Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – I’m back!

Tags

Bodybuilding, Dad, family, God, Home, NIece, Wife

Well, folks, my nieces have headed back home to Virginia and Arizona respectively, and we are finally back on schedule. It was a great time! We played board games like Scrabble, SkipBo, and Boggle. Mom and the niece even gave Upwords a shot, although this game is deceivingly challenging, despite its ease of play.

The most important part of their trip was to visit Mom and Dad, particularly Dad, who has deteriorated quite a bit. The highlight was the two nieces watching a movie with Dad. Dad loves movies, but has given up watching them mostly, because he cannot understand them anymore. He enjoyed hanging out with the nieces though.

Some folks have a hard time with situations like this. Admittedly, I had a tough time of it, initially. Over time, however, I realized this is how it works. Our loved ones, our friends, everyone gets old. When we get old, there are certain things that happen, particularly with the brain. It just doesn’t work as well as it did when we were younger. I made my peace with Dad’s passing. I hope he stays with us longer, but when its time for Dad to leave–it’s time for Dad to leave.

For those of you who still have your parents around; enjoy them. I consider it a privilege to have gotten back home and enjoyed Dad before his decline. We got in a lot of tv time, movie time, and some good discussions. I will cherish them forever. Now, all Mom and I can do is keep him comfortable, and be ready when the day that Dad leaves.

If you haven’t noticed this before, watch your pets. They teach you a great deal. Both of the dogs we lost both slept most of the day, when they were getting ready to pass. You could see their paws moving as they slept, and hear a muffled bark. In my religious path, this is God’s way of preparing them for their next life. They get to see what they will be doing, where they will live, and the whole thing. I picture Goldie and Weezer, running in parks, totally healthy, with their new families. God is doing the same thing for Dad. He is preparing Dad for his next home.

I hope each of you are having a great summer. It is hot and muggy here, but still nice with blue skies. We had a little rain while the nieces were here, but they had a great time going out to eat with Mom, walking along the St. Clair river, which runs right next to our town, and even got to a Van Gogh exhibit in Detroit. Mom has been wanting to go, but didn’t have anyone to go with. Her friends were busy, and with our current situation, one of us has to be here at all times. So, one of the nieces did some research and got tickets for them to go. Mom had a great time.

My wife, just finished her third bodybuilding competition. She placed 2nd in one category and 5th in another. She was very proud of herself, and she busted her butt to get ready. We were all very proud of her. In the three years she has spent competing she has added 20 pounds of muscle! Anyway, I wanted to brag about her a bit, because the work she does in the gym and her diet are very impressive.

Well, that’s it for now. We’ll be back on schedule tomorrow.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Brother

Tags

Companionship, Dad, family, Grateful, Hanging out, Happiness, Joy, Thankful

Today, I am grateful for my brother. He just visited recently, and it was a terrific time to reconnect and give him time to spend with Mom and Dad. When family visits, I tend to stay away a bit, so they can get the most out of their visit with the folks. That being said, we got in plenty of gaming.

We also ordered out for some food a few days and enjoyed it tremendously. There’s a local restaurant here called Cracker Barrel. They have the best fried chicken. Boy oh Boy!

He’ll be coming back again sometime this year. He and my sister are visiting more, because Dad is deteriorating. He does not eat that much, sleeps most of the day, and when he does get up from his rocking chair, he is really unsure of himself on his feet. It is hard for him to stand up on his own, and when he walks he takes small “baby” steps because he is afraid of falling down.

My brother noticed a huge difference from the last time he visited. Dad slept through most of my brother’s visit. I think they exchanged a few words, and that was it. Anyway, we had a great time with him while he was here. Here’s to his next visit!

Have a great Thursday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Update – Sister Visit

Tags

Dad, Dad-Daughter time, family, Movies, Schedule, Shows, Sister, Television, time, Translation

Hi folks!

For those of you who follow my blog consistently, you’ll notice I missed yesterday’s posting and today’s is not a video from Ted Talks or TedEd. My sister is visiting. When she comes my schedule goes out the window, to accommodate her and her visit. We always have a great time when she comes over. So this is what I wanted to pass along.

Her schedule is pretty open, so I don’t know if she’ll be staying much longer or hitting the road today. Either way, my schedule of postings will be interrupted for a bit, while she’s here, so I can maximize my time with her. She lives a few hours away, and we talk over the phone and stuff, but it’s not the same as her being here. For those of you with family scattered all over, you know what I’m talking about. I always maximize my time with my sister and brother when they visit, because it isn’t often.

Right now, her and Dad are downstairs watching Star Trek on Amazon. Dad loves television shows and movies, and she and dad always get in one day of watching shows when she visits. It’s their time, and I squeak away to get some of my things done when she does this with dad. Dad has been deteriorating lately. He doesn’t eat as much, sleeps most of his day away, and that’s just what happens when people get close to passing. It’s like God prepares them for the next step on their journey by keeping them in the dream worlds more and more as they approach the end.

