...the list of things I need/want/hope to get accomplished today. In about three hours, meaning basically impossible, but like most everything in life, it is a work in progress. Don't we all make lists that are unending, in a effort to feel like we have been productive? And get to the point that you have actually scratched so many extra notes/reminders, it is unintelligible, or needs to be transferred to get a fresh start on a clean sheet?
I do not expect to get it all done before starting north on my drive back to west GA, but am already making progress. Which came to a complete halt with the library opened and I could get in to plug in to the public wifi and relieve some anxiety by sharing my stress with the universe. I do love making lists, to be able to mark things off and feel it has been a fruitful day.
Cancel newspaper subscription
Cancel cable service
Change telephone service
Change mailing address with USPS
Check to see if she even filed taxes for 2016
Check about dead car battery
Check about unworkable dead bolt on front door
Check about driver's license/photo ID
Check for health insurance cards
Check with financial advisor/investments
And a gazillion other details, like empty the refrigerator of perishables ... on and on and on...
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Monday, June 5, 2017
need to share, part 2...
...wherein the cousin went along as part of the support team to get her into this temporary evaluation program. Located about thirty minutes north of Valdosta, in a small town, with an under-used wing of a community hospital that is designed expressly for assisting seniors. They accept elders and will do chemical evaluation, offer advice, and provide support for family members who are struggling to deal with aging relatives. It would have not happened today without the cousin being willing to go along: I would never have put her in the car with me and made the trip without his company.
She was not a happy camper when we left her there. But hopefully this will be the answer to a variety of problems. The usual stay is ten days to two weeks. Not expressly expecting a miracle, but hoping that she will be more tractable, agreeable, cooperative and accepting of people in her life who truly desire to help.
She admitted to being scared when we were going through the admitting process, and realized we would be leaving her there. Understandably fearful and frightened. I would, with the sense I have within my person, be anxious at the prospect of being left with strangers in a foreign place, so her feelings are completely within reason. I do hope she will settle down and be more amenable and malleable than what has occurred in the past week.
What I wonder about is how long she can resist, and if there are pharmaceuticals out there that can temper her obstinacy. Something that would allow her to be civil without side effects. Marvels of modern medicine, please.
She was not a happy camper when we left her there. But hopefully this will be the answer to a variety of problems. The usual stay is ten days to two weeks. Not expressly expecting a miracle, but hoping that she will be more tractable, agreeable, cooperative and accepting of people in her life who truly desire to help.
She admitted to being scared when we were going through the admitting process, and realized we would be leaving her there. Understandably fearful and frightened. I would, with the sense I have within my person, be anxious at the prospect of being left with strangers in a foreign place, so her feelings are completely within reason. I do hope she will settle down and be more amenable and malleable than what has occurred in the past week.
What I wonder about is how long she can resist, and if there are pharmaceuticals out there that can temper her obstinacy. Something that would allow her to be civil without side effects. Marvels of modern medicine, please.
need to share...
... the latest developments with the auntie. She does not seem to be very accepting of her situation. Most caregivers who work in residential facilities will tell you 'it takes time'. In all likelihood your family member is admitted under duress, usually not willingly accepting the changes in their circumstances that cause them to relocate. This particular situation is no different in that respect.
She has been unhappy with her life at home for some time, desperately calling anyone she had a number for, seeking help. Asking people to come and find her, as she was not at home, was lost, or had been moved and she did not know where she was: all from the home phone. I got calls saying she was someplace in middle Georgia and needed someone to come and get her. My brother said he got calls reporting she had been moved into a new house that looked very much like the old one (right down to the same identical street address!), but could not tell him where she was. My cousin said she thought she was vacationing in Tallahassee and would be returning home the next day.
