Did I mention it's hot?

Today was HOT, HOT, HOT, but I'm not complaining because I can get away from the heat. I've got AC, and I can go to the pool. But it sure was hot.

I sanded my windowsills on Thursday, washed them on Friday and painted them on Sunday. They're so white! I've gone outside a few times just to look at them. Again...it's the little things. I washed all my outside windows today with Windex Outdoor. It really works! I think that's the end of the cleaning for me. I'll just dust and vacuum and do the bathrooms and floors before the party. That's all.

I went to the pool for the first time on Saturday afternoon and it was wonderful. I swam 2 laps. It hurt. I went again on Sunday afternoon, and it was wonderful. I swam two whole laps again. I went this afternoon, and it was SO HOT. I wanted to get some sun, but I suffered through it. I swam 4 laps. The pool was packed! I left early.

I left my purse in the cart at Kohl's today. I realized it was missing when I was almost home. Frantically I called the store, and, it was there. Not a thing was missing from it. Thank goodness for honest people...I was so happy.

Is this post boring? I should have started it this morning when I was drinking coffee.

Till the next time!

Happy about Thursday

The birds are so loud in the morning. I love the sound. I sleep with a very loud fan all year round, so I don't actually hear them when I get up. I'd love to have my windows open in good weather, but I have a hard enough time sleeping as it is so birdsong wouldn't do. Outside on my little porch is good enough for me.

So, it's Thursday. One of my favorite days. I'm off and I'm drinking. Coffee. I'm up early, sitting outside. I've got a load of wash going. It's hot and humid and I wish the pool was open today. Rob will be over at lunchtime and we get to spend time together. We haven't had the opportunity to do much of that lately. So, yea! for Thursday.

One week from today the flurry of activity for Emily and Phil begins. Award ceremony and prom, family picnic, graduation and reception, and finally, the party at my house. I'm going to work on the menu today. I'll feel a lot better when I have that worked out, although I have a good idea of what I'm serving. The house, the other big stresser, is almost done. Depending on the weather forecast, I'll paint the window sills and be done. I'm only working two days next week. Happy about that!

My friend Kit had a birthday luncheon for our friend Lisa on Sunday. The three of us have been friends since at least junior high. Kit gave us both gift bags with some of her favorite things. The bags were almost the best part! Attached to one side was a picture of the three of us from way back when. Look at my hair!

This picture was from last year's birthday luncheon. We all look so much better despite the years.

I think you know I grew up hating my curly hair. I started setting it at a very early age to get rid of the curls. Oh the years I spent sleeping on curlers! When I was in high school, I started letting it dry curly, but it wasn't a pretty sight. I had big unmanageable hair with no style. Look at that picture! Tight against my head then 'bozo-ed' out like a clown. A lot of the time I wore a bandana to keep it away from my face. It went well with the overalls and construction boots. I didn't give up the curlers completely until the fateful day my friend Lisa convinced me to go to her hairdresser. See her short and stylish hair in the first picture? We were out drinking one day, in the afternoon (I did that?), and she persuaded me to go to her salon. She told my mother when we got home, and my mom told her to call the salon right there and then before I changed my mind. I got an appointment that day, and the rest is history. Now I'm the one cutting cutting curly hair.

Well, it's time to get a move-on. Happy Thursday! Yeah, that goes for you too Jamie.

I won't miss you, Monday

I'm sitting on my porch, as usual when the weather is obliging at night. Happy me. It's been the best part of my day, today. This one has been frustrating, and only because things didn't go as planned. I drove to The Annapolitan to take my mom out. The plan was for me to go clothes shopping and for us to go to lunch. A short visit. I got Mom onto her scooter outside Marshall's, and right away the scooter started acting up. It moved at a snail's pace, erratically, till it finally just stopped moving. I had to push it into the store. Mom was stuck with an unmoving scooter and no place else to sit down, while I tried to shop. It was frustrating and unproductive. I was hungry too. I get in a bad mood when I'm hungry. I pushed the scooter out to my car, which is hard to do. It doesn't glide. We went to Famous Dave's for lunch. While there, I realized someone had to get my mom's wheelchair from their old house and bring it to their new place. And it was not going to be me. It took a while for me to accept the fact that it had to be me. I felt better after accepting it. In the big picture, it's such a small thing. This was the first time back to the house for my mom since moving 4 weeks ago. She was glad to have her bathroom! She sat outside for a while. I gathered up some stuff, then we were off. I wheeled her to her room in the wheelchair. Wheelchairs are not good. She'll be dependent on someone to push her now, till she gets a new electric wheelchair or this one decides to work again. I pushed her scooter up to the hallway outside her room. I stayed for a while more, then went home. I left my house at 8 this morning and didn't get home till 4:30. Boo.

