My biggest hurdle with my diet will be tomorrow at the Scottish Highland Games. They sell “Empire Biscuits” a Scottish cookie that is simply out of this world delicious. Two shortbread cookies, sandwiched together with raspberry jam, topped with a delicious icing and a maraschino cherry is simply delightful! Just thinking about them makes my mouth water.
Every year I buy not one, but two boxes of the cookies. I eat an entire box while walking around the games. Then I come home, grab a glass and the gallon of milk. I eat some cookie, drink some milk, eat some more cookie, drink some more milk, until the last little crumb is gone. I dare say I probably consume in excess of 2,000 calories eating Empire Biscuits and drinking milk on Scottish Highland Game Day, every year.
I was talking with Jim about the cookies the other day, and he said I should splurge and treat myself tomorrow. Not sure he’s aware what I consider a “splurge.” A typical splurge with the Empire Biscuits will probably put at least two pounds on me, and will take me a week or longer to get it off. Is it worth it??? The verdict is still out on that one!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A Couple of Updates and A Cute Comment
~Diet News~
As of last Friday, Sherry and I have both lost four pounds. I LOVE the Weight Watcher’s Core Program! It’s such a wonderful feeling to lose weight without feeling deprived and hungry. If only it came off as fast as it went on, I’d be one happy camper. As of today I have 11 pounds to go and I’m back at my goal weight!
~Dad~
Things are getting worse with Dad. He's starting to get confused as to who we are and where he is. Whatever is going on, we can’t help but laugh at some of the things he does, but on the other hand, some are quiet serious.
On Saturday I went to visit Mom and Dad. When I arrived Mom opened the drawer where she keeps band-aids, Tylenol, etc. and found an unwrapped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in the drawer. There was no guess work as to who put it there.
I called Mom on my way to her house to make sure had milk for the cornbread I planned to bake. When I opened her refrigerator to grab the milk, I saw something brown floating in the bottom of the milk jug. I asked Mom what was wrong with the milk. We looked at the jug from the bottom and realized the brown stuff was Raisin Bran! No guess work as to who is responsible for that one, either. How Dad was able to get Raisin Bran in a gallon jug of milk, without making a huge mess that Mom would have discovered, is a mystery! Did he pour it from the box into the gallon jug or did he fix himself a bowl and pour what he didn’t want, back in the milk? We’re all stumped on this one.
You can only imagine the panic Mom felt when Dad got out of his chair and started to shuffle across the room with a knife blade sticking out of the front pocket of his jeans. She started yelling, “Stop Johnny, there’s a knife in your pocket!” He can’t hear worth a darn, and just kept shuffling along. I jumped up to see what was going on, and was horrified to see one of their sharp kitchen knives, about ten inches long, sticking out of his pocket, with the point up. I grabbed the knife and Mom asked him where he got it. He looked at me and said, “She gave it to me this morning!” I found it humourous that he blamed me for the knife, especially since I just arrived a few minutes earlier.
Creston and I were talking last night about Dad and how clearly he thinks at times, yet is so confused at other times. Even through the confusion, he seems happier than he’s ever been. Then it hit me, he’s faking this whole memory thing and playing mind games with Mom! It’s payback for all the times she stifled his fun! He can do whatever he wants and get away with it, because everything is blamed on his mind. Hmmm... this is why he’s so happy! I can see him hiding the Reese's in the band-aid drawer, devising a way to put cereal in the gallon jug of milk and sticking a knife in his pocket to scare the heebie-jeebies out of mom. How clever! If only this were the case, we could all have a big laugh. Something tells me this is going to be a long journey into the unknown with Dad. As I keep telling Mom, we have to focus on what we’ve had, not what we’ve lost.
~Comment by Cade~
Cade and Kirby love church and don’t like to miss a service. A couple of weeks ago Jim happened to be at Creston’s house when Cade said the blessing. After thanking God for the food, Cade asked God to forgive them for not going to church that morning. Priceless!
As of last Friday, Sherry and I have both lost four pounds. I LOVE the Weight Watcher’s Core Program! It’s such a wonderful feeling to lose weight without feeling deprived and hungry. If only it came off as fast as it went on, I’d be one happy camper. As of today I have 11 pounds to go and I’m back at my goal weight!
~Dad~
Things are getting worse with Dad. He's starting to get confused as to who we are and where he is. Whatever is going on, we can’t help but laugh at some of the things he does, but on the other hand, some are quiet serious.
On Saturday I went to visit Mom and Dad. When I arrived Mom opened the drawer where she keeps band-aids, Tylenol, etc. and found an unwrapped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in the drawer. There was no guess work as to who put it there.
