I'm not a good blogger. I know I should write more and keep things up to date but for some reason its not what I think about when I get on the computer. I do keep a diary that I write in a little more often but even it has its huge lags.
I've started my 9th year with Cave Creek. That seems so impossible. I don't feel like I've been there 9 years. I had 13 years in Chandler and that was just yesterday. Where has the time gone? The biggest milestone that I will hit this year is achieving my 80 points in the retirement system. That means I can retire with full benefits...everything. Now for every year I work, I work towards upping my percentage so that I can bring home just a little more money when I finally do retire. That is looking to be in about 6 years. If the next 6 years goes as fast as the previous 9 years, my next blog might be about my retirement!!
Grandkids are doing well. Colin will undergo his next surgery to have his laryngeal cleft repaired on October 14th. I will go back to Missouri and look after Alyssa while Colin and Shannon are in the hospital. I am hoping that he has an easy time of it and is home before the week is over. After that, I will go to Dad's so that I can see for myself how things are going with him. If Colin does well the first week, I will get to spend almost a full week with Dad. Now I just have to make my airline reservations.
The weather is finally starting to cool down some. It is still warm during the day but the humidity seems to be dropping and the nights are starting to cool off some. i always like it from October to about April. That is when living in Phoenix is second to none.
Well, I'm going to end here. It isn't a long blog but it is at least something!!
:)
Monday, September 16, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
A New Year
I know the year starts in January and here it is March 19th and I'm starting out with "A New Year". Well, this is going to go from March 19th, 2013 to March 19th, 2014. I am starting out doing two new things simultaneously and hoping they both work out for me.
A few years ago, I lost a lot of weight on the Optifast Diet. I was very happy with my weight but felt like I should lose more. But I got stuck...and then I got upset because Duane was losing like a house was on fire and my weight had plateaued. So, I gave up trying. I continued to exercise for a bit of time and that helped my weight to stabilize but I stopped making good food choices and then I stopped exercising regularly. I would go on exercise bends that would last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, but then I would find an excuse to not work out. In the meantime, I continued to make poor food choices.
I watch The Biggest Loser and think...boy, if only I had access to a daily trainer....if only I had a lot of money so I could take the time off....and could I even keep up with the pace The Biggest Loser sets? I also listen to them say, "If I can do it, you can do it, and I think....oh if only it were so easy...." So season after season, I watch and wish.
A few weeks ago, Duane was lamenting about his weight. He, too, has regained some of his weight...not as much as me, but he's still put on some weight. He wanted to go back on the OptiFast but financially, it was going to be hard. However, I have been saving money to put down on his sports car. When he was talking about it seriously, I told him the only way I could see us making it work was if he gave up his sports car from this fall and used that money for Optifast. He decided that he was going to do that.
So yesterday he went back to Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. It may have been a blessing in disguise. As Dr. Z was doing is EKG, he found that Duane's heart is starting to be somewhat compromised. We still don't quite understand what is going on completely but Duane does need to make an appointment with a cardiologist and find out what is going on. Since his brother died of a heart attack several years ago and his sister has heart problems, it is not too far fetched to think that Duane might have some issues in that regard too.
When he made his decision to go back to Scottsdale Weight Loss Center, I made a decision to tackle my weight issues a different way. On the next to the last show of The Biggest Loser, Bob was wearing a shirt that said, " 3 days on, 1 day off, 365 days year". I took that to mean 3 days of exercise, 1 day off, all year round, so that is my plan as Duane is doing his Optifast. Today he started his shakes and I started my exercise routine.
I am going to blog it all year long to keep it all in perspective for me...where I start, what I do, how long I do it and if I am making any progress at all. I will not lose weight as fast as Duane will; I know that...but if I can build endurance, build muscle, lose weight, make my feet feel better...maybe he and I will eventually be in the same healthy spot.
