Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Mom has an official Senior Companion

I don't know how many of you know this but, since October 2007 I have been trying to get Mom signed up with the Senior Companion Program. This is done through the Area Agency on Aging for Dallas County. Anyway, the representative came to the house back in October and met with us to evaluate Mom's situation. They are the ones that had the handicap bars installed in her bathroom. They told me that it may be in January when they can get her a Senior Companion.

The Senior Companion Program is funded by a grant. They pay senior citizens to go and stay with your elderly person while you are out of the house. Well, January - May came and went and nothing. Finally in June they called and said that they had not forgotten about us but that they did not have any volunteers int he Mesquite area. I told them about Mrs. Alvarez, Mom's current caregiver, and asked them if she wanted to could she sign up with them as a volunteer and then they would in turn pay her to stay with Mom. They said sure but that she would have to take the training and everything. Well, Mrs. Alvarez agreed to do what she needed to do. In June we submitted her application. July she took the week of training, First Aid, CPR, and informative classes on diseases affecting senior citizens. She also went through a background check and medical physical.

This past Monday (10/27/08) Mom, myself and Mrs. Alvarez met with the Senior Companion Placement supervisor at our house to officially assign Mrs. Alvarez as Mom's senior companion. They will pay Mrs. Alvarez $2.65 per hour to be with mom. She will be paid for 8 hours per day for 5 days per week. They will also pay her mileage. Woohoo!!!! This is going to be a great help to us. We are very grateful to Mrs. Alvarez for agreeing to help us out this way. She said she really enjoyed the training and said that she learned more about Mom's Parkinson's Disease and she is now able to understand why Mom moves and reacts to things the way she does. Her official start date was Monday (10/27/08).

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Boy, my patience was really tested yesterday

It started as a beautiful day and the next thing you know, SATAN reared his ugly head in the church office.

One of our front office workers got really upset with some of us because she just found out yesterday afternoon that one of the other workers in the front office may be going to a workshop on Friday and how can that be if she (Satan's puppet) is leaving early on Friday to go to her daughter's football game because she has volunteered to be the snack mom for the band. She blew up out of control at Michelle, Imelda and myself. I got it when I went in there to try to calm her down because I could hear her all the way into my office. Thank God it was right after lunch an none of the priests or directors had returned yet.

I kept trying to calm her down because she even began crying about she always tries to let everyone know her schedule at least 2 months in advance and why is it that people just spring things on her at the last minute. Imelda tried to explain to her that she did not know if they were going to get to go to the conference/workshop until Friday afternoon and she was already gone to her daughter's game. Even so, not finding out about an event on Tuesday that MIGHT take place on Friday is not a last minute notice. No one ever said she could not leave early for the game, if anything, arrangements had been made to cover for Michelle so that she would not be left in the office alone.

It just reached an embarrassing point and I finally just said, "look, this is a simple lack of communication and we what we all need to agree on is to try to do better in the communication department. But, we also need to prepare for the fact that this is not going to be the last time something like this happens and we cannot take it personally. No one is trying to intentionally offend or hurt someone's feelings. It's just how things happen sometimes and we need to be able to deal with these things without getting all upset and out of control."

They all apologized to each other and everyone went back to work. As for me, I had to keep reminding myself that I worked in a church office so, kicking someone's ass, especially when they yelled at me about ganging up on them, was definitely out of the question. Ask anyone in my family, I only discuss for so long before my fist flies into your face to shut you the hell up. Then I tend to feel much better. The good thing is that my joints now don't let me react as quickly as I did in the past so I've learned to just leave the idiots talking. But if they follow, I'll not be held responsible.

And how was your day?

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Beautiful Weekend

This has been the most beautiful weekend. Why oh why didn't I have a yard sale??? Oh well, I'll just have to wait for the next beautiful weekend.

Mom and I stayed in this morning but around 3:00pm we went outside and sat on her swing. It was beautiful outside. Belinda came over and we all just sat outside and talked. It seemed like old times. We haven't sat out there like that since Dad died. The three of us used to go outside at night, especially on the weekends and just sit and swing and watch the cars go by. We talked about bills, life, and family.

Belinda and I both had some laundry to finish so we came inside about 5:00pm and then I went to Taco Cabana to get me & mom some supper. She's sleeping now and I'm listening to "Brothers & Sisters". Gia & Juan Diego have both been fed and are laid out like to fat babies, out to the world.

I guess I'm gonna call it a night myself. An early night sounds good. Hope everyone has a great night.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

What a life!

He's fat & furry and you never know where he is until you hear the jingle of his tags. Yes, I'm talking about Juan Diego. Let me begin by immediately taking ownership of my part in his behavior. Yes, I have spoiled him but I just picked up where Dad left off and I am not the only, you all know who I'm talking to. But now he has upped his game a little too much.

Juan Diego has always been happy with dry Purina Cat Chow for his meals. He has never been into human food and still isn't. He's not a moocher. Purina began adding a sample can of their Fancy Feast Medley's canned food in theri bags of dry food and I unwittingly decided to open one up for him one day and just see if he would like it. BIG MISTAKE!!! Not only did he like it he now cries everytime he sees me if I don't give him a can. So yes, I cratered and went out and bought him a box of fancy fest canned food, notice I didn't say medley's. I opened a can and he only nibbled at it and left the rest of the food in the bowl untouched. I decided that if he got hungry enough he would eat it. Wrong! He decided to challenge me and would not touch the food instead he would wait for me to feed Gia her food and then eat her leftovers.

Ok, I said to myself, we'll just see who wins this game. I'm not even gonna bother with the rest of the story, Juan Diego gets his can of Fancy Feast Medley's once a day each morning before I leave for work. Oh, don't worry I never forget to give it to him because he beats me to the front door so he can swat at my legs to steer me in the direction of his food bowl. To avoid snagged nylons I have learned to open the can before fixing breakfast. Hey, have you priced pantyhose lately?

Yea, it's Saturday!

Last night I told myself, it's Saturday tomorrow, the house is clean, the laundry is done, so what if I haven't folded it, it's clean, and there's no need for me to get up early so, late morning here I come. NOT! I had forgotten that my brother John had planned to stop by and have breakfast with us so, I was up early washing up, clearing off the bar and making the coffee for breakfast. Oh well, maybe I can sleep late next weekend.

It turns out I'm glad I got up early because the day is gorgeous! I went around the house opening all the windows and the two doors. No a/c today. It feels great! Only one little problem and her name is GIA!

We now have new neighbors next door and, of course, they're working in their yard and such and Miss Gia has taken it upon herself to greet them with her constant barking. She not only barks at them when she's outside but she comes in and sits on top of our sofa and lays down half on the sofa and half on the window sill and barks from inside the house. She is so neighborly. I on the other hand refuse to close the window because the breeze id from the north and it's the north window she's claimed as her watch tower. What can I say, bark on GIA, claim your space!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Hello Everyone!

Wow, this is like an online journal. Can't wait to start sharing with everyone. But of course that will have to wait 'til I get home tonight because I'm at work right now. All I wanted to do was post a comment on Frank & Maria's blog and the next thing you know I'm creating my own blog. How cool is that. Well gotta go for now. Look forward to sharing with you and especially your comments. Everyone have a GREAT DAY!