Monday, July 16, 2018

Texas Heat and Broken Pipes! We are Home!


We did one last round of Critter Chores, cleaned and closed up the camper and headed home on Sunday. Due to the heat, we were moving slow. Louis Dean got too hot on Saturday so he opted to leave the goats in their pen and just made sure they had plenty of water and I fed them all the table scraps and even the rest of our fresh vegetables to make it up to them!
It was well after noon when we left the ranch.


We stopped to admire the cotton plant flowers.
It's so interesting to get to see the seasons here in the country and watch the crops from start to finish.
Since there were so many cotton fields last year, I didn't think there would be any this year.
Apparently, a real farmer can get two crops out of one field. 
I know nothing about farming and remain puzzled at how the green corn stalks suddenly turn all yellow and crunchy.
It's so dry here - even with a few recent rains - that I'm surprised anything grows!


We stopped at HEB in Waco for some fresh fruits and a few essentials plus fuel.
I was intrigued by these dish washing detergents.
Normally I buy HEB's brand of Lemon Dish Soap but they didn't have any this time.
The off brand Lemon one smells institutional - and we noticed the difference but had bought several! I'm happy they are all nearly gone now!
I bought one of each of the above.
Will wait for September First to use the Pumpkin and Wine Harvest ones but I may break out the rosemary soon!

Louis Dean was so hungry at this point we decided to eat at out favorite seafood place - The Catch.


Free Beer!!!
One for him and one for me.
Oh, wait! I don't drink beer!
Louis Dean: Can I have it???


But he couldn't keep his eyes from the counter to see if the food was coming!
I need to pay attention and feed him at regular intervals.
When I ask him if he wants to eat something, he'll say no.
*Note to self*
Don't ask!!

I drove the 98 miles from the restaurant to the nursing home in Fort Worth since he wasn't feeling well and he did have those two glasses of beer.
Nita had already visited Mother and Lillian and brought malts with her so I took them some cookies from HEB. I stopped at Lillian's first and we visited and I showed her pictures from our time at the ranch and played the videos from when the quads visited us last week.
I left Louis Dean in her room while I went down to see Mother.
It was a less traumatic experience than the last time but still inexpressibly sad.
Mother looked better on the last visit than she did last night.
After seeing the photo of her on Wednesday, I think I was expecting more than I should.
Mother knew me and she responded when I told her we had just come in from the country.
But I couldn't really carry on a conversation with her. I will probably never again truly talk to her where she understands what I'm saying and that makes me cry to even write this.
But I did okay and she was okay. She had a situation where I needed to get an aid to come help her change clothes. While we waited, I would be talking and she would take her hand and put it under my chin as a mother would do with a  young child and she would pull my chin up and say, "I love you. Always." Then she would talk away for a bit but I couldn't understand her. It's sad. I couldn't understand much of what she said to me and she couldn't understand much of what I said to her.
I told her I loved her and she understood that. She sat in her wheelchair and wanted me to sit in her recliner so I did. That seemed to make her happy. We had prayer together and she had tears when I finished. We both did.Then the aid came in and pulled the privacy curtain and Mother waved her hand and said, "Bye. You go on." 
In real words.
It was a hard visit. 
There's not an ounce of fat under the skin on her face or anywhere, actually. 
I have never doubted that my mother loves me.
She wasn't a good mother but she was the one God gave me and we have all tried to honor her and care for her the very best we could.
Would this be any easier if she had been the kind of mother who gave of herself and sought only the best for her children? Would it be easier if we had memories of her attending our school plays or programs? Who made us lunches and checked on us as we slept at night?
Who took us places and made good wholesome memories with us?
Louis Dean says no one is all good or all bad and that is true - of all of us.
It's true of our mother. And it's true of me. 
I wonder if it will be as hard on my children when the day comes that I am a shadow of the person I am now? 


Just a year ago, Mother looked good. She could walk and she was in good health.
The doctor said she would live to be 100.
Now we are just taking it day by day.
It is a blessing that Deanie, Nita and Lonnie and I are all in this together.
They all comfort me more than I do them and here I am the oldest.
For the first time, I did not want to take a selfie of us together.
Will there be a next time and an opportunity for another one?
I don't know. I just know I didn't want one this time. 
It wasn't the same.

When I got back to Lillian's room, Louis Dean had been fading fast so we headed for home and arrived before dark. While he unloaded the truck - even though I told him I could do it - I went out to the back yard to see how much water was there. It was more than I thought. The water was nearly up to the door of our bedroom when I stepped out. I saw where the hose was that Sherry had turned off but this was more than that would have been. I walked along the stone path by the sand box and looked down and there was a pretty little bubbling fountain amidst the glass block pavers.
Bottom line - we turned the cold water valve off to the back. Praise God for the hot water and cold water turn offs back there! We still had water in the kitchen and utility room and hot water in the bathrooms.