I called Mom on my way to her house to make sure had milk for the cornbread I planned to bake. When I opened her refrigerator to grab the milk, I saw something brown floating in the bottom of the milk jug. I asked Mom what was wrong with the milk. We looked at the jug from the bottom and realized the brown stuff was Raisin Bran! No guess work as to who is responsible for that one, either. How Dad was able to get Raisin Bran in a gallon jug of milk, without making a huge mess that Mom would have discovered, is a mystery! Did he pour it from the box into the gallon jug or did he fix himself a bowl and pour what he didn’t want, back in the milk? We’re all stumped on this one.
You can only imagine the panic Mom felt when Dad got out of his chair and started to shuffle across the room with a knife blade sticking out of the front pocket of his jeans. She started yelling, “Stop Johnny, there’s a knife in your pocket!” He can’t hear worth a darn, and just kept shuffling along. I jumped up to see what was going on, and was horrified to see one of their sharp kitchen knives, about ten inches long, sticking out of his pocket, with the point up. I grabbed the knife and Mom asked him where he got it. He looked at me and said, “She gave it to me this morning!” I found it humourous that he blamed me for the knife, especially since I just arrived a few minutes earlier.
Creston and I were talking last night about Dad and how clearly he thinks at times, yet is so confused at other times. Even through the confusion, he seems happier than he’s ever been. Then it hit me, he’s faking this whole memory thing and playing mind games with Mom! It’s payback for all the times she stifled his fun! He can do whatever he wants and get away with it, because everything is blamed on his mind. Hmmm... this is why he’s so happy! I can see him hiding the Reese's in the band-aid drawer, devising a way to put cereal in the gallon jug of milk and sticking a knife in his pocket to scare the heebie-jeebies out of mom. How clever! If only this were the case, we could all have a big laugh. Something tells me this is going to be a long journey into the unknown with Dad. As I keep telling Mom, we have to focus on what we’ve had, not what we’ve lost.
~Comment by Cade~
Cade and Kirby love church and don’t like to miss a service. A couple of weeks ago Jim happened to be at Creston’s house when Cade said the blessing. After thanking God for the food, Cade asked God to forgive them for not going to church that morning. Priceless!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Back to Square One
Oooo.... I am so mad at me! I really messed up. I blew it! Looking at the scales I should say that I blew it over and over. And now I have to pay the price or be completely miserable. After losing 45 pounds in 2008 and swearing that I would never, ever diet again, I’m DIETING. I’m back on Weight Watchers struggling to lose weight that I had such a hard time losing in the first place. ARRRGH!
All my adult life I have struggled with my weight. I’ve gained it and lost it several times, and every time I’ve sworn that I would not put it back on. If only it were that simple! My experience with weight loss has taught me that keeping it off is a lot harder than getting it off. It doesn’t help that I’m a boredom eater and a true sugarholic, with zero willpower when it comes to something sweet. One bite of a piece of candy, cake or a cookie sends me into a binge that lasts until the very last bite/morsel is gone. The only solution to stopping the binge is to flush the offending food down the toilet. And let me say, I’ve had to resort to this tactic on numerous occasions. Apparently not often enough!
What to do, what to do??? I called my friend, Sherry. Sherry was the inspiration for me to join Weight Watchers in 2008. We shared recipes, tips and encouraged each other on our weight loss journey then, and I knew she would be the perfect person to help me get back on track. Sherry has gained some of her weight back and was ready to tackle it again. Even thought we’re back to square one, we’re determined as ever to get this extra weight off and keep it off. At least this time we don’t have as much to lose, so it won’t take us as long as it did in 2008.
Sherry and I have a plan and we’re sticking to it. Since neither of us like the new Weight Watcher’s program, we’re going to follow the old Core program. It worked for us in the past, has a lot of foods we like and offers some flexibility. We’re researching other diets to get the best tips from each one and see what food and recipes they recommend, that are on the Core plan or use the Core foods. Every Thursday we will weigh ourselves and email each other the results. Just making the commitment to follow the Weight Watchers plan with Sherry, has already helped get me back on track.
To encourage us in our endeavor, Sherry and I came up with a reward system that we believe will make a huge difference in our battle against the bulge. We are setting goals based on our combined weight loss and planning rewards when we achieve those goals. Once we reach goal, we’re going to continue using rewards to motivate us to keep the weight under control. Knowing that if I blow my diet I’m keeping Sherry from the reward and vise versa, will be the carrot that keeps us on the right track. We’re also motivated with our closets full of skinny clothes that neither of us can fit into.
I can’t think of anybody I’d rather have on this weight loss journey with me, than Sherry. I have confidence in her and know we’re going to conquer the weight issue once again, be back in our skinny clothes and spend some fun time together along the way!
