The Simple Woman's Daybook 27 January 2014

 

Outside my window...the sun is up and forecasters are calling for a high in the 50's!  Doug and I have already been talking about possible outdoors activities for the day.  I have to laugh at the way these southerners complain about the cold and wonder at us in our eagerness to spend all the time we can out in this glorious sunshine.  Spend a few years in the north my friends!

 

I am thinking...about lists.  Lists of things to make, lists of things I want to accomplish in myself and things that I want to learn.  The bright sunshine always makes me optimistic for the future.

 

I am thankful for...the day that we spent yesterday.  We toured two museums in Greenville, had lunch out and then came home and watched two episodes from Father Barron's Catholicism.  After the rosary and some snuggling it was time for bed and the end of a nearly perfect day.

 

From the kitchen...there will be some chicken enchiladas in the crock pot for Doug and mom and some grilled salmon for me.

 

I am wearing...my pj's still.  It is mom's bath day so there is really no sense getting ready for the day until after that chore is over.

 

I am going...to be staying home all day today.  I have a mountain of sewing to do and a new ruler coming in the mail to help me accomplish that.

 

I am reading...The Scarlet Letter. 

 

I am hoping...to get a little pink confection made up and shipped by the middle of next week.  A dear friend gave birth Saturday to a little baby girl which calls for some sweet baby sewing.

 

I am hearing...the furnace taking the chill off the house, mom scraping the last of the applesauce out of her bowl, and Doug listening to some video on youtube.

 

Around the house...there are some necessary chores calling out to be done that I am doing a good job about ignoring.

 

One of my favorite things...creating beautiful dresses for new little lives!

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...going out one of these days to get my hair cut and colored!!! Sorry family members who say they like it grey, I don't.  I was thinking a nice vibrant shade of purple. What do you think Kim Kraeger?

 

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

My wonderful, loving, patient husband enjoying one of the displays at a museum that we visited yesterday.  The inmate didn't have a good time but I daresay that there is little that we could have done that would have changed that. Yesterday was all about pleasing the man.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 24 January 2014

 

Outside my window...the sun is shining and the sky is a deep blue color.  It is on days like this one that my spirit is lifted and everything is totally possible.

 

I am thinking...that the Lord sends us sunny days in order to convince us of the virtue of hope.

 

I am thankful for...my Mama whose heart is big enough to embrace me from a long distance. 

 

From the kitchen...mom and Doug are going to enjoy quiche for their dinner tonight.  Tomorrow I plan on putting a nice piece of pork into the crock pot and turning it into some good barbeque!!!

 

I am wearing...jeans and an orange tee shirt.

 

I am going...to spend this evening with my beloved husband. 

 

I am reading...The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne.  I thought I would revisit an old friend.

 

I am hoping...that tomorrow's weather is as nice as today.  I have to run into Greenville and it is always nicer and easier when the sun is shining.

 

I am hearing...the cooking network on TV, the clunking sound of the wooden puzzle pieces as mom puts her puzzle together, and the whir of the fan when the furnace comes on.

 

Around the house...it is warm and cozy.  Doug and I are making a home out of this place and it feels good.

 

One of my favorite things...completing a project and knowing that the recipient will really like what I created.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...since the week is about over there is not a lot of time for plans.  Tomorrow I have to take my laptop into Greenville to the Geek Squad to have the WebRoot software put on it.  When I am done there I will go back to St. Mary's and go to confession and to mass.

 

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

Looking at this picture of the water going over the falls brings back a perfect day spent outdoors.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 13 January 2014

 

Outside my window...it is chilly outside but the sun is already shining brightly and it promises to be another glorious day. 

 

I am thinking...about the long list of things to do today.  After taking Friday off, having an abysmally gloomy day on Saturday and not doing any work on Sunday I am woefully behind.

 

I am thankful for...this man who plans special days like the one we had yesterday.  It was just the medicine needed to cure the rain and gloom of the day before.

 

From the kitchen...I am contemplating something utterly delicious with the two chicken breasts that I took out of the freezer.

 

I am wearing...long john shirt and flannel pants. 

 

I am going...to stay home for most of the day.  The only thing pending today is to take mom to the dr. for blood work but that is an in and out type of visit.

 

I am reading...A 40 Day Spiritual Workout for Catholics

 

I am hoping...to finish a whole pile of things today so that I can make a run to the post office and ship packages tomorrow.

 

I am hearing...the humidifier running in the living room (boy will I be glad when that doesn't have to be going all the time), the blue jays calling outside the kitchen windows, and Doug and mom finishing up their breakfast.

