An interesting 3 days so far – not sure I can take the excitement. Sorry, that wasn’t what I planned to write. I was cleaning out on Monday , this time my Mom’s hooking stuff. I had put on Craig’s List rug hooking magazines and another one with patterns and supplies. Imagine how amazed I was when I had an email from a lady in Nova Scotia. She is very interested in everything – though she seems to be thinking in terms of two large boxes to go through the mail. Hmmm, this may be more than I bargained for.
Posts Tagged ‘clearing out’
The Week Barely Started
September 10, 2014A Screwy Week
September 6, 2014It has nothing to do with the post, we have a lovely day today and this feels right. It is also the photo I have used for my websites and Facebook because I am using Ellen’s ocean photos for my book – Finding The Gifts In Rheumatoid Arthritis. Plus it is a gorgeous photo.
It’s really has been the last couple of weeks that have made me feel a bit topsy-turvy – I know this week had a holiday, not sure why last week felt that way too. Eddie had Monday off for Labor Day and I spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday here in the house. It didn’t feel confining at all, I really would have liked another day as well. I’ve been cleaning out the office, my parents’ bedroom, they kept a lot of calendar pages either for flower designs or pictures of Scotland. I ran across another North American envelope with 2 photos – they went to the Boeing archives with a note they were donated by Robert Paull. I called the Center For Wooden Boats but no answer so far. I wonder if a lot of people have taken this week off since the weather has been good.
It may not look as if I have done much, but I know I have. I have thrown out things, sent things to the Goodwill and put things away for my sister Candy and myself. It has barely made a dent, but it is finally some progress. I had to start somewhere.
Wednesday we didn’t have Breakfast Club but I was out early because I had a chiropractor appointment. Then I went to visit Mom, though she was very dozy. I saw her yesterday and she was more alert – she is better when she sits at the dining table. She spends time in the recliner because her legs hurt and she is more comfortable and relaxed. Her knee has been bothering her a lot and she doesn’t want to get up. I saw Didi yesterday and she was thinking about asking Providence for some Lidocaine pads for her knee. She thinks that might the knee more comfortable so she can walk more comfortably – right now it is a real struggle to get her to use the walker because the knee hurts.
Mom is at the point where she forgets to eat in the middle of meal. She loses focus and needs a prompt to eat. I have noticed that lately with the chocolate. The first piece goes easily but the other two take some time because she forgets she has chocolate to eat. When she is in the recliner, she doesn’t seem interested in the cookies, so I leave them on the bureau for a later snack. Yesterday at the table she polished off everything. It gets harder and harder to visit her and I know it will keep going downhill from here. She still seems to know me, or maybe just my presence, and is glad to see me. I now ask if she would like a hug because she can get moody and not want anyone to touch her. when I ask, she is pleased to have a hug and she definitely enjoys a gentle back rub.
Wednesday they called from the dealership to say my car was ready. We decided to go down the next day when Eddie came home from work – they stay open until 7. The loaner wasn’t a bad car, it just wasn’t mine and as Eddie said, mine is “broken in” and the loaner wasn’t. I am so happy to have it back all fixed and running properly. Even with the transmission on warranty, all the 90,000 mile maintenance was a bit spendy. However, we believe in preventive maintenance for everything – especially ourselves.
I have also been working on 2 websites for my show – one from the group who had my domain name and one with Wix. I decided to try the domain group for a month, though I can’t get the template I want. So I am making do and if I go to Premium, I might be able to have the one I like. I wanted to see how the template works and if it is hard to do or I just have to get the hang of it. I’ve got an email for the moment and need to check on Post Office box. I checked with UPS ad they want $180 – I don’t think so. The Post Office is less but I am not sure how big a box I need. I don’t think it needs to be too big.
Thursday I went to Apple Group session for Pages – I have been working on a logo. I would be interested to see what you think.
I also put together a Facebook page at Facebook.com/findingthegift Unfortunately I missed the s on gifts. I have also been in touch by email with the Morning Producer about the show and what I want to do. I need to feel comfortable doing it anyhow it works before I invite guests. I have a list of people I want to invite, they do different things that help with chronic illness and dementia. I have personally experienced how they work and definitely recommend them.
