LOST AND FOUND…

Going through 60 years of things amazes me. I have weeded out and sold a lot before with garage sales, I have also given things away. So, how come I am finding more things that were obviously hidden away? Secret spots?? Well I sure didn’t place them there. Mom tucked things back in corners that I didn’t know existed. 

Items include..

One eight piece set of cups and dessert plates that obviously had been given to her by the elderly neighbor that we had years ago. Antiques..Yes…Keeping them..not sure? Inside the box was an entire 1958 Detroit Free Press newspaper and it is in pretty good shape. Amazed at the news and the PRICES of things in there. I haven’t read it all but right now will be keeping that paper too. Round trip on a DC7 from Detroit to San Francisco was 90$ per person. Amazing!

LOST…still hunting a precious necklace given to me by my friend’s father. He is like a second dad to us all and it breaks my heart that I can’t put my hand on it right now.

 Was Lost but now ..FOUND…one missing NOAA weather alert system radio. It was inside two boxes and neither one the box it came in. Glad to find this item finally, it was truly missed during tornado season.

LOST.. adapters…Oh I have found a ton of them but what items they actually go to.. good luck with that!! Too bad the companies that give those little black items to us don’t bother to put a name of company on them.

FOUND two boxes of Christmas dinnerware that mom purchased on sale one winter. Granddaughter thrilled to get them!                                                        

  

 FOUND… A TON of DUST!! My allergies are going nuts right now.. winter and you can’t open the windows to clear the air out. Wearing a mask helps but it sure is a bother. The sun is out and shining brightly..it’s the calm before the next big storm. Seems winter will never end.

MOVING ON

 FOR those of you who don’t know, I have been extremely busy here going through 60 years of life in this old house. Packing up what I need to keep and getting mom’s estate in order. Talk about a lot to do. I have had some nice discoveries along the way.  Image is not mine, my camera had root beer spilled on it and hasn’t worked very well ever since. I have cleaned it the best way I possibly can, but it still works on a limited basis.

 Bronze baby shoes,an old doll, family albums that we thought were lost. An old antique stand that was hidden away inside a closet, and sets of dishes no one knew we had. Mom had things hidden away and we have brought them into the light of day. The grandchildren came and really had a time deciding just what they can use and take with them. WHY OH WHY didn’t we do this before now? I know that Mom was attached to her home and didn’t want to move…but we still could have taken the time to go through things in our leisure. I know she would have gotten a kick out of finding a lot of them again. Winter is NOT the time to do all this cleaning and moving about, but in our case it is now  necessary. WE NEED TO MOVE into something smaller.This winter has been so brutal for so many of us. It seems more harsh than in the years past and more snow and cold in places that have not experienced it before. My gas and electric bills sky rocketed to new highs. Seeing that bill in the mail is scary.   So my days are full of boxes and trash, running to the care center and  dealing with Mom, nurses, therapists, dietitians, and finding time to catch up when I can with everyone here in the blog world. I miss visiting everyone a lot and I am so grateful that Facebook allows me to see what everyone is up to in one place. As we prepare to move on..I just take it one day at a time and wonder what the next week will bring.  Last night as I peeked out my back door I saw a large Opossum waddling across my driveway, no doubt looking for a place to stay overnight. I really won’t miss the critters at all!! 

CATCHING UP…

THINGS are happening sometimes here at lightning speed, at other times at a snails
pace. Hard to tell what will go on from one day to the next. Have had little on-line time to catch up with everyone. This I truly miss a whole lot. I miss all my blogging family.
Mom’s condition has deteriorated lately and we are continuing to speak to counselors and doctors,. therapists and Hospice workers. The whole process is mind-boggling. What will be paid for and what isn’t covered is sometimes shocking. I have years of experience under my belt with elderly care and their concerns and tribulations. I sure am glad now, because it is really coming in handy.I would hate to be traveling down this road without some prior knowledge of how things work. The things that happen daily could be written in a book…in fact… I have been documenting Mom’s whole

journey from the beginning. No wonder I completely wore out one computer and one camera. They sure did the job admirably.

  

 Above is the long hallway to the end of the  building. Many times I have found mom rolling down that hallway to look for deer out the doorway windows. The handrails on either side of the hall help the patients by them reaching and pulling themselves along. Probably the one of the most germy places in the building as they rarely are cleaned. The floors and walls and bathrooms etc are always done but the railings not. I avoid them like the plague. 
Well just wanted to catch you all up on what is going on.. lack of time, energy or wi-fi at home make it extremely hard to get computer time. January is grinding down and
February is at hand..Spring can’t come soon enough for me.

WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH??

Recently one of the therapists told me that Sis and I were visiting mom too much at the care center. “Dear, we are concerned that you are visiting and spending too many hours here and you should be giving yourself a break now and then.” I paused a minute to take in what she said. It might be true that we do spend many hours more than other people do there. It also is true that Mom does a whole lot better when we visit than when we stay away. She needs assistance eating right now, and despite the fact that we have talked and urged every person there to help her with meals.. NOTHING has been  done about it. I asked the head administrator to step in and make sure there were orders to help her. So far.. they are dragging their feet. STAY away and see if they follow through with the order if you are not there…DID NOT WORK.  We have a friend who has stopped in on Mom at meal time and she was alone and not eating at all.   IS this serious.. YES! Is it worth pulling her out of there.. NO not yet.  Decisions, Decisions.. when is enough really enough?

I value the opinions of my blog readers.. I sure will appreciate any thoughts you may have on this subject. whether you have experienced it or not.  Given Mom’s condition and how weak she has been, do we just sit ourselves down and MAKE ourselves NOT visit her? The therapist’s opinion was that 3 or 4 days a week was plenty and NEVER more than 2-3 hours maximum.  She would not miss us that much at all. I BEG TO DIFFER! She notices it!! I told the therapist that. She is “with it” enough to KNOW she hasn’t seen you in days. It would be easy to do if Mom were able to do more for herself right now, but she can’t. I DO have complete confidence in the staff there. I know they are taxed to the limits with running after so many patients. I have been there to see it for myself. I have asked them if THEY think we are spending too much time there. I think they held back in their answers though, because with us present…well.. it is less work for them naturally. I am not there to DO their jobs, just help mom some until she regains some strength, if she ever does regain it to the point it was before she got sick.

Mom has been through so much in the last several months. We asked her often if she really wants to continue with her treatments. She has made it all too clear she is not ready to just “give up”.  I think when that time comes she will know it. It’s true her mental state is pretty confused these days, sometimes she confuses day with night and other times she is pretty with it.  Time to make decisions.. but when to do it.. THAT IS THE  QUESTION.

I thank you all in advance for your opinions I value them highly..

WHAT A STORY!

This is a great story.. you might have seen it on the tv lately on most any channel. This man who had a drug problem and an alcohol problem has a wonderful speaking voice and now THANKS GOD for getting him off of the habits and off of street living and into the lime light. Someone, somewhere is writing the screenplay as I write this. It is a true story of overcoming, and faith and trying to survive. This video really touched my heart. I wish for him the best in this world and truly believe in second chances. He has 7 children and grandchildren. His life is not without problems, being arrested etc., but despite that and all the drug abuse, his God-given VOICE..remained. It’s a nice way to start a new year with a promise of what wonderful things can happen when you least expect it.