Hello
and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The winter so far this year in the Tennessee Mountains is mild. You'd think it was Spring. It swings from one
day to the next with freezing temperatures to nice sunny weather up in the 50's
so the flu and colds are everywhere. We need a good solid freeze- hopefully not
at the end of March when everything is starting to bloom- to kill germs and
bugs. Meanwhile it's good to know that
the Lord is in control.
Most
of December was a whirlwind trying to get the house decorated for Christmas,
finish all my Christmas projects (this year I took on more than what was
sensible, but what is new, huh? finishing a big painting for Annette,
crocheting an afghan for Dawn, painted a large flat stone with Dwight's name on
it, making matching holiday scarfs, and sewing buttons to make flowers on
shirts for my granddaughters). Then getting all the presents wrapped, make up
clues, and hide presents for the grand-kids. We've never spent large amounts of
money on Christmas, but instead focus on having fun and making memories while
opening gifts after our candle-lit supper.
Since Katie is learning to read and knows her
colors I used colored dots for each room her present was hid in where she had
to find the matching dot in that room. For my grandsons I made up a code they
had to decipher to find out where their presents were. Annette turned sixteen
so I put her with the adults. The last couple of years I've been wrapping up
their presents with the names inside where they have to try and guess what
present is theirs, but decided to shake things up a bit more. With Annette
there was two guys and two girls so I put them in teams guys against the girls.
Not only did I mix up the wrapping paper, but if they got a present from the
opposing team they would lose a point instead of gaining one. I allowed them to
feel and hold a present with the stipulation if they made a hole in the paper
they had to take it. Things got real exciting when the girls started losing
points. Gifts were pawed through, shook, and squeezed until the ribbons and bows
were coming loose and falling off. Even the kids got involved giving advice as
points were gained and lost. The guys finally won. As usual our family time
together was too short, but oodles of memories were made.
I
mucked out the henhouse (5 wheelbarrows full that I put on my flower beds), put
down fresh straw and refilled the nests, and then another day filled up a large
garbage can 5 times with leaves that I spread around in the chicken yard. The hens were quite excited- you should have
heard all the clucking and scratching going on. It was quite the hen party. I'm
keeping water in the heated bowls as well. It's well worth pampering the girls as
they produce such lovely fat brown eggs each day.
Another
day I was out enjoying the warmer weather as I planted some bulbs for spring.
Then I did something I’ve wanted to do for a couple of years now. I spray
painted some snowbush blooms I had dried a light blue, dabbed some silver
metallic paint on some of my money plant dried blooms and with some of the
regular whitish blooms made up a winter bouquet. I thought it turned out quite
lovely. Who says you can’t have flowers in the winter?
To
start out the New Year I had to take Dana back to the hospital again where he
was kept for a week in the psych ward as he needed some of his meds adjusted
again. Dawn and Annette came and met me at the hospital parking lot the next
day and took me back home with them. I hadn’t been able to visit them for over
two years. It was thrilling to see what all they had done to their house that
is almost finished getting completely remolded, get acquainted with their
goats, chickens, ducks, new cat, and dogs.
I called the hospital twice a day to keep informed and in touch with
Dana and for the first couple of days felt a bit lost not having to keep up
with all of his meds, insulin shots, oxygen, etc. It was so wonderful to be
able to spend more time with the grand-kids and see Dawn’s Christmas
decorations. Dawn and her family totally spoiled me. What fun cuddling on the
couch crocheting with Katie (she is now doing a double crochet stitch) and
working with Annette on her afghan! I was able to go with Dawn to church Sunday
morning to worship and see some folk I hadn’t seen in quite awhile. It also was
neat getting to visit with Judy (the other Mamma) that lives down the road and
is like an older sister. By the time I left to come back and pick up Dana, I
was quite rested up and feeling more like myself.
Just
what I needed as since then life has been quite fast paced getting back into
Dana’s schedule again, spending a morning with the home health nurse going over
all his meds and hospital notes, updating his meds, putting cream on Dana neck
a couple times a day that got stiff in the hospital, taking his blood pressure
a couple times a day trying to run down why it was raised more than normal the
first three days in the hospital, and keeping an eye on Dana’s increased fluid.
I took Dana to the primary doctor for a visit, got him rescheduled to see the
cardiologist, and then visited the lung specialist where now he not only needs
to have three breathing treatments a day, but also use a spirometer and inhaler
to try and see if this won’t help increase his oxygen level. Some days I feel
like I am running a hospital with myself the only staff member. Dana’s dementia
is also worsening. He will get confused
and forget what he was trying to say. At
Christmas he had to keep asking what his grandchildren’s names were. One day
when Dana was trying to read a verse in the Bible- one he had quoted by memory
for years- it was like hearing someone just starting to learn to read. Seeing
his brilliant mind deteriorate is heartbreaking.
I’m
thankful for all the prayer support you have given us. It means so much. How
wonderful to know that when things around us change, God never changes and He
is our sure foundation.
Until
next month-
Dorcas