So Day 1:
Weight in the a.m.: 296.8
Exercise: Treadmill for 45 minutes
Speed: 2.4 for 14 minutes, 2.7 for 30 minutes, back to 2.4 for remainder
Incline: Rolling Hills (ranged between 0.0 and 3.0 inclines)
Calories burned: 192
Distance 1.72 miles
Tune it to see how Day 2 goes!!!
A few years ago, I lost a lot of weight on the Optifast Diet. I was very happy with my weight but felt like I should lose more. But I got stuck...and then I got upset because Duane was losing like a house was on fire and my weight had plateaued. So, I gave up trying. I continued to exercise for a bit of time and that helped my weight to stabilize but I stopped making good food choices and then I stopped exercising regularly. I would go on exercise bends that would last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, but then I would find an excuse to not work out. In the meantime, I continued to make poor food choices.
I watch The Biggest Loser and think...boy, if only I had access to a daily trainer....if only I had a lot of money so I could take the time off....and could I even keep up with the pace The Biggest Loser sets? I also listen to them say, "If I can do it, you can do it, and I think....oh if only it were so easy...." So season after season, I watch and wish.
A few weeks ago, Duane was lamenting about his weight. He, too, has regained some of his weight...not as much as me, but he's still put on some weight. He wanted to go back on the OptiFast but financially, it was going to be hard. However, I have been saving money to put down on his sports car. When he was talking about it seriously, I told him the only way I could see us making it work was if he gave up his sports car from this fall and used that money for Optifast. He decided that he was going to do that.
So yesterday he went back to Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. It may have been a blessing in disguise. As Dr. Z was doing is EKG, he found that Duane's heart is starting to be somewhat compromised. We still don't quite understand what is going on completely but Duane does need to make an appointment with a cardiologist and find out what is going on. Since his brother died of a heart attack several years ago and his sister has heart problems, it is not too far fetched to think that Duane might have some issues in that regard too.
When he made his decision to go back to Scottsdale Weight Loss Center, I made a decision to tackle my weight issues a different way. On the next to the last show of The Biggest Loser, Bob was wearing a shirt that said, " 3 days on, 1 day off, 365 days year". I took that to mean 3 days of exercise, 1 day off, all year round, so that is my plan as Duane is doing his Optifast. Today he started his shakes and I started my exercise routine.
I am going to blog it all year long to keep it all in perspective for me...where I start, what I do, how long I do it and if I am making any progress at all. I will not lose weight as fast as Duane will; I know that...but if I can build endurance, build muscle, lose weight, make my feet feel better...maybe he and I will eventually be in the same healthy spot.
So Day 1:
Weight in the a.m.: 296.8
Exercise: Treadmill for 45 minutes
Speed: 2.4 for 14 minutes, 2.7 for 30 minutes, back to 2.4 for remainder
Incline: Rolling Hills (ranged between 0.0 and 3.0 inclines)
Calories burned: 192
Distance 1.72 miles
Tune it to see how Day 2 goes!!!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
School Thoughts
Well, here I am....back for another school year. This year is starting off a whole lot differently than last or any of the other years since moving to Cave Creek Schools. I am at the high school and I am loving it. It feels so much like "coming home" to me. I love high school kids. I love interacting with them and helping them to see the potential in themselves. I love their bright faces and high optimism. I love their high hopes for the future. Sometimes life gets them down. Doesn't it get all of us down sometimes? But if they look around they find their hope again. I love watching them solve their problems and come out on the other side stronger for it.
I'm also lead speech therapist this year. I am enjoying that. It feels natural for me to be in front of a group again. I like all of the ladies and I think we make a really good team together. Our new gals are bright, energetic,and eager to be doing the right thing. Its such a nice spot to be in.
