Summer Joy

There are many reasons that summer in the South can be tough. It's hot, it's humid, it's sticky and did I mention that it's hot? But there is at least one reason that summer is wonderful. Home grown tomatoes. There are few things more wonderful. And a tomato sandwich just about tops the list of wonderful things. Plain white bread, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and slices of home grown tomato. Pure bliss.


Guess what I had for lunch today?



Joy Journal: A good night's sleep

Firefly Magic

It was early evening and we were sitting on the deck, enjoying the cooling off from a day of hot, hot temperatures. The sun had just gone down but the sky was still light. The evening was quiet and out of the corner of my eye I caught the gleam of a firefly. I smiled and relaxed and closed my eyes. When I opened them again just a minute later the sky was darker and I caught the twinkle of more fireflies. Since our property is heavily wooded with large trees, we decided to walk to the edge of the woods and look down towards the creek. The night was alive with fireflies! Hovering just a few feet off the ground, emerging from the vinca, the lights of hundreds of fireflies flashed and pulsed. They seemed to be dancing joyfully everywhere. Like a magic carpet of diamonds sparkling just for our pleasure. We watched enthralled for over 30 minutes as this magic carpet of fireflies surrounded us and spread out over the woods and the front lawn. The stars from heaven were dancing on our front lawn. The fireflies created magic.

Joy Journal: Unexpected small pleasures

Tractor Square Dancing

This just shows that you can have fun anywhere with anything if you live life to the fullest.

Joy Journal: Fireflies

Popeye

How could anyone not laugh at this?! I love it!


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Joy Journal: A full day at home with the sun shining! No rain!

Long Days and Nights

Sitting in a hospital room round the clock is a truly mind-numbing experience.  But it can also be a real bonding experience.  My brother has now had his surgery for his mouth cancer and is starting the long road to recovery.  The doctors are convinced that he will make a full recovery and will be fine.  But it won’t be much fun for him getting there.  He is showing an amazing emotional resilience and I’m really proud of him.  And I feel like I am really contributing to his recovery by being here for him, helping him keep his surgical area clean, intervening with nurses and doctors when he can’t make himself understood (he had a temporary tracheotomy) and making sure that he gets good care from the hospital staff.  It’s good be needed and be able to help.

JAYPEG

Just have to share this with you. If you have an interest in photography you will love the caption:

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Joy Journal: Friday. I don't have to go to work tomorrow.

Playing When I Should Be Working

Just can't seem to get my mind to settle in to working today. Two bosses are away and the third one is busy with stuff that doesn't involve me so I've been playing on the website Be Funky. You can play with pictures (your own) on their website and then save the results. Here's a little statue that I have in my garden.


This was just too much fun. Now I guess I had better get back to work!!

Joy Journal: A good night's sleep for a change.

Difficult Time

My brother is about to enter a very difficult time in his life.  A cancer has been found in his gum and he is going to have to have some painful surgery followed by some debilitating radiation.  A small part of his lower jaw and gum will need to be removed.  While the doctor has told him it won’t be disfiguring, it will certainly be life altering.  He’s been a heavy smoker for many years and now payment has come due.  But there isn’t any satisfaction in “I told you so”.  My heart is breaking for him and for his wife, who is a 15+ year survivor of breast cancer.  We’ve told my mother that my brother has a small mouth cancer and that he is going to have surgery, all of which is true, but we don’t see any point in going into detail about how tough the recovery is going to be.  But the doctor says he will recover.  And we’re trying to hold on to that thought through the rough days that are coming, days with a tracheotomy tube and a feeding tube.  He’s a good man.  Please add him and his wife to your prayers. 

Paradise

Gene has taken to calling our home "Paradise" when he's cutting up with my mother. And you know something, in many ways he's right! We own our home - it's fully paid for. We own our cars - they are fully paid for. We have tomatoes planted in large pots lining our front door walkway. Not the ideal spot from a design standpoint, but the only full sun location in our yard. Our lot is slightly over an acre and is shaded by big, beautiful old growth trees. Our property line on one side is a wonderful creek with a joyful little cascade that sings to us (and was temporary home to a beautiful pair of wood ducks recently). We planted some bright red "Double Knockout Roses" in the front flower bed (next to the tomato plants), our first attempt at having roses - gotta make use of that one little sunny location! We have blue birds living somewhere nearby. We see them perched on the cable wire coming into our home. We have good neighbors and our street is quiet and peaceful.

It's amazing to me how much I enjoy being outside when the weather is as wonderful as it has been recently. Ok, so it's rained a little too much. But that very same rain is one reason my yard is looking so much better this year. And it is sure better than the drought we've in the last 2-3 years! I spent almost all day Sunday just sitting around on my deck, on my driveway, on my front stoop, even in my carport when the late afternoon shower came. Sitting around - watching Gene work. The man has turned into a yard-working fool!! I don't think a single shrub in our yard is more than half of it's former height. But the yard is looking so neat and trimmed and usable. The nice weather has allowed my mother to sit outside where she can see him and feel like she's participating in a small way in the activity.

Joy Journal: The sound of my husband and my mother laughing as they sit outside enjoying the sunshine.

Been Busy. Been Very, Very Busy.

Been busy. Been very, very busy. And also a little overwhelmed with the caretaking. But here I am again.

The two Cormier/Holmes workshops were really wonderful. I learned some fun, fun techniques and hope to get a chance to play with them soon. That's right, I haven't done a thing with them since the workshops but as I said, busy, busy. It is always invigorating being around creative people and this was no exception. And getting to reconnect with my wonderful friend Barb Verni-Lau made it extra-special. What a fantastic person she is. It's amazing, we can be apart with almost no contact for months and yet when we do see each other, it's as if no time had passed. We're still just as close. Kind of a miracle if you think about it.

