Things From the Week...

Change. Sometimes it is just disruptive. The nursing home has a temporary Director. He has determined the feeding tables need to be realigned. They took away the two U-shaped tables that they set up in a circle. This made it easier for a CNA to sit in the middle and feed multiple residents. He has now set up two banquet tables and it takes more CNA's to feed the people. Then he set up another banquet table behind that to feed residents who they are encouraging to feed themselves. All other residents who can feed themselves sit on the other side of the room. Papa feeds himself so he now sits there. This means he is in another part of the room and the two men he has eaten with all this time are in other places. I really liked the interaction he had with these two men. This reduces that interaction. I am sure there is some logic to what they are doing. I know the residents just need more help the longer they live there. But I miss Papa having that interaction.

The other thing they have done is moved the big television to the other side of the room and put the smaller television on the side the big television was on.  The big television was hooked up to the DVD player. I knew how to work that set up and could get the DVD going every Wednesday when Papa plays music for the residents. It seems the big television was by the sprinkler. Now, that television has been there since Mom was living there. They installed it while she was a resident. When I went to set up the DVD on Wednesday, I couldn't find the remote and couldn't get it to work on the smaller television. Glen came in and helped me find the remote and we learned how to get the smaller television set up with the DVD player. I am sure I can do it now. Change. We will get used to it. As a side note, the little television is now by the sprinkler. Hmmmm....

Another change for me was giving up my old gray sweatshirt. I believe I bought this sweatshirt when we were in Maine at L.L. Bean. But it may have been my first visit to Cabela's. I loved this sweatshirt. It was big enough to go over whatever. But, if you look at the sleeves, you can tell it has been around for a while. The cuffs were tearing away from the sleeve. I finally determined I just needed to let it go. I did take this quick picture before my beloved sweatshirt went into the garbage can. So very sad. 

My dear friend Laura sent me something that gave me a chuckle. Several years ago I buried my wheels in her driveway which was wet from a lot of rain. I do mean buried them up to the hub caps. Her good hubby, Howard, came out and wallowed in the mud to attach a chain to my car and to his car and then he pulled me out of the mud. I left their driveway with mud flying like crazy out from the back of my car. How embarrassing!! Well, dear Laura sent me a picture of the FedEx guy making a delivery to their home. He was stuck in the mud!! It was not just me. Laura said I was in good company. Bwa-ha-ha!!

Now, for an update on my hand. I know, this is riveting, right? This is the hand I smashed the three fingers in Papa's garage door when I was emptying out his apartment. There are new nails growing under the old ones. I finally cut everyone of them back as far as I could so they wouldn't catch and tear off. I'm just saying, a manicure wouldn't even make this hand look good. It still fascinates me to watch it take forever to heal. I believe it will eventually not show the damage done. The human body is amazing.

Friday, February 16th, Claude and I watched the Mini's so Andie and Michael could go see Rent at Whitney Hall. They didn't have school that day so they had been inside all day. Andie and Michael both worked that day. We got there and offered to take them out to eat or we could bring something in. Those kids wanted to stay in. So we ordered pizza from Steve'Os and hunkered down for the evening. Hayden showed us some YouTube things for upcoming movies he was interested in. Then he let Bailey watch the My Little Pony Movie with us. Hayden came back upstairs then and we watch an America's Funniest Videos followed by the Olympic men ice skating. It was just a relaxing evening. I even started a new crochet project. 

Michael gave Andie an electric blanket for Valentine's Day. It is fluffy and so very warm. Andie told Bailey she could use it while she and Michael were at the theater as long as she didn't eat or drink when using it. She and Claude curled up under it to watch My Little Pony. The girl does love to snuggle with her Grampa.

When we were watching the Olympics, I found it amusing that Percy was also watching. 

When Hayden came up after My Little Pony I asked him what time they should go to bed. He said he usually went to be at 9:30pm. Okay. It was a Friday so that would be great. Well, we got into watching the Olympics and it got to be 9:30pm. I told the kids they could watch a little more of the skating. I mean, really. I am the Gramma and some rules I feel okay breaking. As it got closer to 10pm I told the Mini's they could watch one more skater and then off to bed they needed to go. They agreed. Then...the commercials started. For the next 20 minutes we watched commercials. I could not believe it. But I told them they could watch one more skater. It was 10:30 before the skater was finished with his 4 minute routine. Goodness. Hayden was so tired he excused himself and put himself to bed. When I went in to tuck him in and say goodnight, he was out. Bailey was almost asleep as I covered her up with her 15 blankets. But they were both in bed and well asleep before their parents got home.

And, that is a wrap for this past week. My life in a nutshell.