over 2 weeks since we've had rain and I am watering containers, but can't afford to water the lawn. Thank goodness none of my neighbors are watering either...I'd stick out like a sore thumb! We had rain in the forecast for last night, but it fizzled out before it got here...it's in the forecast for today and I will take my umbrella to Tallahassee, but I'm doubtful.
The puppies are baaad! Jazzy and Maggie have done away with all of my basil and are tunneling under the patio. They have about 20 feet to go...I suspect they'll be surprised when they get to the other side and are still inside the fence! I'm planning to fill the starter hole with gravel and maybe cement. Don't know what else to do...maybe pepper in the hole.
Oh, the reason she'll have to move...we, Nancy, Bert and I, had a meeting yesterday with the evaluation team at the place she's in now. It was to have been a 15 minute meeting and ended up lasting almost 2 hours. The one thing they did say was that Bert was told when he moved her there that there is no opening in their long term care facility and that there is a very long waiting list and that when her 100 medicare days were over she'd have to move. The director spent a long time explaining how the remaining 54 medicare days are bargaining tools and the more we have available to bargain with the more likely we are to find a place for her. Isn't that the pits?!
We are sooo dry here. My yard is crisp...but at least I'm saving money on the mowing! It's been over 2 weeks since we've had rain and I am watering containers, but can't afford to water the lawn. Thank goodness none of my neighbors are watering either...I'd stick out like a sore thumb! We had rain in the forecast for last night, but it fizzled out before it got here...it's in the forecast for today and I will take my umbrella to Tallahassee, but I'm doubtful.
The puppies are baaad! Jazzy and Maggie have done away with all of my basil and are tunneling under the patio. They have about 20 feet to go...I suspect they'll be surprised when they get to the other side and are still inside the fence! I'm planning to fill the starter hole with gravel and maybe cement. Don't know what else to do...maybe pepper in the hole.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A change in life style
Beginning this week I'll only work 4 days a week, from 7:45am to 2pm. I'll be off on Fridays. How nice is that? I got my first Social Security check last month...not enough to live on, but with a part time job I'll be just fine...no frills however.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Mother's Day
Nancy & I met at the nursing home yesterday at 9am. Mother was still in bed when we got there and hadn't had breakfast. She said she didn't see any reason to get up or eat, but would since we were there. We sat with her for breakfast and then went out to the putting green/rose garden and visited for a couple of hours. At one point Mother introduced us to an aide as "her two pets"! We got tickled. Went to Berts house after that and stayed until 4.
When I got home at 5 the house was a total disaster! Can't leave those puppies that long. There were little pieces of styrofoam everywhere...no idea where they came from...and puppy poop!!!!!
The highlight of my Mother's Day was a call from Rosie. She is so centering and bright.
When I got home at 5 the house was a total disaster! Can't leave those puppies that long. There were little pieces of styrofoam everywhere...no idea where they came from...and puppy poop!!!!!
The highlight of my Mother's Day was a call from Rosie. She is so centering and bright.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Yesterday
I visited with Mother for about 5 minutes yesterday. She was just frightful, angry and very verbally nasty. After just a few minutes of it I told her I had to go let Shirley out and left. Spent about 30 minutes with the head nurse of the unit and then she & I went down to the therapy department to talk to them about Mother. It seems that most days she refuses to even go to therapy and when she does, she doesn't do anything. Things are just not working out for her there. Today they are having a psychiatric evaluation done on her with the probable out come of moving her to a psychiatric facility.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Mother update
Mother was moved Wednesday. Thursday morning I had such a feeling of dread or fear or something and by the time I got off work it had really intensified. So I headed to Tallahassee. I'd never been to this new place and was thrilled to find it about 15 minutes closer than the others. When I finally found Mother she was in her wheelchair sitting at a dinner table with 2 other women and their caregivers. She had her hands folded in her lap, her head down and was crying. When she saw me she thought I was there to rescue her. She said the place was evil and they wanted to kill her...wouldn't touch her food as she was sure it was poisoned. I spent a little over 3 hours with her. Took her outside and talked with her about where she is and why. Met her new speech therapist and was able to talk with her alone and told her of Mother's fears. Bless her heart, she made sure to tell the head nurse who made a point of spending time talking with Mother with me there. Mother had been refusing to take her medicines and did finally while I was there. She had calmed down a lot by the time I left.
Nancy went to see her yesterday and got there in time for her lunch. She actually ate quite a bit and was fairly calm.
I've got to run as Nancy is coming this morning for breakfast at 7:30 and to see my kitchen.
Nancy went to see her yesterday and got there in time for her lunch. She actually ate quite a bit and was fairly calm.
I've got to run as Nancy is coming this morning for breakfast at 7:30 and to see my kitchen.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, April 11, 2008
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!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, April 06, 2008
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!
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!
Thursday, April 03, 2008
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...
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...
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