 

Around the house,,,I am beginning to sense an air of welcome and comfort.  On the days when my mother is most cognizant that feeling totally disappears but this morning she is somewhat subdued and so the house is relaxed and comforting.

 

One of my favorite things...the sound of rushing water.  Yesterday's trip to Falls Park in Greenville was a satisfying taste of nature and time in the outdoors.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...finish and ship Kaycie's birthday shirt, the dress and burps that I am making, hat and books for MK and Christopher, books for my friend Mary, and a couple of surprises for my soon to be daughters in law.

 

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

Mom and Doug as we set off on the path around Falls Park.  The sun shone brightly and the temperature got up near 60.  It was a perfect day to enjoy the outdoors.

Christmas and taking care

When you are caring for a person suffering from dementia (after a certain point I don't know how much they suffer but I do know that the care giver begins to suffer more!), the day to day tasks begin to make you some what introspective (if you have the time).

As we began to approach the Christmas season my husband and I entered into a strange sense of deja vu. Though it is a futile exercise to try and figure out or predict which mental powers a person with dementia retains or has lost it is extremely interesting to observe them in action.  While preparing for the upcoming Christmas celebration we naturally assumed that my mother would retain some knowledge, understanding, something to do with the season and its meaning since she was born and raised a practicing Catholic.  WRONG! When quizzed about what Christmas was my mother had no reply. When the nativity scene was pointed out to her he only reaction was a comment about how pretty it was.

 

Enter the deja vu!!!!!!  All we could do was harken back to when our children were young and didn't know yet what Christmas was all about.  Each evening before the recitation of the rosary we began what had once ben a very familiar routine sitting before he nativity and telling the story of the birth of Jesus.  There are those who would call this a humbling experience, humbling it may be, but heartbreaking is more the way to describe it.  While my children slowly learned and understood what they were being taught, to my mother everything was new each night.  At each retelling my children would remember more and more and would be able to fill in the blanks themselves, the same cannot nor will ever be the same for my mother.  Each evening's telling of the Christmas story was a new experience for her.  Asking questions of her, no matter how leading they were, became an exercise in futility.  Then one evening something occurred to me, this exercise had nothing to do with my mother, I could quit or not it would all be the same to her.  The person to whom it mattered, Jesus Christ, desperately wanted me to continue.

 

 

 

Christmas for my mother was confusing and troubling.  She couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.  Why the lights, garlands, tree, and the music?  What were all the packages about?  Having to open presents was almost enough to send her over the edge. (she is so OCD that the thought of ripping the paper nearly paralyzed her).  Is this the face of a woman who is full of the Christmas spirit?  Her greatest angst that day was the fact that I made her wear a skirt instead of pants. (Touche' dear mothe!)

 

Dementia is a strange master. Now that the season is over and all the lights, garland, and ornament have been taken down and put away mom is much improved.  She is less tense and confused on a daily basis.  She looks around the house as if to say, "What is going on around here?"  She has always been a creature of routine, order, and habit and that is the one predictable thing about this disease, it makes these traits more intense.  So we are back to order, routine, and habit, at least until the next celebration comes along!

The Simple Woman's Daybook Wednesday 8 January 2014

Outside my window...the sun is shining brightly and it has warmed up into the 40's finally!  I know you people in the north have had much colder temperatures but somehow know I am living in the south makes temperatures in the teens an affront.

 

I am thinking...about changes and being forced to change.  I used to complain about changes, even fight change but now, after living with a woman who is suffering from dementia I am coming to terms with the place that change plays in our lives.  I think that change, to a degree, plays a role in keeping the brain sharp. 

 

I am thankful...for the power that the Lord has given to me to notice things, analyze them, and come to conclusions about what I should do in my life.

 

From the kitchen...there are two loaves of bread cooling on the counter and two GF pizza crusts waiting to be topped with a whole lot of goodness.  Thank you Sharon for that wonderful cookbook!!! I am loving all the GF goodies that it contains.

 

I am wearing...a big baggy shirt and sweat pants.  Today is a day to stay home and get a lot of things done. 

 

I am going...to stay home for the next couple of days (I hope). I have all the embroidery done on the burps that I am making and the dresses and panties done as well. Now all that is left is the fasteners on the dresses and the trimming on the burps.

 

I am reading...the poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson.  I have been feeling the need for some poetry lately.

 

 I am hoping...to finish this sewing job and ship it by the weekend so that I can get going on Ryan and Kathleen's wedding present and on their album quilt for their reception.

