Oklahoma Cowboy!

In a letter to friends I mentioned that I had purchased several flannel shirts for Jack. 

 We are not for big coats since we are from the westcoast where it doesn't usually get too cold.  So Jack found that he needed a light pull over last winter.

  I order a big flannel shirt  this fall to see what it would be like and He liked it!  To dress to go somewhere Jack just slips a  big shirt over what he is wearing and is ready to go...We also got him a lined flannel hoodie, but I have the feeling we might have to go to something warmer for outerwear. 

We will see.  He has been wearing his flannel all day, furnaces come and go but that toasty shirt keeps the body happy.  Now the biggie is that Jack has never had something so casual as flannel shirts. 

 So this Oklahoma move is really a cultural change.. I quickly went to denim and loved the ease of dress here, it has been slower for Jack.  He wore those ties and shirts too long.

It did snow all day.  Tonight the wind is blowing and we have drifting and I may have to move some snow to get the garage door to open.  

  Mother gave me a pair of boots last winter and I used them today to trudge around the place looking for cats and feeding barn cats.  Most cats checked in today and ate and had their usual affection.  A couple I snuggled up in my great coat and brought in for Jack to scratch their ears.

It will be interesting to see how the night and tomorrow progresses.  The news bespoke of our bad weather so we will see how high the snow stacks.  It was drifting up to the windows tonight on the south side of the house.   Now when the wind and snow is from the North, that seemed strange to me!

Anyway, warmth and  peace reigns at Marigold Country Home tonight!

SNOW~~~`

Last day of November-----first snow!

Decided the cats are snow bunnies not cats at all, think it was the first snow for many of them! They act just like children, rolling, jumping at the snowflakes, racing through the snow, then running up to shake off the snow and nibble on something.  I did not fix hot chocolate for the bunnies(cats)!

Snow didn't start till just before daybreak, and it is just enough of a dusting to make things pretty.  I will take pictures because things look so clean when it snows.

Have put on the pot of beans and will probably have stew, too.  Called a neighbor last night to be sure they had everything they needed and she said she had bought beans, chili meat, stew meat, etc.  Another neighbor said where he was from everyone rushed out and bought bread and milk, and I laughed and said I had pancake mix and syrup so we were all set! LOL It is interesting what everyone thinks   of when they know there will be bad weather.  

Mother kept worrying about others in town to see if they were warm and had plenty to eat, now the snow is like a dusting, not piled up at the windows!

We had hot oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar.  Of course Mother also had some toast and Jack and I had shared a small roll earlier so he could take his medication.

Mother asked me why I was putting on a pot of beans(crockpot/takes about 3 hours) and I said someone might come to the door hungry or we might enjoy them.  Standard fare in  Depressed Western Oklahoma is fried potatoes, beans and cornbread.  Really healthy food! LOL  I don't do fried potatoes, however, if Mother's hungry nephew comes to the door I might be tempted to fill him up with fried potatoes!

I can't believe it is still snowing, so good on the wheat because this is wet snow.

 I decided to brave the snow and went to feed the barn kitties.  It had blown in all the cracks and crevices and it was snowy inside in places.  But the tracks I made were so much deeper than I expected. 

 I had been commenting how heavy the cat's coats were and one of the farmers said his cattle had heavier coats than usual, so guess Mother Nature was preparing  the animals for a colder than usual winter.

I know this sounds silly going on so about the cats and the snow but coming from California where there is so little season change, this is really exciting.  I am relearning about nature and enjoying being out in the open instead of concrete everywhere. 

In California we fed the wild animals, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, lots of wild birds.  We went to a place right on the edge of the wilds where the neighbors and I took lots of kitchen scraps and that sort of thing.  On a summer evening you could count the bunnies as they came out to feed on the green areas of our community. One neighbor bought huge bags of carrots and cut them up for the bunnies.  Now I didn't go that far, but she bought lots of wild bird seed and all kinds of food for the "wild ones". She had her 2 inside cats as  well.

There is Peace and beautiful white snow falling on Marigold Country Home.

Last of the beautiful days.........probably!

Things started so well this morning, we were able to get to the bank, fill up the gas tank, pick up lots of kitty food, and go out to lunch!

