helpless sort of way

Boston Athletic Association

with cell service over-whelmed, 
then shut down, 
businesses closed for the holiday 
and wireless internet hard to find . . .

Thank you to GOOGLE People Finder
for help finding my friends who . . .
were running the marathon,
were volunteering,
or
were manning the medical tents.

(The first one went off where I used to stand to watch for the wheel-chair racers.)

clamor of the busy

 

So much to do

Health Insurance:  finally after 3 1/2 months I have health insurance.  We paid for the full year . . . that, oddly enough, just about sent them into Apoplexy.

 

Taxes:  I never did make it home this winter, so I hoped I had brought enough of my files to do my taxes.  I scrounged and pulled together all I thought I needed and sent it to the Michigan accountants that had done them for the last 3 years.  I kept my fingers crossed.  I got a call, after identifying himself, his first words were:  I blame Romney!  Thank you!  I blurted out, I've been trying to explain that to people for years!  we went on to have a discussion about the coming federal health care system and how it is actually based on Romney's plan in effect in Massachusetts.  If you get your health care insurance through a job, it affects you very little.  You simply have to file a health care 1099 with your taxes or be fined or lose a significant portion of your refund.  Having to obtain your own health insurance AND affording it is an entirely  different matter.  When I was working for the Agency here in Michigan, which had it's HOME OFFICE in Maryland, and therefore my insurance was from Maryland . . . try explaining to THEM what you need for your taxes in yet another state to PROVE you had health insurance for the entire year so you won't be fined.  Anyway, DONE.

 

Mom's taxes:  My brother is actually responsible for these, but with the chaos of an early Easter, several regular Church services per week, the addition of weekly Lenten services, plus the usual assorted duties of congregation, local synod cluster and family . . . my proximity elected me to try to sort out the necessary paperwork.  The "pile method" has now been reorganized to an actual file system in the file drawers!  Lord, please don't let me have pureed something I shouldn't have.  We met up and I passed the large brown paper grocery bag to him.  Good luck.  (same accountants . . . have mercy on them.)

 

Doctor's appointment:  I already had been through this and had a Doctor here.  Since technically I still had Blue Cross, (3 different states since 2010), I already knew she was on the approved list.  However, in the 3 1/2 months of trying to get local insurance, she'd finished Maternity leave and decided to take a longer leave, (years?), to take care of her child.  Time to find another doctor.  Trying to stay with Henry Ford and prefer Internal Medicine.  One would think one common office and all would accept the same insurance, but it does NOT work that way.  I found my choice, one that I had been shifting between the first time around, (2010), except she was at an office I preferred not to go to.  That office has since closed and she now is at the same office as my previous MD.  I called to make an appt. and was told "she is not accepting NEW patients."  (Now, wait a minute, I've been going back and forth between BC/BS, HFHS, and several review sites all saying accepting new patients)  "I could make you an appt. with another doctor here . . ."  Uhh, no thank you.  (I'm going to just LET THEM pick me out a doctor??  yes let's go to a car dealership and LET THEM pick me a car.  Uhh, NO!  Now what, there weren't any other good candidates in that specialty, in my opinion.)  I decided to try the "back door method" to get what I wanted.  I requested an appt.  with her through the on-line HFHS website.  I was honest.  I got my appt.  YES!!

 

speaking of cars . . .

New vehicle:  Mom's decided she will not be driving, therefore we do not need two vehicles.  The newer of the two, was Dad's car and neither of us much care for it as a singular transport for us.  My car, hers previously, is 12 years and ageing fast, so it was decided she/we would trade in both and get a new vehicle . . . my choice, her money.  Brother and his Beloved, had taken Mom out for lunch in his vehicle, while I was out one day.  As she is rather tall, she got in and out of his newer Escape rather well.  It has the cargo space I prefer, is well rated for an American in it's category, and my brother really likes his.  I did all my research, right down to the new 2013 colors, and made a list of musts, ambiguous actually, and "really I would rather nots".  My Brother and I met with his Ford Dealer, I handed over the list, and they said they would check for one.  There won't be, I looked.  Oh, you're right.  I fielded questions from my Brother and the Dealer about my choices . . . color:  ginger ale- new this year, a black SUV, (predictable really), same with silver, white, and gray . . . NO.  Blue is becoming very common, couldn't stomach brown, and will not pay extra for red.  tow package and therefore need the 2.0:  bike rack and I'm going to need to get my stuff back one of these years.   And on it went, the Dealer seemed impressed with my knowledge . . . well I did have two weeks to research.  So that is ordered.  Hopefully we will have it when we finally get to go visit HOME in May.