Dad in his favorite place

Mom in her favorite place, the glider. They had a Hawaiian Luau on Saturday. And an open bar!

I had my deck power washed on Thursday. It took over 8 hours to transform it from blackish to back-to-new looking. Except for all the splinters. It will have to be sanded and sealed, but it looks just great.

At the same time I had the underside of my deck inclosed in lattice.

I also had my kitchen faucet installed. What an improvement to the whole look of my kitchen!

All the paid work is done in my house. Yesterday the third ceiling fan was installed, along with an attic fan, a light fixture on the deck, and a timer for the porch and garage lights. Whew!

Emily's 'computer room' will feel much better with this fan.

The roofer told me my roof was just fine, btw. So glad to hear I don't need to replace it now.

Well, I'm ready to put this super-long day to rest. I'm looking forward to a day of work tomorrow. Work days are never frustrating, except for the lack of coffee.

Drew's, I love you

I'm such a creature of habit. That's different than being set in my ways. I'm that too. Many people would attest to this characteristic, which might not be a good thing, so don't ask them, OK? I tend to eat the same foods every day. I have cereal and a banana every single morning for breakfast. That replaced the oatmeal I ate without waver. I have salad every day for lunch, and sometimes for dinner too. Here's what I put in my salads, everyday:

bagged greens
tomatoes
red pepper
feta cheese
Craisens
Trader Joe's Corn and Chile salsa
chicken

My newest favorite salad dressings are Drew's, and I buy them at MOM's (My Organic Market). I've had the Greek Olive, Shiitake Mushroom, Thai Sesame Lime, and Buttermilk Ranch. If you can find this brand in your area, I'd highly recommend it. Anyway, that's my salad and I won't get tired of it for a long time.

And that's that. Random information about what I like.

Days off are really work days

I wrote this post on Monday eve, on the porch.

I started my day there and I'm ending it in the same place. My favorite place. The in-between portion of the day was no fun! Days off are really work days. The more I do to get ready for this party, the more I see that needs to be done. That should have been done already. Why have I not painted the doors in my house? As in ever. The windowsills need painting...the outside sills are almost down to wood. How did that happen? The column on my porch needs painting and the ceiling is full of dead bugs and webs and dirt. My sidewalk needs to be power-washed but to do it will blast the mulch. The front of my house got egged a long time ago and the soffit is blackish in spots. I haven't looked up in a while and forgot what it looked like. Did I say I'm feeling overwhelmed? It would be so nice to have help! Those of you who have spouses that share in the load are fortunate. I spent hours today cleaning my kitchen. I used Soft Scrub to clean the outside of every cabinet and drawer and all the counters and the refrigerator. It was no fun. I took apart the vent/fan thingie over the stove (for the first time) and had to use Goo-Gone to get through the grease. Yuck. Goo-Gone, by the way is great on a lot of stuff. Like stainless steel. I used it on my toaster oven. And the front of my microwave. I cleaned a bunch of windows (not with Goo-gone) but have many more to go. I put a lot of stuff away. It doesn't look like I did anything. The good news is that I know it will all come together and what needs to get done will get done. My nice neighbor installed the outside lights for me this afternoon and they look 100% better than the old ones. I was his helper. I'm going to install a new deck light now that I know how to do it. I put on a new toilet seat today. That was easy. On Thursday I'm having a new kitchen faucet installed and I'm excited about that. My frugalness in other parts of my life has paid off and allows me to spend the money I need to on my house. Did I mention I need a new roof? No fun. I think it's the last expensive thing I need to do for a while. I hope. Except for a new bathroom floor.