My summer vacation was too short, as always, but I had a blast. I love being at home and doing my home things the way I want; whether that is cross stitching, reading, being in the pool, or cleaning my house. As always I had a plan to exercise and did for about three weeks but then vacation came around and then it was too hot to get back to it....um hum.....if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you!!...I loved going back to Missouri with Judy. We talked and talked and talked. We are such good traveling companions!! I loved spending time with the grandkids and kids. Alyssa and Colin are growing so fast and are so much fun. Unfortunately, while I was there, Colin got pneumonia and hand, foot and mouth disease. He ended up in the hospital for a few days but was out before I left to go back to Arizona. While Colin was in the hospital, Duane and I looked after Alyssa. She was such a trooper but before the end of the second day, she also came down with hand, foot, and mouth disease. I don't think I will ever forget her standing in the middle of the garage with huge tears running down her face saying, "Grandma, I wanted to go to the store!" I didn't know what store she wanted to go to and with my heart breaking because of her tears, I asked her which store she wanted to go to. She repeated very strongly, "The STORE". I felt like such a bad grandma because I didn't know which store she was talking about. Suddenly and without any warning she threw up all over her shoes, my shoes and everything. This bad grandma could only think, "Thank Heavens! We are in the garage and we can hose it down!" I didn't rush to get her inside and thank goodness I didn't. After several heaves, she was finally done enough that I could get her upstairs without any problems on the carpet!! Come to find out later, the store she wanted to go to was Walmart. I was able to take her to Walmart before I left and we had a great time and didn't spend too much money.
Spending time with Dad was also wonderful. He is a very lonely man and will probably be that way until the day he dies. He lived for Mom and without her, he is kind of a loner. He loves my brother in law's visits and counts on them. Charla and Brad take such good care of Dad and its a relief to know they are nearby. I was able to clean his windows and his house. I watched baseball with him and we talked. I cooked meals for him and for him to put away for Brad's visits. The next week I brought Steve in from St. Louis and the week after that Duane and I visited with Dad for about two hours as we headed back to Arizona. Charla and I went through one of the closets that held Mom's clothes and her jewelry. That was tougher than I expected but not as tough as it could have been. Charla and I are in agreement about so much and so there were no conflicts over items or anything at all.
As I write this Duane is in South Carolina for business. He and I are doing well and I love it that after almost 10 years together (not married...just together) he can still make me laugh. I do believe we are so good for each other!
Well, I guess I should get up and let the dogs inside the house. I'll re read this to make sure I've got it all down and then I'll post. Who knows when I'll write again...but I will....someday. Maybe in that blog I'll talk about how proud of Shannon, Chris and Michael I am....but I'm out of blogging energy right now! :)
I'm also lead speech therapist this year. I am enjoying that. It feels natural for me to be in front of a group again. I like all of the ladies and I think we make a really good team together. Our new gals are bright, energetic,and eager to be doing the right thing. Its such a nice spot to be in.
My summer vacation was too short, as always, but I had a blast. I love being at home and doing my home things the way I want; whether that is cross stitching, reading, being in the pool, or cleaning my house. As always I had a plan to exercise and did for about three weeks but then vacation came around and then it was too hot to get back to it....um hum.....if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you!!...I loved going back to Missouri with Judy. We talked and talked and talked. We are such good traveling companions!! I loved spending time with the grandkids and kids. Alyssa and Colin are growing so fast and are so much fun. Unfortunately, while I was there, Colin got pneumonia and hand, foot and mouth disease. He ended up in the hospital for a few days but was out before I left to go back to Arizona. While Colin was in the hospital, Duane and I looked after Alyssa. She was such a trooper but before the end of the second day, she also came down with hand, foot, and mouth disease. I don't think I will ever forget her standing in the middle of the garage with huge tears running down her face saying, "Grandma, I wanted to go to the store!" I didn't know what store she wanted to go to and with my heart breaking because of her tears, I asked her which store she wanted to go to. She repeated very strongly, "The STORE". I felt like such a bad grandma because I didn't know which store she was talking about. Suddenly and without any warning she threw up all over her shoes, my shoes and everything. This bad grandma could only think, "Thank Heavens! We are in the garage and we can hose it down!" I didn't rush to get her inside and thank goodness I didn't. After several heaves, she was finally done enough that I could get her upstairs without any problems on the carpet!! Come to find out later, the store she wanted to go to was Walmart. I was able to take her to Walmart before I left and we had a great time and didn't spend too much money.