 

I am hearing...the ice machine doing its job in the kitchen, the furnace keeping the house warm, and The Hunger Games audio book playing on the stereo.

 

Around the house...everything is warm, bright and sunny.  I love the fact that this house is situated so that the sun pours in the windows for most of the day.  I have my sewing area set up in the living room in front of the two biggest windows in the house.

 

One of my favorite things...these days when I know that I have been doing what God has sent me here for.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...finish my sewing, pick up the car when it is done at the mechanics, keep up with Mom's physical therapy, keep loving my family and stay close to my God.

 

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

 

Mom getting her first manicure.

For all of my GF friends...

 

My very dear sister-in-law, Sharon, gave me this book for Christmas and let me say that it is a real keeper!

After being invited to my brother's house to enjoy a pizza dinner and being treated to a GF crust that was made from a recipe in this book I knew that Sharon had found a the answer to gluten free eating.

 

Imagine my surprise when, on Christmas morning, I opened my package and not only was this book in there but also a number of the flours that figure in many of the recipes!  I felt like I had found a treasure.

 

Today I finally got a chance to do some baking and my first attempt was the recipe for English Muffins.  Being the most versatile type of bread product I thought they might be a good place to start.

 

My oven runs a bit on the warm side so they did come out a little darker than I would have liked but I gave one a try and I have to say they are more than acceptable.

The recipe as it is written makes 24 muffins so I cut it in half since I only had 12 muffin rings. They are not only chewy but they even have nooks and crannies when you split them.

I highly recommend buying this book if gluten free eating is in your lifestyle.  Another resource that Sharon introduced me to is nuts.com.  On this website I was able to find all of the flours that were listed in the book and at lower prices than were available locally.  Happy baking everyone.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 30 December 2013

 

Outside my window...it is a very gloomy day.  Thank God that we had an awesome visit from Aunt ReNee', Caiti, and Erin to brighten it up.

 

I am thinking...the love that exists between members of my family and the way that it is demonstrated.

 

I am thankful for...the love and support of a husband who leaves home and work to help care for my mother.

 

From the kitchen...tuna steaks, rice, broccoli, and a large green salad are all on the menu tonight.

 

I am wearing...jeans and a brown tee shirt.

 

I am going...to be working like an elf in Santa's workshop trying to get MK's birthday gift done so I can ship it in time for the big day. (probably won't happen but hey I can try)

 

I am reading...nothing!  There is too much to do and far too much to pay attention to for me to get lost in a book.

 

I am hoping....that MK has the best birthday yet.  Have I mentioned that she is the sweetest daughter a woman could have?

 

I am hearing...Johnny Mathis singing in the livingroom, Doug out in the garage working on some project, and the blue jays out back fighting over their quota of sunflower seeds.

 

Around the house...things are quiet, far too quiet!  I either need a toddler or a puppy to liven things up.

 

One of my favorite things...working beside the man that I married and knowing that what we are doing is what we should be doing.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week....finish MK's gift and ship it, work on a commission, mass for the holy day, lots of the usual home and household tasks, and just generally see to the responsibilities of my state in life.

 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

 

The peace and joy of Christmas spent with the ones that you love cannot be over emphasized.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 23 December 2013

 

Outside my window...it is dark.  Though I usually do this post first thing in the morning today I didn't get that chance. 

 

I am thinking...about family and all that the word and concept means to me.

 

I am thankful for...the man that sleeps beside me every night, who stands beside me in all of the trials of life, who not only vowed to love me but who really does.

 

From the kitchen...there will be plenty of good things to be had by all who come to this house during the Christmas season.

 

I am wearing...sweats and a tee shirt.

 

I am going...to go to bed soon and sleep like Santa does before his big night.

 

I am reading...not a thing.  I finished the book by Father Delp and haven't even thought of starting anything new yet.

 

I am hoping...that somehow my mother manages to have a happy Christmas.  Even though she doesn't seem to understand what is going on she can still get some happiness out of the time with family if she lets herself.

 

I am hearing...the sound of the program that Doug and mom are watching on the TV, the water running in the ice maker in the kitchen, and an airplane taking off from the airport that is not far from here.

 

Around the house...everything is ready for the celebration of the Christmas season to commence.

 

One of my favorite thing...the sights and smells that are associated with the celebration of Christmas and the times that the family has all been together.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week....making merry and seeing to it that the birth of Christ is well and truly commemorated in this house.

