Cars and Dogs

This has turned out to be a better day. Asta does have to go on insulin and has to stay at the vet for the next 3 days to get leveled. That has good sides and bad. We want her home; she will be back feeling better. The OTHER side of course is the financial one.
My car has been down since June 19, with belt gone, pulley gone, thermostat and housing broken by belt, and the hose for the power steering is now leaking. At least when they are all fixed, which all but the hose is fixed now, it will be in good shape again for 225,500 miles on it.
Bob's truck has been up and down; had to purchase new tires all the way around, and with battery and alternator issues for the last 2 + weeks. Have put a new battery in it, to no avail. Got caught coming home Friday and the battery went down and got stopped and had to have a jump off to get the rest of the way home. Bob and Jesse finished my car except for the hose issue which is for another mechanic in town to finish, and they checked out his truck, and found wiring issues. Soooo maybe we have that truck done.
My car is in the shop for the hose issue but have not heard the cost
Bob has been driving Mom's little truck, and he got it licensed and inspected for Texas. So he is legal and we just have to get the ownership/title issue fixed. Which wont take much but cash flow right now is rather budgeted.
Between my car, his truck, the little truck and Asta's vet bills, we have spent over $400 on his truck, over $300 not counting today on my car, and over $100 on the little truck to get it inspected and licensed, and now over $450 on Asta when she gets out of the vet in 3 days, not counting the glucose tabs to purchase for $60 and the insulin for I dont know how much.
On top of that we didnt plan on purchasing 2 more donkeys, but a couple had to get rid of their two spotted red and white Jack and Jennie, so we bought them for $37.00 each. That gives us 2 Jacks and 4 Jennies. We want some babies, but that will be down the road in the next 9 to 13 months I guess. The first 3 Jennies, maybe one is now pregnant, but we know for sure that one will be having a baby in about 13 months or maybe less.
Bob and Jim had better haul a LOT of metal the next week or two so we wont get behind with the monthly bills. Jim is cutting during the day while Bob is with Mom, and when I get home he goes over to Jim's metal yard and they cut and load for Jim to haul the next day. Jim is hoping to make a load every morning, and if the geiger counter gets in, which was another expense so they can monitor the metal they haul before it gets to the steel yard, then they can start on two large metal piles at a location that could really keep them in cash for the next couple of weeks. Glad the days are longer right now. What a financial time but thanks to the Good Lord, it has come when there is a pay day at the beginning of the month, and we have some resources that will pay for this for now.

Time is precious

I have decided, as of yesterday after having a talk with Bob, that I cannot give the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation Board the time that I will need to and still give Mom the care she needs. I am down to the 15 individuals for an interview, but I felt that having Bob spend more of his time with Mom's care, was not fair to him. I am very disappointed, even though I know that I was only 1 out of 15, but really wanted to work on the Board. So will let them know today that I cant take up their time with the interview.
Mom had a good week and weekend. Very proud of her. She was up and about more. Even to getting up Sat night and getting her own snack and taking it back to the bedroom. When I got over there yesterday to do her lunch I found her bent over in the fridge getting out grapes and chicken wings, and a muffin. She got out a plate and put eveything on there, set them on the seat of her walker and went back to the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed and ate. Brought her plate out and rinsed it off and put it back in the cabinet. I went over and took it out and put it in the dish washer. yuck. She was going back to bed but told her she had her her appt at 3 and needed the shower and shampoo thing done before 3, so we got that done and the bed changed and she took a nap for about 30 min before Heather got there. Then had the perm and haircut and had her dinner sitting up and she was pooped. She went to bed and was almost asleep before I left to go fix Bob's dinner and mine.
Asta went Blind with Cataracts on Wednesday. She was fine in the afternoon, and when we got in again after fixing dinner at Mom's, she was walking into walls. We called the vet and he met us at 9:30pm and his verdict after doing a blood Glucose test, was cataracts caused by diabetics. He recommended a new dog food until the next Monday, and if her count is down, then we will continue with the food control, but if not she has to go on insulin. Then when everything is level, we can have the sight issue evaluated by a vet in Fort Worth that takes cataracts off dog eyes, with very good results on young dogs. Asta is about 6 years old.
Bob took Asta to the vet this morning for her blood glucose test. Hope it comes out well. He found his tester and we are going to get a battery and the tabs to check Asta's on a regular basis.
Didnt get any of the fire department stuff done, so will do that on the way home today.