I realize this may sound a little melodramatic, but I noticed this type of behavior in our dog Goldie when she was getting close to passing. The elderly just sleep. When the passing time comes, we call it translation in Eckankar; the individual is well-prepared for it. This is what I see with Dad. So when Deb comes over, I let her maximize her time with Dad. I am with him every day, and I don’t need the time she doesn’t get while she is away.

Well, that’s it for today, folks. I hope you all are having a great Tuesday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – We Got a Dog!!

Tags

Animals, cozy, Dad, Dogs, family, Joy, Mom, pets, Warm

We have a new addition to the family. Her name is Bella. I’ll get photos up later. She’s only been here a few days and little skittish.

I don’t know what it is about pets, but they tend to change the whole family dynamic. To be honest, my Mother loves animals, and I knew that it would only be so long before her and Dad got a new family member. At times, I think Mom enjoys animals more than she does people. She just gets along with animals and the outdoors and is most happy when she’s outside in her garden or on her deck with a cup of coffee in the morning, watching the squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks do their thing.

So today, I’m grateful for our new dog, Bella. She’ll give Mom some comfort, and she’ll make our home a little more warm and cozy.

Have a great Thursday, folks. I’ll get pictures up later. Promise.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Happy Birthday, Dad!

Tags

1939, 82, Birthday, Blessed, Dad, Dementia, Grateful, Thankful

Photo: Dad and I at one of his physical therapy sessions.

Today is my Dad’s birthday. He is 82 years old. My dad was born in 1939, the beginning of WWII in Europe. Dad has dementia. He has his good days where he is somewhat lucid, while other days he’s in a fog.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I retired early to come home to help out as Dad deteriorates. Dementia has a nickname. It’s nickname is the “long goodbye”. This is definitely an accurate nickname. When I came home in 2016, Dad was functioning pretty well. Now, he doesn’t know how to turn on the television. From the outside, you would think this was a sad state of affairs, but it really isn’t. Dad has lived a good life. He has two sons and a daughter, built up a good retirement to make sure Mom was taken care of after he left, and he isn’t suffering.

We have some friends coming over today to celebrate his birthday, and we’ll be sending out for food from Cracker Barrel. Dad loves their chocolate coca cola cake, so that’s on the order as well. It’ll be a good day, today.

I love you, Dad! Have a great birthday today.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Grateful for My Dad

Tags

Dad, Dementia, family, Good life, Reading, Retirement, YouTube

Dad’s got Dementia. I returned home in January 2017 to come home to help out the folks. Since coming back home, I have seen first-hand how devastating this disease is. Dad loved TV for most of his life. He was born in 1939, so he was part of the first TV generation, growing up on radio initially. Within a year of my return, he forgot how to turn on the TV.

His short-term memory and attention span have also taken a hit. He can no longer follow long and complicated plots on TV or on streaming sources like Netflix. He is also not a huge fan of public TV because he hates all of the commercials. So, I got him on YouTube and he loves it. There is a lot of variety, most of the videos he watches are 5-10 minutes in length and they are entertaining to him.

Dad provided for the family for over 40 years. He made a good home for Mom, provided for three kids, and before he retired, was working 16-hour shifts to put together a big enough nest egg for he and Mom to retire on. Well done, Dad.

Dad is still an avid reader. He probably puts down 3-4 books a month. I don’t think he understands much of the stories, but it keeps him busy. Today, I’m grateful to my Dad, who now needs my help. It feels good to pay back the life my parents gave me and my siblings, by retiring early and refocusing my life on new things and them.

Today, I’m grateful for my Dad.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Grateful for my Nephew

Tags

Dad, family, Girl time, Grateful, Gratitude, Mom, Nephew, vacation

I picked up my nephew and his girlfriend from the airport today. Boy, are they a cute couple. My nephew will graduate this year from ASU. He’ll be heading to medical school or a Master’s program next. He’s on track to do great things.

His girlfriend was a real sweetheart, too. She was amazed at all the green in Michigan. She is a native Arizonian, and they are used to the desert, where everything is brown, save for the cactus and scrub brush. There are trees there too, but not to the extent we have them in Michigan.

It always tickles my Mom and Dad pink when they have visitors, especially my Mom. When no one is here, she has to put up with two guys (My Dad and I) and we are not talkative. I’m buried in my work and reading, while my Dad, who has dementia, has lost his ability to have a two-way conversation. So Mom is stuck without another woman to chat with. Sure, she has her Facebook friends that she video chats with from time-to-time, but it’s not the same as sitting down with another woman over a cup of coffee and just talking. So, I’m glad my nephew’s girlfriend is here. She and Mom hit it off great.

