100 degrees at 7:30PM

We have had some scorching days lately.  I think today was the highest temperature so far at 106!  Thankfully we have air conditioning as I don't know how anyone would be able to stand it without it.  At these temperatures even a fan would just be moving around HOT air!

As I wrote on Monday, my mom passed away that day at the age of 90.  The rest of Monday was spent picking up her glasses from the nursing home - why I don't know because we didn't bury her with then. Also called some of the siblings to convey the word. The funeral date was quickly firmed up due my brother and his wife from NY already having a vacation scheduled starting this weekend.  The funeral was set to be Thursday morning.

Tuesday was planning out the actual funeral at the same funeral home that took care of my dad's funeral.  We chose not to have a viewing as very few folks would be showing up as my mother doesn't know many folks at all here in Texas.  Also she really looked bad at the end, very, very skinny.

Wednesday I saw my brother and his wife and they visited a little while and I gave him some things my mom had aside for him. I also spent time in the evening at my sisters where my other sister was staying who came in from Ohio.  It was nice catching up with the siblings.  Funerals suck but seeing family that live so far away is always nice.

Thursday was the funeral and there were oh I'd say 12-14 people in attendance but again not surprised. My youngest came up for the funeral as she is only about an hour and half away.  The other one is in PA, so that was far to come. My brother did a great job officiating it.  It was nice.  The funeral home provides food afterwards but the smallest food package they had was for 40 people - wasn't going to happen .So the family just ate at Saltgrass Steakhouse afterwards instead.  Nice family time again.  My sister from Ohio and our niece and her baby girl (8 months old) came to look through moms things in the afternoon and we got to go through a lot of memorable photos and things my mom wrote (short story type of things).  It was bittersweet.  Thursday late afternoon the other sister came and I ended up suggesting we eat out again as I had nothing for dinner to serve since it was so impromptu. 

Friday I went back to work and tried to get back into the groove. It will likely take a while for it to really sink in that mom is gone, but in time it will.  I have realize a new found freedom to go out to dinner and enjoy some things like going to a movie again.  We felt tethered to the home and/or had to be back in time to make mom dinner for over 2 years so it will be an adjustment. 

Today Molly had a follow up from her dental and she is doing fine. I can start finger brushing her teeth now.  I also did some work which was nice to get a few hours in since I've been off most of the week.  That brings me up to date with the happenings this week. 

Monday blog

Last Wednesday we got our oldest dog's teeth cleaned.  I was hoping she wouldn't need many teeth pulled but she had a lot of dental issues (all under the gums so even though I brush her teeth, it wasn't enough). She ended up needing I think 13 teeth pulled and was very out of it when we picked her up.  She wouldn't eat or drink anything and barely lifted her head.  We were both worried that she was 'under' too long.  We had a sleepless night that night worrying about her.

Thankfully the next day she was better and now she is in pretty good shape although hubby still doesn't want to give her solid food yet.  I think we need to start mixing her dry with her wet tomorrow as it will be nearly a week since her appointment.  I'm just not sure how soon we will get her teeth cleaned again. 

Dealing with my mom in hospice, our oldest dog's teeth issues and work, I took a half day off on Friday to go visit my youngest. I haven't had a break in a long time. As it turns out my sister was also going to be out of town but I already put the time off request in so I took it anyway.  I was only an hour and a half away if need be and my hubby visited my mom when I was gone. I had a very nice relaxing weekend eating out and seeing movies on Netflix.  We're actually try to plan a girls weekend with my oldest too. That would be fantastic!

I guess I should have started my blog with this, but my mom passed away today.  I am actually relieved as she really didn't have any good quality of life any more after falling and breaking her hip last month.  I do feel bad she didn't get to enjoy the nice addition very long.  But I am hoping she will be in a better place now and will be at peace.  I'm going to end this here, just wanted to update as it has been a while.

SUnday BLog

Sorry I haven't blogged since Thursday. Friday was a busy day with work and yesterday I had a hair appointment and also worked some and went to visit with mom for a bit too.  She was just lying in bed but did want some ice cream, so I went down to the dining area and got her some.  She has been practically living on ice cream and vanilla milk shakes these days as she loves them both, and doesn't care much for the pureed food they offer (which doesn't look appetizing either).

