Good BYE 2022…

Good BYE 2022…

January.. losing 4 friends to cancer and heart.. to start the year..   11 inches of snow over night.. (guess we are ending this year as we started it)

Feb… learning about Ukraine..

March…Our neighbor’s son hit by a car in an intersection..  the up date is.. he is doing wonderfully well, he is healing and back to work..  THANK GOD literally

April started the yard work and enjoying great grandson’s outside.. and the start of tearing the outside of our house off for our project of replacing it..

May .. working on the outside of the house… and showing appreciating for mother in laws.. 

June..  was stepping up with the project of putting up the metal on the house outside….    With a quick break for a ride thru the woods looking for mushrooms.. 

July… the ending of the project..  the whole is finally done with some help of friends and grandson.

August…. Brought in a tractor in the King’s life.. now called the MONEY PIT…  also August brought the King to help his friend all month with his haying.. Like the good old days, except these guys are 70 plus.. so not as fun as the good old days.. but they got it done.. took the whole month

September.  was a trip to the coast to see the kids and watch one of our grandson’s get married to a lovely young lady.  Also the King help two of the son’s with their sheds.. 

October  brought fresh new snow for our fall weather..  bring in winter early and hunting with the King getting his elk and deer..… also October brought us a new little girl..  Frosty.. which has been quite an adventure..Mini doxie…

November … brought elections, thanksgiving and me with the frustrations of a smart phone and finding out I am not smart at all and I flunked smart phone..   and the month ending with the real start of winter.. with snow plowing seriously…  coming on strong and early…

December… fighting snow… daily.. hourly for the month.. 

Adventures with Frosty and her quirts… getting Christmas out of the way…ice comes to town… lots of wrecks.. and here we go folks..  with just 4 more days of this year..  and hopefully 2023 comes in calmly..    Happy New Years everyone…  

ONE HUG AT A TIME…

ONE HUG AT A TIME….

Several things have become less common that it was years go… One of those is hugs..  Especially with the elderly.  If you have ever working in a nursing home over the years.. you know there is hardly ever any hugging going on.  Even family to family..  And for those who are elderly, and alone.. no family left.. it is even worse.

While working in the HEALTH CARE CENTER… better know to those of us older ones… as nursing homes…  They changed the name to soften up the harness of what nursing homes mean to the older generation.   Nursing homes.. the place you go to die. I had hear that so many times over the years that I worked in one.

I didn’t give it much thought.. until one night while  I was working..  I had taken a woman and put her on the commode.  As I raised her to put her back to bed.. I held her a little bit longer than normal.. AND  SHE HUNG ON.. WE WERE HUGGING… I never dreamt how much it meant to her.   So I did it to a few others… that I would be in a position to hold them as I transferred from the bed or to the bed..  It was an amazing feeling…. For both of us.. 

Working the noc shift..  which some called the graveyard shift… I found that the human touch is lacking a great deal for our elderly… Working the late shift gave me the time to take a few seconds out .. to a minute or two… to show just some compassion.  One man, who I had laid back down, then covered him over with the blanket..  for some reason, I bent over and kissed him on his forehead and told him good night.  As I started to walk away from the bed… he whispered..  thank you.

We forget .. how much the human touch means.. and especially to our elderly, who no one seems to remember they too, want to be held.

It only takes a second.. to hug, to give a gentle kiss on the cheek.. or even say something about how nice someone looks that day.   I can remember I was walking back to my car after getting the mail from the post office.  A woman, got out of a car and started towards me, when I noticed what a beautiful green dress she had on… and how great it looked on her.. and with out thought, I told this stranger, how beautiful she looked in her green dress.  She was a little startled at first, (as we had never seen each other before or since) but then she said THANK YOU.. and kind of blushed..  and a huge smile..   

IT JUST TAKES A SECOND..   ONE HUG AT A TIME..  some kind words…   Let’s be kinder to each other.

 

Signs of winter......

this is fair warning for those heading to the 0 temps 

or even less than 0

FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT FREEZING..

REMEMBER THIS SIGN JUST  4 MONTHS AGO ..??????????..

And for those who want to do like we used to do as kids...  

but remember the number 1 rule...

NO YELLOW SNOW.. 

 

HANG ON TO YOUR HATS AND GLOVES, FOLKS in the north.. we are heading into 4 days of freezing our butts off...   Here in Idaho..  Wed. -3 for mornings and 8 for days....  Thursday...  -7 to -12 below folks..   and days will be 6 above ............................................. the BUT help is on the way.. the heat wave of the day after Christmas....  will be ................drum roll... 31!!!! degrees.. 