Garden pics

I thought I'd do a mostly picture post. It's garden time, and I've been working hard. I have a few areas to fill in, but it's mostly done. Here's a view of the front of my house. I took out all my grass when I started my garden 17 years ago. You can't see the hidden treasures within from this angle. Sitting here on my porch, I have a completely different view.

This first picture shows my new hummingbird feeder. So far, no takers. The rest of the pictures show most of my garden creatures.

I'm hoping that a frog/toad discovers this rock cave. So far the only critters to use it are the birds who think it's a toilet seat.

The colored globes in my garden are solar-powered lights that change colors in the night. Emily gave them to me for Mother's Day.

Here's a view of the other side of my house. The plants closest to the siding still have another foot or two to grow. All the plants here bloom with yellow flowers.

Here's a hanging basket I bought yesterday. Emily called from the road pleading for me to buy a flower basket that she saw and loved. Little did I know it was 3 feet wide! It's beautiful and I hope I can keep it looking this good throughout the season.

I've been sitting out on my porch for the past 3 hours. It's been wonderful! Unfortunately I have to go in and do some deep cleaning. Sound like fun? Not. Lots to do before Emily's graduation party in 2 weeks. I've got the energy, so here I go.

Yesterday's news

I finally got around to writing yesterday, and Blogger was down. What's that saying, a day late...?

I've been mainly busy with things other than taking the time for blogging. That's my excuse. I've been preoccupied with all that has to be done for Emily's graduation party. My garden is mostly ready. That's taken a lot of time and money. Time and money well spent. It's lush. I spent a few hours at a garden center today, and I'll put the new plants in the ground once the sun's a little less intense. I'm SO happy that it's spring. We've had over a week of nice days in the 70's. That's so unusual for Maryland. We gallop into summer. Emily has really gotten into the outdoors this year. It makes me proud. She cleaned out the wooded area in our backyard. Raked the 'forest floor' clean. Trimmed trees. Mowed. Put out all my garden statuary. Mulched. I'm so used to doing everything myself...this is a nice change that I hope lasts.

I left early this morning to visit my parents. They're doing SO well . And the staff...every time I visit someone tells me how much they enjoy my parents.The place seemed to be too good to be true. It is that good. My mom and I sat on a glider in the courtyard today, in the shade of a large tree. My father sat in a nearby chair. It was heavenly.

I'm deep into my book club book, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, by Helen Simonson. It's a great book! I have the last book of The Hunger Games series waiting for me. I can't wait to read that. As I told Rob, the good thing about reading is it keeps me off the Internet. The bad thing about reading is it keeps me off the Internet.

I'm having work done around the house on Sunday. I'll have a final ceiling fan installed. And an attic fan. My upstairs is so hot in the summer; I hope this helps. I'm having new porch and garage lights (sconces?) installed, along with floodlights in the backyard. I'm having a porch light timer installed. Whew. Then next week I'm having my deck and porch power-washed, trim painted and lattice put under my two-story deck. Ah the joys of home-ownership. There's nothing like a party to get things that need to get done, done.

It's such a gorgeous day! Breezy with no humidity. The garden is calling; lots of plants waiting to go in the ground.
Till the next time....

Here's a little 'next time.'

It was a cold and damp day today. SO different than yesterday. It was a good day to be working. I finished my book and enjoyed it to the end. I'm tired from work and ready to say goodnight to Friday. Can't wait till tomorrow afternoon and my latte at Borders. Sometimes its the simple things in life that give the most pleasure.

This and that

I spent the first few hours of my morning reading, all the while lamenting the time I was 'wasting.' I get that from my mom...always feeling like I need to be busy. I broke away from the book when I was down to the last 20 pages. I'm reading The Hunger Games, and this was the second book in the series. A friend in my book club read it and loved it. I listened to the first book, which was a great way to experience it. I read the second book in less than 2 days. I just saw that it's being made into a movie. When I Googled the book, I was surprised to see all the accolades. I can't wait to read the third and last book.

I called a different Sam's Club than I usually go to to see if their photo department made poster-size prints, and was told yes. I drove there and found a note pasted on the machine saying posters weren't available till next week. Grrrr. The good news was that the Lowe's in the shopping center had the nicest garden center I've seen. I spent a few hours there and came home and spent many hours planting. Yea! I still have more to purchase, but everything I bought is in the ground.

