Such is Life

Well, it has been over a year since I have posted so I guess it is about time. Blame it on my Facebook addiction. Ha.

Seriously, it has been a busy year with Mom and Dad. As most of you know, Mom is in the nursing home with Alzheimer's Disease and Dad just died in December. When I am dealing with serious stuff, especially grief, I tend to withdraw from everything and concentrate on whatever is at hand. I do not easily share my deepest emotions. True to myself, I have done this the past year and a half. Dad's death was sort of unexpected but Mom's illness has been and will continue to be the "long goodbye".

On a positive note, I have the best brothers in the world! Hardly a day goes by that one or both of them does not call me and check on me and Mom. It seems to me that as we age we kind of come around full circle. We grew up together, played together, shared life together. Then we got busy with our adult lives and families. Now our children are grown and we are once again spending time together and sharing life together. Some members of the circle are missing, which brings me great sorrow, but there is also much joy in getting together more often with my brothers and their wives.

Such is life.

Christmas 2010 Alaska

Here is a post I started but never finished!

Good Email (Borrowed)

A Letter From Jesus About Christmas

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking my name out of the season. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

Now, having said that, let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting my birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa’s and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks was. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of my birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes my love and Good News to those who have never heard my name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in my presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget: I am God and can take care of Myself.. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember:

I love you.

Jesus

Christmas Decorations 2009

Caring for Mom

To borrow from my friend A.J., I have been a bad blogger lately. Just day to day life is keeping me so busy that I do not have time like I once had. And it seems so much easier to just post a sentence on Facebook and be done. That is the lazy way, anyway.

I also tend to draw into myself when I am upset or grieving about something. My life right now involves grief as I watch my Mom progress in her Alzheimer's disease. Caring for her is a full time job. My biggest adjustment so far is not having any alone time or spontaneous time to go see friends and family or just grocery shop. For 12 years now I have basically been alone and had gotten quite content with it. Now Mom gets up before I do or as soon as she hears me get up. Then at night she will not settle until all the lights are out and she thinks I am asleep. Caring for her consumes almost all of the time that I am not at work.

I have hesitated to blog about life with an Alzheimer patient for fear I will appear to be whining or complaining. As tiring as it is, it is still a great joy for me to care for my Mom and to know that I am doing everything I possibly can to make her last years as happy as they can be under the circumstances. Hopefully my blogging about this will help and encourage someone else. There have been times in my life when it helped me to know that I was not crazy, others have felt the same things.

There are times of frustration but also times of humor. Mom is getting hard of hearing or maybe just can not understand what I am talking about. I, on the other hand, have only one vocal cord and sometimes I am raspy. It makes for some laughs to hear what she thinks I said. And then there are the days that I feel like the movie Groundhog...Mom asks the same questions and I give the same answers. Sometimes I try to come up with a different way to say the same thing. Quite a challenge!

25% Off

Hey everybody! I am having a booth wide 25% off at Grannie's Attic. Ready to move out the old and get ready to refurnish with some different stuff. I'm getting tired of seeing the same old things in there. So if you have been eyeballing anything and wishing, now is the time to come on in and buy. Most cassettes will be 75 cents. An antique table and chairs will be $150.00. Just the chairs are worth more than that!

There are persimmon wood golf clubs, lots of knick knacks, pictures, iron crosses, wire baskets, etc. The wire baskets are new, not used, and would make really cute Christmas presents. So that is my sales pitch. Let's see if it works!

The Market Place

Here are some pictures from the new flea market which has opened in Monticello. It is located beside Queen City Furniture at the intersection of Hwy 425 and Hwy 278. There are still booths open for rent so if you have ever thought of getting into this business, now is the time.

I am excited about the direction our town is taking with all the flea market type businesses and resale shops. I will try and name the ones I can think of and if I miss one, I do apologize. There is Grannie's Attic, The Market Place, Discount Furniture houses one, Pam's store on the square (can't remember the name right now), Kay's Nest, Thrifty Chic, and Twice As Nice. And there is also the one in the old bus depot on Gaines. I hope all these shops will draw business for us from all around. More sales mean more sales tax for our city!

Changes

Things in life sometimes change more quickly than we would like. Mom moved in with me on August 31st. So far we are making it fine together. We have help during the day while I am at work and then we spend time together at night. I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend this last bit of time with her before she progresses to the later stages of her Alzheimer's. She has been a good mother and I hope I can repay her just a bit in the next few weeks or months.

Looking at the following pictures you can see how difficult it is for her at my house (LOL):

Keith Michael & the Girls

These pictures warm my heart. This is a very different Keith than when I left there in June. So thankful that he is healthy and growing. Wishing I was there to spoil him.

Moving Past the Land of the Midnight Sun

One of my four blog readers asked me this week when I was going to get out of the land of the midnight sun. And in the last week I have also been accosted by three others who said they missed my updates on here. Why, I don't know, cause I live a very ordinary life, even boring life. So, I will try to catch you up without boring you with the details.

During my trip to Alaska to see my new grandson, he took a cold and spent nine days in the hospital in Anchorage. It shook me to my very core to think that we might lose him. But thank goodness God saw fit to bring him thru and we now have a healthy, strapping boy. I was so glad that I was out there to take care of the girls so Kristy and Mike could both be with Keith.

Then, I got home to my Mom who has Alzheimer's. Around the first of July she seemed to take a plunge. We tried a nursing home but she did not adjust well, so we now have her at home with daytime help. Helping with her care and dealing with my emotions about this situation has taken up a good deal of my time. I keep reminding myself of the quote on an email I get regularly: "Life is not the way its supposed to be...its the way it is... the way we cope with it is what makes the difference." I am trying my darnedest to cope!

Add to this mixture the fact that my best friend is dealing with the illness of both her parents; Andy was in a wreck and has a messed up shoulder; and I have made several trips to the doctor with various stuff such as colds, blood pressure and now a boil on my back (no picture to post LOL).

There, now, you are all caught up. Aren't you sorry you asked? Please be assured this is no pity party because my life is truly blessed on the other hand. My Alaska family is very happy. Abby has started first grade and Lilly starts pre-school this week. Keith is growing and thriving. I am starting to try and figure out when I can go see them again.

Andy and Donna are also very happy together. They have all joined my church. Lane' was saved at summer camp this summer and baptized a couple of weeks ago. Donna is in college and working full time too. I'll be glad when she is thru and things slow down so that I can see them more. Circumstances have kept me from seeing them as much as I would like to lately.

Now I have to go to a birthday party for my adopted granddaughter, Jordan. She is now 11 years old! I remember holding her close and rocking her when she was a baby. She still gives me big hugs and smiles every time I see her.

I will try and post some pictures on here later.