Friday, March 8, 2019

Art With the Quads, Update on Lillian and We are in the Country!!! Tues/Wed/Thurs

My goodness - it's been a busy three days!

No matter our schedule, we are doing our very best to get our walking in at the gym. 


It doesn't come easy.
Louis Dean had a headache and I worried about leaving him as I was spending the rest of Tuesday over in Dallas. It's hard to decide when to hover over him and when to leave him alone.
The headache could have been tension (he doesn't really LIKE to walk!) or dehydration, or allergies, or any number of things. I felt he needed some time to himself and did NOT need me to 'mother' him too much - so I dropped him back at the house and took myself off to Amber's. 

She and I had the gift of 45 minutes of  'together.'
That doesn't happen often enough for either of us so we grabbed those moments for ourselves.
We sat at her kitchen table and actually talked. No interruptions. No distractions. Just a mother and a daughter sharing life and words and emotions. What a gift.

I mixed up a batch of Dilly Bits and put them in a very slow oven before I left to go to Hobby Lobby and Amber went to pick the kids up from school. As I walked in at the store over in Plano,  I thought to myself - 'Oh! Another 'Ah' moment for me. Who doesn't LOVE Hobby Lobby??

When I got back to Quadville, the kids were all expecting me and I received a grand welcome!
Amber said they knew I had been there because they could smell the dilly bits and saw the art table set up. Plus I had given Amber sweet treats to put in each of their car seats for when they got in.


Speaking of 'sweet treats'.....
this is what Kailey made and said, "MeeMaw, you can have as many bites as you wish!!"


As soon as the Dilly Bits were done - the kids were taste sampling them!


We did a couple of art projects and this was one of them.
Canvas paintings using a printed pattern and graphite to trace it on.
I shopped Hobby Lobby and bought everything I went for except the graphite paper!
Amber had to make a flying trip back there to get some!
Each child has their own special way of doing things.
Kailey? She's all about getting it done! No time to waste figuring it out. Just get in there and DO IT!
She traced two patterns! A pineapple and a ladybug. (No matter that we had to turn the canvas upside down and retrace the pineapple!)
The kids told their mama what they wanted to paint and Amber went upstairs and returned with the perfect printed patterns for each one. Harrison's choice was a package of French fries. I had an artist set of tube acrylics and they mixed the colors needed for the paintings. As I was asking them how to make green, purple, brown and such - Harrison answered every single question correctly! They have an excellent art teacher at their school and I am so grateful they even HAVE art! In this day and age - the arts are often the first classes to be cut because of economics.
Logan and Trystan are both very precise in their art and were detailed in tracing on the pattern and the painting. I was not the least bit surprised.

I stayed for dinner - which was amazing!!
No photos of the meal but Amber prepared Mongolian beef, rice, broccoli, garden salad with dilly bits instead of croutons, fresh pineapple - and shrimp! So good!! Trystan said, "MeeMaw, you eat a lot when you are over here!" I do!

On my way back to Amber's from Hobby Lobby, I received a phone call from Mark - the social worker at Trail Lake Nursing Home. He said they may need our help as they were moving Lillian to another room. I assured him we had already told Lillian this would happen and that we need to embrace change and that good would come with this move.

Well, about 7:00 I got a call from Lillian and she was crying and so upset.
She said they moved her to a much smaller room and she could not keep her furniture and had to get rid of some of her clothes. I told her Louis Dean had a medical test the next day but that we would be over there as soon as he was done. She said, "WOULD you???"
Of course, we would. And we did. He had an Echo 2D and as soon as he finished we headed to Fort Worth.

They moved Lillian from Hall #5 to Hall #1.
It was as far away from her original room as it was possible to be.
Her new roommate is precious! Her name is Margaret and she and Lillian were already friends.
They have their hair done every Friday at the same time.
So, our only challenge was to make Lillian's room work for her.
I surveyed the situation and assured her we could do this thing.
In reality - the room was the exact same size as the other one.
It was just laid out in reverse and Lillian did not have the window side.
No problem. We can work with that.
I told them we had to go shopping and would pick up dinner. What do you want to eat?
Lillian never says so I looked at Margaret and she timidly asked, "Maybe a small pizza?"
No problem!


We shopped first at Tuesday Morning and I bought a mattress cover.
When I looked at Lillian's bed and saw the see through sheets and the plastic mattress - and when Margaret said Lillian had got cold in the night - I knew she needed new bedding.
It was like prison bedding! 
I saw that Margaret had a pretty pink comforter and nice sheets so that's what we bought for Lillian.
Plus we bought a small microwave and some extras like place mats that were really pretty to put on top of the fridge and her tray. 

