First Day of Spring

Here in the mountains, we are celebrating the first day of spring with about 4 inches of the white stuff and a SNOW DAY from school. Quite unexpected.....who believes the weather forecasters these days?!  It sure looks pretty, but it is difficult to believe I was sunning my oh-so-white legs on my porch in 50 degree weather just yesterday. Friday I had already shed my coat and packed away sweaters. With another day of snow, note I didn't say snow day (ah!) due on Wednesday, I can only hope this surprise from nature is short lived and melting quickly!

Now I have some shoveling to do, and apparently time to work on the next chapter in Country Roads. Until I am able to get out on those roads to walk, I will live through my own story.
 HAPPY SPRING!!
A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3

PS Weather done RIGHT yesterday

Happy Valley Style....thanks Kate

Yessssss, she rubbed it in a bit!

Story Two...Continued

Continued from Original Blog Country Roads, January 28, 2011
Relaying the story to her brother, who moonlighted as a security guard, meant Kate was in for a lecture on safety afterwards. She new she should have had her cell phone with her, even (or especially?) on infrequently traveled country roads. I’m strong, and fast, and smart, she thought to herself, rationalizing her lack of preparedness in an emergency. Besides, there wasn’t a Pine Ridge, or Pine Anything road around here that even has cell service.
“Psshhh”! The expelled air calmed Kate a bit, as she thought about her early morning experience. Then she giggled to herself. He’s probably some nice, old man who thought I needed a ride, right?
Glancing at the pendulum clock Kate had inherited from her grandparents, she realized Topher was likely to be sleeping in especially late, after a night shift. Thankfully the tale of her “brush with death” could wait. And Dad never had to hear it at all.
Pouring a steaming cup of tea with an excessive amount of sugar and half and half, Kate returned to her waiting laptop to work while the cottage was quiet and still relatively cool. In a few hours the sun would beat down on the surrounding decks, inviting Kate to take a sun-break. This was her summer ritual. Workout, shower, write, RELAX.
Today’s agenda took such a twist when run for your life was added to the mix, Kate thought.
“Back to work”, she said out loud.
Pulling her still somewhat shaky legs beneath her on the couch, Kate began typing.
“The incidence and risk of suicide in brain injury patients increases for those sustaining repeated concussions during athletic events.”
Her latest story for FemSport was beginning to take shape. The controversial topic was difficult to address and personally devastating, knowing people who had lost loved ones in such a tragically, horrific way. All stars and scholarship athletes, ending their own lives after concussions had altered their frame of mind, or perhaps even their brain chemistry. That’s what she hoped to learn and present in her current article, after meeting with an expert later in the week.
A stiff neck and aching knees alerted Kate to the fact that she had been curled up and hunched over her laptop for over an hour. It took her the better part of five minutes to untangle her long legs and slowly stretch the taut muscles both there and in her neck. What she wouldn’t give for a shoulder massage right now, she thought.
Rubbing her own neck as she headed for the kitchen to find food, Kate felt a presence before she heard the sound outside her front door. She had locked it, hadn‘t she? The hair on the back of her stiff neck stood up, and that fight or flight instinct kicked in, sending her heart racing as she approached the door. A shadow crossed the arched, glass panel at the top of the door as something briefly blocked the sun from entering the room. The sun was now at its peak in the sky, but Kate felt a chill, fear gripping her and leaving her unable to move any further. Whatever caused the shadow, just as suddenly moved away. Swallowing hard, Kate got up the nerve to approach the door. As her trembling hand touched the doorknob, she closed her eyes, took a deep, steadying breath, and pulled the door towards her.
A sudden flutter of wings caused a gasp to escape her lips. Then nervous, relieved laughter bubbled up, making Kate sound a bit on the hysterical side. Thankfully the only one to hear her was the blue bird, caught stealing pieces of Spanish moss from the wreath that decorated the front door of the little cottage. The events of that morning had affected her more than even she had realized.
It was time to tell SOMEONE, and to do a little investigating of her own.

Part 3 Anyone?!
A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3

Whose Cause is it Anyway?

I can't go anywhere in my smallish town without being asked either for money, a signature, my time, or today.... to beep my horn.   The support staff union at our local medical center is on strike. While I am 100% behind their right to do so, I cringe at the idea of blaring obnoxiously loud and somewhat rude/crude music outside the windows of those needing hospitalization.  While I believe in the right to free speech, I stumble in my backing when bull horns are used so close to a nursery where newborns lay, or cancer and cardiac patients recover from surgery.  I refused to BEEP my support, outside of an institution where people on hospice are taking their last breaths.  I know I sound anti-support.
In actuality I am a giver, usually of my time or helping in some way, although I feel like a Scrooge every time I say, "Sorry, not today", to hopeful faces from brownies through the VFW.  Mind you, I occasionally drop in a buck, but where does it end?  There are so many GREAT, worthy causes out there.  The cause of the week seems to be Japan, and well, if it's not... it should be.  Just the images of destruction and homeless people makes me want to cry.  And then I remember my church is hosting several homeless families this week too. I should really be there doing what I can.
Instead, I was once again at the nursing home giving my time to Mom. In the end I think this is as it should be.  Mom is not a cause, but she is worthy of my time and the funds I spend keeping her clothed and well taken care of now.  It is not charity, but love. It is not a donation of my time, but an investment.  It is not done to receive, but to give.  She is my family.
I also arrived home today to find a fundraiser packet from my GROWN son's drum corps band.  It made me laugh, remembering all the pizzas, wrapping paper, and goodies we bought to support him in his high school band. Thankfully, the Blue Band at PSU didn't nickel and dime the parents. They just flat out asked for (large) donations. I have to give them credit for that.
A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3 

Priceless

A picture is worth a thousand words, yet this one leaves me speechless.

