Being back at home has been such a blessing for both mom and I. I know deep in my heart that we will need to step outside of these 4 walls and into an emergency room once again, but I am hoping for a few months of grace to recharge my batteries and give mom a few months of peace while getting better.
Meanwhile, "back at the ranch", our lives are back to a new normal, just like mom's health status. We sleep in our own beds, eat meals at our dinner table, watch Dancing With the Stars every Monday and Tuesday night.
But our new normal has a few layers on it. Our house has frequent home care visitors. I vacuum the house alot now :-). The medication schedule is different. No missing even one pill - I have missed a few of my own but she gets all of hers. Every morning mom has her weight and blood pressure electronically transmitted to Johns Hopkins Home Care. Think about that one - having your weight taken every single day and then announced! Yikes! And she has to exercise. Of course, right now her exercise routine is minimal, but it must be done. My exercise routine? A total bust.
And other normal things are beginning to filter back into our lives. I started walking on Monday. It felt like total freedom to step outside the house and just walk anywhere I want. And even just 2 walks makes a difference in how I feel. Next hurtle is to return to Curves. I'll be starting over on the simple circuit, but that is OK.
The grand-dogs are starting to make appearances in my life again. Saturday my son brought Meathead and Grimace over for a day-long visit. I took them out for a walk - and Meathead - a couch potato dog - decided that we needed to check out ALL our walking paths. I guess three weeks of missed dog walks with grandma had taken its toll on him. Even Grimace - who usually is the walker - was ready to come back in before Meathead. It was too funny!
I finished mom's woven shawl. It was supposed to be finished for Mother's Day, but my days were filled with other stuff. :-) Other more important mom stuff was happening. She was so excited and pleased to find out the shawl I had been working on for months (and she admired regularly) was for her. I had enough woven yarn left over for a scarf for me and a hat. We will be twins!! The yarn is beautiful and I want to use it all up.
I am also clawing my way back to fiber pursuits and reading. I attended the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival (thank you my dear dear daughter for grandma-sitting that day). I purchased a loom that my very special cousin helped me set up. I purchased other stuff as well, but I will spare my non-fiber obsessed readers the list of what I got. Working on fiber projects takes focus and when I am stressed - like the last month - I can't focus on them.
And finally I am back to blogging. It helps me to write my thoughts out, to focus on the good things in my life, to visit other blogs (I am way behind on that - but I'll get there.), and to "hear" the voices of my distant blog friends through comments on my blog. I am not sure why this works so well, but it does. Thank you for sticking with me during this absence.
So I am grabbing back the pieces of my life one day at a time.
It is a new normal for mom's health, and a new normal for my life - but it is normal. And I am grateful for it.
My glass is half-full!!
5 comments:
There is nothing so sweet as "an ordinary day".
Glad to hear things are getting back to normal. I've missed you.
I'm glad you're back to blogging, and it's wonderful if sharing here is helpful for you. I can understand that completely.
Wishing you the best as you navigate your "new normal," and get back to all that you enjoy. Best wishes to your mom as well!
I found your blog via a weaving blog (can't even remember which one its been so long!). I'd love to see photos of what you got at the MSWF if you get a chance.
one day at a time is all one can ask for. :)
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