This morning, when I woke up, I heard the heat pump kick on. I wonder how many times it did that during the night? I got up, went to the living room, where the thermostat was set on 63, and the temperature in the room was the same. I noticed that the french door was open from the kitchen to the sun porch, a space that is unheated. So, I shut the door, and lowered the thermostat to 60 deg. I knew that when the sun rose, it would be slightly warmer in the house. I dressed in my sweats, with a hoodie and warm socks. I haven't gotten warm enough yet.
So I yielded to my urge to hike up the thermostat by one degree....just a few minutes ago. The room is now 62 degrees. It might as well be below zero, it doesn't feel much warmer to me than that, after all those days when we hovered eighty degrees. Then BOOM! A cold front blew through here, and dropped things by twenty degrees. I feel like it's winter!
I don't need to drag out the woolies, but with such a difference in daytime temps, it does feel uncomfortable. So, I'll put on more clothing...or heavier.... and just try to get used to it. If I have to turn on the heat, I will, but it's really not what I want to do. It's too soon, and with the rising rates on the power bills, I would like to delay that move as long as I can. On the other hand, I don't want to look like I'm having a seizure as I shiver, either.
I wish we had a REAL fireplace...where we could burn wood. We just might have to consider that option...pretty soon. The electric stove takes the chill off, and gives the idea that there's a warm flame burning in it, but because it's electric, it's not a saver at all.
We'll manage to get through another cold season, but I don't want it to start too early...or last very long. Meanwhile, I guess I'll just have to take it day by day, and worry about tomorrow when it gets here.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
New Computer Stuff...
Just before as I was about to sit down to dinner last night, the phone rang. Generally at that time, it is someone calling to sell us something, get our vote, or offer us a lower rate on the mortgage we don't even have one of. So, if the phone is handy, I check to see, and if it is, I don't answer it. Since the phone wasn't near, I didn't bother to see who was calling. I'd check it, and would call them back, if it was someone I cared to speak with.
Within a few minutes, Mom was ringing our doorbell. I asked why she was wandering over in the rain, and frustrated, she answered, "Well....you didn't answer your phone, so I came over here." She was in a tizzy because her computer wouldn't work, and she was about to give up. Taking a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, I mustered all the patience I could, and told Mike I'd be right back. Then I went across the street to see what was wrong with the computer.
I listened as Mom vented. I gave her a pep talk, telling her that she just needs to learn the updated programs. I said, "you told me you could learn this if you practiced, so you have to keep practicing! Don't give up...." all the while feeling that I was right about my original thoughts that this expensive new machine was going to frustrate her to the limit. But even knowing that before she bought it, and warning her that it would be a challenge, how could I possibly take away her desire to have something to do, or discourage her determination? I couldn't, and so, against my better judgement....and with a great deal of 'knowing' that I'd be on call whenever she turns on the computer, I said very little.
The problem last night was multi-faceted. She couldn't get the computer to do 'anything!' The instructions typed into the keyboard were met with no reaction. I quickly discovered why. The keyboard was locked. On top of that, the cap lock key was on, so the password wouldn't be accepted.
After we freed all that, I had to, once again, walk Mom through the process of getting to her AOL mail. That's kind of a toughie for her to remember, as it's so different from the older version she'd been using, which was so simple.
Adding to Mom's computer problems is my brother, who is somewhat of a curmudgeon. A few months ago, when she could manuever her old machine, she set up an email account for him. He gets very little email, but because of a recent reunion with some Navy buddies, he does get a few forwards, and a lot of Spam. He is at Mom's daily to read it. He hasn't a clue even how to turn on the computer, let alone get around it. He stands over Mom while she tries to find her way, and when she can't remember, he's impatiently telling her to push this and do that, which only further frustrates them both. Arrrrrg! He should get his OWN...but then I'd have to give him a class....and truthfully, I haven't got the patience for that and it ain't-a gonna happen!
So....I begin this day, not knowing what'll come. I will not borrow trouble....for each day has enough surprises. I'm here for Mom...and will be....but also hope that she'll manage to learn this stuff as soon as she can, so that her frustration will be diminished.
Have a wonderful day, everyone! May yours be problem-free and relaxing.
Within a few minutes, Mom was ringing our doorbell. I asked why she was wandering over in the rain, and frustrated, she answered, "Well....you didn't answer your phone, so I came over here." She was in a tizzy because her computer wouldn't work, and she was about to give up. Taking a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, I mustered all the patience I could, and told Mike I'd be right back. Then I went across the street to see what was wrong with the computer.