 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

 

Our Christmas tree.  Small by Kraeger family standards but it is the best we can do this year.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 16 December 2013

Outside my window...once again the south teases  me and presents me with a very heavy frost.  Although snow is not my favorite form of precipitation  at  this  time  of year  it would  be nice to wake up and suddenly have a couple of  inches  on  the  ground.

I am  thinking...about the role that prayer  and faith in God plays in  our lives.  Acts  of piety must be real and sincere  I  have decided  (actually I knew it all along  but  it has been brought home to me that this is a true thing).  Satan will find whatever means he can to work his wiles on all of us.

I am  thankful for...churches that have masses  late in the evening on  a Sunday,  husbands who  love unconditionally and completely, and phones with GPS!

From the kitchen...leftovers will  be on the menu.  This cook is recovering from  a weekend long bout of the two bucket disease and cannot imagine doing any cooking  yet.

I am wearing...sweats.  My sweet man let me sleep in this  morning so it is a  slow start for all of  us.

I am going...to  ship  our a couple of packages, take mom to the doctor, and finish up a couple  of projects today.

I am reading...Father Delp.  I am way behind where I should be in the book but  getting so much out of what he has to say!

I am  hoping...so many things  I  can even put into words  here.   When  all  else fails hope, my  friends  is all  we have!

I am  hearing...the sounds my mother  makes when she is  eating and actually likes what I have  put in front of her, an airplane taking  of from  the little regional  airport outside the development where we live, and the dogs  next  door barking  because the  school  bus  has stopped  up on the next  street.

Around the house...there is a waiting air.  I have done my best to gradually decorate and prepare for the coming of Christ at  Christmas   The stable that my dad built is out and waits the presence  of the holy couple, the tree is  set  up and  sports an angel willing to proclaim  "Peace on Earth  to men of  good will!"

One of my favorite things...sitting of an evening in my husband's arms enjoying the silence  and warmth  of the home that we have made.

A few  plans for  the rest  of the week...somehow I have to get some baking done  (we will observe our Christmas traditions!), get the house clean, and finish the decorating  all while taking care of mom and seeing to it that she doesn't go behind me undoing all  that I have  done.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you.....

The Simple Woman's Daybook 9 December 2013

 

Outside my window...it is dark.  Doug and Mom are in bed and I am taking some quiet time to myself to look at pics of home and think about those who are far away.

 

I am thinking...about those who populate my life.  The family that I enjoy here in the South and the family that I left behind in the north.  How I miss my other mamas back in Verona and my dear daughters in Vernon.  I never knew that the need for a hug from my grandbabies could become something physical and so strong that it aches where my heart ought to be.

 

I am thankful for...the man that God has blessed me with.  There is no way that I could make this journey without the love of both God and my dear husband.

 

From the kitchen...we enjoyed chicken done with citrus fruit and rosemary in the crockpot along with mashed potatoes, squash and corn.  Tomorrow I think I will do something simple like meatloaf.

 

I am wearing...flannel jammies.

 

I am going...to bed as soon as I am done here.

 

I am reading...Father Alfred Delp.  His writings are so interesting and timely that I think it may take me longer than this season of Advent to get through this whole book.

 

I am hoping...that my mother wakes up in a better frame of mind tomorrow than she did today.

 

I am hearing...the sound of the furnace warming the house, the cars going by on the highway outside of the neighborhood, and the dog next door barking at something or other.

 

Around the house...there is a waiting presence.  Ever since we moved in here this house has whispered to me that it is waiting but for what I do not know.

 

One of my favorite things...the hush that comes when the fog settles in around here and the rain starts to fall.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...tomorrow we have to go to the holy day mass at noon.  Mom has PT twice this week along with visits from the nurse.  Tomorrow is Doug's birthday and I am planning on taking him out in the evening.  Wednesday will be the internment of my father's ashes.  That makes for a busy week for all of us.

 

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

My dear sweet daughter riding Rocco.

 

 

The Simple Woman's Daybook 2 December 2013

Outside my window...the sun is trying to shine.  According to the weather prognosticators today is supposed  to be warm and sunny.  Time will tell.

I am thinking...how the seasons of life and of the year, at least in my case, bear no resemblance to each other.  I think that I am supposed to be in the autumn of my life, translate slowining down.   That however doesn't seem to be the case in my life.  Things seem to be getting more and more hectic as the days go on.  I can  only surmise that God feels I need to be more active rather than less so.  Brings to mind that song from The Sound of Music.  You know the lyrics:  " Perhaps I had a wicked childhood...."

