I have made the commitment to spend one day a week with Mom and Dad unless Ollie and I are out of town. I have been cooking brunch or lunch for them and they really enjoy it. Mom loves the break from cooking, it's always fun to taste someone else's cooking and we can visit better than if we were at a restaurant.
We all spent a quiet New Years. The last few years Ollie and I have had had the family at our home for New Years. This year we had been gone the week between Christmas and New Years, so we skipped hosting everyone this year and everyone did their own thing.
Mom has been having some pain in her wrists. Her PCP referred her to neurologist and an arthritis specialist. The arthritis specialist determined that Mom has osteoarthritis, not rheumatoid, which is a huge blessing. The neurologist did some testing of the nerve responses of Mom's fingers, feet and toes. The doctors concur that she has carpel tunnel syndrome and have recommend she see a surgeon. Mom and I sat down at the computer and read some articles about carpel tunnel surgery. She has a wrist splint and is feeling a little better. At least the pain seems to be subsiding a bit and has not been waking her up in the night. She wants to give it a little time and see how she does. Mom's doctors would like her to be getting more cardio-exercise and do more walking, but that's hard to do when the weather is so cold. She walks down to get their paper every morning and to get their mail in the afternoon. That's not enough, but at least she is doing that! We would also like for her to see and acupuncturist and get some massage therapy. She wants to do that and says she will try to work it into her schedule.
Things with Dad are pretty much status quo. He gets up from his living room recliner from time to time to use his walker and stroll around the living room, dining room and kitchen. He routinely sleeps until between 10 and 11:00, unless he and Mom have to go somewhere. Mom always has the newspaper waiting for him at the breakfast room table. He reads the paper, eats breakfast and then heads for his recliner in the living room. Mom discourages him from napping too much, but he still does that a lot. There is a syndrome called "Stroke Sleepiness." There are several different causes including medications, sleep interruption, and that the stroke could have affected the part of Dad's brain that involves sleep/wake cycles. I think, if Dad has his way, he would do nothing all day but eat and sleep! Fortunately he has Mom, family and friends to encourage other activities!
Dad spend a few hours in the hospital at Burnet recently. He was vomiting and dizzy so Mom called our dear friend, Leslie Stephens, to come next door and help her. Leslie encouraged Mom to call 911 and let them check Dad out. They took Dad to Seton in Marble Falls where he stayed for a few hours. They examined Dad and found that he was dehydrated. Mom puts water and other things out for Dad to drink and reminds him often to drink. He isn't enthused ab out it, so he balks! It caught up with him, so surely he will do better about keeping himself hydrated! When Ollie and I were there last week he had a glass of water at his chair and did drink from it often!
I am taking a couple of housekeepers to Mom's this Thursday to do some "Spring Cleaning!" Mom's house is never dirty, but I though it would give her a nice break to have someone do it all in one day. My plan is to get Mom and Dad out of the house and possibly go visit Aunt Mary and Aunt Dorene in Georgetown and have lunch. It is vital that Mom leave while the housekeepers are there, otherwise she'll want to give them instructions the whole time! God love her, she is so particular!!! I have been prepping her that they are not going to do everything perfectly, but at least they can give her a break! She laughs at herself because she knows what I mean!!!
Hershel and Lillie's daughter, Barbara Wilson, and I have been exchanging a few emails since Hershel's funeral. She and I were expressing our sadness that we did not write down or video the childhood stories told by Dad and Hershel. Barbara says that Lillie knows some of the stories Hershel told about Grandma Pauly when she lived with his family. Grandma moved in with Uncle Ira after Aunt Mamie died. Hershel was a baby and Grandma cared for him like he was her own until Uncle Iran Married Aunt Ida. I remember Grandma telling me that Hershel was "her baby." I highly encourage each of you to write down the stories you have been told or video your elders as they tell them to you. It is so sad to let the stories die. I think they are so very important to tell your children and grandchildren. Share your stories with the family at the reunion. If you are unable to attend the reunion, get them to me and I will be sure to share them with everyone.
It's our year to go to Ollie's family's reunion in St Louis, so we will miss this years' Mabel Pauly Family Reunion. However, please mark your calendars for the first Saturday in June, the 4th, as the day to spend with your family in celebration of our heritage! More details about that in the months to come. Family members, please make sure I have your current email address. Mine is sandic@austin.rr.com.
I pray that all of you are warm and healthy and happy. I do not believe in New Year's resolutions. My goal is to prayerfully have the strength to follow the prayer of St Francis of Assisi...
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
where is injury, pardon,
where there is doubt, faith,
where there is despair, hope,
where there is darkness, light,
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled at to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Until next time...love and peace to all of you!
