Update 101914
Hello Everyone! It is getting cold here on the shores of Lake
Ontario
So far this year my life has been a little stressful. As you
may know from an earlier post, Mom was in the hospital with emergency surgery
for gastro-intestinal problems early in the year. Since then her forgetfulness
has blossomed into dementia. I talk to Mom for about a half hour everyday, but
unfortunately, I have not been able to visit her regularly as I’ve been dealing
with some medical/dental problems of my own. It’s nothing life threatening, but
it’s enough to put me out of commission for a few weeks at a time. However, I
am seeing a light at the end of this tunnel and should be back on track soon.
Mom is still functioning with day-to-day living activities,
but can be stubborn and surly when it comes to other things ranging from going
to doctor’s appointments to arguing about what day it is. She calls me 3-5
times a day (sometimes more). She is obviously lonely and bored, yet she
refuses to attend any of the outings or activities available to her at the
senior living apartment building where she lives. This is unfortunate as I
think she would have a wonderful time and it would give her more structure to
her life. My brother, sister-in-law, and I have been working to find an
amicable solution to these problems that may involve her moving from a senior
living facility to a more assistive-living facility.
I didn’t get to as much gardening as I planned this past
summer, although the small amount that I did plant in my herb garden
flourished. The wild flowers I planted last year and the gladiolas came up and
blossomed beautifully as well, so, it wasn’t a complete loss.
During my recovery times, I had a chance to get to some
serious re-writing/editing of my book. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever finish
it, but I keep plugging along. I am happy with the way the story is turning out
and sometimes it changes in ways I didn’t at first expect. When that happens I
have to review and change small details, but that’s okay as I love getting lost
in the process of writing.
My newest feline editions, Cricket and Skipper, are getting
bigger everyday. They settle in for more quiet time with me than they did at
first, but they still enjoy kitten activities such as randomly running through
the house at top speed, attempting to climb the windows, and trying to explore
small spaces where they no longer fit. The last activity is especially true of
Cricket. A few weeks ago I was walking past an antique cupboard in the dining
room and saw Skipper staring at the bottom edge of the cupboard. It was then that
I noticed a grey tail. Cricket had squeegee-d herself under the cupboard and
was teasing her brother. Luckily, she was able to get out on her own, but she
has since discovered she no longer can fit there. Skipper is noticeably bigger
than Cricket and he has a fascination with water. The bathroom is his favorite
room as there is so much water activity. Last week while I was in the shower I
looked up to find him perched above me on the ledge of the shower doors. I was
a little concerned that he might jump in so I shooed him away. He hasn’t done
this again since, but I am always on the lookout. They sometime do things I
don’t appreciate, like dumping over some of my houseplants, but these things
are to be expected with young cats. The other night they stole my glasses off
my nightstand and it took me all day to find them where they hid them behind a
bookcase. I was so happy when I did find them because it’s difficult to read or
write without them, and driving without them isn’t a good idea either. However,
overall Cricket and Skipper are very entertaining and lots of company, and I
love having them as part of my family.
Well, that’s it for now. I hope I didn’t bore you to death.
Until next time, I wish you all good health and happiness. PeaceJ
(yh)
