This has become the favorite day of the week for me on the blog because I absolutely love hearing about you and what is going on in your lives. Not much to update you on that you don't already know about but here is my week in review, Monday was a work day. I did three weeks of work in five days, so I am done with all the work they had for me until January. Tuesday and Wednesday were tax update seminars. I did run into two old friends. One, Larry, was one of the speakers. Larry is fun to listen to because he does sound effects, when he asks a question the Jeopardy theme plays in the background. The other was an attendee, Arnie, he used to have his office next door to mine when I first started my business. Thursday & Friday were lunch with mom and errand days. Today is getting two houses ready for a predicted extreme cold spell and potential ice storm. Flashlights at mom's house and my house working. Mom's cell phone charged. The grocery shopping done for a week in case we get house bound due to the possibility of an ice storm. Cover up all the outside faucets at both houses so the pipes don't freeze. And so on.
The one thing I am going to do today after the phone repair guys leave (yes besides the computer crashing, the flat tire, one of my jacks quit working, a really good week it was) is going out and start and finish my Christmas shopping. I have a short list, Mom, Sis, Brother-in-law, and the gag gift for the family get together. All other family members have chosen not to exchange gifts this year and I'm going to following the rules. There is one gift I love to give because it requires three people working together to make someone happy. When I first started this blog before most of you were reading it I actually wrote about the gift. My parents were married for over sixty years. Every one of those years dad would buy mom a bottle of Chanel #5 perfume. Even when he didn't have a job or they had no money dad would find a way to get the perfurme, my Mom's favorite. My mom has given up so much lately. First she lost part of dad when he had dementia, then she lost all of dad when he died. She is losing movement in her legs. She has been declining from the day that dad died. After dad died I made a committment to myself that mom had given up so much that I wasn't going to let her give up the romance of receiving that Chanel #5 from my dad on Christmas Eve. Every year since dad has died, I enlist the help of a neighbor and a friend that writes like dad. I go to Macy's and I buy the nicest bottle of Chanel #5 that I can buy. I get a romantic card and have my freind sign it "From your angel in heaven, Johnny". On Christmas Eve, after all the gifts are given out, after dinner, depending on how mom is feeling I take her either out to see the Christmas decorations in a neighborhood near us or to the Christmas Eve church service. While we are gone the neighbor comes to our house and puts the gift with an angel on top of the wrapped package and the card next to it under the tree. When we return there it is. Mom does think it is me since I am the most romantic one in the family but then how could I be, I was with her when the package was delivered and it isn't my handwriting that signed the card. She crys and treasures the perfurme. I love doing it, my friend loves doing it so much that he calls every year asking when he can sign the card, and the neighbor calls and tells me her schedule. Three of us working together to create a special moment, could it be any better?
Ok it is your turn, tell me about your week, about your plans, tell what special Christmas gifts you have given or received. I'm really looking forward to hearing from you all and if you are new don't be afraid to post we would love to hear from you too!
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16 comments:
I love your romanticism and the perfume for your mom is just a lovely thing. My husband gave me Chanel #5 a couple of times, and while I appreciated the thought and how it smelled in the bottle, there's something about my chemistry that doesn't work with it, so I finally had to tell him to find something else. My favorite perfume for years and years was Faberge's Aphrodisia, but alas, they don't make it any more.
My week has gone by in a blur of nothingness, except for the previously mentioned parties. The fondue restaurant was a trip. If any of you have one nearby, do try it, preferably with a group, so you can sample everything. Other than those social requirements, I almost finished my Christmas shopping and hope to wrap today. Gave my mom one of her presents early. Her watch had broken, and she really missed it, so she now has a new one to puzzle over, with a few small gifts to follow on the proper day.
We're holding Christmas down to a mild roar this year, not because we're any poorer (except for those pesky mutual fund balances), but just because we feel like it. SIL wants to avoid the whole thing, except for their visit here, but daughter won't let him. She's agreed to keep it simple, so we'll see how well she succeeds at that.
