Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2007. I remember snapping this photo because I absolutely loved Mattie's eclectic look! He had his Santa hat on, his duck boat  tour whistle in his mouth, Peter's baseball hat and one of his Peter's shoes on! Not to mention his sunglasses on, when he was inside with no sun around. The beauty and whimsy of Mattie. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 23,053,424
• Number of people who died from the virus: 384,343

Another busy day in 'paradise.' It is amazing what I accomplish in one day! It may seem like I can work these long days without consequences, but I have to admit I am tired. I started prepping linner at 7:30am. If I don't, it will be impossible for me to serve a full meal by 1pm. I say that because by 8am, I am juggling caregivers, health care visits, phone calls, and the list goes on. 

This morning a representative from the alarm company came over. I walked through the entire house and property with her, and then for two hours we went through options. I learned about "glass breaks" today! Which are very needed as my parent's house has floor to ceiling windows. 

Glass break detectors complement door and window sensors by monitoring sound or vibration. ... When they detect the frequency or shock waves associated with glass shattering, they sound an alarm.

The alarm person loved how pro-active I was being and especially loved the bicycle lock I recently installed on a gate near my parent's house! Together she and I went around the property placing alarm yard signs and other signage. I like their new service we signed up for because it involves access to armed patrol and response 24/7. 

In between all sorts of tasks, I wanted to share a photo of my upside down pineapple cake. It turns out to be delicious and it is super easy!

One of the things I made today was pasta with a caramelized onion sauce. This sauce takes about three hours to cook, as it takes a while for onions to cook property. But the recipe is delicious and it reminds me of my maternal grandmother, who used to make this dish for us all the time. 

While eating dinner, all three of us were chatting. My dad used to LOVE LOVE LOVE going grocery shopping. Now (putting COVID aside), he has NO interest in going into a store. Tonight I asked him why? His response was.... "I'm disabled!" This type of labeling drives me batty because in all reality my dad is physically strong and though he uses a walker and needs assistance at times, he can ambulate. I feel like I have to constantly remind him NOT to view himself in such a negative manner. With that said, he has this view on one hand, and on the other hand he was telling me and his caregiver that he worries about his current house when he goes overseas! Or when he comes to visit me in DC! All of this points to his cognitive impairment, as he has no insight at all that he is no longer able to travel independently much less function on a daily basis without his caregiver. 

So I have that dynamic to balance as well as the emotions my mom feels about my dad's decline and her discomfort with having strangers coming and going in her house all day! It is very difficult being a caregiver 24/7, with no relief or break in sight. I honestly do not know what the solution is given that I am 2,500 miles away. As it is, I am here every other month, and until this trip, I thought I was being helpful. However, as more time goes by, I notice that my mom is progressively more and more exhausted and therefore, even my visits every other month don't seem to be cutting it.