Nita called me while we were at Little Caesar's picking up the pizza and said she would meet us at the nursing home. What a blessing! I was really tired and needed a boost and Nita was there to provide it!


I had already hung all of Lillian's pictures up for her.
Billy, the maintenance man, was going to do it but we assured him that we could take care of that!
We had already met with the administrator when we arrived that afternoon and she was so happy we were there. Once again she told me that Lillian could not get along with her roommates and I told her I was Pauline's daughter and that Lillian had lived with my mother for over a year and was such a blessing to her until it began to take a toll on Lillian's health. I'm sorry to say that Mother was mean to Lillian and yet she continued to love and help Mother right up to the very end. Even after they moved Mother to another room, Lillian checked on her every morning and every evening.
Bottom line - don't tell me that Lillian can't get along with others!

Thankfully, she is now well matched to Margaret and I am sure we are all going to have a lot of good times together!
Movie afternoons and pizza parties every month!
It's going to be fun!


Here's Louis Dean sitting on the new bedding.
It's so much more comfortable now.
I intend to shop Goodwill and find Lillian some flannel sheets and some really good towels and washcloths. I bought some cheap ones at Walmart for her to use until I can find the 'good stuff!'


She has a small fridge and a microwave.
The food at the home is not always good. It's not always bad, either.


When I was at Walmart earlier, I thought 'I would love a glass of wine' and then I saw these tiny bottles of Chardonnay in a four pack carrier. Instant party!
I do so love my sister!


Lillian and Margaret were so happy last night.
And we were happy, too!!
She asked Louis Dean, "What would I do if I didn't have you??" 
And Louis Dean replied, "Well, you don't have to do do without us - you have us!!! And we will be here for you!"

Listen to Nita reading from a book of poetry.....a book given to our mother from Jerry and Sherry....her nephew and his wife back in 1984.


Nita is amazing.


Lillian hugged her so hard!


Lillian, me and Margaret...... I see a lot of good things in our future.

We arrived at the nursing home on Wednesday about 1:30 and left around 8:00.
Louis Dean was driving because we were in his big white truck since we had to take an armoire and chair home with us to store for Lillian. 


Nita had told Louis Dean about a song - Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star - and Louis Dean went straight to his music room to listen and learn!

I came in and started a load of laundry, emptied the dishwasher, made the coffee for the next morning and finally.......


......sat down in the bedroom with a glass of wine and a new book.
Ahhhhhh.

This morning we were up and at 'em - albeit on the late said - to unload the truck from the nursing home and reload it with our stuff for the ranch.


Louis Dean is a good packer.
For some reason he was in a lot better shape than I was today.
I had next to no energy and slept all the way to to Waco - and that's not easy in a Dodge Diesel with Louis Dean driving.


But it was a little like magic when we hit Mart city limit.


I decided to do a little art tonight.
Deanie has a Santa I painted in 2015 and it was really dark......so she gave it back to me to lighten him up some! I must have been in a bad mood when I painted this one!


I dearly love looking in from the outside.
I took a break from painting and sat with Louis Dean on the deck.
The wind chimes were ringing and the coyotes were howling.....


It seems all I paint lately are Santas!


This one is a work in progress.....


Sherry and Crystal were at a restaurant over the weekend and saw this painting.
I've been wanting to paint cows.....


I close tonight with our campfire.
Louis Dean is amazing.
It was just what I needed tonight.

So I am back in my Happy Place and all is right in Lillian's world.....
you know, she's 84 years old and not really an invalid.
She's only in a nursing home because her husband had Alzheimer's and she couldn't care for him on her own so she followed in him into a nursing home and when he passed away ......well......here she is. One daughter is in ill health. The beloved son who took such good care of her has passed away and the younger daughter is .....I can't say.
But for tonight, I am hopeful that Lillian is comfortable and sound asleep.....as I soon shall be.


20 comments:

DUTA said...

Very good two pictures: you with the 2 roommates; Louis Dean with the 2 roommates.

Estelle's said...

Linda...y'all are earth angels...bless your heart and LD'S for taking such lovely care of Lillian...I cannot even imagine having to be in this circumstance....what a lovely and generous act you did for her...such a good and kind heart you have...y'all enjoy the ranch!

Arlene G said...

Loved your newsy post Linda!! So glad those sweet ladies have yall to check on them and care for them. I love the picture of the cow you are painting...cant wait to see it done.

Susie said...

Linda, Busy, busy, busy !! You are blessed with those beautiful children. Glad LD was not ill. You are a blessings to Lilliam and now Maragret will enjoy you too. I love all your painting. The cow is looking wonderful. Tell LD I love that old Merle Haggard song, and can't wait to hear him play and sing along. May God bless you and LD's beautiful souls always. Love you guys. xoxo, Susie

Vee said...

