View From My Window

Wednesday, May 18, 2022 — Some days you just have to stop and laugh out loud. Woke around 6 a.m. and debated on getting up — had the alarm set for 7 so figured another hour in bed wouldn’t hurt. Finally, at 6:30 a.m. I could stand it no longer and got up, shut the alarm off (thank you to my niece Jeanette for the Echo Show–it’s wonderful!) and grabbed a fresh towel and headed for the shower.

Shower done, hair done, dressed and ready to go and it’s only 7:10 A.M. Okaay… LOL Coffee, pills (skipping the water pill because I don’t want to be caught in traffic and have to go), sit down to do a few e-mails and jigsaw puzzles online, and finally, it’s 8:39 and I feel it’s time to go. I went in to wake Robert and he was up, dressed and on his way out of the bedroom. I told him I’d be fine and would be back later in the day. And off I went.

They dilated my eyes twice (aack… yes, it still stings every time they put those drops in that are supposed to numb the eyeball). Finally, 3 sets of drops later, I’m released from the chair and told to go back out to the waiting room and they’ll call me back in to see the dr. They call me in a short time later and the dr. shines this light in my eyes and says my eyes aren’t very dilated. Hmmm… looks like they’ll have to do me again! I should have taken this as a sign… LOL Anyway, eyes dilated a second time and I’m called back from the waiting room and the dr. is finally able to declare that yes, there is a small spot on the back of the right eye (nothing on the left) and it’s nothing to worry about; probably due to high blood pressure some time ago. Told me if there was any problem in the future to give a call. I thanked him and said I would.

Off to Costco to get our supply of K-cups. The Kirkland Breakfast Blend is one we’re absolutely hooked on. I pick up two boxes of 120 cups and in the basket they go. A short while later, I’m satisfied with my purchases and head for the register. When I get there, there’s this little yellow guy laying face down next to the window where you slide you card. I reach in and pick it up, thinking about the article I’d read just this morning about how stuffed animals are good for people with dementia because they’re calming. A bit pricey, but the money goes to kids, so what the hey. The cashier then holds up the stuffed guy and shaking it in the air, calls out to the other cashiers and she’s one happy camper! I laugh and ask if she’s in a contest and she says Yes and pumps the air! ROFL … ah me… some times it just doesn’t take much to make someone happy. Which makes me think of the young man who was panhandling INSIDE the Albertson’s grocery store yesterday. Clean cut, very polite, but was asking me for $1. I handed him $2 and told him to take care and blessings to him. He wished me and my family blessings. As I said, sometimes it doesn’t take much to make someone happy.

Learned that my niece’s younger sister has tested positive for COVID. Worried about her… She’s in Texas, same town as my younger sister and she’s a beautician, so if she has to take off for a week, she’ll be out the income.

I decided to do a bit of sewing a while ago. I have the first row done on the quilt I’m making and when I sewed another two blocks together I didn’t like the sound of the machine so decided it needed a new needle. Found the container of needles, selected the right one and then looked for my gadget that holds the needle up into the machine so you can turn the screw and tighten it into place. Not to be found. Looked high and low. Nada and I only have the one. Went back and looked in my ‘bin’ again and voila! There it was. Got the needle in and got it threaded and was set to go. Got up to spray the strip and press it when the sprayer with my “Best Press” spray quit on me. Not to be outfoxed, I searched the house for an empty spray bottle. Transferred the liquid into the bottle and was ready to go once more. Then I went to the cutting desk to trim the second row before sewing it to the first row. And my cutter fell apart in my hand. Arrrrgh. LOL here… At that point, I gave in and told Robert, “Taking a break here, boss! (ala Paul Newman in “Cool Hand Luke“). Was laughing at this point so decided to sit down, write and listen to music!

Be safe, be well, and please be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 — I have a dr’s appointment tomorrow morning — in Bakersfield. Earlier today, I told Robert I wanted to ask him a question. I reminded him that I have an appointment in Bakersfield tomorrow and asked him if he would rather stay home instead of going with me. He replied, “I can sit in the car.” I replied, “But it’s going to be hot tomorrow.” He came back with “I can sit in the office waiting room.” I said, “We have to wear masks.” He said, “That’s o.k., I can do that.”

Later in the evening as he was getting dressed after his shower, he said, “I’ve been thinking, and you can go to Bakersfield by yourself. You know how to get there, we’ve been there before.” NOTE: We haven’t been where I’m going, but it was such a relief to have him say he was willing to stay home alone. I was facing the problem of trying to find someone to ‘drop in’ to visit with him while I was gone. I know he would balk and be hurt if I tried to find someone to sit with him while I was gone. He’s really not bad enough to warrant having someone sit with him, but if the appointment was in the late afternoon, I would worry. His sundowning symptoms seem to be stronger these days. And I worry about his fatigue–and his lack of appetite. I know I mentioned his losing weight before. He just doesn’t get hungry but when I offer him something, he’ll eat it. Around 3 p.m. today, I asked him if he was hungry and he said he didn’t know, but didn’t think he was. I asked if he’d like a small serving of chocolate pudding and he brightened up and said “That would be o.k.” While he was eating that, I peeled an apple and put it in a bowl and he ate 3/4th of that. That was pretty much it for the rest of the day. He’s had hiccups for over 24 hours now and that worries me. Uncontrolled hiccups can be serious business. If he still has them when I return from B’Field, I’ll call his dr. and see if we can get him in ASAP.

Meanwhile, I shipped off the Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge quilt to Mercy Hospital in Sacramento today. I had the city all wrong — not San Francisco, but rather Sacramento! Small difference there… And I’ve been working on the older son’s friend’s daughter’s quilt and have the first row done.

Well, it’s late and I’m tired–did some grocery shopping today and that took it out of me. Plus, I owed our neighbor a marble cake. The day before he and his wife left for a 10 day vacation, he carried a 40 lb. bag of birdseed in from the car and out to the deck. He said, ‘When we get back, I’ll take a marble cake–no frosting, just the cake!’ So tonight I made up two cakes — a yellow cake and a devils food cake. Put half of the yellow cake into two pans and topped with the devils food cake. Easy peasy. LOL

Do take care and please remember to tell those you love that you love them. Blessings to all…

View From My Window

Thursday, May 12, 2022 — I didn’t get to bed when I should have last night, so this morning I was very tired. A shower and a cup of coffee and I was ready to face the trip to Bakersfield. Robert’s appointment with the Urologist was for 11:00 a.m., so it was an easy trip down the mountain. I’d been there before so knew the way to go, but there’s an angle at one point on Union Ave., where the road splits about three different ways and I’ve missed which lane I need to be in every single time! Arrrgh. Thankfully, Robert was quick and had me move over a lane. I thought for sure I had it right this time. LOL Nope, will try again in 6 months when we go back to follow up with the Urologist.