The afternoon started out with leaf raking to cover up the strawberries and some of the more fragile plants. 

Wore my mother out with the rake........ she does everything with such vigor... we had to quit before she make me feel years older! lol  She sweeps the floor the same way...watch out for that wicked broom!

Then we played Christmas CDs till we all  mentally decorated with green boughs and covered with  paper  chains.  Jack has been teasing me about a Christmas tree and mother started it, too! I have said positively not!  I hope I don't lose this battle!

The wayward felines enjoyed the warm sunshine this afternoon and draped themselves all over the sidewalks.  Walk to walk furry ones.  The cat  tree house will probably be occupied this weekend when the cold temps hit.

Peace at Marigold Country Home- home of Blue Fuzzy, Mama Kitty, Curley Ears and her three babies, Scalawags and Black Baby, Sassy and Brown Annie's Kitty, and Big Mean Black Kitty.  No, they are not all here at the same time!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not qualified for this job!

Caregiving is not an easy job..............the qualifications are many.  I am not sure I am qualified for this job!

If it were not for a good husband I would have given up months ago!  This morning my husband took the next step in independence and while I slept he took his bath and did all his grooming activities without any assistance from me.  Only when he reached the point that he needed to complete everything did he call me.  Wow, I was so impressed that he could go this far.  We had talked about what ifs in case I needed to ever take Mother to the doctor or hospital.  So he tried out his abilities and he was of course very pleased with himself as was I.

We had the most delightful thunder and lightening show last night... a little shower but the prelude was so wonderful!  Now this week the temps will drop to below freezing and the promise of a winter mix of freezing rain and snow is in the forcast!  So will stock up and just wait out the rest of the week! LOL

I have decided that Marigold Country Home sounds like a home for wayward cats! LOL 

 

AND THE WEEK HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN!

Thanksgiving--We have talked to the girls, both had great plans for the day. (they are 1200 miles away)

We have had a great Thankskgiving Lunch.  We had a three pound butterball turkey breast, yams with marshmallows and brown sugar, cornbread dressing and gravy, cranberries, and rolls.  Pumpkin pie for dessert.  This was the easiest Thanksgiving meal I ever fixed,  and just as easy to clean up. 

My daughter just returned from her cruise through the Panama Canal, and she sent us a package of coffee, etc. from the tour to a coffee plantation.  Really delicious goodies!

Jack's daughter is taking her mother to a steak house for lunch today, you can tell how traditional that generation is! lol 

My daughter is going to a friend's home on one of the Indian Reservations in California.  She is their expert cornbread maker using the secret recipe from her grandmother! lol My daughter is one-quarter Mescalero (sp) Indian, according to her father's family history. 

The weather is beautiful day............cool, sunny and a little breezy.  A great day to celebrate!

Peace at Marigold Country Home.

 

Thanksgiving..................one of the finest things you can have are neighbors.  The kind who comes into your home, looks on top of your ref. sees cookies and asked for one...lol  I thought it was the greatest compliment that she felt so comfortable in our home to ask for something like a cookie. 

Her reason for being in our house was....I had asked if her boys wanted to make some money by building a cat tree for the furry four-legged felines that frequent our patio.  A little family of a mother and three kittens had moved into the storage garage and the other residents had moved out!  I am not sure why they were not compatible.  But the evacuated felines were looking for a safe warm place to spend their nights.  Safe is the operative word....so the neighbor showed me the 30 gallon plastic barrels she had and she had some creative ideas...I gave her the carpet I had and about a month later she arrives with this great cat perch, tree, apartment house..lol...maybe just a cat house would suffice.  Anyway the barrel had two floors, one entry way carpeting inside and out, a large top about three by four feet.   She had to have more carpet so found some and the top is carpeted quite fashionably with white high-low carpet, the rest is multicolored beige and browns.  It looks quite nice on the patio because it matches the colors of the brick! 

I was not sure how the kitties would accept this addition but they love the large flat top where they can eat in peace and sit in the sun.  Several have checked out the apartment floors, but have not put down a deposit for renting.  Of course I don't stay up to see what happens when I go to bed!

We went to church, out to eat at Furr's Restaurant. then to Sam's Club, so all in all it was a busy but good day.  I am learning so much about caregiving.   It isn't something that comes naturally.