Well ask me what I did this evening

Bob picked me up early, 15 minutes and we were sure glad. Caluah had her infections lanced and has pain meds and antibiotics to take. Sure is feeling better already.
Glad he got me early as we were just ahead of the major thunder storms coming thru. Flooding etc. So we got to Mom's with the dog and started dinner. Soup and garlic toast. Started a load of wash and sat down to eat with Mom. Finished up and took the dishes into the kitchen to put in the dish washer. Decided to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer.
NOW ASK ME WHAT I DID AFTER THAT !!!!!!!!
Well I did a lot of screaming for Bob. LOTS OF SCREAMING!!!
By the time he got in the kitchen I was stuttering and sputtering and couldnt talk to tell him what was wrong. Of course I finally got it out!!! SNAKE IN THE WASH ROOM UNDER THE WASHER AND IT WAS COMING AT ME WHEN I WALKED IN THE WASH ROOM!!! And let me tell you it wasnt a baby by any means. I saw the first 1 and 1 1/2 feet coming out from under the washer. Well 15 min later and the whole washroom torn up, the snake hissing and running at Bob he finally got the mop handle where it would wrap around it and he pitched it outside. It turned around and tried to come back into the house. He pushed it back out again and slammed the door. Damn Snake. Non poisiononus. Yuck Garter or Ribbon snake average 2 to 3 feet long.

Weekend was not as busy

Bob vacuumed Moms house Saturday morning while I fixed her breakfast. Mom had a not so good Saturday. A lot of sleeping and no motivation to get up. Ate good well, but just wanted to sleep so left her to it and read sitting on the couch all afternoon. She refused dinner but when I told her I would be back later and was going next door to fix ours, where I cook during the week at her house, she was surprised. So when I got back and asked if she was ready for dinner and she said no she wasnt eating, I told her what ever worked for her was fine, so I would not fix her her 1/2 a ham sandwich and fritos and jello and whipped cream. She decided she was hungry after all and ate every bite. She continues to ask when her back will be better and I continue to tell her it will never be completely well but she can get better by exercising and moving around. She then tells me it hurts but she will get up and walk more. Which I know she gets up at night because we can see the wheel marks in the carpet. She has discovered also that the walker does help with the pain when she walks. Yesterday she was awake more when we discussed that she had her days and nights reversed. Bob vacuumed the house for me and dusted while I was over taking care of Mom.
Bob said she was sitting on the side of the bed when he got over there at 6am this morning to get Caluah to take to the vet for a massive infection on her tushie. Still waiting for a verdict on that by the vet. Bob told her he would be back to fix her breakfast in about an hour and she told him what difference did it make as she didnt have to have breakfast anyway. She was hurting but would not take a tylenol - has an aversion to them after reading on the label several years ago that older persons should not take tylenol - and of course she didnt read all the lable only the part she liked. I still have the pain killers, but the make her more dopy than she is normally and cause her to not be hungry.
Bob will be mowing the orchard etc today so he will be in and out, but as she sleeps all morning anyway, that should not be an issue.
We got our tractor back from Mary and her husband yesterday after 3 weeks of them borrowing it and when finished didnt return it. Had to get it ourselves. But thats ok, we have it back.
Asta is in the bad dog house for pottying on the floor again. We put her on the sun deck last night and she didnt go out there. So today she is loose and see what happens today. Tonight she will be back on the sun deck or crated for the first time if she does her business on the floor again. Shadow is being a good dog although she snapped at the cat last night when he tried to get up into my lap. She got a swat across the nose for that and a visit to the crate. She is being a good dog otherwise, will see how things go when I get in this afternoon, as I shampooed the carpet in the livingroom last night at 10pm to get up Asta's spot.