The Ultrasound report showed a number of cysts in Robert’s remaining kidney and one 6mm kidney stone. The Urologist asked if we wanted to follow up with a Nephrologist and I showed my confusion (ignorance?) about the difference between a Urologist and a Nephrologist when I asked him if Dr. McBride was still practicing. This dr. looked at me and said, “You don’t like me??” I said, no, and he replied that Dr. McBride was the same as him — a Urologist. Then I had to ask him what the difference was and he said the Urologist specializes in surgery and the Nephrologist specializes in the medical causes of kidney/prostrate disease. He also said that he wasn’t sure if Robert had a hereditary condition that caused cysts to form in the kidney, but that we should have our sons get checked out. Interesting… He asked if we wanted to see a Nephrologist or would we like to be followed by him and I said we could just stay with him if that was o.k. and we’d be back in 6 months or sooner if there was a problem.

I have to confess here and say that when we went into the exam room, I had my Kindle with me and started to read. Eventually, I nodded off. When the dr. knocked on the door before coming in, I was startled awake and Robert immediately ratted me out by saying, “You woke her up!” Aaack! I couldn’t believe he did that to me. <sighs of embarrassment here> I had on my long sleeved shirt that has “The Book is Better” laminated on it and the doctor asked me, “Which book is better?” I said, “All of them, I’m a reader!” He chuckled and we got down to the business of why we were there.

I told Robert last night that today would be easy and a good day–and it was.

A bit earlier tonight, Robert was fixing himself a cup of coffee (we have a Keurig, thanks to our niece) and I could hear him griping so I called out, “Coming, coming!” and went to see what was wrong. He had put the old K-cup on the counter alongside the new one and then couldn’t get the coffee maker to work. He asked me if I knew what to expect next with his Alzheimer’s (he’s asked this any number of times) and I said, “You’ll probably continue to put the old K-cup on the counter right alongside the new one! But seriously, it’s just like the neurologist said, “You’ll continue to decline and need my help more and more.” He struggled to walk into the living room to take his place in his chair and I said that his body would gradually get weaker and that’s when he said he had discomfort in his chest. He doesn’t have any appointments with his primary, but I’ll watch him for the next week or so and perhaps con him into a visit. We shall see… never a dull moment!

Be safe, take care of yourself (hopefully better than I do at times when I burn that midnight oil sewing), and please remember to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Wednesday, May 12, 2022 — There are times when information comes to you and you don’t even realize you are in need of it. One of the dementia blogs I follow is that of Wendy Mitchell called, “Which me am I today”. Wendy has Alzheimer’s and documents in her blog, through photos and words, how the disease is changing her life. She’s an author and extremely interesting to follow. She lives in the U.K., which as some of you know, is one of my favorite places in the world. But I digress… If you follow the link attached to the title of her blog, you will come to a video of an interview between Wendy Mitchell and an artist by the name of Suki (I didn’t find her last name, but the blog post has photos of her and Wendy). Wendy and Suki collaborated on an art exhibit that was shown at a French woman’s home in London. This is the location of the first exhibition, and where Wendy and Suki discuss Wendy’s dementia and her work.

In the video, Wendy speaks of the way her mind works, how people mentally juggle all sorts of things in their mind (family, travel, work, what to fix for dinner that evening, etc., all at the same time. Wendy’s mind juggles only what she will do in the next minute. (A fascinating explanation of how the mind works when affected by dementia.) The next thing she explains (as you view photos of a bee hive) is that the buzzing you hear from the inside of a bee hive is what she hears almost all the time. She said that people with dementia often have a condition called Hyperacusis. Google says: “Patients suffering from hyperacusis may appear overly sensitive to a range of sounds, finding many noises unbearable and painfully loud.” Ah ha!! Now I know why Robert finds my usual activities in the kitchen aggravating. He has hearing loss from his years of work in an airplane hangar without ear protection, but the Alzheimer’s has also caused his hearing to change so that noises are more pronounced and shocking at times. If I happen to make a noise when emptying the dishwasher, he’ll yell at me, “Do you have to be so loud?” I never understood why he was complaining after all these years. Now I know…

There are so many things that Alzheimer’s or dementia in any form does to change a person’s world. Little by little, I’m learning, and find myself looking to be even more compassionate of my loved one. We see his urologist tomorrow (well, actually today since it’s after midnight!), and will learn the results of his latest ultrasound.

Be safe, take care and be sure to tell those you love that you love them. Pray for compassion for everyone.

View From My Window

Tuesday, May 10, 2022 — One down and several more to go. Tonight I finished the quilt for our eldest’s son’s friend/co-worker. I have 95% of the pieces cut for quilt #2, which is for our son’s OTHER friend/co-worker’s daughter. I think I’ll really like it because I love the colors.

Log Cabin lap quilt for our son’s friend/co-worker

Back of quilt showing the quilted leaves

Meanwhile, the older son also asked for more banana bread, because the last three loaves were taken home by his ‘friends’! LOL So, I baked 4 loaves and we’ve been eating on one.

Banana Bread

The bread came out really good this time. I always try to keep back one loaf for us but often, we get tired of it and it just sits on the counter until I toss it out for the birds to finish. They don’t mind if it’s a bit on the dry side! LOL

Took a drive to a new imaging facility today so Robert could have an ultrasound done of his pelvic region. The results are probably ready right now and we have an appointment with the urologist day after tomorrow to discuss them. The last time we met with the dr., we discussed the fact that Robert has a couple of small kidney stones in his remaining kidney. The dr. said if they were any significant size, he would want them broken down/dissolved or removed. So, we shall see what the results are and take it from there.

Be safe, take care and be sure to tell those you love that you love them. Life is fragile, handle with care.

View From My Window

Friday, May 7, 2022 — I need patience, and I need it right now. <sighs of frustration here> Where to begin this whine… perhaps it was trying to square up fabric that I’d ordered from an online company. The quality of the fabric was great, the cutting, not so much. I was working with fat quarters, but they were cut in an unusual way. Typical fat quarters are typically 18″ x 21″ in size. The ones I have are 15 3/4″ x 19 1/2″. I’m glad I ordered more than enough fat quarters to get what I need from them, because cutting has been a virtual nightmare.

