Better Today

Posted on by Sandy Webster

I still had plenty of these posters I made from a flag book several years ago. I will take it down to the Memory Care facility to put in Lee’s room.

After a very rocky start, Lee is now under psychiatric care at the place he needs to be. At first they wanted the original paper of commitment from our doctor and not the faxed copy. So turned around and left him there at Memory Care. I got the call and rushed to the doctor’s office to locate it on the top of the “to shred” pile. Then drove quickly down to deliver it during a gas shortage and made it before they were coming a second time to pick him up. Next I get a call from the psych ward that they are sending him to yet another hospital because his bruise has gone all the way down to his foot and they want more tests. I am a bit incensed at this point and enlist the aid of head of Memory Ward and the home health nurse who has been working hard to get Lee some pain relief and settled at the new home for evaluation and treatment.

No calls in the middle of the night and first thing this morning I get a call from the psych place that he is there…followed by a very gentle call from the psychiatrist that Lee will be given a stronger pain reliever and get treatment for his mental outlook. He will call me every two days with updates. Hopefully within two weeks he will be back at the Memory Care Home and under the watchful eyes of the people there.

This morning Amy and Ben left for home right after the doctor’s call. They were amazingly helpful and yesterday hung the Australian egg temperas where the cow hung near Lee’s chair.

Ben made sure I had a bottle full of tumeric syrup to continue with treatment as needed. It was wonderful having them here and the introduction to birding.

I promised them I would continue the walk this morning and found it quite flooded in places but great for taking pictures.

Our son, Patrick will come down mid June for two weeks and like Amy and Ben will work remotely. It is very helpful having them around. In the meantime Patrick had six bottles of a very nice pinot noir sent and this amazing stress reliever.

A dammit doll designed to take many hard whacks when things get rough. Perfect thing to have these past few days.

And finally after the cleaning lady left I had quiet time to sew on an interpretation of the Riverwalk. Amy and Ben took away all Lee’s computer, printer, etc from this table in the den. Perfect for sewing and sketching in my book. This will be my newest stitched piece to add to a drawing of mountain laurel I did from a whole new bunch Amy and Ben picked before leaving.

I feel I can breathe today and will get back to a new normal place. Again thank all of you for the many cards and letters and messages of kind concerns. They make me cry but even that feels good to just let it go.

Til later….

Beautiful Walks and Some Very Hard Days

Posted on by Sandy Webster

New morning walk along the river and less than fifteen minutes from home.

Then we took in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest that had poorly maintained trails so I stayed in the parking lot and wrote. Took the following pictures from there.

Then this morning back to Lake Chatuge for more birding.

I am waiting on a call from the Memory Care Home on how Lee is doing. Since my last blog it was discovered that he has bruised himself badly banging his hip on exit doors and was sent to the hospital twice for falling. Then again all the way to Chattanooga because they found a contusion on his head and needed more tests. He has been physically cleared for the psych ward at yet another location if he can not get calmer. Seeing me would increase his need to get out. I can only call or get phone calls in the middle of the night that he is being taken to the hospital due to a fall.

They just called and are waiting on calls and transport to Summit Ridge where he can get the psych evaluation and medication he needs, Right now he is sitting outside the office of Tracy, the head of the Memory Care ward. He is holding his stuffed cat and telling them he needs to get home. She will text me with whatever happens next.

It has been a very hard week and our daughter and partner are staying a few more days before heading home and back to work. They have been working remotely from here but that only lasts so long. They went with me to get a few fish.

And Ben keeps fixing new drinks for me each evening. Here is a saffron/chille infused gin and tonic.

And my most favorite, a Tumeric Whisky Sour with a garnish of rosemary.

This is made with a simple syrup of one cup sugar, one cup water and one tablespoon tumeric that is brought to a boil and then strained through fine screen strainer. For the drink, over ice pour one shot of syrup, two shots of bourbon, juice of one wedge lemon and one wedge lime, top with rosemary sprig. It is delicious!

I have not been in the studio to do anything. With Lee’s situation I am like a BB in a boxcar….completely unable to settle down. I did do a little drawing of a mountain laurel bloom in my sketchbook but will wait until I get some swatches sewn before I photograph it.

The mountain laurel is just beautiful this year and is all over the yard and trail.

And the last of Michigan lilacs Amy brought me.