Well, that’s it for today, folks! Have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Dad

Tags

Appreciative, Brother, Dad, family, Grateful, Lucky, Mom, Privilege, Sister, Thankful

Yesterday, we celebrated Dad’s 81st birthday. We gave him some birthday cards; I got him a book, because he loves to read, and Mom got him some new sneakers for the gym. We got him going a few weeks back because the Doc says he has to move more. We also went out to dinner last night so Dad could get a Ribeye, his favorite steak.

Dad at the gym…

I’m thankful for Dad. When I was young, like most boys, Dad was a superman. Now that I’m back home helping the family because of his diagnosis of Dementia, our relationship is different. Dad likes to reminisce about the times he could go to the local movie theater and watch a few short films, a feature film, get a popcorn, and a drink for 15 cents. Dad is more human. Dad and I are friends now. Yeah, I can’t have deep conversations with him, but we watch TV shows together, we read together in the living room, and we enjoy pizza from time-to-time.

Dad worked his tail off when I was growing up. He worked for the Detroit Edison as a power plant operator. He worked shift work, yet still had the energy to come home and work on the house, around the yard, and did stuff with us kids (mostly TV).

What did Dad teach me? He taught me how to treat a woman. He taught me how to work hard and enjoy it. One of his sayings that comes to mind was: “If you know you have to do a job, there are two ways to look at the job. You can like doing the job and the time tends to go quickly and enjoyably, or you can dislike the job and time crawls and your miserable the entire time.” This advice helped me well during my 20 years in the Army.

He taught me about music. Dad loved to play the guitar and I, who wanted to be like Dad, learned to play a few instruments because I wanted to play something with Dad.

He taught me to read. He didn’t teach the mechanics of reading, but taught me the habit of reading. Like music, I wanted to be like Dad. So, I developed a reading habit at a young age. It has stayed with me to this day and helped me in the Army and in College.

Me and Dad at his Physical Therapy.

There are so many things Dad has taught me. I am grateful for these things. Now that he is in his senior years, it feels good to be home and help him out—to repay a life of sacrifice and hard work so I could live a better life than he did. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, right? Anyway, it’s a treat and privilege to be home and help out the folks. Even today, we can get on each other’s nerves, but mostly, it’s great to hang out and pitch in when they need help with technical things or need me to read something they get in the mail they don’t understand.

So I’m grateful for Dad. He helped me become the man I am today and gave me, my brother, sister, and Mom a better life.

Until next time…

Dave

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Workout Routine – Week of February 23, 2020

Tags

Cardio, Dad, gym, Lower Body, Mom, Upper-Body, Weights, workout

Hey, folks!

I’m still working through the Labrada trainer. All-systems go!

This week, my Dad will join me in the gym. He’s 82, but he needs the extra exercise now that he has completed his physical therapy. He has improved dramatically and his balance is better than it was at the start.

He’ll join me on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Mom. The rest of the week, I’ll be hitting it on my own.

Same schedule as before:

• Mon – Wed – Fri – Upper Body
• Tue – Thu – Sat – Lower Body
• Sunday – Rest day (Do nothing day)

Have a great week!!

See you at the finish line…

Dave

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Grateful for my folks

Tags

Colds, Dad, Dementia, family, Grateful, Happy, Mom, Time with them

I’ve gotten a bunch of new followers in the last few months, so I wanted to apprise each of you about my situation. I retired early in 2016 to come home and help my folks. My wife is still in Arizona, teaching special education. My Dad has dementia, and he continues to slip, regardless of the work the doctors do with medication. There just isn’t a cure for this stuff.

Since 2018, we decided he couldn’t travel anymore. We went to my niece’s wedding and Dad had an episode during the trip. These episodes are like a panic attack to the 10th power. His system shuts down, his blood pressure drops, and he passes out. After this last one, Dad took almost a month to recover.

Since that time, Dad can’t be left home alone anymore. So if Mom leaves, I have to stay with him. If I leave, Mom has to stay with him or take him with her when she runs errands. It’s tough all around. That being said, I consider it a privilege to be home and spend time with them in their senior years. I realize few people have this opportunity, and I do my best to enjoy every moment of it. Yeah, every family has it’s internal spats, but for the most part, we have a good time.

Dad loves television, YouTube (believe it or not), and reading. Mom is more active and gets antsy when she can’t do anything, especially now that she’s sick with a cold and runs out of energy and has to just chill out on the couch with her iPad. Mom is the kind of person that always has to be doing something. She just can’t sit still. If she’s not working on a home project, she’s working on the family books, reading, running errands, doing laundry, or cooking. When it’s nice outside, Mom is in her garden or greenhouse.

It’s nice to be here with Mom and Dad and just be with them. I’m glad circumstances arose to allow me this opportunity to do that. I’m lucky I know. I read about so many horror stories about dysfunctional families on social media, articles, and even in the news. I just can’t imagine living in a home like that and grateful that my childhood and time with Mom and Dad has been a real treat.

So today, I’m thankful for my Mom and Dad.

Until next time…

Dave