Monday, June 30, 2014

It’s 8:52 am. I have walked the pups with Betty, fed them breakfast, and cleaned the bathroom. Busy night for mom. I get a kick out of hearing Betty say that she cleans her bathroom on Saturday. Ours gets cleaned 5 times a day! I even took Lysol to the handle of mom’s cane, and of course washed the walls to and from the bathroom. I am pretty sure I know what will await me when she gets up: change and wash her bed sheets and her nightgown and put her in the shower. Am concerned about the return of her lower back pain. Might presage an infection. We’ll see how the day goes and whether she complains. No fever. Luck might be on our side, but with such poor toileting habits and without 24-hour surveillance, it’s tough to avoid UTIs. What I want to avoid above all is sepsis. She’s been there before.

Today is Lucy’s 15^th birthday. We had a challenging night, but made it through. Two potty breaks outside, but we were finished shortly after 2:00 am. I need to pick up a rotisserie chicken for her—her latest favorite food. I cut up small pieces and add a tiny bit to her kibble. Valentino likes the new addition, too. I recently stopped giving them boiled chopped beef. Thought it was too much protein for them. But a tiny bit of chicken seems to satisfy their palates and hunger for meat. Normally, I like to go to Leesport for the good chicken, but I might settle for a supermarket chicken, as Leesport market is opened only on Wednesdays.

Good week ahead. Only one meeting tomorrow evening, visit to see Ava and Butch on Wednesday, haircut on Thursday, and the Kutztown Festival on Saturday. We usually avoid the festival like the plague. It’s often too hot, but Karen, Glenn, and Lauren will be visiting. Karen and Glenn usually find things to do in our area that we ignore or overlook. Kind of like not visiting the Empire State Building when you live or work there. Should be fun at long last to do the Kutztown fair. I might even pick up some vendors for the Dreibelbis Farm Festival. Thus far, I have about 23 vendors and exhibitors lined up.

Not sure what we will do with mom on Saturday, but dear Rob gets saddled with her during the week when I am not here. It’s tough for him, especially when she talks while you are trying to talk. Mom is so used to not hearing that she does not wait for an answer. This, however, is nothing new, but a lifelong habit. She has long lived in her own private world. Years ago, an acquaintance we had met on Broadway asked me why my mother asks questions but does not wait for the answer. Instead, mom asks another question, often when the other person is answering the first question. It can be disconcerting. Multiply that by the 12 or so hours that she is awake. Rob stopped her banter yesterday as he was trying to teach her how to get off the bentwood stool and said…

Listen! Just listen!

I know. I know how to do this.

Then of course she did it incorrectly. When corrected again, she responded with an Oh yeah.

I keep telling Rob to stop trying to teach her. She cannot remember. She does not understand. But he said he had made some headway. He’s deluded each time and is dashed when she forgets the lesson.

So goeth the lesson!

Sandy!

Mom is up! My morning has officially begun. I brace myself.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014 

Valentino is at the groomer. Things are a bit quieter than usual. But mom is up.

 Sandy!

What mom?

What time is it?

9:30

I better get up. 

My day has officially begun, even though I have been working on an editing job since 8:00 am. I try to get as much done before mom’s demands must be met. She’s in the kitchen now. I need to go to the store to buy some milk. She won’t eat eggs. Cereal is it!

 I have to go to the store. We’re out of milk.

You don’t have no milk?

I don’t have any milk.

Isn’t that funny?

Why is it funny, mom? Haven’t you ever run out of things before? 

Oh why do I argue? She’s not there. She no longer understands processes, the order of things. Go to the store and be done with it. I am off…