No Who Am I Today. Yesterday's answer was Emma Lazarus. She is the author of the poem that is on the Statue Of Liberty. The name of the poem is The New Colossus and you can read the poem here:
http://www.libertystatepark.com/emma.htm
On last week's agenda was one night at Mom's. One disagreement with sis. I should have bit my tongue and not responded when I got kind of tired being told to do things that any idiot would know how to do. Sis does so much for Mom since being here and I really couldn't have done the last month replacing the caregiver without her. Sis has been a lifesaver to me and I appreciate her immensely. However, when I am sitting in Mom's car and the only way to get the car on the road is to back the car up because if I went forward I would have run into my own car, I don't think it is really necessary for someone to say to me, "now you have to backup the car." I mean I am pretty sure I am smart enough not to total my car and Mom's car in front of Mom's house. Still a deep breath would have been better than the words, I know enough to backup the car. That was hurtful. I will try to do better in the future. No dinners out with he family. One dinner and two lunches out with Mom. Regular boring life errands like pickup and deliver my dry cleaning, grocery shopping, grocery shopping for Mom, and picking up drugs for Mom. I also put together fifteen welcoming packages for the cousin reunion. There will be quite a bit more than fifteen people here, but there won't be more than fifteen families and I am pretty sure all my cousins have been taught to share. If not, they will be soon. I also came to the decision that I needed help with my lawn and hired a landscaper. All my weeds are gone. All my trees are trimmed. My hedge is leveled off. The bark dust is down. One thing I really liked about this landscaper, is that they took care of the weeds and laid the bark dust all the way to the street. That covered some land that is really owned by the city but it is hard to tell that it isn't mine. Plus mine is the first house you see when you come into the neighborhood and I want people coming into the neighborhood to see a nice entrance.
Really the only thing on the coming week's agenda is Saturday night at Mom's, buying the staples for the cousin reunion, and housecleaning. Now that the outside of my house is primo, I better get the inside of it looking good too!
Not much on the entertainment from this week. I did go to INCEPTION and will review it later in the week. It was an incredible movie with an interesting premise. Then there was Mel Gibson. Let's just say Gibson is a clueless idiot and leave it at that. Now the Top Chef Update. Winner of The Quickfire Challenge was Ed. Winner of The Elimination Challenge was Kenny. Sent packing was Timothy. My gal Kelly is still hanging in there.
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I can't believe I forgot to go back in and do the Who Am I yesterday, since I enjoy them so much. And, yes, I think two more "writes like Wallace" reports are a Good Thing.
Sounds like you had a busy week. As to the issue with Sis, yes, you should probably have held your tongue, in the interest of harmony, but sometimes you just hit the edge and one comment is one too many. You're not the only one to "flare" at a stupid instruction (or one that makes you feel someone thinks you're stupid). Good job on hiring the landscaper and getting things back into shape, as you want them. Sometimes, the whole yard thing can get overwhelming.
AT the Funky Farm... three days at the pool, two line dancing. They got the dirt moved Monday, Himself and TJ did slave labor raking and removing rocks and stones Tuesday, while Maryanne and I went to the line dance show. What a hoot. We always have as much fun as the audience and this was a great group. We go out to talk to the residents, after the show, to thank them for coming and several asked how soon we could come back, one man telling me he'd been there five years and this was the best entertainment they'd ever had. Late that afternoon, we moved our rig and got MA/TJ set up on our resident RV site and settled in. Wednesday MA and I went to line dance. Thursday too MA to the pool with me. Obviously our week to play. Friday I did the doctor and the pool and spent a couple hours working. Had two line edits come in within a couple hours of each other, so I'm afraid it's back to working hours.
Himself invested in two BIG rain birds, in the interest of keeping the perennial gardens alive and the grass he planted and covered with straw, as we've still had no rain, temps in high nineties. Oh, my office a/c died dead Wednesday AM. Thank the Lord, the new one we'd ordered arrived Thursday and the guys had it installed by the time I got home Friday afternoon.
Hi DR
You have been pretty busy lately so it doesn't surprise me that you didn't do the Who Am I.
The thing with Sis that was after a five minute time period when I was told how to get Mom in a wheelchair (I've been doing that with Mom and Dad for nine years), How to get Mom into the car (I've been doing that for nine years too), where to park when I come back, how to put the wheelchair in the trunk, and so on. Each time I bit my tongue. The how to backup put me over the top.
