Wednesday, June 30, 2010

I Am Very Sad With The Destruction That We Have Caused..............

I think the older we get, the more we realize what we have done. We didn’t give it a thought when we were young. We didn’t think that we were gluttons for fossil fuel. We didn’t give it a thought that we were using too much water and we didn’t give a thought that were using too much electricity.

What we did think about were engines for our cars that would go one hundred twenty miles per hour with huge engines that gulped fuel like a kid with chocolate milk. The problem was as my brother mentioned the other day was that fuel was thirty cents a gallon, so who cared?

We have polluted our precious atmosphere probably to the point of no return. Now we have our gulf with oil that spewed its anger at this civilization. Now you realize that this is totally my opinion. But I really don’t think that it was necessary to drill under the ocean/sea/water to get more oil. Look what it has done. We probably will never see in our lifetime what devastation that has resulted from our greediness.

My husband and I have often referred to the Bible with the many earthquakes, famines, and other disasters that we have had already this year. Oh, I do think that we should slow down and thank the Lord for our planet and take much better care of it.


Sunday, June 27, 2010

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

We really need to keep in mind that the decisions that we make are really important. Fran again asked me to make him pancakes and sausage for breakfast this morning. I was not in the mood to hop out to the kitchen singing and smiling about the whole situation, but I did do it without griping and grumbling. I might add it was seven thirty on a Sunday morning. Fran thinks if the sun is up somewhere, it is time to get moving.
For some reason the dishwasher was unloaded except for the silverware holder. I took it over to the counter right above the silverware holder. I was kind of grumbling to myself at that point. Not unhappy with Fran, but not happy with myself for not finishing my chores last night. I proceeded to put the clean silverware in the drawer and all was well. All of a sudden I screamed and screamed and also screamed. Fran did run to the kitchen. You have to understand that running is something Fran does not deem necessary on most occasions.

What I had done was so crazy. I dropped a table knife, not a sharp knife at all, directly on my second toe. It went directly down and hit the bone dead center. I cannot even describe the pain. Well, it had no blood, therefore, it could not be an extreme emergency, right?

My point is, that if I had just known that this was going to happen, I would have told Fran to make his own pancakes. My toe would not be hurting, and I wouldn’t be complaining to you Or I should have told him, "Just wait a second."

My mother used to tell me that looking into a crystal ball was not a good idea to see what the future was going to bring. Well this morning I could have used one.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Prince Of Tales

I am putting this picture of my brother on this post because he is telling you a tale of himself and his adventures and poor work ethic in 1966.
When you see this picture he is all dressed up for the prom with his girlfriend, I might add in the year 1966. I know that to be true because it is noted on the back by my mother.
You would enjoy my brother's blog. It is lindaandkeith.com He calls it the Johnson's on line. Very fun blog about his grandchildren and the trips that they take. Once in awhile he varies and visits/ lies about his sister; me. Hope you enjoy. Here is the handsome prince of tales, hmm.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Living In The Past?

I have mentioned several times that I used to work in long term care for years. One of the pat phrases we used to use when talking to the family members was, “she seems to be living in the past.” WELL, the other day I was laying in bed running a movie in my head of things that had happened in my past. I was having a ball rerunning that movie. I laughed, I cried, as well as rerunning parts over and over to make sure I saw every part. You know even in real life you do miss things. You miss especially things that your children do, things that your fellow colleagues do and say and on the list goes.

The thing I thought interesting, was that there was no commercials, however, the “movie” went from one subject to another with no lead up to the subject change.

I wasn’t always able to follow some of the movie. It seemed to trouble me so I found myself toss and turn as I searched for help in that respect.

I came to a conclusion that older people live in the past because they can. They also live in the present because they can. They don’t look to the future because they don’t know if they have one. I think that is not only for people, but for weather forecasters. There is no possible way that people, young or old can foresee what only mother nature knows. I get such a kick out of the weather. They have records that go back one hundred years in the past. They look out the window and give the forecast of today. They give the weather a week in advance. It just doesn’t happen. Our local weather guy said the other day that he was eighty five percent accurate. Fran and I both choked on our coffee and yelled, “WHAT????”

Well, I enjoyed my dream, yes, that’s what it was and I also enjoy good weather. I suppose I should be ever so thankful for the present and the future whatever it brings.
So let your loved ones live in the past or wherever they are comfortable. Don't try to change things that only God knows the forecast.


Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Eavesdropping








I don’t ever, well sometimes intentionally eavesdrop, but today I was. I will express my pleasure with what I heard this morning.

I had gone to the hospital for a test. While I was waiting in the waiting room, I always wondered why people say that, any way a lady that I had been visiting with, jumped up and said, “Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen you in ages!”

A family member of hers was going to have a procedure done and this person was going to scrub for it and the lady was very pleased. See how I got all the details? Yup, that’s what happens in the “Waiting Room.”

Any way….the medical person was telling the lady that he now had a five year old son he just loved to pieces. Of course, that just melted this old lady’s heart. He said, “You will never believe what he said the other day.” I thought, “Oh yeah I would I have a slug of grandchildren!” The little five year old was getting ready to go somewhere. He held up his foot for his daddy to see and said, “Look Daddy, a sock is just like underwear for feet.! Well I was found out immediately. Any one that knows me, knows that when I get tickled, I laugh from the tip of my toes and very loudly. Both of these strangers looked and me and then we all laughed. It was so funny. Sometimes little ones are so amazing. I follow a blog written by a gal that calls herself Cookie. She has two little guys and they are always saying things that make me laugh. I follow another blog written by a gal that calls herself Tam. She also has two little boys. They have a ball together. Then there is my daughter who has six children. She writes a blog called psychowith6.typepad.com.  My grandchildren always have cute things to say. For the most part, children have their own outlook on life.

This is my advice to people that are in that stupid Waiting Room, eavesdrop, it is a blast!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Double Dog Dares

All my life I had to do the proper thing. My brother and I had to follow the rules. At times we had had enough and broke the rules, but not to the point we landed in jail.

When I was in school it was very apparent especially when I was in high school that I was not a student that would break the rules like playing hooky. They would beg me and say that no one would catch me, but I knew my parents would. I don’t think my close friends skipped school, but many others did.

When I was an older adult, I had a friend that had a sparkle in her eye and she used it to urge me to do things that I was nervous to do. She used to think I needed to break out of my “shell” she said, so she would say, “I double dog dare you.” Well about three years ago, she and her friend took me out to supper and then to a karaoke club. When we went to this club there was this good looking cowboy singing up a storm. I sang a song and then he sang another song. My friend said, “I double dog dare you to ask him to dance.” Oh rats! I hated when she did that. So, of course, I had to do it. Guess what? He danced with me. After that, he kept asking me to dance. Then a year or so later, we got married. Then of course, she said, “See that’s what happens when you have a backbone.”

As the years went by she got terribly ill. Her backbone all but disappeared she was in such terrible pain. One day I went to visit her. She could hardly sit up straight. I said, “You know what? I double dog dare you to get a backbone like you used to have. I will not live longer than you and that’s all there is to it!” The days have gone slowly by, she lost tons of weight, but she has gained three pounds, she is smiling, and she told me the other day that she can feel that old backbone feeling she used to have. Now I have to double dog dare her to get all well. Now that’s what I call, “Alright!!”


Friday, June 18, 2010

Personal Space









I worked in long term care for about twenty years. Many of those years were associated with care for and managing units for those people who were afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease.

I taught classes to those who were going to be doing direct care. I designed units in brand new homes. I, along with other people designed care plans that would give the best possible care for these people. I also scheduled meetings for the caretakers that were at home with their loved ones. Those people at times, were at their wits ends. They were not aware of daycare for their loved ones, or felt guilty about letting themselves have some free time all to themselves.

Alzheimer people frequently wander. They, many times are looking for their home they had when they were youngsters, or they think that they need to go to work. This often happens when people have worked at the same job for years and years. These folks need to be deterred so they don’t leave the facility that they are in.

I remember one lady that kept asking me when the train was coming. She wanted to go visit her sister. A lot of background work is needed to help these folks. This particular lady visited her sister on a weekly basis using a train for transportation.

Another thing, and there are lots of things that are needed and used in training of aides and nurses, is the need of these folks to maintain their personal space. One of the reasons for this, is that Alzheimer patients tend to get agitated if this is violated. Many folks need to be fed so the silverware is violating their space. One needs to take it very slow and talk softly to get the patient fed.
I saw real pictures like these every once in awhile while working. Once I saw it, I fixed it. Hopefully, the lessons I taught stuck with them.