And then, Robert called me away to find a ball game for him and because I was being impatient, I hit the keys too quickly and locked the controller up. That just added to my level of frustration. I have to note here that another caregiver posted a comment on one of the support group lists that I follow and said their loved one watches sports and the news–things that don’t require them to follow a plot or to remember who is who in the program. If they happen to nod off, no harm, because they can find the score if it’s a game, and if it’s the news, it’ll be repeated again later on. The only other thing Robert loves to watch is war movies–like last night when I happened on “Pearl Harbor”, and although we’d seen numerous times before, I left it playing for Robert and picked up my Kindle to read. At one point, I saw that Robert was crying–war movies make him that sad, yet he can’t not watch them.

Once I got the t.v. restarted and found a baseball channel for Robert to watch, I returned to the cutting table where I started to cut the selvage off the next fat quarter of fabric. My mind was running like a hamster on a wheel so I wasn’t paying attention to where my fingers were in relation to the cutter’s path, and so I promptly sliced off the side of the first finger of my left hand–deep enough that getting it to stop bleeding is becoming a real challenge.

There’s a good thing to share here…my two quilts that were being quilted by my friend got delivered to me and the cost was far less than expected, so that was a nice surprise, as I didn’t think I could drive with my finger bleeding like a stuck pig. Ahhhh… (Photos of the quilts to follow when I can get both hands working again!!!) LOL

I have to laugh at this point, because I think I’m done for today, and will go sit on the couch with my hand elevated to slow the bleeding, and perhaps it will quit so I can put a proper bandage on it. I have my Kindle and will just enjoy the rest of my day! I think to myself, “This too shall pass.” And so it will.

Be safe, take care of yourself, and know that you are loved. Remember to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Sunday, May 1, 2022 — We’re literally living in the clouds this morning. Couldn’t resist sharing the view from my window.

Living in the clouds

View From My Window

Saturday evening, April 30, 2022 — I enjoy working jigsaw puzzles, whether they’re physical on a table, or virtual, on a computer. Just a bit ago, I brought up the puzzle of the day and couldn’t believe my eyes. The puzzle was a house that was almost identical to the Victorian house my father and step-mother owned on Adams Avenue in San Diego. The link for the puzzle is here: There are a couple of differences, major one being that this house is in Iowa, but the colors, the trim (Gingerbread) and the fencing (white picket) are identical. It made me want to see their home again so I Googled the address.

My father passed away in 1992, the day before our wedding anniversary. My step-mother lived in the home until she couldn’t make it up the stairs to the bedrooms and then she went to live with her daughter. We went to see her shortly before she passed–she was 90 years old and had dementia. It was a difficult visit for us, and I imagine for her as well since she didn’t remember us at all.

The house has a historical landmark sign on it now. Someone had to have researched it because it wasn’t a landmark home when my parents lived there. Here’s what the house looks like today, or at least the last time it sold (in 2019, I believe). Such a strange feeling to see the house as it is now, and mentally comparing it to the way it was back when. I spent many a holiday in that house, especially at Christmas when my parents would have these Christmas get togethers of family and friends.

I can only think of a couple of my family who are still alive who would remember what the house looked like before. I might have to give them a ring tomorrow and see how they’re doing. For myself, I’m going to go back and work that jigsaw puzzle that shows the house the way it used to look for me years ago.

Never underestimate what time can do to you. Life is precious and it goes by so fast. Enjoy your life and appreciate those who are still alive and with you in this life. Blessings to all.

View From My Window

Saturday, April 30, 2022 — Yesterday we had a visit from Paul, (our older son), and his long-time friend, S, who also works for Union Pacific RR. He brought another co-worker/friend along, MM, and we had a nice visit. I had two loaves of banana bread set out for Paul and just before they arrived, I had made a pan of “Kitchen Sink Blondies”. The name comes from a package of Toll House chips/caramel pieces and pretzels called, “Kitchen Sink Morsels & More” (Recipe here:

S noticed that I was working on a quilt and asked if that was the one I had said would go to a friend. Yes, it is, I said, and I have another one at my machine and three more for the Quilts For Kids Bakersfield organization. S joked and said, “I thought you said you weren’t going to make any more.” Riiight! I do remember saying that, but I smiled at him and said, “I lied. I just can’t seem to help myself.” I can’t post photos of that quilt right now because it hasn’t been gifted yet, but I’ll be sure to take photos and share them once the recipient lets me know they’ve received the quilt.

Then, S came into the office with me and said he had a daughter who had just turned 17. He said she’d just got her driver’s license, and asked if I could make her a quilt as a special gift from him. I said sure and showed him the Log Cabin quilt I was working on and said I didn’t see that quilt as one that would be for a girl, and then showed him my newly acquired green, white and rose fat quarters. I told him these would be a better choice for his daughter. He said her name was Sarah, so I’ll be sure to make up a label that has her name on it. I’ve been thinking about patterns and trying to decide which one to use for Sarah’s quilt. It’ll come to me… and when I’ve decided and begun sewing it together, I’ll share photos here.

Later on last night I sent a message to Paul, telling him to apologize for me to his co-worker/friend, MM, for not asking if he would like a quilt. I told him to let me know and if he wanted one, I could make the Log Cabin quilt for him. I got a message from him this morning and MM said, Yes, he would love a quilt and any color would be fine. So, that takes care of that. I told them yesterday while we were visiting that I didn’t always have a person in mind when I was making a quilt, but the Universe always saw to it that someone would come to me, needing a quilt. And so it goes…

For Sarah

Nothing else to say so will close this with blessings to all. Be safe, take care of yourself and be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Wednesday, April 27, 2022 — On Monday afternoon, I reminded Robert that he had an appointment with the new urologist the next day. He immediately got upset and asked “Why?” I said he needed to get his remaining kidney checked. Again, “Why?” I explained that he only had the one kidney and it was important that we got it checked out every now and then. I told him I would cancel the appointment if he liked. Then he said, “I thought you said I didn’t have any other appointments for the rest of the year.” I would never have said anything like that, but rather than argue with him, I said I was sorry and I could cancel the appointment if he liked. He looked at me and said, “O.k., I’ll go. When is it? It’s in Bakersfield, isn’t it?” Yes, and the appointment is tomorrow afternoon. He got quiet at this point so I went back to my office. He wasn’t happy about it, but at least I didn’t have to cancel the appointment.