Love then name Funky Farm. Glad you are getting in the pool and doing some line dancing.
I love that the residents asked you to come back and the man that your were the best entertainment he had, had there. People don't like when they are that old so those are from the heart compliments.
It sounds like MA is having a hoot being with you!
It really sounds like MA and TJ are very helpful!
Bill
Ah, Bill, I feel your pain. One of my biggest issues with my mother is that she treats me like a not very bright ten year old. If you ask her, she'll tell you I'm really smart, and she's so proud of me, and then she'll turn around and ask me if someone is watching the baby at the beach. Or if I remembered to put yeast in the bread. Or something else equally stupid that of COURSE I did or didn't do.
Here's my evil secret. I do it too. I listen to the words come out of my mouth and am struck with horror. This morning I said something to Danny about not losing his passport when he's in Japan, and then hastily added, "I know you know that, I know you do, I can't help it!" My kids are annoyed but amused by it, they know where it comes from. At least I try not to do it.
Have fun with your housecleaning. That's my job for Tuesday. Tomorrow I get to go up to our year round office and file a stack of claims to reimburse clients for errors we made. Most of them enrage me because they're so careless and we really do teach them better. Ugh.
Hi Mary
My mom and my sister-in-law do it also. Sis does it to Mom and Mom does it to since and the both get mad when it is done to them but they don't think they do it themselves.
So you are way ahead of the women in my family! You at least recognize you do it and are trying not to. I admire you for that.
As to the passport I might have said the same thing. That wouldn't come out really as telling him what to do, it would have come out more as "I'm worried about your well being and don't want you stuck in another country."
Bill
I figured "back up the car" was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back. And I hear you. After five years of caring for Mom, Rho and Deb finally came to visit for a week each and I was suddenly being instructed on how to deliver Mom to a doctor's app't or where to park or how to get out the walker, what Mom needed, etc. Like, uh, I haven't been doing this for how long and you've been nowhere around? I thought the long distance "instructions" were annoying, but being told how to do something I had down to a science was really irritating, so I can see where you finally "snapped" at Sis.
We named this place the Funky Farm before we ever bought it, primarily because everything is flakey, from plumbing and wiring to landscaping and the way additions seem to have been added by whim and quality determined by money available. We're still putting it in shape, but at least we're not bored (wry s)
Mary, I don't have kids around any more, but I still find myself opening my mouth and saying something and then going, "Oh, geez, that was my mother talking!" Himself generally just looks at me, until I grin and say "oops." Still, it's a little dis-concerting. Good that your kids know where it's coming from (wry s).
My mother used to tell me obvious things, too. Advice on things I knew much better than she did. Drove me nuts! I think I'd have reacted much earlier than you did. You sort of take it from a mother, but from a sister? I probably wouldn't, not without at least pointing out that she was again stating the obvious.
Nothing much going on here. I spent a couple of days in cable hell trying to get a new DVD player and a new cable box working, but I think it's all fixed now. Just in time for my poor car to start making a noise. I just spent more on it than it's worth on the open market, and am finally convinced that I can't wait for prices to go down any farther and must buy a car. Now.
Hi DR
Backup the car was the last straw but my comments really hurt Sis, that is why I feel a little guilty.
And what is there about relatives that leave all the caregiving to you and then when they visit for a week think they know about caring for the relative that you have been caring for for years? It kind of erases all the hard work you have done up until that time.
When you are doing your Netflix thing get a movie Called Funny Farm with Chevy Chase. Considering your experiences you will laugh your fannies off!
Bill
Hi Pat
It is even hard to take from a Mother and it is almost unbearable when both of them do it to me! But I will survive.
Sorry you were in cable Hell. I'm glad it is running now. I do admire for keeping your car as long as you did. But you do get to the place where it will save more money if you replace it. I hope you find the perfect car for you!
Bill
what is there about relatives...
They can hit all our hot buttons, because they installed most of them? (Wish that was original, but read it somewhere.)
Thanks for the tip on the movie - have a note on my calendar list.
Hi DR
I think a lot of it is sibling rivalry. I know for years everyone in the family thoguht I was the chosen one so they would spend a lot of time point out my faults.
They just want the parent to know the care as much as we do and haven't figured out a way to do it without erasing what we do.
Bill
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