I listened as Mom vented. I gave her a pep talk, telling her that she just needs to learn the updated programs. I said, "you told me you could learn this if you practiced, so you have to keep practicing! Don't give up...." all the while feeling that I was right about my original thoughts that this expensive new machine was going to frustrate her to the limit. But even knowing that before she bought it, and warning her that it would be a challenge, how could I possibly take away her desire to have something to do, or discourage her determination? I couldn't, and so, against my better judgement....and with a great deal of 'knowing' that I'd be on call whenever she turns on the computer, I said very little.
The problem last night was multi-faceted. She couldn't get the computer to do 'anything!' The instructions typed into the keyboard were met with no reaction. I quickly discovered why. The keyboard was locked. On top of that, the cap lock key was on, so the password wouldn't be accepted.
After we freed all that, I had to, once again, walk Mom through the process of getting to her AOL mail. That's kind of a toughie for her to remember, as it's so different from the older version she'd been using, which was so simple.
Adding to Mom's computer problems is my brother, who is somewhat of a curmudgeon. A few months ago, when she could manuever her old machine, she set up an email account for him. He gets very little email, but because of a recent reunion with some Navy buddies, he does get a few forwards, and a lot of Spam. He is at Mom's daily to read it. He hasn't a clue even how to turn on the computer, let alone get around it. He stands over Mom while she tries to find her way, and when she can't remember, he's impatiently telling her to push this and do that, which only further frustrates them both. Arrrrrg! He should get his OWN...but then I'd have to give him a class....and truthfully, I haven't got the patience for that and it ain't-a gonna happen!
So....I begin this day, not knowing what'll come. I will not borrow trouble....for each day has enough surprises. I'm here for Mom...and will be....but also hope that she'll manage to learn this stuff as soon as she can, so that her frustration will be diminished.
Have a wonderful day, everyone! May yours be problem-free and relaxing.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Friends...
An old song that I learned in the Girl Scouts about a hundred years ago says:
"Make new friends, but keep the old
One is silver, and the other's gold."
I have always believed it to be so. I've never like losing track of old friends, especially dear ones, but sometimes others just don't hold up their end of communications, so it's often hard to stay updated.
Since I'm a people-person, I enjoy meeting and making new friends,as well. I've met some wonderful people, face to face, and many on-line ones too, who share similar interests. But today, I'm going to focus on old friends.
Facebook and other networking sites are good for reconnecting. It's been my pleasure to be a part of the Facebook world for awhile now. It keeps me updated on my kids lives, as things happen, as well as affording me the ability to chat with some that I grew up with, went to school with, or otherwise have known in the past. We've re-established friendships across the wires and have shared memories and current life events. We've visited with some and invited them to visit us in our home. It's great fun!
This morning we met a guy and his wife for breakfast. We've tried four other times in the last two years to have this reunion, and one couple or the other had to cancel for one or another reasons. Finally, we tried again...and were successful. Ron and I last saw each other about 25 years ago. Since then, we've both remarried, moved to new states and retired from our jobs. Going back more than 40 years ago, we were teenaged sweethearts...eventually marrying others and having families. I've never been sorry that we didn't end up together, but always wanted us to stay friends, which we did, however lax we were in communicating. Anyway...it was terrific meeting his wife...and catching up on things in each others' lives.
I hope that it is the beginning of a more frequent stream of conversation, and perhaps visits. We live ten hours from each other, but still, with the blessing of internet and telephones, there's no reason why we shouldn't keep up with each other in the future.
So...go ahead, make your new friends...but keep those old ones close...in heart, and mind.
"Make new friends, but keep the old
One is silver, and the other's gold."
I have always believed it to be so. I've never like losing track of old friends, especially dear ones, but sometimes others just don't hold up their end of communications, so it's often hard to stay updated.
Since I'm a people-person, I enjoy meeting and making new friends,as well. I've met some wonderful people, face to face, and many on-line ones too, who share similar interests. But today, I'm going to focus on old friends.
Facebook and other networking sites are good for reconnecting. It's been my pleasure to be a part of the Facebook world for awhile now. It keeps me updated on my kids lives, as things happen, as well as affording me the ability to chat with some that I grew up with, went to school with, or otherwise have known in the past. We've re-established friendships across the wires and have shared memories and current life events. We've visited with some and invited them to visit us in our home. It's great fun!
This morning we met a guy and his wife for breakfast. We've tried four other times in the last two years to have this reunion, and one couple or the other had to cancel for one or another reasons. Finally, we tried again...and were successful. Ron and I last saw each other about 25 years ago. Since then, we've both remarried, moved to new states and retired from our jobs. Going back more than 40 years ago, we were teenaged sweethearts...eventually marrying others and having families. I've never been sorry that we didn't end up together, but always wanted us to stay friends, which we did, however lax we were in communicating. Anyway...it was terrific meeting his wife...and catching up on things in each others' lives.
