Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Family Visit

I can hardly believe it but it has been 6 long months since I visited mom. That is simply far too long. I have delayed and delayed my travel due to all the problems I was having with my foot and then my leg and then with a bad cold that lingered. The many highway closures over the long winter season  didn't help. But at last the weather is warming and I will be away for a quick visit  this week.

She really wants her room cleaned "properly" so I am taking my own cleaning supplies and will dust and clean all the surface nooks and crannies. Of course the cleaners sweep and wash her floor daily and take out her garbage, but resident's and their families are responsible for keeping their own things organized.  She also wants her closet and clothes organized so I will do that too. Finally, she wants a few more photos put up in her room.  I already know which photos she wants so I will look for a suitable large frame before I leave. You know that ones that have different cut out frames inside so you can put lots of photos in one frame? That kind.

I meant to pick one up yesterday but got carried away with looking at organizational containers and figuring out which snack foods she could eat or would like to eat. Last week I bought mom a bunch of food items that she can snack on when she hasn't eaten properly.  Things like canned sardines, mini wieners, crackers, cup of soup, cookies, and the V-8 juice which she loves so much.  I've been buying a little of this and that each day.  I thought some Rooibos tea and a thermos to keep hot water in for her tea would be a good idea too. They do have tea time twice a day where she lives.  But this way she can have tea whenever she wants as long as she has remembered to keep her thermos filled. It also means she can make tea for a visitor.  They do feed her where she lives but visitors are not catered for so you need to be organized.  Lately it seems the food quality where mom lives is hit and miss, and for whatever reason, she missed a meal or two. That meant she was very hungry at odd hours and she didn't have anything to eat.   When she told me that I decided to put a care package together and she loved the idea.  My brother took most of it to her over the weekend.  I didn't have quite the right container to keep the food in so I bought this plastic purple tub with handles to keep it accessible and easily movable.  Isn't it cute?

I also bought some more crackers and granola bars. That's what you see peeking out of the container.  I hope to add a few more cans of sardines , some dried fruit, and a few items of fresh fruit before I travel. She will of course have to eat the fresh fruit right away but the other stuff lasts longer.

I sent her new nightgowns by mail over a week ago so I don't have to take any clothes up with me. She does want me to organize her closet so that likely means bringing things back that she doesn't wear or doesn't need. They have such a small closet where she lives and a very tiny dresser also.

Possible organizational containers to keep on a table near her. I think the clear one will work best. I also have purchased two types of standing shelves  that I hope will work on her dresser to keep all the supplies organized that the care aides use every day.  They don't tend to keep things neat and tidy after using things but I can dream!  It causes mom anxiety when things are spread all over the place.

When I was younger my mother used to like to get dressed up and wear make up. As she got older, less mobile and always in pain, she only dressed up for rare occasions when she had to attend a meeting or a function.

Her new cosmetic bag.
I love that this bag has several pockets. Mom can keep all her facial products together. Ordinarily it wouldn't be so full but I don't want her to run out of facial creams or foundation.


Now that she has daily grooming help, I've bought her some make up.  She has been applying it herself and is enjoying the compliments and the pick me up she gets after having her hair done and her make up on.  She basically wears foundation and lipstick and sometimes a little eyebrow pencil and blush.








Of course, I bought some perfume for those occasions when she wants to go out. Just some light scent, Imari, from Avon. Later I will get some Diamonds by Liz Taylor. Mom loves Diamonds. I will probably get it for Mother's Day or her birthday.

Her make up and some lipstick.
I had to buy something for me too.  These beautiful notebooks are for me.  I will keep notes of things I want to remember and also keep a record of my prayer requests. That way I won't forget who to pray for and it will make it easier to keep a record of answered prayers.

Well I can't wait to say hello to mom in person and give her a big hug.
I think she will like her new cosmetic bag with all the goodies in it. What do you think?
I will be visiting her by the time you are reading this so I'll visit your blogs later.
Soon I hope to post more news of Mama Linet and Edwin
Please keep them in your prayers.
Thanks for visiting.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Spring Has Arrived

Well it is that time of year again. Time to think of the garden. I wish I could say that I was a good gardener but I most definitely am not. I have yet to have a thriving garden and in those years when it seemed the garden was doing well, I had to travel so often or for too long without anyone who was able to keep the garden properly watered and thriving. I did have someone look after the garden but they didn't have any better green thumb than I do.

Also, last year I didn't even clean the garden or plant it.  A friend of mine cleared all the dead leaves and plants and my brother planted the garden with various seeds and starter plants I bought. The birds unfortunately demolished and ate everything that did grow. It seemed they were rather more destructive last year than any other year. I'm not sure why.  Though I didn't get to eat anything from the garden, I am glad that at least the birds got what they need.  This year I will try again but I hope to eat the fruit of the labour.

I have my little kitchen compost ready so I can store vegetable and fruit scraps in there before it gets added to the larger compost bin on the patio.


The kitchen compost pail. I've used other pails, like old ice cream pails and coffee cans but they didn't keep the odours contained.

The patio composter.

I will have to buy a few perennial flowering plants.  Other than that I will primarily plant vegetables.  I will also have to use some kind of netting to protect the seeds and plants from being eaten before they have a chance to grow.

These are supposed to be some kind of spring flowers. I haven't actually "tidied up" the garden this Spring as it has been too cold but I hope to do it soon.

This is a poppy plant. The other one is a bit spindly. I love poppies. One year I planted a blue one. It didn't do well. I understand they are hard to grow.  Even the experts will tell you that but I tried to grow one anyway. I'm ever the OPTIMIST! The ones I have in the garden are red. I've only ever seen a blue one in the garden shop once. Maybe some day I will find one again. Hopefully by then I will have a more experienced "thumb".

 This past weekend of sunshine finally brought out the tree blossoms.
 
I always love tree blossoms. They are fleeting in their beauty. The moments of their bloom pass so quickly that if you waste time getting out to enjoy them, you may miss out altogether!

A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
Song of Solomon 4:12

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