Why Does Getting Older Have To Be Such A Challenge?!

(Sleepy Ginger Bunny Nursery Art Print by TinyRed)

        Let me start this post by saying: "YAY!!!" I've been getting some sleep. Well, a lot of sleep! :-) Therefore my talking about the challenge of getting older doesn't have anything to do with my sleeplessness.

      Those of you who regularly read my blog already know that I have some challenges with this body of mine!....challenges that make me C-R-A-Z-Y sometimes!! And unfortunately the challenges aren't getting any easier...but the one I'm talking about right now is not me. It's my father and my mother-in-law. Hubby's mom.

     With my dad, he's been in a lot of pain lately. So much so that he's actually considering joining a club close to his house, so he can go and swim laps when he feels like it! He says his doctor suggested he do that. He's been putting it off because he can't swim, he says. I told him that he doesn't have to go into the part of the pool that's over his head! ^_^ So he's reconsidering. See what getting older does to you?!...It changes your mind on things. It has you reconsidering your reconsiderings! LOL

      In other news, we've been having some really hot weather the last couple of days and I've been really worried about my mother-in-law shut up in her house, with no air conditioning....well, not hooked up air conditioning anyway. (She doesn't want to pay the high electric bill, I think.) She has fans going, and windows closed, but with 97-100 degrees, sitting in a house with that kind of heat is like sitting in a slow cooker! O_O

    We called her and asked if she wanted to come over and be in the air conditioning for the day, but she hemmed and hawed and said something about needing to make some phone calls and get some other things together to have the junk man come and pick them up.

     We urged her, tried to convince her....We said: "Are you sure?" 15 times. "No thank you" was her reply. O_O Oh well...So we just went ahead with our daily routine...Then, about an hour later, she called back! O_O ...."I changed my mind", she said.

     I could hear in her voice that making that call was a challenge to her. She so wanted to look strong, and not be a problem to anybody....I know the feeling. But she had to call and say, in effect, I'm weak. I need help.....TOUGH! Tough for a woman who has been the one everybody else called for help all these years. :-(

      As it turned out, she never got here anyway. Hubby's car had some issues that he had to take care of. Issues that weren't completely resolved until almost 4 in the afternoon!....*sigh*... By that time my mother-in-law was determined not to "bother us". :-( She knew we had the convention today, and that she'd have to be brought back home last night anyway....So she decided to tough it out at home. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't be alone!....*sigh* Why does getting older have to be such a challenge?!!!!!

   Anyway....While Ma was over in her house 'toughing it out' I was sitting comfortably....*sigh*....in my house, crocheting my brains out!...Sympathy crocheting. Doing something with my mind and hands, instead of worrying about her and complaining about me! :-] What was I working on?!...

      Tiny crochet lace-like flowers!

       I made a LOT of them!!

       So while the sun and heat outside in the backyard were making pretty flowers grow...

      I was inside, in the air conditioning, making pretty flowers to do things with. Things like this!....

        Hubby had some tie pins that he hadn't been wearing, and I asked him for them so that I could see if they would work for my tiny lapel flowers.

     WOW! The tie pin looks like it'll work even better than the cuff link!!...Why didn't I think of this before?!

     Hubby had already laid out what he was wearing to the convention today, so he grabbed one of the tie pins, and one of my crochet flowers, and did this!....

      How cool!!

      So now I'm thinking....Hey! Now you can sell your tiny flowers as tie pin accessories! :-)

      Hmmmmmmm....Think of the possibilities!!

       What do you think?!...I mean, you don't NEED a lapel pin. You can just have a great jacket, with a good looking man in it....

(Vintage Mens Harris Tweed Black White Herringbone Suit Coat by RevelDelve)

      ...but, I say, a lapel pin can't hurt anyway! ^_^

     But what do I know?!...I'm just an old, health challenged lady, with a 'backyard Holly'! LOL

         Have a good day, Everybody!! :-)

Dad Is Getting Older

I'm  48 years old,
and my dad is 71;
And reality just hit me:
"Growing old is not much fun!"

Dad is dependable and kind,
a step above most other men;
But I feel the tide is turning.
Things are not as they have been.

His health is slowly fading.
(Not to mention-so has mine!)
When we talk, he's  still himself,
but now his 'Sharp' has lost some shine.

More frequent Doctor's  visits,
high blood pressure, hemorrhoids too;
needs more fiber in his diet,
and less noise to shuffle through.

He used to take long trips,
driving hours, all alone.
Now he watches television-
All his hours, spent at home.

With a witty sense of humor,
and a colorful point of view,
he's  still as proud as he can be-
But like a peacock-in the zoo!

He enjoys all our attention,
and the grand-kids love his jokes;
All the neighbors love his gossip.
He's  a 'Special' kind of folks.

If things continue going
as they have the last few years,
dad's  non-stop aging process
will evoke a lot of tears.

Next year I will be older.
Until then what will I do?
Keep spending time with dad
who will, by then, be 72.