Having been out of the country for two weeks celebrating our 40th Anniversary and being cut off from blogger and reddit on the cruise, we came home to more household tasks than taking down Christmas. And Edward had scheduled us to be in Victoria, Texas in the midst of all the householder needs. Which is fine and joyful to have rest.
All that travel and coming home well and good is a Blessing of the Lord.
And all the dogs, cats, songbirds and flowers! Blooming! Camelias, Pentas, Azaleas, and a Hibiscus.
Lots of Dog Love. Orange cat ran to us and began to chew us out.
But with the covers and the lights for the week long freeze during the cruise, we came home to a Barn of a house. The dogs were home doing their dog assigned tasks in life. The tender pot plants rebelled at living in central heat and drought. They kicked up dirt and leaves in protest.
We had help from our 26 year neighbors and found real appreciation in their help. Weeks of dust. Poodles do shed some, dust is kicked up everywhere. 3 weeks of laundry and unpacking all the accoutrements.
Massive yard work, removal of incandescent Christmas lights, covers, wet covers. Rocks and bricks to be placed from keeping the covers in place. Why? Houston is subtropical. If I keep my tender plants alive, I have no real dire need of plant funds in the spring. The joy of 6 and 15 year old plants instead of funds on plants that are less than a foot tall. Immediate results for work done for a culmination of years. Our Penta are woody shrubs instead of a plant ling. The joy of not trimming giant Liriope is profound, but it does not like being less than 26' and we had 19'. So, we put up temporary green houses with SUV car covers and incandescent Christmas lights. I am blessed, blessed, blessed with Edward who gets out there and helps.
Then the freeze affected a properly prepared already dripping faucet, a jammed toilet improperly installed. And a water valve that needs to be replaced. Weeks of dusting. Our first house did not have duct work returns. And it was pier and beam, so after living there for about 6 years with massive dust we realized the under the house dust was coming in. And I discovered using the yard blower to move the dust to corners, made work extremely efficient and less time taken. Having bought a bullseye smaller blower, I went back to my Makita. Barns require more labor. Moving the pet fencing out of the living room.
No groceries. And the need to have the house clean from Barn to livable. It was massively exhausting. Because if you leave town for Victoria, it needs to be clean when coming home for reasons of endurance, grit, joy and verve. Check. Who wants to take all the luggage to the attic and put away the now try spare blankets!!!
Then take the 3 weeks of laundry and add in pet mistakes, white vinegar for destruction of pet urine enzymes with the blankets and towels to avoid freezing. Move 100 pounds of rock and bricks. Power washing because it had to be moved and was on the list for 4 days plus.
Dieting is not a time one feels filled, energetic. Dreary is the word. By 1 or 4 PM I feel dieting might just be the end of me. Ugh. Press on.
Add in communicating with some family who find us to be a rock to push, berate and chew out without a lot of meaningful relationship. Which used to be joy and love and adoration. And now revolves around careers. Making ends meet. And a big dark cloud hovering with internal lightning. The emotion is real. So, bully for honesty. And fortitude. With a day of sighs.
We returned to find the neighbor couple with Alzheimer's, who found lung disease in the other, healthy spouse created dementia and had waved the white flag of immediate removal to assisted living. Sad.
I had sent them articles, and conversations on medical findings and Christmas gifts. And then a conversation with their new in-law who was now stressed to the hilt. And I had successfully been getting out of paying their bills and later explaining that to their children. "No. I don't want to."
We need to do something as a Nation.
It is not reasonable
To spend $12 grand a month and then double that for a married couple for years in a Dementia or Assisted Living Ward. There will be massive money spend on years of this unhappiness of being in a row with the dying. Calcutta. This solution shouldn't happen. I had my dear cousin Maxine as my legal ward in a Dementia Ward for 12 years. This was her choice. Maxine was adamant. 23 Strokes from living alone and eating only ice cream while relatives brought her food. My mother in law was there for 5 years. Dementia and Alzheimer's isn't defined and does not mean immediate death.
What is the solution?
For my mother, there was a health care worker at retirement age who was pleased to live in her pleasant house for $3g per month. Mother had a roommate. The roommate was living in a better place than her entire life. Both were not thrilled due to staying home too much, but still more thrilled than sitting in a row with the dying, looking like Calcutta. My mother improved. Was happier in the home she made. Saw her neighbors.
Live with Mother? No, I believe the verse here is, "Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery when Christ has set you free." Mother didn't just visit, she took over. People ran very fast and very far. My brother had a strict only on Christmas Day visit policy for over 20 years.
Mother was happier and the Estate saved $696,000 in medical expenses. For six years. And I had much to do with her life after she was in permanent retirement of responsibilities due to medical needs. So, she had plenty of child communication. And her house hadn't looked better in 35 years. Then, when my mother faced Hospice she had paid for insurance that wasn't as needed as the many years of long term care. But she wanted, "To have dying near super calm people with morphine and oxygen."
We forgot Ash Wednesday.
Good we watch the news. Thanks to the Fox News team wearing Ash Wednesday ashes. Past time for Church Services. We had forgotten Ash Wednesday. In fact, the Post was more Maundy Thursday written for Ash Wednesday than Ash Wednesday. Holy Spirit. Thank You.
However, I felt compelled all day to read the Bible.
I felt very saddened. And was astonished to feel some chastisement in what I read. I had hurt feelings. And cried. Compelling. To sit down. Pray. Ask forgiveness, explain, ask for God's enduring love. And listen. To hear the Joy of God's Plan.
His Word
is
always
Life
Psalm 18:13
The LORD thundered from Heaven;
The Voice of the Most High
Resounded.
Lamentations 3:21-23
I call this to mind,
and therefore
I have hope
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed,
for His mercies
never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your Faithfulness!
The steadfast Love of the LORD
never
ceases
His mercies
never come to an end;
they are new
every morning
Great is Your Faithfulness.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
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