Sherry found a recipe for “Black Bean Hummus” that is so delicious I thought I’d post it. It’s zero points on the Core plan.
Black Bean Hummus
1 can black beans - drain
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar (I substituted white balsamic vinegar)
½ tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste.
Blend in a food processor until smooth. Sherry likes this with cucumber slices. I like mine with the “Arnold Select Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins” (only one point).
All my adult life I have struggled with my weight. I’ve gained it and lost it several times, and every time I’ve sworn that I would not put it back on. If only it were that simple! My experience with weight loss has taught me that keeping it off is a lot harder than getting it off. It doesn’t help that I’m a boredom eater and a true sugarholic, with zero willpower when it comes to something sweet. One bite of a piece of candy, cake or a cookie sends me into a binge that lasts until the very last bite/morsel is gone. The only solution to stopping the binge is to flush the offending food down the toilet. And let me say, I’ve had to resort to this tactic on numerous occasions. Apparently not often enough!
What to do, what to do??? I called my friend, Sherry. Sherry was the inspiration for me to join Weight Watchers in 2008. We shared recipes, tips and encouraged each other on our weight loss journey then, and I knew she would be the perfect person to help me get back on track. Sherry has gained some of her weight back and was ready to tackle it again. Even thought we’re back to square one, we’re determined as ever to get this extra weight off and keep it off. At least this time we don’t have as much to lose, so it won’t take us as long as it did in 2008.
Sherry and I have a plan and we’re sticking to it. Since neither of us like the new Weight Watcher’s program, we’re going to follow the old Core program. It worked for us in the past, has a lot of foods we like and offers some flexibility. We’re researching other diets to get the best tips from each one and see what food and recipes they recommend, that are on the Core plan or use the Core foods. Every Thursday we will weigh ourselves and email each other the results. Just making the commitment to follow the Weight Watchers plan with Sherry, has already helped get me back on track.
To encourage us in our endeavor, Sherry and I came up with a reward system that we believe will make a huge difference in our battle against the bulge. We are setting goals based on our combined weight loss and planning rewards when we achieve those goals. Once we reach goal, we’re going to continue using rewards to motivate us to keep the weight under control. Knowing that if I blow my diet I’m keeping Sherry from the reward and vise versa, will be the carrot that keeps us on the right track. We’re also motivated with our closets full of skinny clothes that neither of us can fit into.
I can’t think of anybody I’d rather have on this weight loss journey with me, than Sherry. I have confidence in her and know we’re going to conquer the weight issue once again, be back in our skinny clothes and spend some fun time together along the way!
Sherry found a recipe for “Black Bean Hummus” that is so delicious I thought I’d post it. It’s zero points on the Core plan.
Black Bean Hummus
1 can black beans - drain
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar (I substituted white balsamic vinegar)
½ tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste.
Blend in a food processor until smooth. Sherry likes this with cucumber slices. I like mine with the “Arnold Select Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins” (only one point).
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
You're never too old to learn something...
Jim and I love school holidays as they mean more time with Cade and Kirby. Since they were out of school Monday, they came up Sunday afternoon, spent the night and all day with us. They brought their Wal-Mart gift cards that were burning a hole in their pockets and Jim and I promised them a shopping trip. They started posing the big “When?” question shortly after they woke up Monday morning. I had some things to take care of first and told them it would be after lunch.
After lunch I was taking an important phone call when Cade walked into the room. He held up the following note he had written:
That sweet little note was all it took for me to put everything on the back burner. I hung up the phone, told him and Kirby to get ready and tell Jim we were ready to hit the road.
Jim and Cade made it to the car a few minutes ahead of me and Kirby. No big surprise there! While waiting on us, Jim and Cade got into a discussion as to why it takes women/girls longer to get ready than it does guys. Cade told Jim he knew the answer. “ Women are cold blooded and that’s why they are so slow. Other than that, they just don’t care.” Pretty smart thinking for a nine year old.
After a fun shopping trip we went back to the house and started dinner. Creston and Ashley came up and asked if I wanted to go appliance shopping with them. Creston wasn’t feeling well and he thought I might be of some help negotiating prices. Ashley suggested we walk in separately, and shop as if we didn’t know each other, then compare deals. Since we were short on time, we went for Plan B. Get the best deal on a washer and dryer and then ask if they would get a better deal if they bought a dishwasher.