I drew a bath for Louis Dean by filling the tub one third with hot water and then let it cool while we finished unloading. Then I hauled buckets of cold water from the kitchen until it was the right temp.
There was nothing to be done about the leak until today so we went to bed.


This morning Louis Dean went out to survey the situation.
He dug around some until he saw the pipe.


The sun was beating down on him and he was already under the weather.
I made him come in and cool off and he did. For awhile. I was busy doing laundry when I noticed the French door was slightly ajar and he was back outside!


He cut that pipe!
Alas, it was not a water pipe but an electrical line to the gazebo. 
One of two.
It had been gray but the years had faded it so it looked white as a plumbing pipe does.

Time to go back in and regroup.
He ended up taking a nap and drinking a lot of Gatorade.
I took him to Lowes for parts and by late afternoon......


The pipe was capped off.
He can fix the other problem at a later date!
Preferably on a cooler day.
This area is in shade after around 2:00.
Not that shade keeps it from being hot!
Just not as much so.


I hovered over Louis Dean and fussed about him drinking his water and Gatorade.
I made soup for him and he took naps and he took his medicine.
I decided to treat myself to some seriously delicious Peach Tea!
It may be too hot to eat much but we need to drink - a LOT!!


It's brutally hot in Texas!!


And it's going to STAY hot for a good many days!!

Not that it isn't hot in other places where it shouldn't be! 
I'm thinking of Linda in Oregon where it's 100 or close to it these days.
Unheard of! The blessing about that, though, is the low temps at night in the 50's!


Or take my friend, Jutta,
She lives on her own personal island in Finland and it was even HOT there!!!
Maybe not 100 degrees but up to around 90. 
I'm pretty sure they aren't used to that kind of heat!

Now as much as it pains me to use any more water after all the water we will be billed for in these broken pipe and water hose incidents...I must go out to the front yard and water!

I'll close with pictures from Summer in Puerto Rico.


They live in a beautiful place.


Summer loves the beach.


And she loves her Rayne Roo!!!
They are flying back to Texas tomorrow.
I'm so sorry they will be met with this Killer Heat!

Hopefully we will have the water back on in the bathrooms before they arrive!

**Source**




22 comments:

  1. Keeping you and LD and your family in my prayers tonight Linda. Hugs and Love.
    Joy

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  2. I do believe if your mom had been a really good mom, you would now be suffering so much more than you already are. So there is a bit of a blessing from something not good. And you are truly wonderful to be treating her so much better than she did you. You are doing the right thing by her, and that is something you always need to remember. I had no idea that cotton plants have flowers! And pretty ones, too. I wish I could buy these dish washing detergents, but we do not have HEB anywhere around here.

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  3. I'm glad you've forgiven your mother -- for you AND her!
    I'm sorry about all the water stuff, but in the heat, I hope Louis will do a bit, rest and drink a lot!
    I wish peace in your heart, Linda!

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  4. I'm so sorry about your mom and so glad you have your siblings there with you. I know you are a support to each other.

    What a time you are having with your water. Thank goodness Louis Dean is so handy. You often say he can fix anything and I do believe that is true! You are right to be concerned about him working in that kind of heat. And I thought it was hot here! We are only in the 90s.

    We do not have HEB around here. Wish we did because I would like to get some of that pumpkin dish detergent for the fall. Maybe I can find something similar.

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  5. 🌻Sending you a poem behind the scenes because I thought of it immediately when you shared with us your heart about the visit with your mother. It is remarkable that her children provide her so much love...that’s mercy and grace at work in the middle of what could be a very ugly scene.

    Oh nuts about the broken pipe and the electrical being cut. Poor Louis Dean! He gets in more household tangles. And in all this heat. I say treat yourselves and hire out. I must hire out for everything now.

    Stay as cool as possible...movie theaters will be your friend. You are so smart to keep the fluids coming!

    You will be thrilled to see Summer and Rayne again. Summer is always full of good ideas. 🌿

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  6. Linda, I wish I could be there to give you a hug. I hate that you are suffering. LD needs to get some rest. The heat is dangerous on us older people. Glad you are making him take breaks. Wishing everyone a fun time when Summer comes home with Rayne. That will be some sweet hugs for all. Blessings to you my friend, love you, xoxo, Susie

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  7. Mrs Linda
    I'm sorry that your hearts broken over the illness in you mom. I know and understand not having a mother that was not worth much but I do believe your hardships of having a less loving understanding mother has made you into the most loving and understanding person. We may have NEVER meet in person but the love you give to the world shows. Don't focus so much on the goodbye with your mom focus on how she taught you how to love better then she could and give her that love untill her time comes Remember I'm not far if you ever need anything

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  8. I am sorry to hear all of this, such a sad story.. and glad you are riding herd on the unstoppable MAN in your life. heat can kill, it is so much worse than cold weather and puts us in danger. keep watching him, I know he is like Bob so know what you are dealing with.... most of all sorry for the water bill that is looming. what a homecoming to the big city from the country.

