Life Goes On

Around here life goes on like normal and for me that’s a huge plus.  I like things to just roll along the same each day.  That means everyone is doing good, no problems, illness or disasters so to speak. 

The twins are finally back in class. Geeze I didn’t think the colleges around here would ever start this year, it seems so late to me.  Two of them in college now wow, so hard to believe. 

I got a call from an old friend the other night and we were  just discussing life.  She told me her grandson started kindergarden this year and I about fell off the chair.  It just doesn’t seem possible he is old enough.  But then she told me what is worse, is knowing the twins are going to be 20 in February.  That means we have known each other 2o years all ready.  As we were talking and re-hashing the serious side of life and the crazy things we did it got me thinking how fast the days, months and heck in our case the years are flying by.  A lot of ups and downs but you know you have to treasure each and every day.  All ready yesterday is one more memory you tuck away and seem to forget until years later, then you think “oh yeah that did happen, or that was funny, etc.” 

I don’t know about you but I used to take every day for granted and just move through life not even thinking how precious it is.  Now caring for mama I treasure each and every day we have her with us.  Well really as I think about it, I treasure all my family and friends cause heck you just never know.  Mama is 91 and who is to say she will pass say before me, I don’t know that, no one does , so I do try to make each day the best there is.  I used to feel I wasn’t important but now I am learning I am just as important as the next person.  Oh I may not have a career, not be the best looking person around, but I do count in life.  Since I have started thinking that way I do see things differently.  I had a rude awakening this past summer and I know I can overcome anything and I do count.  I know I have to take care of me first.  If I don’t, I won’t be able to care for anyone else.  I didn’t put it into perspective until Kathie and I were talking the other night and yep as Oprah would say  I had the “aha moment.”  I know each person needs to care for themself and like themself before they can be any good to anyone else.  So for all of you out there that felt like me “useless, ugly, no good etc”  please find your aha moment and trust me, it will make a huge difference.  Now I don’t pull any punches, I don’t feel inferior ( well that one I am working on ) but let’s say I don’t feel as inferior as I used to, and I realize that yep I am an okay person and yep I do have a place on this earth so I am going to move on, gain more and more confidence in myself and know what?  It feels darn good and now I know if I want something or want to do something, I can and will do it!!! 

Life goes on but don’t let it just slip by, make the most of each day and treasure all the time you spend either by yourself or with your family and friends, everything is a lot brighter when you do.

Strange how one phone call from an old friend and re-hashing life can change one’s outlook isn’t it?  But for me it did and I am glad she called.  A blast from the past but it sure helped me to have a brighter future.  See you never know what will trigger your “aha moment” do you?

Still Here Reading Alot/Writing A Little

Yep I am still here reading the blogs daily.  Keeping up on the baby news has been so exciting and now there’s two new baby boys to read about and check out pictures, congratulations to http://www.happyworkingmom.blogspot.com/ and http://www.jerseybeachmama.blogspot.com/ on your beautiful sons!!!!!  You two kept me checking the bogs hourly I can tell you that much but I was loving it. 

So other than blog reading and baby watch I have been keeping busy.  Dang I have so many projects lined up I have no clue where to start, but know all will get done in time for Christmas.  Yeah laugh but hey time is flying and before you know it, December will be here.  I want to be ready this year!!!     Of course I say that every year yet I am still scrambling at the last minute to finish up my shopping or any projects that I started.   I do try to plan my day but then something comes up or I decide to head out to shop and the plans never work out, but I guess that’s what keeps me going, the challenge of getting everything done!!! 

Weather over here has turned to fall and I don’t like it, no more swimming??  What?? How can that be, what happened to summer ???  I am not closing the pool yet, still hoping for some hot sunny days for one last dip.  Dreaming I know, but hey you just never know around here.  But then again, by not going in the pool I do have a few more hours in the afternoon to get things done so that is a plus.  Yesterday I spent the afternoon making pineapple and apple fritters.  My first time making them and hey they turned out pretty darn good.  I prefer the apple one’s though, the pineapple are good but the apple, excellent.  Yeah like I need to be eating fritters huh?  I will get on the wii fit this morning and that lil guy will yell at me no doubt.   If he does yell guess I just have to work that much harder right???

College classes finally started today.  Bryce has all ready gone.  His first class starts at 8am, ugh.  Ashley’s first class is at 10am.  Knowing her she will still be scrambing to get up and out, that girl !!!!  She waits til the very last minute to leave then half the time has to run back in the house because she forgot something.  It’s a good thing her head is attached that’s all I can say.  If it wasn’t well she would lose it for sure.   But yeah for school, it gives them purpose and keeps them busy.  Both were excited last night and even had their books etc all ready.  I know that won’t last long but it was fun watching them.   Yeah I tried the ol “bedtime at 8″ on them but mmm that didn’t fly,   Hey it was worth a shot, right? 

