Weblog 195

November 1, 2009~ 12:00am
Last night was THE NIGHT....Halloweeeen, of course! Holly's house is THE HALLOWEEN house, decked out and spooky.



That cheerful little witch talks. Her green eyes light up and she cackles and giggles and taunts. In fact, the whole living room was alive with skulls and spiders and ghosts-- and the kitchen was spread with a delicious feast, and it was a lovely evening from beginning to end-- (even the two dogs got into the act.)



There's Holly, as the WICKED WITCH, helping Greg Brady with his pumpkin costume. Her nose was spectacular- warts and all! Here's a head-on picture of 'Wicked's' Elspeth....(she gets her looks from me. LOL!!)



When Wayne and I first got there at 5 p.m., Bill was curled up on the couch, his face buried in the sofa cushions and facing away from us. I could hear him sniffling. It seems Bill had caught a bug and wasn't feeling very well at that point, and extremely upset that he might miss trick or treating. A dose of Tylenol had him up and around, and he was determined to bring home his own sack of goodies. He donned his Star War costume



and he felt right as rain....(though his visor visibility left much to be desired.) "It's all hazy and fuzzy through this...."

"Just carry your helmet, Bill. Put it on when you get to a door." "Ok."

LOL!!!

Then Kay made an appearance, blue eyeshadow to boot! What a lovely Dorothy she made...(and she knew it, too!)



Mother and both children ready...."what's everyone waiting for?"



Oh yes, fix Greg Brady's pumpkin hat again, because Johnny Bananas is rarin' to go! (I swear, that dog should be a runway model!) He just loves to strut!



Finally, Dad and the kids took off, with Witchy Mom and her two beasts bringing up the rear....



I was surprised there weren't more trick-or-treaters coming to the door. It was supposed to be the worst kind of Halloween weather- cold and rainy. The rain (thankfully) stopped late in the afternoon, so it was pretty much perfect and just a wee bit chilly. Grandparents stayed behind. We stayed put and gorged on the delicious food in the kitchen-- and I was busy working on their computer, which had picked up a nasty virus sometime today. I was able to get rid of the thing, and hope the 'fix' takes.

The snapshots of this year's Halloween would not be complete without a look at my HANDSOME WARLOCK...



Perfect! LOL!! How could you not love such a guy? Hey, anyone who looks so appealing in a witch's hat is ok in my book...God love him.

Earlier today, I got my first look at mum's new digs. The place is very cozy, and feels more like a nice hotel than assisted living. Tomorrow we take more stuff over, getting things ready for the move on Monday. (And none too soon! Yep. Mum fell again last night.) Hopefully her new, appropriatedly proportioned bathroom --with staff on hand at all times will keep her from taking these tumbles she's been having in living alone. My fingers are permanently crossed that all goes well, because Monday is the move. (Oh lord, I hope she not only adjusts, but makes some friends there.)

We all want that... we all want to see those we love safe, with things to stimulate their minds and keep them happy.... good food, warm surroundings, a place to call home. From my lips to God's ear. Always.




November 1, 2009~ 8:40am
Mission accomplished!



Spent today getting the last of the pictures, clothes, accessories that mum will need in her new residence, gathered together and taken over to the new place. My sister Kathy and I had a companionable time of it...trips back and forth to the car with laundry baskets filled with stuff. (Oh, and one of their two elevators was 'out of order'...lol...typical.) But we got it done, both of us with bad knees. LOL!!! And I discovered that NOTHING CLEANS GLASS BETTER THAN MURPHY'S OIL SOAP on a terrycloth rag! No streaks! Why don't they put that on the bottle? (To my mind, Murphy's is the one, true all-purpose cleaner. No streaking, no harsh chemicals, and everything smells wonderfully clean when the job is done) ... commerical over....but I LOVE THE STUFF!

Her suite looks wonderful. Homey. Pictures on the walls, pretty new drapes, everything crisp and cozy. What do we think of when we think of 'home'....it's something like this, isn't it?



It's a piece of nostalgia-- times gone by still captured in mementos, favorite objects. We gathered up a bunch of hers and sprinkled them around. By the time we were done and ready to pick up some pizza, we took one last look at the room, small lamps lit, clean white chenille bedspread, dark wood furniture sparkling, and BOTH of us just wanted to stay. It was so peaceful and ready. I hope I have such a place when I'm nearly ninety...with a dining area with real tablecloths that serves roastbeef and mashed potatoes for 'dinner' at noon.....no dishes to do...cheerful, helpful people all around at all hours should I need them.

I'll be going over after work to check in on her and visit before supper. Hope she likes it. I know I do.




November 4, 2009~ 10:00pm
Update: Mum is not only adjusting, she's THRIVING. LOL!!! They had her in physical therapy today, lifting hand-weights, walking an obstacle course and using the treadmill. (PT's think it's mostly muscle atrophy that's made her suddenly dependent on a walker, and believe they can get her strength and her balance to the point where she's safe using just a cane again.) HOORAY! (Not smoking for a week now, regular meals that she has to WALK to, and a pretty good hike to boot) -- activity -- people around her all day -- the lady is blooming.

The best sign is that when I stopped to see her tonight after work, she didn't want to sit around in the room and talk. She wanted to GO-- down to the first floor and wait outside the dining room. (I notice they all tend to congregate there, chattering away. The old love their meals.) But.....first she went into the bathroom, took out her make-up bag and touched up her make-up! Fresh lipstick, a daub of new powder, and fussed with her hair. LOL!!! Then..."Let's go!" - and off she went, at quite a clip. We overtook an older, slower lady in the hall, and mum said "Hi"- as she zoomed past her, walker pounding the floor. "I think I'll take the stairs," she said as the stairway door came up ahead, then HOWLED at her joke.

Tonight there was a visiting violinist playing in the activity room after dinner, and she actually said she'd like to listen to that. Tomorrow they're starting to make a GINGERBREAD HOUSE for some competition, and though she rolled her eyes and scrunched up her nose when I asked her, I'll bet you any money she's gonna be hanging around to see what's going on in that room tomorrow.

All of this is so wonderful, I am speechless. After all the worry.......SHE LIKES IT! Whoopie!!





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