Mid-January Goings-On

The Ranch house is getting knee-deep in dust again as the workmen gut the second bathroom! But I will love having my walk-in shower and vanity area updated. I picked out the tile yesterday, spending a fortune at the local Lowe's. Tex's bathroom is completely done, complete with matching towels, etc. Unfortunately, the vanity is piled high with both Tex's and my bathroom gear on the top.

Tex himself is making slow progress, but progress nonetheless. With the help of a wheelchair van, I was able to bring him home for a few hours on the weekend. It wasn't easy, but it was doable. Why was I so exhausted afterward? I am going over to the Rehab center to work with him on getting in and out of our car, so I don't have to spend $$ on a van next time.

I am loving having more time at home to get things done, even things like yardwork (eek!) and laundry etc. I guess my Inner Housekeeper is coming out. (Honest, no one has ever even seen a glimpse of her before. Not in my whole life.)

When I was feeling really blue on Monday, I piled into my trusty Honda and took a trip to East Dallas to have lunch with my son Bud and the two Little Cowpokes. It did my spirits and my heart a world of good just to be with them for a couple of hours. The 6 year old Cowpoke gives the best-est hugs and just grinned when he saw me come in. The Baby Cowpoke smiled, gummed his finger food, and showed off his new self-feeding skills. They are such wonderful, wonderful kids. Not that this Nonna is prejudiced but I am simply reporting the facts.

Dryheat Dan called me last night to tell me that his Mother-in-law Kathleen had died yesterday, at age 83. Evidently it was a very peaceful death. I have had such love for her ever since she helped my mother with my dad's death. I'm glad that I got to visit with her a few months ago. She was a beautiful and gracious lady, who was cheerful, loving all those around her, even as she slid quietly into senility. May Light shine upon her, and all those who loved her. My sister-in-law Irish Ani took care of her for the last few years of her life, until she simply required 24 hour care. I am reminded once again what good people are in my family. Please pray for the soul of Kathleen, and comfort in grief for Ani and Dan.

New Year/New Life

Well, it's official. I am going to be teaching one class this semester while I exhaust my leave balances and work one quarter time! Hurrah! Hurrah! At the end of May, I will officially retire from UNT. I actually decided to retire at the end of January and adjunct one class, but this arrangement works out better for us financially as well as having the advantage of keeping things clean with the Teacher's Retirement System which says I cannot work or volunteer in any capacity for 30 days after retiring. It will give me more time to be with Tex as well as be much less hectic than the last 60 days.

Also on a happy note, I had dinner with my dear friends from the Pastoral Care group which has been more or less dissolved by our new Deacon. We decided that we would meet quarterly as a group since we have become so close over the past years. I absolutely love these ladies and have missed getting together with them as a group over the fall.

My house is covered in dust and a bit of mess as the contractors are working on my new bathrooms, one of which is being widened for Tex and one of which is being turned into a lovely shower for me. It should all be back to normal in a couple of weeks.

Well, I need to go see Tex at his Hacienda Por Rehab on this bitterly cold day, one for the record books. Fortunately, very little ice came with this Arctic Blast.

Somber Advent

This entire advent season has been a hard road, with Tex being in three hospitals, one rehab center, and he will most likely be going to a skilled nursing facility this week before Christmas. His level of alertness is up and down and all around - after two absolutely clear days he was totally confused for the last two. Sometimes I can handle it all, and sometimes I can't. My Dearly Beloved Cousin called this week and gave me a wonderful gift of Words and Tears. Now, I can sometimes cry when I realize that he is so very ill. I had nursed a secret hope that he might be strong enough to come home for the day on Christmas, but I doubt that can happen now. All I can really say is, "Lord, be mericiful."

This is A Hard Season for so many people I know. But the donkey trudges on to Bethlehem, and Christ will be born on Christmas Eve. Hallelujah!

home or Home? Or, maybe, someplace else.

After I spent timelooking into Rehabs & skilled nursing facilities, it looks like Tex will be going to a Long Term Acute Care facility for a couple more weeks of IV antibiotic therapy. Hopefully, they can also build up his ability to swallow and take in enough liquids by mouth. Then maybe to a rehab facility where they can build up his muscles (and level of alertness) to where he can come home? I really have to face the fact that I don't know what is going to happen, and leave him in the Hands of God. I really don't like that! I want to be in charge! My prayer has been to "heal him, Lord, so he can come home - or - just take him Home. None of this long-term care stuff!" Sometimes God says, "my time is not your time." I'm not too crazy about that answer but it seems to be what I am seeing take place.

Advent- the time of coming

Advent is the time of "coming." I am now a little bit hopeful that Fred will get back from his 2nd hospitalization with this round of illness (in Lewisville Med Center this time), and will "come" back to rehab for a period of strengthening, and will "come home" in time for Christmas. He is responding in his more usual way to the antibiotics and hydration that he is receiving this time after his kidneys began to shut down in rehab. I think that he needed this extra round in the hospital to give him a chance to beat down this particular infection. I truly have been much more calm since he went into the hospital on Wednesday. He is "coming back to himself" instead of having his mind wander in the ozone constantly. He can even crack a few jokes again! Thank you for all your prayers.

Fred is a little bit better today, thanks be to God!

Thanksgiving 2009

What a different Thanksgiving! Woke up and gave thanks for many things, from the blessings of electricity to taking an early morning walk with my dear Neighbor Friend. Then went to the Rehab Center to be with Tex, who is worse than I have ever seen him. I fought tears. Then Tex's beautiful daughter Bird Girl and her husband came. Bird G. is so wonderful with her Daddy that I was touched. Also very thankful that she had invited me to share in her sister-in-law's Thanksgiving dinner. Saw Tex again last night and think that we may have to move him to a hospital. Big quandry for me is whether to move him to a neighborhood suburban hospital where his doctors know him and I can get to it, or to a downtown hospital which has more resources but where they do not know him and is very hard for me to get to. Please, God, help me to make the right decision. I love Tex so much but he is suffering so very much. Lord have mercy on Tex and alleviate his suffering.