I hope that it is the beginning of a more frequent stream of conversation, and perhaps visits. We live ten hours from each other, but still, with the blessing of internet and telephones, there's no reason why we shouldn't keep up with each other in the future.
So...go ahead, make your new friends...but keep those old ones close...in heart, and mind.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Diverted...
Allllllllllllllrighty then...I won't make the apple pie and cookies I'd planned to make today. I can't very well bake without an oven, can I? The element burned out in the oven the other night. We got through the weekend, though...and will order a new element today.
I've got so much to do, I think my head is spinning with ideas. Some have time limits, so those should be taken care of first, I suppose, even if my attentions are diverted by things I'd rather do. As my granddaughter sings every now and then, "You can't always get what you wa-aant". True.
So...where shall I start on the many time limited chores? I have trouble looking at things in small pictures. If I have a mess to clean up, I know the thing to do is to start in one spot, and keep going until the full job is done, but I have a problem doing that. I look at the whole pile of stuff, for instance, and see how much there is to put away, and am prone to walk off and do something else. I wonder if I'm ADD undiagnosed. Naaaah...I can focus...I just prefer not to do those jobs that require a lot of time, I guess.
Ok...now that I've let another secret about me out of the bag, I'm going to divert my attentions from this computer to the pile of stuff I've collected on the coffee and end tables. Time to neaten this place up...and then....I'll start one of the time-limited chores.
Toodles!
I've got so much to do, I think my head is spinning with ideas. Some have time limits, so those should be taken care of first, I suppose, even if my attentions are diverted by things I'd rather do. As my granddaughter sings every now and then, "You can't always get what you wa-aant". True.
So...where shall I start on the many time limited chores? I have trouble looking at things in small pictures. If I have a mess to clean up, I know the thing to do is to start in one spot, and keep going until the full job is done, but I have a problem doing that. I look at the whole pile of stuff, for instance, and see how much there is to put away, and am prone to walk off and do something else. I wonder if I'm ADD undiagnosed. Naaaah...I can focus...I just prefer not to do those jobs that require a lot of time, I guess.
Ok...now that I've let another secret about me out of the bag, I'm going to divert my attentions from this computer to the pile of stuff I've collected on the coffee and end tables. Time to neaten this place up...and then....I'll start one of the time-limited chores.
Toodles!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Determination
Every day I hope I can get those shutters painted. Every day something stops me. Again yesterday, it was the weather. Before I got outside after posting my blog entry, the weather turned very breezy,squashing my hopes one more time. It's not that important, in the grand scheme of things, but it is a job that I'd like to get done. I guess it'll still be there....whenever the planets align or God shows favor at the same time that 92 other things don't shout my name.
I guess it's true about me....I am determined child. I was told that more than once when I was little...and once I got an idea into my head, it was hard to dissuade me from it. I can think of one instance, when I was quite little. I don't know where the thought came from, but I really thought that when I grew up, I'd be a man. No amount of talking to me helped, my mind would not be changed from that idea. I cannot tell you when I realized that I was wrong about becoming a man, but the light dawned some time or another.
Stubbornness seems to run in our family. My brother is about as determined as anyone can be to be right. He will argue the point until the listener gives up trying, or he gives up and goes off in a huff, but he won't change his mind. My Mom has a saying, "Never say 'never'. Recently she's adopted another one, "I Won't Give Up." Determination... it can be a good thing, or a not so good thing.
So....I'll spend this sunny, perfect painting day riding in the car to a new area in order to find a restaurant where we'll be meeting an old friend and his wife on Tuesday. My mind has not waivered from the task at hand....but those shutters will be waiting for me when I can get them done. I'm determined.
I guess it's true about me....I am determined child. I was told that more than once when I was little...and once I got an idea into my head, it was hard to dissuade me from it. I can think of one instance, when I was quite little. I don't know where the thought came from, but I really thought that when I grew up, I'd be a man. No amount of talking to me helped, my mind would not be changed from that idea. I cannot tell you when I realized that I was wrong about becoming a man, but the light dawned some time or another.
Stubbornness seems to run in our family. My brother is about as determined as anyone can be to be right. He will argue the point until the listener gives up trying, or he gives up and goes off in a huff, but he won't change his mind. My Mom has a saying, "Never say 'never'. Recently she's adopted another one, "I Won't Give Up." Determination... it can be a good thing, or a not so good thing.