From the news tonight, it looks crazy in your neck of the woods - a bombing and a winter storm. Wow!
Hi Pat
What is weird is Chanel #5 is the only perfume mom can wear!
My sister also loved Aprhodisia. It was her favorite. Now like you she has to find another scent.
Weeks are really a blur lately. The fondue restaurant sounds absolutely charming.
Did you finish you shopping today? I didn't the traffic did me in and if the weather is good tomorrow I am hitting the stores early. Well one store, Macy's.
I'm glad your mom got one of her presents early. I also gave my mom one of her presents early, a toaster. Hers broke. There will be a couple of small ones also to follow.
Our Christmas is going to be mild too. Sis, b-i-l, mom and maybe nephew and his family. We never succeed at keeping it simple. My sister doesn't like to follow the rules.
Bill
Hi Mary Z
The news always makes it sound worse than it is. Really not bad weather last night or today. Tonight they are expecting snow and then a real cold spell with the highs at 18 for the rest of the week. Coldest spell since 1990.
I'm set though and so is mom. Pipes inulated, groceries stocked in both houses, flashlight ready to go, cell phones charged.
The bomb was in Woodburn which is about 30 miles from here. It is right off of Interstate 5. They haven't found the culprit. I'm surprised in went off, they had the bomb squad there and usally they can defuse them without any trouble. Last I heard one police officer injured, one officer killed, on bank employee in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and a fourth hurt but not hospitalized.
Bill
Bill, you've had a busy week, with work and seminars and preparing for a cold spell and ice storm. Love what you do with the perfume every year -- not only romantic, but very thoughtful and caring. I loved reading about the story again. Glad to hear the weather isn't living up to the predictions, so far, and I did wonder about the bombing headlines and the fact the darned thing detonated under "care" of the bomb squad.
Pat, your post makes me consider getting out the fondue pot again. We used to use it a lot -- big salads and then selections of beef, pork, shrimp, chicken and dipping sauces. Hmm... do you think I could sell that as Christmas dinner? Probably not, darn it.
Like the rest of you, the week seems a bit blurred. My big treat was running away from home on Wednesday. Eleven of the "Carolina Girlz" piled into the Sr Action van at 10:00 Wednesday AM, packed around props, and headed for Columbia. Had a nice Christmas luncheon outside the city, where we told stories about our favorite or funniest Christmas (of course, I had to tell about the year we measured the turkey with a tape measure, to be sure it would fit in the motel oven, rather than going by pounds) or shared poems or whatever. Then, on to the assisted living facility to do a program and home about 5:00. Such a great group of women, between 62 and 83, and how fortunate we are to have Barbara as our teacher and coordinator -- she had "props" for every dance. I got to be stage manager (g).
Otherwise it was time every day at Mom's, either helping with Christmas decorations or doing her grocery shopping or laundry(she's had more 'bad' days than 'good' this week). We did see the elder att'y and he was a major dis-appointment -- very upset/irritated that I'd already prepared documents and he wanted almost a thousand dollar flat fee to do what I'd already done, plus do a PoA. I think not. I did get some info on VA assistance (Daddy served in WWII) should we have to go to assisted living and on the differences betweeen that and Independent Living, so it wasn't a total waste of time, but it wasn't what I'd expected. Given what's going on with Mom, I'm just putting that on hold until after the first of the year. She doesn't need any more stress right now.
As of this morning, I've put clients on hold, until I get Mom decorated, get us decorated (which means we're in total chaos at the moment), get cookies done for Mom's open house and deal with Christmas cards and the annual letter everyone has come to expect and get packages wrapped and packed for mailing. When all that's out of the way, I'll go back to work. Right now, my mental health is key and I hope the rest of you are able to find a way to make yourselves a priority, among the combination of caregiving and holiday expectations and such.
Hi Dr
This is the time of the year to put your business on hold. Nobody really concentrates on work between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm glad you are watching out for you mental health.
The outing with the Carolina Girlz sounds absolutely fun. I bet your performed you duties as stage manager wonderfully!
