the last time (before the show and tell haircut) i posted, i told all y'all how i hadn't been able to finish a decent post. i think the words were
unfit for publication. anyway, the coconut krewe now knows all the backstory, so i can talk about what's been happening here on the plantation.
we have been distressed, my darlings!
these past few weeks have been spent in conversation, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud, sometimes politically charged global and local, but lively. they have also been occasionally mean and unbelievably hateful, but that ugliness never carried over to the next day or even the next hour. the pressure just had to be relieved and of course, it has to be with the one person who can look at you and laugh and make you laugh, too! (we can't possibly ever leave one another because of that!) there is a heavy cloud hanging over the plantation — we are living in faulkner's south at its most hostile. we aren't unique, i know that, but...
miss daisy is not well, so life has been a series of visits to doctors and tests and many, many phone calls. the MITM is one of 3 siblings, but she does live with us, so he's point man on this. i'm just the grunt/worker bee. (
sometimes, it's good to be an orphan.) sometime during the last year, but no later than 3 months ago (prior to the MIR), miss daisy had a small stroke. no one knew it had happened. she is different from the woman who moved in with us 1.5 years ago and very different to the woman she was just last december. she's different every day, sometimes, minute to minute. (note: if you have an elderly relative or friend, make sure their primary doctor sees them
personally more than once a quarter.)
she's angry about her decline,
when she's aware.
she's angry with us because we
know.
she's angry because she's
old.
we've spent a lot of time researching her condition and how we need to deal with her when it's her illness speaking and not
her. it isn't easy dealing with a woman who has been a
drama queen/diva all of her life. but, what can you do, except smile and remember the good times. it's especially difficult for the MITM because
she is his mother and he has to leave again soon. it's very difficult watching someone you've known all your life change in a matter of months.
i have to say, living with her is a cautionary tale about getting as healthy as possible while you still can! it's also about looking at who i am now and trying to correct those
nasty habits that only become
ugly ways when you're old. it is also a reminder that expressions of kindness are not always easy, but you never, ever regret them. a sharp tongue or a sarcastic retort may dance off the tip of your tongue, but once out will remain with you far longer than the satisfaction of the
witty comeback to someone who doesn't always remember you didn't go to school together. (didn't i read somewhere that doing sudoku is good for your brain?
note to self: look for those puzzles.)
so, be nice, it's much easier.
and then go find a quiet corner hidden from sight and jump up and down and
silently scream.
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i haven't blogged in days and now i can't stop. i guess by now, all y'all realized that mr. moose used my blog instead of
his. i know, all y'all knew instantly it wasn't me! proper grammar, punctuation and structure? of course, it wasn't me!
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this community we've formed has helped me in so many ways. over the past few weeks i've seen our community at its best: comforting each other over the loss of a friend, sharing concerns over the absence of another, offering words of cheer and support to more than one in need. we may not always agree on everything, but isn't that the way of friends? the diversity of opinions/people challenge and engage us, encourage personal growth and expand our awareness on a very human scale. it isn't just reading about events in another place, it's sharing them with people who live there and understanding the impact not only on their lives, but on our own. it's human nature, i know, but i think of the people i know when i read about events overseas, or here in the states...it's all very personal.
who says blogging is dead?
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btw, thank you for all the comments about my haircut! we figured out that it was almost 3 years to the day since my last (same style, same stylist) haircut.
so, there it is. fit or unfit for publication, all y'all can decide.
Too early for the vodka fountain?
