Beneath the Wraps

  Two weeks after I started my blog I became part of a search party who went out looking for mom who had dementia and had wandered from home.  She could not be left alone.  Each of us worked out a schedule so that someone would always be with her. Two weeks after this year started mom was released from the hospital and spent her last night at the house she’d lived in for over fifty years. It had been on a Sunday when Ellen found my mom passed out and called for Nate to assist.  Patrick ended up taking her to the hospital.  He and Nate were both dressed for church but stayed at the hospital all day. They did not go to Church that day. Patrick had chosen to stay with mom. On Monday mom’s four children worked together to fill out the paperwork to move mom into assisted living. On Wednesday Kayla took mom to her new home at the assisted living facility – the last place she would live. And Corey came from Las Vegas to assist and say good...

            I was never hospitalized as a child – except for when I was born.   But until I gave birth to Jenna, I had never been a hospital patient.   But I do remember visiting various hospital patients.   I remember that there was more than one patient to a room and only a thin curtain separated the patients from one another.   Each patient wore a plastic bracelet that would protect the descriptive paper that identified the patient’s name and medical information.   There were clip boards that hung from the foot of each bed. Patients were asked if they preferred smoking or non-smoking rooms.   And visitation was always limited to certain hours and certain ages.               Today each patient has his or her own room.   They wear bands made of unrippable material somewhere between paper and plastic foam.   I...

I hear the clouds crashing I think it's going to rain I look outside above me The skies are blue and There is sunshine Later I go outside to see Raindrops on my driveway and The sun is shining still. I am lightly kissed by a few drops The breeze feels nice but the sun melts away all the drops as well as myself Where are the rainbows?                                                                          kfralc                                   ...

fund raisers seem necessary for raising money for different causes charities   one may go from door to door seeking collections usually with product that no one wants or can afford   or doesn ’ t like       parties at both ends feel emotion     the recipient fells bad that he can ’ t contribute       or feels anger towards the very idea of having walked across the room to open the door to something he may not even believe in           or resentment because he has purchased the product when he knows it could have been used more wisely                the seller (or cause promoter) either gives up because she is discouraged that no one wants to buy   or else she continues but with an attitude full of regret and resentment and ...

I wouldn’t say that I’m a “friend” of scouting I think Hannah is the one who made the announcement that “you are not an acquaintance of scouting, but a “friend” of scouting”   “No I’m not,” I thought.   I have truly never been a friend.   I’ve actually had regrets about it. I think the scouting program is a great program for those who truly want to be involved.   I guess the thing that has always bothered me the most about scouting is all the hoopla and fuss that seems to go with it.   It would be fine if there was an equal amount of hoopla given to those not even associated with scouts – if that is what’s desired. (Some of us don’t like hoopla and fuss; my brother Patrick and his oldest son truly loved scouting and were heavily involved.   My brother Corey and nephew Brian appear to have reached a point where they almost loathed it) The boy scout program was adaptedby the LDS church in 1913 and cub scouts were adop...

After two weeks my head is full of thoughts again.   Granted they are different thoughts but still enough swimming through my mind and it’s overflowing with new thoughts new ideas unlike the ones before this month started.   Thoughts about my mom’s farewell departure and about the change in song and why and how happy I was that Joh got to sing “Smile” instead of “Embraceable You” which evidently was mom’s favorite, but I like “Smile” better and I love Joh’s voice and he gave such an awesome introduction as to why he was singing it.   He didn’t say that   “Embraceable You” is not acceptable music to sing in the chapel. I think Corey was upset, but I quite enjoyed it.   I’m certain that my mom did too.

Many of the staff members referred to him as “the Lady Killer” which I thought was a euphemism for womanizer.   Until he started telling me of his other “love interests” who had each passed away (and now mom) I didn’t realize that “Lady Killer” was really a metaphor for “the Angel of Death” I asked him if he was.   He just laughed. He said there was one he developed an interest in before mom – but she wasn’t ready to die and chose not to go with him.   But when he found my mom he found her true beauty.   They were inseparable – until the fall . . . He knew she was dying.   And Madge knew.   The only two residents that are fully aware and haven’t seemed to slip into any kind of dementia stage.   Apparently they had both been in other facilities but felt overwhelmed and asked the family to put them somewhere smaller. Madge’s family had put her there due to her constant falling.   She knows the code.   She says all one h...