What love! Too bad that Lillian can’t make a break for it. A nursing home is no place to be, unless it is. You did a fabulous job of getting Lillian’s room looking like home. It is so good to know that she is better placed with a good roomie. Things are looking up!

The grands didn’t fall too far from the tree with their love of art and good food, They are smart, adorable children and growing up fast as all children do. So good for you and Amber to squeeze a few minutes in. That’s exactly how I feel about my girl...always wonderful to have some time with her.

Time at the ranch will be restorative for both you and Louis Dean. God bless you both and repay you handsomely for all you do for others. Have fun with your paintings. You are one talented lady!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

What a blessing you are to everyone you meet. I love having you on 'my side' to face whatever comes our way. I'm glad you are on the ranch and hope you can relax and breathe the fresh air! Life is filled with challenges and we do our best...and we are blessed! Sweet hugs!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

You’ve become family for her, and now Margaret will be family, too!

The quads are such sweet kids. Glad you had that time with them.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

So glad you could get back to the ranch, your happy place. Sounds like you need some time out. After some very busy days, it's time to slow down a bit. Although, I think you mentioned that this time you'll be on critter duty, so you will still be a little busy anyway. It's nice you had time for your daughter, the quads and Lillian, now take some time for you!

MadSnapper said...

I love cows more than Santas, also love paintings of goats. so happy that your friends are together and you got her room fixed how she wants it... God bless you and LD and Nita for visiting and helping and caring.... i love the view looking inside your 2nd home

Changes in the wind said...

What a good team to have on your side, you, hubby and sister:) True Happiness comes from making others happy...you have learned that well. Enjoy your time on the ranch.

Dee said...

A mirror with some pretty lights may help not being on the window side of the room. I love how you have your bedroom, so pretty and comfy. I am blessed every time a read a post from you.

The Feminine Energy said...

Oh my dear ((((((((((((Linda))))))))))))! So many words I want to say about this wonderful post and all the kindness it contains... all the living it contains... all the blessings it contains. But amongst the many words that come to mind, this Scripture first is on top:

Since you are all set apart by God, made holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a holy way of life: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ~Colossians 3:12

You ARE dearly loved, Linda, as is apparent by everyone who knows you. God bless you always.

Love, Andrea
xoxo

Cheapchick said...

Lilian really is lucky to have you two as friends, so glad she managed to get moved and that you helped make the process easier on her. Lots of people have the attitude when people go into a senior facility that they are "being taken care of" and there is nothing they need to do to help family members - they are so wrong. Glad you are back in your happy place. I love that painting of the cow, especially love how the artist added the little fence afterwards, very cute.

photowannabe said...

I am out of breath just reading your post.
Oh my , where do you get the energy?
You and your wonderful hubby are angels for Lillian. She is blessed to have you advocating for her.
The new room and roommate sound like a good match. Praying it will continue.
I love your paintings...sure wish I could do that too.
You have some lucky Quads too.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sue of photowannabe

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

Oh Linda, so many hugs for so many wonderful people. Thank you for such a full of love post. So happy you are at the ranch. Had great Quad and Daughter time. The best.
Joy

Vintage Girl 901 said...

Linda, I love reading your journals.. I'm so glad I've found some time to blog a little. I miss it. I struggle with feeling guilty for sitting for a while, because when I get started I'm here for hours. This post is beautiful. As you know, my career has been in nursing homes and I miss it. I'm sitting for a couple now a couple of days a week when needed. I'm so glad Lillian has found a new roommate. It makes it so much easier to accept the situation.

VintageCrafter said...

You and Dean are such good people! You both have hearts of gold....It's so obvious that you enrich the lives of others. Bless you both!

Ginny Hartzler said...

You are amazing! What a total blessing you are to SO many people! Your life has so many facets: Grandma to the Quads, caregiver and cheerleader to the nursing home residents, nurse to Louis Dean, animal caretaker. And you do them all so well! Your life is overstuffed with so much love for and from so many. What joy you bring into your part of the world.

Carole said...

Linda, please don't take this as a criticism - it isn't. but I have heard that even twins get sick of being lumped together and not named individually - I imagine that issue is even worse with triplets etc. Have you discussed with Amber whether to avoid labelling them? It's none of my business of course! Glad you are down at the ranch. looks very cosy. Cheers

Bluebird49 said...

Back here, reading this at 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Can't figure how I missed it last night; maybe I really am losing my mind. 😢

Thus was such a good post, and knowing Lillian is more settled is wonderful. You and Louis Dean are such a blessing to so many. You're so fortunate to have your sibling, too. Nita looked so cute being squeezed by Lillian! ❤