Better Days and looking forward to more

Mom, Shadow, Asta, and Bob are doing well. Bob is napping in the chair before breakfast, as I sit here and write. Bob has had a busy week. Mom has had 3 good days in a row.
We had to go to fire training last night, and went and got desert afterwards and took it back to Mom's and she and I shared a brownie and Bob ate cheese cake. Left there about 10pm and came home, for the first time this evening for me, and fed the dogs and cats, put things away and checked emails and went to bed, at 11pm. Up at 4:30 as usual but sure glad its Friday.
My car continues to be broken down for the 4th + week. Bob, with the use of a necessary tool, borrowed from another fireman, got the belt on. Putting in the antifreeze he discovered the plastic cover to the thermostat had been broken. The new part from Ford is $232. Yuck. So, hopefully the money will be available soon and I can give him back his truck and get my car back. I have less than $2000 owing on it, and want to get it paid off asap. 222,500 miles and it still runs good. Yea The extra money each month after paying it off will be a great bonus.
Dogs are beating on the door for their breakfast and it is 5:30am and better get a move on.

Sunday was a better day

Spent most of the day with mom although she slept until 2pm. Gave her breakfast about 8am and she went back to sleep. Made her get up and walk around and then to the shower by her self this time. Back to bed and lunch. The she was more mobile with the walker/ or w/o the walker. She thought she heard the dogs scratching at the back of the house but I told her they were both in the house. I was reading on the couch and realized I had not seen her come back by me from looking out the door in the back yard. Got up and saw her walker at the deck sliding doors but no mom. Went to the deck door and no mom on the deck but the gate to the steps into the yard was open. Looked around the corner and there she was at the end of the yard leaning over the gate to the back yard. Called her and asked what she was doing and she was looking for her dogs that were standing at her feet. Told her to get back into the house and rather than scare her I let her walk back to the steps and she had to walk up the steps with much effort. Knew I could fireman carry her up the steps if I had to but let her find out what she could do. So it was then back to bed as she was hurting in her back. So we know that she can walk around and this w/o pain killers since last Tuesday. She stayed in bed until I went over to fix Bob's dinner. Came back and here is the walker at the deck door and no mom. Called her and no answer, called her again no answer, called realllly loud and I hear; I am right here. She was squatted down behind the bar. I asked her what she was doing and she was getting out Christmas Presents. Welll she could not get up. So with much effort on both our parts, we had her up right but she started to shake all over so bad she couldnt stand up. Got her walker under her so she could sit down, and wheeled her into the bedroom and back to bed. She stayed there the rest of the evening. We had some good talks, cut her fingernails and toenails, and then as usual about 7:30 she started about moving out again. Finally asked her why she wanted to move and she said she had to so Ellen and her stuff would not overlap. I told her again that Ellen was not moving back, as she was living in Grapevine with her husband and son. That she had left the house there for Mom to use for as long as she wanted it. That she was lucky that she was living there for free, didnt have to pay rent, or anything. She said she knew that and I told her that she would hurt Ellen's feelings if she moved out as she had left it there specifically
for Mom. So she sat there and said, "well thats that". And did not refer to it again. When I was fixing her dinner, she was up again with the walker, and walked past me and told me she had 2 things to say to me. Figured it was the moving thing again. Sure enough, I was wrong. She told me she love me and told me she appreciated me taking care of her. Told her I love her too and was happy to take care of her. No calls last night thank the good Lord for answering my prayers.