So we kept the appointment and I noticed that Robert was very quiet yesterday morning and when we were at the urologist’s office, he seemed confused and tense. After the dr. came in and I discussed with him Robert’s history and why we were there, he said he would order blood tests and an ultrasound to see what the kidney stones were doing. When he left the room, Robert said, “We’ve never seen this dr. before have we?” I said, no, he’s new. When we were at the counter, setting up the next appointment, Robert looked around and the receptionist asked him what he was looking for. He said he needed to find the exit. He said he was confused. He was totally disoriented at this point. When we finished with the receptionist, I started towards the exit and asked Robert if he was ready to leave. He said, “Yep. Good to go.”

Today, I slept in a bit and when I got up, Robert said his pill box was messed up. He said he couldn’t find pills for this morning so he took Wednesday AM instead. I reached over and picked up his pill box and at the same time told him that he did good — today IS Wednesday. For whatever reason, he thought it was Tuesday. He was very confused yesterday–all day long! The one thing he remembers from yesterday is that he had some very good chicken! LOL I took him to Caine’s for his favorite chicken fingers meal after we’d seen the urologist.

Every day is different and I have to be flexible. Today, Robert has a number of baseball games to watch. I have leftover chicken fingers for his lunch and will make him another milkshake in the afternoon. He weighed 150 yesterday, which is better than the previous 148.

One day at a time… patience and perseverance will prevail. Be sure to stay safe, take care of yourself and please tell those you love that you love them. Know that YOU are loved!

View From My Window

Saturday, April 23, 2022 — Made the trip to Bakersfield and back without a hitch. I stopped into CostCo and put more gas in the car (I’d only put $50 in it the other day and it didn’t quite fill the tank). Another $32+ today and it topped off. Hate to think of gas continuing to be this expensive. Gads… no eating out, that’s for sure!

I started to buy a box of protein shakes there at CostCo, but thought if Robert doesn’t like them, what will I do with them?? The box was $30, which is a bit pricey, so I skipped them and thought I would just try buying a six-pack of Ensure and use that with ice cream to make his milkshakes. We’ll see if that perks his appetite up. I also bought some healthy nut granola bars. When I got home, I thought Robert had brought them into the house, but I couldn’t find them. I looked all over the pantry and everywhere in the kitchen, but they just weren’t there. Robert said he hadn’t seen them (although he carried the box into the house) so I went back and re-checked the car twice! No granola bars. Finally, the box caught my eye — they’d been moved from the kitchen counter over to the breakfront so weren’t anywhere I would have expected them to be. When I picked them up, I held them up to show Robert and he got this blank look on his face and said he was sorry. He’d picked them up off the kitchen counter and moved them to the breakfront–but didn’t remember either carrying them in or moving them. I laughed and told him he was just trying to trick me. I’m glad I could laugh it off and not get upset with him.

When I dropped off the four completed quilts at the church in Bakersfield, I wasn’t going to take any more for a while, but I couldn’t resist. The kits are sooo easy to make up. Anyway, I now have three more kits to make up. Also, I found a new friend at the quilt group who lives here in Tehachapi. I traded contact information with her and she said she would be happy to take any completed quilts and turn them in for me. I explained to the few women who were there that my husband has Alzheimer’s and my new friend told me about her parents and said she would be more than happy to sit with my husband any time I needed a break. She said her mother cared for her father until he passed (he had Alzheimer’s) and she refused to consider placing him. She passed just a few months after he did and he had Alzheimer’s for over 10 years.

The Tehachapi Mountain Quilt Guild sent 66 comfort quilts to Poland for the Ukrainian refugees. Other quilting groups are making quilt blocks in yellow and blue and will be shipping them to a quilter over in the Ukraine. She will put the blocks together and finish the quilts before giving them to people who have lost their homes there in the Ukraine. That is such a horrific thing to have to live through. I really believed I would never see or be exposed to a war during my lifetime. But sadly, I was wrong.

I stopped by the mailbox on the way home and picked up the mail. I have a quilt kit in there that I ordered the other day. I won’t say anything more about it for now, but once it’s given to the recipient, I’ll post photos.

When I got home, there was a package waiting for me. It was a box of 800 quilting clips! LOL

Birthdays are such fun!

If I lose a clip or two, it won’t matter! LOL Combined with the 200 I received the other day, I now have 1,000 quilt clips!! Anyone need a quilt clip??? LOL

Be safe, be well, and please remember to tell those you love that you love them. Love makes all the difference in the world.

View From My Window

Saturday, April 23, 2022 — Alzheimer’s is such a different disease. It’s not only about remembering things, but being able to understand what’s going on around a person. Last night I turned on Blue Bloods, a program about a three-generation family of police officers. There was a scene where a young girl was being asked to show a photo on her cell phone to a gang leader. The leader was forcing her to commit murder of Danny Reagan, son of the police commissioner. She had a photo on her phone of Danny laying on the ground with two bullet wounds in his chest. Suddenly, Robert asked who the guy was in the show (meaning the gang leader). I explained the whole scenario for the episode, including who the various characters were and what they were doing. Robert looked at me and asked why that guy was in the show (meaning the gang leader). I really didn’t know how to answer this as I would have thought my detailed explanation would have told him everything he needed to know. His next comment was, “How did you get all of that from the little bit that we’ve watched?” I wasn’t sure (again) how to respond so I simply said, a lot of things are indicated by people’s actions and what they say. I offered to turn the program off and he said, “No. Keep it there if you want. I don’t care.” So goes another night of feeling like I haven’t been able to respond to Robert’s questions adequately. We don’t watch Blue Bloods religiously, but we watch it enough that he should have been able to recognize the main characters in the program. But last night they were all strangers to him.

This whole scenario is played out a number of times each week, as I try to find something on t.v. that is of interest to him, but won’t require a lot of thinking on his part. I wind up watching a lot of war movies and airplane movies. No questions about these plots, and he often will add tidbits of information about the airplanes in the films. These topics are ingrained in his memory and are comforting to him because he can remember them. Amazing.

I went online last night and ordered a new pair of slippers for him. The ones he has aren’t worn out, but are very difficult to put on and they have to be ‘pulled’ off. I ordered a pair of fur lined loafer shoes. I hope he likes them and will wear them. It’ll make undressing and dressing a bit easier.

Today he got his newspaper, delivered by mid-morning. He was able to get his day going! Happiness is…

Take care and stay healthy. I’m off to Bakersfield for the next couple of hours. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them. Patience is a virtue and I have to practice it all the time anymore.

