Loopy, I am!  Boy, those quickie trip to Lockport are starting to get to me.  Although I enjoy being there and visiting with our kids and my parents, these trips have begun to "take the starch" out of me.  Anyway, I'm back at the Cottage and filling you in on my "goings-on" out there.

First of all, we had breakfast yesterday at WAFFLE HOUSE in Port Allen.  I hadn't realized that Jess' boys really liked that place, but I surely did find out--and those boys can eat when they want to.  Tyler, especially, loves breakfast foods--and the TWO WAFFLES and pieces of bacon were thoroughly enjoyed.  Rett always eats well, and he didn't do his reputation any harm yesterday.  Randi got one of their specialty meals that included most of the usual breakfast foods--eggs, bacon, grits, etc.  I, on the other, changed my M.O. and got a steak/cheese/bacon melt--it was delicious and it came with hashed browns.  I LOVE the hashed browns from Waffle House.  As you can see, we all ate well!

Before arriving at Jess' house, we visited the Manor.  Dad has not been well for the past couple of weeks, and today was no exception.  We did FINALLY get the results of his U/A--he has e coli.  Lovely, huh?  The antibiotic that he was on all of last week was NOT the right one to treat that infection; however, it did take care of a little respiratory problem that he had developed.  He is now on a regimen of Macrobid to be taken twice/day for ten days, after which he will have another U/A done.

In addition to this problem, Dad just isn't responding in his usual way.  I got nary a word from him yesterday, and today, all I got was a "Hey" as he grabbed my hand and kissed it.  I asked questions; the aide asked questions; the social worker asked questions--he had no answers for anyone.  He didn't even respond with his usual, "Tell Mom I love her" when I said I was going there.  Just not Dad!

AND--he has one of the arm rests missing from his wheelchair--how could that have gone unnoticed.  When I brought it up yesterday, someone said that my brother had told them about that.  Now, that was either Saturday or Sunday--yesterday was Tuesday; the wheelchair was still minus an arm rest.  I told them that he had to be given another chair or, at the very least, they had to cushion the bar that was sticking up right where Dad rested his arm--otherwise, another big skin tear would occur.

Today, I happened to see the Social Worker, a really nice lady who always helps when we have a problem.  When I showed her the chair, she IMMEDIATELY found one for him--not in perfect condition, but it had an arm rest on both sides.  SHE also noticed that Dad was not restrained in his chair (they do that because Dad has fallen out of his chair several times in the past).  She also noted that the kind they had on him (not hooked up at the time) was one that they couldn't use on Dad because he figured out how to get out of it.  So, again, she IMMEDIATELY sent someone to get another restraint.  Then, together, they put him in the new chair with a better restraint.  Thanks to Mis' Hesta for her help--as usual!

We continued on to Lockport to visit with Mom for a few minutes.  She's doing pretty well for an almost-88-year-old lady, except for her hearing and walking, of course.  Having a conversation with her (as I've said many times before) is really hard, but she LOVES to talk.  Naturally, though, she always seems to "open up" just as we stand to leave.  Anyway, she's doing just fine, so that was a good visit.

While at the nursing home yesterday, I visited for a little while with NanNan.  She was in the hall in a wheel chair, and she called my name as soon as she saw me.  She held my hands and wouldn't let go; she began to talk about things that really were not pertinent to that time and place, but she did make one statement that I thought was insightful for someone in her condition.  She said:  "Boy, things sure aren't the way they use to be."  I had to agree with her!  After leaving the Manor, I made sure to call Di just to give her a report.  Later on, when she went to the Manor, her Mom was at the table eating her supper and listening to music.  I don't know what's going on with her, but she really has come far in the past few days.  How long that will last, of course, we don't know, but we'll take whatever we can get.

Old age--when we consider the alternative, I guess that place is a good place; however, to watch those we love--Mom, Dad, NanNan, Mom's other sisters, Dad's remaining sister--reaching the last stages of their lives is hard to do.  Naturally, we selfishly want them here with us, but I know Dad, for example, would not want to be here in the condition that he's in if he knew what was going on.  None of them would!  But, like I told Di, apparently, their jobs here on earth are not done yet--whatever they happen to be.  And, until the time they are called home by their Father, they will remain here in our care, and we must do the very best we can for them.  These people are really special to our family--I pray that what remains of their lives benefits them in some way--and my faith tells me that this is true.

The bulldozer broke, so we didn't get as much done as we wanted, but they will return later; also, Sid was able to do a little bit of work around the place before the rains came, so that's good.  Slowly, but surely, things are getting finished--thanks in large measure to my Sweetie!

"If it were not for hope, the heart would break."         --author unknown