It Flys By

So, yesterday, with a day off and some time to spare I made a trip out to visit my mom. I had a plan in mind. a) to get her out of the house b) to take her for a ride in an air-conditioned car to do a drive-by to some assisted living facilities c) to bribe her with a sandwhich from her favorite sandwhich shop.

She didn't have time to "wrap her brain around it". So she was befuddled. We went on said journey, within a five mile radius of her house. Got the sandwich and she was ready to go home.
We looked at one (1) facility-from the parking lot.

It wasn't all gloom and doom. Nope. It was a lesson in understanding. These lessons are getting more frequent, for both me and my aging mom.

I've been trying to get her to wrap her brain around getting out of her 45 year old house that needs so much up keep, out of her comfort zone and into the world around her. Partly because she is so very lonely, (self imposed exile from the world we live in) and partly because she really isn't safe anymore in her home - alone.

All this plays on my mind. Taking her back home (total trip time, 25 minutes-10 minutes spent on sandwich prep) we talked about her finances. I placed a call to her financial planner, who it turns out is an acquaintance of mine. She returns my call, telling me that because of privacy restrictions, she cannot discuss mom's finances with me unless I have power of attorney or mom says it's ok. My mom got on the phone and told her it's ok. AND that she granted me POA about four years ago (never told me).
{heavy sigh}
So, mom decides now would be a good time to go through her drawers looking for the POA documents. She sits on the bed, I rifle through her assorted belongings to go through large brown envelopes of papers from cars that she no longer owns, from home-made Mother's day cards from an 8 yr. old me, a 6 yr. old brother. I find spectacles that have one lense..."Mom, what are these?" "oh those belonged to my mother" (she passed some 51 years ago). Hankies, still smelling of spray starch and scented drawer sachets, an old driver's license held on to because the photo looked pretty good (seriously???-same weight I might add, who knew?)
I found the POA, an original and a copy. I reasoned in my mind that she didn't tell me because she feared that I might use this as a control tactic, a weapon to put her away into a nursing home against her will. Cause I'm like that right? As I spend every day off, every vacation day, most of my weekends, trying to take care of her needs, trying to bring her some speck of relief, of happiness in her clouded view of the world. Into her living room.
I'm struck by the tidbits of her life that she's saved. Savored even? 50 years pass and that's all we have, hankies and broken eyeglasses. Touch stones to the life we once lived, tangible reminders that once we touch - take us right back to that time, that place.
Later, she called me at home to tell me she remembered why she didn't give me the POA when she had it drawn up. She confesses to me that she didn't want me to sell her home and put her into an awful nursing home. "they are just awful Jack, everybody knows that you aren't treated well in those awful places".
Torn, I tell her I had already figured that out. But assisted living could give her some support. She wouldn't have to cook anymore, since she really hates cooking now. She wouldn't have to worry about who is going to mow her lawn, who is going to pick up the weeds, how is she going to go out and get her mail, what is she going to eat for supper, there's no one to talk to...
Or maybe I'm kidding myself. She might be more withdrawn in an assisted living apartment. What to do...what to do.
Keep looking, something will come my way. There's one constant in life and that is it's always changing.

Can't Believe That It's Been So LONG.

So blog buds, it's been some time since I've posted. BAD Blogger! I'm kinda in a rut.
Right now, my mom's in the hospital, so, the time factor for creating is minimal. She'll be home possibly today - if she does well. She's 80 years old, with multiple health issues, so any type of surgery sets her back some. She lives alone (her choice) and this means that I have to do all the things she no longer can. See? Time, how it becomes the enemy.

Speaking of time, in the post below, we left Sarah in the aftermath of the baby shower. She's now very ready to deliver. Tapping her fingers impatiently on the counter, trying to hurry this along. I grin, no need to remind her that mother nature is in charge, and all the tapping in the world won't help. It doesn't help that her doctor is on vacation, so even her weekly visits have been postponed unti he returns on the 9th. She's due on the 15th technically, but all first times mom's in thier 9th month feel like they could go earlier. No one really wants to be 10 months pregnant.

