Lately

First off, my sincerest apologies for not replying back to your recent comments on previous posts. I'm away from home and have yet to catch up.

A week ago Tuesday, my mom called and said she was having a cyst removed from her hip on Thursday. Of course she did not want me to come down, but of course I did. I drove down on Wednesday, and took her to her appointment on Thursday. Of course, they did not let me go in with her either so I sat out in the car and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was really, really, really, wishing for some of that fresh, arid, New Mexico desert air because 2 1/2 hours in 98° / 90% humidity was not fun. And yes, I know we were not there for fun. I can pray just as well in 90% humidity as well as I can in 15%. I actually got a phone call from a friend as I waited and she was sitting in the parking lot of an emergency room in another part of Texas waiting on her husband. Yes, he's fine - not my story to tell, but she and I enjoyed a good visit. She is good for the soul.

They did not remove the cyst. They drained it and took biopsies and we sat a few days and waited for results. In the meantime, I did what I could for her, things that mattered to her, and we made the first move towards getting her into an independent/ assisted living facility. She has been rattling around in a 4000 sq ft home long enough. Daddy's been gone for almost 11 years. The facility won't be open until August and then there is a 3 month window for moving, but there will be much to tackle between now and then and I'm not even sure if she'll be ready to make the move at that time. I am letting her make the decisions...up to a point. 😉 Not easy with someone who has been a strong-willed, independent, business woman for her entire life. It has been a running joke in our family that she and Daddy are not entirely sure how I could be their child.

I also got her set up with a medical alert device as she fell in her closet while I was there and although she has framily (friends that are like family) in spades, I just felt like this was a smart addition. She's so weak and I spent the week being bossy and making her eat and drink. She said everything tastes like hay and I told her to channel her inner horse. Horses LOVE hay. 😄 But maybe I'm not a good cook after all.

I am learning how to roll her hair with vintage rollers and I jokingly told told her it was time to retire the rollers:

And talk about vintage! This is the hair dryer she sits under. I felt like I had been teleported back into the 50's and I wasn't even born then. LOL

In all honesty, though, she is having to deal with enough changes right now and I am not going to ask her to make any others. I think independence is important and I want her to be able to be in control of as much as she feels comfortable with.

I had driven through Fredricksburg on my way to my mom's and I stopped to buy some of their fresh peaches from a roadside stand. It's a good year for peaches! Yum! I bought enough to share with the neighbors and one of them brought over peach cobbler that night, still warm from the oven! She's a peach! 😄 She also walks 2-3 miles every morning and I have a standing invitation to join her. When mom was settled, I took her up on her offer and enjoyed some wonderful fellowship. with this dear lady.

I know my mom is not doing well because NEVER has anyone eaten anywhere in her home except for at the table and I curled up in a chair in her bedroom the next morning and visited with her as I ate a bowl of peaches with ice cream...and I didn't get in trouble!

I am staying until biopsy results came back and I take her back to see her doctor.

And of course I took a quilt to bind while I was there

Mom and daddy have this lovely sun room and it's my favorite room in the house:

I felt badly leaving DH to fly solo in the midst of the Great Moth Invasion, but it simply could not be helped. He and Skeet are holding down the fort.

I imagine trips to Texas will become more frequent for me. I do wish we were closer, but I see changes coming down the pike. I would absolutely move my mom in with us, but she would not do well here and it's 2 1/2 hours to a decent medical facility. We only have 1 bathroom and it's not very user friendly for someone in her condition and her entire community is in Texas. My mom is very social and community is her only hobby. She doesn't read (except for the daily paper), work puzzles, garden, or sew and I don't think I can convince her to pick up quilting. 😉

So, in closing, we've been having all sorts of fun. Mom doesn't have much of a sense of humor, but I'm laughing and praying my way through this for both of us and Jesus is a constant source of strength and comfort.