wooooo weeeee i am tired

So I worked my 40 hours early last week, so i could take off at noon and drive up to the city.  I met my work friend B, we had sushi at one of our favorite places, downtown.  It was delicious.  Especially since it has been 11 months since our last sushi!  We had sushi here at this same place Oct 2019 when I had finished my 6 months of work last year.  

Then I spent the night at my Aunt's house and bright and early Friday I went to my dear grandmother's old independent living apartment to start moving her stuff to her new place.  She is moving from a facility to a traditional apartment, but she is right  next door to my aunt (her daughter).  

I completely filled my large SUV 3 times and took to the new place where I had to open 2 fire doors each trip (one with a key) all by myself and go down one flight and up one flight at new place.  It is a nice place where she is going - i just worry it will be so much for my aunt to be her sole caretaker, meal prep, laundry, etc.  But since it is her mother, she did not want to move her to skilled nursing.  So, we bought a baby monitor, an automatic doorbell that rings and flashes a strobe light (my Granny is almost deaf and blind) and we bought a riser for her toilet and bunch of LED light bulbs and night lights.  I moved all her clothes, knick nacks and utility closet.  

At 5:30 I drove back north to where i used to live and I got to see my good friend and went out to dinner with her and her daughter/daughter's family.  It was nice to see them.  They had steaks, even the kids - a 7 year old and a 11 year old - eating steaks.  It was something.  I had shrimp and a baked potato and took most of mine to my aunt.  

Saturday there could only be 2 people at my grandmothers place + movers, so I went up to my friend's farm and picked apples.  2 cousins were there at new place to help organize.  The planning was that my sister and I would finish what the movers did not get on Sunday before i went home.

These are the apples I picked Saturday.  I had a nice time catching up with my friend and his 4 dogs.  He has 200 acres and enjoyed the visit too.  He got us a pizza for lunch.  From Caseys - so good!

Sunday, my sister met me at my Granny's old apartment and helped me with all the kitchen and bathroom stuff, all the pictures on the wall, the window sheers.  On, and her African violets.

Then my cousin and I went and bought the toilet riser, door bell, baby monitor, lights, etc  And I bought her a huge about 3 foot tall clock that we hung right over her TV!  We did some organizing and unpacking and my aunt served her some yummy home made vegetable soup.  Then, i finally got on the road to go home about 5:00.  I got home about 8:30pm.  Man, did my bed feel good!

Here is a picture of my new fountain, it is in the courtyard right outside of our living room/bedroom and it sounds nice.  

It has turned pretty cool here.  I am just getting ready to go for a walk before i start processing (cut up and core) some of the pears and put them in the freezer.  

To help my aunt I have informed the old apartment I am handling my grandmother's account, i wrote them an e/mail yesterday hoping they would waive the 60 days notice and not charge her a month's rent ($1900+) because my aunt did not have 60 days notice when she received word that they could move her mom in to the apartment next to her.  The office manager called me today to ask about the issues i eluded to.  My grandmother fell several times and they never informed us, my grandmother would tell her daughter.  The call button worked off and on and one time after she pressed the button for help, the woman came to assist, then said "I will be right back" and left, never to return!  There were at least 2 times my grandmother was not served any food while being quarantined in her room.  I realize these things happen, now it just depends on how they handle know that we have informed them.  I explained that my aunt called several times and was not getting call backs from people (so she said).  I am not sure how many times/how long she waited for calls back, but i know that does happen.  So, the woman I talked to said she would let us know.  I know much of this is due to covid (my grandmother declined markedly due to her state of mind not having visitors and having hard time feeding herself - all they were feeding were sandwiches, so she could not really open cans of soup or fix herself something if she wanted somethng else).  But, I just don't understand not letting my aunt know about the falls, the office manager said it is not the facility's job to notify family about falls (?).  But it IS their emergency button that each resident depends on (?)  It felt like she was being very defensive and I did not even get the their policy not to let family in to help residents, but they would let hired care people to get in.  When we hired an independant 3rd party in to stay with my grandmother, she FELL ASLEEP WHILE SITTING WITH MY GRANDMOTHER.  UGH, maybe it is just a lot of factors that all came together in a bad way, but i am praying that my grandmother does not have to pay another month ALONG with the cost of this latest move + the $2,500 "community fee" she had to pay to get into this place that she planned to stay longer than just one year.  

