New Year's Eve

Mom was finished with breakfast when I got up. I took my time preparing my breakfast as I used a spoonful of coconut oil for a 20 minute oil-pulling session. Oil-pulling is a detox method I learned about years ago but forgot until recently. Claims run from teeth-whitening, to clearer skin, to less painful joints. It involves swishing oil in the mouth for 20 minutes and then spitting it out. After breakfast I sat across from Mom, quilting around that star. She read a book, and is nearly finished with most of the books she got for Christmas. Dad worked on a K-car, draining the oil. I fixed Mom lunch and we were eating as Dad came in for his lunch. He worked on the car, cleaned the gutters, and then finished putting a new filter in the car. I sat with Mom, checked e-mail, quilted, and took a walk. Chris went shopping, then made pork, gnocchi, and a tomato-cheese salad for supper. After supper, I quilted, Mom read, Dad did something outside. I wanted to vacuum the rugs in the livingroom and dining room but did not want to leave Mom alone. She decided to turn in early, so I put her in the tub for her Saturday night bath. Then Dad helped her finish while I packed my suitcase and fixed breakfast for tomorrow. When he came out, I went back to help her brush her teeth, take her pill, and go to bed. Then I had time to post to my blog.
I did not mean to stay up until midnight, but it looks likely. I want wish Happy New Year to all my readers, even though most of them arrived at this point 14 hours ago. Tomorrow we leave for Alabama, and our house without internet (or cable to watch the Iowa caucus). So I leave you with some new words to a familiar song:
Now it's time to say goodbye to Earl and all his kin.
They would like to thank us folks for kindly dropping in.
We're all invited back next year to this locality
To have a heapin' helpin' of his hospitality.

The rest of the story...

...a continuation of Thursday night. I took Mom to the back and there was Dad still working on the toilet paper holder. As far as I can tell, all the time up to that had been spent drawing perfectly level vertical and horizontal lines on the side of the cabinet. He was installing the left arm. He got up to let Mom sit on the toilet, and then he went back into that space to do the other one. He spent an inordinate amount of time with a new roll of tp to make sure the arms were spaced properly. But there were too many lines. When he finished drilling the holes and affixing the right hand arm, it was too high. That is when I convinced him to quit for the night and let Mom go to bed. While he was cleaning up his tools so Mom could stand in front of the washbowl, I posted to my blog. Then I went back, but he said he could finish dressing her, etc. So I helped Chris open the sleeper sofa and put the sheets and blankets on. He undressed and was getting frisky. I asked him if he knew that my parents were coming back out to get Mom's pills. Nope. He got dressed quickly. After they got the pills...well, that's another story.

Sore fingers

Mom came out to breakfast just after I got up. I offered to make her breakfast like mine, but she preferred Cheerios and Shredded Wheat. After breakfast I sat across from her in the den, quilting. Dad finished installing the toilet paper holder in the back bathroom. Chris did laundry. I used the bleach pen on the chocolate stain on the tablecloth, and most of it came out. Lunch. After lunch, more quilting, and I checked e-mail. Coincidentally, just as I was thinking that I wanted to take a walk in the sun, my dad took my mom to the fitness center, allowing me the freedom to take the walk. It was nice outside, and I may not have needed the light coat I wore. When I got back, Chris was starting supper. He baked fish and the leftovers from last night. My parents got back later than they planned and I was starting to get worried. We ate. Again, I sat across from my mother and quilted. My fingertips are covered in callouses. The tip of the needle gets caught in them. I finished all the rows between the diamonds in the star, and am now working on quilting just inside the black piping around the star. It is tough where the seam allowances are thick, particularly at the corners. My mom wants to turn in the finished quilt to the church office to sell, but I don't think they will want it. There are blood spots on the back, and so many wrinkles that it boggles the imagination. Still, the front looks nice so it should appeal to someone somewhere.
At 10:30 Mom wanted to go to bed, and she preferred me over Dad. So I took her back there, gave her a sponge bath and clean clothes, trimming her toenails, too. Then we came out for her pills. Actually Dad only gave her one tonight but I don't know which one. The Mirapex really zones her out in the morning so I hope that is the one he skipped.

