WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Jeepers]

I keep mine in a plastic box made for batteries. But I THINK the ones I put in the label maker came right from the unopened package. I think.

 

Next time I go to Sam's I'm going to get some of their batteries. They say they store for 10 years. 

 

They say store up batteries for a prep item but mine never last.  

[Mt_Rider]

Does humidity levels have anything to do with battery storage?  I know the salt air on Maui wrecks so many things....but don't remember if batteries were a problem there. 

 

We keep Bandaids, and rubber bands in crisper drawer of fridge in arid CO.  Definitely keep longer....and I don't think it's the cold.  Humidity keeps them from drying out.

 

MtRider  .....odd thing with your batteries, Jeepers!   

[Jeepers]

I'll be in Indiana most of the week so will be MIA for awhile. 

[out_of_the_ordinary]

Batteries have corroded in the unopened package here.   And I've always bought Duracell, thinking that was supposed to be the better brand. 

[Littlesister]

I had the energizer batteries a couple of years ago do that. They had a 10 year shelf life and only made it to 6 years. All unopened.. Bought those from Sam's club.  So far I haven't had that to happen again but not buying like I was either. 

Jeepers have a safe trip. 

I have been busy around the house. Working on garage so I will have room for the old fridge to go in there when the new one comes. More stuff from a storage cabinet I cleaned out boxed up for yard sale. I am just about ready to say forget the yard sale and just take it all to Goodwill. I am just about over trying to store all this stuff I am getting rid of as now it is just in my way. Going to see about moving it to the garden shed as I won't be using that shed till next spring anyway. So not sure how that will work out. Still will need room to put the tomato cages back in there when I pull all the tomato vines up. Thought the roma tomatoes were done and now they have taken off again. The plants are loaded with green tomatoes again. Can't remember when I ever got a second picking on them. They were dying and now they are coming back full of green tomatoes.

I really need to dig in and get the work around here done.  I did get the desk and chair and have been going through all the office stuff to put away. So have emptied a few more boxes. Still waiting on the dressers. They should be here by the end of next month.  Got a notice about the awing that they don't know when I will get it. Can't get the parts and they are short handed. I ordered it in June, so will just have to wait and see what happens. The new fridge will be here in Oct. It really does take a long time to get things you order. Not like the good old days at all. No one wants to work. So shipping is really bad. Taking months to get stuff. 

[Mt_Rider]

Hi y'all.............  MtRider takes a deep breath.    

 

Not sure I have energy or time [it's past midnight] to tell the tale of THIS day.  But we need prayer.  We have had a dead car here at the house since Tues....and can't fit into the mechanic's schedule till this coming THURSDAY. 

 

While I rode today, DH was going to take my mom to grocery etc.......BUT MY OLD TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE ...fortunately in her driveway.  DH used water in juice bottle I brought for soaking my sweatshirt to keep me cool enough on the ride.  They were able to douse the flames but a lot of wires [distributor cap, etc ] are melted, charred.   

 

Tried to send the only taxi in our county to get me after riding....but they're too busy.  One of the ranch owners drove me to my mom's ...only about 3 miles.  THEN WHAT?  NO car rentals in our whole county......nearest city is a LOONG way away and......no taxi.  Can't stay at my mom's ....cuz dog is at our house [30 min away].    I found a "rental" place in phone book  and called.  LOL They rent UHaul trucks.  Well.........

 

Just then the doorbell rang......here is the taxi ....two hours late ....and yet [thank YOU, God!!!] .....right on time.  DH took taxi down to the rental and drove a small UHaul truck back up to my mom's. 

 

Hoping we can have my burned truck towed on Monday to a different mechanic in my mom's town.  DH and I took advantage of having a large space in UHaul to store the stuff from my truck.  Our camping stuff....aka: BugOut stuff.....aka: WildFire Stuff  all lives in my truck bed - with a topper.  So we're unloading a lot of stuff to put in the UHaul when I notice DH is not looking good.  DID you eat?????  No.  Diabetic and .....GO IN AND EAT! 

