Rare day!

• Boiled chicken and took it off bones ( for cornbread dressing on Saturday)
• Washed clothes
• Paid all bills
• Went to Wal-Mart to buy stuff for our adopted soldiers in Afghanistan
• Went to Post Office
• Took cans to be recycled
• Installed new cordless vac in garage
• Toasted pecans for my world famous pralines
• Went to bank

ALL BEFORE NOON! OMG...THIS NEVER HAPPENS!

 I am feeling rushed to get things done because my brother is leaving to go to Branson tomorrow and I will feel compelled to go to Mom's in the morning to walk her and visit with her because that's what he does and then be back there at 3P.M. for my regular shift. When he is here, he is always there when the caregiver leaves until I get there. I will have to get there at 3 this week. Mom will miss him so much while he is gone and I will also want to pop in on the caregiver since she will know he is gone and won't be popping in. I live about 20 minutes from Mom, so it is not like popping in next door. On Saturday, I have our  annual neighborhood brunch at 11 and then at  5:30 I have my annual Sunday School Christmas Party. I have someone hired to come in for my shift, but I must get in Mom's walk and a visit with her. Last year when he was gone to Branson, Mom was in the nursing home here in my town....so it was easy for me to go at lunch when my brother usually went and go back again at night when I always went. It's different this year, but I am glad she is home.

Holy Crap!

One of our night time caregivers left us a note yesterday that she wanted a raise or she would be quitting after these last 3 nights. She is getting minimum wage, which is $7.25 for doing nothing except changing a diaper a couple of times a night...no laundry, no meal prep,   no nothing but sitting. Plus, we gave her stuff from our garden...okra, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and pecans. We talked to our day time caregiver about the demands the night lady was asking for and she relayed to her that we were looking for someone else.  The other night caregiver was fine with her pay and wasn't asking for anything. Well, turns out the demander has had a change of heart and doesn't want to quit. She just called me and told me she was going to stay after reading her Bible and praying about it! Yeah...I think God told her we were going to find someone to take her place!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My phone has been melting down today with all the Facebook birthday greetings and it has been awesome. What a great bunch of friends I have. Each of those over 100 greetings today made me stop and think about each individual and how I know that person. Most of them are students that I had at one time or another. Many of them I actually do NOT remember, but I know they know me. I couldn't dare tell them that I really don't remember them, so I cannot accept their friend request.

I visited my mom's sister today. She is in the same rehab that Mom was in last Thanksgiving. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the rehab dining room last year. Next week my aunt will be moved to a rehab in a nursing home close to her home. She can walk with a walker, talk and use both hands, so hers was not as bad as Mom's.

Last night, we took Mom to a dinner at her church where she thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the members stood up and gave a testimony about my mom and how grateful this person was for Mom in their church while she was growing up. Mom taught Sunday School for 50 years....the little bitty children! Made big ole tears come to my eyes and I almost lost it when my brother stood up and told everyone how grateful he was for his family and that we were able to bring our mother home. Makes tears come to my eyes right now!

Anyway.....it's been a great birthday.

Uh OH!

Mom's sister had a stroke last night. Doesn't seem to be as bad as Mom's was as there is no evidence of bleeding in the brain. Doc thinks it may have been an embolic stroke which originates in the heart and moves to block an artery to the brain, but does not go into the brain. She is in ICU today. I told Mom last night, but I had to because her phone kept ringing, so she knew something was going on. She was able to sleep after I told her that it wasn't as bad as they had first thought. She has right side weakness, but is not talking yet.

Most excellent day!

Mom

My mom had an awesome day yesterday. Her sister got to come visit for the first time since coming home from rehab. Mom was so excited. They just cried and held hands. I wasn't there when my aunt and cousin arrived, but my brother said it was quite a scene. He hadn't seen Mom so excited in a long time. There are only about 14 months between Mom and her sister, with Mom being the oldest. They had another sister who died many years ago from alcoholism. Mom had been to the beauty shop, so she was looking beautiful.

Her sister