Leave a comment

So Much Help

Posted by eph21920 on April 6, 2024 in Answer, Family, Friends, Grateful, Home, Life

When we left the house last week, we wanted to make sure it was ready for the roofers. We took the pictures off the walls and put several knick knacks away to make sure nothing would fall and break. It was so nice to get home yesterday, but the house was in a bit of a shambles. Yesterday afternoon a caregiver came for a couple of hours and helped do laundry and dust off wall hangings while my mom was napping. Today my son came over and put the big pictures back on the walls after my sister and I cleaned them. My mom dusted off some of the knick knacks and made sure we put things away in the right place. In the afternoon the housekeeper came and gave the whole house a good cleaning. At the same time, there were a couple technical issues at the cabin. So my other son and grandson went up there and resolved the problems. I was very grateful today for all the helpful people.

I Found God today in so much help.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Finally Home

Posted by eph21920 on April 5, 2024 in Family, Grateful, Home, Life, Struggles

I stopped by the house last night and saw that the workers had finished replacing our roof. I was elated and excited to finally go back home today. Mom has been saying for a couple of days that she wants to go home, but sometimes she says that  even when we are at home – part of dementia. I think mostly it is an unsettled feeling that she has that she can’t really articulate. So, we packed up this morning after breakfast and headed home. Our driveway was clear and cleaned which was a nice welcome. Inside, the house was somewhat of a disaster. There were stacks of pictures and such all around as we had pulled everything off the walls. Mom commented on how bare the walls were. I’m grateful that the housekeeper is coming tomorrow so we can get everything cleaned and back in place. After a busy morning, my mom was exhausted. She took a long afternoon nap and just wanted to go back to bed after dinner. All in all, I would say the hotel adventure was alright. The biggest challenge was trying to get decent sleep. But, the room was comfortable and easy to maneuver. I was able to cater to Mom the majority of the time since I didn’t have anything else that needed to be done. We ate leftovers the whole time and somehow still had food to bring home. Mom was a trooper – as my sister says – and hopefully it won’t take too long for her to get comfortable in her home. I am grateful to be back.

I Found God today coming back home.

Permalink
Leave a comment

An Outing

Posted by eph21920 on April 4, 2024 in Family, Grateful, Shopping

After another good night’s sleep, my mom had good energy this morning. It was a sunny, beautiful day so I thought it would be good to get my mom -and myself- out of the hotel room. Not too far away was Scheels sporting goods store. I got my mom bundled up so she wouldn’t get cold, got her comfortable in the wheelchair, and off we went. Just outside the entrance, we were greeted by big bronze statues of presidents. We passed by Ronald Reagan and mom pointed out Abraham Lincoln. Once inside we stopped at the 3-tiered aquarium and watched the fish for a while. Then we went by the ferris wheel, which wasn’t running at the time. We went to the upper level and looked at the wildlife display and the amazing candy store. When we went back down, the ferris wheel was running. We stopped to watch and the man taking tickets struck up a conversation. I told him we were on an outing. He asked my mom if she had been on a Ferris wheel before. She said she had. He asked if maybe she would like to take a ride in that one. She thought about it as I made the “no” sign to the man. It was a kind offer, but in reality mom would have been very scared. We decided maybe another day. Then the man gave us some coupons for free drinks in their cafe. We thanked him and enjoyed a milkshake. On the way back the sun was warmer and we had a good view of the mountains. It was a beautiful day and I was so glad to get mom out for a while.

I Found God today enjoying an outing.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Accessibility

Posted by eph21920 on April 3, 2024 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Life, Struggles

It has been an adventure away from home. After two sleepless nights and days, I was determined to try to do “normal” things. That included getting mom in the shower. We are staying in a handicapped “accessible” room. It is really set up quite well. The bathroom and shower area accommodates either mom’s walker or wheelchair. I wheeled her into the shower space and flipped down the seat that was attached to the wall. She was easily able to get situated. The removable shower head had a couple different settings. She still got cold and wasn’t particularly happy about showering, but it was so much easier than manipulating the one at home. I am grateful for the blessing of this hotel. And I am even more grateful that Mom slept well last night. A few straight hours of sleep felt incredible.

