Weather and Errands

We have gotten another howling cold front down here in Southern Texas.  Not freezing yet, but it's wet on top of the wind and the cold.  The temps keep dropping and it won't take much to reach freezing.  Then things get real dicey with as wet as it is.  No one here knows how to drive on ice.  I live in the hills so it makes it even less safe if I can even get out of my sloped driveway.  I have put off a couple errands I needed to make.  I have a new pair of glasses waiting for me at Costco plus a long list of things we need from there.  I put off filling my gas tank too, which I rarely do.  So I have delayed heading out by baking the week's loaf of bread, hoping things may get a little better.  But at some point I will have to go, before it freezes.  'K' was going to go with me, but the Granddaughter is here.  We will keep her inside instead.  

'K' will head over to my Mother's with my Sister-in-Law on Tuesday to help with packing and prepping for her move.  (Hopefully the weather will cooperate).  She has been obsessing over the move.  Vacillating back and forth about it.  She has also been tying to do things for the move herself and calls 'K' overwhelmed.  She isn't supposed to be doing anything.  She gets confused about what she needs to do and calls 'K' complaining about how much she has to do, which is really nothing.  It will all get taken care of by either us or the movers.  She can't separate the things she needs to take with the things that are unnecessary in her mind.  Some things don't need to be moved at all but she doesn't seem to understand that.  Not sure what I would do if  'K' wasn't here to handle this.  She treats my Mother as if she were her own.  She's a keeper.

Happy Trails   

It Appears to be Happening

My Mother has agreed to move to a facility for elder care.  Don't get me wrong, she has been talking about this since before my Dad passed and at one time they did move, for 6 months.  At this time she will live independently.  However we do have concerns that other care may be needed.  Today 'K' and my Sister-in-law will take her over to sign up and give her deposit (they call it a buy in) for an apartment at a place much closer to us.  This facility was chosen as it has graduated care.  She could move into more intense care as it becomes needed.  It's very emotional for her and all the stress has hampered her memory even more.  Hopefully the doctor appointment tomorrow will give us some guidance about her memory care.  The plan now is to have her moved in by mid-February.  It appears to be happening, but she has changed her mind multiple times as the time nears.  

Once this happens then we will begin the process of emptying her house of the remaining items that she did not take with her.  The family will most likely take some or buy some from her.  Then we hope to hire some one to sell the rest.  I learned with my Grandparents (they pretty much raised me until school age) sale, that I am not emotionally equipped to be around others that will be rummaging through their lives trying to make a deal.  They can be very callous.  I am sure something would come out of my mouth that shouldn't.  We are praying for the best.

Happy Trails

Love/Hate

I have a love/hate relationship with Live Oak Trees.  I love the beauty of them first and foremost.  The shade they provide in these brutal Texas Summers is a huge plus too.  There may be a few other things I like but can't think of at the moment.  

The hate part comes from all the work they cause me or money they cost me if I have the work hired out.  The work/cost comes from several things and most happen in the Spring.  They lose their leaves in the Spring and it is exceedingly difficult to get them raked up due to their shape.  They tend to hide in the grass.  After the leaves fall then the tassels come out.  They leave their pollen every where.  It's a neon green and sticks to everything and especially your car and it's windshield.  Then there are the suckers.  These are smaller branches that begin growing out of the trunk and larger branches and make them look unkempt.  The wife says they look like they need a shave. 

We have near 50 trees and they all do these things at the same time. I am trimming those things today but will only get a few trees at a time.  I trim the suckers off only between July and February.  That is due to the fact they are susceptible to a fungal disease that enters by a beetle in any wound or cut during the other months.  It is called Live Oak Decline and if one tree gets it all the others will probably get it and die in a very short time, months.  Losing those trees could really kill the value of your property plus make it look bad.  Not to mention the cost of dealing with 50 dead oak trees.  There are so called treatments that are extremely expensive and rarely work if they do at all.   Then there is the cutting of dead branches that seem to happen much more than I would like.  Yes, I love them but I hate them.  And as I get older the hate gets stronger.  

Happy Trails

Quiet Today

'K' has headed over to my Mother's.  She has been talking a lot about moving into a facility.  This has been going on for quite a while but the frequency has increased.  One she and 'K' visited has an opening for the apartment she looked at and loved.  'K' will try to get the conversation started about it.  But my Mother forgets a lot of things and changes her mind constantly, so any progress will be slow.  We also hope to start the conversation about her being looked at by her doctor about help with her memory and confusion.  She has never been tested for anything involving that.  We have some concerns and having a doctor tell her things is more effective coming from him than from us.  The doctor also was not receptive to 'K' being there with her the last time she went.  He wanted no input from her, and I think that may be vital in this situation.  We will try to get her in to the PA she likes.  There is much more I could talk about here but I don't think it's appropriate.  I may have gone a bit far with this as it is.  So if things don't add up in what I wrote, I hope you will understand.   One of the things that make it difficult, she looks 20 years younger than her 90 years and is very healthy for the most part.

The weather has been and is perfect for me to be outside working on things that need my attention.  However the wind and Mountain Cedar pollen are really high.  'K' is severely allergic.  Me being outside working and coming into the house sets her allergy off.  It seems to stick to me even though I can't see it.  I feel torn but concern for her will keep me inside other than short ventures.  I walked the dogs after she left so I hope it will disperse before she returns.  I have plenty of other things I could be doing inside.  

I will try to relish the quiet today and up until Friday and on into the weekend.  All three Grandkids will descend on us for a couple days.  Both sets of parents have things they need to do and the kids being with them would hinder things a bit.  So we are the benefactors.  Mostly it's good thing.  It can be a challenge at times with two young teens.  

Happy Trails

Distractions

Been a little distracted with getting a post up this week.  Just various things have conspired to keep me from it, the most prevalent is me being lazy.  We were cleaning up the carnage of several days of a very hard freeze.  Then there was all the New Years Day activities, LOL.  We actually went some where for New Year's Eve for the fist time in 20+ years.  It was just a few of us old fogies and we started at 11...AM and ended at 2:30 PM.  You might laugh but I found it near perfect time.  It was located well across town and I did not want to be on the roads late New Years Eve in the big city.  Way too many drunk drivers.  Plus we got home early enough I could sit in front of the TV and watch those two excellent bowl playoff games.  I don't usually watch those as my team hasn't been there...at all.  This year I was curious, and I was rewarded with some great ball games.  Even 'K' watched and she NEVER does that unless it's my team.

The Granddaughter is here for a few days and that has also distracted me from posting.  In fact she just came in here for me to fix her sunglasses.  So I will excuse myself.

Happy Trails