Spending time with Dad was also wonderful. He is a very lonely man and will probably be that way until the day he dies. He lived for Mom and without her, he is kind of a loner. He loves my brother in law's visits and counts on them. Charla and Brad take such good care of Dad and its a relief to know they are nearby. I was able to clean his windows and his house. I watched baseball with him and we talked. I cooked meals for him and for him to put away for Brad's visits. The next week I brought Steve in from St. Louis and the week after that Duane and I visited with Dad for about two hours as we headed back to Arizona. Charla and I went through one of the closets that held Mom's clothes and her jewelry. That was tougher than I expected but not as tough as it could have been. Charla and I are in agreement about so much and so there were no conflicts over items or anything at all.
As I write this Duane is in South Carolina for business. He and I are doing well and I love it that after almost 10 years together (not married...just together) he can still make me laugh. I do believe we are so good for each other!
Well, I guess I should get up and let the dogs inside the house. I'll re read this to make sure I've got it all down and then I'll post. Who knows when I'll write again...but I will....someday. Maybe in that blog I'll talk about how proud of Shannon, Chris and Michael I am....but I'm out of blogging energy right now! :)
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Life happens fast!! I think often of how I should get on this site and write more...document my life a little more for family but then I get busy and don't think to do it. I guess I am sometimes too busy living life and thus don't write about life....until moments like tonight!! :)
Its May already. School will be out before long and then I'll have almost 8 glorious weeks to "play". I have my Missouri vacation planned and can hardly wait to see family again. It feels like forever since I have seen Colin and Alyssa. I know they have grown so much since last December when I saw them! I think Alyssa might be forgetting who I am a little bit because she has stopped wanting to talk to me on the phone.
It will also be good to spend time with Dad. I worry about him and although I know Charla and Brad would let me know if anything was wrong; it will be good to see it for myself. I love my father with all my heart and wish that I could live closer to him.
We lost Mayer on March 28th. He was 13 years old and had lived a good life. Unfortunately he had started to go blind and had a huge tumor on his neck that was more than likely cancerous. Taking him to the vet to have him put to sleep was so dang hard. When the time came, though, he laid on the blanket beside where I was sitting. The vet administered the first drug and he started to snore like he always did when he slept hard. It made me smile for an instant and then with the administration of the second drug, he was gone. I have to believe that he is in a better place; jumping and running and sleeping in the sun. The life he had with us during his last months was not the life I hope he has now.
Since losing Mayer, Buster and Dot have adjusted. Buster misses Mayer more than I thought he would but Dot has proven to be fickle. She has moved her affections from Mayer to Duane! Now she is constantly seeking him out and wanting his attention.
Well, that's about all I can think of for now. I'll try to write a time or two this summer....but don't hold your breath!! :)
Its May already. School will be out before long and then I'll have almost 8 glorious weeks to "play". I have my Missouri vacation planned and can hardly wait to see family again. It feels like forever since I have seen Colin and Alyssa. I know they have grown so much since last December when I saw them! I think Alyssa might be forgetting who I am a little bit because she has stopped wanting to talk to me on the phone.
It will also be good to spend time with Dad. I worry about him and although I know Charla and Brad would let me know if anything was wrong; it will be good to see it for myself. I love my father with all my heart and wish that I could live closer to him.