Miserable when left at home alone, fearful and frightened, scared to be by herself. But completely unwilling to consider options when someone would suggest she might be more content if she would go to assisted living. The plan came together, with little effort on my part, and she was relocated last Wednesday. I thought giving her time to 'adjust' would allow her to become more familiar and content with the environment, where there is always some one around. A friendly staffer to comfort and console, provide support and conversation. That has not come to pass, as she continued to be agitated, frustrated, angry, vocal, resentful, abusive to the staff. Sadly unable to be reconciled to a change in her situation that she could not control.
The director suggested we send her to another temporary location that would evaluate her, hopefully moderate her agitation, anxiety and possibly stabilize her mental decline. That sounds like an excellent idea, that she would never agree to. But not that she is not the decider, she does not have to actually give permission. In fact, she does not have a choice. The bad news is that we have to get her there, as there is no other transportation.
She has been unhappy with her life at home for some time, desperately calling anyone she had a number for, seeking help. Asking people to come and find her, as she was not at home, was lost, or had been moved and she did not know where she was: all from the home phone. I got calls saying she was someplace in middle Georgia and needed someone to come and get her. My brother said he got calls reporting she had been moved into a new house that looked very much like the old one (right down to the same identical street address!), but could not tell him where she was. My cousin said she thought she was vacationing in Tallahassee and would be returning home the next day.
Miserable when left at home alone, fearful and frightened, scared to be by herself. But completely unwilling to consider options when someone would suggest she might be more content if she would go to assisted living. The plan came together, with little effort on my part, and she was relocated last Wednesday. I thought giving her time to 'adjust' would allow her to become more familiar and content with the environment, where there is always some one around. A friendly staffer to comfort and console, provide support and conversation. That has not come to pass, as she continued to be agitated, frustrated, angry, vocal, resentful, abusive to the staff. Sadly unable to be reconciled to a change in her situation that she could not control.
The director suggested we send her to another temporary location that would evaluate her, hopefully moderate her agitation, anxiety and possibly stabilize her mental decline. That sounds like an excellent idea, that she would never agree to. But not that she is not the decider, she does not have to actually give permission. In fact, she does not have a choice. The bad news is that we have to get her there, as there is no other transportation.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
about the auntie...
.. and her relocation. She is not adapting well. Barking and growling at all the staff when they make efforts to accommodate, try to reason with her. Using words we did not know she had in her vocabulary. It has been up and down since she arrived against her will on Wednesday.
A cousin is there, having flown into Jacksonville and rented a car. He was planning to stay the weekend, but soon found that she can try your very last shred of patience. Concluding that pacing yourself, and taking her obstreperous self in small doses is much more manageable. Making it easier to practice forbearance, not want to respond in kind. At last report, as he has been inveigled to spend time with her, providing a distraction., he said she thinks they are in Tallahassee, FL, overnight, with plans to return home tomorrow.
I was hoping she might be more flexible, willing to accept her circumstances. She has been calling incessantly, phoning to tell friends and family she is lost and alone and needs help. Which makes her family believe if she was someplace where there were people around all day and night, she would be more content. It was a good idea, and I continue to be hopeful that she will eventually settle into her new environment.
A cousin is there, having flown into Jacksonville and rented a car. He was planning to stay the weekend, but soon found that she can try your very last shred of patience. Concluding that pacing yourself, and taking her obstreperous self in small doses is much more manageable. Making it easier to practice forbearance, not want to respond in kind. At last report, as he has been inveigled to spend time with her, providing a distraction., he said she thinks they are in Tallahassee, FL, overnight, with plans to return home tomorrow.
I was hoping she might be more flexible, willing to accept her circumstances. She has been calling incessantly, phoning to tell friends and family she is lost and alone and needs help. Which makes her family believe if she was someplace where there were people around all day and night, she would be more content. It was a good idea, and I continue to be hopeful that she will eventually settle into her new environment.
another travel report...
... about visiting my brother and wife in eastern VA. We went to a Greek Festival in Richmond on Friday mostly just to see what we were missing. A variety of vendors providing a wide assortment of traditional Greek foods. It was not so much a 'festival' as an opportunity to stand in line and wait to get gyros. I decided it was not worth the line, so went to another booth that was selling desserts. Mama didn't raise no fool.