I felt pretty confident of my shopping strategies until the sales clerk gave Creston her final price. I looked at Marsha and asked if she give them a better deal if they bought a dishwasher. “No, that was as low as they could go.” I took her at her word, but my wise son knew better. He and Ashley picked out a dishwasher. Creston ask for the bottom line price of the three appliances. After reviewing those, he got tough with his negotiating and asked for a lower price. Marsha talked with her boss and came back with a lower price. He still had some tricks up his sleeve and told her he was leaving to go check prices other places. We walked out of the store. At this point I realized that I didn’t get such a good deal on the two appliances I purchased a couple of months ago. I took the first offer, thinking it was the best offer. WRONG!
Creston had the perfect plan, pulled out the big guns and called Jami. She went to work researching prices on the internet. While he ran in to grab some food, he asked me to call her back and see what she had came up with. Jami answered the phone with “Price Line Hot Line!” She found the same washer and dryer for less, but couldn’t find the dishwasher for a lower price. Armed with that information we went back to the store.
When Creston walked in Marsha said, “We were hoping you would come back, we can offer you lower prices. “ Geez!, Couldn’t she have done that before he walked out??? After she gave him the bottom line prices, Creston gave her the prices Jami had found and got $147 more off the washer and dryer. Now that’s smart shopping. And to think Creston thought he needed my help. HA!
While we were shopping Jim, Cade and Kirby watched “Babe: Pig in the City.” In the movie there is a little crippled dog that has a brace on his back two legs with wheels on it, so he can move around. The dog was chasing a bad guy and grabbed a rag hanging out of the door of the truck so he could go faster. All was going well, until the truck turned a corner. The little dog was thrown into the street, landed on his side and appeared to be dead.
All of a sudden Kirby belted out in a hysterical cry and begin squalling. It startled Jim and he thought something had happened to her. (Just like a guy to be clueless as to why a girl is crying while watching a movie.) He asked what was wrong and before she could answer, an annoyed Cade said, “Aw, Jim the dog died.” Jim started to explain the dog wasn’t dead when Babe pushed the dog back up on his wheels and the dog took off. Simultaneously Kirby’s crying stopped. Cade looked at Jim and said, “She does that all the time.”
Jim and I received a little bit of education Monday from the younger generations. I learned that appliance shopping is just about as intense as car shopping. You need to be informed, have a partner in front of a computer, and be prepared to fight for the best deal. (Next time I’m taking Creston and having Jami manning the phones,) Jim learned why women are the last out the door. It's safe to say that he still hasn’t figured out the emotional reactions women/girls have when it comes to movies and he probably never will!
After lunch I was taking an important phone call when Cade walked into the room. He held up the following note he had written:
That sweet little note was all it took for me to put everything on the back burner. I hung up the phone, told him and Kirby to get ready and tell Jim we were ready to hit the road.
Jim and Cade made it to the car a few minutes ahead of me and Kirby. No big surprise there! While waiting on us, Jim and Cade got into a discussion as to why it takes women/girls longer to get ready than it does guys. Cade told Jim he knew the answer. “ Women are cold blooded and that’s why they are so slow. Other than that, they just don’t care.” Pretty smart thinking for a nine year old.
After a fun shopping trip we went back to the house and started dinner. Creston and Ashley came up and asked if I wanted to go appliance shopping with them. Creston wasn’t feeling well and he thought I might be of some help negotiating prices. Ashley suggested we walk in separately, and shop as if we didn’t know each other, then compare deals. Since we were short on time, we went for Plan B. Get the best deal on a washer and dryer and then ask if they would get a better deal if they bought a dishwasher.
I felt pretty confident of my shopping strategies until the sales clerk gave Creston her final price. I looked at Marsha and asked if she give them a better deal if they bought a dishwasher. “No, that was as low as they could go.” I took her at her word, but my wise son knew better. He and Ashley picked out a dishwasher. Creston ask for the bottom line price of the three appliances. After reviewing those, he got tough with his negotiating and asked for a lower price. Marsha talked with her boss and came back with a lower price. He still had some tricks up his sleeve and told her he was leaving to go check prices other places. We walked out of the store. At this point I realized that I didn’t get such a good deal on the two appliances I purchased a couple of months ago. I took the first offer, thinking it was the best offer. WRONG!
Creston had the perfect plan, pulled out the big guns and called Jami. She went to work researching prices on the internet. While he ran in to grab some food, he asked me to call her back and see what she had came up with. Jami answered the phone with “Price Line Hot Line!” She found the same washer and dryer for less, but couldn’t find the dishwasher for a lower price. Armed with that information we went back to the store.
When Creston walked in Marsha said, “We were hoping you would come back, we can offer you lower prices. “ Geez!, Couldn’t she have done that before he walked out??? After she gave him the bottom line prices, Creston gave her the prices Jami had found and got $147 more off the washer and dryer. Now that’s smart shopping. And to think Creston thought he needed my help. HA!