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  9. Hope today is a better one for your mama and for LD. It is super hot so make him stay inside for a few days and rest.

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  10. Hugs to you Linda! It's so hard to see a loved one suffering, especially a parent. Even when that parent was not all that we needed/wanted them to be. Just know that we are all praying for you and hope that you are able to find some comfort and peace in that. The heat this summer has just been relentless! We are finally down into the 80s and it feels like fall compared to the mid 90s with so much humidity! You and Louis Dean take care of yourselves, it sounds like you are doing a good job of that. I hope your time with Summer and Rayne is just what you need! Have a good Tuesday and stay cool!

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  11. so sorry about your Mum's fading,, its so hard to see our parents slip away from us, I agree with Louise Dean, theres good and bad in all of us,, such a shame you came home to more work, good golly,, in that heat,, oh my gosh,, take care and I hope your hubby takes it easy,,

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  12. Oh dear, oh dear me... what a trial all that was, the broken pipe, the heat. I feel for you two so much. Hopefully everything is all fixed and better now. Just stay inside where it's cooler.

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  13. It's not nearly as hot here but the humidity makes it feel worse. It sounds like you had a lot to deal with all in one day. I hope the rest of the week goes better my friend. Take care of yourself...both of you! Hugs!

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  14. praying for your heart Linda. you are such a kind, good soul to be so good to your mom considering all you have been through. you're a wonderful person and I truly enjoy your blog. I love when you fuss over LD, such a sweet love you both have. I can't wait to read your book some day, you are a gifted writer. lots of prayers from Michigan. Love, Heather

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  15. I'm so glad you were able to forgive your mother. I was finally able to forgive mine, but she never accepted it. Up until the end, she couldn't see how she had wronged me. It hurt badly that we never had closure. I'm happy for you that you are able to have that. It means a lot.

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  16. I hope Louis Dean is careful of that heat and over doing it! I’m glad he has you to keep the fluids coming!

    What a gift your mother gave you in her ‘I love you, always!’ Most people do the best they know how to do. We are all products of our upbringing and unless we know the Lord, or at least until we know the Lord we continue on in our selfish ways.

    Your children will have wonderful memories of you and so will your grands. Parting will be hard but there won’t be a wish that things could have been different.

    Praying for you right now, friend.

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  17. So sorry your days have not been good ones, but glad you have managed to find a few bright spots too. The heat makes everything harder to deal with. Hope you both can spend some time just cooling off. These hot days are meant for taking things slower then usual for sure. Hugs and prayers !

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  18. That man of yours is hard to slow down. Hope he feels better soon and maybe fix that pipe at night with a spot light:) I am sorry about your Mom but you have been a very good daughter and are yet today. Hard to see someone you love fade away but am so glad she is not in pain and is getting good care.

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  19. I love your stories even though some make me cry, like talking about your Mother etc

    GIRL it is HOT in Missouri also and has been a month i think. This heat is burning us all up from Texas to Missouri and on LOL

    There is nothing like a good glass of cold ice tea in this weather.

    That dish soap you bought looks interesting, especially you mentioned lemon which is my favorite in anything

    I had to stop by and see what you guys are up to these days

    stay cool

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  20. I have not had a good relationship with my mother. I wonder how it will be down the road with her. But I do feel for you. But we both have continued to be there with them regardless of all the hurt.
    Be careful in these heat. You are a lot warmer there. It can really get to you. Advice from being in the ER last night.
    Hugs

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  21. Rough, rough times. Much emotion and sadness. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I don't know the history, but I know it was bad--you are a very very very good daughter caring for your Mother like you do especially considering the past hurts. Remember she says "I love you. Always" and hang on to that and keep it in your heart for the sad good bye time to come. It will help you. At least you that and we just can't change the past, even the bad and the sad and the loss. Take care of YOURSELF too. And keep up with Louis Dean and him out in that bad heat. It's a hot summer for sure.

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  22. Oh my goodness...that is way too hot to be fixing pipes or anything else for that matter! Sorry you are going through such a tough time with your mom right now. I know all about being the one responsible for an elderly parent. I am feeling the weight of caring for my 96 year old dad...lots of issues this past week. Stay cool!

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