So....I'll spend this sunny, perfect painting day riding in the car to a new area in order to find a restaurant where we'll be meeting an old friend and his wife on Tuesday. My mind has not waivered from the task at hand....but those shutters will be waiting for me when I can get them done. I'm determined.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Today Is Mine...
My shutters have been sanded for weeks....and waiting for their new coat of paint. First there was a windy week, where I couldn't paint, for fear that the color would dry between the can of paint and the shutter. Yes...I'm going for 'rustic', but not streaks made by a stiff brush!
Then we had a rainy week...and finally I had a very busy week of running around and setting up Mom's new computer. (Oh yes...that was a challenge! I still haven't figured out why the printer will not install, but I will. I'm nearly as determined a woman as my Mom is. She is determined that she will overcome all these new changes they've made to computers, AOL, etc. since she bought her last 'toy' five or so years ago. Of course, that will mean multiple phone calls and visits from me to instruct and remind, but in the end...it's all good. It will keep Mom busy with something when there's no one around to keep her company. At the very least, she'll be able to play her Free Cell games until help arrives for other things.
The 21" screen and the fact that you can push control and plus keys to enlarge internet pages, is a great change for her....and a huge help to anyone with vision problems. So, she's off on a new adventure!)
Today is a perfect day for painting. The weather is glorious, and will be 77 deg by 4pm. The paint will go on smoothly and dry quickly. Today is dedicated to this endeavor, and so I bid you a fond adieu, and will see you when I next see you! I hope your day goes just as you plan for it to! Enjoy it!
Then we had a rainy week...and finally I had a very busy week of running around and setting up Mom's new computer. (Oh yes...that was a challenge! I still haven't figured out why the printer will not install, but I will. I'm nearly as determined a woman as my Mom is. She is determined that she will overcome all these new changes they've made to computers, AOL, etc. since she bought her last 'toy' five or so years ago. Of course, that will mean multiple phone calls and visits from me to instruct and remind, but in the end...it's all good. It will keep Mom busy with something when there's no one around to keep her company. At the very least, she'll be able to play her Free Cell games until help arrives for other things.
The 21" screen and the fact that you can push control and plus keys to enlarge internet pages, is a great change for her....and a huge help to anyone with vision problems. So, she's off on a new adventure!)
Today is a perfect day for painting. The weather is glorious, and will be 77 deg by 4pm. The paint will go on smoothly and dry quickly. Today is dedicated to this endeavor, and so I bid you a fond adieu, and will see you when I next see you! I hope your day goes just as you plan for it to! Enjoy it!
Friday, October 14, 2011
This Week...
Monday....Took Mom to the radiology office for a bone density scan. She has some osteoporosis, so they do these scans every couple of years or so.
Tuesday....Took Mom to the hospital for a nuclear stress test. When she'd gone for a check up to her family doctor, he listened to her heart with the stethoscope, and he heard her heart skip a beat. (No, not because she's in love with him!) He did an immediate EKG and then determined that she should have a stress test. Thinking that, because she is 85 years old and walks with a cane, she could not withstand a tread mill, he ordered the injection type of test. I've got news for Dr. S. Mom could have out-done me, for sure, on that tread mill, but he is a careful doctor, and not one to take chances, so injection-type it was. It took all morning, and she wasn't terribly pleased about the whole business. When she came out to the waiting room, she firmly reported that she was 'never going to do that again! She was also wearing a Holter monitor which she'd have to wear for the next 24 hours.
Wednesday...Took Mom back to the cardiology unit at the hospital for removal of the monitor. She was glad to get that off and the electrodes and wires that were attached from it to her body. We were instructed to make a follow up appointment with the doctor. We left the hospital and went to Best Buy to peruse the computer section. Mom's old one quit, and she wants to buy a new one. I'm a bit concerned that she won't be able to operate the updated programs, as she doesn't see well and they can be confusing enough for someone who has perfect vision. I'd hate for her to spend all that money, and not be able to use it. But, she likes to play her games, and can do so little else, I'm careful not to say anything very discouraging. Anyway, she's determined.
Thursday.... I balanced Mom's checkbook (I almost never do my own!) Then I wrote out her checks for her to sign and addressed envelopes for her. I also made numerous phone calls for her to get work done on two houses.
Friday...today we will go and pick up the new computer, which she has decided is the answer to her long, boring days. It seems to me to be a rather pricey toy, if it will be used mostly for puzzles and card games....but it's not my money, and not my long, boring days.