While we were shopping Jim, Cade and Kirby watched “Babe: Pig in the City.” In the movie there is a little crippled dog that has a brace on his back two legs with wheels on it, so he can move around. The dog was chasing a bad guy and grabbed a rag hanging out of the door of the truck so he could go faster. All was going well, until the truck turned a corner. The little dog was thrown into the street, landed on his side and appeared to be dead.
All of a sudden Kirby belted out in a hysterical cry and begin squalling. It startled Jim and he thought something had happened to her. (Just like a guy to be clueless as to why a girl is crying while watching a movie.) He asked what was wrong and before she could answer, an annoyed Cade said, “Aw, Jim the dog died.” Jim started to explain the dog wasn’t dead when Babe pushed the dog back up on his wheels and the dog took off. Simultaneously Kirby’s crying stopped. Cade looked at Jim and said, “She does that all the time.”
Jim and I received a little bit of education Monday from the younger generations. I learned that appliance shopping is just about as intense as car shopping. You need to be informed, have a partner in front of a computer, and be prepared to fight for the best deal. (Next time I’m taking Creston and having Jami manning the phones,) Jim learned why women are the last out the door. It's safe to say that he still hasn’t figured out the emotional reactions women/girls have when it comes to movies and he probably never will!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
My Neighbor
Other than having more than the usual amount of stuff surrounding her house and in her carport, it’s been nice having Clara living across the street. You name it and you can bet Clara has it and what’s more, she’s willing to give you anything she has. I can’t decide if she would be considered a hoarder or is she just a thrifty person? I read that hoarders acquire possession that are of limited value and they are reluctant to part with them. Clara’s generosity is possibly what keeps her out of the “hoarder” category.
The first time I went in Clara’s house I was looking all over the place, wanting to take it all in, yet trying not to be obvious. I had NEVER seen so much stuff in so many places and piled so high, as it is in Clara’s house. Indescribable! All I could think about was pictures. This was all too darn interesting not to document with pictures. I wondered how a person could go about asking someone to let them take pictures of the inside of their house??? If only I knew the answer to that one.
Nothing is ever wasted at Clara’s house. She takes every juice bottle, milk bottle or any other plastic drink container that she’s used, and fills it half full with water. She leaves the bottles on her table for a few days, pours the water on her plants and puts the container in her recycle bin. Every piece of rotten fruit, vegetable or egg shell is thrown around her plants for fertilizer. Once she told me that she puts the hair out of her hairbrush on her roses. I know, that's just too much information!
Summer before last, I needed some extra jars for the Monarch caterpillars I was collecting. Clara had all I needed and then some left over. This summer when I needed jars I knew right where to go. Clara doesn’t throw a glass jar away because “you never know when somebody might need one.” True, I’ve needed them two years in a row and she’s had plenty. No doubt her inventory of jars will be replenished by next summer and if I need some, I’ll be knocking on her door and know I won’t be disappointed.
When I mentioned to Clara that I was going to buy some clay pots she showed me the stash she had rescued out of someone’s garbage. She said to take all I wanted. If I need a postage stamp, Clara has them in every denomination they come in and will give me one or sell me how many I need. If I mention someone is having a birthday, she is quick to ask if I need a card to send. She has boxes of them for every occasion and little Valentines as well. She even has a vast assortment of stickers that she likes to fancy up her envelopes with, and has offered those to me as well
Come yard sale time, Clara has the neatest little fold-up table that she loans me. It’s a perfect size and very light weight, making it easy for me to tote to my house. The trick is getting it out of her shed. It takes both of us to move enough stuff so we can get the table out. I don’t dare try to put it back by myself. I prop it by the shed and in time it disappears. I know it’s back in its proper place because that’s how she keeps order with the chaos. As much stuff/junk as she has, she knows where everything is and it is always put back where it belongs.
Not just for all she has that she will give or loan to me so freely, but for all she so willingly takes off my hands, makes it wonderful having Clara for a neighbor. I used to set stuff by the curb in case someone wanted it. The item would magically disappear within the hour and reappear under Clara’s carport or in her yard. After this happened a few times,I thought I’d make it convenient for her and started taking my unwanted items over to her house. Clara has never turned anything down, and says that if she can’t use it she’ll find someone who can. Even so, she doesn’t strike me as a matchmaker for her treasures so I’m not sure how often she actually goes looking for someone who can use what I give her. I think once an object reaches its destination in her house, it stays there.