I grilled some burgers for dinner. Too greasy! I'll buy leaner meat the next time. I grilled summer squash and that was great. I'm sitting on my porch, surrounded by the lusciousness of my spring garden. It's the time of night that the hummingbirds are active. For the first time, the birds are flying into the tree that one of my feeders hangs from instead of flying to the side of my house and out of sight. I hope that means there's a nest there.

I'm SO thankful that it's spring.

It turns out I didn't waste time by reading. There was plenty of time for everything. Except cleaning house. Somehow that always gets pushed to the side. I wonder why?

Here today...

Maybe I should rename my blog Every Once In A While. That's about how often I'm here. On the one hand, my life isn't very exciting. On the other, it never was.

My life has revolved around my parents for so long that I don't remember what it was like before. I have to find a new normal. In the meantime, I've been to their new home a lot. Just for visits. And for meals. The food is good!

Emily's about to graduate, and there's a flurry of activity at the end of the month, ending with a big party at my house. We finally bought a prom dress yesterday, which was a big relief. Emily's been looking, but didn't want me to go with her. She wanted my opinion only after she had narrowed her choices. I woke up stressed about it yesterday, because prom is just around the corner. When I asked if we could go shopping after school, she said yes. We went to Annapolis, to the boutique she bought last year's dress at. The shop sells only gowns. Emily looked while I waited. You're allowed to try on 5 dresses, and it has to be on one day only. The owner explained that the dresses are so delicate that each time they're touched and tried on, it's wear and tear on the dresses. Wow. One of her 5 choices was absolutely perfect! I can't wait to show you a picture. From there we all went to visit my parents. I convinced Emily and Phil that we could have a free meal! My parents were so happy to have us, and we had a lot of laughs. We left from the dining room and headed to the community college that the kids will be attending in the fall. It was only a 4 mile drive. Again, I was glad to be a part of the process. So, it was a good afternoon and evening.

I'm in the process of deciding on a company to go with to have the boards and railings of my deck replaced. This is in anticipation of the party on June 5. I also have to get busy with planting my garden. I've got to get organized so I don't get stressed.

It's time for work. I'm glad I took a little time for this. My lack of writing was stressing me too.

Happy Tuesday!

I've been sitting on my porch in my pj's for the past hour, drinking coffee with my laptop on my lap. The weather is wonderful. Very breezy because of the storm. The light seems to illuminate the green of the trees and grass and makes the colors of the flowers pop. My hummingbirds have been visiting. I mentioned the coffee. It makes me very happy!

All is well with my parents. My father joined the 'Brown Derby Society'-- the counterpoint to the Red Hat Society. How funny! They both made bagel birdfeeders. My mother opted to have breakfast brought to her the first morning because she didn't want to be up and dressed by 8. She regretted it because the whole morning slipped away. She's been to breakfast the last two mornings. I'd love to be a fly on the wall there. I'll be visiting this afternoon. My SIL Cindy stopped by for lunch yesterday. My sister stopped by in the afternoon. I'm amazed that my mother hasn't been asking when we're coming to visit, but so happy about that.

I've been making the doctor's rounds...dermatologist for a routine check, gynecologist for same, and a colonoscopy consult. I'll see my primary for a physical before the dreaded colonoscopy in June. I think that covers everyone.

I'm not exactly sure of what's on my agenda today. I have lots of returns in my car that I'd like to get rid of. I want to visit my parents. I want to start buying plants for my garden. Rob is here and he has some stuff he wants to do. He's sleeping because his body clock is set to his night-time job. I'm up and at-em early. And wired because of the coffee. It's a day that will unfold.

Hope all is well with you. Have a great Thursday.

Moving day and all is well

What a day! It went smooth as could be, much to our relief! My brother (with the help of my nephew Ryan) loaded up his truck with my father's bed, kitchen table (his 'office'), and other big items that were going to The Annapolitan. I followed shortly after with a loaded-up car. In the meantime, my sister drove to the doctor's to get forms my parent's needed, and then to the bank to sign more forms. My brother and I set up my father's room, and got everything in their suite perfect. My sister, Amanda, and my parents arrived, but we made them wait downstairs till we were ready for the 'reveal'. It was perfect!