 

Peace at Marigold Country Home!

 

HELLO OUT THERE!

To all our friends in California,  oh my do we miss you.  One of the things we lost was the companionship of friends.  We are so glad you still keep in touch but we miss our long visits and good times.

Another thing we gave up was the visits of the girls.  Jack's daughter and mine.  They didn't come so often but they were as close as the phone and would come if we needed them.    We left them in California.

We gave up so many of our possessions.  Jack gave away all of his musical equipment and much of his music.  It was like he was giving up his second career and his ability to perform for others.  He had not been able for a while but this erased it from his future also.  The girls and I told him that he would need new equipment anyway when he would be able to sing  and entertain again.

I have up the furnishings of my home, keeping only five items which were medical related pieces.  There were some items that I had shopped for and loved, the antiques, crystal, little keepsakes and just those things that represent a lifetime.   Little things you get used to using, baking pans, a certain wooden spoon, those kinds of things I do miss,slso.

We did bring some of our clothing, but when you don't have a place to put them, they stay secure in a cardbox in a storage barn!  I feel like I have no wardrobe except my jeans and one outfit which I wear to church or something special.

I do have some pictures, those were too special to leave.  Most of these I have already secured to the walls in our room and am getting ready to put up some more.  They seem to give us a feeling of belonging.

When you give up so much of your personal life and move 1200 miles then something has to shift.  A lot of shifting has been going on and this week there have been some down days.  Looking on the net for nervous breakdowns I was surprised to see they last short periods of time and sounded rather familiar.  I must be having these on a regular basis! LOL

This next paragraph just jumped in our of order but so what!

You have heard me refer to down days before and I always bounce back, but instead of getting stronger I am getting tougher!  And my language is peppered with some vocabulary that I didn't know I had stored in my brain.   Wow, maybe I will be come sweet and kind and thoughtful!  DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT! LOL

Jack had to give up his driver's license.  The doctor here refuses to give permission for him to have a legal  license in the State of Oklahoma.

We gave up the medical doctors and insurance we had there and had to purchase much more expensive insurance here and find new doctors,etc.

We gave up our home and became homeless.  We are actually "roomers" now when we examine the conditions we live under.  I am a live-in caregiver, housekeeper, laundress, hairdresser, gardener, driver, and personal business consultant and secretary.  I have some job security however! LOL

In "Marigold Country Home"--let there be Peace!

 

 

HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!

I found this quote in an article about a lady that had undertaken a project and often became discouraged.  Her friend told her this to just remember each day.   Jack reminds me it is just one day, one hour, one minute at a time this walk we are taking.........but sometimes I wish to run and feel I have lead weights tied to my feet!

This is National "Caregivers" Month. ( http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061030-14.html)Why did it take 14 days for me to find this out.   I could have been celebrating for two weeks and now have to make up for it in the last two weeks!   I am going to bet that Patrick put this in his journal and I missed that entry for some reason.  He never misses anything so vitally important!

Well, Jack and I had a wonderful day yesterday.  We were invited to a Vet's Day celebration but we were mistaken on the time so instead of dinner from 5 to 9 we went for the lunch at 11.  Vets there said they came to have lunch together to avoid the crowds in the evening.  This was a very nice restaurant that we have visited several times but mother doesn't like! LOL  The restaurant was feating the vets in the evening but we enjoyed a lunch instead. 

We also went to Hastings.  This is a book and music store that is popular locally.  We had not been in so went on Monday.  The big soft couches and chairs, hot coffee, hot chocolate, etc. and time to puruse the books, magazines, and other offerings makes for great ambiance.  Jack didn't find the music he was looking for but I found two new  books by one of my favorite mystery writers "Stuart Woods".  Goodness I have read the books my daughter has sent me so long that I shudder at paying $10.00 for a paperback! Guess all of them are not that expensive.  I can read a book in a short time usually if the evening isn't too eventful.  Then I will send them to another friend that got me started on reading these mysteries.  He had all 30 some of his books so I read them straight through from the first to the latest and just can't wait till a new one comes out.