Hope you all are well out there and not too isolated.  We are all going to have a long winter.

8 more work Mondays in 2017

10/16/17
8 more Mondays in 2017

Praying for our neighbors and my friend.  My neighbors' daughter (J) is my age and has stage four colon cancer.  She moved to another state to marry and raise her 2 children (both young adults).  It is about a 6 or 8 hour drive from here to her city.  My neighbors are my parents' (if they were both still alive) age.  For the last year, I have seen my neighbors run themselves ragged coming and going on this trip trying to help their daughter.  I really empathise with them.

My friend (R) is someone I have known since I was 4 years old.  She is suffering from mental illness and has left the home twice to go for stays in psychiatric hospital.  She is suffering and so is her family.  I have told her that I love her unconditionally and that I am here.  I have attempted to support her husband, at least in spirit.  I don't know what else to do.  Her 2 children are also young adults.  One just graduated, the other is a junior in high school. 

I feel helpless faced with such situations.  I just try to let the people know I care.  There is nothing else really I can do.  I did deliver a jar of home canned apple butter to my neighbors yesterday.  I got a text this morning saying they were enjoying it with toast and it was a nice start to their day.  I have been processing 2/3 of those apples I picked 2 weeks ago since Thursday night.  Wooooo weeeee, my back is sore!  I canned 18 quarts of applesauce and made 3 pies yesterday.  I delivered a quart of the apple butter and a pie to my work friend (B) whose farm we pick apples from.  He said next year we are welcomed to come back and pick more.  As far as I am concerned, it will be worth the 5 hour drive annually to do this.  We can visit with him and get apples, stay in touch.  More about him later, he is an interesting person!

I sold a jacket over the weekend and got ride of a couple bags of clothes/shoes.  But I also bought a new pair of walking shoes for myself and my husband, so I actually brought more in!  Plus, i must confess the store i found my walking shoes at had buy one get one half off, so i also bought a winter pair of casual walking-around sneakers.  They were not impulse buy, so that helps me keep in check.  At any rate, that is the wrong thing - bringing more in, but I got rid of my old pair and 2 pair of boots. My husband broke his in with a walk with me Sunday- worth the price!  One donated, one to sell.  I also washed sheets and towels and got a pie (froze) ready for this upcoming girls weekend.  Too busy for projects with all the apples!  But I have given out 13 jars already and have fun all winter giving and enjoying the apple butter! 

I went to see my Dear Grandmother (DG) Sat and took her and my aunt (PA) a jar.  My DG exclaimed "it is still warm!" and I barely had walked in the door when she was trying to open it and give it a sample.  I ran an errand at the store for her and so that made me feel good to help her feel good.  I won't get to see her for 2 weeks.  I have celebrated a couple of meaningful meetings with a couple of special women friends in my life and my gratitude cup is full.  I am happy for the present moment.  And then I come up with a title like today's post. Progress, not perfection.  Have a great week!

Goodbye Sept, Hello Oct

Friday worked all day, then went to see my friends son get his 1 year sobreity/clean and sober coin.  It was an amazing night.  This group was started in the inner city neighborhood of my city back in approx 2000 by a woman who faced her addiction issues and has enlisted others who also can use their experience , strength and hope to help others.  It was very uplifting in a world where, if you are not careful, everywhere you look can seem pretty bleak.  Going forward, i am going to be careful about what I choose to focus on the the news and on social media.  Division sells stories, products, clicks, get sponsors.  Not me.  Not  anymore.

Sat i took a giant lamp to my aunt and set it up for her and today i am taking a large plant to my SIL2. My aunt (MA1) took me to breakfast and we had delicious breakfast of avacado toast and veggie omlet with goat cheese.  I havent sold anything, but I have donated to 3 charities I am inspired by.  Then we drove an hour to enjoy the country and pick a ton of apples!  So rejuvenating.  I also got 2 dozen farm eggs from my SIL2.  I am happy today for natures seasons!

Today, i am too lazy for church, but I have managed to clean both of my fireplaces and a broken slat of my vertical blind and did very minor amount of touch up paint.  Part of my problem is that my stomach hurts, but it sort of feels how i usu feel recov from "normal" eating on monday, so maybe I will be spared that tomorrow.

Spending the rest of the day doing food prep.  Zuchinni bread, stuffed peppers, grilled chicken and pork chops.  Leaving time to round out the day for a walk in this gorgeous weather. 

Have a great start to your October!