I'm sorry your mom has had more bad days than good days. I'm also sorry that the elder care attorney was a schmuck. I'd find a female elder care attorney.
The main diferrence between independent living and assisted living is cost. Independent living basically means you can get to the dining room by yourself, shower yourself, and dress yourself. I also agree waiting until the first of the year to explore options is a great idea.
It was a very busy week. The thing about preparing for the storm is two-fold. First taking care of two houses is a lot and Second the weather folks predictions are often wrong. We didn't get snow last night like predicted but they are prediciting it for noon today.
The thing about the bombing is that the bomb experts not only moved the bomb but moved it inside of the bank. From my research for my book it is extremely unusual to move a bomb and the only time you would move it inside is if there were homes close to it, which there were in this case, and the inside was protected which it was because it was a bank built to withstand an explosion.
The death total is now two, a Woodburn police officer, and an Oregon State Police bomb technician.
By the way even though it is a fictional novel the book you can read that has a lot of good information about how a bomb squad works, is DEMOLITION ANGEL, by Robert Crais.
Bill
wonder about the bombing headlines and the fact the darned thing detonated under "care" of the bomb squad.
DR (and others)--
A good source for finding elder law attorneys is www.naela.org, according to the best elder law attorney I know here locally.
That's a really sweet and wonderful thing you do for your mother.
Hi Ellen
Thanks for the referral. It is extremely helpful.
Bill
Hello Snug
Hope things are well with you and yours. And thank you!
Bill
Thanks for the suggestions. The website is where I find the link to local options. There are four elder care atty's, all men, and the guy we saw was the only one who was certified in elder law, so I picked him. As I said, at least I got to pick his brain on a couple things.
Bill, another friend in Portland said you guys were looking at temps of about 7 degrees tonight or tomorrow? That's MN weather!
Hi DR
It is 30 here and expected to be 18tonight, we do have four inches of snow on the ground. The 7 is with the wind chill they have in the hills. Fortunately I down from the hills.
Bill
Hi Bill, And I love what you do for your mother also. I remember reading that before and thought it was oh so nice of you. I hope she knows what a good son she has in you.
That is really neat that you got all your work done in 5 days. I wonder..did they pay you the same? (remember you said we could ask you anything?) :)
It sure sounds like everyone is busy lately. Same here, busy with dad and doing odd things that have come up suddenly, nothing bad just odd for him...but its been a full moon so that is normal for him, only I can never get used to it. And then being on the phone for myself long hours trying to get things corrected as it seems that someone has been using my cc# on the internet.
And Bill, did you say you have 4 inches of snow? wow, I sure do wish I was where you are because I just love the snow! Hope you can enjoy it.
Hi Dona
Sure you can ask me anything. I get paid by the hour not the job so the faster I work the better for them the worse for me but I get bored so I work as fast as I can! My mom does treasure me so much that she almost is obsessive about me and something happening to me.
I think the holidays just mean you are supposed to be busy. We had an amazing full moon here too. It has to be so darn annoying to be on the phone straigtening things out. I hope they catch the bastard that is using your c.c
Yup four inches, I will try to take a picture of it for the blog tomorrow. I don't mine the snow it is the cold on top of it and the fact that we don't get much snow, so the idiots here don't really know how to drive on it, esepcially those SUV drivers.
Bill
Bill... what a sweetheart you are to give her a bottle of her fav perfume every Christmas. That is so touching.
First, I've lost November, and now here it is December 15th. ACK!! I still have a couple of Christmas gifts to pick up, but we're under a winter weather advisory the next two nights. We had a high of 78 on Sunday, and as I type this Monday nite @ 6:40 pm, it's 32. The cold is one thing.. but we're expecting some sleet and could see icy conditions in the early morning hours. IF that's the case, this girl stays home! Texans do NOT know how to drive when it's raining, let alone when it's freezing rain.
Hi Kaye
It just seems like it was Halloween and now it is soon Christmas, where in the heck did the time go!
Going from 78 to 32 in one day is what Portland would do!
Bill
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