Sunday, December 2, 2012

This Week's Update

Happy Sunday. A light week ahead, a good week behind. Next week first.

Mom's aide is going to miss work again. She will not be their Thursday and Friday night. She is doing Monday night instead. Sis is doing Tuesday and Wednesday night. I'm doing Thursday and Friday nights and the dinners for Saturday. Today I am doing lunch and dinner. So my week is today a couple of meals for the troops. Monday a work day. Knock off the items on the to do list. Tuesday is also a work day but I am going to take a couple of hours and take Mom shopping. She prefers that I take her because I let her alone and let her buy what she wants. It is her money after all. Others tend to tell her what to buy. So does a break from work and some mom shopping. Wednesday is my Christmas shopping. Thursday and Friday are Mom days.

Last week. Sunday the meals and taking mom shopping for frames. Monday and Tuesday me days. Wednesday and Thursday at Mom's. Really a pretty nice time. Friday was the movie SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK. It was an OK movie. Kind of boring and confusing for most of the first part of the movie but a very charming Ending. Saturday was a Mom day. I took her out to lunch. She hadn't been out for a while and it was good for her. Then while she painted I fixed the dinner for the night for her and her aide. Then I went shopping for a new coffee pot. Mine went tubes up yesterday. Can't live with out a coffee pot. The most important feature for me is the two hour automatic shut off feature. Then I don't have to trust my memory to shut of the coffee pot. I found a nice one for $29.99 at Walgren's. However, when they checked me out the price was automatically reduced to $19.99 because I had unused rewards.

Interesting conversation I had with my Mom over lunch. Because of things she shared with me, I asked her the ultimate question, "Mom, do you want to die?" She answered no but she was really scared of dying. When I asked her why it was because she was afraid she wouldn't go to heaven. I told her if she didn't go to heaven then I didn't really want to go there. She had said she had lied sometimes. Most of the time it was not to hurt someone's feelings. She also indicated that the way her aide talks about religion sometimes makes her feel she is going to hell. I told Mom that it says in the bible that none of us are perfect and that we all tell lies. That she was a good woman that never cheated on her husband, never coveted her neighbors spouse, always gave herself to the church, was always kind. That Susan's idea of religion is her idea and probably isn't the lords. Susan is one of those evangelist that believes unless you believe the way she does you go to hell. That I didn't now of a person that judges people more than Susan and a I never knew of a person that never judged anyone like my Mom. I pointed out some of the errors that I felt were made in Susan's beliefs that I didn't think were Christian. And I pointed to examples of things Mom had done during her life that were definitely Christian. I ended my telling Mom three things. That Susan didn't decide who goes to heaven, God did. That I knew there was a place in heaven right next to dad waiting for her. And that I didn't fear death, that I feared living more. The conversation did make me realize that I have to do a better job in communicating to Mom what a good Christian woman she is.

How was your week? You know the drill. The blog is now yours. Post anything your darn well please. Give me an update on your life, past and present. Our just comment on anything I've written

4 comments:

Lady DR said...

Glad to continue to see "me" days for you in your plans.

I must comment briefly on your conversation with your mom, Susan's input and your mom's concern. Ironically, Mom's comment today, after admitting she'd spent most of the week in bed, was that she didn't think she had much longer and I asked if she was ready to leave and she said some days she was, some she wasn't. Anyway...

First and foremost are Christ's words to us: "Whosoever believes in me shall have eternal life." As Christians, we have our place in heaven. Second, there's not a one of us without sin, be it lies or sometimes the way we treat others or myriad issues. However, when Christ died on the cross, he took all those sins upon Himself and God forgives anyone who believes in Christ's blessing on all of us. Organized religion has laid down all kinds of rules and regulations and some kinda skewed translations of what the Bible says. It's taken me years to get past seeing God as a vengeful, judgmental deity of punishment. I still have some tricky moments. However, I've come to see Him as a God of love, a God of caring, a God who forgives us, if we sincerely ask Him to and a God who will welcome us home, when He feels we've done all we can and we're ready to leave. I don't believe God has a check list or a "Ben Franklin" list of good and bad. I believe he looks in our hearts, knows the good we've done, knows things for which we've asked forgiveness and knows our hearts. Goodness knows, I've done some things I'm not proud of and things that go against the dictates of certain religious groups. However, I've asked forgiveness, done my best and have come to see God as a loving father. I'm no longer afraid to die, as I feel there are better things waiting. Is there any way you can talk to Susan and suggest her "preaching" to your mom is not an acceptable part of her duties?
(Putting away soapbox)

Been a busy week. Finished the editorial project. Had another one come in. Spent three days working on the web page and the blog, learning to do links, upload files, upload images, pages versus posts, how to set up sidebars, etc. ad nauseum. Started proofing the ARC of the book. By last night, I knew I needed a break for a bit. Have been picking at Christmas decorating. All that's left is the big tree and the mantle in the living room. Getting those boxes out of the shed is going to be a challenge. The car is loaded with furniture for MH and bags of clothes for the mission. Just need to collect the frozen food donations tomorrow AM and drop those off on the way to the pool. The Christmas letter is done. Standard to-do list duties, from laundry to the pool to groceries and such. Had a lovely anniversary dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, where we were treated like royalty, given a private dining alcove, excellent service, excellent meal and a complimentary chocolate mouse cheese cake to bring home.

Next week is semi-planned. There are more items on the to-do list than can realistically be done, but it gives me a framework. Monday is deliver all the stuff in the car and at least start on the tree and mantle. Tuesday I see Dr. B for second half of Medicare annual checkup. Thursday a message. Finish the decorating and get boxes back into the shed, do a photo for the book cover, web and blog, since MA is most displeased with the one I'm using, start exploring the items on the Christmas lists I have and nag for the rest, put together the requested Christmas list for us, do some decluttering of the office, start on the editorial project, write reviews on Kindle books I've read in the past couple weeks. Obviously, establish some priorities.

William J. said...

Hi DR

If we banned her from talking about religion she would quit. I've tried as gently as I could to tell her that making a 96 year old woman feel like she is going to hell isn't either kind or my idea of being Christian. It goes on deaf ears.

It is interesting that our Moms are in the same stage of life.

I pretty much believe the way you do but I don't think the Dahmers, Bundys, Jespersons end up in heaven no matter what.

Wow did you ever have a busy week! I'm glad you are working on your book. But sometimes you can accomplish more by taking a break.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. Glad you had a nice dinner. Ruth's Chris ia a great place and one that you onlyd go to for special events.

Looks like another busy week on the agenda. A little bit of everything. I always have more items on my to do list then I can accomplish but it gives me a road map.

Hope the end result of the physical is great!

Bill

dona said...

I am sorry I missed these last few days, but need to say this, Bill, I am glad to hear your idea of a Christian, and DR, please don't put away your soapbox, you said things just as I would have liked to have said them and feel. And I agree about suggesting these things to Susan, but understand the deaf ears.

William J. said...

Hi Dona

Thanks for the nice comment. Hope all is well with you and The Shankster

Bill