Mama is doing good, she is healthy and still fighting me when I put the eye drops in her eyes.  Oh my gosh that woman does have stength in her arms I know that much.  I have the bruises on my arms to prove it.  She so hates those drops and I have tried every trick in the book to make it easy for her and heck yeah, for me too.  I think half the bottle has run down her face due to her fighting me, but eventually I win !!!    I try to explain to her but she doesn’t really understand and it’s the fear of something coming at her I am sure, that gets her fighting.  It’s a good work out for both of us!!!! 

So we are just plugging along over here all doing okay and what more could I ask for!!!  Keeping busy and still enjoying the nice fresh tomatoes and corn on the cob from my garden.  Yum!!!! See maybe I am a “farmer” afterall.  Either that or it was just plain luck that everything I planted turned out this year!!!

Another Blogger

http://www.armbruster4.blogspot.com/ This is my daughter Brandi’s blog site so why not go check her out and tell her “mama sent you there”  She isn’t as fast as most of you with the posting but when she does, I love it!!  Love seeing pictures of my beautiful granddaughters of course!!!!  Just drop in and tell her HI that will keep her busy!!!

Taking the Time

Yeah I could tell you all that I have been so busy that I haven’t had time to write, but um, well that would be a lie, and that I don’t do!!!  I haven’t been busy so to speak just occupied, how’s that??!!  

It seems like the days just fly by and I don’t even have to go anywhere.  I get up at 6:30, shower, have my coffee, read the paper, read all the blogs, then it’s wii fit time.  Yes I am still at it, so far have logged 68 hours and 12 minutes on it.  I try my best not to miss a day, even if I just do 30 minutes I get my exercise in.  After wii fit of course it’s grab more coffee to catch my breath and relax some, then I try to work a little on the jig saw puzzle that I have been doing like forever!!  It’s all fall leaves and trust me each piece looks the same so it’a a bugger to do.   Then it’s time to get mama up and going on her day and before I know it, it’s time to get her ready for bed and settled, then we still bowl for 2 hours.  Hot tub some night or others by 12:30 am I am zonked and ready to sleep!!!!  So busy no, occupied yes. 

Today I am skipping my puzzle and decided to write a little on here.  No pool this afternoon so I will work on the puzzle then.  We are still having beautiful weather over this way and I won’t close the pool until I absolutely have to , and yep do swim just about every afternoon for an hour or so. 

I did start the new Nicholas Sparks book “Nights in Rodanthe” and it’s good so want to finish that up today or tomorrow.  The I am taking the plunge and joining the group over here and in Idaho and will start reading the series “Twilight.”  I feel out of the loop cause I tell ya everyone from Mikayla’s age ( 12) to well the “older crowd” meaning me hahaha.  Everyone that talks about that series has nothing but good to say about it plus they read like a house afire.  I mean the books are like 500 some odd pages long and they just consume the readers that I know.  Many won’t do a thing but read and complete book one in the first sitting, then can’t wait to get started on book two.  There are four books in the series and well with me caring for mama, reading them each in one sitting won’t happen.  I will plug away and get them read though.  I don’t know about the rest of the country but over here on the west coast I tell you that book is “IT” right now.  Dang I just have to join in with the group I guess. 

I also have some sewing projects in the works but waiting for a rainy day to work on that.  I am making a few Christmas gifts and have two completed, two cut out , and material enough for a few more, plus making a nightgown and pj bottoms.  That will keep me going on a rainy day huh?   So all my whining about having nothing to sew, well yeah strike that, I am on a roll now!!!!!  Buying material like crazy and just lining up the projects and really enjoying it once again. 

Then of course have an afghan I am crocheting and a scarf I am knitting.  Think I have enough projects to keep me occupied for awhile?  Now if you aren’t bored to tear by now, you will have noticed that I haven’t mentioned that dirty word housework!!!  Know why?  Cause yep in all this beautiful weather and the fun projects, well I have just been surface cleaning.  The kids and Ron have picked up the slack it’s not like we are living in one huge messy house, nope, even I won’t let that happen.  It’s just I noticed while bowling last night that the dust is a tad too high on the tv hahaha, so yeah today I will have to bust into the cleaning mode and get rid of that stuff. Living on a dirt road does have it’s disadvantages, mainly the dust flowing in the house and taking over. 

I am still getting lots of tomato’s out of my garden and yum, I eat them daily, just love them.  We had our first corn from my garden the other night and oh yeah that stuff is good.  We will be eating alot of that too cause I did good this year.  MMM guess one could now say I am a “farmer.”  My garden was awesome this year and so was hubby’s.  Late start but well worth it I know that much. 

So that’s what I have been up to these days, just plugging through each one and jumping from one project to another and like I said, the days are just flying by.   I am enjoying them though so I guess that’s what counts.  But now the dust is calling me so have to scoot and get rid of it, then get mama up and going on her day.  I still read the blogs daily, just not too good at writing on here!!!!! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I am dedicating this post to my fantastic niece who’s birthday is tomorrow Sept 11th.  Kelly M ( http://singlelife.wordpress.com/)   Happy Birthday to you. 

You all know her through her blog but to meet her in person, you would love her right off.   While she was growing up I didn’t really get to know her as my husband was in the army and we traveled alot.  Oh I would see her when we all went home for a visit but not very often. 

