I missed that question..................

Had an interesting interview this week, I am applying for lifetime extended care for myself.  Of course there are some medical items but there are also the  emotional and mental health to be considered in the interview.  One of the questions was what season is this......since we have been having triple digit temperatures I immediately said summer and then said no spring.....dithered back and forth for a few seconds...... and can you believe this former educator said it was summer!  I missed that question of course!LOL

We now have a home health nurse working with Jack on the ulsers on his legs, a therapist also, and I can hardly believe we  are getting back in the swing of medical benefits.

Our new doctor is almost on a walk-in basis.  I was there this afternoon to pick up a prescription and a lady walked in and said is it possible to see the doctor and the receptionist said yes you may have to wait a bit however.  Gosh what a deal in California you made appointments weeks ahead!  This small town clinic is great so far.

Since it is difficult for me to go away from the house for a hour and walk, mosquitos, worry about my husband and mother, might be needed,etc., I found a solution.  The lawn mower.  Basicly all I do is walk behind the mower up and down, up and down, up and down, and I did this for an hour tonight, feel great and feel like I was out walking.  I can walk as fast as I want to usually behind the mower because the grass is now pretty short and I am only making a smooth velvet finish! Doesn't that sound great!

Going going going going gone..................

Trouble comes in Threes?

The temperature has gone triple digit........I must have spring fever because I am tired and sleeping all the time.  I am sure this has nothing to do with the loss of sleep,etc.

Just a day or so after we lost Jack's brother, one of the buildings that mother owns was broken into.  I had advoided going into these building because I knew this woud be added responsibility on my part.......well had to have window covered.  Now I have been there, know which keys work, need to do yard work, sort and deal with furniture, and items inside the house, and must close this estate.  This has been passed around for a great number of years and I want it closed but it is emotional for my mother since it is her mother's house. 

Jack is holding up better this week after the funeral, even though we could not go, there seems to be closure.  He is keeping me from going crazy with this added responsibilities of legal matters and just plain work to get things cleaned up.  Will have to stop on this house and go work on another.  However there are some priceless antiques just sitting there like washstands and a brass bed.  Lots of chests, trunks, dressers, cabinets, old lane cedar chest, dishes and glassware that someone in the know could have made a fortune with.  Must have been kids!

Going to buy a lawn mower because it just costs too much to pay for all the mowing and have such a lousy job by the handicapped guy that does the mowing.  Think he has been getting away with this too long.  I can't do it all, and can't do it all the time but I can keep it looking like someone lives here.

This little burg needs to spray for the mosquitoes, Jack and I can't get out and walk and roll inthe evenings or go for the mail in the mornings.  The last time we went in the mornings, a mosquito landed on Jack, I stepped over to swat it because it was where he couldn't hit it and of course I stepped in front of a moving vehicle.  His motorized chair didn't stop fast enough and the wheel went over my foot......Geesh! that hurt!

This is way too much information to digest on a Sunday afternooon,,,,bye b ye

Mother's Day In Country USA

Mother's Day in a tiny town.......no eating out because it is so far to a town with restaurant, requires herculan effort to go out. 

 No deliveries because we are so far from anywhere.......sometimes Fedex has problems finding us.

Tiny church doesn't even recognise the mothers present.....this is not the way it used to be!

We had put out numerous plants because Mother likes her flowers outside not inside!

Loveliest part of the day was e-mails from daughter and friends and phone call from daugher.  Some things never cease to be special!

 

 

A day in May.......

It has been awhile since I posted, just because things seem to happen so slowly and then so quickly. 

Jack's legs are again requiring twice-a-day treatment and care.  This is so frustrating when we think we have something licked and find we do not.

The eyes are playing tricks, drooping so badly to require help to hold the eyelid and eye brow out of the way to see.

We are running out of medication and Jack will have to find and see a new doctor and this is worrying him and of course it is a concern to see what someone else will do and say.  Perhaps this will be a good change.

We are also waiting for a call that will tell us Jack's brother who is in hospice in Arizona, is gone.  This is making Jack feel  quite vunerable.  Of the four children this will be the second to cancer, and one lost to us.  We have been unable to locate him in the mental health maze of California.