Yesterday I went to a new doctor. I couldn’t believe it, but he invaded my personal space. I didn’t say anything, but I kept edging away from him while he was talking. I now know on a personal basis how the dementia people feel when their space is invaded. Isn’t it interesting how we learn something new every day?


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Pop Beads, Snap Beads, Pretty Beads

Well, I suppose I will age myself without shouting out my birth date, but these were really fun. I played with mine so much that the white ones I had were clear because the “finish” had been worn off. I have no idea how much the beads had cost, but in 2010 a bag of 100 is $3.99.

We made necklaces and bracelets with them. You could get several different colors, but all I can remember are pastels.

How many of you had pop beads? Do you still have some?

Little folks have what they call snap beads now days, but are not the wonderful ones that little girls used to make themselves pretty that we had. They were so wonderful!

Monday, June 14, 2010

I'd Like To Take You For A Walk

Years ago, I loved to go for a walk. Not a speed walk, an amble a stroll, a leisurely walk. I would actually stop and look at birds, and flowers. My neighbors and I would visit. Sometimes I would carry my coffee cup with me and meet my sister-in-law at the end of the block. We would giggle because our kids were still asleep in bed and besides that we could see our houses assuring ourselves that our husbands had not left for work yet. It just felt like we had fooled the world with our little walk.

I love country music. One of my favorite songs is Brad Paisley’s song called, “I’d love to check you for ticks.” It is a bit sexy and alludes to romantic interludes by taking a walk. Well, that’s fine and dandy, but now when I go for a walk, I have to wear two hats. One with the bill forwards and the other with the bill backwards. I wear knee high socks and long sleeve shirts. I wear something with Deet in it. The area I live in has what is called, Seed Ticks. They are so tiny that they look like a freckle. When or before we come in the house we have to de-tick. They are so bad that the other day I took a shower before we went to WalMart. As I was looking for mouth wash I felt something crawling on my shoulder. I felt this terrifying feeling that it might be a tick. I slapped at my shoulder and there crawled this blood sucker. I stepped on it and it just crunched.

How could a song be romantic when it talks about ticks? Yuk!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Still The Same Day Just A Lot Later!

I am not going to post on this again today or ever or possibly when I do get this puzzle done. I now have three names programmed into the phone. Fran just popped in and said, "Have you got it all done?"  I told him the rest of the names were up to him. It has taken me one hour for each phone number. He said that he just didn't understand why it was so difficult. I agreed with him 100%. So anyway, I am done for the day, time to start supper preparations. You all have a really good day.

Same Day In The Neighborhood!!




Just as I was finishing my last post. Fran came in and said, "Is the phone all programmed?" I told  him in no uncertain terms if he wanted the phone programmed, he could do it. He picked it up and asked, "How do you do it?" I told him to read the book. Within 3 minutes it was programmed. I really think that he knew better than to  kid me. I must have had a really really bad look on my face. I just don't think Mr. Rogers would have been proud of me a little while ago.

Another Fine Day In The Neighborhood!

Well things aren’t going so well today. Our mobile phone went out of service day before yesterday. I had my mother’s old phone which has to be over forty years old. It works wonderful, but only has a two foot cord on it. It has no answering machine in it. In order to write and talk you need to shove a chair over to it. How did we used to do it? I don’t know who was the most frustrated, Fran or me. I think it was a toss up.

I had to go with my brother-in-law yesterday for a simple surgery. While I was with him, Fran ran to WalMart and picked up a new phone. He was grinning from ear to ear he was so happy.

So he took it out of the box when he got home, plugged it in so the batteries could charge up and then his job was complete. He said, “Okay, there you go!” We had a few choice words, or I should say, I had a few choice words. I told him programming it could wait until today.

I have worked and worked and have decided my college hours have not prepared me to program this @@## phone to talk to me in English. It will only talk French. Can you believe this? I should not be surprised the whole country is speaking a language other than English. I think there was a terrible mistake made. I am sure that my phone was supposed to be shipped to France. Somewhere in Paris there is an older lady saying bad words in French about her phone that will only speak English. There is a part of me that gets some satisfaction in this make believe story, or is it? Things were so easy in Mr. Roger's neighborhood!!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

What Is Five Pounds?







Close your eyes and try to imagine the size and weight of a bag of flour. Okay, got that? Now close your eyes and try to see a five pound bag of potatoes. Now put that five pound bag on one hip like you used to do when your babies were little and fussy and screamed bloody murder when you put them down.