When I got up this morning, Mom was finished with her breakfast, and I missed it. They are finishing breakfast earlier now that Dad gives her one teaspoon of juice with her pills - no choking or waiting for her to swallow. After breakfast I read e-mail until my laptop battery needed recharging.
Dad took inventory and made his grocery list. He wasn't finished by lunch. After lunch, Dad finished his list and gave it to Chris, who went grocery shopping. Dad also got the mail and gave most of it to Mom who leafed through the catalogues, and junk mail. I picked off the dead leaves and watered the plants in the den and livingroom. It was sunny out, so I took a short walk, then I quilted across from Mom while Dad worked on replacing the toilet paper holder. At some point Mom transferred all her purse items to the new purse Faye bought. No one saw her do it, but when Dad went to look for the supper pills, they were buried in her new purse. He thought I did it. But Mom 'fessed up. Chris made Thai Chicken curry for supper. Both Mom and Dad had two bowls of it. I went back to quilting as Dad cleaned up. Sure, I could have cleaned up, but he wanted to do it so he could mop out the pans with a piece of bread. At 9 he was still eating something. Dad put the TV on CBS so we could watch BBT, but it was a repeat. Then we switched to PBS. A travelogue on New Zealand was airing. We thought of Michele. They showed a sheep-shearing contest, a Maori boat race, and the guide being dared to eat slugs, fish eyeballs, and sheep testicles. Michele must be having a ball. Soon after, I started writing my blog, and Mom wanted to go to bed. So I took her back, and there was Dad still at the beginning process of attaching the tph. He seemed intent on finishing, so there Mom sat, on the toilet, waiting for him to finish. I considered taking a pic of him working, but not with Mom there. So all you get is a pic of him playing accordion for Christmas. I hope this story continues in the morning, but he may insist on finishing it tonight.

Mailing Christmas cards

When I got up, Mom was already eating breakfast: Cheerios and Shredded Wheat, dry. So I fixed my own breakfast and slipped her some nuts and berries. After breakfast I finished my book, The Cat who sang for the Birds. Following that, I started quilting again. I noticed how sunny it was outside, so about 11:30 I went outside for a walk. It was quite windy and I wished I had brought a neck scarf. When I got back, Mom was ready for lunch, but Dad was in the back double-checking his Christmas card list, again. So I sliced her an apple and made her sandwich. Dad came out then and made his own lunch. Chris sat down with us and we all ate. After lunch, Chris and I took Mom for a walk up and down the street twice. Then Dad and I sat in the dining room with the cards and Christmas letters. I folded them precisely in fourths to fit in the cards. I found that all but 4 of the sealed ones from last year could easily be unsealed. We added 2011 letters to those that hadn't been mailed last year, and signed new cards for those that had. Chris fixed left overs for supper. We all sat down to eat. Mom and Dad ate the liver, but I got the juice. The chorizo rice was very good, too. Supper for them went long, so I excused myself to add stamps and return address labels to the cards. I also sealed them, adding a sticker to those that I had to unseal. I spent most of the rest of the evening quilting and watching PBS shows on melting ice near the poles. Dad decided to take a walk (at 9:15), and added mailing the cards to his route. He put them in a bag for carrying. Chris fell asleep on the sofa. Mom wanted to go to bed, so I took her back to get dressed, etc. and then she came back out for her pills. Dad gave them to her, and I tucked her into bed. Now I am posting to my blog and hope to be in bed soon.