I am thankful for...a husband who gets up in the night with his mother-in-law so I can sleep, who installs drawer and cupboard latches so she will be safe, and who holds me when I cry just because I need to.

From the kitchen...spaghetti and meatballs tonight.  Uncle John  is coming in from Texas and this sister know it is one of his favs!

I am wearing...a burgundy linen jumper and a white tee.

I am going...to take Mom out for a pedicure today.  I am interested in seeing her reaction to that procedure.  I for one am looking forward  to that pampering.

I am reading...Father Alfred Delp's  Advent of the Heart.

I am  hoping...that my mother shows some recognition when my brother shows up.  It is something of a shock when she acts like they are total strangers to her.  

I am hearing...Doug working to install the latches on  the drawers  in the kitchen, the dryer working on its first load of the day, and some Christmas music playing in the background.

Around the house...everything is clean and neat (ok the floors need attention but I can get past  that) which makes me feel like I can turn my attention to other more diverting pasttimes.

One of my favorite things...Christmas music.  I admit it. I  could listen to it  all  year.   I refrain only for the sake of my family.  

A few  plans for the rest of the week...live each and every day as if I am going to meet my maker tomorrow.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with  you...

Yesterday was the first day of the Advent season.  Let us all spend the next 22 days preparing our hearts for the coming of the Savior of the world.  The only way to adequately make way for his coming is by emptying ourselves of the world so that there is plenty of room for the divine.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 25 November 2013

Outside my window...the sun has been trying to shine all day long.  It is quite chilly out  for the southland, 41 but not altogether unpleasant for this displaced northerner.

I am thinking...about the care that my mother needs and the effort that it takes to communicate to others our idea of caring for her as opposed to trying to restore her to some imagined degree of health that is totally impossible.  

I am thankful for...a family that is all on the same page about how much we want to put mom through when  it comes to  healthcare.

From the kitchen...mom enjoyed a chicken salad sandwich for her lunch and there will be pork chops on the  menu for supper.

I am wearing...sweats and a tee shirt.  After coming home from mom's appointment  I changed and took a long walk in the brisk air.

I am going...to start a load of laundry and marinade the chops so that supper can be on the table in a timely fashion.

I am reading...nothing yet but two new books came in the mail today that I have selected for my Advent reading which I plan on starting tonight.  Advent of the Heart by Father Alfred Delp and Alfred Delp, SJ Prison  Writings

I am  hoping...that my mother continues to be comfortable and happy for the last months  or years of her life.

I am  hearing...Doug listening to a youtube video  in the kitchen, Steve and Mom talking in the kitchen, and the BlueJays calling outside.

Around the house...it is quiet  and companionable.

One of my favorite things....is getting things done on time which is not happening lately.  But I am  learning a little bit of patience while I am on this ride that I boarded.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Thanksgiving! Need I say more?

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

I think this has become one of my favorite pictures of Savannah.  This little girl has more personality and attitude  than any kid that I have ever encountered.

     It's a funny thing about the human mind and how it works.  When children are young they need to be molded and taught how to think, reason, and process information so that they can function in the world.  Their personalities and wills have to be disciplined so that their reason eventually triumphs over the impulses of their lower natures.  (Hey MK  that sounded  pretty good  didn't it?)  Later  in life especially when afflicted  with a  disease that breaks down all of that training it is an interesting and often frustrating thing to watch the reverse become true.

     By now anyone  reading my blog knows that my Mother has dementia (or senile dementia  as it used to be called)  and my husband and I have  packed  up our lives to move south to care  for her.  What  a mind blowing situation and also how self-revealing!

     The woman who used to epitomize control, and yes at times  coldness, is now the epitome of childishness and irrational behavior.  She operates completely on impulse and desire and it is often a shock to me to witness.  A good example would be when we took her for groceries shortly after arriving in the southland.  My mom was in search of a particular kind of cracker that she not only liked but hoarded like Scrooge hoards his gold.  We got to the section of the cracker isle of Bi-Lo where they could be found and she proceeds to open a box to make sure that the contents are what she wants.  I was not only shocked but stunned into silence (yes Kraeger children you read it here).  When I found my voice I hissed  at her, "Mother  you cannot do that!"   Her response was equally emphatic, "But I want to."  When she determined that those were indeed the crackers that she wanted she put the opened box back on the shelf and selected two identical unopened boxes and put them  in the cart.  When I took the box that she had opened off the shelf to put in the cart she was adamant about not buying "damaged" packaged.  My mother would not hear of the fact that she was the one who had "damaged" that box of crackers.  I can tell you that when I was a child I would have been slapped and roundly scolded for even touching anything in the store let alone opening a box of crackers.

