Crafting. Perhaps.

The only change I have noticed in Mom since she came home from being away for a month, is a lessened degree of mobility.  Her walk has become less steady, still she does pretty well if there is something to stabilize her, such as a shopping cart, etc. She pushed our shopping cart though Hobby Lobby today which made for a nice, cool, outing and also some exercise.

I talked with her about doing a bit of crafting that we could take to a local nursing home which is in a low income area.  I've been told (by a nurse) that their residents LOVE "absolutely anything" anyone brings to give them.  With that thought in mind I'm hoping Mom will catch the crafting bug, which would be a win/win - it would give her something to do (besides read) and perhaps brighten the heart of the recipients.  With that thought in mind we are planning a 4th of July project and this is what we bought to work with.:

I hope Mom enjoys this and can work mostly solo on the project.  I'll post photos of the completed project if  when it's done.

from beginning to end.

Bet you can guess where we're eating - Olive Garden.
Then we made a quick stop by Baskin Robbins to have ice cream for dessert.  It was a good, sunshiney day, from beginning to end.

A New Beginning.

And so it begins again.
I am not sad, or angry, just stating a fact.
Mom is home with us after spending a month visiting with my sister.  They had a good visit.  Mom looks great; she took her meds and enjoyed her time there.  She actually wished she could stay longer. The timing for the visit was perfect, as when she left here she was very angry with me (re: her stay in the hospital), but now she seems to have forgotten that she was angry and we are off on a brand new start, sort of.

She likes the changes we made to her bedroom.  I tried to find some "before" photos so I could show you the changes, but can't seem to locate the photos.   Mom uses her room almost as one would use a room in a Boarding house.  She stays in her room most of the time, coming out for meals and restroom.  Here is her room now.  I would make a few changes if I were arranging it purely for asthetics, but instead it is arranged for comfort and easy access.  She likes the bright colors.

She uses and enjoys the bulletin board.

We've added a TV since she won't watch TV in the living room with us.  It will be interesting to see if she will watch it in her room.

She spends a lot of time in this spot, reading.
The reading lamp and black table are from her own home, though she doesn't remember them.

Alien visit

I went across town to check out a possible Adult Day Care facility for Mom.  I had called to talk with a worker two weeks previous to the visit, yet when I showed up it was like I was from another planet and talking a language they had never heard before.

No.  They didn't "do" day care.

The woman I had talked to was on vacation and no one else had the slightest inkling what I was talking about.  I'll mark this off my list of possibilities.  My list is growing shorter by the day.

I am now looking for someone who can be a paid companion to Mom for 8 hrs each week; someone to take her out to lunch and to the beauty shop, and also to be her buddy at the Senior Center for one morning.  Requirements?  Responsible, kind, and have their own vehicle.  Someone over 40 would be preferable.

Gonna get out my knee pads and pray hard for the right person to come along.
Quickly.