Back pain limits my activity

When I got up, my dad was giving my mom her pills with a spoon. He was suprised at the progress she was making. I made breakfast for my mom and myself. Then I took a bath. Drying off, somehow I sprained my back. It seemed so senseless. I sat on the couch to read e-mail from awhile until the laptop battery power faded. Then I plugged it in and read a book, even as my mom was reading one of her Christmas books, while it charged up. I did not notice when my father started making lunch. He was almost done when I got up to help. Chris made me some salad dressing using the toasted sesame oil. It made my salad tastier. After lunch Kevin came over to clean and cook. Chris went to Martins to pick up a few groceries. Then he went to Barnes and Noble to get some movies with his gift card. I read some more, hoping my back would improve. Then Dad wanted to work on his Christmas cards. I am not sure how long we spent (an hour or more), but when we stopped for supper, nothing had changed. No more cards were stamped, or addressed, or sealed. Nor were any copies made of the Christmas letter. All he had done was to make changes to the address list, and record on it the current condition of each card. Kevin made two casseroles and Chris made chicken. Then we all sat down to eat together. Supper was a long-drawn out affair like every other meal. Dad either eats slowly, or finds reasons to get up, or something. Then Chris got out the remaining birthday cake (lemon/almond) and divided up amongst those who eat cake. I read some e-mail, but all too soon it was time to charge the battery again. Kevin chatted for awhile, and Dad and Chris cleaned up from supper. After Kevin left, Dad and I watched PBS. They had some very interesting shows about biodiversity and the dangers of monocultures. Apparently planting only one or two species of a flower, fruit or vegetable, is like putting all your eggs in one basket. Whatever bug or bacteria endangers one plant, endangers them all, ex. the potato famine in Ireland. Did you know that all McDonald's french fries are made from Russet Burbanks?
Dad got Mom ready for bed, and I joined Chris sitting in the livingroom. He told me that he thinks there will be less traffic on Sunday so it might be a better day to go back home. After Mom finished her bedtime pills, she and Dad came out here to say 'goodnight'. I posted a pic to yesterdays' post.
Last night after I went to bed, I thought of a dozen things I wish I had mentioned in my blog, but now I can't think of even one. Seems like there should be more to life than just recording the events of the day. Sometimes I wonder if anything really matters. Life just seems to proceed how it will, and no amount of worrying or trying to avoid bad things makes any difference. Change is the only constant. Things can't and won't stay the same; not in life, not in nature. Back in Korea I couldn't wait to see where we would end up. But there is no 'ending up'. We are here now (Richmond) and will be in Alabama next week. But next year? Two or three or ten years? One never knows, and maybe it would spoil the surprise. But is any one place any better than another? Is there a point to settling in and getting comfortable anywhere? Are all my strivings and cares for nothing?
* I did not take any pics today, so here is one from the party yesterday. This is my sister and her husband. *

My birthday party

I fixed breakfast for myself and my mother. Then I fed her a banana and helped her take the rest of her pills. Faye called to say that she was in her driveway heading here. So when I finished with Mom, I washed up quickly and dressed. She was here before I finished. Dad asked her to help with Mom so when she was finished, we went to Goodwill. We found a good replacement purse for Mom. Then we went to Wal-Mart. We spent an inordinate amount of time looking through the $5 DVD bins trying to choose what a certain person would like. I had heard on the news that stores were having megasales and were swamped, but neither was true of Wal-Mart (or Goodwill). Faye did buy wrapping paper and such at a good price. We looked at shredders, too. Faye stopped to eat at the Subway in the store. Then we went home and I ate. Faye went home to take a nap before my party. My dad and I walked to Office Max to find Kurt a shredder (no big sales or crowds there either). The ones at Wal-Mart were much cheaper - in both senses of the word. So I paid more, but it should last longer and jam less. Dad carried it home for me, and then he went on a longer walk by himself. I sat with Mom and read a book while Chris worked on supper. He fixed pork and sauerkraut. When supper was ready, I called Faye, but she had a dead battery and did not know how late she and Kevin would be. William called to say he had just heard from Kurt about the party and had other plans that he couldn't break. As it turned out, it was better that way 'cause we ran out of mashed potatoes and broccoli. Chris and I were finished eating when Faye and Kevin arrived with a pineapple casserole. So they had something to eat and shared it with the rest. Dad had bought an almond cake thinking I would eat it. I did not want to disappoint him, so I accepted a plate of cake. Kurt ate bites out of it when Dad wasn't looking, and then Chris took the last part. What a helpful family I have. I got a card from Faye and from Mom. They each gave me a jar of cardamom. Hey, I can never have too much as I use it daily for the health benefits. Then we played "Big Bang Theory trivia", a game Kurt gave us for Christmas. We played until he had to leave for home (he has to work tomorrow). Faye, Chris and Dad cleaned up after the party. Then Faye and Kevin went home (Faye has to work at 11pm). Patrick left with Kurt. I forgot to mention that those two went to the science museum this afternoon, and then ran into William at Goodwill. Dad asked me to get Mom ready for bed. I read e-mail for awhile, and now I think Chris is asleep on the floor waiting for me to finish this post.