Heading downhill on the year…

Heading downhill on the year…

The physical therapy is going well… and the snow shoveling has lightened up…  for now..  But sadly there is reports of some more coming in.. Did get an inch yesterday.. After the past two weeks.. this was easy and it is light.

The King yelled over to me last week..  well, do you want to good news or the bad news…..  which my answer is, the bad news (to get it over with) and he said.. that is good because there is no good news…. The bad news is…THE SNOW BLOWER JUST BLEW UP…   My answer was.. you have no idea how bad of news that is… because the worse news is.. I am betting there is not a snow blower in town for sale.. And sure enough, our travels to each and ever place in town was NO.. NONE… and worse, they aren’t getting anymore.. and the one who said they were, said they had no idea how long it would be, if in fact they could get them.   Not even have one or any of the stores able to order one for us.   So that sent us to online.  I only could find one place that had 3 left … from a trust worthy company…as I check the reviews.... was Jack’s small motors…  IN MARYLAND!!! It said free shipping..  to make a long story shorter… we got a fair price  BUT.. it was the add on’s that killed us..  First was a lift charge.. that meant shipping it to us with a lift gate truck.. as it weighs in at 400 pounds.. that was $52…ok, not too bad.. but then the killer but we still ordered it.. was the free shipping to IDAHO is not possible.  That will cost an additional $300!!! They were paying for part of it.. and that was our share. We could cancel if we wanted to, they said, and they would understand…  but we have no other option.. so we bit the bullet.. and said yes.. AND God willing we will have a new one on December 22.  Figures crossed.. and etc.. 

 

OH MY ACHING BODY…

OH MY ACHING BODY….

Last week I started physical therapy. I have had a huge pain in my left leg.. in the side thigh part. About 6 inch area. And it got worse this past summer.. From July to about November it was bad..  The part for year has been a 3 to 5 rating.. to me an annoyance after all these years. I learn to live with it..  But this late summer it was huge. It was on the 10 to 15 rating on some days..  a lot of 8 to 10.  There were a couple of days that it was times I was almost in tears. And even Aleve did not help.. when it did with the lesser.

So I broke down and call the Dr. And of course there is no such thing as getting in right away..  but did get one about 2 weeks out.  In November…

And I will be an s.o.b.  the dang thing, the day before, turn on me. I felt like the lady who took her car to the mechanic and told of noises and shaking.. and the mechanic comes back after a try out.. and can’t find anything.  But the dr. and I decided maybe physical therapy would help. 

So off I go and she gave me some exercises to do before I go to my next visit… today..  Well, I am here to tell you, the thigh area is about the same.. but my BUTT.. hurts like hell.  There are muscles I guess, I have not used for some time and boy do they hurt.  I am suppose to do these stretches 10 at a time.. with a break.. and then do more. Making it 30 at each time..  Doing them in the am..  noonish and evening..   meaning 90 per day. After the first day and shoveling show..  I am here to tell you, I hurt so much I could barely walk for about 3 minutes.. And the next morning .. oh brother.  And it isn’t even the area I went in there for. It is muscle in the butt and along the back side of the legs..  because now it is both legs.  I sure am hoping as I go thru it.. those muscle loosen up..  You know the old saying.. don’t use it.. lose it.. well, I guess I lost it.

And I downsized it to 60.. meaning doing 20 instead.  Until these muscle loosen up.. Figured 60 is better than none.

Geesh it is hell to get old.  

 

ECHO/ALEXA

ECHO/ALEXA

Still working on the Echo machine…  all is good with the exception of setting up the call part..   Says it has to be set up with a smart phone.. well, we already know how that worked out… me and smart phone..   but all is not lost..we will find a way.. But in the meantime.. I am enjoying what it does do for me.. playing music.. finding out the weather for my town.. at a mere.. ECHO what is our weather for the day..   Gives the weather for the day and any storm warnings for your own town.  Even will tell you a joke, if you ask.  

But as I am playing around with it.. choosing music.. even saying Echo.. good morning and have it tell me back, Good Morning Cis..  hope your day goes well..  I got to thinking.. You know there are a lot of living alone widows out there. And maybe this might be a good thing for them.  It gives them someone to talk to and talks back… most of the time, with what you want.  Once in a while, she will say.. I am not sure of that.. or I don’t understand that..  But with elderly, lonely living by themselves … just might be something …  a voice and that voice will give you appropriate answers. (for the most part)…  and then if the adult children, grandchildren can get it set up for a face to face call.. all the better.   Might be a good Christmas present… and have them set it up.. voice friendly for the elderly person.. so the Alexa or Echo recognizes it.. It might be a few minutes of company for that person..  Working over the years with the elderly (yes, I have become one.. not by choice..  ha ha) .. I do know especially the women get lonely.  The guys go down to the bar or the club.  But for those who don’t leave the house or apartment.. it might be nice for them..   Just an idea.