We lost Mayer on March 28th. He was 13 years old and had lived a good life. Unfortunately he had started to go blind and had a huge tumor on his neck that was more than likely cancerous. Taking him to the vet to have him put to sleep was so dang hard. When the time came, though, he laid on the blanket beside where I was sitting. The vet administered the first drug and he started to snore like he always did when he slept hard. It made me smile for an instant and then with the administration of the second drug, he was gone. I have to believe that he is in a better place; jumping and running and sleeping in the sun. The life he had with us during his last months was not the life I hope he has now.
Since losing Mayer, Buster and Dot have adjusted. Buster misses Mayer more than I thought he would but Dot has proven to be fickle. She has moved her affections from Mayer to Duane! Now she is constantly seeking him out and wanting his attention.
Well, that's about all I can think of for now. I'll try to write a time or two this summer....but don't hold your breath!! :)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sad for Kids
This will be a short blog but I just have to write something. I am so sad today for my children. Last June, they lost their Grandfather to Alzheimer's. It was a blessing in a way as this man had been so vibrant and interactive his whole life. He was a man who loved meeting people and although I have not been a part of the family for over 10 years, I will always remember him as one who was happiest when he was with family and friends. He loved to talk and joke.
In August, less than 2 months later, my mother passed away unexpectedly. No one saw it coming and it was quite a shock. She was one who loved her family more than anything. Although she and I had a rough start in my early years and during the first years of my marriage to the kids' father, we had made our peace. I had just seen her in July and had enjoyed my visit with her more than I could say. My kids lost the grandmother who was always cooking for them and trying to find the one thing that she could do that would make them the happiest. She was not a physically affectionate woman but she loved deeply all the same.
Now, a little over 2 months later, they are losing their maternal grandmother. She has given up on life and made the choice to stop eating and drinking. She just could not face life without her husband and the rest of her family was not able to motivate her to keep going. We have just heard that it will be just a few days now and she will be with him once again. I was not fond of my ex mother in law but she loved the kids. When they were little she loved to take them up to the gazebo and have "picnics". She loved coming to Chandler to visit with them and always wanted to play with them or hear what was going on in their lives. It will be a sad day when they hear that she has left this Earth and I am so sorry for that. I wish I could spare them the pain of losing yet another grandparent.
The good thing is that my dad seems to be doing well. He misses Mom but he keeps going. I think he does not see himself sticking around for 10 or 20 years but I also do not think he will be passing until his health has failed. He is out with friends, visiting on the phone with others, trying to do some things around the house that he has always enjoyed doing, cooking for my brother in law when he comes it, etc. For that I am grateful as my children need a break from losing their grandparents so closely together.
In August, less than 2 months later, my mother passed away unexpectedly. No one saw it coming and it was quite a shock. She was one who loved her family more than anything. Although she and I had a rough start in my early years and during the first years of my marriage to the kids' father, we had made our peace. I had just seen her in July and had enjoyed my visit with her more than I could say. My kids lost the grandmother who was always cooking for them and trying to find the one thing that she could do that would make them the happiest. She was not a physically affectionate woman but she loved deeply all the same.
Now, a little over 2 months later, they are losing their maternal grandmother. She has given up on life and made the choice to stop eating and drinking. She just could not face life without her husband and the rest of her family was not able to motivate her to keep going. We have just heard that it will be just a few days now and she will be with him once again. I was not fond of my ex mother in law but she loved the kids. When they were little she loved to take them up to the gazebo and have "picnics". She loved coming to Chandler to visit with them and always wanted to play with them or hear what was going on in their lives. It will be a sad day when they hear that she has left this Earth and I am so sorry for that. I wish I could spare them the pain of losing yet another grandparent.
The good thing is that my dad seems to be doing well. He misses Mom but he keeps going. I think he does not see himself sticking around for 10 or 20 years but I also do not think he will be passing until his health has failed. He is out with friends, visiting on the phone with others, trying to do some things around the house that he has always enjoyed doing, cooking for my brother in law when he comes it, etc. For that I am grateful as my children need a break from losing their grandparents so closely together.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Full of Thoughts
I'm sitting here at my lunch just full of thoughts; thoughts about work, thoughts about life, thoughts about my business, thoughts, thoughts, thoughts.....
