I just thought I’d share with you what today was like and what I did.

7:20 am. I dragged myself out of bed- still recovering from a bad night’s sleep two days ago (the night when Elsa came through). I came out and got mom to wake up….she was a bit groggy. I found the tv station to turn on the morning news which helped her wake up.

While she went into the bathroom, I went to the kitchen to begin working on getting things ready for her breakfast. After getting her juice, tea, vitamins, pills, and toast, she was ready to eat. We prayed together, then she ate. I got something for myself while mom ate in the living room.

After she finished, I cleaned up the remains of breakfast and put a few things away in the kitchen that had been sitting around and refreshed the supplies in the bathroom that mom uses. Mom’s washing machine died last Friday and we are expecting a new one, so I wanted to make sure the area is ready for bringing in a new one. I took mom’s blood pressure right before she ate breakfast.

Shortly after 8 am the CNA from Hospice called and said she’d be here in 10-15 minutes. I told her that was fine- we were ready. I quickly then took the raised toilet seat/shower stool and put it in the back shower from the front bathroom and made sure there were towels back in mom’s shower. The CNA helps mom get a shower.

I changed the tv from news - which was now ‘not news’ to a baseball game from yesterday and fired up the computer to see if anyone had written me. I answered a couple of questions and shortly after that the CNA came out with mom - shower done.

Mom told me she was ready for me to work on her foot (heel). I told her we’d work on it as soon as the CNA left. I had to sign for the CNA that she had been there. She was on her way about 8:45 am. Shortly after she left, I went to the back bathroom and moved the toilet seat/shower seat back to the front bathroom (it’s doubles as a shower seat or raised toilet seat). Then the CNA called because she had forgotten to take mom’s blood pressure and asked about something else. I got those answers for her since I had taken her blood pressure that morning.

Not long after that a nurse from hospice called and asked if she could come.

I said, “Yes, but only if you can come soon”- because I needed to go somewhere shortly after 10 am. It can be frustrating to have people telling you they are coming and take up all your time. Thankfully she was able to come right away and arrived about 9:30. I had mom’s foot soaking in Epsom salts/water right after the CNA left and by the time the nurse arrived, we were allowing the foot to get some air.

The nurse came and looked at her foot. She was shocked as she previously seen it only when it was dark - not after the “dark spot” had come off. But after she asked mom some questions, took her blood pressure, talked to mom, etc. She filled in some info on her laptop. I then had her come over to the computer and showed her the progression of pictures of mom’s foot/heel. She was shocked and felt badly that she had missed how deep and ‘bad’ it was when she was here before. I told her it was “fine” as the doctor had been keeping an eye on it.

This is how we keep mom’s feet when she’s not walking.

Then, she left about 10:00 or shortly after that. I had an appointment about 20 min away for between 10:30 and 11 - someone was giving me something and I needed to be there to pick it up. After getting things ready for mom, dressing her heel, covering it with gauze and a tape and her socks and booties, I put her in bed, handed her the phone, my number and said, “Enjoy the game”. I put on the Tampa Bay Rays baseball game #1 from yesterday - it had been a double header - and after grabbing a letter that mom needed mailed to her credit card company I headed out in mom’s van. I stopped first at a mailbox and got her payment in the mail.

I made it to the place shortly after 10:30 and met Kim, the lady I was going to meet. I stayed there til about 11 am and then drove to Walmart supercenter where I needed to get some groceries. I quickly walked through the store and picked up the necessaries I thought I needed - things like eggs, juice, margarine, canned chicken, etc. - for breakfasts and quick and easy meals.

On the way back, I stopped by Burger King, picked up a Whopper meal for me and chicken nuggets for mom and arrived back right about noon - only driving through two heavy showers (rain) while I was out.

Mom likes to eat at noon - so I got her food to her quickly for lunch as I arrived back about 11:57 am - nuggets and some fruit and a cookie stick along with some root beer. I then brought in the groceries after the rain died down. I also went ahead and took some garbage to the dumpster while I was at it.

I then came in and got myself some lunch. The Tampa Bay Rays game was about over (Rays won). I then put on game number 2 of the double header and mom had started on some crossword puzzles - sitting in a chair. We make her get out of bed to eat nowadays. I was over here at the computer, checking out what I was supposed to be doing when I remembered that we hadn’t done her exercises yet.

I told her, “Mom, we need to start your exercises.” We usually do them in the morning, but today was messed up because of the CNA, the nurse and then my needing to go out.

So, she went to the piano and I was over here at the computer. I realized that she was doing very well at the piano today so I videoed a couple of songs for the family and my Facebook page. I am hoping this link will work for you if you want to hear her.

I trimmed up some half square triangles (HST) for a project I’m working on while mom finished her half hour of playing.

Then we did exercises - first her leg ones and then arm exercises. Then she started pedaling her exercise bike that only does her feet—she does that for 13 minutes. I trimmed some more HST while checking out what I was going to do for this top.

After all those exercises were done, mom was tired and wanted to go back to bed to rest. She started out by watching the rest of the game (the second Rays game from yesterday) but eventually fell asleep. I sewed my now trimmed up blocks together for the borders for the current project I’m working on.

Before I knew it, I looked up and it was 5 pm! Oh my! 5 pm - that’s mom’s dinner time. I quickly got up, and got together the chicken salad sandwich using a mini croissant I had taken out of the freezer at 4 pm, and prepared some microwave mac and cheese, and put together mom’s plate. I took it to her after refreshing her drink (iced tea this time). While mom ate, I zapped some leftover pizza for me and boiled some eggs for tomorrow’s chicken salad while I ate.

By this time, I did have all the pieced borders for this current panel project ready to put together.

I started by trimming the panel after I made sure there was no pizza residue from eating pizza out here - and began putting on the first white border on the panel, after trimming it. About 5 pm I had changed to news so mom wouldn’t feel left out of what is going on in our area.

I needed to get some photos for a couple of quilts I’ve made - so at 6:45 pm I went outside and took photos of them. While I was outside, something bit me and left me chewed up and miserable and sticky and itchy. I came in and took a shower to get relief. By now mom’s watching Wheel of Fortune - I had changed it to the right channel before I went outside for the photos since the remote situation is complicated for mom (there are three remotes with the setup we have currently).

After my shower, I came in to sit down with mom and watch the end of Wheel of Fortune and the beginning of Jeopardy. Rachael came in with some food for tomorrow during the Jeopardy program - as did her husband, Ken. We talked a while. Then the show finished and we had prayer together. Ken and Rachael left and mom is now watching something while I work on the computer.

I did not get that quilt top put together - I just don’t feel like working on it this late.

They asked me to keep a diary of mom’s blood pressure 4x a day. I only manage 2x a day, most days. When I told them I just couldn’t remember to take it two hours after her medicine, they modified it to “2x a day is fine.” Even then, at times I forget…esp. in the evenings.

So, what exactly did I get done today? It’s hard to say…But that’s just how life is sometimes, right? Mom did her exercises and we had to talk to the nurse and I had to go meet that person at 10:30 am. So, this was one of “those days” - necessary, but certainly not a “red letter” day of accomplishments. And that’s okay. That’s just how it is at the moment.

And now you know. :) I’m staying busy enough - and healthy enough, so I’m very thankful!

Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Stay safe!

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here!

Here’s one of the beauties we have!

You can get this red Jeep by Riley Blake here.

A Day in my Life - currently!