My husband is now officially "gainfully unemployed" (his phrase, not mine). His small company has shut down for good and he is considering himself retired. And he has become my mother's full-time, daytime care taker. And surprisingly, he seems to actually find it fulfilling. As he explained it to me, it gives him a feeling of being useful and of being a contributor to the family. Someone called offering him a job (a good job and in this market, no less!!) and he told them no, that he already had a job being my mother's caretaker and that was a more important job. I've told you before but I have to say it again, this man is special.

We (my husband and I) took my mother today to see a neurologist. Her official diagnosis is vascular dementia precipitated by a stroke. The doctor saw no signs of Alzheimer's, which is a blessing, but he prescribed an Alzheimer's drug (Aricept) to help with her memory. This drug has apparently been effective in providing some help to people with her type of dementia. So we started it tonight and now we pray.

Actually, now we go to bed. Some of us are still gainfully "employed." Chat again soon.

Joy Journal: A beautiful new water fountain installed today by St. Gene.

The Verdict

So, yesterday I got to sit in this very humanoid chair for awhile and hear the verdict. And, as always, the verdict was "spend more money". Yep, I get to have some expensive dental work done. And appropriately enough, the appointment for the surgery is on April 15, Income Tax Day!!! But it's work I want done so I'm actually looking forward to it - or I should say I'm looking forward to having it finished!

A case worker from the Senior Services arm of my local county government came by this morning to evaluate my mother and see if she is eligible for Meals on Wheels. And she is! That is great news because now someone will come by each weekday between and 11 and 12 and bring her a hot lunch and visit with her for a few minutes. That extra human contact should be a big help to her. Even with the sitter coming in the afternoons, my mother spends a great deal of time alone and having this break in the day should be of great value to her. While she is capable of fixing herself a lunch using the microwave, she gets tired of the monotony of microwave food. And even if the food they bring her isn't something that she really likes, she will still get to have human interaction. Maybe she won't feel so alone.

Joy Journal: A yummy piece of coffee cake this morning at a meeting.

Snow, Snow Everywhere

Snow, snow, snow!!

and yet more snow!!

Here it is, March 1, and it's snowing like crazy in Atlanta. On a Sunday. When I planned to go shopping!! Ain't gonna happen. The shopping that is. The snowing is definitely happening. Wonder if this means a SNOW DAY tomorrow (a day off from work in Atlanta). Hmm, and I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning at 9:30 in north Atlanta. That just might not happen!

Joy Journal: Our snow-covered yard!

Do As I Say, Not as I Did

It's that time of year again. Mammogram. Ugh! But unlike years past, this one wasn't really uncomfortable. Now that hospitals are using digital equipment, there is a lot less compression involved which translates to a lot less discomfort (or in some cases downright pain!). I was for several years very active in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in honor of my wonderful sister-in-law who is a many year breast cancer survivor. But I have to admit that I skipped the last several years and have not been getting my annual mammogram. I don't expect bad results as we don't have a genetic history of breast cancer in my family. But I am more apprehensive than years' past since if there is a problem, it may have been hiding for several years rather than just a few months. But I want to encourage anyone who reads this to NOT do as I did. Get your mammogram each year. It really is important.

Joy Journal: That wonderful, delicious, chewy oatmeal cranberry cookie I just ate!!

Creative Week In My Future

I am actually planning to take some time for myself next month. Yes, really! I've signed up for two workshops in polymer clay from Dan Cormier, one of the leading innovators in the medium (his site is slow so be prepared). One workshop will be in the general Atlanta area over a weekend and the next one will be in Asheville, NC the following Tuesday and Wednesday. I've made arrangements for Saint Gene and my brother to take over my baby-sitting duties and I'm going to take a WHOLE WEEK just for myself. I'll be staying with a friend in Asheville so my expenses will be only the workshop and food. A sample of some of the gorgeous work he does is in the picture. It involves "ghost imaging" which makes the bead surface look textured but when you touch it, the surface is absolutely smooth (known is "mica shift"). A great look and a great technique and I hope to make some gorgeous, gorgeous jewelry when I return.

I took my mother back to her home for a visit yesterday. She is so homesick and I don't blame her. I know she enjoyed getting a chance to see some of her neighbors but it is going to make tomorrow difficult when I have to go to work and leave her alone again. The dementia seems to be showing signs of progressing and it is getting harder and harder for her to stay at home by herself while I'm at work. A sitter comes in for three hours each afternoon but I feel like pretty soon I will be having to set up adult daycare for her. And then we're talking some serious money. This is a cruel thing that has happened to her and it is really testing my faith. But I'll keep on keeping on. I don't have a choice.

Joy Journal: Sending off my enrollment form for the Cormier workshops!!

Valentine Beauty

Doesn't she look pretty? Took my mother out yesterday and had her hair done at the beauty shop. They really did a nice job, and she is quite proud of it. Wish I could make it look this good for her. But she looked great for Valentine's Day!

Joy Journal: I'm going shopping by myself for a few hours. Looking forward to the time alone.

There isn't much color in the landscape right now so seeing the bright colors of the Leatherleaf Mahonia leaves is such a welcome sight. We have had beautiful weather this week - of course, I've been indoors most of the time working away like a good little worker bee, but it's been peaceful just knowing the sun was shining and I could wear open-toed shoes to work. See, I'm easy to please.

Joy Journal: signing up for a weekend workshop, something I haven't done in over a year.