Not often, but sometimes I feel as if I'm living my Mom's life, rather than my own. When I realize how selfish that sounds/is, I erase the thought! After all, she can't help it if all of her hobbies and interests have been stolen by poor eye-sight and failing hearing. She can't help it if she's a widow or that can't drive herself hither and yon, and she can't help it that age is causing more and more doctors and appointments. She can't help the fact that she needs some aid in doing things, like balancing checkbooks and writing envelopes. God gave this wonderful Mom to me, and she was always there for me and my family, to help in any way she could: babysitting, offering a listening ear or a word of wisdom, even giving a short term loan at times.
I'd so much rather have her with us than not to have her. I'd prefer to help her as much as I can, rather than have her in a nursing home, or even to hire an aide to come to the house. She doesn't need all that much care and we all hope that she never will. She just needs a few hours, sometimes every single day of the week, but that's ok with me. So many other elderly people need so much more requiring their children to be there around the clock. Mom has decided many times over that she will NOT live with us, but will do 'something else' if it comes to that. She's welcome, but she wants to live independently as much as she's able. I do wish, however, that we could find a person to clean her house. With my bad hip and back, I don't do real well on my feet that long, and my own house suffers because of that. Try as we have, we still haven't located anyone who has shown up.
So, all of my plans for this week, painting shutters, cleaning my house, getting my ornaments made for the Christmas exchange, have been put on hold. It's really alright. Those things will always be there waiting, but who knows how long Mom will be here? As long as she is, I will be there for her...and I won't regret a minute of it.
Tuesday....Took Mom to the hospital for a nuclear stress test. When she'd gone for a check up to her family doctor, he listened to her heart with the stethoscope, and he heard her heart skip a beat. (No, not because she's in love with him!) He did an immediate EKG and then determined that she should have a stress test. Thinking that, because she is 85 years old and walks with a cane, she could not withstand a tread mill, he ordered the injection type of test. I've got news for Dr. S. Mom could have out-done me, for sure, on that tread mill, but he is a careful doctor, and not one to take chances, so injection-type it was. It took all morning, and she wasn't terribly pleased about the whole business. When she came out to the waiting room, she firmly reported that she was 'never going to do that again! She was also wearing a Holter monitor which she'd have to wear for the next 24 hours.
Wednesday...Took Mom back to the cardiology unit at the hospital for removal of the monitor. She was glad to get that off and the electrodes and wires that were attached from it to her body. We were instructed to make a follow up appointment with the doctor. We left the hospital and went to Best Buy to peruse the computer section. Mom's old one quit, and she wants to buy a new one. I'm a bit concerned that she won't be able to operate the updated programs, as she doesn't see well and they can be confusing enough for someone who has perfect vision. I'd hate for her to spend all that money, and not be able to use it. But, she likes to play her games, and can do so little else, I'm careful not to say anything very discouraging. Anyway, she's determined.
Thursday.... I balanced Mom's checkbook (I almost never do my own!) Then I wrote out her checks for her to sign and addressed envelopes for her. I also made numerous phone calls for her to get work done on two houses.
Friday...today we will go and pick up the new computer, which she has decided is the answer to her long, boring days. It seems to me to be a rather pricey toy, if it will be used mostly for puzzles and card games....but it's not my money, and not my long, boring days.
Not often, but sometimes I feel as if I'm living my Mom's life, rather than my own. When I realize how selfish that sounds/is, I erase the thought! After all, she can't help it if all of her hobbies and interests have been stolen by poor eye-sight and failing hearing. She can't help it if she's a widow or that can't drive herself hither and yon, and she can't help it that age is causing more and more doctors and appointments. She can't help the fact that she needs some aid in doing things, like balancing checkbooks and writing envelopes. God gave this wonderful Mom to me, and she was always there for me and my family, to help in any way she could: babysitting, offering a listening ear or a word of wisdom, even giving a short term loan at times.
I'd so much rather have her with us than not to have her. I'd prefer to help her as much as I can, rather than have her in a nursing home, or even to hire an aide to come to the house. She doesn't need all that much care and we all hope that she never will. She just needs a few hours, sometimes every single day of the week, but that's ok with me. So many other elderly people need so much more requiring their children to be there around the clock. Mom has decided many times over that she will NOT live with us, but will do 'something else' if it comes to that. She's welcome, but she wants to live independently as much as she's able. I do wish, however, that we could find a person to clean her house. With my bad hip and back, I don't do real well on my feet that long, and my own house suffers because of that. Try as we have, we still haven't located anyone who has shown up.
So, all of my plans for this week, painting shutters, cleaning my house, getting my ornaments made for the Christmas exchange, have been put on hold. It's really alright. Those things will always be there waiting, but who knows how long Mom will be here? As long as she is, I will be there for her...and I won't regret a minute of it.
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