 

I kept emptying my stuff into UHaul.  Finally done but I'm trying to get the light off inside my truck's glove box.  Somehow the latch ALSO broke today and if it's not closed, that light is going to be on.....draining battery?   CAN'T FIND DUCT TAPE....... { WHO doesn't have duct tape} ..to tape the button to shut off light.  THEN  {thank You, God} I discover the screw came out and once replaced [easier said than done]  ....the glove box latch works and shuts off the light.  OK, that's a better solution than duct tape.  LOL 

 

HOWEVER....by now, DH's heart is giving him pain.  As we're leaving my mom's town, I'm telling him that we should stop in the ER....yanno?  Check your heart!!   Of course he drives right by it and keeps going home.  He did stop once we were out of the canyon curves.....and took some of his heart meds.     

 

Yeah, we got home okay.  He went up to lay down   and I hauled our normal stuff up stairs.  Took dog down driveway and on road and back up.  DH's heart was giving him pain until a couple hours later.    Still voting for ER but I think he's resting without pain now.  We'll see how he is thru the night.  Not really wanting to drive into the hospital ......in a UHAUL, FOR PETE'S SAKE!  

 

Can this get any crazier?  Hopefully mechanic from my mom's town can tow truck and fix it early this week.  Hopefully not tooooo much got fried.  Hopefully we can get the car to start mebbe ...to get it to our regular mechanic by Thursday.  TWO dead vehicles at one time??????   DH has work 50 minute drive from here.....steep, curvy, mountain roads.....M-W-F ....IN A UHAUL truck?        

 

  .....need prayer, please!    God has encouraged us in so many things during all this and more.....so He'll bring us thru this too!!   

 

MtRider  ......you be careful on your Indy trip, Jeepers!!!   

Edited August 29, 2021 by Mt_Rider

[Homesteader]

It was a sad week this past week. I had been sleeping on the floor at my mom's new assisted living apartment just down the road. She had gotten so bad, I couldn't care for her anymore (6 aides and a chef replaced me) . The social worker is a very wise woman. She asked me if I wanted to be the 'daughter' once again. I said Yes!. The private facility where we placed my mom is brand new. It's state of the art and CNA's are trying to get a job there. They are very particular and hire very compassionate and trained people. They took care of all her physical and medical needs, and I was able to spend each day by her side being her daughter once again.

 

Well, mom only lasted three weeks and passed away two days ago. Either my brother or myself were there full-time the past week. We switched places on the living room floor and talked mom into taking her meds. She thought the staff was poisoning her with the pills. She went psychotic and paranoid on us. I am so thankful she didn't turn on my brother or me. She always knew a familiar voice and would follow our commands, except one time when she stuck out her tongue at us.    Bro and I would argue at the end of her bed as to who was the most favorite child. Towards the end, she could only grunt or moan, but we knew we made her laugh on the inside. 

 

Wow. Caregiving isn't for sissies. I don't recommend it for everybody, but God gave us the grace to care for mom the last 1.5 years in our home. DH was awesome. He kept picking up the pieces and kept everything tweaked and humming around here, including new central air and a new 40' deck this past year to keep mom busy and comfortable. He's the best. 

 

We have a quick turn-around on the funeral. Grandchildren are in town for a baby shower. They agreed to stay for the funeral on Monday.  Everything is in place except a hole hasn't been dug at the cemetery yet.   It seems the city worker who makes that decision is in Canada. The gravedigger said if he could get permission on Monday morning to start digging, he would be ready for the funeral in early afternoon. What a guy!!  If not, mom goes back into the refrigerator until there's a hole to receive her body.

 

I have SO MUCH to do for paperwork. Everything has been set-aside the past few months. I barely keep up with a few things in the garden. I guess I'm thankful I didn't have the time to plant like in past years. It won't be so overwhelming this Autumn. I did ask mom several weeks ago if she would help me snap some beans like I've done for her the past 60 years. She just grunted at me. 