It has hit me again at how much I miss Mom. I can get up and go to work. I can live my life. I can look forward to the future. But deep down is this underlying thought that I miss my Mom. It is in everything I do. People keep saying, "With time, things will get better" and while I believe that, I keep secretely wondering when that will happen. I talk to Dad every week and that is good for me. I see how he goes on and I know that deep inside him, he misses Mom every minute of every day even more than me. He can laugh and joke and look forward to upcoming events but every now and then he lets it slip how much he misses her. He talks of "being bored" and I know its because she always had him running. He very seldom ever had a moment to himself to do what he wanted and this alone time is drastically different for him.....but he still misses Mom.
I am hating school this year. No..maybe that is too strong. I am having little patience with school this year. I have teachers and parents demanding the unreasonable and emotionally I just am not up for it. I have requested a meeting with one teacher and although she has read my email, she has not responded to it. That is just mean and uncalled for. I will try again tomorrow when I am over there but I really do not think she will be available to talk to. There is still 151 days of school left. When those days are gone, will I be able to work just Keeling and Associates? I sure hope so. I have to make sure those bills are paid off though so that when all is said and done, we can live on Duane's salary.
The thing that brings me incredible joy in spite of all my doom and gloom are the kids and grandkids. Yesterday, Shannon posted a YouTube video of Colin climbing the stairs. Oh my gosh...I must have had a smile from ear to ear plastered to my face when I watched it this morning. What a little munchkin!! He was so proud of himself climbing those stairs and when he saw Chris behind him his smile would have made the most wretched feel good inside. And there is nothing in the world to me like Alyssa saying, "Hi Grandma!" I miss her so much and so look forward to seeing her when I go back for Colin's birthday party. She throws herself into my arms and the world is better than all right. Shannon and Chris are doing good and they allow me to be a part of their lives. I am so grateful that my daughter is not only my daughter but my friend as well. I will always be her Mom but I no longer "mother" her unless she asks for it. How wonderful is it to know you have raised a daughter to be a good wife and mother? And Michael is so much better. He is working hard and doing things that make him feel successful and satisfied. I see him laughing a little easier these days than he has been in past months. I think of all he has been through since his car accident in 2009 and am so pleased that he has been able to overcome these things and be a better person for it.
Well, I guess in spite of me having more thoughts, I should get this posted and get back to work. Lunch time is almost over and I feel a little better for having gotten all of this down. I'll try to write again soon.
It has hit me again at how much I miss Mom. I can get up and go to work. I can live my life. I can look forward to the future. But deep down is this underlying thought that I miss my Mom. It is in everything I do. People keep saying, "With time, things will get better" and while I believe that, I keep secretely wondering when that will happen. I talk to Dad every week and that is good for me. I see how he goes on and I know that deep inside him, he misses Mom every minute of every day even more than me. He can laugh and joke and look forward to upcoming events but every now and then he lets it slip how much he misses her. He talks of "being bored" and I know its because she always had him running. He very seldom ever had a moment to himself to do what he wanted and this alone time is drastically different for him.....but he still misses Mom.
I am hating school this year. No..maybe that is too strong. I am having little patience with school this year. I have teachers and parents demanding the unreasonable and emotionally I just am not up for it. I have requested a meeting with one teacher and although she has read my email, she has not responded to it. That is just mean and uncalled for. I will try again tomorrow when I am over there but I really do not think she will be available to talk to. There is still 151 days of school left. When those days are gone, will I be able to work just Keeling and Associates? I sure hope so. I have to make sure those bills are paid off though so that when all is said and done, we can live on Duane's salary.
