Mom & Me Five Archive

...over at The Dailies. I try to cover one week per day, usually packing it under my belt in "the morning". It is becoming fairly rote but the publication time lag remains annoying. Certainly, after having gotten as far as I have, I have no [more, anyway] delusions about it being of particular interest to anyone but me. I would like to think my sisters peek in on it but without even familiarizing myself with the stats, I'm sure they don't, unless directed.
    So, as I meant to say, my days, lately, have enjoyed a systematic approach. Mom seems to enjoy it, too. I'm not getting her moving as much as I'd like, but she's up and alert more than I expect, and probably will be through the end of this week and the beginning of next, as we catch up on The L Word, counting down to the new season. I noticed, last night, she continues to be riveted by this show. She does not flinch during the sex scenes. She doesn't flinch during anything else, either, although the breast cancer story line from last season became tiresome for her. Me, too, for that matter. And, it seems, unnecessarily harsh, according to recent statistics.
    Hold on, let me check on The Mom.
    Ah. No. Whatever that was, it wasn't Mom shuffling. Maybe a wood squirrel running around through our interior insulation. I'm sure they've all moved in, by now. The cats spend lots of time, especially in the evening, listening to or walls, sometimes weeping.
    So, I've had a very systematic day, today. I'm considering another cup of coffee. I haven't decided what to do about awakening Mom. Officially, I should do this at 1245. But, I don't know. I just checked in on her. She's wound up in her covers breathing deeply. I'm still feeling a little like I'm on vacation. In fact, I actually have opened the blinds to allow some of the magnificently warming sun on my face and I'm typing a little blind. Sun glasses. Hold On.
    Better. Sort of.
    We have movies to watch and, while I'm in the mood for movies, we also must do Mom's hair and, for some reason, I've been avoiding it. When I first cut her hair short(er), we washed and set it every day, experimenting. I finally came up with a combination of products and a jaunty, cemented hairstyle that she likes, it makes her think, from the front, that she's wearing her hair back in a french twist, it's very easy for me to do, she isn't allergic to the cement, and, anyway, we can, and did, wash it every day, which helps, immensely. My mother has what I guess I'd have to call "old scalp syndrome": Easily irritated, itchy, a lot, takes on a peculiar odor, not pleasant but not unpleasant, but can become, well, ripe, to say the least, after a couple of days of non-attendance. So, we've got the routine down to about an hour and a half and I was performing it flawlessly, then vacation set in and we haven't done it in a few days. Maybe three. Definitely needs to be done today. But, I haven't wanted to touch her for that long, that intently and with that much attention. I'm feeling so removed. The odor, today, will probably drive me to do it, anyway, but, well, there you have it.
    Ah! Rain and Snow (our area will be snow) showers for Friday. I hope these don't evaporate. Perhaps I will be vacationing, with modifications, through Friday.
    Mom is so enjoying herself she seems drunk, most of the time. No, she's not mini-stroking out. She's just thrilled to be allowed to stay up, sleep, eat and move when she wants without me hounding her, at all. As well, when I'm in vacation mood I'm an excellent movie companion and she gets lots of popcorn, always with extra butter. I've discovered, not at all to my chagrin, to my delight, in fact, and with some relief, that, left to her own devices, she doesn't sleep more than she does when I'm harassing her. She eats a well-balanced diet, on her own terms. Her BG regulates itself well based on her (silently coached) choices and habits. I still think she could stand to move more, but we do Sittercize at least three times a week and I see to it that every effort to move on her part is followed and closely monitored, making it into a mini-exercise session. I am concerned that her legs are weakening. Interesting, two, I noted this to her the other night when rubbing down her legs and asked her if it bothered her.
    "No," she said.
    "Do you mind," I asked her, "if I encourage movement a little more than you'd like, just because I definitely mind you becoming less mobile?"
    "No," she said, again. "Just keep it within reason." She cocked her head and gave me the Sherlock Holmes eye.
    Which goes to say, if I can get her moving, fine. If not without driving us both insane, well, we'll deal with that when we come to it.
    A business trip I need to make: The library construction is finished. I need to go there, renew our cards, etc., and ask about their story hours and Mom's participation in them. I went into their website and it looks like all their imagined programs are up and running. We haven't been to the library in over two years, mostly because of the uncertainty of the satellite libraries while construction continued in earnest over at the main library. Mom likes to go to the library, though, and I think she'd enjoy story hours. I'd certainly enjoy being let loose in the library, unless I find the "Family Storytime" interesting. I can always find something to do in a library. Mom likes to people watch in libraries.
    We still have our tree up. I turn it on every night. We're both conscious of it, comment on it, watch it. Every year we have new ornaments. This year's are two cloisonne hummingbirds. Even when I don't keep up with the feeder, we get lots of hummingbirds up here spring through fall. Then, the hardier dunce birds (my name) and scrub sparrows come in for the winter kill.
    I feel like I'm letting something slip away. I hope it's not something I'll need...
    ...later.