This move to Oklahoma is still taking its toll in the great differences and opportunities to get out and enjoy the environment.  The wind, stormy weather, heat, and humidity is quite taxing.

ONE DAY AT A TIME!

 

 

Thunderstorms forcast! Love to have some rain!

Planting flowers and hoping to have some bright blooms around the house in the flower beds.

Hope to find a contractor soon to start repairs and remodeling.  <Smiles>  Looking forward to some changes.  One change is being a patio room for coffee in the morning to watch the sun come up and the cats at play.  We don't have a place large enough to eat together unless we hold our plates on  our laps.  LOL

Another is a easily accessible door for Jack to handle alone and windows on the east side of the room we live in. 

Take care, us all.

 

Cold and windy

The wind is really blowing as it has almost constantly since we arrived 3 months ago.  Cold, too.

The cats that my mother started feeding for companionship have grown to about 6 except on cold mornings when I serve a hot breakfast! LOL

We have a lovely place for them in the old garage with old furniture loaded with old blankets and plenty of places to snuggle down and stay warm.  The also are fed inside and have water there too.  So good for the animals.  There are lots of interesting birds, robins are already here, some black birds, field larks, some big fat doves, and small wrens.  The resident squirrel is busy with the nuts from the pecan trees that surround my mother's house.  She had trapped a lot of squirrels and took them to the creek with a bag of nuts a few years ago.  But she hasn't noticed this squirrel and I haven't pointed out his presence.  With the neighborhood dogs and children we have quite a lot of see out of the windows.  (Hope to add some when spring arrives, windows that is! LOL)

There is a juvenile facility about a block from the house.  Some are there for very serious crimes but so far there are few problems for the town except providing plenty of jobs.  The facility is well cared for and attractive enough to not be an eyesore.  The tumble down houses are the problem.  Of course, the facility causes lots of traffic all day and all night as the shifts change at different times.  But I personally like the noise, more like urban sounds.

Hello, everyone.  Hope all are doing well.  Jack is having more problems with stiff and painful muscles but that goes with the disease.  Hope a new doctor can find some relief for him.

Take care all.

New life---new state---new challanges

This is a cultural challenge!

I cook three meals daily.  Can count the number of times eating out on one hand in three months! LOL

Everyone has a good appetite and are easily pleased.

Our room (really a one room life at this time) is beginning to take on a lived in look with pictures and furniture that functions with our life style.  Book cases and file cabinets and finally my computer on a new computer desk.

My days start early and often I can't sleep till after midnight.  This has to change! LOL

I do lots of cleaning and mother and I are systematically going through things--sort of!  We do a drawer or a box or sometimes a closet and it is slow but it is difficult for my mother to give up some things and everything she has kept is important.

We have fought the war of the cobwebs and won most of the battles.  This is a big house and you would think that this could have been done in a week or so but three months later I am still wondering when I will get to that bedroom or that bath. 

A big hold up was  income tax and selling the house and the paper work has been really stressful for me.  We drive about 20 miles to fax things.  I have a fax machine but it isn't always reliable.

This is an interesting little town.  This county in Oklahoma is designated a depressed area.  And if I understand correctly the state is attempting to reward those who move in with 5 years of exempt state tax. Now that would be a reward.  There are lots of empty houses and many in a tumble down condition.   We have had fires close by and the entire state is in a fire danger area.  The rain over the weekend was not near enough to help but was lovely to see.  It is cold today and the wind is blowing as it has everyday since we got here!  E-gad this is awful!

This town is 10 miles from anyother place to buy gas or bread, so our little country store is loved by all.  The mail comes in about 8 every morning and you meet your neighbors at the postoffice.  And take your key for the box or go back home and get it! LOL

My mother is 87, has seeing and hearing problems but manages quite well.  She was frail and doing down when we arrived.  This really frightened me but she is eating good and seems to be doing so much better with people around and places to go.  We often run to town (10 miles away), just to get something so she can get out of the house.

Jack isn't getting out near enough and I hope the warming up of the season will make it possible for him to get out of this one room with only two windows.  He feels like he is in a cell and I understand that completely.

We have had to apply for insurance.  There are no hmo's here so you take independent insurance to suppliment the medicare.  This will be interesting to see how this works out. 

Three months-----maybe it won't be so long before I update again......<smiles>