Here's a link to pictures from the day. Click on 'slideshow' to get the best view.

We really love this place. The staff is unbelievable. Everyone is SO nice. Here's an example... The toilet in their bathroom is really low. We brought a raised seat that fits over the rim to bring it up about 6", but we realized that wasn't going to work for a man. If you know what I mean. My brother spoke to Donald, the amazing handyman, and said we would be happy to buy a new toilet if they could install it. Donald talked to the director, and the next thing we knew, Donald was off to buy it. By evening, it was installed at no cost to us. I'll be sending a thank-you card in the morning. Here's another...at lunch my mother told the chef that she likes hazelnut creamer in her coffee. He went to the store and bought one creamer for her suite and another for the dining room. It seems too good to be true. What convinces me is that every resident we've met says they love it there.

My mother was laying down when I left. My father was watching TV. I got partway to the elevator, then went back. I told my father he should come downstairs, that he didn't need to stay in his room. He wandered around the library for a while, picking out books, then walked outside. He was sitting on the porch chatting with some other residents as I drove away.

So far, so good. Happy sigh.

Homesick before I'm gone

I wish I could write every day. Well, of course, I could. I just don't take the time, and when I'm ready, all my creative juices are gone.

It's the night before my parents move. I realize, tonight, that I've only been thinking about them and what this move will mean for them. I didn't realize the loss I would feel. The fear. My parents are leaving the house they've been in for 49 years. My house. I wonder how that will affect me? I spent last night there. My last night. Tomorrow I imagine I'll be the one to drive them to their new home. My brother and sister took off of work, so we'll all be together. I'm thinking it might be good for us to say good-bye when my parents are busy. I wonder if they'll cry? I'm so glad we all live close by (except one). We'll still be together, just at another place.

Time to lighten up!!! I had two ceiling fans installed today. I had three rooms wired for cable. I had a light switch fixed. I got up on an extension ladder and scooped out flower petals and debris that were clogging up a gutter. It was gross! What I scooped out smelled like elephant. Phew. I did a little gardening: weeded out pear tree seedlings and pulled out spent tulips. We had a crazy thunderstorm that we watched from inside the garage. I had a sloppy cheesesteak for the second night in a row. Am I trying to gain weight? The people I work with would be shocked. Really. They only see me eat salad. I watched TV (The Office) with Emily and Phil, then a few episodes of TV off the DVR. And that's my day. I'm tired, which is a great thing. I feel like it's the night before camp...nervous and excited and homesick already.

Picture Perfect

I finally have a minute to catch my breath and I'm sitting on my porch after dinner. Later I'll regret the things I didn't get to, but for now I'm enjoying being outside. I'm hoping a hummingbird decides to come by. I'm ready for the first sighting of the season.

Work has been a little slow and I've enjoyed some down time. That doesn't happen often, which is a good thing since I work on commission. I've been on a spending spree. I bought a new TV for upstairs. I bought 2 ceiling fans. I'm having estimates done on my deck. I haven't even started buying mulch or outdoor plants. I'm going to have the hall bathroom tiled. All things that need to be done.

I went to the grocery store after work last night and was amazed to see a rather large girl in the next aisle with shorts that exposed half of her bottom. Literally. Both cheeks were totally exposed. I looked the way of another customer who looked right at me, just shaking her head. Every single person in every aisle was staring at Miss Hot Pants, who was oblivious to the commotion she was causing. I've truly never seen such a sight. Everyone left with smile on their face and a connection to all the other shoppers who shared the same crazy sight.

My entire local family plus my GA sister met at my parent's house on Sunday for a faux-Passover dinner. There were fifteen of us! I say 'faux' because there was no Seder, just the right food. It was wonderful to be together, under the family roof. Probably for the last time.

The family, minus my dad.

Emily and her grandpa.

My brother and his family.

My sister Lisa's boys.

Curly-headed sisters.

A blast from the past, circa the 70's. Oh, those were the days!

I'm back inside the house now. Much to my delight...the hummingbird came to my feeders, repeatedly. I'm so excited! My happy time of the year has begun.

Over and out for now!

