KateP's musings

January 31, 2014 Dear Friends:     I hope all of you are well.  Today is a anniversary of sorts.  It was 25 years ago this morning that we lost my Dad to kidney failure and other related illnesses.  Mostly it was the kidney but those last two months were horrible.  He was in the hospital for two months.  Family relations with everyone wasn’t good. Not sure if they ever will be between my remaining siblings.   I miss him but I haven’t been to his grave in a long time.  I don’t think I went to see him when we buried Bob two years ago.  I don’t feel the need to.  I have my memories of him and a ton of pictures of him around the house.     What makes this also special is that at one time we thought Mom would not make it past the holidays.  Well right now she is sleeping in her room after having a day of visitors come in and out after being in the hospital for the one day surgery.  After having a visit ...

January 30, 2014 Dear Friends:     Well its been a busy couple of days.  The meeting with the Head Admins yesterday went very well especially after we learned yesterday morning the layoffs would be rescinded and and couple of other things as well.  The meeting itself ran over time so I wasn’t able to finish the mail until this morning.       The house was filled with people yesterday.  It was basically continuing the funeral preparations.  Everyone left about an hour after I got home and from what I guess more things were decided on and some changes were made as well.       Mom was exhausted but had the souffle and Jim and I had chinese food.  She went to bed a short time after that and so did Jim in order to prepare for today. I know I was tired and achy and during the night I cried out and woke Jim up (and he wasn’t happy about it).  I did take tylenol but I don’t think it helped much and t...

January 28, 2014 Dear Friends:     I started to write another entry last night bemoaning that I had not finished the minutes and that I was so tired.  It never got finished because I put my head down for what I thought would be a few minutes and it turned out for the whole night.  The sleep was a little better but I still had some moments of discomfort.  I still say its part of the Lupus but If I say it out loud someone will say “go to the Doctor”. We had  a caucus today  between 12-2 at work. IT was basically to go over what will happen in the meeting tomorrow and who is being picked to speak for us.  They chose some great people.  My session will be from 3-4. I was able to get all the daily stuff done.  My re-address pile is getting bigger again but I am hoping that lockbox will be light tomorrow and I will get that pile back down to nothing. Ethel and Diane came over to visit and to discuss the music.  I got the i...

January 27, 2014 Dear Friends:     Oy i had a hard time sleeping last night.  Anytime I moved during the night it felt very uncomfortable.  My left finger is still a little stiff but I did take tylenol.   Actually my hand by the knuckles were swollen for most of the day.  The knee hurt for most of it and even though I took tylenol a few times it is starting to hurt again.     Despite the aches and pains and discomfort I had a pretty good day at work.  SR gave me the okay to get rid of the outdated junk mail that I had been trying to work on.  I just had to make sure no checks or things like that were there.  That took about 20 minutes which I did in between lockbox and US mail that came late.  More junk mail came but I will deal with it tomorrow.  Its stuff that needs to be sent on to the people its addressed to.  I also was able to clear out some of my files too. I spoke to Mom around lunch t...

January 26, 2014 Dear Friends:           Greetings on this chilly and cloudy Sunday!   It has been a really busy morning and some what emotional.   When I left here I was rather late getting to the nursing home but no one seemed to mind.   Angela was there and inundated with paper work from Natalie.   She brought me up to speed on some things.   I was quite surprised by some of the news (two staff members were suspended for arguing). I started bingo earlier than usual.   St Peter’s Episcopal Church was coming for their monthly service at 11 and so I wanted to be finished by then.   I stopped to talk to Claudia at the front desk and I really shouldn’t have.   I was really late for church. By the time I got to church Fr. Donahue was already giving the homily.   How could I be THAT late??? I finally sat day in the pew (legs were starting to bother me) and after communion I too...

January 25, 2014 Dear Friends: It is getting late and I am tired.   The snow stopped about five hours ago and it was just about then when Mom had gone to bed.   I had dinner and watched TV until about 10.   I didn’t get much done in the laundry the second load is drying now.   I did spend some time on the net at the various entertainment sites and various blogs I follow and it was pretty good.   I also tried to move some emails but I just didn’t have a lot of energy to do that. In the morning I will do the volunteering and go to church.   In the afternoon I will be writing up the minutes and paying some more bills and getting ready for Jim’s visit later this week. It is time to crash… Later.

January 25, 2014 Dear Friends:     Well its after 1 and I managed to get the shopping done by Noon but got home just a little before 1.    I really didn’t have to get much and that was a plus but the people at a couple of the stores were slow moving.  Ack!!! Part of the reason why it took me so long to get home is while I was still in the parking lot of Shop Rite I called Liz and we chatted about what/who else? Mom.  We talked about the visit with Father Callahan yesterday and what was done (anointing of the sick vs. last rites).  Apparently they both cover it but we won’t get into long discussions with Mom over it.    WE talked about giving the eulogy.  Mom wants all three of us to do.  She only asked Liz and perhaps Jim about it but she hasn’t said anything to me-yet!  Jim and Liz discussed it last night on the phone.  Apparently I am supposed to read a poem.   I told Liz I feel very stupid being in t...