View From My Window

PLEASE NOTE: I found this post sitting in my drafts box. I don’t know if I added to it and posted it or not. If you’ve read this day previously, please forgive the duplication and pass by deleting it.

Monday, March 14, 2022 — A very positive Monday so far. I’ve changed internet providers, placed calls to my husband’s doctors to get his prescriptions going, and in general have felt much calmer than last week. Notwithstanding the savings of over $60 per month on my internet bill, Robert will have additional programs that he wasn’t able to get with the previous provider.

And, I finished proofreading a new book for an author friend of mine (Sarah Wynde). It was (as always) a very enjoyable read and all too short. I know I’ve mentioned her before, but for those who don’t remember or who weren’t followers of my blog, you can find her books on Amazon. “A Gift of Luck” is the title of this next book and it has all of the main characters as in her previous books, which I thoroughly enjoy.

I really needed to sew something (anything! LOL) so have taken a piece of fabric and will cut it apart and add other fabrics to it and create a one of a kind quilt top.

View From My Window

Friday, April 22, 2022 — A cold and dreary day–lots of naps in store today; no better day for reading/sleeping than a drizzly day. We do need the moisture.

The appointment with Robert’s neurologist went fairly well yesterday, considering that there really isn’t anything they can do for us other than to provide prescription renewals for the two medications he’s taking. But when Robert asked him what would happen to him next, the dr. said, “Well, you have Alzheimer’s and there really is no cure, so you’ll just continue to diminish and will be relying on your wife more and more. Take each day as it comes and enjoy your life. Continue to do as much as you can and enjoy each day. Come back in 6 months and we’ll speak again.” Robert sat there and absorbed the news without having anything to say. I had told him pretty much the same thing, but when the news is coming from the doctor, it has a stronger ring of truth to it.

Yesterday, I said I was thinking about writing to the owners of #26, to ask about the ‘rumor’ that the neighbor woman had told me when I drove by the house the other day. Since I hadn’t written to tell them of my phone number change, I decided I would use that as an excuse to contact them. I wound up telling them about our place in Apache Junction, and how people were close friends and supported one another. I said I looked forward to having that same support/friendship when we lived there in Mountain Aire. The owner wrote back and thanked me for the phone number and said the last time she was there at the house, she had two women stop and give her the latest ‘news’. LOL She said there’s nothing like the gossip mill in a senior citizen community. I have to agree. BUT, she did say they had not sold the house, so I’m still in the running for it! LOL I also wrote and added that I noticed several flowers blooming in the yard, which was really nice — they’re all bulbs, so they will be there for us to enjoy for many years to come. The next time I’ll have to take pictures! I’ve been waiting for my own Iris bulbs to bloom, but nothing yet. There was a deep purple Iris in bloom at #26, along with Poppies, Tulips (even a white one, that I’ve not seen before) and some Daffodils. So nice…

I received a call a bit ago from a man from Valley Caregiver Resource Organization and he asked if anyone had ever got back to me after the message I left a couple of weeks ago. He said there was a new coordinator for our area and I had to laugh when he asked who I had been working with last. I said that ever since Chris Barrett had retired over a year ago, there had been a succession of people, but no real support. I shared the incident of the missing support group with him and he apologized. Then I asked (for the 3rd time) for a contract so I could get reimbursed for part of the respite care that I’m paying for. I told him that all I was receiving from Valley Caregiver was money at this point and it wasn’t as important to me as the support group meetings. He asked how many people attended the meetings and I told him when Chris was coordinator, we always had 12-14 people in attendance. I added that I had a list of 4 other members whose e-mail address I had and who I had reached out to by e-mail a couple of times, but with no response forthcoming, I’d given up on the effort. He promised to get a contact to me and to see to it that we had more support for our area. I do hope so… I just received a call from the new coordinator–there will be a zoom meeting next Thursday. Keeping my fingers crossed…

Another day without a newspaper — this completely throws Robert’s day off. I called the newspaper this morning and actually got to speak with someone. The person who had been delivering to our area retired and so they’ve been trying to find a replacement, but haven’t had much luck. I didn’t go into the details of how key that newspaper is to my husband’s orientation of what day it is, etc., but at least now we know why the delivery has been so bad. Several times I’ve thought about just driving up to the drive-through dairy store and buying a paper. I might have to start doing that.

Tomorrow is the monthly meeting for the Quilts For Kids organization. I will be going but Robert will remain home. I plan on hitting CostCo and getting an OTC medication recommended by my new Ear, Nose & Throat dr. for my congestion/sinus infections. And, we’re down to one banana, so need to restock those. I’ll also see what they have for nutrient supplements that I can use in a daily milkshake for Robert. He was weighed at the neurologist’s office and only weighed 148 lbs., compared to 166 lbs. in October, when at their office in October of last year. His appetite has decreased and when he eats a meal, he either gets upset if I put too much on his plate, or just leaves the food. Then he complains that I put too much food on his plate. He’s also become rather picky about what he’ll eat. Last night I cut up his chicken-fried steak for him and I could see that he noticed it, but didn’t say anything about it, other than it was cold. I need to start microwaving his food for 30 seconds before serving him so that it’s piping hot.

No more whining… The sun is out and the dark clouds are pretty much gone.

Do take care, stay safe, and be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Thursday, April 21, 2022 — It’s going to be a beautiful day today. We each have an appointment in Bakersfield today. Robert sees his neurologist and I see an Ear, Nose & Throat doctor to get my ears checked for hearing aids. While I’m there, I think I’ll have him check my sinus infection–why the heck not??? LOL Ah me…

I had a wonderful weekend visit from the younger son and our niece. They totally surprised me with a birthday cake, card and gifts. Yep… more than one!! They knew I had been complaining about my KitchenAid mixer so they bought me one. It’s a bit smaller than the one I had, but it’s GREAT!! Richard took the old one back home with him to see if he can perhaps oil the gears to get it working smoothly (and quietly) again. I told him I’d had the gears reworked a number of years ago, but they needed reworking again. But, this new mixer will work very nicely, thank you!! Plus, my niece bought me an i-watch–the one that can do a check of your heart and tell you what your heart is doing–if my heart goes into an A-fib beat, it will vibrate and let me know. It’s a life-saver, for sure. My sister and other niece (younger sister of the niece that visits) each sent me 100+ clips for my quilting. They’re strong, much stronger than the hair clips I’ve been using and I know I’ll enjoy using them. Happiness is…

I don’t know what to ask of the neurologist today. Part of me wants him to tell Robert what to expect as far as the progression of the dementia. I know he worries about dying, but I truly feel that is years and years away yet (thankfully). As for my ear exam, I was surprised when my primary care dr. said that not all hearing loss can be fixed/helped with hearing aids. Interesting… we shall see.