While we were out my mother fixed her own lunch.  She informed me that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.  I left her food all ready to pop into the microwave.  She fixed herself something totally different, which tells me to not worry so much about her.  She might not be able to hear, see, have no teeth to speak of,  and be somewhat forgetful at times, but when it some to her lunch she had it all together!

This morning I had a few tears over a small situation.  I was out potting some flowers because it is supposed to freeze and mother and I had talked at length about what we would do about these plants over the winter.  While I was doing this Jack had called me, needed me and I was not available.  I came in to find him somewhat disgruntled with me because I was 'busy with stupid flowers'.  I told him the flowers were my way of getting out of the house this morning because Mother had hurt my feelings.  He understood this and laughingly said why didn't I do like the rest of this community just let them freeze and get new ones next year.   And I replied yes like the farmers, when a piece of equipment broke down, they just left it where it was and bought something else.....................you can't believe the junk that is left just where it was dropped!

Mother needed her hair cut and didn't want to bother with going to the hairdressers.  So I cut it last night and she shampooed it this morning and it looked really great!   She said it was because She had a girl working for her that knew how to do hair!   It was supposed to be a compliment but sometimes I feel like  unpaid girl that works for her for sure!   See how easy I can get my feeling hurt when I should accept the compliment and just go on.  Will I ever learn?

Well this hired girl went after a doctor's prescription this morning, to the bank, to a tiny grocery store for barbeque, and now that lunch is over I can go get the prescriptions!   Peace in this country place!~~~~~~~~~~~

I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

The day started with several down notes but.................

We did get off to breakfast at the culturally interesting restaurant.  Found friends there and had a lovely meal and good visit.

Went to the cemetery and found our beautiful but artificial flowers from the 16th of October still there and still great looking.  The keepers had decided that they were ok to stay and had left them right where we put them last month! Yea! We added a big bunch and the whole thing still looked wonderful.  The extras we took to neighbors who were buried there.  Put out the flowers and took pictures for their granddaughter.  She will be pleasantly surprised I think.  And all the little flags had been put out and look so lovely.  The driveway into the cemetery was lined with American flags and the whole  place looked so festive.  Mother was pleased.

The next stop  was Sam's Club.  We always enjoy the samples.  Mother enjoys the goodies we bring to her waiting spot and she enjoys watching the people.  We always come away with lots of stuff we don't need but will enjoy sharing with others.  I have decided that baking cookies is a job for someone else most of the time.  They have a bakery that makes cookies to die for and we just can't leave them there!  Apple pie for the holiday will be nice to have too.

When we got home Mother realized that she had lost a highschool class ring.  She didn't get to have a ring and her sister had given her, her own  class ring.  We made calls and looked everywhere but guess it might just be gone.

All in all it was a good day.........Jack and I talked about how high our expectations were when we came 11 months ago.  And I laughed about saying we were taking baby steps in many directions, but not sure we are often back to crawling in reaching our goals.  These are not big goals, just things like bringing the house up to a cared for condition.  The yard needs so much work.  The trees need trimming and the yard needs to be leveled and the driveway rescued from years of dirt settling after rains.   I could go on for lines and lines!  LOL  It is still a day at a time....and more often than not.....hour by hour.  Jack told me I had lots of guts to undertake what I have done, and yet I don't see that I had any choices.  You don't abandon your family.

Peace!

TAXES-VOTING-CLEANING SKILLLETS!! AGAIN!!

Tuesday's subject demonstrates how frustrated I have become!

Warning!

This entry involved WHINING so don't read farther if you can't handle it, but I have no one to really talk to when my day starts like this!  Jack has definite reactions in blood pressure and other things when I get upset so I have to bottle this all up!  Mother gets all weepy if I try to explain that I can't function without sleep and then she goes into the 'I'm Sorry' mode which is worse that any other.  It is also called 'make the daughter feel guilty' mode.

Tuesday's entry:

I can't finish what I start without at least one interuption!  But that I can cope with usually.  But when I go back and see that I have gotten off the track so far without even noticing I really begin to worry!!!!!

Yes, we paid the taxes.  I had to go to the courthouse to check to see if Mother received all the exemptions she was entitled to with the warrent  deeds including me on the titles.  I found out that all was in order and she was able to write the check for the taxes.  Not all the tax bills are in yet, so we will have to go through this again, I am afraid.