Now imagine a mess of fish that your husband is all excited about and tells you in a loud voice that that huge cat fish weighed five pounds.

Now close your eyes and get on the scale and open them and see that somewhere five pounds have gotten from your groceries onto the scale. Oh, come on, how did that happen?

Now go to a different grocery store and a bag of sugar costs more but is still five pounds. Beside it is a sign that says, “our sugar is a full five pounds unlike other stores that have sugar in four pound bags.” Cool; from now on I will buy things in four pound bags that surely will make a difference?


Thursday, June 3, 2010

The "Wave" Of Missing

Do you have waves of missing someone or something? Have you ever been homesick? I got the “kick in the stomach” kind of being homesick once. It was terrible.

If you are old enough or unlucky enough to live to be left behind while loved ones pass, those “waves” wash over me. Sometimes the “waves” of my wanting to see my parents again are almost strong enough to take my breath away. Well enough of the sad stuff, I want to talk about the “wave” of wanting a cigarette!!

If you read my face book post yesterday I told about making a fresh cherry pie. With my disease, it is hard work standing up, so I sat down. I stood up for awhile, then I got unsteady. I decided that putting the pits in one dish wasn’t good so I mixed the cherries and the pits together. (I didn’t mean too, it just seemed to happen with a slight shake of my hand.) It really was interesting to watch! I made the crust successfully and rolled it out until the top crust flew through the air and landed ker plunk on top of the dish full of cherry pie filling. What a mess. That’s when the beginning of a wave of unknown origin started.

The next thing I tackled was spaghetti sauce. Oh my goodness. I was stirring and dumping and chopping and browning. I can see Fran playing his computer games from the kitchen. I yelled in to him and said, “I am going into town for a carton of cigarettes!” He said, “Okay get me one too!” We both laughed. It has been so long since we smoked we wouldn’t even know what brand to buy. The “wave” passed and everything is on an even keel today. I think I will just sit tight, eat left over spaghetti and have left over pie for dessert.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Bubble Box???

Does anyone know what a bubble box is? Well I do. I am married to a man that thinks that the lake and the fish are the gift he was given when he was born. The fish are his trophies and the stories of which he can tell to anyone that is willing to listen.

My son and my husband are going fishing a couple of days this week. Both of them are excited. Fran has been getting ready for days. My son is taking vacation days. You know the two most fun days of the year. The pickup is hooked up to the boat. The “list” is in their head of what things are needed in the boat. Now remember I told you about all the rain we had. Just keep that in mind. You will be way ahead of my husband. Lol

Fran has this little gizmo called a bubble box. In reality it is an aerator. It provides oxygen for the minnows in the bucket that are used for bait. Well shoot a pickle! The batteries were dead and the inside was just a little rusty from the rain. Fran wiggled the switch and wiggled and chose interesting words about the whole situation. He made a trip to town and got two more batteries. When he got home he laid the two new batteries on the end table by his chair and proceeded to play his computer game. I was on my computer and I decided the house must be on fire! I yelled “something is on fire!” Fran quietly said, “Well,…………I wonder what that is.” (He can’t smell very good) The old batteries in the bubble box were melting. Not only melting but smoking.

If I had to render a guess, I would wager that the bubble box just ain’t gonna bubble tomorrow. Lol

They may have to use night crawlers and then they won’t need a bubble box at all.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

OVER AND OVER AND OVER





Have you ever wondered how many times you have made your bed in your life? Yes, even those times your mom stood over you and made sure you did it correctly count.
Have you ever thought, “Why am I even doing this, it just gets messy again when I go to bed at night?”
I really think, “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this” when I clean the oven. Yes, I have a self cleaning oven but I won’t use it. I use those throw away things to catch your drips/spills. I know you are all thinking she is nuts, but I think it uses too much electricity, so I just use it dirty.
My mother hated housework. She always let the dust accumulate, but did not want any clutter. Good grief, I don’t care about either one. I know I have told you about Fran wanting to know who’s coming if he sees me dusting. It is just not a priority with me.
Well, what started all this deep thinking this morning? I was unloading the dishwasher. I know, I know, some of you don’t have a dishwasher. I didn’t for years. It really doesn’t make any difference, you do the same task over and over and over. It generally doesn’t make a difference to me, however, this is summer. I want to be outside or reading a good book, or writing stories. Hmm…look what won!  By the way did you notice that is a MAN elbow deep in bubbles?  Fun!