I'm Back!

Well. I imagine the scattered few that read my blog may have wondered where I have been. 

My mother-in-law has had a few health problems, and the task of securing her in an assisted living facility was already in motion. My sister-in-law and her husband came to visit and undertook the task of taking her to visit the facility she had selected. [ She had met with the director of admissions in her home, and seen a brochure but had not seen the facility. ] The following day she was hospitalized following the third ER visit in less than 3 months. She was in the hospital for 7 days.

{Aside} Roger was at the hospital, in the elevator. The floor her room was on is patients on one wing, nursery and maternity on the other. There a young woman on the elevator with him, obviously on the way to visit a new mother and baby. She asked Roger if he was a new Daddy. He told her no, but he expects for a baby to be dropped on our doorstep any day.

She was released from the hospital on Saturday, February 25, the same day my daughter came to visit. [ My next post will be about that visit - it went very well! ] From the night of February 25 through the afternoon of  March 5 one of us was with Ann. Often it was both. She lived in a 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment. My sister-in-law and her husband took the dining table and chairs, a bedroom suite, and numerous Rubbermaid totes of miscellany back to New York with them. Patricia {sister-in-law} listed some items on Craigslist, we were able to sell the washer and dryer. The remainder of her belongings were packed and went either to storage, assisted living, or here to our home. 

If any of you have older parents, or if you are getting to that stage of life, please please please consider how much of the stuff you hold on to is really necessary. Please don't overstock your food supplies.Ask your parents and children some hard questions about what they have, and where it is kept. 

When you shop for food or clothing, keep in mind what you already have. I now have at least 6 bottles of vanilla extract, 3 graham cracker pie shells, 5 blocks of cream cheese, 4 frozen pie shells, cake mixes, canned beans, a freezer full of frozen vegetables and meats, nuts, raisins, soups, chili mix, instant potatoes, ketchup, vinegar, I could go on and on. This is all over and above what we had on hand two weeks ago. 

We have cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, rugs sitting everywhere. And there is a storage unit packed to the rafters. 

sigh

Americans have too much stuff.

Now we are trying to get our equilibrium back. The moon was full this morning, the Virgo Full Moon. Mercury is in retrograde, which purportedly can mean chaos in trying to get anything meaningful accomplished. Spring is well on the way, the garden preparations need to get seriously underway. We 'spring forward' this Sunday, and evening daylight returns. I just want to hibernate, go to my mental happy place.

Roger is stressed to the max, and our cats are not happy because in the course of the confusion they have had their daily routines turned head over heels. Smokie  has been laying on me constantly. So onward we go....