[Mother]

Hang in there, Homey,  Four years ago I was where you are.  What I find interesting is that when I look back I realize that the two years I spent as my mom’s caretaker have faded.  The 70 years I spent as her daughter, however, fill me with joy and memories of those time makes me smile.  My Mom would have been 100 this November.  She always said that as long as someone remembers them a person is not truly gone.  Like mine, I bet your Mom is truly never gone!  

[Midnightmom]

Homey 

 

As Mother said..................

[Littlesister]

Prayers for Mt. Rider that her Dh will be ok and for getting the trucks fixed. 

 

Homesteader, Prayers still going up for you and family.  I know all to well what a hard time it is going through all of this. And yes, the paperwork never seems to end but has slowed down to a crawl. 

 

Went to Church this morning, we are getting ready to start having Sunday school classes again but only in the sanctuary so we can still have social distance. Most of the other churches around here have been back in full swing, but seems our church is being slow about it. But I think it is because most of our church are elderly and not many of us left. We were hoping to have a new pastor by now but corvid messed that up as well as trying to bring children back into the church. All the children in our church have now grown up and either moved away for college or just never came back and there has not been any younger folks there to keep the church growing. It is not in a neighborhood where there are a lot of small children, so it just is not growing like it did years ago. 

Came home from church had lunch and then ran to store for a couple of things I was out of. Was going to the cemetery this afternoon but it started looking like rain and was so hot and humid, I decided to wait and go tomorrow. Otherwise I have not done anything but rest today. Took a nap which I rarely do. That is twice now in a week. So I think things are just starting to catch up with me. 

[Mt_Rider]

11 hours ago, Mother said:

What I find interesting is that when I look back I realize that the two years I spent as my mom’s caretaker have faded.  The 70 years I spent as her daughter, however, fill me with joy and memories of those time makes me smile.

 

 

    I needed to hear that today, Mother. 

 

 .....where IS that person I called "my mom"???   She's up and disappeared suddenly and a cranky, selfish person has taken up residence.   

 

12 hours ago, Homesteader said:

The social worker is a very wise woman. She asked me if I wanted to be the 'daughter' once again. I said Yes!

 

This was an argument I had with my doctor a few months ago.  "You can't be the daughter and the therapist [during my dad's dementia years]  at the same time...can't be done," she said.   ....I'm like:  Watch me!  I've been doing that for 3 yrs!   .... Then when he went into hospital then care home......I found out she was right.  I'd been doing the calming down therapist role for so long, I wasn't sure HOW to be the daughter again.   

 

 

MtRider   ....not having the best of weeks here....    and it's only SUNDAY.   [my mother thinks its Monday and why isn't our burn-damged truck out of her driveway parking area yet?????  ]

[Homesteader]

47 minutes ago, Mt_Rider said:

She's up and disappeared suddenly and a cranky, selfish person has taken up residence. 

 

Our long-term hospice nurse said that mom was getting 'sassy' with me.     Sometimes I'd just go out to the garden and rip a few weeds out by their necks. Seemed to be good therapy. 

[Mother]

1 hour ago, Mt_Rider said:

 

 .....where IS that person I called "my mom"???   She's up and disappeared suddenly and a cranky, selfish person has taken up residence.   

Think of this.  It is often the person they know loves them most that seems to be on the receiving end of their minds chaos.  Perhaps deep inside they know that person will understand that they can’t help them self.  They feel safe in that love.  Whether it’s true dementia, medicine side effect, or just her aging mind unable to cope with life’s pressures, remind yourself that under it all you love each other and that love will sustain you.  And her.  

[TheCG]

21 hours ago, Homesteader said:

 

Our long-term hospice nurse said that mom was getting 'sassy' with me.     Sometimes I'd just go out to the garden and rip a few weeds out by their necks. Seemed to be good therapy. 

Somewhere, I have a cartoon about ripping weeds out instead of throats.  😝

 

I asked Mom once why she pulled weeds in the neighbors’ yard. She said that otherwise she’d be cleaning my room.  I decided that was my sign to shut up.

[Mt_Rider]

22 hours ago, Homesteader said:

22 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

She's up and disappeared suddenly and a cranky, selfish person has taken up residence. 