Life is Good on Sunday

A week has flown by and I've been busy as usual. I spent most of my 'free' time this past week listening to an audiobook. It was a short loan from the library, and I needed every spare moment to listen to it. I've spent a bunch of time doing things to get my parent's suite ready in the assisted living home they'll be moving to on May 25. I'll catch up and fill in all the details when I can. My sister from GA is here, and all four of us siblings have been working hard. We're having a big dinner at my parent's house tonight with all the local family. One last time. We'll be taking lots of pictures.

Hope to be back here soon!

Life is Good on Monday

I am so thankful for this day. I had no plans, and you know my inclination is to always stay busy. The weather promised to be perfect: mid-80's and breezy with low humidity. My mind wondered...go to Marshall's for Spring clothes? Go somewhere near the water? Stay home? Stay home won! I set up my beach chair on the deck with my iHome iPhone dock and a glass of tea. I started out in capris, then changed to shorts, then to my bathing suit. I put sunscreen on and spent hours listening to my downloaded audiobook with the sound of my windchimes and the chirping of birds in the background.

After awhile I switched things up and laid on my hammock listening to my book with my earbuds in. Still in my bathing suit and cover-up. It was heavenly.

In-between I made lunch salads for today, tomorrow and Wednesday.

I started my outdoor day at 11. I finally came inside to start dinner at 6. What a day! Dinner is done and I'm on my porch in my bathing suit and cover-up at 8:00. I've watched a beautiful sunset while sitting out here.

I'll leave you with a picture of what I think will be the first tulip in my garden to open. I forgot to plant my bulbs until I saw the bag in late February. Out of 60 bulbs, 48 have flowers. I can't wait to see them in bloom!

Reasons to be happy, today

I last wrote on Monday, and that day turned out fabulous. Really. My brother and I visited an assisted living home that we thought would be perfect for my parents. We met with a financial adviser who gave us encouraging news. I got back to my own house in the afternoon and strung my hammock in it's spot among the trees and hung out on an 80 degree day with my eyes closed and great music from Pandora radio. It was heavenly. That day was a gift after all the bad ones.

My brother took my parents to the 'home' on Tuesday. My mother loved it! She wants to know when she can move in. My father liked it a lot, but he's not quite on board yet. He will be, and I'm sure he'll be very happy once he's settled in. I've seen him in hospitals and long stays in rehab centers. He's always settled in.

Rob came over last night and we went to Pei Wei, our favorite restaurant, then to Dairy Queen for Blizzards, then watched American Idol. This morning we'll be going in separate directions, but we'll meet up later. Hopefully on the hammock. Today is supposed to be another nice day. Spring weather really makes me happy. Coffee on my day off makes me really happy too.

Happy Thursday!

Darn those squirrels

Finally, we're going to have a real spring day. I'll be out and about, and I'll get to see it and feel it. Those of you who live in my general area know what kind of weather we've been having. We need warm. And sunshine.

It's been a typical weekend for me. You know what those are like. It's been good, though. I've spent good time with my parents. I relaxed. I got a lot done. No complaints.

A few days ago I noticed fallen flower buds from the large pear tree in front of my house scattered around the ground. I'm used to seeing a zillion little stems on the ground after the tree blooms and the petals fall, but not unopened buds. I was looking at the tree from my bathroom window this morning when I noticed a squirrel eating clusters of flower buds. Within minutes, he (I think of all squirrels as male) had stripped an entire branch. I studied the tree. At this point, I'd estimate about 1/5 of the flower buds are gone. That means no leaves will grow from those stems. Who ever heard of a squirrel denuding a tree? Maybe it's the natural order of things? Maybe that tree needed thinning out? We'll see.

I'm off and running. Happy Tuesday!

