MEMORIES 2013 JAR

Robbin posted an idea from some site on her Facebook and I decided to give it a try.

Maybe at the end of 2013 I will appreciate the good memories and not dwell on any bad times I have.

CHRISTMAS

It was an ugly sweater Christmas this year.

Another Christmas has come and gone. It was a fun day.

THE PAST KEEPS TUGGING FROM TIME TO TIME

I lost a longtime friend this week.  Tomorrow I will attend her funeral.  I met Mary Lou in  1960 when we first came to Butler.  She and her family owned a duplex and rented out one side.  We rented it from her for a couple of years. Child number 2 was born there in May 1960. At the end of 1961 we bought a house and moved from there.

But we have stayed connected ever since.  She brought me into an extension club that she belonged to and we have been in it since. We meet monthly.  The first years we learned lots of homemaking tips. And we all together had about 3 times as many kids as members that came to our meetings too until they began school. As time went on we left the Extension organization and became a social club. 

A couple years ago her heath began to get bad, and she went into a nursing home and eventually became unable to attend even occasional meetings.  I saw her almost every day as she entered the nursing home at the same time my Mom did.

Along the way members have lost spouses, but this is our first member  to pass on.  She will be missed.

HOW PHOTO BOOTHS HAVE CHANGED...

Went shopping the other day, and got Jim to go into this photo booth. Years ago you went in and sat there and it clicked away. Now you choose this, and choose that, and it also videos you while you are posing.  Found when I got home, I could put this code in on a site and see the video of how silly we were while posing....as if the pictures did not show that for sure.

Above we are sometime in the 60's.  Below 2012.  My how the years fly by.

 

 

THINK I AM "EBAYED" OUT.........

Hobbies are fun.  But if they are supposed to be relaxing, I guess I sometimes overdo it.

Lately have been getting lots of freebie days to put stuff on Ebay.  If I can save the listing fee, I feel like I should get as much as I can on there.

I have had almost 200 items fixed so I can just run them over again if they do not sell.  But every time I get free days, I go fix up some more.  Have 209 listed at this moment and have picked out a few more from my stash to get ready if I want.

Hmm has my hobby become an addiction?

END OF THE YEAR SCRAMBLE

It's that time of year when we  are looking forward to Christmas with family and food.  Listening to the music and hustle and bustle of the season.

I have my tree up and some decorations on the fireplace.  I am not a decorator so I do not have any themes or great decorating schemes.  I just put a little up to bring a bit of Christmas spirit in the house.

Since this picture I even have a couple gifts under the tree.  I still need to get out there do some shopping for gifts and cards. Make a menu for dinner Christmas Day, which is always the same food,but you still need a list.

There will also be the Christmas party at the nursing home for Mom. They have a reception with food and gifts for all the residents. I hope she enjoys it this year. Last year she was not feeling well and was not interested.  But this year she enjoyed the Thanksgiving dinner, so hoping she will get some joy out of this too.

My club will be having a dinner and gift exchange also. We have potluck and always enjoy food, visiting and gift exchange.


So December is a month of "events" and also of winding down and ending the year, so we can begin a brand new one and always hope that it brings better things.

I AM A VERY TWISTED SISTER

I have been thinking things are going along pretty smooth with Mom recently. She seems to be having her pain managed well. She has not been "needy" and want lots of stuff brought to her or done for her. Has been asking the aids or doing it herself.

But this evening she decides to want to be informed on things she has skipped before. Ask how much her rent there was.  Told her more that she would like. She ask about the girls that clean her room and wanted to know who paid for that.

She wants to think things are free, not costing her anything or she might as well be at home since she owns it. Even though she cannot get herself, meals or do much for herself.  She has the deluded idea that she does everything for herself and needs no help.

And there is no use trying to change her mind. If you start asking about the things she does not have to do herself, she  still thinks she could if she had to.

Mostly it is a subject just best skirted around,,,talk about the weather , the meals , just anything but reality.


But every once in awhile she has momemts of clarity where her one and only love her money comes to mind. She wants to know how it is doing how fast it is going, and if it is growing.  Well what can I do but lie like an ass or divert her.  Her money has been gone for many months and she is on STate Aid.  Am trying to sell the house and then she can pay with what comes from it til it runs out.

She was ranting today because she bought and paid for a house and is out there paying rent.  And I am sure in her mind her CD s are still sitting there too.

I am trying my best to allow her to live out the rest of her life without knowing she is broke. But she get  so hateful and mean about me making her stay there, and she pushes my buttons. 

I had to get out of there today because I was this close to just laying her finances out there and letting the chips fall. Letting her soak in the situation she has let herself get into by not listening to me years ago.

I walked away. She would just get more mean and hateful and blame me for using her money to keep her there to be taken care of. 

She has used her money all her life to snag future favors. Gives someone something or some money,writes it down, and then waits til there is something she wants them to do for her.

I quickly learned not to take anything with strings, andmade very sure it was a gift and not a snare.  She did not like this, but not much she could do about it.

Am staying away for a few days, and maybe her mind will move to something else.

Since her money was most important to her, and her security, maybe we can keep chugging along without her knowing it is gone.