The thing that brings me incredible joy in spite of all my doom and gloom are the kids and grandkids. Yesterday, Shannon posted a YouTube video of Colin climbing the stairs. Oh my gosh...I must have had a smile from ear to ear plastered to my face when I watched it this morning. What a little munchkin!! He was so proud of himself climbing those stairs and when he saw Chris behind him his smile would have made the most wretched feel good inside. And there is nothing in the world to me like Alyssa saying, "Hi Grandma!" I miss her so much and so look forward to seeing her when I go back for Colin's birthday party. She throws herself into my arms and the world is better than all right. Shannon and Chris are doing good and they allow me to be a part of their lives. I am so grateful that my daughter is not only my daughter but my friend as well. I will always be her Mom but I no longer "mother" her unless she asks for it. How wonderful is it to know you have raised a daughter to be a good wife and mother? And Michael is so much better. He is working hard and doing things that make him feel successful and satisfied. I see him laughing a little easier these days than he has been in past months. I think of all he has been through since his car accident in 2009 and am so pleased that he has been able to overcome these things and be a better person for it.
Well, I guess in spite of me having more thoughts, I should get this posted and get back to work. Lunch time is almost over and I feel a little better for having gotten all of this down. I'll try to write again soon.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
I knew it had been a long time since I had blogged and I even remember what my last blog was about. I was so sad because of Mom's decline and I was going to document my relationship with her; but after I wrote that last blog, I just couldn't go on. I was so sad to see her declining the way she was and I was powerless to stop it. I couldn't rage and make it stop, I couldn't be joyous and make it stop and I couldn't pray heavenward and make it stop. I was powerless to stop any of it.
Over a year passed and Mom passed away unexpectedly in her sleep in the nursing home. She had been taken to the hospital the week before because she was so fluid filled, confused, and her cognitive abilities had declined rather rapidly. Charla went there and so her condition and demanded, rightfully so I have to add, that Dad take her to the hospital. The doctor agreed that she needed to be hospitalized and once there they were very concerned about the amount of fluid that was around her heart. Once they had taken care of that, they started the process, again, of putting her in the nursing home. She had been in the nursing home once before and Dad had brought her home but this time, it was probably going to be for good. They had started to talk to Dad about how he was not going to be able to continue to care for Mom at home and we (the kids) were in agreement. Our stand was going to be that if she was going to come home, he was going to have to accept some help..nursing as well has home care. They sent her to the nursing home for two weeks and then he was going to have to make a decision.
The morning of August 7th, I spoke to Dad on the phone. He sounded good. His voice was good, he sounded happy and he sounded well rested. He told me that Mom's vital signs were extremely good. He stated that she was still pretty confused but he had hopes that maybe she was starting to make some small improvements. He did not know yet if he was going to bring her home but he had hopes. Later that day I spent an hour on the phone talking with Charla about everything under the sun. Then I let her go so I could eat dinner. After dinner, I was folding clothes when my phone rang and I saw it was Charla. I thought she had forgotten to tell me something and so when she said, "Patti, we've lost her." I was not understanding. I asked her to repeat what she had said and she said, "We've lost Mom. She passed away." I was in shock and all I could think was, "This can't be true and I've got to get home". I was in shock. Charla went on to say that Dad had just gotten the news and he was on the way to the nursing home to see Mom and find out what had happened.
Needless to say, the days that followed were busy. All of us came together. Charla got home first and the amount of work and support she gave Dad was amazing. She did such a good job and was such a wonderful support for all of us. I was talking to Duane after I was in Centralia and made some comment about Charla organizing all of us. He wasn't sure if I was okay with that and I said, "Yes. There can only be one chief and she is the chief right now. She is doing a good job too." The visitation and funeral service was all that Mom could have hoped it would be. I do believe that she would have been pleased.