January 25, 2014 Dear Friends:     Its just before 8:30 and I am the only one up right now.  I have been awake since 5:30 but I decided I would doze for a bit and finally got up by 8.  I just posted yesterday’s entry and then surfed the net.      I am excited to see I have another letter from Mary in Victoria.  I will be writing her this afternoon.  I think I have another one from last week as well.  I will have lots to tell her I think.     I was really glad I went to bed early last night.  I did have a little bit of aches and pains but they were more like strains mostly.  I have them a little now but I will take some Tylenol shortly.     This morning I am going to pick up the car and then go shopping and then do other things.  The snow that is predicted for today isn’t due until this afternoon but we all know how that can change.  It is fairly cloudy now.  It’s also very ...

January 24,  2014 Dear Friends:      Sorry for not getting back to you yesterday but it got busy and I wanted to make sure stuff was all done before I left.  I wasn’t sure if I would get it all done and delivered but I did.     I got to see Grandma Mary she came back after a couple of days off.  Her new grandbaby arrived over the weekend and she hasn’t seen him yet because she got a cold.  She was very disappointed but she is anxious to hold him.     When we got to the garage I took a few minutes and cleaned out the car.  I headed to Tim’s and apparently they were expecting me yesterday morning.  Great.  So they took me home and said they would call me and tell me the news.     MOm was sitting in the back.  She wasn’t feeling great but she did manage to put the coffee together for the meeting.  I started getting ready for the meeting.  I even finished the minute...

January 23, 2014 Dear Friends:     It is brutally cold again.  It isn’t as windy as yesterday and that’s a good thing.  It is currently 12*F. I have been up since 5:30.  I actually got up and got outside to put the rest of the garbage out and to clear off the steps for visitors.  I hope the rock salt works. I managed to get my bed made and left the note I wrote for Olivia three days ago back on my bed. She is supposed to come this afternoon.   I hope she doesn’t take  offense to the note because I wrote it in Spanish.  I think the room is in fairly good shape but that could be open to interpretation.     I am dropping the car off after work and hopefully the guys can give me a ride home.  From that point i have to get ready for the meeting tonight.  Mom may or may not sit in on the meeting tonight.  I still have to get some soda for the meeting.  I also have to finish the minutes. We sig...

1.       I am thankful that Mom is still here   to live her life the way she wants 2.       I am thankful for my family warts and all 3.       I am thankful for a job I love. 4.       I am thankful for a home I love 5.       I am thankful for the volunteer organizations I belong to. 6.       I am thankful for the changing seasons 7.       I am thankful for the friends I have. 8.       I am thankful the weekend is almost here. 9.       I am Thankful today is Pay day! 10.   I am thankful people got home safely from the winter storm that hit the northeast.    

January 22, 2014 Dear Friends:     The snow ended overnight and I could hear and see the snow plows out last night around 9.  They did an excellent job.  It made getting out easier and so did the school cancellations in town.  IT definitely was cold as the snow kept blowing back into my face when I cleared off the car.  I did manage to measure the snow and it was indeed six inches of snow. The drive in was fine.  Very little traffic and the roads were not that bad. My hat rolled blew off and into the street near the office.  LUckily someone was kind enough to catch it for me.  Another co-worker stopped me from getting killed.  It was at that moment I wished I had Paige Matthews-Hallowell’s power to call things to her. The office was quiet but my supervisor was here and so were others.  I had gotten an email from SR from yesterday so I asked her how her ride was going home.  Before I left for Debra’s TMJ came in. ...

January 21, 2014 Dear Friends:     Work was pretty good.  The mail volume wasn’t bad for after a holiday (so SR was right about that).  I was hopeful to get a lot done and I think I did.  Especially when I received an email indicating there would be used campus envelopes heading my way in the next couple of days.     The Snow started around 11:30 this morning.  Some of us were already discussing early dismissal and snow day for tomorrow.  People began leaving around 1.  I left around 3:30.  The daily stuff was done and some of the re-address tackled.  I felt it was good time to go home.  It took me an hour to get to the house.  I decided to take the highway and go 5 or 10 miles an hour.  It was coming down pretty heavy by then.  Some of the side roads were not that great but our street wasn’t bad.       Mom was sitting in her chair when I finally got in the house. ...

January 20, 2014 Dear Friends:     I can’t believe how quickly this day off went by.  I woke up around 6 or 7 and watched TV and then got dressed in preparation for Mom to get up for the trip to the Lab.  It was some time before she got up so watched more TV until she did.  We left around 10 and we were back a little after 10:30.     The waiting room was crowded with people who had previously made appointments with the walk-ins.  But the staff was proficient and professional and moved it all along.       When we got home Mom got back into her pajamas and  read her paper and had coffee.  I stripped my bed to wash the sheets and I have picked up the room-a little.  Mom was saying she isn’t sure exactly when Olivia is coming or not.  All she knew was it was going to be before the meeting this Thursday.     Despite the temperatures in the low 40’s it was cold and cloudy. ...

January 19, 2014 Dear Friends:     Well I am just heading to bed now but I wanted to let you know the spaghetti dinner came out just fine.  Mom guided me through the sauce making and got tired and she gave me instructions for the pasta and we ate around 6 or 6:30 and finished by 7.  Mom went to bed about then and I took my time cleaning the kitchen.  I watched TV and finally by 9 finished the kitchen.  There wasn’t a lot that’s why I took my time. I got an email from Debbie in Wallingford inviting me and others to another Boomers concert in April.  It is just before Easter.  I am going to tentatively plan on it for now and see what happens then.  It all depends on what’s going on with Mom.  She always tells me to do the fun stuff but we will see what happens. Tomorrow Mom and I will go to the lab and get her lab work done and then get home.  Olivia will be here some time.  I will work on my room while she does the...