Friday, October 30, 2009

End of the Week

And a long week it's been too! I worked 40 hours this week. I haven't done that since August 2003!!! Whew.

Mama has settled down. She's still hurting and still worried about whether the surgery worked because the nerve across the top of her left hip still hurts when she walks...but of course it hasn't had time to heal yet. She really knows that...but there's still that little bit of doubt and worry that she's gone through the pain of surgery for nothing.

I remembered to put my camera in my purse. This is what the western evening sky looked like yesterday (Thursday) when I left the library (it's behind me).

The weather was really supposed to kick up. It did east of us in Louisiana, but we weren't hit hard at all. Thank God! Daingerfield is an old town...supposed to be the second oldest in Texas after Nacogdoches. The above photo is actually a second location. The original town was several blocks south...and burned. Businesses moved to the railroad track to rebuild. The cars are parked by probably the newest church building in town...although another is in the process of being built now.

I took some "color" photos on the way home.






Monday, October 26, 2009

Seems to Be Slowing Down...

Even though I worked the library today...will all week...and stopped by Mama's twice, things seemed slower. Marilyn checked her this morning before she left for work. I almost had to roll a patron to the door in a rolling chair from the computer area and boot her out for lunch. Sheesh! I made a quick trip to Mama's and got her lunch set out. She asked for the chicken salad, some orange salad*, a slice of apple, and she got her own drink. Kissed her on the check. Back in the 4-Runner to meet Sam in town at Hawkins...about the only thing I eat there is a fish sandwich... it has REAL fried catfish fillets on the bun with cheese and tartar sauce...not a frozen breaded fish square.

After work, I made a run to the grocery store for my groceries...then back to Mama's. She was ready for another shower...and once again asked for chicken salad, etc.

Tomorrow is another day...

Oh...the orange salad...

1 pkg. orange Jello
1 tub Cool Whip
8 ounces cottage cheese
1 can Mandarin orange slices, drained (sometimes I use 2 cans...love 'em!!)

Take a dry package of Jello...do not add the water. Mix it with the Cool Whip and cottage cheese. Stir well to incorporate the Jello powder. Add the Mandarin oranges. Stir. Refrigerate.

You can use sugar-free Jello and (if you like it) the sugar free and/or fat free Cool Whip. You can also use different flavors of Jello and different canned fruits...

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Another Sister?

I must've really been out of it yesterday. I don't have 'a' sister. LOL Don't know why I'd want 'another' one. Sheesh.

Mama's on her own. She has food in the refrigerator. I got scatter rugs off the floor. PIcked up odds and ends of things she's piled where it's convenient. (I'll be in trouble when she can maneuver enough to start trying to locate her possessions.) Laundry baskets set aside for jammies and undies... and another for towels. The laundry room is straightened up with her new upright freezer in place. Baby brother Joey has to move the two filing cabinets out of the dining room back into the laundry room. I put two pieces of paper in the proper places on the floor with directions about which cabinet goes where (not where they were). When he gets it done...I'll see if he follows directions. LOL


Most of all...Mama is coherent. She's following medication directions. Not getting up and roaming the house at night. I'm concerned about her fluid intake so took the insulated large mug the hospital charged an arm and a leg for, packed it with ice, filled it with water and put the lid on with the straw. I left her with instructions to drink from it every time she passed it. This evening when I went to check on her...there wasn't but about an inch and a half gone. She does drink milk when she takes her meds as well as a glass of tea with her meals. So she's probably getting more fluid intake than I realize.


Older brother Junior (yep, got one of them), his wife, and their teenage grandson were there. They brought food! Grilled chicken and ribs, scalloped potatoes, pinto beans, cheese, barbeque sauce. We sat and visited. Younger brother BJ came in. He wanted t-shirts for the 'family reunion.' I think Mama dropped him on his head when he was a baby. ;o) Eventually everyone left. I got her supper on the table. Junior had cooked for me...so I brought my part home and shared with Sam.

Don't go "Shame!" Mama's not much on left over meat. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

And the story continues...