An old couch no one wanted and I needed out of my house was toted to Clara’s. When we replaced our mattress set, Clara took the old one. Old shelves, a dining table, assorted mismatched dishes, Christmas mugs, a large plastic tub, old toys and other odds and ends have all ended up in her possession. It doesn’t matter if something is broken, Clara will take it. I recently sat an old broken wicker chair out by the curb for the garbage man to haul off. Within the hour Clara was looking at the chair. Broken beyond repair and not safe to sit in, she still wanted it and there it sits by her carport.
If you could define someone's personality by their garbage can, mine would say that I’m an “if you don’t need it, toss it” kind of person. (Watch out Jim! HA HA!) Clara’s would say, ”use it or keep it until you can find a use for it.” On rare occasions when we have company or forget to put our garbage out, we end up with a can that’s overflowing. That’s when it really comes in handy having Clara for a neighbor. There’s always plenty of room in Clara’s can and she graciously allows me to share the space with her. Just one more perk to living across the street from a hoarder/thrifty person.
The first time I went in Clara’s house I was looking all over the place, wanting to take it all in, yet trying not to be obvious. I had NEVER seen so much stuff in so many places and piled so high, as it is in Clara’s house. Indescribable! All I could think about was pictures. This was all too darn interesting not to document with pictures. I wondered how a person could go about asking someone to let them take pictures of the inside of their house??? If only I knew the answer to that one.
Nothing is ever wasted at Clara’s house. She takes every juice bottle, milk bottle or any other plastic drink container that she’s used, and fills it half full with water. She leaves the bottles on her table for a few days, pours the water on her plants and puts the container in her recycle bin. Every piece of rotten fruit, vegetable or egg shell is thrown around her plants for fertilizer. Once she told me that she puts the hair out of her hairbrush on her roses. I know, that's just too much information!
Summer before last, I needed some extra jars for the Monarch caterpillars I was collecting. Clara had all I needed and then some left over. This summer when I needed jars I knew right where to go. Clara doesn’t throw a glass jar away because “you never know when somebody might need one.” True, I’ve needed them two years in a row and she’s had plenty. No doubt her inventory of jars will be replenished by next summer and if I need some, I’ll be knocking on her door and know I won’t be disappointed.
When I mentioned to Clara that I was going to buy some clay pots she showed me the stash she had rescued out of someone’s garbage. She said to take all I wanted. If I need a postage stamp, Clara has them in every denomination they come in and will give me one or sell me how many I need. If I mention someone is having a birthday, she is quick to ask if I need a card to send. She has boxes of them for every occasion and little Valentines as well. She even has a vast assortment of stickers that she likes to fancy up her envelopes with, and has offered those to me as well
Come yard sale time, Clara has the neatest little fold-up table that she loans me. It’s a perfect size and very light weight, making it easy for me to tote to my house. The trick is getting it out of her shed. It takes both of us to move enough stuff so we can get the table out. I don’t dare try to put it back by myself. I prop it by the shed and in time it disappears. I know it’s back in its proper place because that’s how she keeps order with the chaos. As much stuff/junk as she has, she knows where everything is and it is always put back where it belongs.
Not just for all she has that she will give or loan to me so freely, but for all she so willingly takes off my hands, makes it wonderful having Clara for a neighbor. I used to set stuff by the curb in case someone wanted it. The item would magically disappear within the hour and reappear under Clara’s carport or in her yard. After this happened a few times,I thought I’d make it convenient for her and started taking my unwanted items over to her house. Clara has never turned anything down, and says that if she can’t use it she’ll find someone who can. Even so, she doesn’t strike me as a matchmaker for her treasures so I’m not sure how often she actually goes looking for someone who can use what I give her. I think once an object reaches its destination in her house, it stays there.
An old couch no one wanted and I needed out of my house was toted to Clara’s. When we replaced our mattress set, Clara took the old one. Old shelves, a dining table, assorted mismatched dishes, Christmas mugs, a large plastic tub, old toys and other odds and ends have all ended up in her possession. It doesn’t matter if something is broken, Clara will take it. I recently sat an old broken wicker chair out by the curb for the garbage man to haul off. Within the hour Clara was looking at the chair. Broken beyond repair and not safe to sit in, she still wanted it and there it sits by her carport.
If you could define someone's personality by their garbage can, mine would say that I’m an “if you don’t need it, toss it” kind of person. (Watch out Jim! HA HA!) Clara’s would say, ”use it or keep it until you can find a use for it.” On rare occasions when we have company or forget to put our garbage out, we end up with a can that’s overflowing. That’s when it really comes in handy having Clara for a neighbor. There’s always plenty of room in Clara’s can and she graciously allows me to share the space with her. Just one more perk to living across the street from a hoarder/thrifty person.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Changes
At the suggestion of his doctor, Mom took my dad to see a “brain” doctor (as she calls him) a couple of weeks ago. I met them at the neurologist’s office for Dad’s first appointment. After going over Dad’s symptoms, Dr. Quick is of the opinion that Dad does not have Alzheimer’s. He thinks the problem stems from some medications Dad was taking and the recent fall in December. We’ve noticed a drastic change in Dad since his accident. Dr. Quick recommended Mom take Dad off a couple of prescriptions and scheduled him to have an EEC.