I was going to try a different hair coloring yesterday but chickened out.  I think if I got the style I was thinking about, it may not look great on me, plus it would cause me to need my hair touched up every time (blonde), so I got my normal, but I 'm fine with it.  She put a bit more blonde chunks in it than last time too. Here is a shot I just took. Ignore the mess because it is the day after and I did not brush it yet today (today was exercise day and then worked after that).

We also got a few more things to finish off part of the balcony.  Here's the latest pictures.  There is still some painting of a few things and planting to go.  I'm actually debating now that it is already July as to whether I really want to plant any flowers at this point. It is already getting upwards of 100 degrees and not sure it would be worth it . We'll see.

Cute pictures

Can you find the real dog in the picture below?  :)  She did this all herself too!

And this is one of her standard positions below.  It looks like it would be so uncomfortable~!

Day off

Yesterday I had already taken a 1/2 day off as my mom had a Retina eye specialist appointment but I already cancelled it since she is bedridden at the nursing home.  So I did go over and visit her and also got hospice officially set up for her so now she is still there but has additional hospice care.  I'm hoping it will make her feel like she's getting more care with this added layer of service to help her. 

Today I also had the day off as I scheduled it a while back as well. After all it is July and I needed to start using up some vacation time.  Where I work, if you don't use it, you lose it and they don't like everyone taking off during the holidays at the end of the year. 

So today I did something I haven't done possibly ever!  I went to see a movie all by myself.  I wanted to see the Transformers new movie and hubby wasn't that interested so I went to the afternoon showing.  I really liked the movie (and popcorn) and am glad I treated myself. It was odd not having to share my popcorn but I enjoyed it.  There was only myself and two men in that theater for that showing so that was a bit weird but once the movie started playing I didn't really notice.

All in all it was a relaxing day off and the good news is tomorrow is Friday already. Yippee!

Cicada?

Hubby took these pictures today and he thought this was a Cicada.  I didn't think so as I have seen a few, maybe not real recently but anyway they have red eyes and this does not.   This looks to me to be some kind of wooly moth.  Who knows!

I went to settlement today for mom's house. Glad that is all over with. The buyer seems like a very nice lady and I hope she likes the house.  She did say she loved the back porch. That made me smile.

Racoon

The other morning I was walking with a gal who walks with her dog sometimes.  We came across something on the side of the road.  It turns out to have been a baby raccoon that had some of its guts sticking out . It was on its stomach and it was scraping the street with its paws like trying to move itself.  I felt so bad and made a comment about the poor raccoon.  The lady I walked with said something like yes it was. Then proceeded to talk...'so anyway'.... The whole rest of that walk I was thinking about that raccoon.  It is interesting to me how some folks seem to care very little for animals.  I know it is not uncommon. 

When I got home I called animal control to ask them to please take care of it (at the very least put it out of its misery).  They said they'd dispatch someone.  I wasn't sure that anything was done but I had assumed there was.  This morning I looked and it was no longer there so thankfully I think they did take care of it. 

Even though it was 'just a raccoon' I hate seeing any living thing suffer especially animals.

Well it is Friday evening already - Yippee~!

I have been visiting my mom every other day at the nursing home. She wonders what she is still doing alive but it isn't her time yet. She isn't very hungry and she gets tired of trying to sit up and wait for her meals.  She only wanted ice cream this evening and I ended up tracking it down myself so she didn't have to wait any longer.  They are not very timely but I do know they have others to deal with.  I'm afraid I spoiled mom helping her right away with anything she needed or wanted when she was living with us, and before that when we went over every evening. Hubby always had her groceries for her and he was shopping several days a week to get her this and that.  I think she thinks someone should sit at her bedside and cater to her every need, but that isn't going to happen.  I'm just taking one day at a time.  Appreciate continued prayers.

More painting done by hubby

Hubby painted the chair, and small table and he already painted the metal bird the other day.

Sprucing up

Hubby has decided to brighten up some other things on our balconies.  They have been pretty neglected the last couple of years.  Here are some Before and After pictures of a glider that he totally repainted today.  LOVE the new look! The chair is next.

FRONT - BEFORE

The next to be painted

FRONT - AFTER