The month since Mom's death has been both a relief and extremely sad. I know that Mom's quality of life was decreasing significantly quickly and she would never have wanted to live that way. However, losing a parent is one of the hardest life experiences one ever goes through. I miss her. I miss thinking of things to talk about with her. I miss knowing that I have a mom out there. I will miss her everyday for the rest of my life. It's not that she was a part of my day to day life, but she was and always will be a part of me. The only harder death I could ever imagine would be the death of a child.
Since blogging, I have to mention that I have another wonderful grandchild. On Nov. 29th, 2010, Shannon gave birth to Colin James. He has grown into a wonderful child who is happy more often than not and a great addition to our family. Alyssa adores him and he adores her. I love watching them interact with each other and can only imagine how much fun it will be as they grow. Shannon and Chris are wonderful parents and I know they adore both of their children as well.
I am going to try to blog more often. I just couldn't make myself come back here and finish what I had started. Now, though, I think I will try to make this about things that happen over time.
Until next time.
Over a year passed and Mom passed away unexpectedly in her sleep in the nursing home. She had been taken to the hospital the week before because she was so fluid filled, confused, and her cognitive abilities had declined rather rapidly. Charla went there and so her condition and demanded, rightfully so I have to add, that Dad take her to the hospital. The doctor agreed that she needed to be hospitalized and once there they were very concerned about the amount of fluid that was around her heart. Once they had taken care of that, they started the process, again, of putting her in the nursing home. She had been in the nursing home once before and Dad had brought her home but this time, it was probably going to be for good. They had started to talk to Dad about how he was not going to be able to continue to care for Mom at home and we (the kids) were in agreement. Our stand was going to be that if she was going to come home, he was going to have to accept some help..nursing as well has home care. They sent her to the nursing home for two weeks and then he was going to have to make a decision.
The morning of August 7th, I spoke to Dad on the phone. He sounded good. His voice was good, he sounded happy and he sounded well rested. He told me that Mom's vital signs were extremely good. He stated that she was still pretty confused but he had hopes that maybe she was starting to make some small improvements. He did not know yet if he was going to bring her home but he had hopes. Later that day I spent an hour on the phone talking with Charla about everything under the sun. Then I let her go so I could eat dinner. After dinner, I was folding clothes when my phone rang and I saw it was Charla. I thought she had forgotten to tell me something and so when she said, "Patti, we've lost her." I was not understanding. I asked her to repeat what she had said and she said, "We've lost Mom. She passed away." I was in shock and all I could think was, "This can't be true and I've got to get home". I was in shock. Charla went on to say that Dad had just gotten the news and he was on the way to the nursing home to see Mom and find out what had happened.
Needless to say, the days that followed were busy. All of us came together. Charla got home first and the amount of work and support she gave Dad was amazing. She did such a good job and was such a wonderful support for all of us. I was talking to Duane after I was in Centralia and made some comment about Charla organizing all of us. He wasn't sure if I was okay with that and I said, "Yes. There can only be one chief and she is the chief right now. She is doing a good job too." The visitation and funeral service was all that Mom could have hoped it would be. I do believe that she would have been pleased.
The month since Mom's death has been both a relief and extremely sad. I know that Mom's quality of life was decreasing significantly quickly and she would never have wanted to live that way. However, losing a parent is one of the hardest life experiences one ever goes through. I miss her. I miss thinking of things to talk about with her. I miss knowing that I have a mom out there. I will miss her everyday for the rest of my life. It's not that she was a part of my day to day life, but she was and always will be a part of me. The only harder death I could ever imagine would be the death of a child.
Since blogging, I have to mention that I have another wonderful grandchild. On Nov. 29th, 2010, Shannon gave birth to Colin James. He has grown into a wonderful child who is happy more often than not and a great addition to our family. Alyssa adores him and he adores her. I love watching them interact with each other and can only imagine how much fun it will be as they grow. Shannon and Chris are wonderful parents and I know they adore both of their children as well.
I am going to try to blog more often. I just couldn't make myself come back here and finish what I had started. Now, though, I think I will try to make this about things that happen over time.
Until next time.
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