     I don't record these illustrations to mock or to make my mother look bad though.  The disease is so totally in control of this woman that I am daily convinced  that there is little or none of my mother left in  there.  Granted we occasionally see clues that she is very much there.  Though she has only called me by name twice since we have been here her treatment of me has been characteristic of a lifetime of animosity against  women.  By the same token, though she continues to call my husband by my late father's name, her reaction to him has also been characteristic of her reaction to the men in her life.  I expect that in the future  as she deteriorates further my mother will completely disappear  and the disease will take over completely.  Until then I will  try to laugh when things are amusing and find something amusing when things are frustrating.  God bless my dear husband for his continued love and patience in this situation.




   

Scratching my head and figuring things out

     Well here we are settled into Mom's house, she is home from  the hospital, and we have already had the visiting nurse out to...visit.  I can tell that along with the treatment for the congestive heart failure and the UTI her dementia is improving somewhat (fear not I am  under no illusion as to the extent of that happening).  My whole point  in,  ahem,  pointing this out,  is that my dearest Mother is exhibiting next  to normal behaviors  and attitudes.  Wait, let me change that to Attitude with a capital "A."

      My mother has always been an extremely determined  woman (translation: stubborn).  Yesterday I got the clue that her dementia was a bit better when I went into the bedroom to get her up from her nap.  Her reaction to my presence was a resounding "No!" and a swing of the left arm that would have connected with the side of my head if I hadn't been prepared for it.  Then later in the afternoon when the visiting nurse came she showed the next very definitive clue that she was very much with it.  When asked to set a goal for her care Mom refused to reply, crossing her arms and setting her jaw in a way that her children would find very familiar.  When I suggested that getting dressed all  by herself be a possible goal she said a flat out and very emphatic, "No!" That was the end of her cooperation with the nurse for the rest of the interview and her treatment of me went from  cordial to downright hostile for the rest of the evening.  Yep, Mom's back!  Hooray for modern medicine.

A couple of family favorites

Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  So close in fact that I can practically smell the turkey cooking!   My daughter-in-law Kim has requested two recipes that she has had at my house more than  once.  They happen to be a couple of Jason's favorites and I know that she wants to make them for his Thanksgiving.  Since we live hundreds of miles apart I thought I would post them here for her to copy down and share them with the rest of you folks.

Broccoli Casserole

5 C broccoli
8 oz Velveeta (cubed)
1/4 C butter (melted)
1/4 lb. Ritz crackers (crushed)
1/4 C butter (melted)
     Cook broccoli until 1/2 done: drain.  stir in cheese and 1/4 C butter.  Pour into buttered  casserole. Toss crackers with melted butter.  Spoon onto broccoli.
Bake at 350 20-30 minutes


Pea Casserole

1 lb. frozen peas heated through but not thoroughly cooked.
1 can cream  of mushroom soup
1 C Velveeta chesse cubed
2 hard boiled eggs chopped up
     Combine all ingredients in buttered casserole.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  I like to top with Ritz crackers crushed up and mixed with melted butter.

Enjoy and have a happy Thanksgiving.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 18 November 2013

Outside my window...it is dark and not likely to get any lighter for many hours.  The sun has finally set on this long and stressful day and I am very grateful to God for that fact.

I am thinking...about the reverses that are inevitable in all of our lives.  I wonder what it will be like when one of my children has to take the position of parenting me.

I am thankful...for the daily wonder and revelation of the depth of the man that I married.  While I was gone to the hospital with mom this man that I married spent the day fixing  whatever he  came across that needed repair and continued to unpack from our recent move.  I love you beyond words Douglas Kraeger.

From the kitchen...my sister produced chicken soup for Mom's supper  and now that the larder has been restocked tomorrow looks a lot better for all of us.

I am wearing....warm comfy pajamas.  Not that I am not perfectly at home in whatever I wear but today I longed to take off jeans and get into something that spelled stay at home and not go out again.

I am going...to stay at home tomorrow! I think that I have had enough driving, moving, traveling, and otherwise visiting new places for a good long time.

I am reading...the piles of literature that the hospital gave me concerning congestive heart failure, how to cook for a cardiac patient, and what to look for and what to do if there is an emergency.  (do you know how to dial 911?)

I am hoping...that we can have some peace, stability, order, and routine for a good long time.  

I am hearing...the twins sounds of my husband snoring beside me and my mother snoring across the hall.  Both of those sounds are strangely reassuring.

