It's Been a Week in the Country and I'm Grateful for Each Day....

I've loved every single day we have been here in the country.

Campfires most evenings except during those two windy days.

This really is my Happy Place.

I've enjoyed making country meals from fresh eggs and vegetables and using rosemary from my herb garden.

I cooked 2 pounds of pinto beans along with the meaty ham bone from home.

I'm 77 years old and it's hard to open so many things....

as in the spout in this creamer and then pulling the 'plug' out so I could use it!

Louis Dean was still asleep so I resorted to using a pair of channel locks in order to put cream in my coffee!

The front room is now clean and this is where I cook our meals.

The 'new' air fryer is at home and our old one is here and it makes meals a lot easier to prepare.

I love how Remmie comes up to say hello.

I'm a sucker for a pretty face but I really do think she loves me even if I didn't give her ham bones and hotdogs and even quality lunchmeat!

Louis Dean is Tabitha's favorite person.

She is a lap cat only to him!

This has been such a good week here in the country.

Today was our 8th day here and I am still not ready to go home.

I am aware that so many of us are caregivers to our loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer's and my 'Caregiver Prayer List' is a long one that includes myself and members of my family as well as many of my friends in the world of blog as well as personal friends in my community.

I've joined multiple support groups on Facebook and follow several families on reels as they navigate the journey and experiences with their loved ones.

I have come to terms with the fact that I am a full time caregiver - as in 24/7 and 365 days a year....

and I am at peace with that.

It is my honor to care for Louis Dean who is the love of my life.

If the situation were reversed - he would be doing the same thing for me.

I've come to realize that one of the biggest blessings for us is that Louis Dean has a place - a room - a section of the back yard - both here at the ranch as well as at home - where he can do whatever it is he wants to do. It doesn't have to make sense to me or anyone else as long as it makes sense to him.

He was still asleep this morning when I went in his work room - which is right off the bathroom in the front room.

I go in when I can and gather up trash and debris and reclaim the things he has taken that belong to me.

He doesn't do it intentionally but if he sees something he likes, he squirrels it away in his room.

He never notices when I take it back or ever asks about it. 

I took this photo from inside his shop as you look into the bathroom.

He spends many happy hours in here sorting screws and nails and bolts and such.

He moves shelves from place to place and stays busy doing things I do not understand.

He likes to wash his overalls and other clothes by soaking them in tubs and rinsing them with a water hose and hanging them up on a clothesline he strung up.

He moves his storage bins from one side of the room to the other and then back again.

Nothing stays the same but that's the whole point of it.

It's his place to do what he wants to do and he's proud of himself and I am proud of him.

These safe rooms are therapy for him and I have come to realize how blessed we are that he has them.

Both here in the country and at home.

Plus he loves working in the yard - in both places - watering and pulling weeds.

Harvesting and shelling pecans is one of his favorite things to do and he can do this for hours which gives me some precious time to myself.

In addition, he has his music and YouTube and he can spend a good amount of time playing along with his heroes online. And then he likes to sing to me and that always melts my heart.

He still loves to do projects and Sherry gave him one yesterday. She had several lamps she wanted to use for an idea but needed the electric parts removed. No problem! He hopped right on that.

Bottom line.....everyone's journey in dementia looks different but we all support one another as we are in this together.

On a lighter note, we underestimated the amount of wine we had here at the ranch and last night we were completely OUT.

Our friend, Rosey, brought a beef stew dinner and I had pecan pie plus a garden salad while Sherry brought down pepper poppers and garlic knots!

It was a lovely evening catching up with a favorite friend.

Alas, I was so relaxed and enjoyed our visit that I did not take a single photo!!

After the evening was over and Louis Dean and I were sitting out by the campfire, he asked, "Is there NO wine to be had?"

That's when I remembered Rosey had gifted us with a German wine that boasted cinnamon and cloves and oranges....

We sat in the front room with glasses of that succulent wine before going to bed.

We'd already changed our clocks back so we were calling the night out early.

Did I mention we were completely out of wine???

This Sunday afternoon I drove us into Waco to shop Walmart and Louis Dean loaded up with wine!

So which of the eight boxes did he choose??

Chillable Red!

Wine watching the campfire....

followed by a country supper.