The middle of the road

Time for a post that's not so depressing. I shouldn't write when I'm feeling bad, though I tried really hard to make it a little happy. I shouldn't write the day after, either, which was the case with my last post. I got a call very early Monday morning from the paramedics. My mom had fallen and they wanted to take her to the hospital. It was her 3rd fall in 6 days. Poor banged-up and battered Mom. She was sitting on the edge of her bed trying to lean over and pick up a roll of toilet paper that fell off the brass free-standing toilet paper holder beside the portable commode beside her bed. She slipped off the bed and fell face-first into the tipped-over brass stand. The life-alert necklace she wears alerted help, and they came right away. For the third time that week. This time she decided to go to the hospital, and I met her there. Her injuries are superficial, but she looks awful. She's on Plavix, which makes any bruises that much worse. Between the three falls, she has bruises everywhere. When we got home from the hospital I found evidence of a medical problem with my dad, all around his toilet. I know...too much info. That meant a trip to the doctor's office where he was diagnosed with a UTI. I'm glad I was there to take him. It was a sad day. I went to Panera's for coffee and home to make lunch in-between the ER and the doctors. Then I had to cancel my day of work on Tuesday to be with my parents because Amanda couldn't be there. And I had to stay late. That's why my Tuesday post was so depressing.

It dawned on me Monday (what took so long?) that my parents aren't living independently; they're already in assisted living. They're only able to be in their own home because of Amanda and me and my siblings and keeping them there is taking it's toll on all of us. They had gotten used to having people around them when they were in the rehab center, and they miss that. Since they've been home I've watched my mom become sadder and sadder. We kids made the plans for them to stay at home, but now their home is no longer the home they were used to. Yes they have new floors, but all the things that made their home their home are packed up or in the garage. There's no clutter, no things. And the changes? They're no safer in their home now than they were before.

It's time for a change, and now we start the quest to find an assisted living facility for them. My mom says she's more than ready. My dad either says yes, he understands my mom needs it, or says, we'll see. He's been adamant his whole life that 'they're going to have to carry me out of here'. I've seen him in hospitals and rehab centers, and he's been very content in them. I think he'll be content wherever he goes. I think it will be harder for my mother. I'm mourning the loss of the house already. We all grew up there. It's been the family home for 49 years. I'm really not ready to see it go.

So now we deal with the maze of facilities, finances, and legalities. Then the contents of closing up a home. Much work is ahead, and many changes. It's time, and it will be oh, so nice to just be able to visit.

I had a short day at work today. I visited two assisted living homes. Then I came home to my own house, in the daylight! It's been a while since that happened. I made dinner for the family for the first time in ages. I'm writing a real blog post, and sitting on the couch, and soon I'm going to watch TV. It's been a good day. I'm hoping not to get any bad phone calls.

Thanks for standing by me. This is the middle of the road. It's going to be a journey.

Less stress and happiness

I can't wait for my summer vacation. Well, first I want spring. And lots of warm weather. And vacation. I want to swim in my pool. I want flowers in my garden. I want less stress. And for everyone to be happy.

I've been under a lot of stress. And sadness. I actually feel wounded. I want less-stress. I want everyone to have less-stress. And more happiness.

I've had my coffee...time to get the day on

I'm taking a little time out at Caribou Coffee before heading to the folks. My sister is coming over and we're going to try to get a lot done. There's still a lot of heavy lifting that we can't do that will have to wait. Lisa suggested we go to Lemongrass for lunch. I said I'd love that, but we should bring Mom and take her to Haverty's afterward for some furniture shopping. Mom seemed to like that idea. Later I said to my mom, you'd probably prefer us to stay in the house and work, than to go out and have fun. She said yes, just as I knew she would. Well, we're going out anyway. Here's a story I'll always remember. My Cousin Myra and my mom were (and are) friends and way back when, they both had 3 or 4 little kids. They would take turns watching each others kids to give the other an afternoon off. Cousin Myra would go out to lunch and a movie with her friends. My mom would stay home and scrub the house. Years later I asked my mother if she had any regrets about how she spent her time. She had none whatsoever. She was doing what made her happy. That's a big part of her unhappiness now: she sees a million things around the house she wants done, and she can't do any of it. She would rather us work at her house than do anything else. The house will be put back together soon and all the work will be done. Then my mom and I can go to Old Country Buffet and hang with the Seniors. Much more fun, right?

Floors torn out

New floors in

The house is so cleaned out of 'stuff' that all you see is wide expanses of floor. It echos. It's beautiful. It needs more 'stuff' in it! It needs some carpet, but no carpet is one of the main reasons for the new floors.

Speaking of floors, I found some pieces of the lime green shag carpet I had in my bedroom in the 70's. I loved that carpet!

It's cold but the sun is shining and I've had a caramel latte. I'm ready to take on the day!