Gathering Graces 8/7/2017

Clark

*Paul went and got Cosette at Shoshone Medical Center ER around 7 a.m. after calling there and confirming she was ready to be home.  She had received three more bags of IV solution, had a good night’s sleep, and this seemed to have turned the tide.  When she came home, she ate a little bit and drank fluids, and was able to keep everything down.  Woo Hoo!!  I can’t tell you what a relief it was to see her eyes start to sparkle!!  Then I knew she was getting better.

*When I arrived at Kindred, Mom was in bed, but sitting up, alert and awake.  The aide said she had eaten a good breakfast, and she had also been given an Ativan that morning to help relax her.  It seemed to help, because this was the most alert she had been in the morning for days.  We had a really good visit as I told Mom what was going on with Cosette and that Zoe and Jason were here. 

*A little before 10 a.m., Mom’s room became a flurry of activity.  Liz, her Hospice CNA arrived to check on Mom.  Mom’s next door neighbor Jane stopped for a visit, and Bill also arrived around this time.  Bill had a chance to visit with Liz, as he had not met her yet, and he got some of his questioned answered.  After a few minutes, I kissed Mom and told her goodbye, and said I would see her later that afternoon.

*It was nice to go home and spend some a little time outside in my garden.  I picked some string beans and weeded the garden bed, pulled some bolting lettuce, and just enjoyed being out in the sunshine, doing a somewhat normal activity with my hands in the dirt.  I also had Clark the Cat out there helping out. My soul needed that today.

*Paul, Zoe and Jason went to obtain a drift wood stump for a landscaping project in the front yard, and I took the opportunity to take a nap.

*Around 2 p.m. I went outside to see the stump, and hear more about Paul’s vision for this front yard project.  Stay tuned!!

Zoe helping Grandma Mary eat some dinner.

*Zoe and I went to Kindred at 5 p.m. to visit with Mom.  Bill said she had been sleeping comfortably the last couple of hours.  After Bill left, Mom started showing some signs of pain and agitation, so I found a nurse and told him I would like Mom to have some medicine.  When Nurse Dawn came to give Mom her medicine, Mom woke up and was ready to eat some dinner.  Zoe helped feed her dinner, and she ate really good (for her). 

*It was around 7 p.m., and Molly and Travis had arrived for dinner.  Cosette had requested Paul’s famous Pasta Salad for dinner.  Zoe left a little after 7 to go join the rest of the family for dinner.  I said I would wait around until they got Mom ready for bed.  Someone came in and started to get her ready.  Part of me was anxious sitting there, because I wanted to be at home with my family, because we don’t get all of us together that often.  But then, as I was sitting there in Mom’s quiet, darkened room, and watched the care given Mom by the person getting her ready for bed, I was overcome with gratitude, and thankful that someone gently took Mom’s dentures out and cleaned them.  Helped her clean her face off.  Helped her brush her gums, and realized Mom was unable to spit, so got some sponges to swab her mouth instead.  The whole scene was quite beautiful.  Paul showed up to be with me and take me home when it was time.  “I want to be here with you,” he said.  Before Mom got changed into her pajamas, Paul and I left.

*Our family dinner was quite a raucous occasion.  I think we were all relieved to have Cosette feeling better, and to see her eating and joking around.  At one point, the evening turned to Molly, Zoe and Cosette singing Veggie Tales songs.  It is amazing how well they remember the words to those songs.

*I believe I have mentioned that Clark the Cat has been living with us this summer.  He has loved having our yard to roam around in, as well as our neighborhood.  Paul had mentioned to me while I was in Italy that he would sure miss Clark when he leaves. I told Molly the other day that when they came to pick up Clark to take him back to Moscow, that he may conveniently go “missing” for a few days, so they couldn’t take him.  Molly and Travis had a discussion, and decided that Clark probably would be more happy staying here, and they asked us if we really wanted to keep him.  We said, “Oh Yes!!”  So it is official, Clark will be staying with us.  We did give Travis and Molly the option of taking him back someday if they get a house and have room for him to roam.