ICE!!

IT is everywhere...heavy and cold and sidewalks and roads are slushy and slippery. Tomorrow is another day and the daylight will reveal the wonders of it all.. 

PM

A.M.

The trees and bushes are crackling..more snow on

the way. Hurry Up Spring!!

RESTING

MOM is finally at rest. She struggled so in her last days that we are so glad she no longer has to endure. My brother died twenty years ago this April and my mother spoke about being reunited with him and my father. I know she is happy where she is but her presence has left a large space in my heart. I had left the center for only a few minutes when my Sis called me back and I raced as fast as I could to get there. When I
ran into the room they told me she had just passed away a moment before. We sat with her for a good long time.

                                  
Upon hearing that mom had passed away, staff came from all over the center where mom was. The room was filled with people coming and going and praying with us. We truly had no idea what kind of affect she had on the staff there. Some staff called employees who were at home and broke the news to them. There were many tears and many hugs and many stories passed in the hours we sat and talked while arrangements were made. We truly did have mom in the right place for her passing. The next days will be stressful but we know mom is in a better place now and resting with loved ones and very happy. That is truly a comfort to us.

Please KNOW I really appreciate the thoughts and prayers from all of you at this time. It what helps me get through my days. My cyber family is THE BEST!!!
  

WINTERS FURY

Wow a blizzard!  We got one and it lasted all night long. Sometimes the snow was  coming sideways and sometimes one to two inches an hour. When all was said and done..about 10 inches or more. The drifts were more like 14 inches in my driveway.

It wasn't a silent night that is for sure. Usually when we get a snow storm everything is pretty quiet except for the snow plows. This storm was noisy.. wind blowing and knocking around everything not nailed down. That is the view last night out my front door. Scary looking and not any vehicles on the road either.

After the snowplow guy came and moved all my snow out of my driveway you could hardly see the neighbors who walked by next door. They are standing up behind that pile.

The porch wasn't too bad itself but my steps were completely snowed in. Took me quite awhile to dig them out. Snowblowers are working overtime this afternoon now that the sun is shining. The groundhog did NOT see his shadow.. SPRING cannot come fast enough for me.

QUICK UPDATE..

THINGS are happening sometimes here at lightning speed, at other times at a snails
pace. Hard to tell what will go on from one day to the next. Have had little on line time to catch up with everyone. This I truly miss a whole lot. I miss all my blogging family.
Mom's condition has deteriorated lately and we are continuing to speak to counselors and doctors,. therapists and Hospice workers. The whole process is mind boggling. What will be paid for and what isn't covered is sometimes shocking. I have years of experience under my belt with elderly care and their concerns and tribulations. I sure am glad now, because it is really coming in handy.I would hate to be traveling down this road without some prior knowledge of how things work. The things that happen daily could be written in a book...in fact... I have been documenting Mom's whole

journey from the beginning. No wonder I completely wore out one computer and one camera. They sure did the job admirably. Above is the long hallway to the end of the  building. Many times I have found mom rolling down that hallway to look for deer out the doorway windows. The handrails on either side of the hall help the patients by them reaching and pulling themselves along. Probably the one of the most germy places in the building as they rarely are cleaned. The floors and walls and bathrooms etc are always done but the railings not. I avoid them like the plague. 
Well just wanted to catch you all up on what is going on.. lack of time, energy or wifi at home make it extremely hard to get computer time. January is grinding down and
February is at hand..Spring can't come soon enough for me.

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT...

THAT is the question! We continue to struggle every day to get Mom to eat more. I have asked just about everyone I know for help and advice. The recent health problems that Mom had caused her tongue and taste buds to be so bad that she doesn't have much desire to eat anything. Mom always loved her coffee but doesn't even drink one cup now. Yesterday we did the happy dance because she actually ate

a cup of pudding. I said "What does it taste like Mom?" and she said "White!" I guess there just was no flavor at all. She has the desire..she asked for a cheeseburger without the seeds on the bun. When she got the burger, she took one bite.. that was all. We were crushed. Best I can do is keep trying everything I can. If it were not for those high protein supplement drinks like ensure etc., I just don't know what we would do.
We did find out that some medications do cause things to not have the greatest taste for her so maybe that was the problem..time will tell. The latest thing is, that a side effect of the antibiotic was that she broke out all over.. now her skin is peeling like
a sunburn. It is the talk of the center.. no one has ever seen anything quite like it. The doctor and the surgeon were really surprised. Leave it to Mom to be different from
anyone else in the place.