I happened to drive by #26 the other day, and the neighbor across the street was out working in her garden in front of her house. (For those who aren’t familiar with the number, it’s the space/house number for the home at Mountain Aire Estates, a mobile home park here in Tehachapi, that we’ve been waiting to purchase for over a year now). I stopped and called out to her, introduced myself and said I hoped to be her neighbor one day, if we ever get a chance at purchasing the house on the corner from her. She smiled and told me her name and said she’d heard a rumor that the house had been sold. My heart stopped for a bit and then I thought perhaps that means that we’ve been given the o.k. to purchase it even though we haven’t seen it yet. Part of me wanted to contact the son and DIL to verify, but then I thought that I really didn’t want to know because we’d been waiting on this house forever and if they’d already sold it to someone else, I didn’t want to know about it until I had to face it. Patience and faith are required, and a good load of it, if you please.

Not much else going on so will close this with blessings to all. Be safe–take care of yourself and know that you are loved. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Thursday, April 14, 2022 — At long last, I’m back! LOL It took two visits by RACE installers — the first was to run a line from the telephone pole down to the ground and up the outside wall of the house. They installed a new box on the wall and told me someone would return and trench to bury the line. They respected the fact that we’d paid extra money when we had the house built to make sure that all services were buried underground so we wouldn’t have unsightly wires/cables running to the house. The second visit was today, and the installer had to drill holes and run lines all around the outside of the house. We still don’t have telephone service and won’t have until Spectrum releases our phone number. Just another waiting period. But tonight Robert has t.v. and I can be in here writing or sewing.

Putting a quilt top together

Trimming and squaring things up

A long-time friend asked me for a quilt. She wanted something made by me, which gives me great pleasure. I found this very colorful fabric in my stash and began cutting it apart while thinking of solid colors to add to it. I have a real handicap when it comes to sizing fabric/pieces. Consequently, the layout for this quilt has changed a number of times and may yet change again before it goes to the long arm for quilting. BUT, it will be colorful and will be the very best I can do to make it a memorable and comfortable quilt.

The kids will be coming up for the weekend starting tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to it. It feels as though it’s been a longer period of time since their last visit and I’ve had some stressful times since then so could use a hug or two.

I had a semi-bad day yesterday. I’d talked to the past president of our Senior Center and he said there would be a caregiver support group yesterday. He produces their monthly newsletter, so I figured he should know. I had trouble sleeping Tuesday night, keyed up and anticipating the first in person support group meeting in close to 2 years. Finally, morning rolled around and I could get up, shower and get ready for the meeting. I went at 12:30 p.m., figuring the meeting would start at 1:00 p.m. When I got to the Center, the parking lot was empty and the door was locked. Not a soul in sight. I used my cell phone and called the main office for Caregiver Resource Center in Fresno. They didn’t know anything about a meeting so they put me through to the voicemail of the person responsible for our area. I left a message and asked for a return phone call. And I waited… and waited. I’d brought my Kindle along so I sat in the car, sun shining through the windshield and read, and dozed, and read.

Finally, at 1:59 p.m., I decided to call it quits and leave. When I got home, I called the Bakersfield office and the call went to the Fresno office. I spoke with the same receptionist and she put me through to the program manager’s voicemail. I left HIM a message explaining the situation and asked for a return phone call. I’m still waiting for a return phone call from anyone. I did call my friend, S.G., from the support group. She’s now a widow but knows what I’m going through so I call and get advice from her. She moved up north to be closer to their daughter before her husband passed away. When she was still here, we’d have lunch together every other Friday and be able to vent our frustrations or tell stories about our pasts. She’s a good friend and I miss our times together.

Part of me feels like the organization isn’t really providing me any true support, other than the monthly respite payments which reimburses me partially for my housekeeper. Eventually, I’ll have to have another person to come in and sit with my husband. For now, we’re o.k. I’m taking it one day at a time here.

Be safe, be well, and be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Saturday, April 9, 2022 — I’ll be offline for the next few days. I had changed our internet provider from AT&T to Spectrum, but have had nothing but trouble with the Spectrum service. I called several times and they sent a repairman out today. He found burned cable/wire running up the pole and replaced the line. It was working when he left the house, but 5 minutes later the service was history. I decided to cancel Spectrum and go to Race Communications. They’ll be here on Thursday to get me set up. My next door neighbor is having Race installed this coming Tuesday.

Hard to believe service can be that bad… I’ve been with Spectrum less than a month so I’ll get a refund on all of my payments. Plus, I should receive a reimbursement for the canceled service with AT&T. Spectrum advertises that they’ll buy out any contract with a different provider. I completed the paperwork and got it sent off last week.

Take care and please tell those you love that you love them.

Blessings to all,

View From My Window

Friday, April 8, 2022 — When it rains, it pours. We lost a good friend last night. John Greenelsh passed away from Cancer. We just got word the other day that he was bedridden and Hospice was caring for him. And now he’s gone. John and his partner, Barbara, lived in Mountain Aire Estates and we were looking forward to seeing more of him once we moved in there. Just sad news…

Life is so fragile. Handle with care and be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Thursday, April 7, 2022 — I went through a really terrible day yesterday and am still feeling the aftereffects of it today. BUT, Robert came into the office and started massaging my shoulders and asked if I was alright. I said I would be eventually. He apologized again (seriously this time instead of a snide remark like last night), and I had him sit down so we could discuss where we went wrong yesterday.

I told him as much as I loved him, I needed a break from being with him 24/7 and I didn’t need grief over the fact that I had to leave the house to run errands or to just get away for awhile. I told him yesterday was partly my fault because I allowed him to go with me to Bakersfield, even though in the back of my mind I knew it was not a good idea based on previous trips where he got upset and I felt uncomfortable and nervous. He agreed to be better and inside I thought about how his heart might be in it, but his mind/body would no doubt not cooperate. So we take it, one day at a time, one moment at a time, and try to breathe.

