I did not fall off the face of the earth….wait, yes I did. I enjoyed early fall in the Inland Northwest, away from phone, Internet, and political news. I saw an entire river valley in the Idaho Panhandle take on a golden hue this past week. I heard a male elk bugle daily for the…
My mom is in a nursing home for one reason: she is in a wheelchair now and can no longer stand up without help. None of us is strong enough to help. Mom fell too many times and the next fall might be the last. For her and many others, falling means reduced mobility and a…
Hi, it’s Tango. Jane has forgotten how to write and conjugate simple verbs, thanks to “problems” with the blog site. While she sharpens her pencils, rereads Strunk and White, and clears the debris from her foggy mind, I will fill in. Here is the news: I am sick of city life. I should be herding grizzly bears in…
Taking care of crabby elderly parents is tough, physically and mentally. Healthcare system workers – even docs – can be grumpy and uncaring. The senior care system is abysmal. One night last week the dinner menu: bologna and cheese sandwiches (I eat with Mom every night). Add to that, parents always saying “WHAT” because they cannot hear.…
I escorted Mom to her primary care doctor on Friday. We shared with her some of the issues at the nursing/rehab center. Doc: Take them both with you. Me: Sputter, sputter. I am flabbergasted since she knows nothing about my traveling lifestyle, only that I live out-of-town. Me: I live in an RV and travel…
Ongoing caretaker news! My stepdad Marvin is home from the rehab center. I can see the happiness in his soul. Still, coming home for Marvin is not what it was in his younger days, like coming home from vacation and experiencing the joy of sleeping again in your own bed. The surroundings are the same…
Time to visit Mom and Marvin in the nursing/rehab center. I go late in the afternoon because, if I arrive earlier, they would likely be in a rehab session or napping. Once there, we chat about the day’s dramas and dilemmas. All of us share news of assorted aches and pains; theirs are more severe, mine…
Mom likes to call the rehab/nursing home food slop. I can’t think of any other name for overcooked frozen veggies; noodles and whatever leftovers the cook finds; and cold Tater Tots. Their only gastronomical redemption comes in the large dispensers of fruit-infused water set up in the central hallway. I guzzle a glass of lovely…
Baby brother and I visited Mom, as usual, in the evening. We had been talking about our ancestry when the conversation turned, as it often does, to words – both their spelling and derivation. I smiled and enjoyed the discussion, a typical conversation when you grow up with two English majors for parents. The folks…
For now, my strolls on the beach with Tango, hikes in the mountains, wanderings in the meadows, and interactions with bison: gone and replaced by wheeled adventures with Mom to assorted doctors. Next week, the podiatrist for a toenail clipping, eye doctor for an assessment, and primary care physician for a routine, long-scheduled visit. The…