This afternoon I am off to Asheville for a doctor’s appointment. The concern was having enough gas to get there and back with the pipeline problem here and over anxious people cleaning out gas stations. Luckily I found a small station coming back from the Memorial Forest yesterday and filled up. Amy and Ben have the whole day to work remotely and figure out dinner.

Til later….

Changes

Posted on by Sandy Webster

A good Bloody Mary (this one with oregano infused vodka) can go a long way in getting the day started.

Amy and Ben moved the day bed from the studio to the guest room.

Then that space left in the studio became the new sewing wall.

Then I decided to move one of the long work tables away from the island in the middle of the studio and switch places with the board shear.

Next the window that looks out onto the wine bottle fish school became the wood carving table (on top of the antique sewing machine) with the small loom next to it.

I switched places between sketchbooks and journals to where all the wood blocks and prints were and vice versa.

The studio is beginning to make more sense now.

The board shear will be given to a young man in the book and paper arts field. Maybe I can talk him into taking a large metal flat file as well. These things should be used more than I am using them and giving is very satisfying for both of us. So now I have a cleared off table designated for printmaking only, a facing table for putting things together, a carving table and another for writing and trimming papers….all separated from each other and the sewing wall. Lots of open floor space. I might even get back to some tai chi again.

I will continue to throw things out and clear even more space. This morning many, many bags went to the dump before we went on our birding walk at the folk school trails.

The news on Lee is not so good. He has been taken to the hospital three times now after falls. Because he can not seem to settle and rest his badly bruised rear end and because they are worried he may continue to hurt himself, the next thing we are considering is a move to a psyche ward down in Atlanta to get him on the right medicines. It is either that or a person who stays with his every move day and night. I am waiting on a call back from our doctor to get proper forms signed so they can find a room for him in Atlanta.

Both Amy and Ben are tech savvy so Amy set up a way for my laptop to access all my photos on the larger computer downstairs in the office. As long as I am on the same WiFi network photos can be exchanged…so much easier than traveling downstairs, locating files and then putting them on a stick to take upstairs and feed into my small laptop. Plus anything downloaded to the smaller laptop can be accessed from the office downstairs. Much better.

Another thing they did was gather smooth rocks from up north to bring down to me. There is nothing like a smooth rock in the hands.

More later when I learn more about our next steps….

A Rough Few Days

Posted on by Sandy Webster

This morning it was a walk back to the dam. It felt good to wander and look for birds with my daughter and her birding partner. A passerby complimented them on using real cameras. I will try to do that walk every morning.

Lee is still struggling. Friday his frustration led to breaking the owl picture and turning the television upside down. More sedatives needed. My calling might trigger another outburst so I will wait to make contact via the visual calls.

Then in the middle of the night Saturday I get a call that he had been found on the floor with a cut on his elbow and an ambulance was called to get to the nearest hospital for tests/x-rays. Two hours later the nurse from the hospital calls to tell me no broken bones, just bruises and now bandaged elbow. It is a good thing they check each room every hour during the night. He was sound asleep when they found him and they think he simply exhausted himself by fighting any form of relaxing.

He is eating well and this morning they called to suggest no contact until they get the right dosage to keep him calm and not aggressive/angry. Our doctor is in constant touch with how we are both doing.

I am so glad to have found this place where proper care is a priority.

In the meantime I tried to get some sewing done…three pairs of pants and two shirts so fat.

I really hate this mirror in the guest room. The closer you get, the fatter you look. Surely I need to keep my distance.

I have been served some interesting drinks by Amy’s partner, Ben.  A tumeric syrup with bourbon and sweet cherry garnish…delicious! A bloody Mary with rosemary and garlic infused vodka….also pretty good. It was garnished with his grandmothers recipe for preserved sweet pickled mushrooms and one of his pickled asparagus spears. The asparagus was too sour/vinegary for my taste but overall a good drink. There is plenty to sample during the week while they are here. Yesterday morning he served me my first ever bear bacon…surprisingly good, and last night his smoked mallard duck after a concoction of tonic and herb/peppered vodka. Tonight dinner will be part of a turkey he shot with a side of corn on the cob.

Now they are doing remote office work out on the porch with a promise that after five pm they will get to those high shelves for a good cleaning. But before that I will get on my Migun bed for a good massage while listening to some cds they brought for relaxation. How does “Restful Rain” sound?

Til later