Saturday, October 24, 2009

Pooped!

Got her home. Oh MY!!! Why couldn't I have had another sister?! One who also doesn't work outside the home???!!! And could help with this woman? YOU think your mother is a piece of work...you should know mine.

I do have one sister-in-law who does a fantastic job...as much as Mama will let her. I just bulldoze in and do it...to a certain extent. Marilyn also has a day job...but she is SO good. I cleaned out Mama's laundry room where she's just stuffed things over the last 9 years...or more. Boxes that the toaster/telephone/bath scales/telephone (yep another)/etc. were trashed along with a bunch of other stuff. I think between the kitchen's outdated stuff and the laundry room I bagged up 4 or 5 bags of trash.

I made the mistake of mentioning trashing a box of lids...instant coffee/Miracle Whip salad dressing/peanut butter. Well....I had to go dig it outta the trash. "Lids are plastic now. Those will be antiques!" Yeah...75 years after she dies!! Being the good daughter that I am...I retrieved them...and threw something else away so that the box would fit back in the cabinet. ;o)


Mama did take a jaunt with walker in hand into the laundry room to check on her new freezer. She liked the baskets I put in to make certain a bag of frozen hard squash/tomatoes/etc. did not fall out and break one of her toes or feet.

We sat at the dining table yesterday...mid-afternoon...for a snack so that she could take a pill. Then she proceeded to sort through her private drug store and set aside her dosage before bedtime. THEN, she tilted the medicine cup into her mouth. NO! Those are for tonight!!! She rolled them out of her mouth and back into the cup.
SO...today...when I ran to town to put gas in her car and buy a few groceries, I also picked up a 4 time-a-day 7 days-a-week pill sorter. She wasn't going to use it. So...I issued the ultimatum. "You either sit right there after lunch and sort your pills on your own (with me sitting beside her), or 'I' am going to do it. IF I have to do it, I'll confiscate the bottles and carry them back and forth with me." It worked. We sorted and sectioned pills.

After her last surgery a couple/three years back, she stayed with us. One night she got kookie or as baby brother the Brat AKA Joey would say, "Goofey as a car-hit dog." Sam is almost positive that she double-dosed herself before bedtime. I'm going to try my best to make certain that doesn't happen again.

Remember...she can't take the 'good' stuff. But combinations can be disasterous.

This afternoon is set aside for 'iron her clothes.' Yikes! I better get back over there before she's up from her nap!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Long Days...

Colors are changing around here. I forgot to put my camera in my purse so haven't taken any photos. Like I really have time though with Mama in the hospital.

I got a late start today. On Hwy 271 between Gilmer and Gladewater, I saw a guy on a bicycle...pulling a trailer. The sign on the back of the trailer said "Broke and hungry..." and more stuff, but I didn't get a chance to read it all before I whizzed past him. If I'd had my camera, I would've done a u-turn and come up behind him again for a photo. Sigh. That's why I almost always carry my camera with me.

Mama had her back surgery yesterday. She was miserable! The hospital is a small one with only 20 beds that I could see. Each room is a private room. There are only two patients per nurse!!! Can you imagine that ratio? So...I did not feel the need to stay with her...which I would've done if she'd been in any of the other hospitals in the area.

As I walked past the nurses' station, I asked, "How's she doing today?" The CNA said, "Great." I raised an eyebrow...she said, "Really."

Let me tell you...it was like the difference in night and day. Mama looked surprised that I even came. Duh... I visited with her. Helped her to the bathroom and back. Got her tucked in again. Lunch came...she ate. Then her medicine came. She took it and settled back. I knew that if I stayed she'd talk the whole time so... I got up...gave her a kiss...and left.

Made a swing through Longview to look at upright freezers. Joey and I are pulling one on her...

For several years Mama has been talking about getting rid of her 40+ year old chest freezer. (Do you think she got her money's worth out of this one?!) The lining to the lid has separated from the lid...the gasket has turned loose. When you raise the lid, you have to also grab for the gasket and lining and hold it with one hand while searching for whatever you wanted. The lid has whacked her in the head a time or two.

Plus she's gotten to where she can't reach the bottom any more. She had a box or two on the bottom of the freezer so that the food is higher and she can reach it.

For the last year Joey and I have tried to work around her and get the old freezer out before she kills herself. You know...one of these days she is going to go missing. When we call out all the searchers and scour the woods...you know that she will actually be found in the bottom of the freezer where she toppled in...

When Joey has time to get the old freezer out...it hasn't been convenient for her. I told her to go sit in the living room and that I would help him empty the freezer. Well... I talked to Joey. This afternoon I filled her refrigerator freezer and an ice chest with what little she had in that 23 cubic foot freezer. The contents of the ice chest are now in my freezer.

I called her at the hospital to check on her this evening. At first I wasn't going to tell her that we were getting rid of the freezer...but I needed to know what size she wanted in an upright. And if she'd take the one with a scratch on the door if Lowe's will discount it. Yeppers. So...hopefully Joey and his friend will get the old freezer out tomorrow because Sam is going to Longview after something. When I told Sam about my errand, we are going in the pickup. We'll swing by Lowe's and haggle over the scratched freezer. IF we can make a deal, we'll come home with it. If not, we'll go over to Sears and get the same size freezer for the same price without a scratch.

Then I'll need some plastic baskets to go on the shelves in the upright so nothing falls out and breaks her toe.

Can't you just hear her phone call to me?! "Sherry! This freezer you bought me..." ;o)

Monday, October 19, 2009

For Shogun

Everyone else do not scroll down...



If you look....remember...it's makeup!!! But now you understand why his heirship (is that a word?) is in danger.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Okay...photo is gone. I can't stand looking at it.