Around the house...things  are beginning to get into shape.  We are slowly finding places for everything and everything is getting in its place.  Home is where my husband and I are together and I am pleased to say that we  are adjusting well to this house.

One of my favorite things...knowing that those who belong in the house are all present and accounted for.  It gives me a sense of completeness to know that when the doors are locked for the night the house is holding all those that it should hold.

A few plans for the rest of the week...finish getting the house put together, conquer mount washmore, get mom comfortable and adjusted back to her own home and routine.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

My sweet  little Savannah modeling her shiny pink boots.  Boy do  I miss those little people of mine.

Packing up our troubles in our old kit bag

     I have always been a rooted person.  Plant me somewhere and the roots will grow and go deep.  I think that it has already been established that change is anathema to me.  With all that being said here we are packing up all our worldly possessions into a UHaul truck for the second time in a month.  "You want I should just shoot myself and be done with it?"  That's kind of how I feel about this carnival ride that I have been on.

       So, this  past week we are having a normal time of it keeping mom well fed, happy, and safe from falling into any mop pails and the next thing we know she winds up in the hospital.  What started out as a routine urgent care visit to get a UTI taken care of and to scope out a family doctor turns into, "Your mom may be in heart failure and she needs to be taken to the hospital like, now!"

         While I am jumping on that little merry go round to see where it is going to take me I get an email from a sibling asking for signatures on a rental agreement and payment of rent and utilities starting at the end of the week, thank you very much!

     They say that when God closes a door somewhere he opens a window.  I say be sure to look out the window before you jump.  You never know if there is a ladder waiting for you to climb down or a trampoline.  This week's window is brought to you by  flubber.  We just  keep bouncing up and down and I am not sure where or when we get off.

     The decision has been made to pack up  and move out  of my brother's house  since it is a far greater thing to be unemployed and homeless than to be  simply unemployed.  Actually we will be moving into my mother''s  house and that thought carries with it all kinds of humor, irony, and downright angst!  I remember when Doug and I were married my folks jokingly saying that I was to remember that there would be no "going back home to mother" if we ever had any problems.  I am here to submit that the laugh is  on them.  Not only am I going back home to mother but I am bringing hubby with me and mother isn't going to be the queen of the castle!  To quote one of my father's oft used phrases,  "How do you like them apples?"

       All  humor and   bellyaching aside though, ain't it the truth that God has a sense of humor and an unusual one at that?  It is not enough that Mom is in the hospital and I have to spend nights there (can you say trying to sleep in a plastic covered recliner?) but the packing has to be done and other details have to be attended to.  Thank you God for a husband who cooly and calmly swings into action and just gets the job done.  His daily mantra has to be, "God has a reason for this."  (no kidding it really is.  If I've heard him say it once....well you know the rest)

     So here I sit in a hospital room listening to my mother snore and occasionally ringing for the nurse to put her heart monitor bak on after she has removed it and I cannot help but ask myself, "I wonder what God was thinking when he set this series of events in motion?"

The Simple Woman's Daybook 11 November 2013

Outside my window...it is dark and chilly.  I have been having computer issues today so I am awfully late doing this post.  It is night dark rather than morning dark.

I am thinking...about obstacles and things that step into our paths to try and test us.  Since I have been here taking care of my mother there have been many obstacles, large and small, for both of us that have tried and tested me.  I  wonder if I am living up to the lessons that these obstacles are meant to teach  me.

I am  thankful for...the husband that God gave me who is willing not only to be  beside  me in this newest trial and adventure but also to love both of us through it all.

From the kitchen...we enjoyed leftover Southwestern Chicken Stew that I made yesterday.  Tomorrow  I will  have to put  my cooking hat back on and come up with something delicious and nutritious.

I am wearing...my third outfit of the day.  I thought that caring for children was a messy thing but this caring for a parent is equally so sometimes.  

I am going.... to lay my head on my pillow tonight knowing that I put in a good and long day in the trenches.  Tomorrow the day will be spent in the sewing room and everyone else here had better find some way of occupying themselves.

I am reading...not a thing!  When is there time to pick up a book to read.

I am hoping...to get the christening dress I am  working on smocked tomorrow and get the embroidery traced out and started.

I am hearing...my wonderful husband in the kitchen washing up the dishes, the furnace blowing reassuring heat into the family room  where I sit writing, and the  TV playing  its noise in the background.