I Found God today in the blessing of an accessible space.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Unwavering Trust

Posted by eph21920 on April 1, 2024 in Answer, Faith, Family, Life, Trust

Yesterday we had a truly blessed Easter. My sister, mom, and I all went to church. My mom doesn’t get out very much any more because she gets very nervous and confused. When we arrived at the church, the wind suddenly picked up. My mom was afraid getting out of the car, but my sister and I kept telling her it was ok and she made it through. She did really well during Mass and even got an extra douse of holy water sprinkling from our favorite priest. After church, my sons and families came for Easter lunch. It had been a long time since we all got together. I was so glad that my mom didn’t seem overwhelmed and enjoyed the food and company. We have been wondering what to do since they will start working on our roof in the next day or two. After much debate, discussion, and weighing all the options, my sister and I decided it would be best for everyone’s sanity to check into a hotel for a few days. While my mom was napping, my sister and I packed everything up. We got all the breakables into safe places so the roof pounding won’t send them crashing to the floor. I was grateful that my son helped pack the cars and get all the pictures off the walls. After my mom got up, we told her what was happening and got her in the car. We got to the hotel and settled in for a little while before bedtime. We explained things to my mom and got her in bed. This morning after only a few hours of sleep, we started our regular routine. My mom needed to be told exactly what to do and how, but she wasn’t upset or distressed. I was just amazed at all that happened in the past 24 hours and how my mom just went along with it all. Her total trust in me and my sister was just incredible to me. I supposed I completely trusted her when I was a child. She took me to school, doctors, churches, and trips. I never questioned my safety when I was with her and knew that she was always thinking about what was best for me. I feel blessed that she trusts me now in the same way. And I have a lot to learn from her. As I have been focusing on surrendering to God more this Lent, I hope and pray that I could trust Him the way my mom trusts me.

I Found God today in my trusting mom.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Ice Packed

Posted by eph21920 on March 30, 2024 in Family, Grateful

The roofs in our housing complex were damaged in a hail storm last summer. After months of waiting, they are now being replaced. Last week, they worked on our neighbor’s roof. The noise was very disturbing for my mom. Today we got notified that they will be working on our roof in the next few days. I thought that we would be able to take my mom to the cabin for a few days. So, today I brought my son and grandson up there to see how much snow there was in the driveway and get it cleared. The area received almost 2 feet of snow in the latest snowstorm. When we arrived, we were pretty shocked. The roads were all plowed, which was great. However, there was about 3 feet of snow, ice, and gravel packed at the entrances to the driveway. On the driveway itself there were drifts of snow and ice to where you couldn’t even tell where the driveway was. It was way too much for us to clear. We did enjoy the drive and were glad that all was well with the house. And I was grateful we made the trip up and didn’t just assume we would be able to drive down the driveway. Now I just have to figure out how to best help my mom tolerate a couple days of roof work.

I Found God today enjoying time at the cabin with my son and grandson.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Contemplative Lent

Posted by eph21920 on March 29, 2024 in Connected, Faith, Grateful, Lent, Prayer

I was feeling stressed this afternoon, so when a caregiver came to stay with my mom I went to church. The Good Friday celebration was beautiful. There were 3 priests, 2 deacons, and about 20 altar servers. The church was packed and people spilled out into the gathering space and even into the meeting room across the hall. With so many people, the congregation responses and singing were powerful. And yet, with all that going on, I still felt a very deep, personal connection with Jesus that left me in tears through the majority of the almost 2 hour celebration. I am grateful for the contemplative Lent that God has blessed me with and this Good Friday was a beautiful finish.

I Found God today in a solemn Lent.

Permalink
Leave a comment

10 Commandments

Posted by eph21920 on March 28, 2024 in Bible, Faith, Movie

Tonight for our prayers, we read the readings for Holy Thursday Mass. One reading was about the Passover. This made us want to watch The 10 Commandments with Charlton Heston. Luckily my sister found it on one of the channels she subscribes to. We watched part of it tonight with my mom until she got too tired. We will have to go back to it a couple times to finish, but that’s ok. Watching that movie feels like an old Easter tradition. And while there’s so much I remember, there always seems to be something new as well. I love how it brings scripture to life – along with some creative liberty of course.

I Found God today in a familiar faith story.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Easter Crafts

Posted by eph21920 on March 27, 2024 in Children, Family, Fun, Grateful, Home

It has been a long time since we had my grandchildren over for a visit. My mom’s anxiety seems to get the best of her when there is a lot of commotion. However, we have changed up some of her medication, which seems to be helping. Since it was school break, my son and his wife and two younger grandkids came over today. My sister bought some Easter crafts and shared them with us. They were easy enough for everyone to do, yet not too simplistic. We all had fun putting them together and just visiting. My mom enjoyed the time as well and was more peaceful than in the past. I was grateful for the good day.

I Found God today in a good visit with family.

Permalink
Leave a comment

God Time

Posted by eph21920 on March 26, 2024 in Faith, Lent, Peace

Today as I was out and about running errands, I was about to drive by the church. It occurred to me that there was Eucharistic Adoration available. So I went in and spent some quiet, alone time with God. It was a refreshing and peaceful break.

I Found God today in Eucharistic Adoration.

Permalink