I'll do a real post soon, about the time we spent with our oldest granddaughter Isabelle in Indianpapolis. Took some cute photos too. But scooting out for now, gotta catch up and read a few blog buddy posts.

Shower Snaps

We showered my daughter Sarah (and baby on board, Jack) with celebratory gifts and good friends and food on this Sunday last. Thought I'd share a few pictures of the festivities.Here's Sarah, acting like a game show hostess showing off her gifts. Cute little bump huh?
With help from her nieces, she begins to open the baby loot. As much as Sarah hates it - we touch her tummy - that's me, Sarah and my youngest daughter, Abbie.

This is my mom (the baby's Great Grandmother) with Sarah and her sister Abbie. Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes, the wonderful boy toys and amazing baby wear!

Random

• It’s been awhile since I posted such randomness as a Fun Fact Friday – so I thought I’d give it a gander. Bear with my randomness.
  
  *I have a smidge of poison ivy – where I contacted that I’ll never know. It’s a few tiny dots, much like the period at the end of this sentence. Makes me itch like a crazed maniac that tiny little speck.
  *Does anyone miss regular old fashioned handsets to telephones? The size alone is better for tucking under your chin/shoulder for multi-tasking during the conversation. The tiny new phones are more apt to “chin hang up” and dropping into sink or toilet, don’t ya think?
  *A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a blog that featured a talented card-maker, and she had a giveaway contest. I won! This wonderfully talented creator can be found here. Stop by and visit her will you?
  *I’m irked to no end this week with stupid human tricks. Hence I’m in my office with the door shut. Shielding the people. All people, from my irked wrath.
  *This weekend I am hosting a baby shower for my eldest daughter – first baby, truly a miracle. I’m probably just as excited as she is. If not more.
  *Can I go home now?
  *I need to up date this blogs “places I wander” list. Much of the bloggers I used to read have ceased blogging. I’m finding that more and more, it’s probably related to lurking and non-commenters.
  *I am a lover of all comments. Except for those in spam or non English speaking. I do not speak Japanese. Just thought you all should make note.
  *No vacation plans in the works for this summer. Really. Although I could use an adventure.
  *Any suggestions?
  *I’m ending the randomness now – so you can dash out and read other blogs that haven’t been updated in nearly a month or so.
  *Wait that’s me.
  Xo
  J

Check Out the new Swagger!

So, opinion poll please...

What do you think of my new header? Compliments of my daughters creative handiwork.


So very darn glad it's FRIDAY everyone, I am so tired I can hardly type. Comments on the header are welcome.

A Word Store! Not Word Whore!

Some of us bloggers are mom’s and some of us are single and some of us are skinny and some of us are not. Some of us keep their blogs constantly updated, others are slackers, more readers than posters. Some of us take awesome photo’s to illustrate our day-to-day, and some snap shots straight out of the Kodak (or Nikon or Polaroid or swipe them out of Google images). Some of us are talented writers and some of us write like we speak, and some are just plain PROs with the prose…that’d not be me. It’s the latter I speak of when I tell you. If you need some help with your WORDZ than go to the master and pop on over to my blog bud Jules, at Pankcakes and Frenchfries. She’s a talented blogger, among many other descriptions, and she’s just opened a Word Shop, freelancing for copy, and from her menu of wares, I’d say her prices are awesome – no job too small. Give her a try why don’t you!

Shower Crafts

So, I spent Saturday getting the favors, centerpieces and the table game ready for my daughter's baby shower. It's not until June 13th, but this Grandma is ready!
The centerpieces are Yankee Candles, the theme is Sweet Pea, because that's what I call the grandbaby to be. Although the ultra sound predicts a boy - we went with the color green instead of the traditional baby blue. The table game, with the centerpiece as it's prize, is something I stole years ago from a shower that I went to. Each page of the little booklet asks the reader to survey the table of ladies and see who has the longest hair, largest purse etc. Then the final rhyme winner wins the center piece at the end.

