Diaper Duty

I am not a parent. No children. I've never had the pleasure of changing a dirty diaper. And I was quite o.k. with that. I did not need to change a diaper to feel fulfilled in my life. But just in case, I have now been fulfilled to the maximum, or even more, if such a thing is possible. One adult diaper must be equal to 3 or 4 baby diapers - at least. I may not be a parent, but I have a parent who is in diapers. And diaper duty is shared by all in the house. On another topic, and just by coincidence, I should be leaving later this week to head back to Frog Central.

Snow and Ice

The gods are against me! Yesterday morning I awoke to 10 inches of new snow overnight. And to rub it in, ice/sleet/rain/snow mixtures are in the forecast throughout the week and weekend. Obviously I have had to put all travel plans on hold for the moment. We'll try again next week.

Dad's home and I soon will be

Dad came home from the hospital. He's awake and talking, eating, and trying to climb out of bed - mostly the latter. Hospice is here and they are wonderful. I truly cannot say enough about the care they are giving to my dad, but also to my mom - who is exhausted from all of this. With Alzheimer's you never know how long the end of the end can be, he could be here for another day, or four more years. My grandmother was at this end stage for many years, but we know the inevitable end is coming, sooner rather than later.

I've decided that I need to go home and take care of things there and can be back here if needed in a couple days time - I'll probably keep a small bag packed and ready to go! I miss my little house and honestly, a little solitude. I'm used to knocking around the house and doing things on my timetable, not somebody else's. And to tell you the truth, we're all starting to get on each other's nerves a little bit. Well, with one person in particular, it's way more than a little bit!

I can't wait to share my new froggies - I've got quite a few. Next week sometime I should be packed up and ready to return. Much depends on the weather at the moment. I had four new tires put on the car while here because the other had no tread left and I couldn't get any traction in the sn0w. Even though the car is ready, I still hate to drive in bad weather. So please say a little prayer for some good weather. I'm ready for my little hometown and a delivered pizza from the local pizza shop!

Brighter Days

Dad is improving as far as eating goes. He'll probably be in bed for the rest of his life, but today he was happy and smiling and ate quite a bit. It was good to see. We've been in the process of making a bedroom for him downstairs, which has been really time consuming the last couple of days.

On top of everything else, I'm running around trying to get what last few things done that I can before I pack up the car and head home. It will be good to see the old homestead and unpack all the newest frogs I've received over the last couple of months. I can hardly wait to share them with you.

Gertie's had a rough time here. She's not entirely comfortable with everyone in the household and consequently she spends a lot of time on her leash. I look forward, as I'm sure she does, to the time when it's just her and I. We're used to each other and our routines.

No Change

Dad is still in the hospital - it's been a week as of today. After an initial period of trying to get out of bed at every turn, he fell asleep and became for all intensive purposes, unresponsive. He's still that way, unable or unwilling to open his eyes and wake up. He'll answer a question every now and again, but is refusing food. We're now at the hospital for every meal and getting little bits of food down him, but it takes patience and persistence, something the overworked nursing staff just does not have the time to do. It's taking a toll on all of us to see a man who spent his life, dedicated to the health and safety of others as a volunteer paramedic, to be reduced to this level.

In the hospital

Things went haywire this last Thursday. We had just put my dad in the car to take him for a doctor's appointment when he had a seizure. We called 911 and since we live about a block from where they house the ambulances, it only seemed like forever before they got there. We spent all day Thursday in the emergency room before he was admitted. Since then we've been back and forth to the hospital, especially at meal times to try to get my dad to eat - something he did with gusto before the seizure, but which he doesn't want to seem to do now. It's been a hectic few days and for those who knew what was going on and sent their well wishes I say Thank You. I'll do my best to keep you updated as the situation unfolds.

Happy GroundFrog Day!

I'm a couple days late, but I just heard the news that Snohomish Slew, the great prognosticator frog, has said that spring will come early. Of course that groundhog heard the same prediction and had to steal it for his own use. Snohomish Slew is the original and a great festival is held each year in his honor. I hope to attend the festival some day to partake in his greatness.