#2870 the objectives were achieved

There has been a whirlwind of activity since the last time I wrote here. I missed writing here last Sunday because I was in Chino Valley, Arizona. It was the night before Lizzie and I would check our aunt Mary into a memory care facility down the road in Prescott Valley. That night I was feeling emotional, tired, scared, worried, nervous, a little happy, a little cranky....in other words, pretty much all the emotions you can feel. 

I guess it's bad form to start in the middle, and all the details aren't necessary, but a brief recap of the events would be in order.

MT and I got back home from Northern California on Sunday the 26th. That last week of November was pretty ugly at work - I think I clocked right around 60 hours that week, which is unusual for the end of November. Work has been EXTRA this year. In the midst of all the work for The Company, I was also taking care of last minute paperwork from the memory care place and talking Lizzie through some stuff when she went to Dixon in mid-week. It was a situation where everything had to work out just right in order to be successful. 

I flew to Sacramento on Friday the 2nd. It was snowing here in SLC and my flight was delayed by about 40 minutes due to de-icing and a lavatory issue. Thankfully, Lizzie was at the airport to pick me up, and we got to Dixon around midnight. I hadn't stayed at the house in 30 years when MT and I stayed there on our honeymoon. It was a little surreal sleeping in the bed in the "dark room," a room I'd called my own as a child when I visited my grandparents and aunt in summers. 

On Saturday morning, after a flurry of activity including a visit from a mobile notary to sign one last document, and a visit from some family, we loaded up the car and hit the road, destination Barstow, CA. We spent Saturday night in Barstow, and headed for Prescott Valley, AZ the next morning. We arrived there around 4:00 in the afternoon and went to my cousin Rick's place. Lizzie and I left Mary and her dog there while we went to TLPV (the memory care place) to make the first payment and check out Mary's room. Rick, his son, and our cousin David had moved in furniture and set the room up, so Lizzie and I added the few things that we'd brought along, then we went out to the car and cried. 

 For me, the tears were a release for the stress and anxiety, for the grief, and for the worry if we were doing the right thing. Along every step of this journey, I have asked myself what my dad would have done, and if he would think we were making good choices for his sister. I wasn't the only pne crying in the car that night. Lizzie and I were both emotionally wiped out. We called our mom to have her talk us through the situation, and I felt a lot better after hearing what she said.

The next morning, we took Pete the dog back to Rick's house, then Lizzie and I drove Mary to TLPV. To say she wasn't happy about it is an understatement. There was nothing for it but to forge ahead, so that's what we did. I think Mary felt betrayed and unhappy. That's the thing with short-term memory loss; we told her daily about moving to this place in Arizona, but what her brain held on to is what I can't be sure of. Lizzie and I stayed there for a few hours, moving around the furniture and helping her get accustomed to the new surroundings, then we had to leave. No tears from me - I don't know that I had any left, to be honest. 

Lizzie and I took a shuttle from Prescott Valley to Phoenix. We were in different terminals, so we bid each other farewell and went our separate ways. I got back home on Monday night around 9 pm. I had a beer and downloaded the weekend's events to MT. Tuesday, I was exhausted. It's like everything caught up to me. In my heart, I know we have done everything we can to make sure Mary is taken care of, is safe, and will get the attention she needs and deserves. Lizzie said it perfectly when she told the director of TLPV that Mary has been well loved, but not well taken care of. I trust that TLPV will take care of her and that Rick and his family will visit her and give her the love she needs. 

Last week at work was a lot, but manageable because I didn't have the extra weight and pressure on my mind. 

This coming week at work will be fun. The work part will still be there in big fat bold letters, but we will also have a couple of parties, a customer appreciation luncheon, then the employee luncheon the next day. On Friday night, I will fly to Long Beach to spend the weekend with Mama and Lizzie as we celebrate Mom's birthday on Sunday. I am looking forward to next weekend!

Of course the following weekend is Christmas. Have I done any Christmas shopping at all? No. No I haven't. I've tried to convince T and MT that we don't really need any gifts this year. They are not really buying into that philosophy. I guess I'll figure all that out when I get back from California. 

I've only got one little art to show you this week. The mid-week prompt was to create some slippers. I call them house shoes, and I like mine to be practical, warm, and sturdy. Here's what I came up with:

Don't you want to snuggle your tootsies into those lil shoes?

Be kind to yourselves!

xo