Well she did it again

Got the call from Mom about 11:15 that she couldnt stay in her house, and again we begin. So told her we would be right over, and she sure was shocked when we showed up, after calling again in about 2 minutes. Wanted to know where we came from. Told her next door and I wanted to know what was the problem. She said it was a big mistake and wanted to know where she was. Told her next door to Bob and I in Texas. That she didnt live in Colorado any more. And asked again what she needed. She told me to sit down and I pulled up a stool and asked her why she was having a problem, as I had been calling her every hour since I left there and she had said she was fine. She said she didnt know why she called. Then the light dawned and she wanted to get out of that house. Told her that was fine and where was she going. She said she owned 2 buses but they were loaned out. Hmmm wonder where they came from? Anyway, she was hitching a ride to Colorado to live in her house but it was rented. Told her she didnt have a house in Colorado and went over the addresses where we had all lived over the years. She said that killed that but she did have a house in Colorado. Told her no that she had been living here for the last 3 years and that Alan had told her she had to live in Texas from now on. She said no, that she could live there any time she wanted to. She said she was packing her stuff and how was she moving her furniture. Told her the furniture in the house was all Ellens and she could not move it. So told her to pack her stuff and let us know where she was moving to when she got there. That started a whole new train of thought as to how to get there with the two dogs. Said I didnt know. When we left told her she had really hurt Doc and My feelings by not wanting to live with us here in Texas. She said she probably did but it was all about her and what she wanted and always had been. Hmmm shades of my old dead Dad. Wonder more and more how much of him rubbed off on her all those 57 years ago. So the dead dont stop influencing. So we left, and went back to bed and did not hear from her any more last night. Wonder who she called next?

Saturday at the Farm and Care Facility

This morning started off with a breakfast at the Cottontop, as we got up at 6:30 instead of 4:30. After breakfast Bob went one way with Jim and I went back to the house to fix Mom breakfast. Well, what to my wondering eye should appear, but a Mom at the door to greet me. She was there w/o walker and said she had been up for about 30 min and had let the dogs out and was getting her exercise. I didnt say anything right then about the walker, but did as she went to the bedroom and back to bed. Said she was hurting. Have cut out all the pain killers, but keeping up the blood pressure, anti-anxious, and altimers meds. She ate all her breakfast-baked apples with raisins, apple sauce with bran fiber and cinnamon, and 1/2 banana, and sunny d. While heating her apples I discovered that she had tried to use the microwave to heat a towel for the dog again. Sure was glad we unplugged it or we would have had another kitchen fire like she did the last time with a towel and the microwave. She even tried it in front of me and I told her it would not work for her. She said she had discovered that but was trying again. We moved the microwave into a locked storage room until we can get a door over the opening with a lock.
I cleaned and washed clothes and headed for Walmart for groceries for Bob and she for next week. Came back and put away groceries and gave her 1/2 hamberger, and 10 ff, and some apple juice. She ate it all, and 1/2 a cup of chocolate pudding.
Stayed for a while and then went home to shampoo my carpets in the living room and bedroom and hall and wash clothes. Cooked up 1/2 bag of apples and rainsins with cinnamon and splenda for her to eat during the week with her meals.
We went back over there to fix dinner, Tortia soup and garlic toast, and she told us she didnt want to eat as she was still full from lunch. So crushed her pills up and put them in her juice and put the juice on the bedside table, and came home to fix dinner. Having the soup. So will call her later and see if she is hungry yet and if not will hold off until tomorrow for breakfast. Dr said she didnt have to eat 3 meals as long as she was getting what she needed.

Up date on Friday 13

Bob got mom to drink another cup of coffee and he put the pills she needed in that. She is going from one bathroom to the other using the facilities and when Bob asked her why she was in the other one, not off her bedroom, she said that it was the one she was supposed to use. She could not get her walker in there, so she left it out side the door and took care of issues. She told him she did not want him to leave her, and he told her he would not except to let our dogs out and fix lunch.
We are making progress.
He said it was raining there so guess we will have to hold off picking peaches again for a few days to get into the orchard. Cant drive in there wet or it will crush the underground irrigataion. Ah well.