The tag on the wrapped candle has a sweet little sentiment..."To all the family and friends of mine, thank you for sharing in this joyous time. To celebrate my life on Earth, Please light this candle on the day of my birth". Cute huh?

The table will also be flanked by green and white polka dotted cupcakes. YUMMMMY! That way we'll not have to worry about cutting the cake. We can visit and generally swoon over all the adorable baby gifts. Which is what happens at most baby showers anyway, am I right?

The favors are Hershey bars wrapped in a special wrapper, thanking the guests for thier gift and their special thoughts. The honoree is a HUGE chocolate lover, and well, so am I. I ate one while wrapping them. Sorry future guest, had to try out the chocolate.

The favors will also have a hidden number on the back, for door prizes.

I'm a little bit excited about the arrival of this 1st grandson - can you tell?

Now all that's left is the invitations! Anyone care to help address them? Stamp lickers unite!

the one where we were training for disaster

It’s a really windy day here in N.W. Indiana. The kind of day that not only messes up your hair, but blows your pant leg and shirt making all of your clothing form fitting. Not always an attractive look, I will admit. It’s the high wind and warm air swirling that makes me think of tornado weather. If you live in an area that isn’t frequented by tornado’s, well, “sucks to be us”, doesn’t it? Nah, I mean, people who live in parts of the country where tornados frequent just know what tornado weather is.

I like that kind of weather. I’m a safety girl, I don’t cross against the no crossing sign, I don’t go around the gates at a rail road crossing, I don’t spit into the wind, but tornado weather, I mean come on really – what are you going to do when you see one coming. Duck.

I remember when my children were young. I prepared them for all types of disasters. (safety girl and scared young mother of three, natural worrier, that’s me) I told them that if I should alert them of a tornado’s impending peril, they were to grab a couch cushion and go into our bathtub. We had a bathroom that was placed kind of central to the house, and the kids could easily grab a couch cushion versus a mattress off the bed. A mattress off the bed can be quite cumbersome when you are three or four years old. It never happened. BUT WE WERE PREPARED, incase it did happen, so don’t laugh.
Yeah, I also had a prepared “password” that only my children and I knew, incase that I had to send someone to pick them up from school in my stead. They were not supposed to go anywhere with a stranger OR a friend posing as a concerned person who might wish to steal away my small children, kidnap them and I wouldn’t see them ever again. Pffft. Gone. Unless said friend knew the password, then my children could rest assure that I sent this person to scoop them up for me. We were prepared.

My children and I had a fire drill – so that in case of a fire, they would know what to do, what exit to take, how to get out of the house safely. See, I was worried because the kids bedrooms were on the second story of our Cape Cod style home, my own bedroom on the main level. If a raging blaze broke out and they couldn't get downstairs, they should go out of the window in my son’s bedroom that ran adjacent to the garage roof. Cool, they could sit on the roof and wait for the fireman (or mom) to rescue them. They were instructed to crawl close to the ground, yadda yadda …all that. I was a FREAK for disaster preparedness.

I labeled all the cleaning products with “Mr. Yuck” stickers from poison control. (and still my three year old son licked up some Miracle Grow thinking it was blue sugar…who knew?)
I put red stickers in the window corners to alert the fireman of the presence of small children.
I taught them how to call 911 should I mysteriously pass out and become unconscious. (Used to make my daughter Sarah cry, but I wanted them to be prepared!!!)
Freak. Now as I type this, I sound like very freaky, but better safe than sorry right? Right?
Don't be so judgey.

Ahh, young parents, relax would ya? They made it safely to their adult hood almost unscathed …well unscathed by natural disasters anyway. We had our share of emergency room visits. Don’t you all?
Any of you parents out there do similar preparation with your children?