As you might imagine at a fund-raiser event everything was overpriced: bottle of water was $2. The little clear plastic clamshell container that held five different sweets was $10. By the time I had tasted all five, not even eating any in entirety, I was bummed out on too much sugar. and did not care at all about getting any real food. Plus there was that long line...
There was a large stage set up for entertainment. As we passed by, a group dressed in traditional garb was dancing, accompanied by live musicians, and a man singing, apparently in Greek. A number of vendors set up in the gym of the church with individuals selling jewelry, soaps and lotions, clothing, Pampered Chef kitchen ware, screen printed T's, leggings and tops, replacement windows.
My brother had a gyro, saying he had been to get lunch in years past when he and a group would come from their workplace. Likely standing in line for most of their lunch hour. The organizers did have a number of big canopies with tables and chairs set up for people to eat and visit. And barricades blocking off streets, where one group was cooking, making carryout for 'drive thru' customers. It was interesting. I don't need to go back.
They got me back to the airport and I caught my flight. Uneventful return to ATL, and driving home. Where I had to get up and be at work at 6 am today. I've had a nap, so starting to feel human again.
As you might imagine at a fund-raiser event everything was overpriced: bottle of water was $2. The little clear plastic clamshell container that held five different sweets was $10. By the time I had tasted all five, not even eating any in entirety, I was bummed out on too much sugar. and did not care at all about getting any real food. Plus there was that long line...
There was a large stage set up for entertainment. As we passed by, a group dressed in traditional garb was dancing, accompanied by live musicians, and a man singing, apparently in Greek. A number of vendors set up in the gym of the church with individuals selling jewelry, soaps and lotions, clothing, Pampered Chef kitchen ware, screen printed T's, leggings and tops, replacement windows.
My brother had a gyro, saying he had been to get lunch in years past when he and a group would come from their workplace. Likely standing in line for most of their lunch hour. The organizers did have a number of big canopies with tables and chairs set up for people to eat and visit. And barricades blocking off streets, where one group was cooking, making carryout for 'drive thru' customers. It was interesting. I don't need to go back.
They got me back to the airport and I caught my flight. Uneventful return to ATL, and driving home. Where I had to get up and be at work at 6 am today. I've had a nap, so starting to feel human again.
Friday, June 2, 2017
traveling...
... to visit my only sibling. He lives in Virginia, sort of in a suburb of Richmond. I tell people they are between the new capitol and the old one, situated on the east side of Richmond which is a short drive through farmland and wooded by-ways from the early colonial capitol of Willamsburg. I enjoy seeing the brother and his wife, as well as having opportunity to witness their amusing, constantly-in-motion grandchildren. It is possible that I am even more fond of my amusing sister-in-law than my sib.
It was my intention to come up in the spring, when things were blooming, and bursting with color. Having been in the past when tulips were glorious and forsythia was at it's brilliant yellow best, I know spring is a joy to see. But somehow did not make plans in time to get here back in March or early April. Even though they have had abundant rains and there are a thousand shades of green, the temp and humidity are proof it is already summer.
We went downtown to go on a trolley tour of the historic parts of the city, and were swamped with facts, information and trivia from the past two-hundred years. The tour guide on the trolley was a fount of knowledge. When he said he was a retired professor, I just assumed 'history' guy, but his expertise in academia was business and finance. Very informative.
We had lunch downtown at a local pizza stop (the dough is a secret recipe), and went to retrieve the peeps from daycare.Which as you might imagine, with two small people under the age of five was mostly chaos. We first went to a small neighborhood playground to wear them out. Causing all three adults to be exhausted due to trying to keep up with two pre-schoolers.
