Saturday, June 25, 2016

A neighbor moved today

A going away party for my lovely neighbor, Elizabeth Lanham, in the blue print blouse.  She is 90+, sharp as a tack and going back to Gatesville to live with her son.  I will miss her and the irony of living next to my maiden name but there will be an enclave of Lanhams up near Dallas where quite few of my Lanham relatives live already.  He-Who, in the background, had a fair time at the party but left early.  I think the estrogen level in the room must have been overwhelming, plus he has difficulty hearing and understanding in a room where there is a lot of high decimal chatter.  Geez, so do I sometimes!
I'm going through file after file and throwing away and shredding.  Fortunately our office will shred for free.  How does all this paper accumulate!!
Our TV is not working correctly and after an hour with Xfinity/Comcasst they finally decided to send a technician but not til Monday.  Bah humbug!
Better go check the fridge...I asked He-Who to put away the soup container and sometimes stuff ends up in the freezer.  He has the hardest time with any kind of directions in spite of my efforts to make them simple.
He was a happy camper yesterday.  We found him two new Hawaiian shirts at Walmart and he loves them.  I'm for anything that is wash and wear!  :)

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Communion

We don't often get to church and I so miss our wonderful congregation at the Bay Area Unitarian/Universalist in Clear Lake but I'm finding there are many other opportunities to practice our faith.  One has come up recently with my neighbor.  I will call her Beverly, at least 10 years younger than me and declining rapidly with dementia.  Her sister, Alice, is here for the second time in the last 9 months to look after her. Beverly has been very reclusive since we met her two years ago, seldom eating with others in the dining room and never attending any activities.   The few times I have seen her she wore a "deer-in-the headlights" look.  Alice lives in North Carolina, a retired nurse with an adult son who is autistic.  She has been here now for several weeks getting her sister through a gauntlet of tests.  Alice wants to move Beverly to NC and has located a pleasant assisted living facility not far from Alice's home but Beverly is resistant, of course.  At this point Alice is pulling her hair out trying to deal with it all and has been shut in her sister's apartment helping her dress, etc.
     I ran into Alice taking a walk for a break and invited her to call or come over when she needed a glass of wine or a hug.  And she called!  I had just made a batch of brownies and invited them both over for wine and brownies.  Beverly doesn't drink alcohol any more which is a good thing but was happy with a cold Fresca.  And Alice talked and talked and He-Who so enjoyed the visit.  I did what I could to support Alice and the move going through all the reasons why we are moving to San Antonio.  Beverly sat listening but said little.  Alice calls her by the nickname of "Bev" and when I hugged her goodby, I asked if I, too, could call her Bev.  She smiled and said, "Of course, you are family now."  Mission accomplished!!!
      On reflection I thought we had just had communion shared with love and compassion.  And this is what it is all about.  And it was so good for He-Who to feel that he was helping and contributing.  And he showed them the new book with the dedication to him.
     Later I ran into Alice again and she thanked us once more and said that was the only social event she has had here.  Damn, this disease can be and is so isolating for the victim and the caregiver.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Reeling and sad...what has happened to America?

      OMG, what a horror!  This terrible mass shooting has left me shaken to the core!  And certainly has a way of putting my life in perspective!  I can't imagine what it must be like to be the mom waiting outside the Orlando hospital for word on her son!  My heart bleeds for her and all the other families sent reeling by this latest senseless murder of dozens.  Why cannot we put an end to these massacres?  Why are assault rifles available to civilians or in this case, someone already on a list of suspicious ties to ISIS?  What happens to a young person to fill them with such hate?  And I can't imagine what other countries must be thinking as they observe our armed population and the arrogant, racist bully who has become one of our presidential nominees.
      My life as a caregiver seems simple in comparison and I can better appreciate the isolation and insulation we find here on this Island of the Blue Hairs.  Now my task is to prepare for the future move to another Island on the northwest side of San Antonio.  We signed a lease last week for a projected move-in the end of September or October.  How did we accumulate more stuff in the 2 short years we have lived here?
      He-Who-Sleeps-Alot had a great time last week in San Antonio at our granddaughter's high school graduation.  My daughter-in-law and a friend had a large party to celebrate and we both enjoyed meeting our granddaughter's friends and their parents and grandparents.  He-Who was quite sociable chatting with guests and I doubt anyone suspected he would not remember any of them the next day.  But he did remember he had a great time and I am so grateful for these moments of joy.  My DIL knocked herself out cooking for all of us and making sure we all got where we needed to be at the right times.  Love that woman!  I'm finding my son to be an amazing host as well and he is having such fun with his new outdoor kitchen complete with a TV...his outdoor man cave that produces delicious grilled shrimp.
      Darn my stupid back...went bizzerk the morning of graduation so I was kinda limping along but managed to make it through all 600+ grads and home again.  It isn't a new problem as I have ruptured discs in my lower back but it certainly was inconvenient and still bothers me.  My regular orthopedic doc has left the practice and I can't get into another until July 13.  I kept thinking I would wait until we moved but realize I better get it attended to ASAP.  I managed to drive home from San Antonio but have been babying it ever since with heat packs.  But again, looking at Orlando, I'm trying not to complain and He-Who is happy to do any lifting.
      He-Who had a wonderful surprise on returning home.  Four copies of the latest book, Space for the 21st Century, edited and published by his good friend, Langdon Morris, from the Aeronautical Technology Working Group that He-Who formed years ago.  It has a beautiful dedication to He-Who as a leader in aerospace...brought tears to my eyes and certainly gave him a boost.  It means so much to both of us to have his tangible legacies.
     So much to be grateful for.....we are blessed indeed.