 

There was more, but really don't you think this post is long enough?

 

dull reality

never a dull moment 





Mom has decided it is time for spring cleaning.  She actually thinned out enough space in the closets that I can now, actually have some space rather then just the little closet in the basement.  HURRAY

 

Sometimes when she talks, she talks so fast that I can't make out a syllable much less a word.  Today she apparently wanted me to clean the kitchen window, and was gesturing and making noise.  I just looked at her quizzically and said, "slow down you are starting to sound like White Fang!"

She slapped at me as she laughed hysterically with tears running down her face.
 

truly, she did.

 I said, "slow down, you speak very clearly if you don't think about it and SLOW down!"  Apparently, I need Soupy to come back and translate.
 

In Spring,

A sure sign of Spring . . .

my walking around outside without a coat and with bare feet . . .
oh yeah, never mind, that's NOT a sign of spring . . . only when the uproar diminishes, is it a sign of Spring!

taking out the trash

Robins are not a sign of Spring, since I see them all winter long, (and there is NOTHING funnier, then a Robin on a Suet Feeder).

Now a Red Winged Blackbird singing from the top of a tree . . . THAT is Spring!


sciencebuzz

I've never seen one trying to eat from a bird feeder before this week.  It is probably a little early for the usual bugs.

Another sign of Spring, my Mother yelling at the Mourning Doves raiding the bowl of seed on the deck.  She believes they have no right to the food that should be for the Cardinals.

last January

I hear my New England Home has another 12 inches with the snow still flying.  Sounds like the coast has two more High Tides to worry about!  I guess I am fortunate my house is inland amongst the hills . . .

And

Thank goodness for wonderful Neighbors,

OK,

one set

in particular!

Thank You

Tom and Konnie

PS
Hang in there my Friends, Spring really IS supposed to be coming!

Imagine her surprise

At the end of January, Mom's church voted  by questionare ballot, Woman of the Year.  She then goes to a Southwestern Michigan Luncheon to name THE Woman of the Year for the area.

Thank you very much

At least two somebodies voted for me.
I was the fourth nominee,
Even though I'm not a member of this Church.

Hmmmm.

thick and fast

February has just about run me over

in it's insane effort to get to March.

Every time I think I'm going to have a chance to write,
something else happens!

I had hoped to get the two of us, (dogs too), back to New England, especially since we were only able to spend 4 days at my house in November.

This is not going to happen this month!!!!

This week alone, BOTH cars were in the shop at the same time!

Last week Friday, I intended to bring in Mom's car for "recall" work  . . . instead, I found it dead as a doornail.  (snow storm, so I know there is no point in bothering AAA)  Honest, I use it for all my errands and had just driven it the night before . . . and NO I did not leave something ON.

So I take mine instead, since I know it has issues.  The dealership is backed up with cars from the previous day and they will take it, but will not even look at it until late afternoon.  (My brother, who had an actual appointment, brought his in to another dealership, watched as those without appointments were turned away.  They were also completely backed up.)  Knowing they close at 6pm, and the likelihood of getting it back that day, I passed and took an appointment for Monday.

Monday, they are still backed up, but at least I know my Brother's family has two working cars should there be a need.

Tuesday afternoon, I call AAA for a jump, thinking I will bring in Mom's car and be able to come home with mine.  Mine had sooo much wrong with it, (it is 12 years old), that it still wasn't going to be done until the next day.        They gave me a loner and apologies,

"but we want to do this right."

Wednesday, both cars were done by 11:30 am.  Commence the car shuffle to get theirs back and both of ours home!

That night I couldn't get the dryer to work.  I began to laugh hysterically.  Mom looked ready to cry, because I had clearly

gone 'round the bend.

Mind you, the dishwasher died last week, and the new one is supposed to be installed next week.

I've already replaced the coffee pot and the toaster.

I want a refund on February!

scent and beauty

One of the lovely parts of getting a cold or dealing with allergies . . . is to partially lose ones hearing and/or sense of smell.