Then onto a shopping area to meet their parents for a meal, with the hope of entertaining the kids until parents arrived. Marginally successful due to a loaf of perfectly good bread we had to feed some monstrous carp in a large retaining pond. Those hundreds of greedy fish with gaping mouths as were a little intimidating. Thankfully they were fish, and could not get out of the water to chase us down, and beat us up like a gang of thieves.
The dad finally showed up to rescue us, and take them home. I hope the peeps slept as well as I did last night - wiped out from too much fun. I've often heard the old saw about how it God gives children to young people as they are the only ones with the stamina and energy to keep up with their busyness. Too True!
It was my intention to come up in the spring, when things were blooming, and bursting with color. Having been in the past when tulips were glorious and forsythia was at it's brilliant yellow best, I know spring is a joy to see. But somehow did not make plans in time to get here back in March or early April. Even though they have had abundant rains and there are a thousand shades of green, the temp and humidity are proof it is already summer.
We went downtown to go on a trolley tour of the historic parts of the city, and were swamped with facts, information and trivia from the past two-hundred years. The tour guide on the trolley was a fount of knowledge. When he said he was a retired professor, I just assumed 'history' guy, but his expertise in academia was business and finance. Very informative.
We had lunch downtown at a local pizza stop (the dough is a secret recipe), and went to retrieve the peeps from daycare.Which as you might imagine, with two small people under the age of five was mostly chaos. We first went to a small neighborhood playground to wear them out. Causing all three adults to be exhausted due to trying to keep up with two pre-schoolers.
Then onto a shopping area to meet their parents for a meal, with the hope of entertaining the kids until parents arrived. Marginally successful due to a loaf of perfectly good bread we had to feed some monstrous carp in a large retaining pond. Those hundreds of greedy fish with gaping mouths as were a little intimidating. Thankfully they were fish, and could not get out of the water to chase us down, and beat us up like a gang of thieves.
The dad finally showed up to rescue us, and take them home. I hope the peeps slept as well as I did last night - wiped out from too much fun. I've often heard the old saw about how it God gives children to young people as they are the only ones with the stamina and energy to keep up with their busyness. Too True!
Thursday, June 1, 2017
book review: "Lucky Us"...
...written by Amy Bloom. Copyright 2014. I recently read and reported on another book she published, enjoyed her style so much, I put in a request for this one. It was sweet, funny, filled with characters so lively and believable I did not want it to end.
Plenty of struggles with daily life, all manner of family dysfunction as we all have if we are willing to confess and laugh at ourselves. People who don't always like their circumstances or the situations they find themselves in but seem to be able to make the best of the crappy hand life has dealt them. Eva and her older sister Iris leave a bad situation at home, in the mid-west, aiming for Hollywood, where Iris has dreams of success and fame.
Their dad shows up unexpectedly, literally on the doorstep. An unlikely group makes a cross country drive to NYC, laughing, singing, reciting, reading aloud for 3,000 miles. Twists and turns, characters they encounter, make it a very entertaining experience, as the reader travels along while they muddle through life.
This was the only other book available from the library of several this author as published. But such a good story, well written, and laughable, I will request others through the loan program. Amy Bloom teaches creative writing, has won several awards for her work, so hopefully there will be more equally amusing tales in the future.
Plenty of struggles with daily life, all manner of family dysfunction as we all have if we are willing to confess and laugh at ourselves. People who don't always like their circumstances or the situations they find themselves in but seem to be able to make the best of the crappy hand life has dealt them. Eva and her older sister Iris leave a bad situation at home, in the mid-west, aiming for Hollywood, where Iris has dreams of success and fame.
Their dad shows up unexpectedly, literally on the doorstep. An unlikely group makes a cross country drive to NYC, laughing, singing, reciting, reading aloud for 3,000 miles. Twists and turns, characters they encounter, make it a very entertaining experience, as the reader travels along while they muddle through life.
This was the only other book available from the library of several this author as published. But such a good story, well written, and laughable, I will request others through the loan program. Amy Bloom teaches creative writing, has won several awards for her work, so hopefully there will be more equally amusing tales in the future.
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