I told him I had errands to run today and I didn’t want grief about it. I told him if I didn’t leave the house to do things, the house would fall down around us and we would starve to death. Our friends would wonder what happened to us and the police would be at our front door for a ‘welfare check.’ He smiled and I felt relieved. I told him I appreciated that he was still able to talk with me about how we messed up yesterday. I told him one day he wouldn’t be able to discuss things with me and I would miss that. I told him that he should have stayed home yesterday, and that by going with me, he was trapped in the car for over 2 hours. That’s not good. He said he wanted to make sure I got home. I told him I had my phone with me and there’s gas stations and if I got lost, I knew how to find my way home. I told him that one day he would be at a point where he couldn’t be left alone in the house and I would pay someone to sit with him. He just nodded his head yes. So, it is what it is and we’re in agreement.

This morning, he called me to come help him. His right hand wouldn’t grasp the coffee cup so he needed me to move it to the table by his chair. He apologized, saying “I’m sorry. I don’t want to be this way.” I told him I didn’t want him to be that way either, but it is what it is and we will get through it together.

Part of me is relieved that we’ve cleared the air between us, and part of me realizes this is just the tip of the iceberg, and we need to work through it, day by day.

Be safe, take care of yourself and know that you are loved. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them. Patience and perseverance are words to live by.

View From My Window

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 — Today was extremely difficult. My cardiologist appointment was for 2:45 p.m. I arrived at 2:30 p.m., and didn’t get out of the dr’s office until after 4:00 p.m. Robert had sat in the car for the entire time. When I finally made it out to the car, I told him that I had a very quick errand to run to drop off the quilts I’d completed and then we could go to dinner. I had the directions all written out but one of the streets didn’t match up and I got lost. When I pulled into a parking lot to use my phone to figure out where we were, Robert said, ‘Just take me home.’ And so I did. Then, to compound things, I wound up taking a freeway in the wrong direction and Robert got me corrected and back in the right direction. By this time, I had tears running down my cheeks. I resolved that he would not be going with me again. He will learn to stay at home.

This has been a real bone of contention with us since his dementia has progressed to the point it has. He doesn’t want to leave the house. More than this, he doesn’t want ME to leave the house. He asks me why I have to go every day. I don’t go every day, but for whatever reason, he thinks I’m going out every day. I tell him that sometimes I have to leave the house, to pay bills, buy food, etc. This seems to satisfy him, but the next time I have to go somewhere I hear it all over again. <great sighs of frustration here>

I realize that he doesn’t want to be without me because he’s become so dependent on me, and he feels very insecure, but it’s a guilt trip for me when I need or want to do things without him. If my doctor’s appointments are here in town, he’s content to stay home and let me go alone, but not to Bakersfield.

Tonight I told him he would not be going with me again. I was already upset because of the conversation I’d had with the nurse practitioner. Once again, I was told that I should agree to having a defibrillator installed. I asked the nurse practitioner, “What if my heart stops and the defibrillator shocks it and brings me back, will my physical condition be worse than it is right now?” “I don’t want to be dependent on anyone because I have my husband’s welfare to consider.” She couldn’t answer that, and I just don’t know why they’re so insistent on this procedure if they can’t assure me it will improve my overall health and well-being.

I know my niece and our younger son read my blog, so they won’t want to read the following, but I’ve told Robert that if I ever develop cancer, I will not submit to treatment. I have very good friends who are undergoing treatment for cancer and I watched my older sister when she underwent treatment for breast cancer. I really don’t want that. At that point, I’d consider it my time to pass on to my next life and just let it go. I’m beginning to think the same way about the heart condition. If the defibrillator ‘brings me back’ will it just be to live a minimal life, waiting to die, while other people take care of me?? What would my life be like then? We’re talking about the eternal question of quality of life vs. quantity of life. It’s a hard thing to think about, much less make a decision on.

We’re only given one day at a time to worry about, thankfully. I will persevere and keep a positive attitude–it seems to be the only thing I can control these days.

Be safe, be well and take care of yourself. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them. Enjoy your life and be grateful for each and every moment of time.

View From My Window

Monday, April 4, 2022 — Such a day! I had two doctor’s appointments today and I called and canceled them both. Some nights are just damned difficult and last night was one of them. Some time in the wee hours of the morning it occurred to me to just call and cancel the appointments–give them whatever excuse comes to mind and let it be. Reschedule. Face it another day. So I did. No remorse. One office has already called to reschedule me for Wednesday afternoon. Much better! Will wait for the other one to call. I wasn’t feeling up to driving to Bakersfield at the crack of dawn this morning.

I did, however, get all four Quilts For Kids quilts finished last evening. Herewith the promised photos:

I was going to meet up with the QFK chapter president and turn in the quilts today, but sent her an e-mail saying my plans had changed. I hadn’t received a reply to yesterday’s e-mail, asking to meet up with her, so I figured it wouldn’t present a problem that I wasn’t able to make it today. I see a reply in my e-mail inbox so will read it and make new plans. Meanwhile, I’m not going to take any more kits until I finish the quilt I’ve started for a friend, and the green stripe quilt, which doesn’t have a recipient in mind for now. No fear, one will appear!

I did get my new glasses today. I like them–so much better than what I had been using, and I don’t know if the prescription is the difference or the fact that the frames are new and actually fit my face. I hope the headaches go away–not fun. But then, I don’t know but what the headaches are being caused by the blood vessels in the back of my eyes which have burst. The appointment to get them checked out was the first appointment I canceled for today. No more appointments before 10 a.m. if they’re in Bakersfield. I have enough trouble sleeping without worrying about having to get up early for a doctor’s appointment. Every time I started to go to sleep, I would come awake in pain. Just a horrible night.