 

Our long-term hospice nurse said that mom was getting 'sassy' with me.     Sometimes I'd just go out to the garden and rip a few weeds out by their necks. Seemed to be good therapy. 

{BOLD is mine}  LOL

 

Thanks Homesteader..........first time I've laughed OUT LOUD in several days.  Nearly in tears too though.   

 

TheCG   

 

Thanks Mother too.  I DO know that.  But I began mourning the loss of my dad 3 yrs ago.  NOW.....when we could be enjoying my mom/taking her places/being able to have good times with her..........LIFE kicks us all in the head and CRANKY sets in.  I'm upset that we may not get much chance to give my mom a good time.....if she fades away too quickly.    Yeah, I know.  It wouldn't be surprising but.....  

 

I spent some time this morning...setting up rides with the senior ride service.....to get DH around with work and turning in the UHaul truck for this week.  Too old to hitchhike!      He's TRYING to keep his M-W-F job!    Yesterday he started scrubbing the shower stall.....red rust from well water.  ......    and started up the heart pain again.  So....he stopped.  Ya THINK???   Maybe pulling weeds wouldn't mess with his heart?  Come to think of it....he did get to weed wacker out last week.  

 

Can y'all pray that the car starts just one more time tomorrow?  So we can DRIVE it to the mechanic....instead of a $$$$$$ TOW TRUCK $$$$$$ !!!!! 

 

MtRider  .....      .......so many adjustments and figuring out alternatives.... pray we don't forget something VITAL this week! 

[Littlesister]

My mother passed in 1995. Though we lived in different places, and I was not the caretaker for her, but my older sister whom has also passed away in 1999, was her caregiver. The two of them lived together. Though it has been many years since their passing, you never forget those memories. 

And yes being a caregiver is one of the hardest things you can do. I did it for Dh for over a year. But the good times are what I like to remember. The funny thing is that I never dream or if I do I never remember them most of the time. About a month or so ago, I had a dream that Dh was chasing me all over the house and we were both laughing and having a good time. I woke up laughing at him chasing me. No more dreams since then that I remember. 

This morning granddaughter came over to pick up 2 of the vases she had used in wedding. She sold them and had to get them ready to mail off.  So stuff is slowly getting moved from garage. She may have a buyer for the 7 foot cross but they have to come pick it up. 

Her lease on apt. ends in Nov. And they are not sure if they can just lease till the end of Feb. when they move to S.C. I am thinking of letting them stay with me till they get moved. It will only be for 3 months. I know they will be a big help to me getting things fixed and packed up to go to goodwill. I decided it is just to much on me to try to have a yard sale. It is a lot of stuff to deal with and no where to store it till next spring. I would rather just go ahead and get rid of it all. There are some things that granddaughter will put on her site to sale that are worth something. So those things I will sale. The rest is going to goodwill and kings daughters as well. 

Went to cemetery this morning after granddaughter left,  and changed out the flowers for some fall flowers. Then came home and washed clothes. Watched the news for awhile and then started cleaning up in garage a bit. 

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, speaking from what my Dh went through with his heart. Take him to the doctor to get checked out. At least it would give you both peace of mind that he is ok. He shouldn't be having heart pain like that. 

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah, we know, Little Sister.  But he doesn't like to go "get things checked out"......  Might have to rat him out to his doctor.   

 

 

So.....Miki?   Is H. Ida doing any drastic things to your neighborhood?    

 

 

 

Annarchy ......and CA peeps maybe?  ....... H. Nora just might bring some RAIN to our SW drought areas.      ........   but then, be wary of flash flooding and erosion!!!   

 

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/nora-to-send-rainfall-to-drought-plauged-southwest/1007101

 

 

MtRider   ..........  .......yanno?  

Edited August 31, 2021 by Mt_Rider

[out_of_the_ordinary]

Been    for you all.    

 

 

Sam's is limiting the TP to 1 package per membership per day.   Don't know if that is due to lower supply or increasing demand or ?

 

It has been hot and very humid here.   It will be awhile 'til we get that frost to take care of the goldenrod and ragweed.   

