Believe me, it's not always easy being a caring caregiver. Helping a handicapped or ill person accomplish some task is the easy part. Being pleasant while doing it is the hard part. At least it was for me. I remember one time when my late husband Ron had awakened me for about the sixth time one night to help him get his leg back in bed. I was so sleep-deprived, I thought about pushing the rest of him out of the bed, so he could sleep on the floor and I could get some rest. I, of course, didn't do it. Ron's left leg was so badly swollen and heavy from fluid retention that he couldn't keep it in bed and couldn't get it back in bed without help. ...more

March 25, 2009

And I thought taking my 90-year-old mother's car keys away was hard! Now my brothers and I are facing the heartbreaking task of getting mom out of her home and into an assisted living facility (ALF). I hope my readers will bear with me as I relate some of the sadness in my life right now. Just as I was getting somewhat settled after the shock of my husband's death, the "busy-ness" of settling his estate, and the effort of putting my own life in order, I got a call saying my mother is in the hospital with a series of mini-strokes. ...more

February 11, 2009

Remember the slogan, "See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet?" Well, my husband Ron and I decided to see the U.S.A., not in a Chevrolet, but in our recreational vehicle. I know it doesn't rhyme and doesn't sound quite right, but then our experiences with our RV was never quite right. ...more

January 7, 2009