Friday, February 20, 2015

21 Months

I went to get the "final x-ray" on the arm I broke 21 months ago last Friday.  There has been some healing, and it needs to do more.  Most concerning, there is a "halo" around one screw, which indicates the bone has been moving and is now loose in the bone.  He wants me to come in for another x-ray in the fall. 

I spoke to my nurse practitioner on Monday.  She's referring me to someone who specializes in the forearm for a second opinion.  She also thought it was a good idea to start wearing my brace again.  So, I'm back in the brace.  I bought some socks yesterday and am cutting off the toes to make a sleeve to go under the brace.  The skin was getting very irritated.

I think Daughter is still slightly manic.  Her program was closed today, so she called and wanted to come over here this morning.  She helped me with some cleaning.  A friend came over to play Scrabble this afternoon.  Yesterday she had a plan to buy a house, build a house, save money to pay for insurance for the truck she wants to buy.  She's going to finance this with her workshop paychecks.  $1.98 for the last two weeks.  When I suggest her plans might not be realistic, she accuses me of not supporting her.  I suggested she start by controlling her eating.  She really doesn't want to hear that. 

I'm pondering rearranging part of the house.  We have a living room we rarely use.  I have a sewing machine downstairs, and I don't like going down the basement stairs.  I'm thinking about bringing it upstairs and turning the living room into an office/craft space.  Daughter thinks it's a great idea.  We'll see. 

Lent has begun, so life is busy at the church right now.  We have a board meeting Monday evening, which will be interesting.  It's the first one after our big planning meeting, so we will be planning how to move forward with the goals we've set. 

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Birthdays

Today is my birthday.  There have been many years Daughter did her best to ruin my birthday.  When I picked her up yesterday, she was complaining about living in a group home and expressing her desire to die rather than continuing to live there.  I wasn't very sympathetic.  She managed to turn it around. 

Today she was up before me, making scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast that she served me in bed.  She gave me a pretty little cross necklace with breakfast so I could wear it today.   

As I walked into my office before worship, I could hear the choir director explaining that today was my birthday.  I walked into the choir room and glared.  They were embarrassed, but it didn't stop their plot.  They had the congregation sing happy birthday to me before worship. 

After church Daughter waited (sort of) patiently as I talked to various people.  Then she took bought our lunches at our usual Sunday lunch diner.  We came home and watched a couple of movies one of the men loaned her today.

It has been a good day.  I'm realizing that I'm getting older, and my ministry is beginning to wind down.  This fall will be the 30th anniversary of my ordination.  I hope to work another 10 years before I retire.  I have mixed feelings about retirement.  I know Administrative Assistant will probably retire within the next 3 or 4 years.  She is 6 years older than I am.  I've tried to talk her into retiring at the same time, but I don't think that's working. 

Lent is rapidly approaching, and so it's a busy time at the church.  Good thing I love my job.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Blizzards

I've been dealing with blizzards-- of snow, of illness, of phone calls. 

Sunday was the lowest attendance in the 4 years I've been here.  It was snowing heavily.  People dispersed relatively quickly after worship.  I took Daughter out for lunch and then took her home.  When I got home, my poor car could not make it up the slope of my driveway.  After several attempts, I parked in the street.  I was pondering trying to clear the driveway as I walked up to the house.  I slipped on the driveway and my arm started to tingle.  I think it was telling me not to even think about it. 

Yesterday one of the men came over with his snowblower and salt.  It still took 3 men to push my car up the driveway to the garage.  We cancelled yesterday evening's meeting and I stayed home.  Much of the city was shut down.  This morning the roads were better, and I was able to get over to the church (where one of our men spent 2 1/2 hrs clearing the sidewalks and such at the church-- there was 3 ft drift in front of the office door.  We are supposed to get more snow overnight.  I hope it's not too much. 

We have 3 people right now struggling with very serious illnesses.   Two are facing death, and one is facing major lifestyle changes.  All of them are relatively young.  (Of course, my definition of young changes with each passing year.)  I'm providing care to the patients and their families and to all the church members who are upset by these illnesses. 

The final blizzard is the most frustrating.  Daughter is manic.  She is calling me multiple times a day, and texting when she isn't calling.  She sent a text at 2 in the morning informing me she wanted to learn to drive and she needed a Ford truck.  She has a new boyfriend, and wants to get engaged.  She informed me this morning that they will be getting married in November. 

She is driving me buggy.  She has decided she doesn't trust the new staff member, C.  Of course, she didn't like the old staff member, R, until the new one arrived.  Last night I received a call from Home Owner.  Daughter was refusing to take her meds from C.  She wanted to wait for R to get back.  R wasn't going to be back until morning.  She had taken one of the residents to the ER, and she had been admitted.  Home Owner had asked her to spend the night with the resident at the hospital.  She did finally take her meds.  She gets on a roll and is calling me every 20 minutes.  Her mood can change drastically between phone calls.  The snow has kept them home the last two days.  I hope she can go in tomorrow, though we are supposed to get more snow tonight. 

I'm hoping all the blizzards are almost over.