Yesterday I met Mom and Dad at Dr. Quick’s office to get the results of the EEC. The EEC showed some irregular brain waves in the area of the concussion. Dr. Quick wants a follow up EEC repeated in six weeks and feels he’ll know more at the point. Dr. Quick explained because of Dad’s age, it’s likely that his brain will not fully recover from the concussion. Quiet possibly he’ll be talking nonsense the rest of his life.
When we left Dr. Quick’s office I offered to sit in the truck with Dad while Mom went to have some lab work done at her doctor’s office. I don’t know when the last time was that Dad and I talked and he was held captive. Today was a rare occasion and I left in tears for what I’m losing and with a heart of gratitude for what I have.
What I learned sitting in the truck with Dad: He asked me if I want a Rat Terrier. He seems to have one that I can have. His parents always had Rat Terriers and they are better at catching a rat than a cat is. Dad has too many dogs and the grocery bill is too high to feed them. If it wasn’t for the chickens, he doesn’t know what they would do. His big black and white dog is missing. The missing dog is in the nursing home and mom needs to hurry so they can go check on his dog. He has lots of kittens and needs to get home and check on them. He’s been miserable day and night checking on all the puppies. There are no pigs because it’s too cold to take care of them. His mom and dad moved to Florida but the pay wasn’t enough so his dad went back to work for the railroad.
Dad was commenting on vehicles as they rode by when a truck went by with a sign on it that said, “CB1 since 1925.” Dad read it out loud and said to me, “CB1 what? A tail hole?” (Oh, if my mom had heard that, the trouble he would have gotten into! I don’t think the concussion could have rescued him out of that one!) Then he told me he was born in 1925. (True) He talked about the trees in the distance and said there was a cedar tree way off. Not content to sit idle and do nothing, Dad was starting to get frustrated waiting on Mom. He looked at me and said, “My gosh, they’re going to be serving supper before long!” We both thought that was hysterical and burst out in laughter. About that time a man came out to get in his car and Dad opened his truck door. “Where are you going?” I asked. He answered, “I’m going to see about going with him. It looks like a pretty good ‘go’ and Grandpa’s going to hitch a ride.” I told him to close the door, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Mom walked up just before Dad took off with the stranger parked beside us. When I got out, she thanked me for coming and for sitting with him. “Is there anything I can do for you?” She asked. “Just take him to the nursing home to check on his dog.” I told her. She hugged me and we both started crying. “We might as well laugh” she said and I walked away in tears.
I sat in my car a few minutes before driving off, thinking about the situation. The Bible verse “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) came to mind. There is so much to be thankful for, with Dad’s situation. Even though he talks a lot of gibberish, there is some connection to his life in everything he says. Like a child, he is content to carry on conversations about people, places and things, only the people, places and things are a little jumbled in his mind. He’s happy, still has a sense of humor, knows his surroundings and who we are. That in of itself, is a blessing to be thankful for.
Yesterday I met Mom and Dad at Dr. Quick’s office to get the results of the EEC. The EEC showed some irregular brain waves in the area of the concussion. Dr. Quick wants a follow up EEC repeated in six weeks and feels he’ll know more at the point. Dr. Quick explained because of Dad’s age, it’s likely that his brain will not fully recover from the concussion. Quiet possibly he’ll be talking nonsense the rest of his life.
When we left Dr. Quick’s office I offered to sit in the truck with Dad while Mom went to have some lab work done at her doctor’s office. I don’t know when the last time was that Dad and I talked and he was held captive. Today was a rare occasion and I left in tears for what I’m losing and with a heart of gratitude for what I have.
What I learned sitting in the truck with Dad: He asked me if I want a Rat Terrier. He seems to have one that I can have. His parents always had Rat Terriers and they are better at catching a rat than a cat is. Dad has too many dogs and the grocery bill is too high to feed them. If it wasn’t for the chickens, he doesn’t know what they would do. His big black and white dog is missing. The missing dog is in the nursing home and mom needs to hurry so they can go check on his dog. He has lots of kittens and needs to get home and check on them. He’s been miserable day and night checking on all the puppies. There are no pigs because it’s too cold to take care of them. His mom and dad moved to Florida but the pay wasn’t enough so his dad went back to work for the railroad.