I have been helping Eddie with his PNAA stuff as well; looks as though we are going to be the repository for things for them. Eddie certainly enjoys working with them. A welcome change from the discord he sees most of the week.
Now back to clearing out – so many books to sort through. I think the car books might go for the library at the LeMay Car Museum – they are putting together a library.
Plates Spinning
August 17, 2014At times I feel as if I have several plates spinning on sticks – similar to the people Ed Sullivan used to have on his program. Some days I feel like this:
Everything is nicely balanced and I am in as much control as I can be. Then there are days like today and the past week, I haven’t felt much control and there doesn’t seem to be enough time to keep them all spinning properly:
I could give a name to each plate – cleaning out Mom & Dad’s stuff, my new website for my business, a new website for my radio show, understanding how the sponsoring works and finding sponsors, doing Eddie’s new report (he isn’t doing the Round Up but calling it The Kaplanian Report, not associated with the Future of Flight), things for Mom, personal business stuff, Apple Group Training and also One to One,my blog, my book, Kaplanian International stuff, etc.
This week I have been doing a lot of clearing out bureau drawers – the stuff my parents kept! All kinds of cards they received and Mom had so many cards ready to send for almost any occasion, I am going to give them to the Goodwill so other people can use them. I have bags of papers to put in recycle – our wheelie bin is full to the top and I have 2 other bags ready – plus things I have put away in boxes to see if my sister Candy wants them. I found 2 photographs from North American Aircraft in an original envelope that is going to the Boeing Archives, lovely to know they will be pleased to have them.
My parents kept things even though they were worn out, some things had never been used and there is a beautiful grey wool yard length – very fragrant with moth balls. And letters from people, from Mom & Dad to his parents, letters from both his sisters and letters from his Uncle James to Dad’s father. I had a hard time reading the hand writing, I am putting them away to read later since I need to work on the clearing out.
Along with that, I was having a lot of discomfort – the toilet and I became close companions on thursday, Friday and even into Saturday, though not as much. The tummy was unhappy and I was really tired. Yesterday after we did all our stuff, I came home and crawled into bed with Bunny to sleep some of it off – and I was better when I woke up. Not sure what happened because I didn’t eat anything different. I have been very careful how much I eat, the tummy gets uncomfortable. I have been using water and baking soda which seems to help. maybe the side effects of veggies.
We finally had rain this week, blessed soaking rain. I have been feeling very dry and parched and it was so lovely to hear the raining really coming down as I was lying in bed. Rain is so refreshing and makes things feel washed clean. Now it will be 81 today and 83 tomorrow, then back to the 70’s – that’s quite okay with me.
I have been playing phone tag to arrange a haircut for Mom, finally made it for Tuesday. Her hair is getting long and needs cutting – not sure how she will be when the time comes. She is very feisty when anyone wants to do anything for her – I make sure I am there for the hair cut and sit beside her. There is no way to tell how she will be from one minute to the next, one day to the next. I saw her on Friday and she was rather sleepy, though chocolate sounded very good to her. She was cuddling a stuffed dog or cat and Judy had put a chair on each side of her, she could easy fall to the side. She seems to mumble more than before. I don’t know how much she knows that Fern died last week. Fern was 102 and having a lot of pain in her body, as well as feeling alone since she was used to family all around.
I’ve been wondering if visiting Mom and clearing out things has had an emotional and mental effect as well as physical. It maybe stirring up a lot of old programs, messages and memories that I had not been conscious of for quite awhile. The bottom drawer of the desk is definitely a proud parent’s drawer; all the drawings and things the three of us girls have done since we were very young are there.
I saw Mom on Monday and then went to my Caregiver’s Support Group. I’m so glad I did, it helps so much. I told them what was going on with Mom and that I feel as if I am walking in thigh deep water. It feels more than just fatigue, but there is more to it – I can’t really name it at the moment. I also realize each time I go that I have it relatively easy compared to the others. They have to deal with so much more, how they cope I can only imagine. I will admit, I have periods of feeling I have such a difficult time – usually when I am tired and worn down. I haven’t figured out how to actually become rested while still doing what I need to do. Is that what’s called the horns of a dilemma?
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