Much improved today, coupled with a nap mid-morning. On other fronts, we’ve met several of the new neighbor kids. I took a loaf of banana bread over to the house, thinking our friend MM was there assisting in removing the huge railroad layout from the basement. The family has 10 kids and are going to subdivide the basement into bedrooms for all the kids. I walked in the open front door and a young girl and small boy met me and greeted me. I introduced myself and asked if MM was there. She replied that no, she didn’t expect him until tomorrow (today). I handed her the bag and asked if she would see to it that he got the bread. I told her I had a couple of loaves for them at the house and would she like to walk back over with me to get them. She gave me her name and introduced her brother (did not quite catch his name, but he had a big grin on his face and called out, “I love banana bread!” I chuckled and said that was good because I had several loaves set out for them. When we got to the house, I wound up giving her the remaining three loaves, some small paper plates, napkins and a plastic knife for cutting the bread. I then offered to give them a tour of the house, finishing with showing them the downstairs and ‘where the trains live.’ Then I took them outside to check out the Sunset Pacific Ry. They immediately wanted to run trains and I said I was sorry but I didn’t think any of the trains worked right now. But, I told the girl that I’d been weeding and I offered her a job if she wanted it. I explained that I couldn’t reach the weeds in the center of the layout and I was willing to pay her minimum wage if she wanted to come over and help out. I told her to ask her parents if it would be o.k. She came back over later to say her parents told her it was o.k. if she wanted to do it during their ‘down time’ from working on the house. When I went over to give the bread to MM, the house was full of kids, and every single one of them was working like crazy, pulling up carpet, flooring and who knows what all else. They were demo’ing the house while their parents were attending a baby shower! I told Robert that I figured with 9 brothers and sisters, this girl could use some pocket money! Very polite, nice looking kids… ages are 4 to 20-something. The girl I met is a twin and I got to meet her sister. It’s going to be a different kind of neighborhood, considering there’s no kids at all in our cul-de-sac. I can see a lot of chocolate chip cookies being made and distributed to the new neighbor.

Not much else going on so will close with blessings to all. Be safe, take care of yourself, and be sure to tell those you love that you love them. If today wasn’t what you thought it would be, just wake up tomorrow — you’ll have a brand new day to enjoy. As always, persevere.

View From My Window

Thursday, March 31, 2022 — Semi-busy day today. I have the 2022 Hands2Help Challenge quilt ready for the long arm. Mercy Hospital will be the recipient. They were my first donation back in 2019. Other donations have gone to Little Lambs Foundation and the local Tehachapi hospital.

2022 Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge

I was looking at the quilt top and wasn’t completely happy with having the black border ‘hanging out there’ all by itself. So, I went shopping in my stash in the garage and found a nice beige/burgundy tiny print that works really well. It picks up the beige background of the focus panels and the burgundy in the houses on the panels. Now it feels complete! I’m backing it with black and will bind it with the green from the 2nd border fabric. Once complete, it’ll go off into the mail and that project will be complete.

Next up! LOL I’m working on putting the binding together for the 4 Quilts4Kids project. One at a time… After that, I’ll work on using these two blocks of fabric strips that I uncovered while searching for a fabric for a border for the Mercy Hospital quilt. As I get the quilts bound, labeled, signed and ready to be turned in, I’ll share photos here.

Next project?

The design of these strips lends itself to a 3-Rail Fence pattern if I separate the strips into sets of 3 and then sub-cut them. They’re only 17″ wide, but I’ll be able to get three, 5″ blocks out of each set of 3 strips. More than enough fabric there to make a quilt, especially coupled with the fabrics I have that can be used as borders. No recipient identified as yet, but I’m not worried. The Universe is out there searching for someone that needs a quilt from me. When the time is right, they’ll appear. Never fails…

Only one other major task to do today and that’s to go get our taxes done. <Major Groan here> It’s something that I know has to be done and I’m the only one to do it. Still, it’s like a major bill coming due and although I have the money, I don’t want to pull it out of savings. Plus, I wasn’t as thorough in pulling stuff together this time around and am hoping that when I meet with the accountant this afternoon she’ll find everything she needs. She usually will make a list of things I need to come up with. It makes me feel bad that I’m making more work for her.

Be safe, take good care of yourself, and be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 — Instead of working on the binding of the 4 Quilts For Kids project, I worked on the house panel quilt. It’s getting there. I need to add another border and then find a backing fabric and then, get it quilted, apply a label to it and get it shipped off to Mercy Hospital in Sacramento.

Right now, it measures 27″W x 36″L, which is not big enough for a lap quilt. It might cover the top of a crib, but I think the scenes lean more towards an adult as the recipient.

A long-time good friend has hinted that she would like me to make her a quilt. I’m more than happy to do that as my next project. We’ll have to get together to get colors, pattern, etc. worked out. No problem!

Hope you’re having a good day. Mine is going fairly well. Do take care and be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Tuesday evening, March 29, 2022 — I have the quilts trimmed and ready to have their respective binding attached. I thought I’d post a sneak preview of the 4 quilts and the pile of trimmings from which I’ll cut the binding strips.

Quilts For Kids — Bakersfield Chapter

Trimmed fabric for creating the binding.

Be safe, be well, and tell those you love that you love them.

View From My Window

Tuesday, March 29, 2022 — What a day! There’s a real dichotomy of life going on right now. We have had a nice gentle rain over the last 24 hrs., though the wind did blow quite hard off and on. Everything is so green now. I do love it.

That said, for some reason, Robert is withdrawn and quiet today. His hearing is off and I have to get close to him and repeat things 2-3 times before things register with him. I don’t know if it’s the Alzheimer’s dropping down again, or if he’s actually worried about something. He’s broken and I haven’t a clue how to fix him. And, although I know I shouldn’t, I pick up on his emotions and they bring me down to where he is, which isn’t a good place to be.

I did get my four Quilts For Kids quilts taken to my friend with the long arm quilting machine. A couple of hours later she called and said they were ready to be picked up. I can’t believe how fast she is. Worth every penny I pay as I would be crying with neck/shoulder/back pain and not have even one quilt finished in the time it took her to do all four. Plus, I would have had to get down on my hands and knees over the living room floor, for every quilt, taping the backing to the floor, layer the batting and top and then (still on my hands and knees), pin everything together. Then, once I was satisfied that the quilt wouldn’t pucker when I tried to quilt it on my machine, I would pull it up from the floor and take it to the sewing machine. Hours later, one quilt would be half-finished and I would still have three more to go. I’m still having pain in my sciatic nerves (both sides) and have added a Naproxen to my daily pain meds. I think at times I should see a chiropractor, but I have been doing the stretching exercises and they have been helping so will carry on and keep on keeping on.

I also made contact with the ex-President of the Tehachapi Senior Center and have information on the next support group meeting (Hooray and lower the drawbridge, I’m coming home!) I had called twice to talk to someone and never got a call back. So frustrating. Anyway, I will receive their newsletter fairly soon and know the date/time for the support group meeting. Keeping my fingers crossed that the people who attended before get the word and set aside the time to attend. I would hate to have the meeting canceled for lack of attendance. That said, I did get a call from an Intern with Valley Caregiver Resource Org. today and I told her I needed a new contract form for my new housekeeper.

The day is winding down to a close and my lunch is sitting here getting cold (I made turkey chili) so will close this for now. Please be safe, take care of yourself and remember to tell those you love that you love them.