Dad was commenting on vehicles as they rode by when a truck went by with a sign on it that said, “CB1 since 1925.” Dad read it out loud and said to me, “CB1 what? A tail hole?” (Oh, if my mom had heard that, the trouble he would have gotten into! I don’t think the concussion could have rescued him out of that one!) Then he told me he was born in 1925. (True) He talked about the trees in the distance and said there was a cedar tree way off. Not content to sit idle and do nothing, Dad was starting to get frustrated waiting on Mom. He looked at me and said, “My gosh, they’re going to be serving supper before long!” We both thought that was hysterical and burst out in laughter. About that time a man came out to get in his car and Dad opened his truck door. “Where are you going?” I asked. He answered, “I’m going to see about going with him. It looks like a pretty good ‘go’ and Grandpa’s going to hitch a ride.” I told him to close the door, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Mom walked up just before Dad took off with the stranger parked beside us. When I got out, she thanked me for coming and for sitting with him. “Is there anything I can do for you?” She asked. “Just take him to the nursing home to check on his dog.” I told her. She hugged me and we both started crying. “We might as well laugh” she said and I walked away in tears.
I sat in my car a few minutes before driving off, thinking about the situation. The Bible verse “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) came to mind. There is so much to be thankful for, with Dad’s situation. Even though he talks a lot of gibberish, there is some connection to his life in everything he says. Like a child, he is content to carry on conversations about people, places and things, only the people, places and things are a little jumbled in his mind. He’s happy, still has a sense of humor, knows his surroundings and who we are. That in of itself, is a blessing to be thankful for.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Oh So Typical
As much as I am an organizer and a list maker, my system seems to fail me when I’m going out of town. Whether it's going on an overnight trip or an afternoon at my parents’ house, more than likely I’m going to forget something. Several times we’ve made it a few blocks from the house only to turn around and come back to retrieve a forgotten item. Today I found a journal entry I wrote after such an incident this past August. Since it's so typical of me and the way Jim reacts to me, I thought I'd post it on my blog.
August 19, 2009
The car is packed, the house alarm is set, the door is locked and Jim and I get in the car to leave for our trip. As Jim is backing the car out of the driveway he asks, “Did you remember the directions?” Hmmm, let me think. I check the notebook where I had put them and nope, they weren't there. Jim pulls back up to the house. I unlock the door, run inside, turn off the alarm, find the directions, reset the alarm, lock the door, run back to the car and off we go.
Less than two miles from the house I reach for the car charger to the phone only to realize it’s not where I keep it. We pull off the side of the road , search the car and there’s no charger to be found. Back to the house we go and the whole “unlock door, alarm scenario” is repeated.
Knowing where the spare charger is kept, I send Jim to unlock the door, turn off the alarm and grab it, while I keep searching the car for the missing one, simply because I can’t stand to misplace something. After the door is locked and the alarm is set for the third time today, I thought I would lighten the mood that was going south fast. Pretending to find the charger, I said, “Guess what I just found!” As he backed the car out of the driveway, he looked at me in total frustration and said, “I don’t care if you forgot your lung machine, we’re not going back again.”
It never fails when I do something I think is funny and Jim doesn’t see the humor in it, the situation becomes even funnier to me. The more I laugh the more aggravated he becomes. Today I realized this might be a good habit to break. I’m just hoping he doesn’t find the missing phone charger when we unpack the car.
August 19, 2009
The car is packed, the house alarm is set, the door is locked and Jim and I get in the car to leave for our trip. As Jim is backing the car out of the driveway he asks, “Did you remember the directions?” Hmmm, let me think. I check the notebook where I had put them and nope, they weren't there. Jim pulls back up to the house. I unlock the door, run inside, turn off the alarm, find the directions, reset the alarm, lock the door, run back to the car and off we go.
Less than two miles from the house I reach for the car charger to the phone only to realize it’s not where I keep it. We pull off the side of the road , search the car and there’s no charger to be found. Back to the house we go and the whole “unlock door, alarm scenario” is repeated.
Knowing where the spare charger is kept, I send Jim to unlock the door, turn off the alarm and grab it, while I keep searching the car for the missing one, simply because I can’t stand to misplace something. After the door is locked and the alarm is set for the third time today, I thought I would lighten the mood that was going south fast. Pretending to find the charger, I said, “Guess what I just found!” As he backed the car out of the driveway, he looked at me in total frustration and said, “I don’t care if you forgot your lung machine, we’re not going back again.”
It never fails when I do something I think is funny and Jim doesn’t see the humor in it, the situation becomes even funnier to me. The more I laugh the more aggravated he becomes. Today I realized this might be a good habit to break. I’m just hoping he doesn’t find the missing phone charger when we unpack the car.
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