Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2007. That weekend we took Mattie to the Andrews Air Force Base Show. It was unforgettable. Mattie got to tour around many of the aircraft that were on display and then we got to see the Thunderbirds perform. The sound was thoroughly intense as they were flying through the air and it scared Mattie quite a bit. But overall, it was worth the trip and I am glad we did this adventure together. In fact, with Mattie there were many firsts for me, as the things he was interested in pushed me beyond my comfort zone. I credit Mattie for the person I am today.... for the courage, assertiveness, and tenacity that I developed while being his mom!
Quote of the day: The saddest thing in the world is loving someone who used to love you. ~ Unknown
After a full day of tasks, I took my parents out to brunch. We go out every Sunday to the same restaurant. Our server, text messaged me to let me know she was sick and wouldn't be there today. Typically that would cause me not to go the restaurant if Cheryl wasn't there, but I knew my parents were looking forward to going out, so I made the executive decision that we were going anyway.
In the past, my dad could walk from the parking lot to the restaurant. He can't do this anymore. His energy level is quite low. So now, I pull the car up in front of the restaurant, I unload everyone and put my hazard lights on. I then take my parents into the restaurant and get them settled before parking the car. When I walked into the restaurant today, one of the managers greeted us. I told her that I knew Cheryl was sick and that she had to give us an attentive server. If not, it will be a bad experience for us and for the server. We worked with a delightful young woman today and she made it a very pleasant meal. Of course no meal is ever without trips the bathroom. It is a routine that I may never get used to or accept. But it is what it is when dealing with Alzheimer's combined with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
When we got home after brunch, I tackled changing the garden hose and trying to repair a closet door ball catch. I have just about had it with the old fashioned garden hoses. They are terribly heavy, they kink, they are hard to maneuver, and rolling them back up is a nightmare. So I literally absorbed the TV ad for the Copper Bullet Hose and ordered one. I tried it tonight and WOW, what a big difference. I liked it so much that I now ordered a second one. I will be doing a lot of gardening this summer and the work is hard enough, watering plants shouldn't add to the problem.
As for the closet ball door catch, I naturally ordered the wrong one! So they have to be returned this week. I then pulled out YouTube and watched a video about how to remove a ball door catch from a door. I did it! I measured it and now ordered the correct part. We shall see when it comes in, whether I can actually install it correctly.
The final thing I wanted to take on today was changing my gmail account password. I was alerted to suspicious activity on it. The problem with this is I am very leery about technology. It isn't my strong suit and just managing it brings about great anxiety. But I talked to myself and I said, if I can figure out finances, care give for two adults with dementia, fix things around the house that I have never done before, then why on earth can't I figure this out too. So I sat down, tried it, and accomplished that task.
It has been eight months of self exploration. I have had to dig deep, develop confidence in myself to perform tasks that go beyond my knowledge, skills, and level of comfort. I take it one day and task at a time.
No comments:
Post a Comment