I had the novelty to lose my sense of smell COMPLETELY, although, very thankfully, temporarily.

I had changed the filter on my CPAP machine.  I noticed with the first use, that there seemed to be an odd scent.  Since it was a brand new "sterile" filter, I thought it might perhaps just be a cold coming on.

At the same time, I would occasionally think I smelled gas . . .
In only one location in the entire Condo . . .
On the middle of the couch in the living room . . .
Only when the furnace came on.

The closed furnace room smelled fine and I was unable to follow the scent.  Mother and the dogs were of NO help.

The next day I asked Mom's cleaning gal if she smelled it.
"No, well maybe . . . like something burning . . . no . . . it does smell a little like gas."

I called Edison.  He finally traced it to a small pilot line to the gas fireplace.  The furnace air vents on either side caused air flow so I could smell it in that one particular spot.

Good thing, because by the time I called him I NO longer possessed ANY sense of smell.

NONE, ZIP, GONE

All signs pointed to a Major allergic reaction to MOLD.  I immediately removed the offending filter, cleaned the machine to the best of my ability, mean while knowing I will be unable to use it any time soon since I already had probable Mold spores shot up high into my sinuses.

I won't amuse you with the copious and varied secretions and expectorations that followed, but it soon became obvious that the allergies had allowed a virus in too.

Nasal passages clogged, ears popping or refusing to clear, choking on muck, etc.

Hearing often muffled.

Sense of Smell . . . nada.  

Not even a faint hint.

I didn't really notice at first that it was completely gone. 

Breathing seemed such a priority.

But, one day when my nasal passages were clear to breathe, I noticed that I could smell nothing, not Vicks, not the dill pickles in their jar, vinegar, coffee, nothing.

I started to worry.  
My house is all gas . . . 

stove, oven, furnace, hot water . . .

if my dog tangles with a skunk, how will I know?

After a week, I was out running errands, nasal passages clear, I inhaled the cold crisp clean air . . . nope, still can't smell anything.

I returned to my anatomy books and reviewed the location of our smell sensory apparatus.  Very top of the sinuses closest to the brain.  So it means if I can't smell, then I have to unpack ALL that muck before it becomes cemented in.

Netti pot time.  It may be gross-but, DANG IT- it works!  Warm distilled water, (lets not introduce the possibility of new microbes with tap water), and - tah-dah, one day later I can smell and hear AND use my CPAP again.



arm-chair knitting,

I arrived in December 2009 to help my parents.  Once I realized I was staying, I applied for a Michigan Nursing license.  I knew this would take time.

In January 2010 I took a knitting class.

(I had always wanted to learn, and had even started trying to learn on my own.  Time was always a bit of a problem though.)

In March 2010 I started my scarf.

In that time:

1. I knitted scarves for my Mom and my Niece
2. got my Dad through his stroke
3. started full-time at a nursing agency
4. my Brother and family moved here from Louisiana
5. I cared for 4 pediatric patients and their families
6. I visited my home 5 times
7. Dad deteriorated and entered Rehab
8. Dad passed.
9. had the kitchen updated and repaired
10. I returned Home
11. got my old job back
12. Mom started having problems
13. I came back
14. improved accessibility to Condo
15. long distance home improvements done
16. got Mom's weight and ambulation back

January 2013
three years, a row here, two rows there . . .
time and memories in ONE scarf.

done
and

tasseled
(truer color in this pic)

Oh yes, and all the fun stuff . . . fell down a manhole, bad burn/celulitis, wound to shin/celulitis, 3 broken toes . . . most recently this week, twice (again) . . . same chair leg and same toe.  (bad enough hitting and breaking it the first time, but to hit the same toe 4 days later, insult to injury!)

I am still graceless.

into this bag

Mom and I worked together to create 24 Gift Bags--filled with homemade Orange Crinkle Cookies

Ball Mason Jars--frosted leaving a clear star--filled with a homemade
Wassail Mix

and tea lights for when the jar is empty.

They seemed to be very popular.

what remains?

Christmas Leftovers

gingerbread tree . . . no homicidal snowman this time

the large and small of it

Jack, for sizing purposes

it's real.

plastic snowmen--on around the side of the house
no two seem to be alike