Hair Cut $25
Nursing Home $7,000
Time with Gram....
                             PRICELESS!



A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3

Miracles

Last week the doctor took Mom off Aricept, the drug used to help with her memory as the Alzheimer's was claiming her life one remembered story at a time.  I understand his decision, and support the idea of minimizing unnecessary meds. The drug treats mild to moderate cases, and we have surpassed that stage in Mom's care.  She is comfortable, well fed, and has many aides who dote on her at the nursing home.  The idea of quality of life for her has changed dramatically since she first became a resident there. 
During her initial 2 years on the ACU (Alzheimer Care Unit), Mom participated in daily activities that included the likes of parachute play, seated kickball, indoor (plastic) bowling, along with singing and dancing. Sadly, her then dance partners have gone before her to that big ball room in the sky. So have the duets and quartets that sang incredibly accurate and musically sound versions of Chattanooga Choo Choo and other oldies but goodies.  I miss them all, as well as the fun of observing or participating in their social and recreational activities. 
Since Mom's hip was broken 2 1/2 years ago, and as surgery was not an option due to non existent bone density and her inability to rehab in a constructive way, she has been a granny on wheels.  As her body has deteriorated from lack of use, her mind has gone the same way. Aphasia has turned into a general lack of speech.
Then today, a week after stopping her memory drug, something of a miracle occurred.  Mom began repeating many words I was saying to her. She smiled her beautiful smile for the first time in a very long time. I was elated, and yet it broke my heart at the same time.  I know in my heart this is not permanent, but to have such a gift for even a day is something to celebrate and be thankful for.  Mom's aide mentioned she even tried to feed herself today, for the first time in an even longer time.  It is most definitely a miracle. Small by many standards, but huge in my life, for I thought the mom I knew was already gone forever.
This glimpse into the past has reaffirmed my faith, blessed me with something of a family reunion, and given me the strength to handle whatever God places before me and Mom on this journey we call life. Amen to that.
A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3

Twins and Things

Mom was a twin. Dad was a twin. Mom's twin had twins.  I found out today that I have a twin also....not the identical, born at the same time kind of twin, but the mother-daughter variety.  More like a mini-me, except when your daughter is taller than you are, she's not exactly mini.  There is a family resemblance, with similar hairstyles, heels equalling out our heights, and strikingly similar clothing styles. When being processed by an elderly mind, all things added equals...well, twins. 
Katie and I visited Mom at the nursing home while she was home this weekend, and this is where we discovered we were "twins". In actuality, Katie was told she looked better as a blond. The blond was actually me. I can not even imagine how the resident's mind was working when she saw Kate and I together, how she processed two similar images, decided they were twins, then translated that information into mirror images to comment that Kate (me) looked better as a blond. Confusing.
The mind is truly an amazing thing.  I have read that we only use about 20% of its capacity for learning, solving, and storing facts and information.  The potential is there, the ability and neurons are there, yet we somehow are unable to make use of it.  Building up the brain, working it out, generating new connections can stave off diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia in later years. Like muscles, the brain must be worked in order to strengthen it.
During Katie's visit this weekend, we also found some time to play a few games of Scrabble. It was fun, but not as intriguing as I thought it would be. I don't recall ever playing it as a child, but perhaps I did and it is my brain's inability to bring up that information.  Personally, I prefer the word game of creating smaller words from the letters that make up a larger one.  For example, the word achievement can be scrambled to form words like hive, chive, and meant. It's a great game to play mentally, no equipment, gameboard, or pencil and paper required.
Twins often skip a generation, so the probability of Katie having twins is conceivably far greater than mine had been.  I look forward to having granchildren, and especially the idea of a two for one deal.  I will cherish whatever we are blessed with, and pray that good health and more mental gymnastics will keep the degenerative diseases of the brain at bay, both for myself and future generations. 
A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3

Tomorrow

As the rain pummels the northeast, particularly the east and west sides of my state, the central counties have somehow escaped the worst of the deluge. This makes my daughter happy, but for me, I am currently living in fear that the sump pump will die a quiet death while I sleep. Awaking to an indoor basement pool is not something I want to repeat, as we have had to throw out life preservers for some of our family room furniture and other items twice before.  Since then I have sworn by our newly installed B-Dry system, and just want to say...don't fail me now! Tomorrow promises to bring clearing skies, and with it safe travel for my daughter to come home for a weekend of shopping for her upcoming birthday, and all the good food she can eat. The fact that for 2 days she doesn't have to cook it herself is a bonus.

It still strikes me as strange that my baby is all grown up and living and working so far from home.  She recently sent me a pic of her in her lab coat....giggling the entire time she was posing.  I think she finds it even harder to believe that she is a mature and contributing member of society.
At work she is currently researching and providing data to doctors on head trauma injuries. I find it interesting and am totally proud of her knowledge, the experience she is gaining, and how capable she is in her role at the lab.  There is no doubt in my mind I would trust her with my life....and should probably have my head examined at some point.
Her Gram and Farfar are happily contemplating spending some time with their granddaughter, or at least they would be if either had any sparks left in their short term memory. While biology and disease has stolen pieces from their memories, the upside is the joy that overtakes them at "surprise" visits they were told about repeatedly.
Here's to family reunions and living in the moment.
A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3