Oh my gosh what a day, and what a wonderful husband

Mom had a very bad night last night. She started with hallucinateing yesterday seeing boys playing on the floor with the toys she bought them. Bob told her they must have been invisible. Last night she was better until I got ready to leave and she pulled the same thing she has all week, by getting poorly/sicky. This morning she called me 3 times between 5 and 5:30 but missed the calls as was in the kitchen fixing breakfast. I found the calls about 7 when I got to work, and called her back, she said she was sitting up in bed and fine. 3 minutes later she called and said the operator had to connect her as she didnt have my area code as she was in Colorado. Then she began to rave about the dogs dieing last night and she died and she was leaving that house. So called Bob and told him to get over there and see what was going on. He called back mad as all get out as she had called him a lier etc and said she was leaving. She and the dogs and been sick all night and had almost died. She refused her meds and food and drink - said she wasnt putting anything in her body at all. He called me back and wanted to know what to do, so told him to just sit with her and not try to talk to her unless she wanted to talk, just sit there and be sure she didnt hurt herself. So he called me back, and he was sitting on the bed with her and talking to her and she had taken her blood pressure pill and was a bit calmer. Then she was up again, but he got her to drink a couple cups of coffee, and then she was hungry and ate all her breakfast. She was still agitated and wanted to move as her sister Dora Lee was trying to kill her by giving her too many meds. Then it was the guy next door that was trying to give her to many pills. So she was moving out. He called me back with this tidbit, and I told him to go get 2 anti anxiety pills crushed up and in some kind of food. That would calm her down and maybe let her sleep. Told him to mix up some raisins and chocolate chips in a little bowl and give them to her for a snack. That hopefully will make her feel better. Well its is 10:40 am and Bob called and she wanted another cup of coffee so he got her pills in that and she all the raisins and chocolate chips. Progress has been made.
I do have the best husband. W/O him she would be in a nursing home, tied to a bed I would imagine. He certainly deserves his favorite dinner of fried chicken and gravy and mashed potatoes and biscuits, so that will be his dinner for tonight with made from scratch banana pudding and whipped cream.
It's Friday and if it continues like this getting better as the day goes by, then we are gooood to go.

Lots of Life Changes

The last few days have been busy. Back to work after 3 weeks off getting Mom set up and her house cleaned and set up for her being disabled and in the bed for the most part. She can still get up with the help of the walker to go to the bathroom and do the shower thing with help.
We have to be with her the majority of the time, and fix her meals and give her her meds. So we got the daily schedule set up so she and her two dogs know what happens when. Bob and I can leave her for about 2 hour max at a time w/o her getting cranky. Gives us some shopping time as needed as she likes to request specific things for eats, and then refuses to eat. Cant force her so just let her eat how much she wants as long as it is healthy. She drinks her juices and coffee w/o any problem, which is a switch since she always hated to drink fluids.
Bob is her care giver now as I have been back to work for the last 3 days, and so far she has not given him any grief. Of course after I left there last night about 9, she called me and informed me that I had not given her the meds she wanted, and cussed at me for not doing it. She had had her meds, just wanted more of a specific one. She hadn't given the first set time to work yet. So she hung up the phone on me and I did not calll back. Bob says she was fine with him this morning, and even tried to get up with the walker to walk a bit, but got right back in bed. Bob says there were wheel tracks in the living room this morning so obviously she was up walking during the night. She doesn't know that we can see that she gets up when we are not there. Now -- she wont get up if we are there, except to go to the bath room, and take her shower. She ate a good breakfast this morning, and he said she wouldnt eat but two meals yesterday and he made one of the all fruit.
Had our fire department monthly meeting last night and it was very interesting. We will be holding a fall fund raiser and raffle off a rifle and a big screen tv.
Shadow did a no no on the floor yesterday, but it was the fault of the man of the house for not letting her out in time, so we are not going to do the punish thing. Buuuttttt, next time she will be in big trouble.
Guess I need to get on the ball and get something set up with my brother to come in and give Bob a day or two every other week to go do his own thing and get away from the care giving for a bit. Hopefully it will be enough for him for the next 8 1/2 months until I retire.
I told my supervisor Monday that it is official that I will retire next March, and it was met with shock and oh my goshs.
Still trying to loose the last 10 lbs to get into a size 12. Sure wish I could hit on something that would make it happen quicker. Of course it will have to be healthy.
Got my yearly review today and it was a 4 out of 5 so am very happy with that. Should get a merit raise with that. Hopefully!!!