 

In life, there is some wonderful light…

In life, there is some wonderful light… 

As winter starts in on us.. it is easy to get down, or drudge thru …  but this past weekend.. I had some sunlight come in and lifted me up..  Probably just a little thing to the gifters..  but turn out to be a huge thing for me.. 

After a difference of opinion with the King about snow removal.. and some heated words.. with me yelling back..I DON’T CARE… YOU ARE WRONG.. WRONG.. and him adding his two cents worth..  and me repeating I DON’T CARE..   I went in the house… and there was a noise on the front porch..  Nope not Santa.. but maybe close.

It was the UPS man leaving a box for us.. from our son. It was an piece of electronics.. and those of you, who know me well…. WELL… electronics and I are not exactly friends..  remember my post of last week..  I am an idiot…

But there it was..  I left a message on Messenger that I got the box and would finish my Sat. chores and then look at it so I could use my full attention..  But it got the best of me.. so about 15 minutes I unpacked it.. (we had already talked about it, so I knew what it was)… and I took out the booklet.  I thought.. maybe I can handle this..after all..  so instead of waiting.. I read and then took it out and plugged it in..  To make it a shorter story.. It is a screen thingie.. that tells the time and weather and date.. at the minimum… and I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF..  I actually got it hooked   up and running..  Yes indeed.. even gave it a name.. and then I changed the name they had on it.. and put my nickname on it.. and IT PRONOUNCED it perfectly.. Oh, this is so good..  But then it came to the settings. And going on the computer to do that.. finding out not so easy.. For one reason it is a download of a app.  Which it would not let me change to this devise and listed the STUPID PIXEL7 that I had got and then turn back.. As much as I tried, I could not delete it. So back to square one on that one..  And son will help with that.. 

But in comes the daylight…  you can ask question in general and IT ANSWERS.. and changes things..  and one of the sides is… MUSIC..  So here I have.. the temp. the date, the time..  and the music I chose.. and don’t ask me why.. because I am the child of the 50’s .. but I chose the 80’s and she gave it to me..  not only the music.. but as I walk by…. I SEE THE WORDS.. I can sing.. (I am home alone) with it..  For hours..  it was so GLORIOUS!!!

In life, there is some wonderful light… 

 

Living with Frosty 101

Living with Frosty 101

We have decided because we could not trust Frosty to stay at the house by herself in the whole house…. We could have her gated in the kitchen.. Giving her …her food dish… the water supply… her softy bed and A PAD…

Which has worked pretty good.. notice I said pretty good.

Most like a hit and miss.   I think she might need glasses as her aim is lousy..  But actually I think she does that on purpose… to get back at us for not taking her with us.  But you got to understand.. we never have taken her any place with us.. yet.

I think it is a doxie trait. Because I had some friends who had a black doxie.. and they took him most places.. His name was Charlie.   But if they went to dr. or somewhere .. where Charlie was not allowed.. they leave him home..  One of the times he went to the bathroom, pulled the toilet paper off of the roll and ran thru the trailer with it.  ALL OF IT…  So they shut the door.  Next time, they left him, he found a way to jump up on the kitchen chair and then the table.. and threw the salt and pepper shakers all around the table.. as there was salt all over the table and then on to the floor..  So the next time, they pushed the chairs under the table.. He moved the chairs back out and got up there again..  this time, not only throwing the salt and pepper around but chewing on the napkins left on the table.  I don’t remember what happen after that.. but I know Charlie was with them most of the time. 

We never know what the kitchen is going to look like when we get home.  So far she has taken the towels off the towel rack.. hit and miss the pad with pee and poop…  if my slippers are in there, one is by the gate.. and the other is down the room a bit.

Now Frosty has got creative.

Friday morning we went out to breakfast and the store..  We came back to the pad being crumpled up.  The food dish has been moved under the stools in there.. and the water container was moved to.. and she was sloppy about it.. as there was water every where..  I told the King I think the reason why the pad was crumpled up, was she was trying to clean up the mess.   I clean up the mess and took her outside for a potty break.

Later that morning we went to our sister in law’s house.. so we were gone 3 hours.  We came back to the pad crumbled up, the food dish moved across the room and under the sink hang over. No water spilt as I had removed the water container.. Figure she would not be dry in a mere 3 hours. My slippers that were in there, were flung around the room and the towel hanging from the towel rack was on the floor, crumpled as well. 

It is getting to be a challenge to see what can she do next.