Around the house...all is quiet and settled for the night  Mom has just gone to bed and the peace and quiet is wrapping itself around us.  This evening  Mom looked at us with tears in her eyes and expressed concern because she had no idea where the "little thing that goes in that (gesturing toward the door) is."  Doug gently reassured  her that there was nothing to fear he was  here for the express  purpose of protecting  both her and me and that nothing was going to happen as long as he was here.  I couldn't help but feel the spirit of the house settle around us in agreement as he spoke those words.  It seemed to agree with him and was trying to assure her too.

One of my favorite things...the way that we set our own rhythm so that the peace and security that mom needs is always here.

A few plans for the rest of the week..get mom to see a dr, get  her eyes examined, keep up with my sewing, all the while taking care of my husband and staying close with my Lord and the rest of my family.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

I came across this again and it made me think of Layn.  Poor little dude must  be having a tough time without his  Grandma there to spoil him.

Rationing Paper Products and Other Adventures in Caring for a Parent

The patience factor is extremely high when it comes to caring for a parent.  When my kids were young and I was seen around town taking all 6 of them shopping or to functions all by myself (my husband being a dairy farmer wasn't often available for during the day activities) observers would automatically assume that I had far more patience than the average mom.   After all why else would I be able to cart all these kids round and keep order without seeming to lose my sanity?   Little did those onlookers know that sanity is one of the things a mother checks at the door of the labor and delivery suite when she has her first child.  But I digress.

Patience is not something that I possess in abundance.  I don't even have a little bit of it.  Humor, scads, patience, not a wit!  The key to raising all those kids was to keep in mind that they were learning, little by little, what was expected of them.  Lessons are never learned on the first try so it was easy to try again the next day, and the next, and so on until they left home.  Caring for a parent is a whole different ball of wax!

Everyday I have a new mantra as a I care for my mother; she has no clue!  Wipe away from your mind any memories of the fastidious, controlled, and proper woman that raised you I keep telling myself.  She's gone somewhere into the mist.  What has been left is a woman who doesn't know the rules of common sense, isn't going to learn them, and doesn't give a hoot. 

 Before I go any further, while this may sound sad, and in a way it is, sad is not what I am.  Amused, yes, fascinated, you bet, but sad not really.  Everyday I wake with the remembrance that biology is doing its darndest to cheat my mother of everything that she was and I am here to make that journey as easy and pleasant as possible.  

So when she goes through a roll of toilet paper a day just because she can and every box of tissues in the house have to be put up high so that they are available if you have a legitimate need I just remind myself that the lessons are there for me to learn and God gave her to me to be the teacher.  Only this time there will be no more spankings with a wooden spoon and she can't ground me for minor infractions.

Today I am refusing to be depressed because we have to "mom proof" the house for her own good and once again all of her underthings have to be washed because she feels the need to wear them all at once I will spend the day thanking God for washers and dryers.  I think that I need to get out my volumes about Mother Theresa and reread them and remember that though my mother is not materially poor, in her present state she might be considered one of "the poorest of the poor."

The Simple Woman's Daybook 4 November 2013

Outside my window...it is dark!  I suspect that dark is going to be my new friend while I walk this road of caring for my mother.  I never was a morning person but now I think that is going to become a 24/7 thing.

I am thinking...that while change may be inevitable there is no rule that says I have to like it or accept it gracefully.

I am thankful for...family! Siblings who understand without being told and who have refrigerators with plenty of beer in them.

From the kitchen...is a good question. I think I will have to wait for inspiration to strike. Let's hope it doesn't take all day about it.

I am wearing...warm and cozy flannel jammies!  We may be in the south but it still gets darn chilly around here at night.

I am going...to put in a full day's work today!  (I'll let you all know how that pans out after the day is over) 

I am reading...you're kidding right!  Between trying to work on commissions and taking care of mom there is no time left over for reading.  I managed to do 11 loads of laundry over the weekend!

I am hoping...to figure out why the quilting machine is out of whack and set it right before I give in to the temptation to throw it through the window!

I am hearing...the distant whistle of a train as it passes by on the tracks, the furnace coming on to blow some warm air into this place, and the now familiar creaks and groans of this young house growing older as it wraps itself around a new family.

Around the house...the other inmates are sleeping and the air has a distinct odor of anticipation as this new day brings its promise with it into the lives of this family.

One of my favorite things...spending the evening having fun with my niece and nephews.

A few plans for the rest of the week...I would like to see all of the smocking on this christening set be done by Wed. so I can start construction.  Tune in later to see if that little plan works out.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

The sight of my granddaughter snuggling with her doll is so right.