Blog Archives

The Hello Crow

The cemetery next door is a winter home for a rather large murder of crows. Because of this we have to walk the yard before taking the dogs out to find and clear up bones and other garbage that the crows and squirrels drop in our yard. Both creatures scavenge from open trash cans around the area. (Too bad people can’t keep the cans covered but instead risk people’s dog’s health…if I miss just one bone…)

Yesterday while out with Gavin, I had the pleasure of meeting our old friend Hello Crow. He’s part of the murder and has been around for many years. We know him by his distinctive ‘Hello’ which makes us believe a woman raised him. His ‘hello’ is a fairly high pitch and quite clearly a hello.

He sat high up in the tulip poplar and said hello to us many time. I, of course, responded in kind.

I’m sure the people passing by thought I was completely strange, but I don’t care.

I wish I knew who to credit this picture to but I do not.

Global warming anyone?

The sixteenth of January we hit 50 degrees in Pennsylvania.

Yes, we’re getting colder weather over the next few days, but the warm days we’ve had are way above normal for our area.

I promise, I am not complaining. I hate winter.

However, no matter what the vacuous ‘there is no such thing’ people say, it is a real thing and we need to work towards a solution.

great idea for snowmenSo far this year we haven’t had a chance to do this…and I am fine with that.

Lucy speaks

The Momma went out to lunch wiff Auntie G. They went to a place out back and groceries shopping and pet store shopping.

Gavin and I has lots of cookies and big bag of food now, we won’t starve!

She also gaved us some steak from out back, told the Daddy they cooked it wrong and she did not want to complain but couldn’t eat it that done and tuff.

They gived her a new steak cooked perfectly and she brought us the one they cooked wrong.

I didn’t smell nothing wrong wiff it. I thoughted it was berry good.

Yes, I did too share it with the Gavin brother.

HPIM4785

The Curmudgeon’s birthday

So it was The Curmudgeon’s birthday today. He’s now 63.

G brought him cake.

I got my revenge for the Christmas present vacuum cleaner he gave me many years ago by presenting him with a new rollator the other day.

Here's to you

Dang it no winning ticket again

So G and I didn’t hit the lottery.

Which means still no escape from this life as a caregiver in a falling down around our ears home.

No beach home…. yet.

No spa like care facility for The Curmudgeon.

No financing more research into a cure for MS.

fuck it

 

I need a daily reminder to take my pills

So I have been ill the last few days. Dealing with an “if I hadn’t forgotten to take my medications three days in a row” problem.

Yeah, I get sidetracked by The Curmudgeon and dogs so often some days that I really do forget to take my daytime medications.

Doing much better after two days of TAKING  ALL my medications.

Kermit driveby

One day where no one is ill and no one dies

Every day on Facebook there are many stories of someone’s ailment or their pet’s ailment or so much death.

I wake each day, full of dread, at just having to face my husband’s Multiple Sclerosis.

I find I am online for less and less time each day.

I feel myself withdrawing more and more into an insular life.

This is not a good thing.

I can’t help it.

I am tired of everything.

Dont make me adult Lucy

He’s getting snazzy now

So The Curmudgeon’s new rollator/transfer chair arrived today. Gee, that was quick! Thank you Overstock.com!

It is simple and quick to convert it from rollator to transfer chair.

When in transfer chair form, I wish it rolled over floor transition strips better.

Now all I need to do is get his Mom’s old, heavy, clumsy rollator out of here, we don’t have space for three.

Duet-Transport-Wheelchair-Rollator-Walker

Duet-Transport-Wheelchair-Rollator-Walker pic 2

Once dark fell, so did the temperature

Warm day for January, we hit 61 degrees. Sort of funny, the back porch was so cold that the windows fogged up on the inside.

It would be nice if the porch were a finished and heated room. However, it is not. It is strictly a closed in porch made of cement block with a cement floor. Yep, that spells cold in cold weather.

In a normal winter I can use the entire porch as an extra refrigerator. 😉

Since night fell the temperature plummeted to 36 degrees.

HPIM4762Dat’s okay I habs me blankie.

Caregivers need care too, but seldom get it

One of these days, I’ll manage to make and keep the appointment for my carpal tunnel. Half of my left hand is constantly numb.

Seems every time I’ve made an appointment for my hand, he’s gone into the hospital and I’ve had to cancel it.

Heaven knows how I’d manage surgery on it anyway. There’s no one that will take care of him and the dogs.

Yes, I NEED to hit the lottery so I can have a life.

don't fucking care bear

As if we didn’t spend enough there already

G and I are in trouble.

There’s a new stand out at the farmers market.

“Here, have a sample.”

We take a sample. Looks of ecstasy cross our faces.  “Ah, too delicious! We’ll stop here last, on our way out, so it stays cold.”

We skipped the Amish bakery, can’t set off my sweet tooth now I need to have some restraint.

Stopped at the gadget stand and picked up a biscuit cutter, I am tired of using a glass to cut out my biscuits–I’ve used one for 42 years.

We split a loaf of fresh sourdough bread at the artisan bakery.

G bought cabbage for halupkies (stuffed cabbage rolls) and I’ll get some!

Stopped at a favorite stand and picked up a little bulk sausage, pimento cheese, and smoked Gouda.

Another stand for smoked chicken thighs.

Finally back at the new stand, we bought our lunches of sushi and seaweed salad. Once we got back to my house, we dished out and shared our sushi choices. What a perfect and delicious lunch.

warm fuzzy

No, the MS society didn’t pay for it…or any of the various walkers he has

I ordered The Curmudgeon a new rollator. I found one that converts to a transfer chair. It will come in handy when he falls and I have to get him from one room to the next.

A Duet Transport Wheelchair Rollator Walker.

Duet-Transport-Wheelchair-Rollator-Walker

Duet-Transport-Wheelchair-Rollator-Walker pic 2I hope it makes things a little easier. His older walker I’ll move upstairs and I’ll take the rollator from up there (it’s too heavy for me to easily carry down the porch stairs and lift into car) over to Good Shepherd and donate it. That way someone who really needs a rollator will have a good one.

This way we’ll still have two lightweight enough walkers in the house, upstairs and down, and the new one I will use as a transport chair for him when necessary.

It’s sad that this has to be his birthday gift this year.

It’s never cheap living with this disease. Between his medications and specialized equipment he needs, we’re never out of the hole.