A wierd two days with Mom

After yesterday being such a really bad attitude day for Mom I was NOT looking forward to going over there this morning.

Well we had a good day today. Started with breakfast of cinnamon toast, 1/2 banana, 1 pc bacon, and applesauce with yogurt. She ate almost all of it. While she rested, I cleaned out the kitchen drawers and some of the cabinets that reeeeeaaaalllly needed cleaning. Then cleaned out the pantry and thru away a bunch of old stuff that she would not eat and thru away enough walmart bags to fill 1/2 a trash bag, and folded up empty drink boxes and dog food bags.

She was ready for a shower so we did the shower and did good until the very last, when she stood up out of the chair and her leg gave out and she thank goodness, set back down in the chair. But that caused a lot of pain, so got her out of the shower, and dried and into bed. Thank goodness for pain pills.

She napped while Bob and I picked peaches, got a bushel and 1/2 and had them sold with the first 2 phone calls I made. They are going for $70 a bushel in Weatherford Farmers Market, but we sold them for $50. Oh man they were good. We had lost as many as we picked to fungas due to the rain, but still have the July and August Trees to come in. Hope they don’t get the fungus also. Bob and I cut up the culls and I cooked them off so I can make Jam tomorrow. Got squash and cucumbers from the raised beds, and the tomato plants have put on new blooms, so hopefully we will get more as we lost what was on the plants

Mom had a peach and some Mexican rice for lunch and said she felt pretty good. Tonight when I went over with her chicken wings, potato patty and peas, she ate all but a couple of bites. Then had an ice cream on a stick

She was sitting up in bed working a word find, she had gotten up and gotten from the living room. Said she didn’t have much pain and had gotten up and walked twice while I was fixing Bob's and my dinner. We had a long talk about using the walker always, and the kind of pain she had and what would happen if she fell while no one was around by not using one of her walkers.

She was very talkative and we did not do a pain pill tonight. We wanted to find out if she could get by with 1 per day instead of 2 or 3. So will see how she does tonight.

Bob talked to his partner today about the metal business and they agreed that they would try to work some evenings and some on the weekends to keep their business going. Then when I retire, they can get back into the swing of it full time. Bob was really happy and so was Jim as both were afraid the other didn’t want to do it any more.

I will be off the rest of this week, and then back to work next week. Bob has speedway work already lined up for the last 2 weeks of October, so will have to see if Doc can help out during the weekdays while Bob works the speedway.

Shadow managed to eat a turkey sandwich off the counter today, but didn’t get but 1/2 of it down. She saw me coming and headed for the crate w/o me even saying anything to her. She also stayed on the porch when I told her to while we were unloading horse feed today. The dog food I am making for them now has really helped both of them. No itching for Shadow and Asta has lost 10 lbs she really needed to loose. My receipe sure works. :)

A Sunday and Mom

Mom is some what better today. Anything would have been better than yesterday; what we take from our parents would try the patience of a Saint, and that I am not. But anyway, she was talkative, and even got up late this afternoon and sat in the living room for about 30 min. She leaned over and looked at Tanga's paws, nothing there, and went into the bathroom and got a towel to cover her up and Tanga promptly got up and shook it off.
Went to Walmart at Mom's request and bought another dog bed, and canned dog food, and some canned apples and oatmeal cookies, my idea on those, and some trail mix for her to snack on. Of course she liked the cookie and apples for lunch and the trail mix for snack.
She didn’t want a shower today - day 4 w/o - so tomorrow we will try again, and do the sheet change thing. I did get all of the windows on the south side cleaned - storm windows and inside windows - maybe in a couple of days will do the north side. Bob is off to a fire department standby for a fire works display at a church in Cottondale, and I will stay with Mom. Going to fix dinner over here and eat over here tonight, and then go over and fix her dinner, she wants apples, and jello, and will fix a small meat and veggie.