Beneath the Wraps

                  After my eldest son ’ s wife passed away he was given options on how to continue.  An aunt from his mother ’ s side had offered for him to come live with them on the farm in Freedom, Wyoming.  His in-laws offered to allow him to continue living with them.  Of course Roland offered for him to move to Oregon.  I don ’ t know what it was that kept him in Utah.  I personally thought Freedom would have been the best choice.  Ali would have gotten to know cousins on the Warner side of the family.  Biff told me that she loved cows (that was when she was two – I have no idea what her interests are at present - wolves?) and she would have had the opportunity to interact with them and learn the ways of dairy farming.          Eventually Biff met Claire and thus stayed in Utah for her.   They finally got married.   She had fallen in love with both B...

           I watched the latest episode of This Is Us aired on NBC.  This year the creators have included today ’ s invents – meaning the pandemic and restrictions thus the story lines include the mask and real life circumstances at the hospital. https://www.nbc.com/this-is-us/episodes The show starts out with the introduction of two new characters – Nasir and Ester – both immigrants to a new country in 1963. Who could this couple possibly be?  What in the world did it have to do with the Pearsons (the family members that are the main subjects of the show)?  Meanwhile the present focuses on family members who are either in the hospital or on the phone via video chat with those in the hospital.   The next time we see Ester and Nasir they are married.  We don ’ t know how long they courted or were married or how many children they will have.  We know there is at least one toward the end of the show when Nasir is late com...

  I didn ’ t know what inspirational story to share on facebook – though I thought it should be personal.  I had considered the last day my mom was in the hospital and how all four of her children were there trying to plan her funeral and asking her questions that related.  She was between worlds and so when she gave us answers we weren ’ t always certain which side she was talking to.  For example Corey had asked about what hymns she would want to be sung.  I knew she likes “ I Am a Child of God ” and would like it sung at her funeral. When Corey asked “ What hymns do you like? ” she smiled and said, “ That ’ s a secret. ” I don ’ t remember all of our conversation.  I know it was a good conversation and all four of her children laughed together.  It felt like an inspirational mood.  I had also considered a time when we had gone to see my great grandma at the nursing home.  Mom had gone diligently every week and grandma, for the most pa...

          There were several signs of spring before it the equinox made (or will make) it official.   So many trees in pink and white blossom and all the daffodils and allergies.    Though my eyes appreciate the view from a distance, I have a hard time with spring up close as my sinuses go ballistic.   My ears tear and my nose runs.   Allergies.   I’m not sick.   I’m annoyed.   I need more moisture than the air has been providing me with lately.   Time to bring out the humidifier – which always seemed like an oddity for this part of Oregon.   But with Roland always being cold at night, the electric heat is really not agreeing with me right now.             It’s the heat.   It’s not a virus.   I’m not sick.   Even if I do get sick, I won’t admit it.   I’m not going to the doctor’s or hospital.   Ther...

When Jenna goes to school, I have taken the bus with her.   I normally have my backpack which contains my water bottle and a book.   Or at least I try to have a book – so I can read during the ride when Jenna isn’t with me. Jenna and I have ridden the bus all summer.   We’ve gone in a variety of directions.   But we have always started out on the same bus that we have taken when she’s been in school.   Instead of continuing to our normal bus stop near her school, we have been getting off at the college and making a transfer connection to a different bus. Just north of the college is a foot bridge that leads to the junior high across the street.   Jenna has always wanted to cross it.   I figured she’ll have the opportunity to cross it in two years – almost daily for the three years that she attends the junior high. My initial plan was to cross it with her, as I’d need to take a return bus home.   But this morning I learned that is ...

  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...

Kayla and Corey spent Thursday night at the hospital with mom.   And on Friday morning all of her children surrounded her and enjoyed conversation – especially when mom would laugh at just the right moment as though she was laughing at our jokes, but sometimes it just felt like she was really listening to someone outside of our presence. Corey asked mom if she had a favorite hymn.   She responded that it was a secret. She must have been conversing with someone on the other side.   Perhaps a suggestion had been made: “They are planning your funeral.   Can you believe it?   We should just make your pulse count go higher.   You outlive the two weeks you’ve been given.   We’ll show them” Mom was laughing. It would make for a great final memory.   Her pulse went up. She spends most of the day just sleeping.   We can get her to drink sometimes but she won’t eat anything.   Hospice designed for making loved ones as comfortable ...

Before Sunday Mom was laughing, she was walking and dressing herself. She was singing on Thursday as Harold accompanied on guitar. Sometime between four and six on Sunday morning she got out of her chair.   We don’t know why.   She may have been headed toward the bathroom.   Or perhaps she could feel the pain of a mild heart attack. She was checked on at four.   She was sleeping peacefully in her chair.   But when she was checked in on at six, she was found on the floor.   Her clothes were wet with urine and perspiration. She was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital.   Her legs were badly swollen.   She was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis   .   The infection spread into her legs and kidneys and heart probably. She’d been hooked up to machines and needles and was given cat scans, an MRI, a pick line and ...