 

 

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

     

 

1)  my mom  [she's herself again]  called early this morning.  She'd scoped out the auto repair near her ......first available slot for car repair:  Sept 28th.    Heard folks are repairing older cars instead of buying new??????   So she called our mechanic and asked him to tow my old truck to his location.  Tow is cheaper if he's towing it to his own place!!!  She paid.  THANK YOU!  For handling it AND paying for it!  Cuz we don't know how much the car repair is going to be yet..... 

 

2)    for all who prayed to our car to START TODAY!     It DID start and I drove it over to our mechanic....saving that tow fee!  DH followed in the UHaul truck to bring me back.  SOOOOOOO much easier/cheaper.    That was SO delightful after all the UN-delightful things that have happened!   

 

3)  I cleared everything out of the back of the UHaul.  We'd loaded a lot of camping stuff from my truck and now it's stacked on pallets with a waterproof tarp over it.  [ the tarp is a waterbed cut into a big, very waterproof piece!  ....just in case we MIGHT get rain???

 

4)  Tomorrow....if 4 phone calls have finally gotten DH a ride back home after taking UHaul to work and then, leaving early to get it back to the UHaul place .....AND meet the senior transportation there in time for their driver to return to base by 5pm......  Whew....it's gonna be close.  If Plan A doesn't work, Plan B is $ TAXI $  again. 

 

5)  Thursday....our mechanic works on the car.......  $$$.....???  Will he finish - - get parts - - or just splice a dumb shorting wire?????  Stay tuned.      Also I'm to be taken and delivered home by the senior transportation for a doc appt....but that's normal stuff and I don't anticipate any issues. 

 

6)  Somehow we'll have to get over to the mechanic's to pick up repaired car.  My old truck might sit a while ....depending on how much alllllllll of this taxi and UHaul rental and towing and repairing and such will ultimately cost.  ????  So far.....we're still ok.  Taking a hit but thankful my mom's helped on some of this.   

 

Speaking of whom...... I'm off to call her for our traditional evening chat....

 

MtRider....seriously, thanks y'all.    PS:  How ya doing, Miki??? 

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, glad to know your mom is doing better. And that you are able to get your truck and car repaired soon. 

 

Went to eye doctor this morning. Eyes are still not right from being dilated. It usually takes all day for those drops to wear off. But I'm getting there. Bright light still a bit of a problem. Not done a whole lot of anything today. Did get a lot of filing done yesterday though. But need to get the rest done. Have emptied out more boxes so that is a plus.  I have so many boxes now packed up in garage for a yard sale that I am about to say forget the yard sale. I just want to be done with it and take it all to goodwill or one of the other places that take stuff. Just don't want to mess with a yard sale at my age. 

I have been hearing about a TP shortage again. Wonder what it is this time.  Need to check my attic. But think I am ok on paper products. 

We are about to get the wind and rain from the hurricane.  Starting to cool down a bit compared to what it was. 

[Mt_Rider]

Two new developments today:  Mechanic called tonite [Wed ] and said he's done with our car.  But...it's not even Thursday yet!  He said he tried to hurry cuz he knew he had BOTH our vehicles in his lot.    .......but.......

 

    I hadn't even figured out HOW TO GET ONE OF US THERE TO PICK IT UP....  Thinking on that. 

 

The other new development is not good.     Decades ago a drunk ran a red light and smashed into DH in my very heavy 70's era Ford pickup.  Hit engine section and torqued it sideways.  If he'd hit just a second later at DH's door.....     But DH did have two vertebrae crushed.....not spinal cord but extreme pain for a long time.  A year and a half later, he began at chiropractic college and within 2 months of the instructors [never the students in his case ] adjusting him, he was finally able to get out of the back brace....and constant pain.  The allopathic [M.D.'s] brand of medical care had nothing for that type of injury in that era but chiro's did. 

 

It's only flared on him once or twice in the decades since.....BUT today he was merely moving a table for his client and bent over to pick up some decorative rocks that had fallen off and..........   OUCH!   BAD!      Oh sheeeeesh....not NOW!    .......OTOH, it IS a work comp claim.    Care will be paid for!!!!!      Hopefully we'll be able to get osteopathic care from our doc.  I think she'd be able to bring his healing along a lot faster.....depending on what they teach osteopaths these days.  Otherwise he'd have to find a chiro ....  