One summer I decided to go home for a visit and Kelly and my sister Sue picked me up at the airport, and that’s when I got to know my wonderful niece.  Funny, thoughtful, game for anything and just a great person.  In that week I was back east I truly knew just how lucky our family is to have Kelly in it. 

That visit broke the ice so to speak between aunt and niece.  Once we brought mama out here, Kelly braved a trip out to see her and haha our lives have never been the same since.  In a good way naturally.  We all fell in love with her right off, my hubby, the twins, my daughter, her hubby and their girls.  Miranda used to call her Kelwie it was so cute.  Trust me those two bonded fast and to this day Miranda still asks to see Kelwie. 

I remember picking her up at Sea Tac airport and then we headed straight to Idaho to spend Easter.  Remember the times I had her get in the COLD pool to hold the ladder so we could adjust it, haha and the nut got in!!!  Her pretending she knew what she was doing when we were installing the solar panels and her and I just going nuts w/ laughter when mama was watching Ron out front working on the driveway.

Our hottub times were ice tea and me hollering RONNNNNNNNNNNN SLUGS and Kelly laughing at me, yet she was too chicken to get rid of them.  Our running around trying to find some house to have dvd’s made of the slide show for mama’s 90th birthday, then to find out the guys were idiots.  The all nighter with her and my son Ron getting the dvd’s made and me helping to put on the labels.  So many all nighters just lauging like a bunch of fools!!

Along with the fun side of her there’s also the serious side.  Her  being right there when I need to talk, with her other aunt when she lost her husband.  Her compassion and caring with anyone sick or needing a shoulder to lean on.  Her constant help whether she is visiting here or in NY, she is always the first to jump up and get things done. 

There are so many times I could write about but then this post would be so long it would take you all a week to read it!!! 

Friendship to her is serious and she will stand by her friends no matter what.  She helps, listens and is there.  She is my niece and I am very proud to say that.  To me she is more like a daughter and friend though!!!!! 

So Kelly here’s hoping you have a day filled with joy and lots of laughter.  Happy Birthday girl.

We Can Hope

So I took mama for her annual eye appointment for her macular degeneration (http://plus.aol.com/aol/reference/macular/macular_degeneration?flv=1 ) she has had in her left eye for years I guess.  I know she had it before we brought her out here and I have been having her checked every year since.  It’s a year in between visits because there has never been any change until her last visit!!  The macular is bleeding and her doctor said they normally correct that, or try to, by doing surgery.  But with mama’s age ( 91) we know that isn’t going to happen.  So now it’s eye drops twice a day which will also treat the infection she has in the front of both eyes, then go back in six weeks to see how much the macula is bleeding.  He said there is a “pool” there now and if the eye drops don’t work, well it’s inevitable that mama will lose sight in that eye.  I don’t believe it’s total sight, I think it’s the “straight ahead”, the sight that the macula sees.  According to all I have googled and read she would be able to see things on the side, but not things straight ahead. 

Bummed is exactly how I felt when he told me that, I mean how come I couldn’t see it, get her in sooner etc?  Not possible that’s why, because all this is taking place in the back of her eye.  Mama so doesn’t deserve this on top of her dementia, but I know things happen for a reason.  God has a special place in His heart for mama and I guess this is just one more thing before she gets her reward in heaven.  But it’s the why I don’t get.  I so hate to question my faith you know, but it’s times like this that I do.  I am not the best Catholic in the world, in fact I may be the worst, who knows, but I do believe there is a God and heaven and everyone will eventually meet up once again, but here we go WHY do this to a sweet woman like my mom, you know?  I still have trouble accepting the dementia she has, I so despise that disease, it robbed me of my mom and the kids of their grandma and great grandma.  So not fair but she does have it and we are dealing with it the best we can.  Just trying to give her the quality of life she so deserves, keep her healthy, happy and yep full of all the McDonald’s she wants!!!!  That seems to be her biggest joy in life, when I pull into those golden arches she so loves. She gets such a happy look on her face.  Then when I put her little tray on her lap, oh heck yeah she knows what it means, FOOD, McDonald’s FOOD !!!!  Such a simple little thing we all take for granted and alot like me go UGH when we think of it, but to mama it’s all she needs and wants.  

Dementia is a funny thing, mama has no clue who I am and can’t even remember my name half the time, but I tell you she can spot every golden arch there is and she knows it means food.  Me, I am the “lady” that works here, the arches well they are her best friend, .  If you could only see her face when I drive by them, oh wow, talk about pouting.  I always tell her we will stop on the way home and that does help.  Then the guilt when I don’t stop, dang I hate it.  But if it’s too close to supper I drive right by and lately I am soooooooooo bad.  I will point to (nothing) something so she looks the other way and doesn’t see the golden arches.  I know I am bad when I do that but it’s sad to see her pout too.  I would rather she be happy with her ride even if there’s no McD’s. 

So anyway let’s all HOPE and say a little prayer these eye drops do the trick and the bleeding macula stops.  Mama is the best and she deserves only the best, so this is something she just doesn’t need to have happen to her.