Cleaning skillets!   She takes a knife and scrapes and scrapes and it sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard! LOL Yep, she really goes after the skillets and I have stopped her putting the old iron skillets in the dishwasher because they come out rusted and brown with no seasoning  at all.  Iron skillets are unique in their treatment that allows them remain clean but seasoned.

I guess I did cover the voting! 

Yesterday we went to get groceries.  The local stores have fliers in the newspaper and Jack reads everyone and knows where the "bargains" are located.  Since the holidays are coming we decided to stock up on flour and sugar and other baking needs.  I hope I decide to do some holiday baking now!!  Mother could only handle one store.  She really gets tired walking around.

I did some baking for the weekend.  A couple of casseroles and a meatloaf.  Mother asked if we ate meatloaf well?  And I replied that it always disappeared so we must do something with it! LOL But she and I worked in the kitchen together and had fun.  These times are few  now. 

 Example:  I am not at my best at 4 in the morning.  Jack said she had been up since 3.  Yep, we are going out to breakfast, to the cemetery, and then to Sam's Club.  So to do this she must take her bath at 3 so she will be ready.  Then she goes back to bed at 5:30 when she has everyone up and going.  She refused to eat anything............so she will be starved and complaining when service is not instant at the restaurant!

When I don't go to bed  till after 11, 4 comes early and when I find that Jack was awakened at 3 I get real testy!  When everyone is up, the cats are up too and want to be fed and will begin to quarrel if they are not fed! LOL  Then Jack needs a bit of something with his pills, if he is awake his system is ready for medication.  Mother has taken her vitamins, etc., but she refuses food with these. I  have made the coffee and she is ready to have the paper read to her.  Just the obits.  Of course this involved a voice next to shouting.  Not when I am tired and at 4 in the morning!  But I do it and then whine to Jack and YOU! 

One of our friends knew that we had wanted our lawn sprayed for weeds last spring.  But our little town is so far out and no one wants to come this far.  But she had found someone to come to her place and we were only 10 miles farther.  We did get the lawn sprayed at a very good price and we asked him to come back in the spring.  This might get the nut grass and most of the stickers!  I like to go barefoot and the stickers are hard on the feet.........also they stick to the shoes and get in the carpet.

The spraying was scheduled on Friday.....so he came to spray on Thursday!  This is life in Country USA.  If the mood hits then do what you planned, even if it has been pre-scheduled at another time! However, it worked well for us and hopefully for the other parties.

I had managed to mow the worst parts of the lawn on Wednesday evening.   I still wanted to finish before the mowing.  But now I have an excuse to wait another few days!  Remember our lawn is huge as is most everyone's in a small town like this.  I don't have  a riding mower but that might be a good investment in the future.  Right now it is time to be alone and think while I am getting exercise walking around the yard.

It is now 6:30, I have been able to finish this with only a couple of interuptions, and since I have already been reminded by Mother to take water for her, the flowers, the camera, etc., I need to get up, get dressed, get Jack ready, and then watch the sunrise.  The rest of the day will take care of itself.  And I was able to go through the stored boxes and find Jack's AMERICAN LEGION cap which he wanted for today.  See I can be all things to all people!

Jack keeps reminding me that only today, this hour, these few minutes, are really important.  Do not move ahead and worry or borrow trouble.  I keep trying.  I have to stay well.

PEACE at Marygold House...and HAPPY VET'S DAY.

 

 

Taxes, voting, and cleaning skillets

Last week we had lots of drop in visitors.  Seems Jack and I are soothing tonic for some people! LOL

A friend who has several strokes finds visits with Jack and I good for her nerves.  Others find us a good substitute for a boring football game.  But we are enjoying the drop in traffic.

We have found the culturally different restaurant a good place to meet friends and have breakfast.  It has become a weekly thing.  Mother looks forward to it.  Saturday (Veteran's Day) we will go out for breakfast and then to cemetery.

Today we went to vote, this was a big undertaking for a 20 minute stop.  But I went back later and visited with the workers.  All friends and neighbors of mother.  Some did not realize she is legally blind.  One had seen our 'CIRCUS' at  grocery store last week. 

Peace from the country~