 

OKAAAY.......DH is injured.  Our car is ready but.......     I have doc apt tomorrow and riding with the senior transportation  [which wonderfully brought DH home from dropping off the UHaul ]          {thanks for prayers, y'all }

 

Mebbe I can arrange senior transport to drop me at the mechanic's instead of taking me home after appt tomorrow?  Same distance but they don't have to drive gravel roads.  Then I can drive car home....that, I can do.  Should be enough time before 5pm when mechanic leaves.   Whoa......I think that will work. 

 

Now I have to figure out how to get to my horse riding therapy.....?  I can't drive that far at highway speeds.       Senior Transport...if I move my Saturday riding to Friday???  They don't do weekends. 

 

MtRider   .....just one of those time periods where:    ".....AND THEN THIS HAPPENED....AND THEN THIS HAPPENED....." .  This too shall pass....   

[snapshotmiki]

 

 

Yesterday I walked first and walked dogs.  made pudding and jello.

Made and steam canned 7 quarts of sweet Pickled Figs, 4 pints of sweet pickled muscadines that were gifted, and 1 pint of sweet pickled green onions. Got everything used up that I could.

Prayer meeting afterwards.

On 8/30/2021 at 7:21 PM, Mt_Rider said:

So.....Miki?   Is H. Ida doing any drastic things to your neighborhood? 

Oh yes!  People are still lined up out in the roads for gas at every station I have passed, even yesterday.  Also at every fast food place.  Some of my little town and part of the bigger town 10 miles North are still without power.  Church friends are still staying at the Church in fellowship hall which is a storm shelter.

We were without power for 16 hours (little coleman stove came in real handy) and did not get internet back until last night.  We had a lake going on in side yard Monday morning, but it dissapated very quickly.  Lost a sheet of tin off out building and are trying to get someone to nail that back up for us.  We have put a claim for a new roof.  Will see how that goes.  No leaks but missing lots of shingles.

 

I couldn't do much Monday but read on my kindle.  Neighbor hooked us up to his generator, so the refrigerator stayed cold.  Covered the little deep freezers with blankets.  I need to remember to keep extra books downloaded on kindle in case of no internet.

 

Today, I will walk and then pick up branches most of the day.

Maybe sweep house later or wait until tomorrow.

Supposed to go out to dinner with Sunday School class.  Not sure if that will happen or not.

 

You sure have a lot going on, Mt Rider!  Praying for you and your DH!

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by snapshotmiki

[Littlesister]

I hope and pray everyone is doing ok from this hurricane. It has really done it's damage. We didn't get the rain and wind they said we would get from it. Hard rain for about 10 minutes yesterday and rain last night but not much in wind. So we made out fine. Though seeing what happened in NY was bad also. 

Miki, glad  you have your electric back on now and you guys are ok.  

Hoping for everyone that was in path of this hurricane to be able to check in to let us all know you are ok. 

 

Went to store this morning to pick up RX and looked at some of the sales. Did pick up a few things but not much. Bought my first watermelon this year. Going to cut it up tomorrow. Came home and started into some house cleaning. Seems it is a never ending job. I really need to get myself paced with what needs to be done around here. At the point now that I am not sure what to keep and what to get rid of. But will get it all figured out. Hoping to take some things to Goodwill tomorrow.

[blessedhomemaker71]

Our downstairs flooded again the other day. Not as bad as the previous times so we are thankful for that. We need to wall off the area where the water is getting in. My dh has a friend that may be able to do the work.

Shopped for groceries tonight. The prices, especially for meat, are getting ridiculous. Fuel is high, too.

My mom mentioned to me that Grandma used to make Grape- Nuts pie. So, I looked up the recipe and sent it to her. It is supposed to taste like pecan? I'm curious so I picked up some Grape- Nuts tonight to try the recipe. I will let you know how it turns out.